ã€ŠSovereign of Wrathã€‹


 Chapter 1: Fort

    I should have dressed warmer. Clear skies meant a colder than average night, and my breath came out in visible puffs. A light jacket tossed hastily over a plain shirt and trousers wasn¡¯t nearly enough for early winter. My uncovered nose had gone numb, but I wasn¡¯t going to turn back.

    ¡°Hey come on, Zach!¡± Abby tapped my shoulder as she ran past me, boots crunching on snow. ¡°You¡¯re cold right? Get moving and get that blood pumping!¡±

    Abby (Abigail) Hunter was almost as tall as I was, with a lankier build. Her light brown hair stood out against the starlight, but almost blended into her tanned complexion. And she was currently giving me the same dopey, teasing smile she always used. Unlike me, she had the foresight to dress warm and wore a thick gray woolen cloak with sturdy boots sticking out from underneath it.

    Outlined against her, the ruins of the old fort were an indistinct dark mass dusted in snow. Moonlight failed to reach the entrance; a black portal that gave me shivers. Sprawling out from the opening, crumbling walls stretched into the night. The gate itself and the stone arch above it had collapsed into a heap of rubble some years back.

    I shuddered as I jogged to catch up to Abby. ¡°Do you want to get us caught?¡±

    My best friend smiled mischievously back at me. ¡°Pfft! There¡¯s no one out here tonight, and you know it. Besides, this was your idea anyway.¡±

    ¡°My idea? All I did was wonder what those Church folks were doing so far out here the other day. The rest was you!¡±

    ¡°Well, you agreed to it, yeah?¡±

    I lightly punched Abby¡¯s shoulder.

    She blew me a raspberry.

    I rolled my eyes and groaned. ¡°You¡¯re so immature. We¡¯re both twenty!¡±

    ¡°Says the girl who snuck out of her house at midnight to go traipsing around some old rocks!¡±

    ¡°What about the girl who threw rocks at my window to wake me up for this nonsense?¡±

    Despite that comment, I felt a flutter inside when Abby referred to me that way. I hadn¡¯t said anything to my parents yet, or anyone else¡ªjust Abigail. I hadn¡¯t even decided on a name and was still so nervous about everything. Abby, however, had totally leaned into it ever since I''d told her.

    ¡°Hey, are you even listening!¡± I jolted out of my reverie just in time to see her disappear into that dark portal. ¡°It¡¯s a lot warmer in here out of the wind,¡± she called out from inside.

    Hearing that revelation, I hurried to follow her. I lifted the hood on my lantern once I crossed the threshold. Inside was the old gatehouse. Not much use anymore when most people could climb over the wreckage of the walls anyway.

    Abby was already looking around intently, poking at stones. Ever since we were kids, she was the one who took us on adventures. Funny how she ended up apprenticed to a tailor and I to a blacksmith. Still, she seemed to enjoy it and has even promised to help me with clothes in a couple years if I can afford to get magical alteration in the capital. And I¡¯d need it too: I was tall with wide shoulders, narrow hips, and other stuff I¡¯d really rather not think about. Even thinking about how I had to shave and what I saw in the mirror formed a lump in my throat. Apparently, according to my mother, I¡¯d be ¡°very handsome¡± if I took care of my looks and cut my long black hair. Yuck.

    I tried to think positively. Though I took after my mother, I had my father¡¯s piercing blue eyes. I didn¡¯t hate them. That¡­ was it. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Just barely, was able to force myself out of my own head and back into the decrepit room I was standing in.

    ¡°Nothing but a bunch of tracks in the dust.¡± Abby kicked at the remains of a small table, or maybe a chair.

    ¡°Really though, why do you think they were out here? Wasn¡¯t the demon supposed to be hiding in Linthel proper and not a couple miles out of town?¡±

    ¡°No idea. Maybe they just wanted to explore. It¡¯s a pretty cool place, but they normally have city guards watching it so people don¡¯t get hurt.¡±

    ¡°I doubt they just wanted to explore.¡± I rolled my eyes at her.

    ¡°Maybe the demon was created from all the death and suffering here during the unification war, and they came here looking for clues about it.¡±

    I frowned and took a second to gather my wits. ¡°That¡¯s morbid.¡±

    Abby looked to be deep in thought as we walked across the courtyard to the main fortification. The yard was more forest than field. Bits of stone and uneven ground hinted at past structures. The main building loomed ahead of us; one wing collapsed. The central section and remaining wing were better off, but the upper floors were mostly gone and the structure sagged dangerously in some places.

    Abby walked up to the rusted iron door that stood partially open. ¡°Yeah, but have you ever thought really hard about where demons come from?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just hell. You can¡¯t believe everything your nan says about things like this. The Church folk wouldn¡¯t be happy to hear you suggest otherwise.¡± I looked up at the empty holes of the old windows and followed her inside.

    ¡°Pfft, don¡¯t believe her? She¡¯s pretty much your nan too and I know you¡¯ve asked her to teach you some of the tricks she knows.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, but magic isn¡¯t technically illegal.¡± I looked down at my feet.

    ¡°And speaking against the Church is?¡± She stopped and planted her hands on her hips. ¡°Last I checked the Church doesn¡¯t run Ordia, the Empress does. Just because Lord Carvalon is sucking up to them doesn¡¯t mean we all have to.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably for the best they don¡¯t run things,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°Their robes suck anyway.¡±

    I looked up to see her smiling. ¡°Good! Now let¡¯s go see if there¡¯s a skeleton in the dungeon or something.¡±

    Together we moved through the rooms of the old fort. Some of the furniture and doors were intact, but most of the place was a ruin. To her credit, Abby seemed to take this at least somewhat seriously and didn¡¯t catch me with a jump scare even with ample opportunity. She constantly ran ahead and doubled back, seemingly sticking her head into each and every empty room. Still, the atmosphere in this place pressed down on the both of us, stifling conversation. That is, until we found the armory and with it a very old forge.

    ¡°Wow! Look at the size of this. Bourick¡¯s workshop has nothing on this furnace.¡± I inspected it from the inside, revealing decades of soot still stuck firm to the walls of the chamber.

    Without any warning, Abby stuck her head into the forge next to mine. ¡°Echo!¡±

    Her voice echoed around the old furnace chamber and despite my surprise we both laughed, kicking up looser bits of the ancient soot and forcing us to pull our heads out.

    ¡°Keep up like you¡¯re doing and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get to work with something like this in no time.¡± Abby smiled, shaking soot out of her hair.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I did the same and looked back at the antiquated forge, ¡°But maybe one a bit more modern.¡±

    While I continued to admire the old ironworks, Abby wandered the empty weapon racks, tracing a finger along the top. ¡°I¡¯m sure Bourick will accept you, you know.¡±

    Her words caused me to stop. ¡°You mean even if I¡¯m a girl?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Just because he hasn¡¯t taken a female apprentice doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t and he seems like a nice guy.¡±

    ¡°What about my family?¡± I sat down on a dusty stone workbench and leaned back against the cool wall.

    Abby paused and then came to sit down next to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. She was the only one I felt comfortable having physical contact with, except maybe my little sister. Abby knew this too and I swear she exploited it.

    As if reading my thoughts, she finally replied, ¡°I think your sister already knows.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Kartania, my little sister, and I have always been close, despite her being seven years younger than me.

    Come to think of it, she wasn¡¯t so little any more, was she?

    Tania almost always wanted to come along on our adventures, and I¡¯d try to include her when Abby dragged me off to some exciting place or another. My sister had school tomorrow morning, or she¡¯d maybe be here with us now.

    Abby spoke up, ¡°She asked about what to give you for your birthday this spring when you finish your apprenticeship. She was trying to decide between several types of hair accessories. She wanted something to go with your eyes and hair. And maybe match hers.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± My sister got the same mix of features I did. We¡¯d probably look like twins if not for the age difference.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Would she really want you to be telling me what she¡¯s getting for me?¡± My tone was fragile, but the smile that spread across my face was genuine.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you exactly what she picked now did I.¡± She booped my nose lightly.

    ¡°Tania¡­¡± was all I could say, lost in thought.

    ¡°Too bad they didn¡¯t leave an old sword or something lying around.¡± Abby¡¯s voice made me sit back up with a start.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    I hadn¡¯t even noticed Abby get up, but she had crouched down and was now looking under a weapon rack while holding my lantern. The absence of light from it was something I¡¯d hardly noticed. I could tell that Abby wanted to keep going and keep me from drawing back into my own thoughts, but it was hard not to. My sister and I were both close to our parents, but both mom and dad had such staunch views on gender roles I was afraid to tell them.

    Maybe I was just being paranoid. All sorts of folks didn¡¯t match up with what the god(s), or ¡°Dhias¡± according to the church, gave them. While the church didn¡¯t approve, it wasn¡¯t like my parents were super devout, and even then, people got magic work done all the time if they could afford it.

    Abby¡¯s concerned green eyes boring into mine allowed me to get my focus back and I managed a reply after another second. ¡°This place has been abandoned since the unification war. Why would anything of value that could be carried out still be here after a century?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Would be cool though.¡± Just like that Abby was back to being playful.

    ¡°Hey, did you manage to convince your dad to let you practice swordsmanship?¡± I asked her, getting up and dusting off the back of my trousers.

    ¡°No. Something about it being dangerous and not useful for tailors. What if I wanted some kind of monstrous leather for an accent piece or some rare fibers from a dangerous forest?¡±

    ¡°Tailor-swordswoman hybrids are underrated,¡± I smiled back. ¡°Meanwhile I¡¯ve still had no development in my magical affinity.¡±

    Abby stood and moved back toward the hallway. ¡°Yeah, but doesn¡¯t that usually stop developing before you turn eighteen?¡±

    ¡°A gu-girl can dream right?¡±

    ¡°Right! Besides, being able to start a fire anywhere is wicked useful. What if the lantern went out right now or you got stuck in the wild some day?¡±

    ¡°You got me there I guess, but I don¡¯t have any combat ability.¡±

    ¡°No magesmiths then?¡± She paused and then turned back to me with a mock pout, ¡°Hey, why is your hybrid career name so much cooler than mine?¡±

    ¡°Monosyllabic words?¡±

    ¡°Nerd. I want a do-over!¡±

    ¡°Jock.¡±

    Laughter echoed down the hall. I wished I had real magic potential, but not for combat. I want to use it to help with forging like how Bourick uses his own fire affinity. I don¡¯t want to fight dangerous monsters around the edges of the wilds, or go adventuring to ancient ruins, or anything like that. Well, maybe the ruins a little.

    We continued walking and talking for another minute or two and passed several other empty rooms before the hall ended in another dark stone box. This room, however, had a heavy iron door in the corner, pulled open barely enough to walk through. A dark stairwell was just visible descending into blackness.

    Abby pointed down into the abyss. ¡°They looked in there. Check the marks on the floor.¡±

    My gaze followed Abby¡¯s outstretched finger and I saw fresh scratches on the stone floor. ¡°Maybe we should go home?¡± I ventured. No way I wanted to go down there.

    ¡°Afraid of undead? Come on Zach, you know as well as I do that this place doesn¡¯t have that kind of lingering magic. Plus, the Church just came through here.¡±

    ¡°R-right. Not like they¡¯d leave anything dangerous behind.¡±

    ¡°We can go home if you want.¡± Her eyes were kind, but I could see from her expression that she really, really wanted to look around more.

    I shook my head, ¡°No, we can look around more. This was my idea after all!¡± I gave a smirk and lightly punched her shoulder.

    She turned to me and did the same; her laughter echoing around the room. Gathering my courage, I followed her down the dark stairwell into what I both hoped and dreaded was the dungeon.

    Abby kept the lantern steady as we descended the steps. It was warmer down here than up above, but only just. The first snow did little to freeze this deep, and moisture gathered in rivulets between the stones of the walls and in puddles on the steps. Echoes of dripping water reached our ears and broke the oppressive silence. And then Abby broke it more.

    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a secret room down here?¡±

    I gathered up some courage to speak in the musty air. I probably got it from Abby radiating her own infinite supply. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the church have found it? Inquisitor Finley seemed like he could notice anything when he talked to me.¡±

    ¡°Wait? When did you get a chance to talk to him? I only saw him, his retinue, and his funny looking hat at a distance.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he came by and talked to me and my family. Didn¡¯t he talk to every family in the neighborhood?¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, Nan had told me to stay away from him the other day and she seemed pretty worried. I was probably with Miss Meissner at my apprenticeship when he stopped by.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re only bringing this up now!?¡± I exclaimed as we hit the bottom of the steps. We faced a small ruined alcove ahead of a row of cells leading into darkness.

    ¡°Well yeah. Not like he¡¯d stick around here.¡± Abby stomped in a puddle. ¡°He¡¯d get his robes wet.¡±

    I looked around half expecting him to walk out of the shadows. ¡°Do you think Nan¡¯s going to get in trouble for heresy?¡±

    ¡°Nah, she¡¯s craftier than anyone I know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but Inquisitor Finley is really scary. It¡¯s like he has this sort of presence around him and I could swear he was peeking into my head or something.¡±

    ¡°Probably his face and his hat. You could use that guy¡¯s cheekbones to butcher a chicken. I bet he¡¯s got nothing on Nan.¡± She took the lead and we started to walk down the hallway, looking past rusted bars into empty cell after empty cell.

    I actually had to hold back a laugh at the idea of our big local butcher, Harvald, lifting the reedy Inquisitor and using his face to cut meat. ¡°I guess he¡¯s just creepy looking.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and Lord Carvalon proves you don¡¯t have to look like a creep to be one,¡± Abby giggled. ¡°Have you seen the other girls fawning over his slimy blond pretty-boy ass?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t his family old enemies of the church? I guess you¡¯d really have to be some kind of suck up to act like he does.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wonder who really calls the shots in Linthel. Heck what about all of Edath? We may be part of the Empire since the unification war, but I¡¯d wager that the Church¡ª¡° Abby cut off suddenly.

    A loud crash came from the end of the hallway and both of us froze. I turned to run, but Abby put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Look!¡±

    I followed the lantern¡¯s light and saw a collapse at the back of one of the cells. Inside I could barely make out a room of some sort.

    ¡°O-okay, but w-what made the wall collapse?¡±

    ¡°Maybe the church people searched all the walls and knocked something loose? This place is soaked through and old as dirt, anyway.¡± Abby kicked a cell bar and it disintegrated into rust fragments. Despite her conviction, her voice wavered and her hand holding the lantern shook.

    ¡°W-we can check it out. If something was down here and wanted to get out, it¡¯d be on us already.¡± My voice was worse than hers, but I managed to steady her hand with mine.

    Abby grasped my other hand and wordlessly pulled me close. ¡°Thanks, Zach.¡± After a moment she added, ¡°We really have to figure out your real name.¡±

    Abby¡¯s face was close to mine. Her beautiful green eyes were still wide with fear and my heart thumped in my chest. I didn¡¯t know how to feel about Abby. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t like her like that, but she was always just a friend. Also, I knew she liked girls, but I couldn¡¯t¡ªwouldn¡¯t¡ªwasn¡¯t¡ª

    She wordlessly leaned forward and up toward me, and without thinking I leaned down and in toward her. Our lips met in a kiss. My first. For perhaps a second, we held together, before we both pulled quickly back.

    ¡°Zach, I-I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­¡° Abby looked at me pleadingly and trailed off.

    I gently touched my lips with a finger. I felt tears forming. Abby looked back at me, her expression twisting to fear, as her own tears started to form.

    ¡°No, I¡ªyou¡ªwe¡ªit¡¯s¡­¡± I paused for a moment and took a deep breath. ¡°Abigail Hunter!¡± I shouted and she snapped to attention. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I like you. A lot. But I¡¯m¡ªand you¡¯re¡ªand¡­¡± Just like that, my bravado dissipated.

    ¡°And you¡¯re the girl I think I¡¯m falling in love with, Zacharias Miller.¡± Abigail had tears in her eyes, but she looked at me with surety in those green pools. Somehow their color seemed to come through even in the dark.

    For a long moment we just stared into each other¡¯s eyes, still in a half embrace with the lantern pointing its light away from us.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what my name is,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we have plenty of time.¡±

    ¡°But I¡ª¡±

    ¡°No buts. I like you and that¡¯s that.¡± Abby shook her head and cleared the tears from her eyes. ¡°We, uh, should go check out this cool secret room.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded. I was happy. A bit numb, but a happy kind of numb, like a weight I¡¯d never noticed was gone from my shoulders and I didn¡¯t quite know how to live without it.

    We somehow made it into the room behind the collapsed wall. I¡¯d imagine by ducking and walking in, but my mind wasn¡¯t really all there at the moment. The room inside was disappointingly bare and small, although some part of me was relieved that it was mostly empty. The walls were rough-hewn stone and mortar, wet with condensation, and there seemed to be no doors. A single pedestal sat in the middle of the small space, on top of which was the rusted out remains of an ornate metal cage. Inside was a small wooden box, largely rotten and with rusted hinges. I¡¯m glad it wasn¡¯t a cell of some sort since I doubted I could handle human remains right now.

    Before I could say anything, Abby reached in and took the box from the cage. Nothing happened.

    ¡°Whoa. I wonder why they kept this here. What do you think the cage was for? It has all these symbols on it.¡± Abby held the box unopened and examined the cage.

    ¡°Why did you take the box out? What if the cage was keeping it in there?¡±

    ¡°Like it¡¯s some kind of dangerous magical artifact?¡± Abby¡¯s tone was mirthful, but she held the box a bit more carefully. ¡°I doubt that rusted pile has held magic in a long time.¡±

    I gave her a serious look and pointed to where the box had been sitting. ¡°Yeah, okay sure. The box was in a cage that maybe had runic magic, and we¡¯re in the basement of a fort from when Edath was a heathen nation. A heathen nation known to practice dark magics and consort with demons. And that box clearly wasn¡¯t contained before we walked in. All that doesn¡¯t exactly make me feel safe.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s Church propaganda, right?¡±

    ¡°Okay, but how much of it is propaganda? Your nan¡¯s always been tight-lipped about how the old rituals worked. And she hasn¡¯t ever talked about working with demons.¡±

    Abby opened the box. ¡°See, it¡¯s fine!¡± She reached inside and lifted up an ornate amulet depicting some strange symbol. The amulet and chain were made of a metal that looked not quite like tarnished silver.

    ¡°Abby!¡±

    ¡°What? Okay, fine. It does look kinda creepy.¡±

    ¡°No shit. It looks demonic.¡±

    ¡°Demonic how? What do you think it represents?¡± she held it closer to me.

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean ¡®represents¡¯?¡±

    ¡°You know! Nan¡¯s told us that demons are held together by a bad emotion and can feed on it, remember? Like a spirit of the land is by a place. They¡¯re not always like people, but the ones that are, aren¡¯t always driven by the sins that made them. Do you think it looks like some kind of bad emotion?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to think, so I didn¡¯t reply. Despite my misgivings I took a closer look at what she held. The amulet was a finely filigreed starburst pattern of six points with concentric symmetry whirling out from its center like a vortex.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it looks like,¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°Me neither, but it¡¯s really pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°But what if it¡¯s demonic?¡±

    ¡°What if it is? I doubt there¡¯s a demon in here. Mr. Sharpface would¡¯ve sensed it through the wall. Probably.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what do we do with it?¡± I asked Abby.

    ¡°Put it on?¡±

    ¡°What, no!¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯d look pretty on you if it got cleaned up.¡± Abby¡¯s look held honesty in it, ¡°But you¡¯re probably right to get it checked out. Why don¡¯t we take it to Nan and have her look at it?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I guess. We can go before I head to my apprenticeship tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy early!¡±

    ¡°Well, I want to know if it¡¯s safe. What if it¡¯s slowly corrupting us?¡± I gave the amulet a hard stare.

    ¡°Nan might still be up actually,¡± Abby replied. ¡°She said she had something she wanted to work on tonight.¡±

    I blinked.

    ¡°What? If I told you, you would worry. And I don¡¯t think she wants to be interrupted.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Seriously though! We found a real secret room and a real artifact! It was totally worth coming out here!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess it was.¡± I smiled, but I suspected the artifact wasn¡¯t what made this trip special for either of us.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back and talk to my nan then.¡± Abby held out the necklace toward me. ¡°At least try holding it; it doesn¡¯t feel cursed or anything.¡±

    I took the amulet after a moment of hesitation. It was heavy, but nothing felt off about it. ¡°You want me to have this don¡¯t you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah! Silver would look really good with your eyes and hair. Think of it as my gift for your next birthday!¡±

    I looked down at Abby¡¯s honest, happy expression and felt a smile grow unbidden across my face. ¡°I will.¡±

    She looked at me expectantly, so I continued, ¡°But I¡¯m not wearing it until your nan confirms that it¡¯s safe.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me!¡± Abby¡¯s smile was at least as big as my own.

    Our trip out of the ruins was free of the oppressive atmosphere the stones seemed to have only an hour ago. We chatted about finishing our apprenticeships and about what we could do to help with my transition. Abby even insisted that she wanted be there for support when I told my parents, and I was relieved and readily agreed. Before then, I needed a name, but so far, we hadn¡¯t been able to think of a name between the two of us. I wanted it to start with ¡°Z¡± and Abby agreed, but we just couldn¡¯t come up with something.

    Our conversation was fading as we exited the ruins, stepping back into the cold night air. Over the trees, back in the direction of Linthel, we saw a bright orange glow suffusing the horizon.

 Chapter 2: Fire

    I wasn¡¯t cold anymore. The moment Abby and I saw the horizon we shared a glance and bolted back toward town, all pretense of stealth and reverie forgotten. Sprinting down the narrow forest path and trying not to panic, I could feel everything but the tip of my nose warming as I spent all the energy I had to run.

    A glow that big had to be a fire, and a serious one at that. My thoughts swirled in a chaotic maelstrom.

    Was it caused by the demon the Church was hunting back in Linthel? Was there some kind of cult around it that had set fire to all or part of the city?

    Abby kept pace with me, but stayed a couple meters back so we wouldn¡¯t run into each other down the narrow trail. Although I had a longer stride, she was the more athletic of the two of us and we pretty much evened out. I didn¡¯t turn to see her face, but I have no doubt it was as serious and as shocked as mine.

    Two kilometers. That¡¯s how far south the old fort was. The small half of that distance was dense mixed forest, and the rest was farms we were now running through. We jumped the first fence and skirted a herd of sleeping cattle. Across this field was the main road back. Coming around the farm¡¯s barn, we got our first look back at Linthel, which lay down the hill from us.

    The orange glow seemed to light the edges of the taller buildings, but we couldn¡¯t yet see the fire. Lord Carvalon¡¯s castle sat atop its hill to the west. The massive stone complex was dotted with pricks of light and silent in the night. The color from the fire reflected off the snow and bathed the whole side of the barn and nearby field in an eerie light.

    If we couldn¡¯t see the fire from here, that meant it was on the north side of the city. Our side. My heart sank in my chest. Linthel was a big city with tens of thousands of people, but I had a terrible feeling wash over me. I skidded to a stop in the snow-slicked grass and stared out at the city lit up in orange. This close, we could both see the smoke billowing up into the sky, staining the starry tapestry as black as ink.

    Abby ran up next to me not a moment later. Wordlessly, she put her arm around my shoulders. To my surprise, my hand reached out and grabbed her free hand. I looked down at her and she up at me. She started to speak and I could see her lips start to form the words that I knew would be ¡®It¡¯ll be alright¡¯, but she stopped herself. No doubt she had the same feeling as me.

    ¡°We need to keep going.¡± Abby¡¯s voice sounded detached.

    I nodded numbly at her words and we broke the embrace more slowly than I think either of us intended to before we sprinted the rest of the field and hopped the outer fence onto the road back to town. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever moved as quickly as I did just then, and soon both of us were weaving through the streets toward Linthel¡¯s north side. People in nightwear stared out open windows as we passed, the chill night air forgotten in the moment. More people had even come out into the street, and a few were on the streets moving north. Some were in a daze, and others, like us, ran through the night with panic-stricken faces.

    When we reached the river, we could finally see flames in the distance, flickering between buildings and roaring high into the night sky. Below us, the Linthel River¡¯s dark water reflected the demented lightshow. My legs burned in agony and from the ragged breathing behind me, Abby wasn¡¯t faring much better. Like it or not, we had to slow down for both the mass of people ahead and our bodies.

    The market square across the bridge was a chaotic mass of people, kept roughly in check by a mixture of guards and church folk, if the dull armor and white and red robes were any indication. On the other side of the market were hastily erected barricades. Bucket brigades ran from the river north across the square to carts loaded with barrels. The fire was nearly invisible behind the buildings on the north side of the market, meaning it was further north still. Closer to home. The smoke, however, was visible in the air and I tasted ash.

    Like sensation from a numb limb, sound slowly filtered back in as we both dashed across the square. Shouts from people keeping order and of others¡¯ panic rang out around us. From further north echoed the dull whoomphing noise of a building giving up.

    I spotted a familiar shock of red hair standing a head above the crowd. Bourick stood helping at the front of a nearby bucket brigade. I called out to him, voice strained and breath coming in gasps. ¡°Bourick!¡±

    The brawny smith turned to us, ¡°Zach! Abigail! Thank Dhias you¡¯re okay!¡± He lifted a full bucket and emptied it into a barrel on the cart.

    Before he could continue, Abby took the lead. ¡°Mr. Gadson, where¡¯s the fire burning? Do you know how it started? Is there a demon rampaging around?¡±

    Okay, maybe she was also as dazed as I was.

    Bourick looked over our exhausted forms before replying, ¡°Call of fire went up about an hour ago. Got out of control--something to do with a demon or a cult. Church is handling it.¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± I replied. ¡°Our neighborhood?¡±

    He thought for a moment. ¡°Shoot, it might be. I¡¯m sorry you two.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we doing standing here! Zach, let¡¯s go!¡± Abby dashed off toward the blockade.

    ¡°Thanks, Bourick!¡± I turned and ran off after my best friend.

    Bourick waved after me. ¡°The Church has the place blocked off! Oh, and Zach, Abigail¡¯s grandmother stopped by earlier and¡­¡±

    Behind me I could hear my teacher say something about Abby¡¯s nan, but I couldn¡¯t wait and hear him out. Abby was already racing for the waist-high barricade which she hopped with a practiced ease.

    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t go in there!¡± a robed Church man guarding the blockade shouted after us.

    I didn¡¯t stop and managed to jump over a sideways cart being used as a barricade. The robed man grabbed after me, but missed. I landed on the other side, my ankle rolling painfully under me. Somehow, I ignored the pain and kept running. There may have been shouts behind me, but I couldn¡¯t tell over the din of the crowds and the rushing pulse in my ears. We passed a crew coming back with an empty cart. Others of all sorts were dousing the walls of a store: Church folk, guards, and civilians. If they tried to stop us, they didn¡¯t move quickly and if they shouted, I was beyond hearing.

    Abby slowed around the first corner where we needed to turn. I caught up to her and we paused. The buildings around us were dark, but undamaged. Just ahead of us we could hear the fire, and its light flickered orange over the rooftops.

    We shared a look and started to run again. After another block we could feel the heat and see the flames roaring around the next corner. It never crossed my mind how dangerous this was. We had to do something. We had to at least know. As we ran, I noticed dark lines down the street and across some of the buildings. Soot? Maybe, but I wasn¡¯t of a mind to go look.

    Abby¡¯s house was slightly closer, so I knew we¡¯d go there first. Rounding the next corner, we entered the burning city. The once wide street had been reduced to an alley. Flames and burning heat reached toward us from the sides. A window shattered as we ran by, raining glass down and narrowly missing both of us. My ankle was throbbing now, but I couldn¡¯t slow down. Not when seconds could matter.

    Could they matter? The fire started at least an hour ago and the buildings to my sides were engulfed. No one could be alive in that heat, even if the first floors of the nicer structures were mostly stone and wouldn¡¯t burn completely. The densely packed wooden upper stories must have caught like tinder as the flames rushed from roof to roof. No, I thought. Seconds could matter. Seconds had to matter.

    The still night was a blessing that kept the smoke moving up and away from the town, but the fire created air currents all its own. My eyes started to tear up and the taste of ash stung my tongue. Against all odds, we made it out through the inferno and into a small plaza with a familiar well. More dark lines converged near the center. The well was all that was familiar here anymore; the houses were burned out and still burning. Unrecognizable if not for their relative position and a few personal touches to the stone walls.

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    Abby was already running toward the remains of her own home and I hurried to follow her. The charred remains of the door laid on the floor just inside. The upper story was burned away and hotspots and small flames flared around the ground floor. Ahead of me and only a couple meters into the front room Abby stopped.

    ¡°No¡­ Nan. Mom, Dad¡­¡± Abby trailed off. I could see tears forming in her eyes, but her face was numb with shock. I know mine was the same.

    Before us were two bodies near the center of the room, charred and blackened. A third, slumped against the rear wall, wasn¡¯t completely burned. I could see the lifeless eyes of Abby¡¯s nan staring straight ahead, her gray hair wild and tangled, loose from its trademark bun. I could also see the vicious slash across her chest and the blood, some of which had burnt, pooled on the stone floor.

    I put an arm around Abby, unable to form any words. Sobbing, we walked carefully around her parents¡¯ charred remains. My best friend knelt down in front of her nan and wept. Abby¡¯s show of emotion snapped me out of my fugue state; my knees fell out from under my and my own tears soon followed.

    Abby was the first to regain the ability to speak. She sounded vulnerable, scared. I was too, but I¡¯d never seen her look so fragile before. Her green eyes stared at me but most of their luster was gone. Dead. But something flickered there still, some resolve I don¡¯t think I would be able to have.

    ¡°They killed her, Zach.¡±

    I looked at Abby and then at the slash. A sword wound. I think.

    ¡°Look.¡± Abby pointed to the door. The frame was mostly gone, but the bottom hinge was twisted open and it sat some notable distance inside the front room.

    ¡°The Church. They did it,¡± Abby said, her voice wavering.

    ¡°The Church?¡± My voice came out hoarse.

    ¡°The fucking Church!¡± Abby roared. ¡°Do you see the door? Nan must have fought back. They planned all this. Did you see? All the doors on our block were gone. Kicked in! Someone with a sword killed her¡ªa person killed her. She bled out before the fire even fucking started. And those lines, I bet they mean something!¡±

    ¡°The soot lines?¡±

    ¡°Do you think people dragged burnt shit along the fucking walls for fun?¡± Abby¡¯s voice was getting stronger and louder. Her eyes were lit by fire, but they still seemed hollow.

    ¡°The Church? How? Why? Abby, you¡¯re not making sense!¡±

    ¡°It makes perfect fucking sense! You! How can you sit there and ignore it?¡±

    My face stung. I realized after a second that Abby had slapped me. I turned back and the fire was gone from Abby¡¯s eyes. She looked scared and hurt and when I tried to meet her gaze she looked away.

    We stood like that for a long moment, staring over each other¡¯s shoulders.

    She hissed out air as her rage left her, replaced with bitterness, sorrow, and guilt. ¡°Zach, I¡­¡±

    I hugged her. With my gross body that I hated. The guy¡ªno, girl¡ªwho hated physical affection, now clung to her best friend. I knew by now that my own family was probably dead, but I had Abby. Together we could figure out if it was really the Church, and why or how all this happened. And I wouldn¡¯t lose her.

    I cleared my throat. ¡°Someone did this. We¡¯ll find out, and we¡¯ll see justice done.¡± I don¡¯t know where I found the words or how I managed to say them when I was out of breath.

    ¡°I¡ªthank you. I shouldn¡¯t have hit you; I¡¯m a terrible friend. I shouldn¡¯t even get to have someone like you,¡± Abby replied.

    ¡°You absolutely should have someone like me. Someone better than me, even.¡±

    ¡°We should go.¡± Abby¡¯s voice was distant.

    ¡°Yeah. I know what we¡¯ll find, but I have to see for myself.¡±

    Wiping away tears as best we could when they were still flowing, we both stood up and moved out of our embrace. As we stood, I remembered the heavy weight of the amulet in my pocket. With a look to both Abby and her nan¡¯s body, I pulled it out and put it on. Nothing happened, thankfully, but I could feel its cool weight on my sternum.

    ¡°I was right. It does look beautiful on you.¡± Abby forced a smile. She reached down and closed her nan¡¯s eyes before she stood back up and gave me a nod.

    Together, we ran out of Abby¡¯s ruined house and across the square. I took another look at the black lines as we ran over and past them. They seemed to converge in the square near the well in some sort of pattern. Across the plaza, my house was marginally more intact, but the entire top floor was burned away. Like Abby¡¯s place, the door looked like it had been kicked in.

    I steeled myself as best I could and walked inside. There, on the floor in the front room, I saw the charred remains of two adults, and the cold, twisting feeling in my guts told me they were my parents. I couldn¡¯t tell how they had died, but I doubted it was the fire.

    The door to the front closet, situated under the stairs and mostly intact, swung open. A black-haired blur shot out and tackled me in a hug, dropping a knife she¡¯d been holding.

    ¡°Zach!¡± my sister cried into my chest; face streaked with tears.

    ¡°Tania! You¡¯re okay!¡± I hugged her back. Seeing my sister alive filled me with a new sense of hope.

    ¡°What happened, Tania?¡± Abby asked, still in a daze. She picked up the discarded knife and we moved further into the ruined front room. Small flames licked around the edges of the house and it was uncomfortably hot inside, but neither of us wanted to be on the street just in case what Abby thought was true really was true.

    ¡°T-the Church guys knocked on our door after you snuck out, Zach. They were dressed in d-dark clothes but I recognized one of them who was with that scary Inquisitor. Then¡­¡± Tania¡¯s voice trailed off and the tears started.

    She managed to say, between sobs, that she saw the fight from the stairs. My dad had put up a struggle and Tania had managed to stay hidden upstairs when they went up to search, but ran down into the downstairs closet during the fire. Abby looked around the lower floor for any other evidence while I comforted my sister.

    Tania pointed to amulet Abby had found, tears still streaming down her face. ¡°H-hey. Where¡¯d you get that?¡±

    The honest question coming from my sobbing sister caught me off guard. ¡°Abby found it in the ruins and she gave it to me.¡±

    Tania nodded and forced a thin smile. ¡°M-my gift is nicer, but you¡¯ll have to wait until your birthday, o-okay?¡± Her voice was strained and I could see that she was barely holding herself together. We all were. Frankly, I was amazed by my sister¡¯s bravery throughout all this.

    ¡°I will. I promise you Tania, I will.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Abby called from the back door. ¡°The alley has hot spots, but it looks clear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied and took Tania by the hand. I took one last look at the ruins of my life and turned to follow Abby. My sister and I left the front room and headed down the remains of the back hall to the rear door a few meters behind Abby.

    I had just enough time to register a dark figure as he moved out of the remains of the kitchen and lunged at Abby.

    ¡°Abby!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Yea¡ª¡° she turned, and her eyes went wide. She tried to bring the knife up, but it was too late. I saw a flash of steel and heard her scream.

    Abby turned the knife she held on her attacker and stabbed deep into his arm. He grunted in pain and grabbed Abby by the shoulder with his injured arm. She twisted, but the man¡¯s grip held firm.

    ¡°Zach!¡± Abby¡¯s eyes were wide with fright.

    I took a single step toward the man, but Tania grabbed my arm and pulled me back toward the front door. The man¡¯s sword arm moved forward and thrust the blade toward Abby¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Run!¡± Abby screamed one last time.

    The sword pierced through her. I saw blood spray everywhere. Abigail Hunter¡¯s eyes locked on me for one last second before the light in those green pools left forever. Her body slumped forward in her attacker¡¯s arms and before I could see what happened next, Tania and my own traitorous feet carried me out of the hall.

    Not a moment later, I heard footsteps thundering behind me and the cloaked man, now covered in my best friend¡¯s blood, ran out of the hall after us. His one arm seemed injured and he was bleeding, but how much blood was his I couldn¡¯t tell.

    Tania held my hand tight and led me out into the square. I could see a figure in the center of it now. A familiar, reedy silhouette who had changed his red and white robes for dark ones. The figure was reciting some sort of incantation I couldn¡¯t possibly recognize. My sister saw him too and turned us, aiming for the next street over.

    I was exhausted.

    My ankle throbbed.

    My head and body were numb¡ªAbby¡¯s death hadn¡¯t yet sunk in. It all seemed like a bad dream.

    My ankle throbbed.

    The man was catching up to us; Tania would be faster without me.

    My ankle throbbed again and I tripped. My hand wrenched out of Tania¡¯s and I tumbled to the ground. I struggled to stand up, but it was too late¡ªthe man too close.

    ¡°Run!¡± I shouted at Tania. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up!¡±

    She looked to me and then the man, her face a mask of fear and sorrow: she knew I wouldn¡¯t make it. My sister hesitated only long enough to look into my eyes and give a thin smile before she took off at full tilt towards the safety of the side streets.

    Before the man could reach me or decide to chase after Tania, I turned and ran toward the robed figure in the center of the square. I wasn¡¯t going to reach him. Even if I did, I couldn¡¯t hurt him. But neither of them knew that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± My shout came out ragged and hoarse, but I¡¯d never heard myself speak with such rage.

    I stumbled forward as fast as I could manage. My pursuer caught up to me near the well. Pain blossomed across my back as the sword slashed a deep gouge and I fell to the ground at the center of the black lines.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all,¡± I glared up at the robed figure, barely able to lift my torso to see him. Inquisitor Finley¡¯s face looked back down at me, then at my chest. His eyes flashed recognition and, what surprised me the most, fear.

    ¡°Wait!¡± he shouted at the man.

    But it was too late. Already, mid-motion, the man who killed my best friend drove his sword down through my spine and pierced my heart. I had a moment of lucidity. Finley¡¯s face was a mask of shock and he started to say something. Then, the black lines around me flared into an intense crimson light.

    The last thing I felt was a searing, burning sensation just above my sternum.

 Chapter 3: Floating

    Anger. Frustration. I couldn¡¯t sense, but I could feel. I was floating, adrift and in burning pain. Focus came with great difficulty; thoughts and memories slipping like sand through my fingers. I had fingers, right? I should, but I didn¡¯t know anymore.

    I remembered talking to Abby for the first time. We had classes together and one of them taught us the history of the Kingdom of Edath, now Edath Province. The forest outside of town had been the site of a battle. She had come up to me one day and asked me to go there with her. I didn¡¯t even know her. She said she always saw that I seemed happy during history lessons and that it¡¯d be fun.

    Happy¡­ Was I happy? No, not often. Only rarely, in fact. I was happy when we talked about history, when I could get away from the reality of what I was ¡®supposed¡¯ to be. Being with Abby and my little sister Tania made me happy.

    We snuck out after dinner and made it into the forest. Abby found an old sword hilt and she gave it to me¡ªit was the only thing we found the whole night.

    The hilt burst into flames in my hand. I looked up.

    Abby was on fire.

    I¡¯m on fire.

    We were screaming.

    No, she¡¯s screaming.

    They killed Abby.

    They killed my parents.

    They killed Abby¡¯s family.

    They killed me.

    I should kill them.

    Rip them¡ªno, burn them. Maybe both? No, that¡¯d still be too good for them. The whole Church should burn. Lord Carvalon should burn. Linthel¡ªno, Edath¡ªno, all of Ordia should bu¡ª

    My thoughts stopped.

    My cheek stung.

    I reached up to feel it with my hand, the hand I now had. I still couldn¡¯t see, but I could feel. The burning started to ebb, giving me moments of clarity between agony.

    Then, there was another presence.

    Another memory.

    We couldn¡¯t sneak into the fort, but there was an old temple nearby, hardly more than a foundation. Tania snuck out after us. We heard her shout; she¡¯d fallen into a hidden basement. Her arm was bent bad and she was crying. Abby ran for help.

    The room where Tania lay grew hot and lit up with fire.

    Flames crept closer to her whimpering form as I watched.

    They started them.

    They wanted to trap her: To burn her.

    But I didn¡¯t need her.

    They would all burn anyway.

    Everything would burn for¡ª

    A splash of water scattered the flames.

    Abby was back holding an empty bucket, but she shouldn¡¯t be back yet. Her form was indistinct, wispy and fragmented. She turned her head to me: all I could see were her eyes. Sorrowful, pleading, hurt, confused. Determined.

    But the water would do nothing. My flames wouldn¡¯t be stopped by¡ªwait: my flames. These flames were mine, not theirs. No one should burn here. I looked to the room and the flames receded. I won¡¯t let Tania burn.

    Abby came back. Her form here was clearer and she brought people and rope. After this, we had all gotten in big trouble. I thought Tania would hate me, but she didn¡¯t! She¡¯d even tried to blame herself, but I told her it was my fault we didn¡¯t watch her. She said she snuck out: I said I knew that. We both smiled and the memory slipped away.

    I was embracing another presence in the void now. I could feel my arms and my chest. My legs felt numb until the other presence stepped on my toe. I have toes. The burning had faded into a strong heat. Uncomfortable, but tolerable.

    Another memory approached.

    I¡¯d just gotten an apprenticeship, and I was working on a batch of iron nails. My arms were a sheen of sweat and hair. I hated them. My chest was hairy and my face was getting there. I hated those too. Bourick was out front talking to two customers and I could hear Abby¡¯s voice. Miss Meissner was helping her order rivets and buttons for work clothes. Abby asked about me, then I heard footsteps coming back.

    She poked her head in and smiled at me, then frowned when she saw me glaring at my arms. I looked up and my eyes were wet, but I wiped them quickly. She came over and asked what was wrong.

    I told her.

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    I told her everything about how I hated my body and how wrong everything seemed with me. I also told her what I¡¯d want instead: smooth arms and skin, a less masculine face, a different body shape. It all came tumbling out. She seemed sad, but after a moment, she brightened up again and she looked at me with determined green eyes.

    ¡°I think it just means you¡¯re not a guy, Zach.¡± Her voice echoed oddly in the room.

    ¡°Wha?¡±

    ¡°Like, you were born with the wrong body. You said that you hate it, right?¡±

    I nodded, numb and unsure.

    ¡°Well then it means it¡¯s wrong!¡± She smiled at me, bright and happy. ¡°Like shoes that rub and chafe. Or chocolate and steak.¡±

    I smiled back at her. ¡°That was your idea. We¡¯d saved up for a month for the chocolate just to waste it.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, they¡¯re my two favorite foods. Doesn¡¯t mean they go together.¡± She clapped me on the shoulder.

    ¡°So me and my body don¡¯t go together.¡± I thought about it for a minute.

    The shop started to burn.

    No.

    The flames vanished, except for the fire in the forge.

    I was in control.

    I looked back at my best friend. Abby¡¯s previously distinct form was now made of dark mist. Pieces were missing, but her green eyes were brighter than ever. Wordlessly, we pulled each other into an embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Abby,¡± I whispered, my voice echoing and losing distinction as Bourick¡¯s workshop faded away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m so happy we got to know each other. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but I can¡¯t let you lose yourself.¡± Her voice seemed close, but barely above a whisper.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± She reached a hand up and mussed my hair before the limb faded away. ¡°Face it head on and figure it out later!¡±

    ¡°You suck at advice.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    Abby started to fade at an accelerated pace. I could feel my form becoming more distinct as hers wavered. Above my sternum, the burning intensified as Abby¡¯s body grew fainter.

    We looked each other in the eyes again. She was crying tears of nothingness, but the last vestiges of her face held a smile.

    ¡°Be you. Don¡¯t forget me, but don¡¯t you dare get stuck on me either.¡±

    ¡°I will. I promise.¡±

    ¡°Good. Call me selfish, but go live a life we¡¯d both be proud of.¡± All that was left was her face, smiling wide. ¡°Goodbye, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, Abigail.¡±

    The last thing I could see were her bright green eyes; I swear she winked at me. Then, there was a flash of green and a surge of feeling. The pain in my sternum flared one last time and then cut abruptly. Around me, I could see the void grow slightly brighter.

    Zarenna.

    I knew Zarenna was my name the moment Abby had said it. Her last act was to find my name and I would carry it with me always; more precious than any gift. Fury over her death and my own still burned within me, but it remained tenuously under my control, at least for now. Whatever happened next, I¡¯d tackle head on and figure out later. Maybe not exactly head-on, but that last bit of advice brought a smile back to my newly whole face.

    The place above my sternum glowed green and the wisps of mist that had been floating apart drew toward me. In the distance, behind me, I sensed and then turned to see a roiling mass of mist. I knew I had been inside that maelstrom moments ago. Even now, the mist was settling down. Wisps closer to the mass were drawn into the roiling, densifying cluster.

    Other memories, fragmented and terribly distorted, flew through my mind. People I knew in passing, people I didn¡¯t. Perspectives I couldn¡¯t figure out. Then, a clearer memory.

    I finally did it: I asked him out. He was shocked, but he accepted. Any girl who was brave enough to ask a guy out was one he shouldn¡¯t pass up a chance with, he¡¯d said. Cheeky! We¡¯d known each other for years; I was just glad he fancied me the same way.

    I almost didn¡¯t recognize the boy at first. Slowly, I realized he was my father. He and mom always talked about how they were each other¡¯s first love. A pang of sadness lanced through me. I knew I¡¯d never see them again. I already knew that, but now I was more than certain.

    My mom had asked my dad out against social convention. Maybe they¡¯d have been okay with me? No, they absolutely would¡¯ve been. Maybe it would have been difficult, but I shouldn¡¯t have doubted my parents.

    The memory faded and I felt more at ease. A last wisp, further than the others, made it to me.

    One last memory.

    I had old hands. These hands had just finished writing. I let the ink dry, put away the pen and closed the book. The front read ¡°Beginner¡¯s Guide to Magic¡±. I set the book in a small wooden chest with some of my old foci and tools and latched it shut.

    As the memory ended, I realized the ¡°me¡± in the memory was Abby¡¯s nan. And this memory was from her last night alive.

    The last night alive for all of us here.

    But now, in this void, I could feel and think. I felt like me, like Zarenna. Was I alive? And wait, Bourick mentioned Abby¡¯s nan when we were running to the fire. If only I could remember what he said. Did it even matter now?

    Behind me, the roiling mist coalesced into a dense ball. I drifted further and further from it. I didn¡¯t know what the ball of mist was, but I knew it was the cause of my pain and those twisted thoughts. Even now, I could feel wrath within me, but it was controlled.

    The ball of dark mist, at the edge of my perception, seemed to bend out of reality. Around it, the void warped and twisted until something snapped. It hurt to look at and I looked away. When I turned back, the void was empty and still again.

    I continued to drift.

    I thought about myself and Abby. And I thought about Tania. I hoped she was alive, but I¡¯d never know if I stayed drifting in the void. I¡¯d never make use of Abby¡¯s gift or get to know and love my new name.

    Zarenna. The name was unusual, that was for sure, but so was its donor. It was a perfect fit.

    This time I caught my thoughts as they wandered. I needed to get out of this place. The mist ball left somehow, so I could too. Turning and tilting, I realized I couldn¡¯t do anything to move. I still couldn¡¯t even truly see my own body; I just knew that I had one. My limbs felt distinctly like they existed, but that was it.

    I tried to think about leaving. Eventually, I grew frustrated, and then angry. I felt my core heat up, but strangely it didn¡¯t burn me; it just grew hotter and hotter.

    Suddenly, I felt myself being flung through the void. Around me, the nothingness grew redder and redder and hotter and hotter to match my own internal fire. I tried to focus my anger as it grew out of control, but it threatened to overwhelm me.

    Just as I reached my limit, I felt the void around me bend and twist. I pushed up against the strange surface, then seemed to pass through a membrane of some sort. I didn¡¯t feel the void snap back. I didn¡¯t feel the void at all anymore. All I felt was a cloying heat and an immense pressure.

    I was being dragged upward. My everything felt numb. I knew I still had a body, but I couldn¡¯t figure out how to do anything with it. I was pushed up and up, then to one side. I felt a floating, rising sensation like a cork in water. The heat was still intense, but the pressure started to ease. I tried to open my eyes, but first I had to remember how. When I did, all I could see around me was a dull red mass.

    Then I felt a limb, a leg probably, break through the cloying heat into much cooler air. I moved and twisted, unsure of what I was doing, but in my mind, I was trying to right myself. I don¡¯t think I succeeded. But whatever I was stuck in was dense and I floated up on my own. Limbs in a tangle, I reached and pushed and pulled in any direction I could think of. I grabbed onto and kicked solid pieces that crumbled away, but eventually I grabbed something solid and held on. I righted my body as best I could and felt my head breach the surface into cooler air.

 Chapter 4: Eruption

    I saw ahead of me a wholly alien landscape. Black rock covered the ground, folded and twisted like solid tar. Beyond that, the surface changed to barren stone, then a rocky scree sloping upward to a defined top edge.

    A rumbling boom sounded behind me, shaking the ground, and was followed by an odd splashing sound. Chunks of something solid rained down, several small weights bouncing off my head. The liquid I was in picked up momentum a moment later and I almost lost my grip on the edge. Somehow, I was able dig my fingers into the rock and I held on.

    In a panic, I managed to free my other hand and grab on, pulling myself forward. With the top of my body freed, I needed to move my arms forward, but I didn¡¯t dare let go. My legs couldn¡¯t find purchase in the mire and I hesitated.

    A louder boom sounded out from behind me and the whole area shook again, violently. This time, I moved without thinking. Another pair of arms grabbed the rock by my waist and heaved while I continued to drag myself out with the upper pair. I barely even registered having more arms than I thought I ought to. Once I pulled my legs free, I stood up into a half crouch and made it several steps on the uneven, twisted ground before tripping.

    I fell ungracefully in a heap and rolled off the edge of the black rock and into a small divot at the base of the scree. Behind me another boom sounded. A glance behind me revealed a sight that I had never imagined I would see: I was in a large, rocky crater. A plume of molten rock shot several meters into the air, feeding the river of lava I¡¯d just crawled out of. Said river was rapidly overflowing its banks and spilling over toward me.

    I scrambled up the scree on unfamiliar limbs, flecks of drying stone crumbling off my body. A weight behind me swung side to side and nearly toppled me until I seemed to find a rhythm. In a matter of seconds, I heaved myself up to the rim of the crater. I couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the sight before me.

    The ocean. As a child, I¡¯d always wanted to go, but Edath is far from the sea. Abby and I had always talked about going someday, even though both of us didn¡¯t think it would actually happen. And now, under a clear starry sky, the ocean lay spread out below me like a deep blue tapestry. Down and ahead, the rocky mountainside gave way to a strip of jungle sloping down to a coastline that curved away to either side behind me.

    Uncaring of the eruption and of my alien physique, I gazed out over the view and wept. I wept for the lives Abby and I had lost, for our families, and for my community. Clearly, I wasn¡¯t human anymore, but at the moment I didn¡¯t want to face that fact. I had to go on. I told Abby as much and if she were still around, she¡¯d give me hell if I just gave up. After I composed myself, I stood up. Still not daring to look at what I¡¯d become, I at least let myself look at the view in front of me.

    My eyes seemed better able to pick up detail than ever before. Even by the pale light of the moon, I had no difficulty seeing leaves on trees a hundred meters out, although beyond that the detail grew indistinct. The air was warm, perhaps unseasonably depending on how long it had been since I¡­ died. That was something I didn¡¯t know and couldn¡¯t find out until I met someone who could tell me. For now, I filed that as a problem for future Zarenna to deal with.

    A warm climate meant I had to be somewhere far to the north of Linthel. The Empire of Ordia was massive, but I didn¡¯t think any of it looked like this. I¡¯d heard of volcanoes, but the only ones I knew of were in the wildlands south of Edath.

    Another boom came from behind, weaker this time as the eruption seemed to be winding down. At least I hoped. I needed to know if I was on an island like the coastline suggested, and walking the crater would potentially be an easy way to find out. Or an easy way to get caught up in an eruption if the mountain blew its top.

    Somehow, I wasn¡¯t burned by the heat, but I was quite certain I needed to breathe and I could easily end up entombed. I also doubted I could survive a blast or a big rock crushing me. Carefully, I made my way around the rim of the crater. Still trying not to think about what my body currently looked like, I could nevertheless feel two pairs of arms at my sides and a big tail swinging behind me.

    When I drew closer to the side of the crater where the lava flowed out, I could see a familiar orange glow from the jungle below. The river of lava spread out across the landscape, torching and burying the jungle in equal measure. However, the fire seemed unable to spread much beyond the heat of the molten rock. Unfortunately, I could make out the faintly glittering ocean through the smoke, and it confirmed something that made my heart sink.

    Ocean surrounded me. I was on an island.

    To one direction, the narrow arm of a peninsula jutted out, encircling a bay. A large rock stood at the end of the spit with several seamounts beyond it arcing out into the abyss; perhaps the remains of another island. The flat land on the peninsula and the bay surrounding it would be where I found people, if anyone lived here at all. Thankfully, the eruption flowed down the other side of the mountain.

    I walked back to the side of the crater facing away from the lava flow and began my descent, the last bits of cooled rock crumbling away from my skin and hair. I reached a relatively flat and sturdy spot at the edge of where plant life dared to grow and finally worked up the courage to inspect myself.

    Obviously, I was naked. I could already feel as much, plus I came out of a volcano, so no surprises there. Looking down, however, was a surprise: breasts. My own. I didn¡¯t have any way to gauge size, but they seemed just about right for what I¡¯d dreamed of; more than noticeable, but hopefully not going to get in the way too much. Despite a situation otherwise out of a nightmare, my traitorous heart did a little flip at the sight. That same feeling meant that the next thing I did was check my crotch with a hand. Nothing dangled; my hand brushed feminine parts, and I felt I smooth skin. No hair either. In fact, looking at my arms and legs, I didn¡¯t have hair anywhere outside my head.

    Above my breasts on my sternum was what seemed to be a tattoo. It nearly matched the necklace: a six-pointed starburst with a swirling vortex at the center. The marking was jet black with sharply defined edges. Placing a hand on the symbol, I felt at ease.

    At this point, while looking at my hand and trying to figure out what was off, I registered that my skin was crimson. Sharp black nails tipped each finger. My arms themselves were toned with moderately visible muscle. All four of them. I took a moment and moved them about: my hands and arms were nearly identical, with one pair situated under the shoulders of the other. I tried holding all my arms to my sides, and even with the narrower shoulders of the lower pair, I had to roll one set of shoulders a bit forward and the other back so the pairs could lie one in front of the other along my sides. It felt oddly natural to do.

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    Bending forward and peeking between my breasts and their black nipples, I saw my toned midsection and the slight flare of my hips. My legs looked and felt strong, ending thankfully in normal feet, albeit with sharp claw-like nails similar to my hands. Turning around, I could see a large muscular tail swaying behind me. It had to be nearly as thick as my thigh at the base and tapered to a spaded tip. It was probably nearly as long as I was tall. Speaking of height, I didn¡¯t feel any shorter, perhaps even a little taller, but it would be difficult to tell unless I found something to measure against.

    This was all so odd, from the tip of my tail, to my crimson skin, to my claws, to my¡­shit. I¡¯m a demon. Definitely a textbook, or nearly textbook, demon. I reached up to feel my face with my hands. To my immense relief it felt human as I would expect. I did, however, have horns. Not small ones either. They sprouted out of my temples, and swept back along the sides of my head coming to points a hand¡¯s length above the back of my skull. My long black hair was a mess; full of bits of rock and ash. I felt short pointed ears pushing into it as I shook it out.

    I should have been shocked. I should have freaked out. But while I was far from alright at the moment, my body was not one of my concerns. I felt hale and comfortable. The rocks didn¡¯t bother my feet and I didn¡¯t feel scratched or bruised from my tumble earlier. In my head, I was still Zarenna. I felt no strange urges. What would demonic urges even be like? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve met a demon. Aren¡¯t they supposed to be insane or at the very least destructive and malicious?

    I definitely needed answers, so I tried to get my thoughts in order.

    How am I a demon anyway? I¡¯m still me! On top of figuring that out, I need food, water, and shelter. If there are people here, I need to find them¡ªthe island¡¯s not too big to check around.

    I don¡¯t know where on Varra I am, either. If I could find out, I¡¯d maybe be able to know how likely it¡¯d be for a ship to pass close enough for me to signal them and get rescued. Once I see where the sun rises, I¡¯ll know a direction to look.

    Still thinking about what I needed to do to survive, I descended into the jungle in the direction of the peninsula. The flora closed around me and the light from the moon failed to reach through the canopy, but I could still see quite well, albeit without much color. Even though the undergrowth was dense, I had no difficulty pushing through. I slashed through tangled branches with my claws; an action that felt increasingly natural. The ground sloped down sharply at first, and then more gently as I made my way deeper into the jungle. Soon, I found an animal path and began to follow it.

    My thoughts started to wander in the silent stillness of the night. What if I do see people? I stopped in my tracks as the realization hit me. I¡¯m a demon. A monster: kill or run away. I¡¯m red and have too many limbs. I liked this body, but I was obviously not human, or elf, or dwarf, or beastkin, or any other species of person I¡¯ve heard of. I¡¯d need to lose a lot of features and change color, and even if I somehow had the magic for it, I wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about actually doing that. Even if I did, I knew the Church could detect me, at least I thought so. What if I run into people and it just causes more trouble? But I might need to find people to get off this island. Even if I didn¡¯t, there was no way I was just going to hide forever, even if it was possible.

    Why should I have to hide myself? At my anger, I felt a shift of power within myself. Almost like I manipulated mana subconsciously. I focused on the feeling, and tapped into my own mana like I was barely able to do before all this. I got a flood in response, along with a surge of anger and rage at how I could be treated. Who are they to judge me? I¡¯ll show them! They¡¯ll be nothing but ash when I¡¯m done!

    A green glow from my sternal tattoo brought me out of my feelings and clarity started to return. I shook my head to get rid of the dark thoughts. I could feel my mana within me; a lake now compared to a bucket before. Tentatively, I tried to channel some into a small flame, something I could do before. I got a surge in response, but this time I steeled my mind against the flood of emotion. Anger pushed into my thoughts. Again, the tattoo glowed and my thoughts calmed. This time, I still maintained a steady stream of channeled mana and with a thought, a flame the size of my finger flickered into being at the tip of my finger.

    What I conjured felt much hotter than my old flame and the center burned an odd bluish-green, although the edges were tinged in clashing crimson. The flickering light created a dizzying display of dancing shadows in the jungle around me. Mesmerized by the light show, I focused on the flame and willed more power into it, enlarging the burning wisp to the size of my fist before shrinking it back down. Absorbed as I was in my newfound magical prowess, I never saw the attack coming.

    My world spun sideways before I landed face first in dirt. I could feel an immense form pinning me down. One of my arms was being crushed by a toothed vise, bone straining. Fury flooded through me. Rend and burn!

    Mana surged into me and my body heated up rapidly. Still focused on controlling my mana and my emotions, I managed to stem the tide and gain control of most of the surge. But the delay cost me. With a snap, my hostage arm broke above the elbow and the vise pulled, trying to sever the limb. Large paws clawed into my sides and rent great gashes, narrowly missing my vital organs.

    I still had fire. Pinned as I was, I still had free limbs. Two hands tilted toward the mass assaulting me. Jets of fire erupted from my palms and the vise released me with a roar. Acting on instinct, my tail swept around and slammed into the mass. My strength surprised me and the beast was thrown from my body. I could hear the snapping of brush as the beast crash landed near me. Claws raked across my arms and sides in the process, leaving more bloody gashes.

    With surprising agility, I stood up and faced my attacker, eyes wide with rage and fear. Some kind of immense red and black cat stared back with glowing red eyes. What set this monster apart were the horns and glowing claws. In fact, its entire body seemed to glow with a dull amber light, focused mainly on the claws and teeth.

    One arm hung limply from my side, but my sense of pain seemed almost numbed. Blood ran down my sides and legs, sizzling as it scorched the earth below. The beast got up and tensed into a crouch with incredible speed. I raised all of my good arms and focused on producing the hottest fire I could. The monster jumped. I let loose.

    Fire and heat blinded me as a heavy mass crashed into me. I could see within my fire a glow like the creature, except mine was a deep crimson. The beast toppled me, but paid for its aggression as my fire burned into it. Fearing its claws and in a panic, I did what seemed natural: I headbutted it. Stars exploded in my vision, but several bones of the creature crunched on impact with my horns. The beast clawed back at me but moved to disengage after swiping more gashes into my abused torso. Blood ran hot down my sides and legs, staining and charring the dirt and undergrowth below me. My vision started to blur, and the pain from my broken arm started to slice through the numbness.

    With a last surge of effort, I brought my tail around for another hit and sent the creature sprawling back into the trees. For a moment, I stared after it, unbelieving that my tail flung a creature twice my size half a dozen meters. The beast stood back up shakily and stared at me with glowing red eyes. It was clearly hurt and more than a little singed.

    In agony and with darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision, I prepared another gout of fire, even as I felt mana exhaustion creep up into me. Instead of going for the kill, the injured beast turned and bounded silently away through the dense brush. In shock, I took a single step after it before I collapsed onto a knee. I mistakenly put my broken arm down to help push myself up and it buckled, white hot pain flooding my consciousness. I struggled for a moment before darkness closed around my vision and I passed out.

 Chapters 5 & 6: Human

    The sound of bird calls filtered in through the fuzz of my returning consciousness. Last night seemed like a bad dream, but I was sore all over. Shakily, I pushed myself up off the ground and onto my knees, tail snaking behind me. Belatedly I realized my lower right arm should be broken. While it still hurt, the limb was whole, albeit bruised and scabbed. The gashes all over my body that I knew must have been deep had all scabbed over and now ached dully, while my lighter cuts and bruises seemed to have disappeared.

    I¡¯d heard that demons were unnaturally tough, but I could hardly believe how much I¡¯d healed. Is this kind of regeneration normal? Without it, I¡¯d be dead for sure. I inspected my remaining wounds more closely and a small flow of mana altered my vision. Now, I could see a crimson glow within and around me. Like my fire the night before. An aura.

    Aura sight was something I¡¯d heard about from Abby¡¯s nan. A rare thing in humans, it was highly sought after by the Church to identify demons and other magical creatures. Anyone with awakened mana had some amount of glow to them, but depending on the strength of the person with aura sight, it may not be visible. Demons in particular were said to have a distinct signature to their aura. Untrained as I was, I had no idea what that could be.

    There was no way to know if the magic I now possessed was strong or not without a point of comparison. Keeping it active was hardly a strain on my magical reserves, but a deep ache and a fugue over my thoughts told me I must be low on mana. That feeling at least was familiar. I¡¯d tried to practice my magic many times during my adolescence and my extremely limited potential quickly led to this same feeling.

    Carefully and unsteadily, I stood. My body was covered in dirt and my own dried blood. I looked a mess and I still felt tired. Hunger and thirst gnawed at me. During the fight, I¡¯d completely lost my bearing and the canopy above didn¡¯t offer a clear view of the sun at all.

    As carefully as I could, I begin to make my way downhill. This time, I tried to keep my senses open for threats. As I walked, the sounds of the jungle around me quieted down.

    Come to think of it, the jungle was silent last night. But was it silent for me or for the beast that attacked me?

    I hoped the quiet right now was due to me and not another predator as I was in no shape to fight that cat monster again. While my vision was much sharper, my other senses, except perhaps hearing, seemed to be the same as when I was human. The jungle smelled of wet earth and plant life, though the metallic, acrid smell of my own blood persisted. That fight last night scared away any other would-be predators. I was passed out for several hours and came to no further harm, after all.

    I sated my hunger with a few fruits that other creatures seemed to be eating from the leavings around the tree and continued my walk to the coast. After a few minutes of walking, I heard the sound of moving water ahead of me and I cut through the thicker undergrowth toward it. Sharp thorns and stinging insects seemed unable to pierce my skin, and despite the sticks and rocks of the jungle floor, my feet felt no discomfort. During the walk my aches and pains had subsided, though my head was still in a fog from mana depletion.

    Ahead of me, the stream I had heard tumbled down the rocks from above into a pool before resuming its journey downhill. I took a brief look around for any threats, still mostly unsure what to look for. Hoping all was safe, I stepped onto the pebbled shore of the pool and bent down to drink.

    The moment I saw my reflection in the water, I froze. This is me?

    The crimson face in the water was distinctly feminine in shape with sharp features, high cheekbones, and a moderately-sized nose. The most striking feature were my eyes. The irises were somehow the exact same shade of blue they¡¯d always been. The one part of the old me that I liked was still there. This is me: Zarenna. I¡¯m still me!

    The color of my irises, however, was where all similarity to the old me stopped. My pupils were slightly fat vertical slits, and my sclera were black as obsidian. On top of that my irises glowed faintly. They¡¯re actually glowing! My horns were the same obsidian color as my sclera and claws, lightly ridged, and half as big around as my forearm at the base.

    My smile gave me shivers. How had I not noticed the fangs? Not terribly long, but quite visible nonetheless. All of my teeth looked sharp and when I smiled with my black lips, they gave my expression a menacing quality. Behind those teeth, my tongue was forked and quite a bit longer than it probably should have been. It all felt so normal that I somehow hadn¡¯t noticed.

    But most of all, my face was recognizable as mine. Feminine and gorgeous and smooth and everything I ever wanted except the horns and teeth. But they were part of me and I somehow felt no discomfort with that. Those terrifying eyes of mine were crying now. Clear tears formed and dropped into the pool below disturbing the image.

    I stood back up and felt my face just to make sure it was still there. Abby was right. I¡¯ll make the most out of this life somehow granted to me! People will learn to deal with my appearance. I bleed and cry and eat and drink like anyone else. Plus, the other bodily functions that result from eating and drinking. The morning had been an impromptu anatomy lesson.

    Before I resumed my walk, I drank my fill and then waded into the pool to wash myself. Four arms made the task much faster, and I dared for a moment to enjoy myself. The whole experience was different and new, but some parts of it felt calming and right. I never in a million years would have even considered bathing naked in a stream, and yet here I was, comfortable doing so but still on edge from leaving myself vulnerable. There was no embarrassment, though if others were present, I suppose that might change.

    My scabs washed off, leaving fading scars behind. Even my once-broken arm was mostly healed, albeit sore and weak still. I wondered if I could heat the water, but didn¡¯t want to risk trying. Unconsciousness was no substitute for sleep; my mind was still tired, even if I was no longer suffering from mana depletion.

    I wandered the rest of the day, and stopped during dusk to rest. I found big old hollow in a massive tree and burned it out with my magic. Curled into a warm space that smelled pleasantly of wood ash, I wrapped my tail around myself and let sleep take me.

    ***

    The next morning, I felt better than ever in my new form. I grabbed some of the same fruits from nearby and resumed my walk while eating breakfast. As I ate, I thought about the nature of my ¡°condition¡± as it were.

    I was completely myself despite my demonic form. I had no odd desires and seemed sound of mind, though maybe a bit more accepting than I probably should be of the situation. Besides the anger, which seemed to be in held in check by my strange tattoo, I felt totally rational: something I was certain was Abby¡¯s doing and that I will be eternally thankful for.

    That said, the fact that anything had changed about my own mind had me worried. Was the anger something external, or was I changed as a demon? Anger was clearly tied to my magic and my new nature.

    I won¡¯t let my anger rule me.

    If anger, rage, wrath, or whatever was part of my power as a demon, then I¡¯d just need to control it. I thought about Finley and the man who killed Abby. Rage, raw and fresh, bubbled up inside me. Scenes of them burning alive flickered into my mind.

    I focused on staying calm and my symbol pulsed, but stayed unlit. I kept the scenes going in my head and kept my breathing steady. I tried to see things from their perspective, just to see if I could stomach it. It wasn¡¯t that I wouldn¡¯t like revenge, of course, but if I could remain calm thinking about something I had every rational right to want to come to pass, I¡¯d be better prepared for whenever I got off this island.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Guessing, I pulled on my magic. The images of Finley burning gained clarity and focus. I fought back against my wrath. To my relief, after a tense minute, I won out. My symbol flashed several times, but I was mostly certain I¡¯d done this on my own.

    I let the scenes play again, phantom screams echoing through my imagination. This time, I felt like I was in control. If I could manage this, I could manage going forward at the very least. I''d deal with the physical changes. I was still me in my head, and that was what mattered most.

    That got me thinking. If I were human, what would I look like? Surprising myself, I found that I didn¡¯t really care to look completely human any more. Perhaps I never did? Despite that, if I could, it would be massively convenient when I got off this island. I didn¡¯t even consider failing to leave here. I¡¯d find a way.

    I supposed I¡¯d look a bit like myself now and a bit like my sister. The thought of Tania running off to an uncertain fate made my heart clench. I hoped she was okay. I felt that she was, but I don¡¯t know if it was just optimism.

    ¡°Tania, I¡¯ll find you.¡±

    I spoke aloud for the first time. My voice had a feminine tone to it. Only slightly higher in pitch than my old voice, but I wouldn¡¯t mistake it for being masculine.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get off this island and find you. I¡¯ll bring those responsible to justice¡­somehow.¡±

    Despite my wonderful new voice, my speech pattern sounded off. I¡¯d never truly practiced before, but Abby did make an attempt to teach me. I¡¯d have time to practice, but I had no one to talk to. Not yet.

    I imagined my life as it could have been. The image of the woman I would have become had my body been the right one flashed into my mind. Similar to my sister, but distinctly different with slightly sharper features and a taller, larger build. A face that matched my current one, too. A large draw on my mana drew me out of my daydream.

    I stopped to look down at myself and saw lightly tanned skin and pink nipples, stiff in the breeze. I stood up on unsure legs and looked myself over. I looked human. No extra bits. I could still see sharply and I still felt strong, but my movement was a bit slower, a bit more awkward. Like something was between me and the world around me. My arms felt constrained, my tailbone hurt, and my forehead ached slightly. On top of that, I could feel a slight, but constant drain on my mana. Somehow, I¡¯d managed to cast a glamour on myself.

    I knew from Abby¡¯s nan that some magical creatures, mages with strong bloodlines, and demons could use limited complex magic instinctively. I never imagined I¡¯d be one of them. I¡¯d learned of a name for this kind of ability only recently. Her nan had told me the name when I asked how a demon could hide in someplace like a city. I couldn¡¯t be sure that¡¯s what this kind of illusion was, but it matched the description I¡¯d been given.

    As I walked on with my glamour, sticks and leaves now poked into my feet, but still barely scratched them. The sounds of the jungle which had been mostly silent ever since I awoke returned in full force. I looked down at my body and tried to use my aura sight, but I found I couldn¡¯t. Casting a quick flame in my hand, however, revealed that I still had magic. However, pulling mana with the glamour active was like sucking through a straw. The flame I conjured still had the same slight crimson tint as last night, however. I couldn¡¯t see the aura, but I had to assume it was the same as without my glamour.

    I smiled at my accomplishment. It was uncomfortable, and I didn¡¯t know how long I could hold it, but I could look human for at least a while. With one last look at my tree shelter, I walked back to the stream and continued along its path.

    I tried to stay in human form as I walked. All around me the jungle teemed with life. Lizards, monkeys, and a dizzying array of colorful birds moved around me, uncaring of my presence unless I got too close. A quick flame scared off the more curious individuals. Insects, too, seemed to take note of my new form, though the mosquitos couldn¡¯t get through. I definitely cut myself more easily in this form, and I was forced to go around the thicker brush lest I add to the collection of scratches I was acquiring.

    However, as I walked, I became increasingly uncomfortable. Pressure around my temples became a persistent headache. I kept trying to use my tail to balance or additional arms to move brush aside only to realize there was nothing there. On top of that, I could almost still feel the phantom limbs, compressed down somewhere. I hadn¡¯t seen any sign of people (human or otherwise) on the island, so why keep the glamour on?

    I wanted my arms and tail back! Releasing the solid illusion felt instinctual, and it dissipated in mere moments. I wondered what the process looked like and hoped returning to my demonic appearance was the simple replacement it felt like.

    Wait, why would I be thinking about people looking at me while I shift my glamour? My answer was immediate: because I want people to know what I am.

    Immediately I felt more comfortable and my pace picked up. The ground here was almost flat and the stream, now a small river, wound its way lazily through the verdant landscape. Under other circumstances I could easily see this as paradise. Good shelter and removal of the giant death cat would be highly appreciated though.

    ***

    I reached the beach around noon, based on the position of the sun overhead. To my delight, the small river I was following emptied along the beach near the junction of the peninsula and the main landmass. Ahead of me was the bay I saw from the mountain. Farther up the peninsula, however, the beach got rockier. With the tide out as it was, I could see waves breaking around a multitude of rocks. The sand of the beach was mostly light tan, but streaked with volcanic black in whorls of color. Palm trees, one of the few plants I could at least claim to have heard about, dotted the shore line amid other, less iconic plants.

    Perhaps most importantly, I saw the remains of a ship out along the spit by the rock at the end. And what a rock it was. My view from the volcano didn¡¯t do the rock¡¯s size justice. The immense chunk of stone was perhaps forty meters tall and sloped up imposingly from its surroundings. The top and lee side were covered in dense vegetation.

    Inevitably, however, my eyes were drawn back to the wreck. Bashed by surf on the jagged rocks where it sat, the wreck was hardly more than a hull and wooden ribs. I jogged toward it, feet pounding in the sand and claws digging little furrows in their wake. My tail swung side to side behind me. As I ran, I noticed that its weight seemed to balance out my arms, which would otherwise pitch my center of mass too far forward. I was also aware of my breasts moving around which wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable. I¡¯d want a way to secure them at some point.

    Before all this, I wasn¡¯t a particularly quick runner, but I seemed to run at a significantly faster pace than before. With my tail for balance, I tipped farther forward than previously. In only a minute or so, I drew close to the base of the enormous rock that loomed above, and the shipwreck below it.

    By the surf, I found a cannon sticking out of the sand and wedged between rocks. Green with age, it nevertheless stole my attention; I¡¯d never seen one up close before. I knew next to nothing about the guns, which seemed larger than I imagined they would be. As I got close enough to inspect it, I could tell the casting was expertly done, something I knew enough about to appreciate.

    Importantly there was a name and a date on the side of the barrel: Cardozo. It sounded Cavenish, or maybe Turquoiser. Neither region was part of the empire, but both were in the north. The date on the cannon was 1283 AL, nearly seventy years ago, depending on how much time had passed between my death and my rebirth.

    I was only vaguely familiar with the Kingdom of Cavenze. Situated north of the Empire of Ordia and separated by a large area of wild highlands, the region was known for its naval force. If the cannons were from the Turquoise Coast, then the ship could be from almost anywhere. The loose collection of merchant states occupied a peninsula and several islands that jutted into the Central Sea across from Cavenze. Many parts of the Turquoise Coast were known to hire privateers and rumored to harbor pirates. My source for this was a series of adventure fantasy books about a band of Turquoiser pirates with hearts of gold, so I probably shouldn¡¯t try to read deeper into this ship¡¯s history unless I find something else.

    Unfortunately, neither region spoke Ordian notably, although I imagine the Turquoise Coast used it frequently for trade. With how long the wreck had been here, there were likely no survivors around unless they¡¯d settled permanently on the island. Even if there were, I might not have been able to speak with them.

    I turned from the wreck and headed up the beach toward the rock, searching for any other debris I could use. At the verge of the trees, a sun-bleached wooden footlocker lay half-buried in sand and covered in weeds. The hinges had rusted and the top came off easily enough. Inside were a stiff set of men¡¯s clothes, a cracked spyglass, and a rusty knife. I took the whole chest with me and started for the rock. The top would have the best view and the best chance of being spotted.

    People had clearly come here at some point, but with the cannon in the sand and the unopened chest in plain view, I had to assume no one lived on the island. I started my ascent up the most gently-sloped part of the immense stone monolith. With my tail to balance me, the climb wasn¡¯t terribly difficult. My endurance surprised me; I wasn¡¯t winded at all when I reached the top. The top was relatively flat and covered mostly in shrubs. A few trees clung on where the dirt was deeper. The view was commanding; I took out the spyglass and looked over the azure waters at an empty horizon.

    The highest parts of the rock faced the ocean and shielded the clearing, although the tops of the trees that stuck into the wind were bent harshly. Ideally, I¡¯d find a way to get myself off this island. Otherwise, I¡¯d have to hope for a passing ship and make myself a place to live until then. I turned back and faced the spot I¡¯d claimed: it was time to get to work.

 Chapter 7: Expedition

    Perspective: Seyari

    A month. We¡¯d set out from Inolza a month ago. Cavenze was now thousands of kilometers away to the southwest. I didn¡¯t particularly miss the region, but I did miss being able to get away from Miss Perfect and Mister One-Track-Mind.

    I looked out over the railing at the blue expanse, dotted with tufts of green on the line between the dark of the ocean and the light of the sky. A view like this always calmed me. Open sky and true freedom, something you¡¯d only be able to find on the sea.

    ¡°Hey Sey!¡± A shrill voice shattered my illusion of peace. ¡°Salvador said that Korzon Island¡¯s just up ahead. We¡¯re almost there! Isn¡¯t that exciting?¡±

    I heaved a sigh and turned to face the source of my annoyance. Lorelei held her excited face only a foot or so from mine and I flinched before forcing a smile. Her blue eyes were lit up and wide.

    ¡°Oh come on, Seyari, don¡¯t be so glum! I know you¡¯ve gone exploring before, but this has to be exciting, right? Korzon Island¡¯s supposed to be super cursed and home to Lost Era ruins! We¡¯ll get to clean up monsters and recover forgotten knowledge!¡±

    Despite her annoying expression, she was right in a way. ¡°I can¡¯t deny I¡¯m looking forward to the ruins. If they exist at all,¡± I forced a smile. ¡°But could you step back a bit? And maybe tone down the volume?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always such a downer, Sey!¡± Lorelei did at least step back. ¡°But what about the monsters? What if we get to fight a demon?¡±

    ¡°I sure as shit hope we don¡¯t fight one.¡±

    ¡°Why? We¡¯d be making the world a safer place!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if we lived,¡± I put extra emphasis on the word.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you have me and Markus for! I¡¯ll keep everyone alive, Markus¡¯ll kill the demon and you can fire your little wind arrows and help us!¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.¡±

    ¡°No problem! Not everyone can take on demons, but I¡¯d be happy to help you learn how!¡±

    I gritted my teeth behind my forced smile. Miss High and Mighty probably didn¡¯t even realize how condescending she was being. Lorelei just thought that she and Markus were better than everyone else, and we should feel lucky we get to accompany her on this expedition. Still, I¡¯ve seen her and Markus fight and they definitely have the chops to back it up. But godsdamnit did it grate on my nerves.

    ¡°Helloooo, Sey? You in there?¡± Now the red-haired menace was waving a hand in front of my face.

    I resisted the urge to swat it. ¡°Yeah. Just thinking about landing and setting up camp.¡±

    ¡°Great! You and Sal can take care of that. I¡¯m going to see if the captain¡¯ll let me borrow his spyglass again.¡±

    I watched her in her pale green sundress flutter off to go bother another poor soul.

    My heart goes out to you, Captain Ojed. Better you than me though. Gods, why did I even join this stupid expedition?

    I slumped against the railing and stared up at the empty sky. Of course, I knew why I joined this expedition: I couldn¡¯t afford to pass it up. Not if I could finally find out-

    ¡°Seyari.¡±

    A deeper voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked back down and to my surprise saw Salvador standing a respectful distance away. The ranger had the same olive complexion and dark hair typical of someone from Cavenze. He was wearing more dark colors and more clothes in general than I¡¯d consider normal in this heat.

    ¡°What, Salvador?¡± My tone came out harsher than I intended and I saw the man flinch lightly.

    ¡°I came to speak with you about making camp. And about the dangers of the island,¡± he paused. ¡°But if you are not well, I can go.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± I sighed. ¡°We need to talk about this anyway.¡±

    We spent the next several minutes going over the plan. Salvador, as always, was professional. Something that I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever appreciate, but had been growing on me the whole trip. From what little was known, there should be a sheltered harbor for the ship to anchor. The bay might be rocky or shallow, so we¡¯d take a smaller boat in with supplies over two trips. He and I were to scout and forage, keeping within easy hearing range of each other when we moved inland. According to our employer, the ruins would be on the north side of the island in a network of caves. I¡¯ve always hated caves, but the sheer amount of equipment Salvador had presented took the edge off my apprehension

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The fourth member of our expedition, Markus, came up on deck looking ready for war. The walking tin can kept his armor on all day and only took it off to sleep. I¡¯ve no idea how he could stand it, but I guess he¡¯s prepared if nothing else. He gave a nod before walking over to the prow and resolutely looking straight ahead.

    A few minutes later the island came into view only slightly off our bearing. First, the dark blot of the top of the volcano peeked over the horizon line before the green of the rest of the island came into view. Lorelei with her spyglass was perched next to her large armored friend by the prow.

    The ship drew closer and I could see a cove ahead, terminating at one end in a massive rock jutting out of the sea. Smaller sea stacks arced out from the arm of the bay in a line.

    ¡°Look!¡± Lorelei pointed excitedly.

    I followed the annoyance¡¯s outstretched arm to the big rock. A second or two of nothing and then a bright red streak shot up into the air above it before detonating with a flash.

    ¡°See that! Someone needs rescuing!¡± Lorelei¡¯s excitement made her voice even shriller.

    Well, she might not be wrong.

    I walked over to the prow and Salvador followed.

    ¡°Perhaps. We should be cautious,¡± Salvador spoke from next to me.

    ¡°I thought no ships came near here except pirates,¡± Markus finally spoke.

    Salvador started, ¡°Exactly--¡ª"

    ¡°Not all pirates are bad people, silly! Besides, now we can add rescuing castaways to our accomplishments on this adventure!¡± Lorelei interjected.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the island incredibly dangerous? Who could wash up here and survive?¡± I asked Salvador.

    He shrugged and Lorelei answered, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some accomplished pirate crew and they¡¯ll be in our debt since we rescued them!¡±

    ¡°Or they could jump us and try to take our ship,¡± I countered.

    Another flare went up, bigger this time.

    ¡°There¡¯s at least one competent fire mage,¡± Markus observed.

    Lorelei compressed the spyglass. ¡°We should signal back! Sal, you have a thing for this right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he paused for a moment as if to decide. ¡°One moment and it will be ready.¡±

    Salvador walked quickly belowdecks. A third flare went up. Around us, the crew who had mostly been idle sprung to work as we angled toward the bay. The ship was aimed to pass between two sea stacks covered in bird droppings.

    Salvador returned with a tube-like contraption stuck to a handle. He loaded a paper canister and lit the fuse with a flint lighter before aiming the tube up at the sky. With a whistling sound, a red streak shot out of the end up high into the sky before fizzling out.

    The ship passed between the sea stacks. Even with twenty meters clearance on either side, the rocks looked imposing and dangerous; a reminder that the crew had their work cut out for them finding a safe path through.

    Another few seconds and two flares lit from the top of the massive stone pillar. I took it to mean they saw our signal back.

    ¡°Did you see that! They know we¡¯re coming to rescue them! Oh, let¡¯s hurry up and go meet them, I want to see who could survive on a place like this!¡± Evidently Lorelei thought the same about the two flares.

    Of course, for all her bubbly act, she was at least patient enough to not comment on the pace of the ship. I imagined much to the relief of the crew.

    A hundred or so meters past the sea stacks, the crew dropped anchor. Salvador, Markus, and I loaded the rowboat. With a crew member to help us through, we set out toward the beach.

    We had to row around rocks and sandbars. Even Lorelei was helping to spot while Markus and Salvador rowed. The tide helped carry is in. Soon we were half-rowing, half-pushing our way to the shore.

    Ahead, on a beach streaked with black volcanic sand, a figure was running out of the trees and toward us, waving with both arms. Lorelei waved back. The figure, a human (or close to) with messy black hair and tanned skin stopped by the waterline to wait for us.

    We continued to row closer, and when we were about a dozen meters out, the person spoke.

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re here to rescue me, right?¡± The voice was feminine, but rather deep as she shouted to our approaching rowboat.

    More importantly, the voice was speaking Ordian, a language I was familiar with but that I did not know if the others spoke.

    ¡°We are! Want to help our expedition? Wait, were you the one who did the mage flares?¡± Lorelei responded in fluent Ordian, which answered my internal question.

    ¡°What did she say?¡± Markus asked to the rest of us.

    Rowing next to him, Salvador seems to have also had at least some difficulty understanding from the way he also looked to me and Lorelei. Our group knew I spoke Ordian passably, and a few other languages besides.

    ¡°She asked if we were here to rescue her,¡± I replied and then continued. ¡°Lorelei invited her to explore with us.¡±

    Salvador¡¯s face grew thoughtful and Markus responded in Cavenish, ¡°Lor, you can¡¯t just invite them. They¡¯re dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Of course I can! I¡¯m the expedition leader after all,¡± Lorelei responded proudly.

    The figure on shore, now only a few meters away spoke up again, ¡°I cast the flares, yeah. What¡¯s in the boat? I thought you saw my signal and came to rescue me. Were you coming here anyway?¡± The figure, now clearly visible to be a human woman, looked at our laden rowboat with curiosity and confusion.

    She had wild shoulder length black hair, a deep tan, and was wearing a too-small blouse and trousers that looked like they had seen far better days. She had no shoes on and looked to be in very athletic shape.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you exactly why, but we¡¯re here to look for some ruins and maybe kill some demons if there are any around here,¡± Lorelei responded as the prow of the boat dug into sand.

    The woman looked surprised for a moment, then her brow furrowed, ¡°And you want me to join?¡±

    ¡°You can cast useful fire, so if you want in, you¡¯re in.¡± Lorelei hopped off the boat and walked toward the woman before Salvador or Markus could call after her. ¡°Do you need anything to eat? We have plenty of¡ªwhoah¡±

    Lorelei stepped up next to the woman who turned to her with a smile. I hadn¡¯t noticed without a point of reference, but this woman was tall. Exceptionally tall in fact, probably a hand taller than Markus and he was a big lad. She had to be over two meters and next to Lorelei¡¯s not quite 160 centimeters, she looked positively giant.

    ¡°How are you so tall?¡± Lorelei gawped.

    The woman, who also seemed surprised by the height difference, struggled to respond.

    ¡°Hey Lorelei, cut her some slack, will you?¡± I stepped off the boat and left the others to start dragging it up the beach. ¡°I¡¯m Seyari, and the annoying one is Lorelei.¡±

    Despite the friendly greeting, I didn¡¯t stick out my hand to shake.

    The woman paused for a moment, ¡°I¡¯m Renna.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Renna, so how did you survive out on Korzon Island? Also, how did you end up here anyway?¡± I asked her brusquely as the men started unloading our rowboat.

    The woman seemed to have to think for a moment before answering. If it bothered Lorelei like it bothered me, well she didn¡¯t show it.

 Chapter 8: Korzon Island

    Perspective: Zarenna

    Why did I give them a shortened name? Also, holy shit I was tall. That might be a problem. I wondered why these people were here. Nearly three years of waiting and fighting to survive and I¡¯m maybe about to blow it with the first people I¡¯ve seen!

    The platinum blond, Seyari, who introduced two of them looked at me with a neutral expression and asked, ¡°Alright, Renna, so how did you survive here on Korzon Island? Also, how did you end up here anyway?¡±

    Seyari¡¯s eyes were a steely gray color which seemed jarring compared to her shoulder-length braided blond hair. She was half a head taller than Lorelei and athletically built. Her leather amor had clearly seen use before, fitting her well and covered in scratches and repairs. In contrast, Lorelei was all red hair and freckles in a pale green sundress.

    I had to take an unfortunate pause to remember my story. The fake one, that is. No one would believe my actual story, and if anyone did, they¡¯d be the type to want me dead.

    So, I told Seyari and Lorelei about my journey on an exploratory vessel from the northern part of the Ordian Empire. With fire magic and smithing experience, I¡¯d come on both as a skilled worker and for potential firepower. We¡¯d caught a bad storm and been blown off course at night. While I was up on deck to provide light, a rogue wave caught the ship. I was swept into the ocean and washed up here.

    Not the most plausible tale, but it was the best I could come up with. Behind me while I talked, three men unloaded the rowboat. One of them, in a full suit of armor with the helmet off, glared at me while he worked. The others seemed skittish. Except Lorelei.

    Seyari looked at me with suspicion. ¡°What year was your expedition? I thought Ordia was busy with the civil war in the Edath region until only recently.¡±

    Civil war? What!? My brain stopped for a moment. How long has it been? Was Tania okay? How much of her life did I miss?

    ¡°Renna. Is everything okay?¡± Seyari¡¯s tone was dangerous.

    Lorelei started, ¡°Oh Sey, don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Butt out Lorelei, Renna was just about to answer.¡± Seyari¡¯s voice ran down my back like ice water.

    I became distinctly aware of the discomfort I felt from cramming myself into this human glamour. The cogs in my brain started again, and by some miracle I came up with an answer that was even mostly honest.

    ¡°I¡ªI have family in Edath.¡± I honestly choked up thinking about Tania. ¡°I hope they¡¯re okay. You said the war¡¯s over now? I, uh, washed up here about five years ago.¡±

    It¡¯s been so long. Five years was a lie, but three wasn¡¯t much better and I hoped I guessed the date range correctly. I probably looked old enough to sell it. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Tania. Was she okay? What about all the people I knew in Linthel? How much had they changed? How much had I changed?

    ¡°Alright,¡± Seyari¡¯s tone was a little less hostile. ¡°What about your clothes?¡±

    I dimly heard Seyari¡¯s next question and almost managed an answer. ¡°Wreck,¡± I pointed at the base of my rock. ¡°Found them in a chest washed ashore. Too small.¡±

    ¡°Plausible. Now, tell me more about Ordia¡¯s intent in this region,¡± Seyari didn¡¯t relent.

    ¡°Okay! That. Is. Enough!¡± Lorelei jumped in between us (though her height didn¡¯t block eye contact). ¡°Stop torturing this poor woman! She¡¯s answered enough questions.¡±

    Lorelei was pissed, and in the other woman¡¯s face. Seyari looked like she was about to snap back, but she bit her tongue. What shocked me, however, was that I seemed to be able to feel Lorelei¡¯s anger. It was like an amorphous blob that had grown sharply as Seyari grilled me. I felt like I could reach out with my mind and touch it, manipulate it. I almost tried to before I remembered where I was and what the feeling might mean.

    ¡°Now!¡± The small redhead continued. ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to set up camp while the boys go get the rest of the supplies.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Lorelei,¡± I said softly, still recovering.

    ¡°Hey, no problem, Renna! Oh, and speaking of boys, the big one in armor is Markus, the quiet one is Salvador, and the other guy is just part of the crew. I think his name is Juan,¡± Lorelei pointed at the others. Juan was the only one who waved back.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to go back to unload while Salvador and I set up camp?¡± Seyari glared at Lorelei but kept me in her vision.

    ¡°That was before we made a new friend. As expedition leader I need to make sure she¡¯s comfortable,¡± Lorelei replied and then shouted in another language, which I thought I recognized as Cavenish. ¡°OYE SAL!¡± I wasn¡¯t able to understand the rest of what she said.

    The man I presumed to be Salvador shook his head and replied. His voice was careful and metered and a bit hard to hear.

    Lorelei steamrolled over his reply and seemed to disagree. After hearing Lorelei¡¯s response, the man¡¯s shoulders slumped and I could feel the sigh from where I was standing.

    ¡°So, Renna, do you know any good camping spots?¡± Lorelei turned to me.

    ¡°A few. You could stay on my rock,¡± I pointed back over my shoulder and volunteered my safe haven before my brain could really process how risky of an idea it was.

    ¡°Great! You look strong, so you can carry a bunch of these crates, right?¡± Lorelei turned to walk toward the supplies stacked at the top of the beach.

    ¡°Lorelei.¡± Seyari¡¯s voice was difficult to read. Her hand hovered near the peppy one¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Can you take a look at her aura?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, sure I guess.¡± Lorelei turned around and her blue eyes started to glow faintly.

    I stopped moving. Fear must have crept through my features. There¡¯s no way Seyari would miss my change in posture and the way my face scrunched before I could smooth it out again. What would Lorelei find? Am I just screwed right now?

    The strange girl in the sundress looked me over for a good solid half a minute during which time I believe I sweated more than I had since my days working a forge.

    ¡°Huh that¡¯s weird,¡± Lorelei started after the glow in her eyes faded.

    This is it. I¡¯m screwed. Do I run away? Where to? Will they go back and tell others about me even if I get away? Should I try to kill them? Why did I even think that? Of course, I shouldn¡¯t. Was there any way out?

    Lorelei kept talking while I froze, ¡°I can¡¯t see any aura. She looks mundane. Probably just doesn¡¯t have a lot of power behind those flashes.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Could this mean something else?¡± Seyari looked at me with confusion and a hint of fear.

    ¡°I may be a powerful user of holy magic Sey, but aura sight is something I sadly have not chosen to focus on,¡± Lorelei shook her head.

    ¡°Renna, can you cast that flare spell again?¡± Seyari asked me coldly.

    I hesitated. If I did that and Lorelei saw, she¡¯d know something was up and she just said she¡¯s strong in the type of magic I should be very weak to. She might even see I¡¯m a demon outright. But I couldn¡¯t get out of it, could I? What if I said I was tired; would that just delay the inevitable? Thankfully I didn¡¯t have to answer as Lorelei came to the rescue.

    ¡°Sey, I¡¯m tired and you¡¯re still scaring her. We¡¯re supposed to be rescuing her. She¡¯s fine,¡± Lorelei complained.

    Seyari responded after a pause, ¡°Fine. You¡¯re probably right, but you know it doesn¡¯t hurt to be paranoid.¡± She turned to me. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you.¡±

    The walk to the base of my rock was awkward to say the least. I carried three big crates to Seyari¡¯s two while Lorelei just had a tent under each arm. She didn¡¯t ask me more personal questions, but the redhead did tell me that the war in Edath ended in peace about two years ago. Thankfully after my shot in the dark guess for ending up here. My prior excuse was ambiguous enough to work regardless. I probably just got lucky.

    I could still feel her anger, and Seyari¡¯s as well, but it was difficult to focus on more than one of them. I left their emotions alone. Just the act of manipulating someone like that rubbed me the wrong way. Even looking felt like I was breaching someone¡¯s privacy. I resolved to ignore the feeling as best I could.

    From her I also learned that it was now 1358, nearly a decade after the fire. I missed the rest of Tania¡¯s childhood and the thought ate at me. I should still be able to find her, however, which gave me hope.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Seyari actually participated in the conversation as well, and asked if I¡¯d tried to escape the island. I, truthfully, told her that I¡¯d tried rafts a couple times but almost drowned once and I could never build a good sail. Then, just as we got to the clearing at the base of my rock, she asked if there were any dangers on the island.

    I thought about scars of an old battle I had here before I established my territory. Unconsciously, my eyes darted around the clearing. Thankfully the signs were hardly visible beyond some difficult to discern burn and claw marks on trees. I wasn¡¯t sure how much I should say. In order to not have an aura, I have to seem weak, right? How weak is weak enough? Argh, I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d ever have to answer something like this.

    I replied after some consideration. ¡°The most dangerous creatures live in the jungle. Beasts that are supernaturally strong. I got lucky once and scared one with a flash, but I¡¯ve kept near my rock since, especially at night.¡±

    ¡°Good to know.¡± Seyari looked like she wanted to push further, but she thankfully didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Your camp is on top of this thing?¡± Lorelei looked up with a pained expression on her face.

    Seyari pounced on her moment of weakness, ¡°Oh, scared of a little climb?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! I just don¡¯t usually have to carry heavy things is all,¡± Lorelei pouted.

    Seyari motioned for me to start up the trail I¡¯d made over time. The ascent was uncomfortable. Mostly for Lorelei, but my glamour was feeling worse and worse to be stuck in. I¡¯d practiced it from time to time, but I still didn¡¯t have the greatest control over my human form. The drain on my mana was slow, but constant and while I could sleep with it, I sometimes woke up again as a demon.

    We reached the top. Lorelei let out a soft ¡°Wow¡± at what had come to be my home the past three years. I¡¯d built a modest two-room log cabin near the sheltered lip. The roof was a thatch of palm fronds. Nothing special, but something at least. Around the clearing I¡¯d made was a fence designed more to make noise when broken than to try to stop anything that would come for me. I¡¯d left the trees and some flowering bushes and the result was similar to a garden.

    I had a fire pit near the center with a covered bench next to it and I¡¯d managed to find usable barrel hoops near the shipwreck which I¡¯d made new barrels for. These were full of water under a roof extension next to the wood pile. I had a shed for food I could store and an outhouse I¡¯d dug near the edge where the dirt was deeper. Overall, I was pleased with what I had, but was in no mood to stay any longer.

    ¡°It looks so cozy!¡± Lorelei exclaimed. ¡°Can we stay in your cabin?¡±

    Seyari looked around cautiously before hearing Lorelei¡¯s comment. The leather clad woman looked at her companion like she grew a second head. She didn¡¯t say anything however and turned to look at me judgingly.

    ¡°Well,¡± I started. ¡°The front room should be okay, but I don¡¯t think all your stuff will fit. You¡¯re welcome to camp anywhere inside the fence though.¡±

    I tried to be as nice as possible. I¡¯d be able to block the door and close the shutters I made in case my glamour dispelled while I was sleeping. I might even be able to be able to dispel it for the night and relax a little. I couldn¡¯t see auras through walls and I doubted Lorelei could either.

    ¡°Thanks, but we¡¯ll stay out in the garden,¡± Seyari replied before Lorelei could. ¡°We don¡¯t want to make you more nervous.¡±

    Her saying that made me more nervous. Was she planning something? Just in case she was, I¡¯d need to keep my glamour active for a while longer. Ugh.

    At this point the ship ride back crossed my mind. Crap, I¡¯d need at least some privacy every few days or I¡¯d be exposed for sure. I¡¯m not there yet, however, so for now I¡¯ll just stay in my rescuers¡¯ good graces.

    Another couple trips and everything my rescuers had was up on the rock. I was introduced to Markus and Salvador, the latter of which spoke Ordian haltingly. Markus didn¡¯t speak a word, but he and Lorelei talked and soon I was given a set of clothing to keep¡ªincluding shoes that almost fit! It was still men¡¯s clothing, probably Markus¡¯. However, after changing in the cabin I found myself much more comfortable. If anyone had seen the conspicuous arm holes in my other shirt, they didn¡¯t say anything.

    While the expedition set up camp and talked to each other in Cavenish, I sat in my cabin with the door open and thought about their expedition and what I knew of the island. That feline beast was one of several spread across the jungle. It¡¯d fought with me twice before I¡¯d managed to kill it.

    The beast had nearly killed me, and the experience had led me to train myself to fight. I¡¯d learned a lot about fighting with my new body over the years. I¡¯d evolved from just punches to working in slashing, kicking, and tail slapping as well. Grappling is something else I¡¯d worked on recently. Combined with my seemingly unlimited tolerance for heat and fire and my own innate magic, holding something and heating it was a way to win a fight quickly, albeit one that left me tired.

    The other monsters challenged me after the feline fell. While I still didn¡¯t know if I could regenerate lost limbs, I did know that I could recover from having them nearly severed. My lower right arm still had phantom pains from time to time. I killed five more monsters ranging from lizards to a bird that I¡¯d downed with a lucky shot. I knew of at least a couple others that had likely died fighting other monsters.

    The problem was that I hadn¡¯t slain all of them. The only remaining one I knew of, an immense red-scaled fire lizard, made its home on the north side in a cave system near the lava flow. Lorelei had mentioned they were looking for ruins earlier, and that was the only place I hadn¡¯t explored. Unless what they were looking for was completely buried or small enough to miss, it had to be there.

    The thing was immune to fire just as I was, and its physical might exceeded my own. The lizard seemed able to reinforce its scales magically, so I couldn¡¯t do more than superficial damage. Thankfully, it seemed content to control the whole island while I had the peninsula and rock to myself.

    If I warned my rescuers, they would find out I had encountered the lizard and at least lived. I don¡¯t have a scale to understand how dangerous these things are though! The monster has to be at least somewhat deadly, but maybe fighting the creature will be a walk in the park for this group. If it¡¯s not though, that could raise questions I can¡¯t answer. I made up my mind just as the group finished making their dinner. The sun was setting and we, yes, we (Lorelei was very clear to Seyari and the others about that) were to head out at sunrise.

    Despite my lack of notable magical aura, I was clearly physically strong, I knew the land, and I could cast a big signal flare. It had been decided I should tag along, though some in the group clearly just wanted to keep an eye on me. I didn¡¯t argue against going with them. Lorelei at least seemed very nice and I¡¯d not turn down a chance to make friends. Even if I had to constantly lie to them. The thought hurt, but before I could spiral down that line of thinking, Lorelei spoke up.

    ¡°Hey Renna, do you want some?¡± Lorelei invited me over to their dinner by the fire with a smile on her face.

    The four of them looked over at me. Salvador looked wary, Markus seemed neutral, and I couldn¡¯t get a read on Seyari¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Some of this stuff is yours anyway, but you said that was okay right? I just couldn¡¯t resist some fresh fruit after a month at sea,¡± Lorelei continued.

    ¡°Sure.¡± I walked over and sat down next to the slim girl who¡¯d changed her sundress for practical traveling clothes.

    It felt nice to move around in clothing that at least somewhat fit me. I had given up on regularly wearing the other set after the first couple days. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t develop a penchant for nudism. What they¡¯d cooked up amounted to hydrated rations including dried meat and hard tack with a fruit salad.

    I took the offered bowls. ¡°Thanks, Lorelei. These ones are my favorite.¡± I pointed to the familiar white fruit chunks in the bowl.

    ¡°Oh, the northern mangosteen? Yeah, it¡¯s great, and I also love the soursops you have. I¡¯d read about them, but it¡¯s my first time trying some,¡± Lorelei replied eagerly. ¡°I think you had one fruit in there that went bad though. A durian I think it was called? The big spiky one.¡±

    ¡°It seemed ripe to me,¡± Seyari countered.

    ¡°Are you sure? I know you sailed around a lot before you joined on and probably ate a lot of fun things, but it was really rank,¡± Lorelei made a face.

    ¡°Durians, huh.¡± I was glad to have a name for the fruit. ¡°They¡¯re always like that. They¡¯re great once you get over the smell.¡±

    I¡¯d thought myself they had gone rotten or were toxic for the longest time. However, after seeing about damn near everything on the island eating them, I gave one a try a few months back and found a new favorite.

    ¡°So, Renna,¡± Seyari changed the subject. ¡°You¡¯ve lived here for a few years. Have you seen any settlements or ruins on the island? Lorelei already told you we¡¯re here to search for them.¡± The glare she shot Lorelei could freeze water.

    Lorelei was unaffected. ¡°Oh! Have you seen any demons? There are supposedly demons here,¡± she added before I could answer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about any ruins. I haven¡¯t been around all of the north side of the island though. There¡¯s a big red-scaled fire lizard thing I saw from a distance that I think lives over there,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Fire lizard? Did it shoot fire, or was it on fire? What if it¡¯s a dragon?¡± Lorelei was at the edge of her seat. An impressive feat considering she was sitting cross-legged on ground.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way it was a dragon. No one would mistake one for just a lizard,¡± Seyari seemed interested.  ¡°How big was it?¡±

    ¡°Uh, not quite two meters tall and the body was probably six meters long without the tail,¡± I responded, then quickly added, ¡°and I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t a dragon, but it was on fire along its spine.¡±

    Like most people, I¡¯d never seen a dragon, but I¡¯d read stories with dragons in them. If dragons were only the size of that lizard, those stories would have been a lot more comedic. What I saw didn¡¯t even have wings!

    ¡°It might be a demon then,¡± Seyari said seriously.

    ¡°Wait, really?¡± I asked incredulously.

    ¡°Yeah! See, some animals have magical affinities, but it doesn¡¯t sound like any species I¡¯ve heard of. Also doesn¡¯t sound like any monster I¡¯ve heard of, but who knows?¡± Lorelei set her finished bowl down. I have no idea how she managed to make it disappear while talking so much.

    ¡°Why a demon and not a monster then?¡± I looked at Seyari.

    She looked back at me, ¡°Because our information was quite clear there would be at least one on the island, and it¡¯s the most likely candidate.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what Seyari¡¯s stare implied.

    ¡°Yeah! If it¡¯s a demon, we¡¯ll hunt it down no matter what! I¡¯m sure you know, Renna, but demons are always evil and must be destroyed or they¡¯ll cause more and more harm.¡± Lorelei¡¯s look was completely innocent, but her zealousness sent shivers down my spine.

    Conversation died down while the rest of us finished eating. Not understanding Ordian, Salvador and especially Markus had been left out, and I presume would be told the important parts. All of them at least seemed to be warming up to my presence. Markus particularly relaxed when it was made clear that Lorelei was comfortable around me. However, now I knew I needed to be careful around Lorelei. Before, I wanted to tell her what I was at some point to get help during the trip back, but I definitely can¡¯t. I can¡¯t tell anyone.

    The expedition members returned to their tents and I retreated to my cabin. The fact they set a watch and that the watch included my home was not lost on me. I passed through the front room I used both as a sitting room for what little furniture I had built or scavenged, and entered my bedroom. The two doors in the cabin were by no means perfect, but the hinges I had looted from footlockers held up well enough.

    The outer door had a crossbeam I put up and I closed the improvised shutters. Laying back on my bed of feather-stuffed mismatched fabric (I was lucky to find a needle at the bottom of the chest I recovered from the shipwreck, and luckier still to have been taught some things by Abby years ago) I stared at the roof above me and thought about the day. Rescue was finally here. The day I¡¯d dreamed about for years. Scratch marks on the walls told the days. I¡¯d make another one tomorrow and it would hopefully be my last.

    Perhaps I¡¯d make a few more depending on how the expedition went. This should have been a moment of elation and celebration, but instead it was tense and nerve-wracking. I just wanted to be myself damnit, and not hide behind this glamour. Still, I couldn¡¯t blame them for judging me. I¡¯d never heard of a demon being anything other than evil. I thought about why that might be and how the truth might differ as I drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 9: Fire Lizard

    The next morning, I awoke with a start at a sharp knocking coming from my closed shutter. My glamour had held through the night, but started to flicker before I remembered who was likely knocking.

    Lorelei¡¯s voice confirmed the knocker¡¯s identity. ¡°Hey Renna! We¡¯re heading out soon!¡±

    Stabilizing my human guise was difficult with how claustrophobic it felt, but I managed. My magical reserves felt about a third depleted, and I hoped I wouldn¡¯t need to use serious magic. I¡¯d need a good night¡¯s rest or several to recover magically. Not that it¡¯d do anything to that stupid lizard anyway. However, if worse came to worse, I¡¯d go ahead and reveal myself if it meant saving the others. I doubted they¡¯d kill someone who¡¯d done nothing wrong. I hoped.

    I carefully put on the clothes I¡¯d been given yesterday. I desperately wished to wear something that didn¡¯t look like masculine, poorly-sized hand me downs. Although I had to admit pants were nice sometimes.

    Outside, the expedition members were waiting. Even Lorelei looked ready for battle in an armored robe, carrying an ornate looking staff. Salvador had bulked up his cloak with armor under it while Markus and Seyari wore the same getup as the day before. I felt distinctly vulnerable despite myself.

    ¡°You ready?¡± Lorelei asked. ¡°Stay by Markus and me. Sey and Sal¡¯ll be scouting ahead. Today, we¡¯ll be taking down a demon.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean to look for it even if we don¡¯t run into it?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s a demon,¡± Lorelei replied as though it were the most obvious thing.

    My gut twisted. ¡°I-I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Great! Don¡¯t be nervous! Markus and I¡¯ve killed dozens of demons, so you¡¯re safe if you stick with us!¡± Lorelei beamed at me.

    I might actually be screwed. Do I just stay out of any fighting no matter what? But Lorelei seemed so nice¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sunshine. We¡¯re burning daylight.¡± Seyari¡¯s tone was flat.

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Lorelei huffed. ¡°But don¡¯t you forget who the leader here is!¡±

    The platinum blond shrugged and we departed from my rock.

    Three years on this island and the explosion of sound and life in the jungle still threatened to overwhelm me. I could pick out most calls and sounds by now. Most of the time I wasn¡¯t trying to be human, so I was more used to silence. I ate fruit and jerky on the way. Lorelei was adamant that I avoid durian.

    Flanking either side of me were the bubbly woman and her big silent friend. Actually, calling him silent was unfair. He was talking plenty right now, but in Cavenish.

    Around late morning, we entered the area I knew to be the fire lizard¡¯s original territory. Ahead of us the jungle terminated in a black morass of rock. Clear blue sky belied the dark events to come, which my mind was unsuccessfully trying to be optimistic about.

    Seyari and Salvador waited just at the edge of our cover and pointed up the mountain. The four expedition members talked amongst themselves before Lorelei turned to me.

    ¡°We need to move carefully from now on.¡± Her face was serious for once. ¡°Sal and Sey sighted the thing further up the slope by a cave. We¡¯ll stick to the dips in the rock, so stay low and quiet.¡±

    Lorelei turned, but Seyari continued, ¡°We¡¯re aiming to ambush the demon. Salvador and I are going around behind it. You¡¯ll be back with Lorelei when Markus goes in. Signal if you both get in trouble.¡±

    I nodded. No more words were exchanged and I soon found myself crouched low against the undulating black rock. In places, green life was starting to cling to the evidence of the eruption that brought me into the world again. Seyari had used what might have been wind magic for her and Salvador while the other two and I approached from what I hoped was downwind.

    Cresting a rise, not a hundred meters in front of me was the fire lizard. Flames gently licked along its spine while it sunned its red scales in a space of flat rock around the cave entrance. By luck or some other force, the lava flow had diverged around the cave formation and left a clearing of flat, burned earth.

    I was surprised we had been able to get this close. Markus in particular, however, seemed disappointed with how far away we¡¯d stopped. Nevertheless, Lorelei had signaled for us to stop.

    Tension pervaded the scene. As if able to sense the impending conflict, the monster shifted and quickly rose to its feet. No sooner had it done so than two arrows fired into its neck from a crevice above the cave entrance.

    Markus ran in. Slow. Suddenly, he seemed to glow with a soft, uncomfortable, light and sped up. The monster spat a gout of flame at the source of the arrows before the heavily armored man collided with the lizard¡¯s front leg.

    The beast stumbled. Two more arrows came from a different location. I could see the pair who fired them move; enhanced by magic of a different sort. I silently cursed my dulled senses in this form as I struggled to keep up with the combat.

    Lorelei, who had moved ahead of me finished a complex incantation. A beam of intense bright light shot toward the beast and seared my vision in the process. I looked up, eyes stinging, and saw the lizard limping with a great smoking hole in its front shoulder.

    Markus disappeared under another gout of fire, but a bright shield seemed to protect him. Holding a steel shield forward he slashed with the sword in his other hand at the injured leg, blade glowing that same burning light. I could barely follow his movements.

    A roar sounded. The beast¡¯s leg was severed just below the shoulder. The wound burned and blackened, smoking visibly.

    Another duet of arrows, this time striking the lizard¡¯s good side. The arrows seemed to hardly penetrate and, clearly aware of the greater threat, the lizard reared up to slash at Markus.

    He moved to block, but the lizard feinted and closed its jaws around his sword arm. Bright light burned the monster¡¯s smoking mouth. Another gout of fire at point blank and Markus¡¯ shield flickered. The lizard bit down hard.

    Shards of light shattered out from the broken shield of light. Metal and bone crunched. Markus screamed. Before the beast could wrench the limb, Lorelei fired another bright beam and it struck the outstretched neck.

    Jaws let go with a gurgling roar, a hole smoking through the side of the thing¡¯s neck. An arrow surrounded by whipping air slammed into the base of the lizard¡¯s neck and its body spasmed.

    ¡°Markus!¡± Lorelei shouted.

    She ran forward toward Markus. The armored man tossed his shield aside and picked up his fallen sword with his good hand. Somehow, the lizard tried to fight on, despite its body clearly no longer responding. Markus heaved up and drove his sword up through the thing¡¯s skull. The light was feeble, but enough for the sword to slide home and, with a final shudder, the massive thing went limp.

    I stood in awe. I¡¯d heard of teams taking on the dangers of the wilds, fighting powerful monsters and even elementals and demons, but I¡¯d certainly never seen one in action. The coordination was incredible. Aside from the last, the arrows were never meant to hurt it, rather to shift its attention. Had the lizard been just a bit slower to notice this, it would have died without even really putting up a fight.

    I moved closer to the site of the kill. Lorelei had her hands over Markus¡¯ ruined shoulder and arm and that same burning light, that I only now realized must be holy magic, was working to repair the damage. Even from here, she looked strained and drained. Markus was pale as a sheet and only now did I notice the pool of blood below him. The sight of his injury didn¡¯t affect me as much as I thought it should. Granted, I¡¯d seen myself in worse shape. Not to mention the significantly messier remains of my own kills.

    Seyari and Salvador returned, but only the latter looked fit and ready. Although Seyari was unhurt, I¡¯d spent enough time drained of mana in the past to know that feeling from her sweat-coated brow and tired silver eyes.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Lorelei was spent after setting Markus¡¯ arm back into place. His armor was ruined and shoulder looked like an enormous bloody bruise. Seyari and Salvador confirmed the cave continued beyond the initial chamber. We¡¯d explore deeper later. For now, we headed back across the island. The lizard corpse, being as large as it was, got to stay where it died.

    The walk back was mostly void of conversation. Lorelei¡¯s fatigue and Markus¡¯ injury extinguished much of her enthusiasm. But not all of it.

    ¡°And that¡¯s how you slay a demon, Renna.¡± She managed a thin smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°For a lesser demon, that was a dangerous one. Intelligent. You got lucky seeing it and surviving when you were alone.¡±

    ¡°I saw it and ran,¡± I lied.

    Lorelei simply nodded in response. Conversation picked up again when we returned to my rock and had dinner. Much of what was said that night I wasn¡¯t privy to. I managed to sleep through the night without my glamour and it was with grim determination that I applied it again in the morning.

    ***

    Two days later I was staring at the cave entrance holding a lantern. The expedition group was around me. We¡¯d be moving two abreast when possible: Salvador would guard the rear while Seyari led in the front with a second lantern. I was to hold the other lantern and stay in the middle with Markus and Lorelei. The large man wore set of lighter chain armor and his grievous injury had mostly healed.

    The day of rest prior had been a back-and-forth tide of emotions. Maintaining the glamour was an undercurrent of discomfort beneath the awful feeling of lying to everyone. I wished I could just make friends and get home to find my sister.

    Lorelei had slowly regained her bubbly nature and for reasons I could not fathom, Seyari seemed to hate me a little less. Salvador, well, I couldn¡¯t get a read on him. Markus disliked me for being dead weight. I didn¡¯t know whether or not he¡¯d commented on his feelings to the others, but the way he looked at me wasn¡¯t difficult to see. For my sake, I hoped his attitude was limited to the farce of my ¡°participation¡± in this expedition.

    We entered the cave. My nose was thankful the fire lizard liked to burn everything. The place was filled with charred bones and piles of burnt stuff I really didn¡¯t want to learn more about. At the back of the initial chambers where the lizard, demon I guess, had made its lair the cave came to a narrow choke point. We filed through single file and into the passage beyond.

    The tunnel was barely wide enough for two people my size to pass and, were I not glamoured, my horns would have scraped the ceiling constantly. Though my vision was impacted by my glamour, I could still see slightly beyond the shifting light of our lanterns. Twists and turns zigzagged downward, the passage a scar boring into the volcano.

    Warmer and warmer, the temperature climbed. We passed side chambers which were cleared by the others and doubled back from several dead ends. At each fork, Salvador carved a mark into the rock. The others were feeling the heat as we went, panting and sweating. Even Salvador looked miserable. At the next fork where the tunnel was big enough to sit in a group, Lorelei called for a halt.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be going this deep!¡± Lorelei took a big swig of water from a flask. Her hair was plastered to her head with sweat. ¡°It¡¯s an oven down here!¡±

    Markus said something in Cavenish to which Lorelei replied. Salvador also commented before Seyari leaned closer to me and translated.

    ¡°Markus said he¡¯s surprised there is a cave this deep in an active volcano. He thinks it should have collapsed.¡± Seyari looked carefully at my face.

    ¡°I, uh, guess that¡¯s a good point. Why are you translating this for me?¡± I asked warily.

    ¡°I want to ask if you know something,¡± Seyari said, then added, ¡°because I agree that this cave feels wrong.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head, thankful to be able to answer truthfully. ¡°I just knew the cave was here, not what it was like.¡±

    Seyari thought carefully, her face hard. She turned her steel-gray eyes back to me. ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± I couldn¡¯t get a read on what she was thinking.

    The other three, mostly Lorelei and Markus, continued to banter for another minute during which the only thing passing between Seyari and myself was an awkward silence. I took a few gulps of water from the flask I¡¯d been given. Finally, Lorelei gave the call to resume walking and we stood up.

    As we did so, Seyari whispered to me, ¡°Your heat tolerance is exceptional for a fire mage with a weak aura.¡±

    Shit. Shit, shit, shit. She knew something was up. Before I could think of a way to respond we were back in a single-file line walking again with Seyari leading and me stuck between Lorelei and Markus. I hadn¡¯t really thought about it, but I wasn¡¯t hot at all. I felt the shirt I¡¯d been given. We¡¯d been going at a brisk pace, but between my fitness and heat resistance (closer to an immunity), I¡¯d hardly built up any kind of noticeable sweat.

    Plus, I wasn¡¯t feeling fatigued at all. In fact, I felt great down here. Er, mostly. Claustrophobia from both the glamour and the narrow passage was weighing on me. Outside of that, the heat was like a comfortable blanket and I had energy to spare. After all, I¡¯d managed to go almost the whole time without a glamour last night. The last free night I¡¯d get for maybe a month, I thought with no small amount of dread.

    Those thoughts turned to worry. Seyari clearly knew something. She had to be planning something, right? But what? And if she really thought I was a demon, wouldn¡¯t it be easy enough to ask Lorelei to watch me cast a spell and maybe expose myself? What was her game?

    I nearly walked into Lorelei¡¯s back when we stopped. I looked up from my feet and gasped. Ahead of us was a massive chamber wide enough that my currently limited vision couldn¡¯t see to the other side; at least two hundred meters. In the center was what could only be described as a cathedral, made entirely of stone. The sharp angles and buttressed roof were entirely out of place with its surroundings.

    ¡°See something Renna?¡± Lorelei looked back and up at me.

    ¡°Oh, uh.¡± I tried to think quickly, and held my lantern up. ¡°I think I see the edge of some kind of building. It¡¯s massive.¡±

    I only partially lied and I hoped it was believable. I didn¡¯t know how far the others could see. Funny that I didn¡¯t really recall how far a human could see beyond a lantern¡¯s light.

    ¡°Really? You¡¯ve got sharp vision! I can¡¯t see anything but blackness out there.¡± Lorelei looked at me with an odd expression.

    ¡°Yeah, all that staring for ships paid off I guess,¡± I replied as nonchalantly as I could.

    Seyari interrupted Lorelei¡¯s reply, ¡°We should be quiet in case there¡¯s something out there. Though I guess it¡¯s too late.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Lorelei conceded.

    We made to move and Lorelei stopped me with a hand on my arm. ¡°Leave the lantern here so we can find the exit.¡±

    After my near heart attack subsided, I did as she asked. We moved into the room in a group. The cathedral soon came into view for everyone. As massive as it appeared in the room, it was less spacious in reality. The ostentatious and jagged architecture gave an illusion of immense size, though the cathedral still had to be around twenty meters tall at the peak of the roof, twice as wide, and three times as deep. The building looked off, somehow.

    The whole structure seemed to have been made out of a single piece of stone. Magical construction. Such things existed of course, but were exceedingly expensive and still required knowledge of physics to make sure the whole structure didn¡¯t come tumbling down.

    Unless, of course, you maintained it with magic, but that was downright ludicrous. Or was it? What if that was why the cave hadn¡¯t collapsed? I wished I could activate my aura sight without potentially outing myself as a demon.

    Ahead of us, a set of stone double doors were shut tight. Looking up at the fa?ade around the doors, I noticed another reason the building seemed so unusual. There were no windows. Really, that made a whole lot of sense. The building was in a giant underground cavern with no light. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t need windows. But it also wouldn¡¯t need aesthetics similar to buildings which did.

    The structure was also missing iconography, except for a symbol above the door. A symbol which caught my breath in my throat and set my spine rigid. Carved into stone and larger around than a wagon wheel was the same starburst and vortex burned into my chest right above and between my breasts.

    I¡¯d tried to keep the symbol hidden from the expedition. No one had seemed to notice it and both the shirt I had and the one I¡¯d gotten had relatively tight collars. Thankfully, it seemed no one looked toward me. They were, however, looking at the relief.

    Lorelei seemed to recognize the symbol. ¡°A Lost Era temple! No wonder they wanted us to find this place. And it seems undamaged even!¡±

    ¡°Um, what does that symbol mean?¡± I pointed toward the relief above the doors.

    My curiosity had won out over my caution. Maybe there was a reason why I popped out of this particular volcano. Although that didn¡¯t really explain why I ended up in the erupting volcano anyway. Maybe I was meant to come here instead and I missed the mark?

    If this is tied to some deity or another and that¡¯s true, I¡¯d bet they had a good laugh at my expense. I¡¯d want to have a word with them about putting me on this island so damn far away from home anyway. Maybe burn them a little too.

    ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s a symbol of their religion, or god, or something like that. No one¡¯s quite sure,¡± Lorelei responded.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it known?¡± I replied.

    ¡°We¡¯ve seen this symbol at other sites; mostly ancient ones. Nothing seemed consistent between them, other than the symbol,¡± Lorelei was getting excited. ¡°But now, we might finally get to know! See, we have this theory¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lorelei, should you really be telling Renna all this?¡± Seyari cut off the rant before it could go any further.

    Markus looked sternly at both Lorelei and myself. With all the pointing, there¡¯s no way the context of the conversation wasn¡¯t clear.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, I guess not. But I didn¡¯t say anything she couldn¡¯t find on her own later anyway,¡± Lorelei pouted. ¡°Besides, if there¡¯s anything dangerous in there, she ought to know. Her magic might not be useless this time!¡±

    Seyari thought for a moment, ¡°Fine. Not like it¡¯s my call anyway.¡±

    Markus gave a nod of assent after a quick quip from Lorelei. Salvador, who had been inspecting the doorway the whole time, turned back to us and gave what I assume was the okay to go inside because Lorelei practically vibrated with excitement. Said excitement had rubbed off on me as well. I ignored the slight to my magic and found myself smiling despite the situation.

    I looked above the door and couldn¡¯t help but place a hand over the matching mark that was hidden under my shirt. According to Lorelei this cathedral was from the Lost Era! I didn¡¯t know much about the era. Truthfully no one claimed to know much, but ruins from that age have been found scattered all across Varra and seem too different to belong to a single culture. I was about to explore one such possibly untouched ancient structure for the first time! Abby would be proud.

 Chapter 10: Cathedral of Stone

    Markus and I pushed the stone doors open. They weren¡¯t nearly as heavy as they looked and the hinges were silent. Inside was a square room with a tall ceiling, benches along the side walls, and a pair of large humanoid constructs standing in alcoves. They must have been twice as tall as me, at least.

    Another set of closed double doors could be seen at the rear of the room. The constructs were fascinating; like statues with articulated joints of metal. I was surprised to see blank faces with the starburst symbol on them. Tails and unusual legs were the only clue their inspiration was anything other than human.

    The room was completely dark, but after Salvador entered, braziers lit up along the walls. Their fire was the same crimson color as my own and a pit of dread formed in my stomach. Then the doors slammed behind us. At the same time, the two constructs began to move. Each held a polearm of some kind and quickly, far too quickly, brought them to bear in a battle stance.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Seyari muttered.

    Lorelei¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Working ancient automatons! Fascinating! This place must be¡ª¡±

    She cut herself off to dodge a lightning-fast sweep from one of the pair. Markus shouted something and the group before me took formation with him at the center. The room was by no means small, so Salvador and Seyari pulled out blades as well.

    My hand went to my dagger, but I doubted it¡¯d do anything with how little I knew. I took a battle stance of my own, far more feral than the others, but I supposed my only experience in fighting matched it. I couldn¡¯t use much except my magic in this fight, however.

    The constructs moved to either side of Markus when the other three backed off. He took up his shield and blocked one thrust while narrowly deflecting another. The clash of metal rang out loud and his barely recovered arm nearly faltered from the strength of the blow. Lorelei moved to an opposite corner from me while Seyari and Salvador carefully danced around the flanks.

    I channeled my mana as strongly as I dared and the familiar wash of anger rose up to meet me. With practiced ease, I directed it into the heat of my flames and formed twin orbs of crimson fire above my palms. The damping effect of my glamour was an annoying itch I couldn¡¯t scratch right now.

    Salvador and Seyari had moved in to nip at the leg joints, but their probing strikes did little. A beam of holy light from Lorelei struck one in the center of its torso leaving a scorch mark and making it stumble.

    I tossed my two fire orbs at the joints of the same construct, but unused to casting in my human glamour one shot was off and struck the stone of its thigh instead. Where the fire caught the joint, it lit up the metal. The automaton took another step and the knee warped, putting it off balance.

    What happened next surprised everyone. The pair of automatons took a step back from Markus, who charged the gap and shield bashed the warped leg of one. That one dropped to a knee, tail out for balance as it nearly fell over.

    The other construct, however, turned to me. It seemed to regard me for a moment as if whatever magic it ran on was confused. Seyari and Salvador took the opportunity to attack it, Seyari¡¯s wind-tipped blade striking a clean cut through part of its hip left open by Salvador¡¯s strike. Another bolt from Lorelei struck the downed one in the head and it reeled.

    The one which had seemed confused turned back to Markus and brought the polearm down in a vicious piercing strike. Markus angled his shield and deflected the blow, but not without forcing him back. From its hip injury, the damaged construct stumbled a step as it closed the distance. The two flankers were on it again immediately.

    I stood in the back momentarily frozen, dumbfounded. I don¡¯t think the others saw, but I couldn¡¯t mistake what happened. Before it had been attacked again, it had lowered its head toward me in a show of deference and had nearly moved to bow.

    I hesitated. The expedition members were uninjured and gaining the upper hand anyway. I didn¡¯t want to fight something that seemed to see me as an ally. I wondered why it would do that. My magic? It was similar to the torches plus I shared my symbol with them, so perhaps I really was meant to find this place and never did.

    What would be different if I had come here alone?

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there Renna! Take out another joint!¡± Lorelei shouted at me from across the room.

    Turning back, Markus had taken a bruising hit and one of Salvador¡¯s arms hung limp at his side. Now I wanted to fight. I¡¯m not sure what these people were to me, but they were more than ancient automatons powered by the magic of some long-gone entity, that¡¯s for sure.

    I conjured and tossed another pair of small fireballs at a leg joint of the one that was still up and fighting. This time both hit and the joint nearly melted. The others collapsed on the wounded construct and it soon joined its twin in an unmoving heap on the ground. Despite everything, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of regret this fight even happened. I shook my head to clear those thoughts.

    ¡°Not bad, Renna.¡± Seyari stood next to me only slightly out of breath.

    Behind her, the others were picking themselves up. Lorelei tended to Salvador¡¯s arm.

    Soon we were back to inspecting the room. Lorelei¡¯s eyes glowed and she looked over the fallen statues and around the room. Her face scrunched in a complex expression I couldn¡¯t quite judge and her eyes¡¯ glow faded.

    ¡°Hey Renna? Could you summon those fire orbs of yours again?¡± Lorelei looked at me, although her eyes flicked up to the magically lit torches for a moment.

    I considered lying and saying I was out of mana, but I clearly wasn¡¯t. I glanced briefly at the exit, still shut but probably unsealed. No one interjected to bail me out this time.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± I did my best to keep my voice level.

    I drew on my mana in as thin a stream as I could. The conjured balls of flame above my hands matched the lights in the chamber.

    ¡°Fascinating! Your magic is such a similar color to the lingering effects!¡± Lorelei¡¯s eyes glowed as she studied me. ¡°I wonder if the island has had some influence on your flames. The color is much more noticeable down here compared to the flares you first signaled us with.¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡± I could scarcely believe my luck that she seemed to draw a conclusion in my favor.

    ¡°Yes! What I can read of your magic and aura seems mostly normal. If only I could stay here and study you!¡± She leaned her face close to mine with a smile. Her eyes, however, held an entirely different emotion. They were cold.

    ¡°I¡¯m not staying here longer than we have to,¡± Seyari said from behind me. She said something else in Cavenish to Markus and Salvador who seemed to agree.

    ¡°Oh of course! I have plenty to report! After all, I¡¯d hate to keep our employer waiting.¡± Lorelei bounced back from my face and turned toward the inner doors. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    I nodded. Markus and I opened the set of inner doors. Much like the outer doors, they pushed in easily. Inside was the main chamber of the cathedral. The light from the lantern failed to reach the other side of the massive chamber. That didn¡¯t matter for long as braziers flashed to life along the walls from the front to the rear, illuminating the space in a flickering crimson glow.

    It was beautiful. Where windows would be, immense murals filled the space. The ceiling above was a crimson night sky studded with twinkling stars so real that for a moment I wondered if we¡¯d been transported back to the surface. I froze when I saw the massive statue at the back of the room.

    In front of it was a raised platform and the massive stone likeness stood solemnly posed in a large alcove.

    The statue looked like me.

    A male version of my true demonic form, horns and all, stood before me. Crimson skinned arms stuck out from black robes and equally dark hair flowed down past the shoulders. His face, however, was different from mine and the eyes were a different color; a striking orange like molten rock.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Proudly adorning the center of the robes was a crimson version of a, by now, very familiar starburst and vortex symbol.

    I forced myself to look away from the statue. This place was definitely related to me. Wait, no. Related to my demonic body. I¡¯m still me and I have no idea what any of this is about. I wasn¡¯t the only one gawking. Lorelei had a notebook out and was scribbling furiously, flitting about the room like an overexcited moth. Markus seemed to be working on drawing something. I didn¡¯t get close enough to look, but it looked like he was drawing the statue. I hadn¡¯t taken him for the artistic type.

    Salvador was opposite me, looking at the murals while Seyari was standing in the middle of the room staring at the statue like it held some great wisdom. I wished that was true. And I wished it¡¯d tell me, too.

    The mural on the wall next to me depicted a scene of an island and a small group of humanoids on the shore. It took me a moment to recognize Korzon Island. My rock¡¯s distinct shape was detached from the main landmass and the mountain was lower with a different shape to its peak, but it was the same place.

    The next mural showed a village of the humanoids on the island and a crimson figure at the top of the mountain. I walked the progression of the murals. The inhabitants of the island seemed to be reptilian humanoids of green and blue coloration. Their build was similar to the constructs out front, with relatively flat faces and thick tails. I couldn¡¯t tell if they were amphibious or just aquatically-inclined. Fishing boats littered the bay and structures built partway into the surf sprang up along the shore. Further out, great oar-driven ships ventured to the edges of the picture.

    Under the figure on the volcano, the society on the island flourished. More structures, larger complex buildings of wood and stone grew alongside a veritable city in the bay flowing back into the jungle above.

    A cathedral to the crimson figure, now clearly the statue demon, was built in a shallow cave in a deep ridge part-way up the mountain, close to its heart. But the scene wasn¡¯t entirely peaceful. Volcanic eruptions gave both life and death. An unfamiliar type of octopus creature, partially humanoid, ascended from the deep and warred with the island.

    Contact was made with what looked to be the elves. They appeared at the edges; two disparate ships and their people meeting. Trade was established and the island¡¯s population and infrastructure boomed. Buildings with foreign influence and a greater variety of people drawn in great detail along with increasingly diverse ships in the harbor. Other species I recognized and many I didn¡¯t came to visit the island. Even some of the octopus people, for their depiction on this latest panel was much more humanoid.

    Churches, temples, and symbols were splashed angrily across the scene. The foreigners had decried the island¡¯s god. And what else could the figure be? Perhaps his statue was a representation of a deity rather than a powerful being. If that was the case, it didn¡¯t make sense to me that depictions of their volcano god would differ from their own forms.

    The last panel showed an island divided. Much of the population and some of the myriad other peoples stood with the crimson figure, their standard bearing their familiar symbol. Foreigners and some of the island¡¯s citizens stood arrayed against them. These figures were backed by an indistinct glow and on their standard was a symbol that looked distantly familiar.

    Beyond this image, space for more existed but was just blank stone. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out who won between the two forces. What I wondered was how this cathedral escaped intact. Despite its location, it didn¡¯t seem like a secret. I also wondered about the foreigners¡¯ symbol.

    I turned my attention back to the others. Seyari sat on the raised platform polishing a dagger while Markus still worked on his drawing near her. At the mural next to me were Lorelei and Salvador.

    Salvador looked to be deep in thought. Lorelei was still scribbling quickly in her book, glancing up and then back down rapidly. Before I could think of how to interrupt her, she, apparently finished with that panel, looked up at me and walked over.

    ¡°Fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lorelei stared at the last piece of the story. ¡°To have a pagan society leave such a beautiful account of their history, but disappear without a trace.¡±

    ¡°Do you know about that symbol?¡± I pointed to the foreigner¡¯s standard. ¡°It seems familiar but I can¡¯t place it.¡±

    Lorelei thought for a moment. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a symbol used by the Church of Dhias ages ago, before the modern one.¡±

    ¡°Why change it?¡±

    ¡°That, I don¡¯t know,¡± Lorelei sighed dramatically. ¡°But! This place has been a treasure trove of knowledge. We still have the rooms to the rear that might contain literal treasure! Prayer rooms perhaps? We¡¯ll check them after I finish here.¡±

    Her frantic sketching resumed.

    I wandered over to the statue of not-me. ¡°Who were you?¡± I whispered under my breath.

    ¡°A greater demon.¡± Seyari¡¯s quiet reply startled me. ¡°One of the ones who has a whole enough piece of a single soul in their being to find sanity.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What I said,¡± Seyari brushed off responding and stood up.

    I hesitated on pressing her or letting it drop.

    Lorelei made the decision for me. ¡°Okay everyone! We¡¯re going to look in the prayer rooms. Be careful what you touch. We know this place has lingering magic and something could be cursed.¡± She repeated something similar Cavenish.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use your aura sight then?¡± Seyari asked her.

    ¡°Hmph! If you knew more about aura sight you¡¯d know why,¡± Lorelei huffed.

    ¡°And that¡¯s because¡­¡± Seyari motioned with her hand.

    ¡°Cursed items are adept at masking their auras of course. I¡¯ll consider the idea at my discretion.¡± Lorelei¡¯s eyebrow twitched.

    ¡°Of course, expedition leader.¡± Seyari¡¯s tone toed a sarcastic line.

    Lorelei frowned and spun on a heel toward one of the doors at the rear. Three of us followed immediately while Seyari stopped next to the last mural. Markus glared back at her and she smiled and shrugged. Salvador shook his head.

    The back room was indeed a small chamber. There was a smaller statue on a pedestal, perhaps thirty centimeters tall, of the same figure. Behind it was a low table and in front of it were several platforms that looked to be for kneeling. The entire inside was painted an orangish-crimson.

    On the low table at the rear was a small banded chest latched shut, several statuettes of varying depictions, the dust of something organic, and several other objects I couldn¡¯t identify or discern.

    Lorelei, with Markus in tow, made a beeline for the back table. Salvador looked around with a hint of apprehension and stayed by the door. I found myself drawn to a small crimson gem in the statue¡¯s chest.

    I stared at it, transfixed. Glowing a faint crimson as it was, I couldn¡¯t understand why the others wouldn¡¯t notice it. I found myself kneeling on the front platform. I didn¡¯t know why, but I didn¡¯t feel like I was kneeling in supplication. I certainly wasn¡¯t going to pray to this ancient demon.

    I raised my head and looked at the gem. It was close enough to touch. My hand reached up and I extended a finger toward it. Before I touched it, I stopped myself. What was I doing?

    I tried to look at the glow with a more critical eye. Warm. It felt warm, and it felt like something was missing from me the more I looked at it. The mark above my sternum seemed to faintly ache.

    I made my decision. My finger touched the hot stone. A spark like static electricity jumped from it to my finger. A crimson flash lit up the room briefly. The mark at my chest burned in agony for a moment and I choked back a scream. A word seared itself into my mind. It felt heavy, as though it was of great importance:

    Zerix¡¯Arranthariel

    Not my name, but my Name. I knew this instinctually.

    ¡°Renna! What did you do?¡± Lorelei¡¯s voice sounded angry and worried.

    ¡°I¡ª¡° I exhaled and took a deep breath. ¡°I just touched the statue. I¡¯m alright I think.¡±

    Lorelei looked at me and her eyes lit up. ¡°Your aura seems normal. If you feel anything off, anything, tell me immediately. If you start to behave oddly, I will take action myself.¡±

    Lorelei inspected the statue. Markus, hand on the hilt of his sword, kept a partially relaxed pose, but stared at me intently.

    I stood up shakily and looked around the room. Everything was the same as before. The chest was open on the table and some of the items had been taken. Behind me, Salvador looked at me with a searching gaze.

    I met his dark eyes. We stared for a moment before I got nervous and broke eye contact. He turned his head toward the floor but his posture remained the same.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a statue. Whatever magic happened won¡¯t happen again, by design or otherwise.¡± Lorelei picked up the statue. ¡°When we check the other rooms, don¡¯t touch any idols until I¡¯ve vetted them. I¡¯d hoped this would have been obvious.¡± She gave me a pointed look.

    I saw the statue when she picked it up. The gem I had seen was gone entirely and there seemed to be no evidence of any groove or socket which may have held it.

    We left the room and rejoined Seyari who was told to stick to the group. She seemed to sense the mood and looked my way. I looked down at my feet.

    Something happened for sure. The symbol on my chest felt warm, but not uncomfortable. I felt great, all things considered. I couldn¡¯t place anything that seemed different. Perhaps my ability to sense anger? I¡¯d been intentionally avoiding doing so in case it was noticeable, but it felt easier than before to feel for that particular emotion.

    I could tell without focusing that Lorelei and Markus were at least somewhat angry, although I got no such emotion from Salvador. I decided against pushing my luck. It¡¯s a wonder my glamour held at all, and I¡¯m not too blind to miss how suspicious I¡¯ve been recently. Now that I thought about it, the drain on my mana from the glamour seemed less than before. Maybe I would have a better time on the ship than I¡¯d hoped. Wearing the damn thing still sucked though.

    We searched the remaining rooms, including dormitories and storage, without issue. By the end, Lorelei and the others had amassed two full packs of items. Looting the cathedral like that didn¡¯t sit particularly well with me, but I supposed the people who built this were dead, gone and forgotten after all. At least their story would still be there.

    On the walk back, I thought about my Name. Zerix¡¯Arranthariel. The word felt powerful, and that scared me. I thought to keep it a secret, but not knowing why I felt the way I did or what happened for me to suddenly gain or learn of it made me anxious.

    We spent one more night at my cabin and had a veritable feast of shellfish and other seafood we caught with the remaining daylight. For the expedition, the mood was celebratory. It seemed like the treasures found buried their suspicions toward me. Or so I hoped. In the morning, I made a last scratch mark on the wall, closed up my cabin as best I could, and left my dwelling of three years on the first leg of my journey home.

 Chapter 11: Formerly Pirates

    ¡°Why is it called Korzon Island anyway?¡± I leaned against the rail of the ship and looked out over the ocean.

    ¡°Some guy sighted it and stuck his name on it.¡± Seyari leaned on the same railing about two meters away.

    I sighed and looked back out over the waves. Didn¡¯t seem like she was interested in conversation. No one was, really. I¡¯d gotten plenty of looks due to my height and probably some other reasons I¡¯d rather not think about, but no one approached me. It¡¯d been three days aboard the Swordfish and I felt boredom setting in. Unlike the boredom of the island, I was stuck in one place and confined to my human glamour. Plus, I was surrounded by people I couldn¡¯t talk to due to a language barrier. At least on the island I could go wherever and do whatever I pleased, even if the loneliness was crushing some days.

    Seyari and Lorelei were my only options and the latter had been shut in her cabin the whole time and showed no signs of reappearing. I¡¯d been given a simple hammock in the same small cabin as Seyari and Salvador for my own lodgings. The rocking at night made me feel ill, but I¡¯d otherwise done alright for my first time on a ship. At least I thought so. I had no trouble balancing after the first few hours.

    Thankfully, my glamour hadn¡¯t slipped, but I could feel myself getting tired. Thankfully my well-known lack of rest made the dark bags under my eyes easy to play off. I¡¯d also been given some more proper clothes, sort of.

    Turns out Juan, the crewmate I met on the first day, was handy with a needle and I was now sporting a much more comfortable, if patchwork, blouse and trousers with mostly proper undergarments. Around my chest was an improvised loose wrap. Having it gave me a measure of comfort I hadn¡¯t really even considered. Most of it was psychological over physical support, but I was too much a strange combination of excited and exhausted to pay the feeling any mind.

    I had, however, learned that my bust was bigger relative to my body than I had thought. I resolved to be absurdly proud about this and my apparently rather wide hips later. Some of the doorways on the boat were a squeeze and a duck, and although it was clear they weren¡¯t exactly large in the first place, I took a small measure of pride in my stature.

    At least I didn¡¯t have to help out with sailing the ship. Not that I¡¯d have the first clue how to do it. I¡¯d managed to at least get in and help the kitchen with clean up and meal prep for something to do, but my lack of communication made it more difficult than it ought to be.

    I¡¯d heard Captain Ojed spoke Ordian from Lorelei when we were boarding. I didn¡¯t think it appropriate to bug him, but since it was so calm and clear today, I figured I might as well try.

    I bumped into Salvador coming up from below decks on my way to bother the captain.

    ¡°Renna,¡± He said and then paused briefly. ¡°I may teach you Cavenish? Could you teach Ordian me?¡±

    I was surprised that he¡¯d approached me, but I quickly agreed. Not only could this be a distraction, but if this ship was headed back to Cavenze, I¡¯d need to know at least a little of the region¡¯s language.

    Salvador¡¯s word order was strange, but I¡¯d heard from Abby¡¯s nan years ago that it wasn¡¯t unusual for other languages, even those vaguely similar to Ordian, to do strange things like mix the verbs in mid-sentence rather than their proper place at the end. Of course, verbs didn¡¯t always belong at the end of a sentence, but it felt weird to think other languages never did so. Although I suppose that convention itself would be equally unusual to a native Cavenish speaker.

    The Cavenish lessons proved to be a valuable distraction and some companionship for the next few days. Salvador was an excellent teacher, which made my sad efforts to help his Ordian all the more a letdown. However, under his tutelage, I made great strides in speaking the language, although there was precious little to read on the ship that wasn¡¯t locked up with Lorelei. Sharing an alphabet certainly helped even if some of the letters made different sounds.

    The bubbly mage had reappeared for supper nearly a week into the journey. By this time, between lessons, kitchen work, lack of sleep, and mostly my glamour, I was exhausted. I had a couple ideas for how I might rest to recover mana and stretch my tail, but none for sleep. I moved to where Lorelei was sitting, reviewing notes and eating voraciously.

    ¡°Hi Lorelei!¡± I greeted as cheerfully as I could. ¡°How¡¯s the research been.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Renna,¡± She swallowed and only glanced up at me. ¡°We uncovered a lot more than I anticipated. We¡¯ll be stopping in Port Princely and contacting our employer. The expedition might be continuing to another potential location in the region.¡±

    ¡°Port Princely? Isn¡¯t that a pirate town?¡± My heart sank. Port Princely was on an island much like my own (I hadn¡¯t named my island but I refused to honor the name some guy who probably never even spent a day there gave the place) Would the money I had from the wreck pay for another ship? Would I be even be safe? I¡¯d planned to take the Swordfish at least back to the continent, but that was out of the question now.

    ¡°Was,¡± Lorelei yawned. ¡°Was a pirate town. Not so much like the stories anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± My cheeks burned slightly. I had after all gotten my knowledge of the place from stories I heard when I was a child.

    Lorelei turned back to read.

    I, however, had one more question. ¡°When will we be there?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow afternoon. Now shoo, I have a report to finalize.¡± She waved me away and I obliged to go rest my eyes a bit.

    That night, tossing and turning, I thought about finally getting a (stationary) bed to sleep in. The more I thought about it, the more I started to think about all the challenges I¡¯d need to face just to get home. Even if I got a ship, would one even go to an Ordian port? Last I checked the Empire wasn¡¯t exactly well-liked in the north.

    I tried to calm my negative thoughts. Despite my best efforts, I couldn¡¯t sleep and the hammock was giving me back cramps. Cracking open an eye, I saw Salvador fast asleep in his hammock. Seyari¡¯s was empty. As carefully as I could, I climbed out and ducked through the doorway, heading for the deck.

    It was a clear night outside. Aside from the person manning the wheel and a couple people on shift, it was quiet and the water was placid. A waxing gibbous moon hung overhead.

    A figure with platinum blond braids leaned against the railing by the prow, looking out over the still water. I knew she wanted to be left alone. I took a spot a distance away, but couldn¡¯t calm my emotions. What if I got home and Tania was gone? What if she was dead? What if Linthel was destroyed in the civil war? If Tania went somewhere, where would she go? We had grandparents, maybe she went there. Did they survive the war? The enormity of what finding Kartania could turn into raged across my mind and led to even darker thoughts.

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    What would my sister think of me? I couldn¡¯t just go back and lead a normal life, could I? Would Bourick apprentice a demon? How could I even prove it was me? My human glamour matched a scaled-up version of what my sister probably looked like, but I was dead by all accounts.

    I had nowhere to go.

    The island had been about survival. I could kick all the feelings down the road. That road just ended. What the hell was I going to do now? I was a monster. What if I just had Z¡¯s memories and was a flesh puppet masquerading around? Should I even bother trying to find my sister?

    The ocean below me expanded into a black abyss and I was reminded of the void. Was Abby even there? What did she sacrifice? Was it all a lie? My vision clouded.

    I tried to get a grip, but failed miserably and slumped forward, staring down. If anyone sees the real me, they¡¯ll run or try to kill me. I can never be happy. Abby, I¡¯m so¡ª

    A hand on my shoulder. It was shaking. No, I was shaking.

    The hand pulled me back. How did I get so far over the railing? The abyss pulled back from the corners of my vision, but I couldn¡¯t stop thinking.

    An arm around me. I turned my head. A face looked at me, blurry and indistinct. Someone was crying. Big, ugly sobs. I didn¡¯t even register that it was me.

    I saw green eyes. I could barely make them out through the tears, but they held concern. Empathy.

    ¡°A-Abby?¡± I croaked.

    ¡°Renna.¡± Her voice was different. ¡°Shhhhhh.¡±

    She hugged me. I collapsed into her lap and bawled like a baby. No words came out, just blubbering noises. I don¡¯t know how long we sat there, but eventually the tears stopped. Maybe, just maybe, I could find a path in life.

    I turned to those kind eyes again and blinked. Green resolved into gray. I stared wide-eyed at Seyari who was hugging me. Her eyes were misted over and slightly red. She didn¡¯t say a word and just continued to hold me.

    Eventually, I managed to stand up. Slowly, Seyari let me go.

    I turned to look at her. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She stared back at me. For a moment her eyes turned cold, searching. Then they softened again. She simply nodded. I stumbled my way back to my hammock. I checked my glamour as best as my addled mind could, and finally slept.

    ***

    When I awoke, both Salvador and Seyari were gone from our room. Their things were packed neatly into a corner. I tried to sit up in the hammock and flopped onto the floor with a thud. I rolled over and laid on the cool wood, staring at the ceiling.

    She seemed so much like Abby in those moments. No. Best not compare the two. I wasn¡¯t in my right mind. Seyari, for her own reasons, kept me from going too far. I shouldn¡¯t forget Abby¡¯s sacrifice. I would remember her always, but I needed to understand that she was gone. I could make new friends, maybe more than that someday, but never to try to replace her. I had to value people for their own merits.

    I stood up and immediately felt lightheaded. Shit. My glamour was still working, but maintaining it last night must have been a huge drain. Whatever that statue did had to have made it so I wouldn¡¯t drop it so easily. I was an absolute mess; no way was I focusing on it at all. I¡¯d need to recharge soon. Hopefully I could get some private place to stay tonight.

    I packed my meagre possessions into a sack I¡¯d gotten from the kitchen. What once held potatoes now held everything I owned: a dagger (I¡¯d left the saber on the island), a spare set of very undersized men¡¯s clothes that I had washed and kept for some inane reason, a pearl, my money in its pouch, and most importantly my spyglass.

    I left the sack by my bunkmates¡¯ things and headed up to the deck. Aside from Lorelei, the others were all there. Markus wasn¡¯t even wearing his armor, short-cropped brown hair and moderately pale skin were visible from behind as he watched the approaching island.

    We weren¡¯t the only ship in the area either. I could see several others dotted around the sparkling blue waters. I wasn¡¯t familiar with ships in the slightest, but several of them looked drastically different from the Swordfish. Square-like aft sections and sails caught my eyes.

    I took a spot away from anyone else and joined in watching us pull into the harbor. Around us, the crew went into a flurry of activity.

    Port Princely lined the inside of a narrow-entranced cove. Around the city itself, organized fields of trees and bushes I didn¡¯t recognize rolled up into the hills beyond, disordering into jungle at the fringes of what I could see. The smaller arm of the city looked to be on the seaward side of the bay; a peninsula much larger than my island¡¯s and lacking a certain rock at the terminus. The whole island was significantly larger than mine was, in fact. The mountain behind the city ascended into clouds that seemed to hang off its gently-sloped figure.

    Despite being so much further south, the climate was close to the same. Perhaps a bit colder, but I didn¡¯t really notice a difference across the trip so far. Other ships joined us in a line and we pushed through a queue east into the harbor with minimal shouting from the captain and crew.

    The buildings of Port Princely were a haphazard mess of styles and quality strewn about with very little organization. Like in Linthel, and I presume many other cities, there was a general trend toward wealth and size concentrated in one area, slightly up the hill on the north side, toward the main part of the island. The waterfront seemed to be half held together by the throngs of people going about their business.

    We pulled up to a dock and prepared to disembark. I looked out over the crowd, sharp sight picking out details I would never before have expected to see at this distance. With a start, I realized there were a fair few pointed ears showing elven blood. There even seemed to be some beastfolk which I knew little to nothing about.

    Non-humans were rare in the Empire, particularly beastfolk. From what I remember, Ordia had poor relations with its neighbors, be they human or otherwise. As a result, while I¡¯d seen and met non-humans in Linthel before, they weren¡¯t a common sight.

    I followed Salvador down to our room to grab my things. I wanted to talk to Seyari, but she didn¡¯t join us on the walk down and wasn¡¯t in our room. Salvador had taught me a lot of Cavenish over the past week. I turned out to be a fast learner and while I couldn¡¯t quite hold a conversation, I probably knew enough to get by.

    I realized I might not speak the local language and asked Salvador as best I could if they spoke Ordian or Cavenish.

    ¡°Cavenish. However, not quite the same as you¡¯re used to.¡± He said with a small smile.

    ¡°Could I understand? Be understood?¡± My brow furrowed.

    He chuckled, ¡°Enough at first. You will learn quickly.¡±

    I silently thanked him for replying in simple words. The more I¡¯d gotten to know him, the more I came to appreciate Salvador for his kindness. Not overt, but affable all the same.

    ¡°Do you know an inn? Where could I buy a ship?¡±

    ¡°Buy passage on a ship,¡± he corrected. ¡°Sadly, I do not know. You may ask Seyari if you are fast.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Salvador. For all things.¡± My reply was understood and his face brightened slightly.

    ¡°Welcome. Be well.¡± He waved me off and I ran to try to find Seyari.

    I ran back up to the deck with my potato sack. Seyari was walking away from a serious looking Lorelei with a conflicted expression on her face.

    ¡°Hey Seyari!¡± I caught her attention. ¡°Do you know a good inn where I could stay? Also, do you know any place I could purchase passage to Ordia? Salvador said you might know.¡±

    She looked at me briefly and, in the small moment I caught her gray eyes, I saw sadness. I thought about yesterday, but I doubted either of us wanted to bring it up. Besides, I realized, this was probably the last time I¡¯d see her unless we met around Port Princely before either of us left again.

    ¡°Yeah. Silver Fog Hotel. It¡¯s a nicer place in uptown, with good views and private rooms.¡± Her tone was amiable. ¡°Just go up the main road to a big market, take the widest street left and it¡¯s the biggest building a few blocks back.¡±

    ¡°That sounds expensive.¡±

    ¡°If you found old Cavenish silver and gold coins in the wreck like you said, you¡¯ll have more than enough.¡±

    I didn¡¯t recall telling her that, but I easily might have at some point. I briefly wondered if she¡¯d gone through my things. It wasn¡¯t like I really kept them a secret, but why would she have done that? I probably shouldn¡¯t think that way about her.

    ¡°Thanks. A nice bed sounds amazing right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d imagine so. You look exhausted.¡± She still didn¡¯t meet my gaze. ¡°As for passage? Ask around the harbormaster¡¯s office and they¡¯ll probably have something, though you might have to work.¡± Seyari pointed to a rather imposing looking dull building at the center of the harbor district.

    ¡°Thanks, Seyari.¡± I beamed my brightest smile at her. I wondered if I should ask what was eating her, but I let it drop.

    She gave a sad smile. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Go get some rest.¡±

    With that, she turned to go belowdecks for her gear. I took my sack, waved to Salvador and the others and walked off the ship into the late afternoon crowd.

 Chapter 12: One Good Night

    The crowd pushed against me, sometimes literally, as I walked up the main street toward uptown. The whole time I was thankful for my height. Why stumble through a crowd when you can see over it?

    I had taken one look at the line (if you could call a dense packing of people a line) at the harbormaster¡¯s office and decided to try again in the morning. I snagged some food from a street vendor on the way up. Some kind of fried fish glazed in a tangy sauce. I stopped by the next stall I saw and got three more similar meals. I probably needed the food anyway.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to follow the directions to the hotel Seyari mentioned. The place was set a little way back from the main road, but close enough to be a short walk from the high market. The terrain around it was steep, and a block beyond the hotel the dense cluster of the city strung out into small estates in front of a backdrop of farms. Further up the hill, the spires of a large Church of Dhias were visible. Those spires that had once been a familiar sight seemed cold and sharp in the evening light.

    The hotel itself looked a bit older than the surrounding buildings, but still newer than much of the city I¡¯d walked through. The wooden three-story building had plenty of large windows overlooking the city and the bay.

    The lobby was plush and more than a little purple. A thin man with graying hair took my money and gave me a well-polished key with a number on it. I realized belatedly that I never asked if my currency had some sort of conversion compared to locally used ones. However, the silver pieces I paid in barely received a second glance.

    My room was on the third floor facing the harbor. I asked for the view (mimed it more than asked, but oh well) so I could see how busy the harbor was before I risked asking after a ship to Ordia. Really though, I just wanted to treat myself. Today was the start of a new chapter in my life and the first real forward step on the road home.

    I unlocked and opened the door to my room. Light streamed in from the windows. Outside, I had a full view of a gorgeous sunset over the waves. Something about seeing that view from a lush room with a comfortable-looking bed made me tear up.

    I closed the door behind me and looked around at what I¡¯d paid several silvers for. It was nicer than any room I¡¯d ever slept in. Two wide windows were latched and could open completely. The room was on the top floor, so the ceiling was high and vaulted. The bed was made with thin sheets that looked delightfully soft without being too warm for the climate. There was an armoire, a desk, and even a full height mirror.

    I also had an attached bathroom with indoor plumbing! The tub would be a squeeze and there was a note saying to ask for hot water, but there was no way I wasn¡¯t going to try it. I might have been exhausted, but I wanted to be properly clean, and the place had soap! Scented soap even!

    My reflection in the mirror made my heart do a flip. I looked exhausted, my clothes were far from the cleanest, and my hair was a mess, but I couldn¡¯t deny I loved what I saw. It was missing some bits, but felt great just the same.

    A bath, however, would feel even better. I made sure to lock the door and set down my potato sack by the bed before I entered the bathroom to pour a bath.

    The water came out at room temperature, but I knew a great way to warm it later. In went the bath soap and soon I had a tub full of suds.

    I took off my clothes. I really did need to get something that fit me. Perhaps I¡¯d go to a tailor tomorrow? The thought of wearing something like a dress made me giddy. Although, I couldn¡¯t deny the benefits of pants. Any dress I had made must have pockets.

    Even though I was used to my form, human or otherwise, seeing it still confirmed its reality and put my mind at ease.

    I slipped down into the tepid water. Focusing what little mana I had left; I heated my body and soon the water in the tub was steaming. That last expenditure seemed to be the tipping point and my glamour slipped away.

    I was too tired and too comfortable to care. Tension left my body and for the first time in ages, I let go and simply relaxed. My tail drifted lazily around, stirring the foam and slashing lightly. I sank up to my chin. The tub nearly overflowed and I was slightly cramped, but I couldn¡¯t care less.

    I grabbed a brush from the counter with my tail and my hands started to work through my hair. Loosening knots and smoothing the strands. One pair held it almost taut while the others worked the brush through.

    I used up almost half of the provided shampoo, but the results felt lovely. Not wanting to leave this bliss and having no reason to do so, I sank back down and closed my eyes. This was wonderful.

    Around me, the water bubbled. I dimly realized it was boiling. To me, it was a nice, bone-soothing warmth. I erupted out of a volcano; boiling myself could be comfy if I damn well wanted it to be. The anger that swirled within my magic seemed to bend to my will completely now. And right now, whether that anger wanted it or not, my will manifested in a warm bath and soothed muscles.

    I closed my eyes and rested a bit longer until I could feel my nice smooth skin wrinkling. With a sigh, I stood up and grabbed a towel. I chanced a look down at my symbol. I still didn¡¯t know what it was, but I¡¯ve certainly grown a fondness for it, whatever it is. The center of it now had a crimson gemstone embedded, same as the statue had.

    I did a double take. My human glamour certainly didn¡¯t have a rock stuck into the skin. I felt the stone and it was no different from my body temperature, whatever that was at the moment. The gem was about the size of my fingernail in human form and a deep crimson that nearly matched my skin tone. Nothing about it felt wrong.

    Lost in thought I almost walked out of the bathroom naked. Not like anyone was likely to see in, but the windows were open and I should be careful. I looked back to the sad clothes on the floor. No way I was wearing those.

    A few minutes and some experimentation later, I had steamed and mostly dried the blouse and trousers. They were at least presentable, but I did entertain the idea of running out to try to find something else to wear even though it was sunset.

    I still felt tired and using my recovering mana wasn¡¯t helping. One look at my sad but clean clothes, however, made up my mind. The bed would have to wait just a little longer. I was going shopping.

    The human glamour felt horribly constraining after a brief moment of freedom, but I toughed it out. Outside, most shops and businesses were closing for the evening. Setting a brisk pace toward the market district I had skirted earlier; I found a nice-looking tailor¡¯s shop that was still open. I entered to find myself the only customer. A bell tinkled above the door.

    A young man seated behind a counter at the rear glanced at me then shouted something to a back room. Moments later, a woman rushed out. She was an older woman with lightly pointed ears, a kind face, and black hair done up in a bun. She spoke at me in rapid Cavenish. When the woman walked up next to me, I noticed she was only a head or so shorter than me.

    She took one look at me and moved to drag me deeper inside.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t suppose you speak Ordian?¡± I asked with only a faint hope.

    To my surprise she nodded, although her accent was thick and I couldn¡¯t place it. ¡°So tall! These clothes you wear do not work at all. You need more space here, and here.¡± She poked my butt and chest. ¡°Do you want trousers? A dress? Do you want to hide yourself or show off? You have much to show off and it would be a shame not to.¡±

    I took a moment to process. ¡°Um, I¡¯d like a dress and probably also some trousers, but not men¡¯s ones.¡± My mouth continued beyond my brain¡¯s processing speed. ¡°And I¡¯d like to show off.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± The woman clapped her hands. ¡°I am Elena by the way. May I know your name?¡±

    ¡°Renna.¡± My brain caught up. ¡°A-and show off only a little okay. Nothing too revealing.¡±

    Elena replied, ¡°Darling, it¡¯s what you don¡¯t show that counts. Come, I¡¯ll take your measurements. Your stature is inspiring! Can you stay late tonight?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, sure, I guess? Yeah, you know what, sure I can!¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± She flipped the ¡®open¡¯ sign to ¡®closed¡¯ and locked the door.

    Elena shouted something to the person I first saw when I entered, the rather pudgy young man with light hair. He nodded and moved to go do something I could hardly guess at. While I didn¡¯t understand how it would be ¡°criminal¡± for me to wear my old clothes a ¡°moment longer¡±, I couldn¡¯t help but hide my own enthusiasm.

    Elena led me into a back room full of equipment and tools I vaguely recognized from what Abby had told me about her work years prior. Suddenly it dawned on me: I had to get naked to get measured, didn¡¯t I? And any clothes I bought would only be usable in my glamour. The thought damped my excitement.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°If you are not comfortable, I can measure with your clothes on.¡± Elena seemed to sense my mood. ¡°But it will be less accurate.¡±

    ¡°N-no, I¡¯m fine.¡± My brain struggled with a way to ask about making the clothes actually fit.

    Fit my arms and tail that is. Wait, there were plenty of beastfolk in town! And odder sorts besides. But I¡¯m ¡®clearly¡¯ a human, so how could I phrase it?

    ¡°I saw a lot of beastfolk in town. Do you make clothes for them too?¡± The words left my mouth and I immediately regretted my phrasing.

    Elena¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°As a matter of fact, we do make clothes for ¡®beastfolk¡¯.¡± She put extra emphasis on the word and her expression hardened. ¡°If it is a problem that we serve more than ¡®humanfolk¡¯, you are free to leave.¡±

    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what I meant at all¡± I put my hands up.

    ¡°Your accent is Ordian. Not all of us follow that bigoted Church.¡±

    She spat the words with such venom that I was taken aback. I¡¯d honestly never known the term I used could be offensive.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I paused and chose my words carefully. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that term would be offensive. What¡¯s proper?¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t know, why ask about it?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you were friends with a Kazzel, a Lizzal, or someone from the Lupael, Mer, Corvit, or even the Cecaelia or Lamia peoples, you wouldn¡¯t use that term,¡± Elena sighed. ¡°It isn¡¯t a slur per se but how would you like being called a ¡®humanfolk¡¯ by everyone you met?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Right. And if your stupid Empire would be a bit more open, then¡­¡± The older woman trailed off. ¡°Ugh, I shouldn¡¯t get political like this in front of a customer. You¡¯re na?ve, that much is clear, but I don¡¯t think you meant to cause offense. Just learn a bit if you¡¯re going to travel so far from your home region, okay?¡±

    She stopped just short of bopping me on the head and turned to grab a neatly coiled measuring tape, mumbling.

    ¡°So, naked or clothed?¡± She held the tape out; excitement having replaced exasperation.

    ¡°Naked,¡± I replied as confidently as I could.

    ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve never had to visit a chirurgeon for an examination before!¡± Elena laughed.

    I stripped as clinically as possible and soon the thin woman was measuring me up and down. She remained steadfastly professional. I expected as much, but it was a relief nonetheless. Her eyes glanced at my symbol, but if she recognized it, she didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Why did you ask, if I may ask?¡±

    Shit. How much should I tell her? I can¡¯t excuse it as having a friend with a tail the same size or anything anymore. Curiosity? Yeah, okay, why? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to want multiple outfits for a masquerade or anything either.

    ¡°Well, I just saw a couple designs in the front and wondered what they were.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how difficult it can be for someone with a tail to find pants,¡± Elena replied.

    Yeah, I¡¯m starting to see that. After a somewhat tense few minutes, Elena finished her work and I hurriedly made myself modest again.

    ¡°A dress for special occasions and a traveling outfit with pants, yes,¡± she asked, re-coiling the tape.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Great! I have just the inspiration for the dress! Are you okay with something backless?¡±

    ¡°Maybe not all the way down?¡± I thought about my arms. ¡°Oh, but maybe more open at the sides?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, interesting. I hadn¡¯t thought you bold enough for that.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I, uh, don¡¯t want to show too much. Just have some open space below the arms.¡±

    ¡°Scandalous! I love it! It would need to pull in tighter around the waist. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°As long as I can move in it.¡± Abby showed me a rigid corset once and, while I knew not all of them were like that, I was probably going to need a good amount of flexibility. Call me vain, but I didn¡¯t think my midsection needed any compression anyway.

    ¡°Oh of course! I have something quite fit for your stature in mind. A too-thin waist would ruin your aesthetic, darling!¡±

    ¡°How long will it be?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, oh probably around ankle length.¡±

    ¡°Would I be able to run in it?¡±

    ¡°Oh? I can make something to that effect. Perhaps raise the hem a bit. Any other requests?¡±

    ¡°Not too tight in the rear?¡± I hoped my tail would fit under it.

    ¡°A shame, but certainly. I¡¯m off to work then! Constance will bring you some tea. You are free to wait here. I¡¯ll be by shortly with some quickly altered undergarments so you can replace that utter nonsense you¡¯re currently wearing. Lucky for you, I have an old project of mine I think I can turn into a perfect dress for you with only a little alteration.¡±

    The tea was delightful. Floral and bright with just a hint of natural sweetness. I may have to ask the recipe, but doubted I¡¯d want to spend the money after this massive investment. I¡¯d managed to remember to ask about costs and showed what I had to offer. I hoped passage back to Ordia wouldn¡¯t cost more than the dress. With the other clothing, the cost was probably fifty times the cost of the hotel room for two nights, and about half of my money overall.

    I was given underwear to try on and was now proudly wearing a comfortable off-white cloth brassiere that thankfully didn¡¯t have any underwire with a pair of matching pantalettes. Beside me were a second set of undergarments, in black. I¡¯d chosen the top piece because I was fairly certain I could wear it with my second set of shoulders. I¡¯d hopefully be able to wear the pantalettes under my tail. I was itching to find out and so very mana fatigued, but I held on for that dress.

    And what a dress it was. Elena entered the room holding the garment and I was visibly giddy with excitement. She helped me into it, which I was very thankful for and I soon stood before a full-length mirror. The dress was dark purple with black accents and frills. A pattern of thorned roses was embroidered into the bodice with an ice blue thread that matched my eyes.

    The backline plunged to my waist where a ribbon overlaid the back of the bodice, seemingly holding the garment in place. The sleeves were almost detached and it was looped straps hidden at the shoulders which held the top of the dress up. The front supported my chest nicely and was cut to show off my symbol and the barest hint of cleavage. I was both nervous and excited about the look.

    I felt the familiar glyph with my hand.

    ¡°Your tattoo seemed important to you, so I wanted to be sure to show it off.¡± Elena¡¯s voice was proud.

    I could only nod numbly.

    Below the bodice, the dress was closer to a chemise. A line of black frills at the hip helped give it flair without adding rigid structure. True to Elena¡¯s word, it was loose in the rear. From there, it flowed down, patterned in the front with a strip of black fabric holding more blue lines of thorns and leaves between ruffles. The whole ensemble ended just above the ankles, although anyone scandalized by that outdated standard would faint looking at the top of the dress.

    The sleeves were a rather simple smooth purple, ending in a modest poof of black frills at the wrists which stayed well clear of my hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous,¡± I said softly.

    ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous in it, Renna!¡± Elena said much louder. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s two blouses matching your undergarments and a pair of sturdy trousers as well. Constance!¡±

    The apprentice entered with the rest of my new clothes. When he saw me in the dress he stopped and stared for just a moment before his professionalism bade him move past me to set the clothes by my undergarments. He retreated from the room after a second glance.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to do something about your boots. I can suggest a place in town. Oh, and don¡¯t worry, I made sure there are plenty of pockets in the dress.¡±

    Elena showed me several places where small items and some surprisingly large items could be stored in my new favorite garment. I paid for the goods and left with my clothes in an old suitcase. The tailor had a spare one apparently and would rather I have at least something when I mentioned my lack of proper storage.

    I walked back into the hotel in a warm fugue. I was mentally exhausted, but my body had plenty of energy and couldn¡¯t stop being excited at the sensations of my new outfit, much to the chagrin of my overworked brain.

    Wearing what I was got looks from most of the people still out on the street. Most of them were unwanted. However, I caught a few hushed whispers about the beauty of the dress that were far more welcome than the other, much louder remarks. I¡¯d even been approached by a human man who really didn¡¯t like being ignored, but when he got close enough to notice our height difference, he backed off with a glare.

    The experience shook me, even though he realistically posed zero danger to me. What would have happened if he was someone who thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to overpower him? I tried my hardest to get my good mood back and I suppose I only succeeded because my tired brain forced nice thoughts of soft sheets through my head.

    When I got back to my room, moonlight was streaming into the space from the windows whose shutters I now closed fast. I knew I wanted to, had to, sleep without my glamour tonight. Tired as I was, I wasn¡¯t going to take any chances.

    I went to push a dresser in front of the locked door just in case but quickly found it to leave scuff marks after the first light shove. I picked the whole thing up and moved it, light as a feather, to the door, careful of my new dress but too tired and too euphoric to dare change out of it first.

    I¡¯d already seen myself at Elena¡¯s, but I couldn¡¯t help but run to the bathroom after I secured the bedroom. I looked like a villain from a romance novel and I loved it. The aesthetic, not villainy. Why would such a design have to belong to a villain? The dress and me in it were equal parts imposing and eye-catching. Although the large bags under my eyes, the slump of my shoulders, and my slightly (okay, very) messy hair ruined the image a bit.

    Carefully, I stepped out of the dress and undid my glamour. Instantly, I felt more comfortable, though no less tired. Careful of my claws but glad for my additional hands, I put the dress back on. To my absolute delight, it still fit. My tail felt somewhat cramped in the back, but it was a small price to pay to look this good. My second pair of arms fit neatly below the sleeves and the asymmetry looked almost intentional. Perhaps a cuff or a ribbon on my lower pair of arms would tie it all together?

    To my delight, the light blue accents were not enough to clash with my crimson skin and the dark purple complimented it beautifully. Before I was a romance novel villain, but now I was a queen of demons. Not evil, of course. Looking rather evil, but without any explicitly sinister designs beyond maybe the roses and my gem-studded symbol. Yeah, okay super evil looking. But looks could be deceiving.

    A flash and I remembered Lord Carvalon¡¯s face. I couldn¡¯t imagine he didn¡¯t know of the fire in our neighborhood in Linthel. Did he really sit back in his castle and do nothing? I couldn¡¯t remember if I saw any castle guards in uniform at the fire.

    ¡°Hey Abby, look at me now,¡± I said to my reflection. ¡°I¡¯ll play the evil queen and you can be the hero who seduces her.¡±

    I smiled, but it faded to be quickly replaced by tears. I knew she¡¯d want me to be strong. She literally told me to be. But damnit, this wasn¡¯t easy! Why didn¡¯t you come back too?

    Even if I didn¡¯t want to admit it, I knew the answer. The nature of the symbol was different than it ought to be. I could feel it in that flash when I touched the red gem. Close enough to be accepted by whatever power that was, but different. I didn¡¯t quite know the gift Abby gave me, but my intuition told me she gave everything for it.

    I didn¡¯t punch the mirror. I just collapsed against the sink and cried. This time, I mourned for the friend I lost, but kept my thoughts on her parting words. I laid my hand over my glyph. One day I¡¯d find its name and reject it for my own better one.

    Fatigue dragged me from the bathroom to the bed. Sleepily, I managed to take off my dress, fold it and put it in the suitcase next to my other belongings. Wearing a comfy bra that I somehow managed to fit around my lower arms, and still in pantalettes pushed dangerously low by my tail, I snuggled into the thin sheets and fell asleep with a smile on my face.

 Chapter 13: Not So Princely

    Tap.

    Taptap. Tap. Tap.

    I groaned and turned, but sleep slowly faded out of my reach.

    Taptaptaptap. TAP.

    I crawled out of my comfy bed toward the annoying sound. I dreamt of Abigail the Hero coming to find me in my dark fortress and turn me from my wicked ways. I wasn¡¯t quite out of the dream yet, but could feel it slipping away as I tried to hold onto the last strands, hoping to maybe stop this noise and pull the illusion back together. I was too late. Aware of the dream, I felt the fantasy unravel itself and dissipate.

    TAP. TAPTAP.

    The sound came from outside the window. Even half asleep I could tell it was too dark to be morning. I opened the shutter and glared out to find the source of the noise.

    A familiar face stared back at me upside down, her long blond braids falling away from her. She held her knuckles by the glass. Seyari saw me and her face went from worried to shocked in an instant. Her mouth opened in a gasp I could feel more than hear.

    Confused, my mind tried to process why she was hanging from the roof and why she¡¯d be shocked. Then I saw my hand. My clawed crimson hand with another below it on the same side holding the shutter open.

    Now it was my turn to look at her with shock. Quickly, I put my glamour back into place. I¡¯d recovered some of my magical strength, but not much.

    We stared at each other for a moment before Seyari shook her head lightly and motioned toward the window latch.

    She didn¡¯t run. Hadn¡¯t screamed. I opened the latch and pushed the window open. She stayed hanging from the roof.

    ¡°A demon. A fucking greater demon¡­¡± Seyari seemed lost for words.

    ¡°I think so. Please don¡¯t tell anyone. Wait, why the hell are you tapping on my window in the middle of the night! And how did you know which room was mine?¡± Despite wanting to whisper, I started to raise my voice.

    ¡°Shhhh! Shit. Okay, listen, Renna. Y-we need to go. Now. Grab anything you want to take with,¡± Seyari seemed to find her conviction.

    ¡°What? Why? Go where?¡±

    ¡°Because there¡¯s an Inquisitor and their entourage headed right this way with Lorelei and Markus and they¡¯re not going to let you live when they find out you¡¯re a demon.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I hesitated, confused and blindsided. ¡°Why would¡ª?¡±

    Footsteps out in the hall. Some heavy.

    ¡°Look, just trust me, we have to get out of here,¡± Seyari pleaded.

    ¡°Not until you tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± I refused, but still took a moment to look at my packed suitcase.

    A knock at the door. Loud.

    ¡°Shit! They¡¯re here! Now!¡± Seyari was becoming frantic.

    ¡°Renna! Sorry about the late hour, but I found you a ship to Ordia that leaves tomorrow super early! I have the ticket out here!¡± Lorelei¡¯s voice sounded from outside my door.

    Well, if that¡¯s all, I should thank her. Wait. Why would she stand for hours to buy a ticket for me when she was obsessed with delivering her report? Why would a ship go from here all the way to Ordia, a hostile country? Why would she have multiple people with her?

    ¡°Renna please! It¡¯s really late and I want to make sure you don¡¯t miss the boat!¡± Lorelei pleaded.

    A pit twisted in my stomach. Lorelei. How? Why? Was she ever my friend? I wanted to believe.

    ¡°Now! Please, Renna!¡± Behind me, Seyari hung down with a proffered hand, outlined in moonlight.

    I thought back to Abby at the fort, to Seyari and I on the boat. I made my decision. I looked to her and nodded.

    ¡°Let me get dressed, I¡¯ll be there in a minute!¡± I called to Lorelei.

    ¡°Hurry please!¡± Lorelei pleaded.

    Who the heck would ask that in this situation? If anything, that last comment cemented my mind. Still in my underwear, I dashed to my suitcase, slammed it closed and ran back to the open window, throwing it wide. Up on the sill, Seyari helped me onto the roof, a task made easier by my height and strength but a lot harder due to my weight.

    Before I got fully out of the window, I heard whispering in Cavenish outside my door. It was too muffled to make out more than a couple words, but I heard ¡°someone else¡±. I just pulled myself up when the door to my room below burst open.

    Or it would have if I hadn¡¯t put a dresser in front of it. My paranoia against a nosy maid turned out to buy us a few precious seconds.

    Loud shouts in Cavenish. The sound of wood splintering.

    Seyari and I met gazes. She grabbed my hand and pulled me in a low run along the edge of the pitched roof.

    Shouting and many footsteps from the room behind us.

    I felt off balance without my arms and tail to steady me and almost pitched off the roof. With surprising strength and balance, Seyari kept me upright and we reached the edge of the roof facing out of town.

    She slid down a drainpipe and motioned for me to use a series of balconies. I did so, and only stumbled once. On the ground, she grabbed my free arm and we ran toward the jungle. I chanced a glance behind me. I could see red hair out my window looking around. At the opposite end of the street the familiar cloaked figure of Salvador glanced our way. My heart stopped for a moment; he¡¯d seen us for sure. But he didn¡¯t gesture or shout. Salvador just turned his head back the other direction.

    I felt no anger from either of them, and I was too panicked to really try anyway. Seyari, however, was furious. I didn¡¯t get that feeling at all from her posture, so I hoped the feeling wasn¡¯t toward me. I had a rather good idea who it may be towards, but there was a lot of information I was missing. Seriously, what was going on here!?

    Seyari looked back a moment later, and ducked us into a side alley before we could be spotted. We¡¯d gotten lucky Lorelei looked toward town first. I was running on half a night¡¯s sleep and mostly mana exhausted, but somehow, I kept pace with the woman who was dragging me in my underwear through the outskirts of town.

    We jumped fences and ran through fields of squat trees planted in neat rows. Moonlight bathed the landscape in a surreal glow. The quiet of the fields was soon replaced by the muted and familiar sounds of the jungle at night.

    Just past the last farm, Seyari stopped for only a moment and grabbed a pack stashed at the base of a tree. She looked back at me, mostly undressed and standing there confused holding a battered suitcase.

    ¡°Come on. Stay close. You can see fine, right?¡± Seyari turned back to me.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Yeah. But where¡ª¡±

    ¡°Good. We need to move fast.¡±

    She took off into the jungle. I shook myself and followed her. Not like I could go back to town now, right? Screw it, I¡¯d made my decision. Seyari saw the real me and was still trying to help, I think. It¡¯s not like there was anywhere else I could go.

    We ran through the jungle in the darkness, curving around the island¡¯s mountain. Port Princely was swallowed up by the night behind us. I heard no sounds of pursuit but didn¡¯t dare slow down. Despite the darkness, Seyari moved through the trees with a grace I could hardly hope to match in this imbalanced form.

    I winced at every branch I crashed through and every stick I snapped. Thorns and sharp bits scored my skin, and my bare feet endured several cuts and scrapes. They healed themselves, but were quickly replaced and the drain on my magic reserves, however slight, throbbed in my head on top of the headache caused by my compressed horns.

    At some point, I let go of my glamour. Seyari already knew and it wasn¡¯t like there was anyone out here to see. Properly able to balance, I caught up with her sprinting form. She turned and saw me, and while her face showed some shock, she didn¡¯t stop guiding me.

    We must have run for an hour before we started moving downhill. Just ahead of me, a rock face loomed large in the night. The sound of running water from somewhere toward the shore reached my ears. Seyari stopped in front of the rocky edifice and turned to face me.

    Why stop here? Wait, was she actually leading me to a trap?

    She still held the same cold fury around herself, only just visible in her gray eyes.

    ¡°We should have some time. You need to put the glamour back on.¡± Seyari looked at me coldly, certain of her use of the term for my innate solid illusion.

    ¡°Okay, but I can¡¯t maintain it for much longer without rest.¡± I looked at her pleadingly.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± She looked me up and down and her eyes caught on my glyph for a moment. ¡°Follow me and be ready to disguise yourself if I say so. We probably have an hour or two to rest before we go.¡±

    Seyari stared at the symbol for a moment longer, then turned to the cliff without saying anything. She pulled aside a group of vines to reveal a narrow crevice. She squeezed inside then beckoned me to follow.

    I could barely squeeze in, even turned sideways. Ahead of me, Seyari felt around before I heard the unexpected sound of a lock turning and she pulled me through a small misshapen door. Once on the other side, she closed the door behind us and locked it.

    Ahead of us stretched a narrow cave that reminded me of the one going to the underground cathedral back on my island. With careful motions in the pitch darkness, I watched Seyari pull out a lantern and feel around for a light. In the blackness, the faint glow of my eyes was visible in front of my face.

    Able to see perfectly well myself, I carefully reached an arm past her and lit the lantern with a small flame from my fingertip. Seyari looked up at me.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. ¡°We can wait here for a couple hours before we¡¯ll need to go ahead. The ship leaves at dawn. It should take us to Liseu on the Turquoise Coast. From there, I have connections that can sneak us into Ordia.¡±

    ¡°What ship? How¡¯ll we get back to the harbor?¡±

    ¡°The Lady of Liseu. And we aren¡¯t leaving out of Port Princely¡¯s harbor.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°This island¡¯s not so far removed from its past as it appears.¡±

    ¡°Like a hidden pirate harbor?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, exactly like that.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡±

    Seyari gave me a look like I¡¯d turned into a demon. Wait, bad comparison.

    ¡°You¡¯re real fucking na?ve, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she sighed and leaned against the thankfully dry wall. ¡°So, what¡¯s with that symbol? Heck, what¡¯s with you? I thought you had a pact with a demon or were enthralled or corrupted or something, not an actual fucking greater fucking demon.¡±

    ¡°The symbol was on an amulet my friend found before all of this. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for, but I think it keeps my emotions in check or something? I don¡¯t feel it doing much since I learned to control the anger of my mana myself.¡± I sat down across from her.

    ¡°Okay, so wrath demon then? Makes a little sense looks-wise, but you¡¯re pretty humanoid looking and your personality doesn¡¯t fit. Also, I¡¯ve never heard of a tattoo doing that, but I¡¯ve seen that symbol around.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± My curiosity was piqued.

    She turned to me, serious. ¡°You¡¯re way too normal. I¡¯d say you were a convincing fake, but after your panic attack on the boat I think you might actually be the person you seem to be. I don¡¯t know. Most wrath demons just try to destroy everything in a rage. Except some of the greater demons who can plan and restrain themselves. Those are scary.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a greater demon anyway?¡±

    ¡°You, basically. A demon that¡¯s got a good amount of sanity left and is usually humanoid-looking. I don¡¯t really know how to explain it, but they¡¯re like twisted people instead of some primeval force. And they¡¯re usually a good bit more powerful too.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so I¡¯m a greater demon and I have some kind of ancient symbol that ensures I can control my powers and maybe does more besides.¡± I studied the floor. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just said that sentence seriously.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me neither. You¡¯re a weird-ass demon, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks. Also, is it normal for demons to get stronger?¡±

    Seyari froze. ¡°Depends. What do you mean by stronger?¡±

    ¡°More magical power, greater strength and regeneration, that sort of thing. I feel like I¡¯m stronger than a couple years ago, but maybe I just have a better grasp of my powers.¡±

    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t get directly stronger from killing the other demons on the island?¡± Seyari¡¯s posture relaxed slightly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, no. What do you even mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Taking a part of the soul of something as it dies.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t most demons do that?¡±

    ¡°Not directly. Demons that can take fragments of souls directly are known as Reavers and if they¡¯re allowed to live, they can become an army on their own.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re not one. Not that it really makes any difference, or makes this whole mess any less insane.¡± Seyari slid her back further down the wall.

    ¡°How do demons who aren¡¯t Reavers get stronger then? I remember stories about stealing souls and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so greater demons have a bunch of rules I don¡¯t know about contracts and souls and shit, but they can¡¯t just take a piece or all of someone¡¯s soul when they die. And normal demons just get passively stronger up to a point the longer they¡¯re around because they absorb mana or something.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Barely.¡±

    We stared at the lantern in silence for the next few minutes. I pulled my knees up to my chest and tried to think of what all Seyari said meant for me. I either needed to stay hidden or convince the Church I wasn¡¯t a threat. I didn¡¯t even like other demons. Unless there was a special case, I would be perfectly fine killing ¡®my own kind¡¯.

    Maybe I¡¯d need to do that. Get strong enough to be taken at least a little seriously. Or would that just backfire? Ugh, I needed a good night¡¯s sleep to sort out my head.

    ¡°Hey Renna, I want to apologize.¡± Seyari looked at me with a determined gaze. I could still feel cold fury burning within her, however.

    ¡°What for? You basically rescued me.¡± I tilted my head.

    ¡°Why do you think I was outside your window?¡±

    ¡°Uh, to rescue me? Wait. You knew when everyone was coming. Were you part of the plan to capture me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Lorelei and I came up with the idea the night before we left Korzon Island.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go through with it?¡±

    Seyari looked at me, surprised. ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± She stared at my face. ¡°You¡¯re really not mad. I guess you aren¡¯t lying about having your anger in check.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned my panic attack on the boat. Was that part of it?¡±

    ¡°That was all of it, actually. I thought up until that point that you were some strong demon-tainted mage lying her ass off.¡±

    ¡°I did lie about a lot of things, though.¡±

    Seyari looked at my tail curled around my clawed feet. ¡°Yeah, no shit.¡±

    ¡°So, you planned this. What all did you plan?¡± I was legitimately curious. ¡°When did you and Lorelei know I was up to something?¡±

    ¡°I knew pretty much straight off. Lorelei was unsure until she checked the aura of your spells,¡± she paused for a moment. ¡°As for what we planned? We altered the Swordfish¡¯s course to Port Princely to keep you on an island since you clearly couldn¡¯t leave Korzon. Lorelei knew the Church was invested in the city so we could find backup in case you proved difficult to handle. The hotel was picked because it was just outside of town and would cause minimal disturbance.¡±

    ¡°Shit. I was really screwed, huh.¡± I stared at the flickering light of the lantern.

    ¡°You¡¯re oddly calm about this whole betrayal thing.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m just tired. I don¡¯t know what to think about Lorelei right now, but I really could have been a danger so I don¡¯t know that I could hate her. Salvador saw us escape and didn¡¯t do anything. You rescued me and explained the whole plot.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re way too forgiving.¡± Seyari met my gaze. ¡°So, what all did you lie about? How did you even end up on Korzon Island anyway?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie about my family in Edath. I was on the island for three years, but it¡¯s been almost a decade since I was home. As for how I got there? I died in Linthel in some sort of ritual circle, an amulet with the symbol was activated somehow, I got turned into a demon, and I erupted out of the volcano.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Wow, okay.¡± Seyari caught my serious expression. ¡°Wait, are you for real? What the actual fuck!?¡±

    I looked back at her and replied, ¡°Yeah, that actually happened.¡±

    The remaining tension snapped like a twig. Something about the absurdity of what I said so casually broke the last of the ice in Seyari¡¯s expression. We both looked at each other for a moment. Our postures relaxed and my lips formed into a smile.

    After a moment of holding it in, Seyari burst out laughing, ¡°L-look I¡¯m, hah, sorry about your death and all, but wow that is the wildest thing I¡¯ve ever heard! Out of a volcano! Pfft!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, heh, it is kinda ridiculous,¡± I started giggling despite myself.

    ¡°Whaddya mean kinda?¡± Seyari had tears in her eyes.

    We both laughed until we cried. I didn¡¯t know that my rebirth was really all that funny, but I think both of us needed something to break the tension. Maybe tonight wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Tomorrow I¡¯d hopefully be on my way to finding Tania again.

 Chapter 14: Currently Pirates

    A hand on my shoulder gently shook me awake. I opened my eyes slowly and found myself not in the hotel¡¯s bed, but on the floor of a cave. The stone wasn¡¯t comfy but it was nice and smooth and cold.

    I sat up and turned to Seyari. Our conversation replayed itself in my mind.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to kill me, right?¡± I blurted out.

    ¡°Nah,¡± Seyari actually smiled at me. ¡°You¡¯re too cute when you¡¯re curled up sleeping.¡±

    I think my brain stopped for a moment. I hadn¡¯t ever imagined being called cute. I¡¯d hoped for a bunch of other words, but I didn¡¯t think ¡°cute¡± was in my wheelhouse. I felt a dark blush creep onto my crimson cheeks despite the serious situation we were still in.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I smiled openly.

    Seyari looked up at my fangs. ¡°Did I say cute? I meant terrifying. Also, I don¡¯t think most demons sleep.¡±

    I pouted and stood up, stretching all of my arms and un-kinking my tail. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not most demons. And do I really have to wear my stuffy glamour? If you know these people, won¡¯t they be okay with me?¡±

    Seyari took a moment to reply, ¡°You really hate that glamour, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I feel off-balance without my tail and I keep trying to use hands and arms I don¡¯t have.¡±

    ¡°I get that actually.¡± Seyari¡¯s mouth twisted into a frown and she furrowed her brow. ¡°I¡¯d try to pass you off as a half-demon or something, but it wouldn¡¯t fool anyone who mattered.¡±

    ¡°The church would hunt me down for being a half-demon then, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d bet you know as well as I do, they¡¯d call you evil if you had even a little demonic blood in your ancestry.¡±

    I thought back to the Church¡¯s stance on ¡®demon-blooded¡¯. A family in our neighborhood back in Linthel had a newborn with horn nubs and the Church had taken the baby away. I was barely old enough to remember it. I''d assumed they took the child to be purified or something and then returned. I wondered darkly if I just had the wrong definition of purified.

    ¡°Do they kill anyone with even a little demonic heritage?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Depends. The Church takes a lot of them in ¡®to ward off the influence of evil¡¯ or something.¡±

    ¡°What happens then?¡±

    Seyari sighed, ¡°Again, depends. Some places they can go back to their lives, but in Ordia where the Church is stronger, they end up wards. They can work at a variety of levels, but are always treated like they¡¯re one bad decision away from ¡®corruption¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What happens when someone is corrupted?¡±

    Seyari looked at me and I felt her anger flare white hot for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I wondered what connection she had there.

    ¡°You should get dressed.¡± Seyari¡¯s mood was once again cold. ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ll need to wear your glamour. The folks here aren¡¯t going to try to kill you on sight, but you¡¯d be a liability they wouldn¡¯t risk.¡±

    I got myself dressed in the traveling clothes, choosing the black blouse. Stuffed once again into a human shell, my mood dropped as we walked through the dark passage.

    ¡°My full name is Zarenna by the way, Zarenna Miller,¡± I broke the silence.

    Silence for a long moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name. Normal,¡± Seyari replied, but didn¡¯t continue the conversation.

    ¡°Are you angry at me?¡± I could still sense her anger.

    ¡°No,¡± Seyari paused for long enough I thought she wouldn¡¯t continue. ¡°I¡¯m angry at Lorelei and Markus. But they¡¯re far from the worst.¡±

    She said the last part quiet enough that she probably didn¡¯t want me to hear it. I decided not to press the issue and tried to think positive thoughts.

    We continued to walk in silence until the tunnel opened into a vast cavern. It was still dark outside, but I could see stars at the top edge of a narrow opening on the far side. Two ships were moored in the cave¡¯s small harbor. Several ramshackle buildings edged the water and a couple nicer ones cramped up against the walls of the cavern, filling most of the rest of the space. We¡¯d entered high up along the back wall by a ring of odd-looking lanterns that provided dim light to the whole base.

    Between us and the secret pirate harbor was a sturdy gate manned by a sturdy man. Human, by the look of it. He and Seyari exchanged some rather heated words in Turquoiser. Sadly, while the language shared some aspects of Cavenish and Ordian, I couldn¡¯t understand what was being said.

    How many languages did Seyari know? I hoped I wasn¡¯t perpetually stuck needing an interpreter. I hadn¡¯t even considered this part of traveling before.

    Maybe demons learned languages faster? I was picking up Cavenish really quickly from Salvador so I should try to get Seyari to teach me Turquoiser as well.

    Some gesturing and pointing at me later, we were allowed through and into the packed hideout.

    The place was crowded almost like Port Princely¡¯s harbor, and the atmosphere didn¡¯t seem very different. People of all kinds mingled, although there were significantly more weapons, primarily blades, worn by the crowd here. The air stunk of seawater and unwashed bodies.

    Seyari grabbed my hand and dragged me behind her, moving with purpose.

    Several people stared at us as we powerwalked through the compound. I didn¡¯t need to understand the language to guess the intent of some of the comments aimed our way. Abby had opened up to me about people, men particularly, making comments or trying to chat her up. I thought back to earlier this very night.

    Would this become a common occurrence? How do other people deal with it and how do the people making the comments not know how creepy they¡¯re being?

    Abby had warned me that the comments could be even worse for me after transitioning, but I remembered being too hung up about how shitty the whole situation was for her to even think about me at the time. I certainly thought about the comments now. I also gave a middle finger to some of their spawners.

    Had this occurred under more normal circumstances shortly after my death and rebirth, I may have gotten some amount of ironic euphoria from the validation these comments gave. Here and now, it just made my skin crawl. Thankfully, between my size and Seyari¡¯s presence, along with the dense crowd, nothing more came of any of the comments.

    Seyari weaved us through the throng to a rather large building. Like several others we passed, this one was made at least in part by repurposing bits of old ships, although this one looked to have the entire prow of a ship for a roof and upper floors.

    The wooden front door looked heavy and was flanked by a pair of large burly human men. One had a poorly healed broken nose.

    Seyari reached for the door and the other one spoke something in Turquoiser, revealing many missing teeth. Broken Nose grabbed her other arm.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Seyari snapped back in the same language. I only caught her name. Both of the men seemed to pause in their assessment of the woman. She wrenched her arm free of Broken Nose¡¯s grip and stared them both down.

    Missing Teeth banged on the door and shouted something while his partner finally acknowledge me by pointing. A quick comment from Seyari and he calmed down some.

    We waited on the stoop for a moment before a different voice, masculine, shouted from inside. More shouting from the two door guards and Seyari followed. I wondered if there was some magical way for me to understand languages because I felt very out of place.

    The door opened just enough for me to see half of a face and a single triangular furred ear at the top. The eye was shaped like a cat¡¯s, blue, and currently narrowed. Its owner started speaking, but Seyari interrupted him then looked to me and back.

    ¡°Fine.¡± The man switched to Ordian. ¡°What do you want? You quit the crew. Go walk the straight and narrow or some other shit and get out.¡± Their accent was difficult for me to place.

    ¡°You know damn well I¡¯m neither straight nor narrow. Now open the fucking door and let us in. I¡¯m calling in that favor Captain Torrez owes me, Aarsh. I should¡¯ve sent a runner yesterday. Or are you too cheap to even pay attention?¡± Seyari¡¯s tone was exasperated, but I didn¡¯t feel anger coming off her or the other individual.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed, Sey,¡± Aarsh sighed. ¡°Fine. Gimme a minute and I¡¯ll get the Captain.¡±

    He moved to shut the door. Seyari wedged a booted foot in it. ¡°We¡¯ll wait inside, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, fine!¡± Aarsh trailed off into grumbling in a different language.

    The two guards moved aside and Seyari led me through the door.

    ¡°Aarsh is an asshole, but he¡¯s fast on the rigging and good with a dagger,¡± Seyari sighed. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d be back here. Can¡¯t say I miss it.¡±

    I looked around the room. Aarsh was retreating up an unsafe-looking staircase at the rear, tail hanging limp. Despite the exterior, the interior of the place was nicely furnished, although with a mismatch of styles that bordered on gaudy. The floor was uneven with small steps and slants and the room was an odd shape with beams and ceilings that made relatively large space feel slightly claustrophobic.

    Arrayed around the room were half a dozen other individuals dressed in a mishmash of styles. Most were human or whatever species Aarsh was, though I spotted one feminine figure with pointed ears.

    They all turned to us. I got a variety of looks, from confusion to surprised glances at my height, but surprisingly no leers. At least I don¡¯t think the leers were at me. And they didn¡¯t seem sexual. I looked down at Seyari who gave the lot of them two middle fingers and what I assumed was a barrage of curses in several different languages. I even recognized one of the Cavenish swears I asked Salvador to teach me.

    A couple of them laughed. Some looked confused, and others seemed to actually get angry. Seyari steered us to a corner of the room away from them.

    ¡°What species is Aarsh?¡± I whispered as we sat on a moderately stained off-green couch.

    ¡°Kazzel. Surprised you haven¡¯t heard of them, but that¡¯s Ordia I guess.¡±

    ¡°We called them something else in Ordia,¡± I replied and Seyari gave me a look. ¡°But I know that¡¯s wrong and I should learn better.¡±

    She just sighed and leaned back into the cushion.

    A couple people, including the woman with the pointed ears, walked over to us with scowls on their faces. The woman with pointed ears said something to Seyari who responded with a derisive laugh and shook her head.

    They went back and forth and the conversation quickly became heated. I felt my head snapping between the two trying to read expressions. I could sense anger rising, particularly in the woman who was accosting us.

    It was clear this was Seyari¡¯s old crew, so I didn¡¯t want to cause offense. However, I could see Seyari was really becoming agitated. Everyone in the room was paying attention to us. When hands moved to daggers, I acted almost on instinct.

    I knew I wanted to stop a fight. I focused on the offending woman¡¯s anger and seized it. The woman immediately stood straight up in shock. Feeling an emotion like this was odd. Almost like calling on my mana and getting something foreign instead. I didn¡¯t have control over it, but I felt I could influence it; take some of it or fan the flames and intensify the emotion.

    In my panic, I pulled. There was resistance, like pulling on something held taut by threads. I gave a harder tug and one snapped. The woman¡¯s expression went slack for a moment and I let go. Part of the anger came with and I felt it being absorbed into my mana.

    A shudder went through my body. Her anger felt good. Way, way too good. I also felt some of my magic return.

    What the hell did I do? Was she okay?

    I looked up at the woman. One of her lackeys, a rail-thin human man with a thin mustache, was staring at me, pale in the face. Seyari looked from them to me and back to the woman with pointed ears.

    I could feel her anger had lessened. She seemed out of it. Her face had returned to an angry scowl only to flash into confusion. She put a hand to the side of her head and said something in a much softer voice.

    Seyari replied. The pointy eared woman turned to leave. Her mustachioed lackey, however, started shouting at both of us, pointing at me.

    Seyari shrugged and said something in a casual tone. The man¡¯s face reddened as my own blush was starting to creep in from embarrassment and fear. What had I done?

    Thankfully, the situation was saved from escalating by a booming voice that came from the base of the stairs. Standing there was a goddamned mountain of a man dressed in a teal and silver outfit made primarily of an immense cloak with straps, pockets, buttons, patches and weapons littered about its surface.

    ¡°Seyari!¡± He boomed. ¡°I heard yer callin¡¯ in that favor I owe ya! Civilized life get boring yet?¡±

    ¡°Hey Captain Torrez,¡± Seyari¡¯s replied evenly. ¡°It¡¯s great actually. I just wanted to cash this in before I never see you again.¡±

    The large man walked over to right in front of us. ¡°Aww! One last sail for old time¡¯s sake, eh? And ya brought a friend? Prospective recruit? Fling? She¡¯s got muscles on her, that¡¯s for sure!¡±

    If a person could speak in all capital letters, it was Captain Torrez. With his entrance, all conversation died down. He looked me over and I squirmed a bit under his gaze.

    ¡°She and I need passage to the Turquoise Coast. That¡¯s all? We¡¯re not together.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re sure sitting close then! Bah, you and your mysterious shit again. Fine, fine. We¡¯ll transport ya, but I¡¯m putting both of ya to work for it.¡±

    Seyari looked about to argue the point, but instead gave up and shrugged. Behind the man, mustache guy piped up and pointed an accusatory finger at me and back to the woman with pointed ears who had sat down and was cradling her head in her hands.

    ¡°Mind magic?¡± Captain Torrez looked at me and the woman then back to the lackey. ¡°Boy, I think you¡¯re fulla shit.¡±

    Lackey responded.

    ¡°Eyes looked wrong for a second? Glowed, did they? Did something weird to Elnie?¡± The immense man turned to Seyari. ¡°Your friend here some kind of mind mage?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Seyari answered. ¡°I can vouch for her integrity.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me!¡± The captain shifted over to the pointy-eared woman and shouted at her in Turquoiser.

    She responded and they talked for a minute. All the while I was doing my best to not look guilty and failing miserably. Seyari grabbed my wrist and squeezed, turning her head and making eye contact. Eventually, the Captain walked back over with Elnie in tow and forced an awkward apology out of all of us. For my part I was sincere. I didn¡¯t know what I did, but I knew that it really wasn¡¯t okay. I hoped whatever string I broke could fix itself.

    I found out we¡¯d leave here to ready the ship in about an hour. The group that antagonized us still shot us angry glances (well Elnie¡¯s was more confused and afraid than angry), but I did my best to ignore them.

    ¡°What did you do to Elnie?¡± Seyari whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just grabbed her anger and pulled part of it out. I panicked and tried to take all of it, but couldn¡¯t and stopped when something broke. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, slow down. You what?¡± Seyari seemed shocked. ¡°Okay, that bitch always had anger issues so maybe she deserved it, but¡­fuck. Careful with that.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what I did?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no. I¡¯ll mentally deal with all this shit once we¡¯re on the boat.¡±

    ¡°If you need to talk, I can try to help. Maybe we can figure some things out?¡± I offered.

    Seyari thought for a moment. ¡°No. I need to try to unpack all this shit. What you are and what that means and shit.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Ugh, fuck. You being like this kinda turns a lot of what I thought I knew about the world on its ass. It¡¯s gonna take a while to process.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I managed to hold off from offering to help again.

    Over the next hour more of the crew came downstairs, from back rooms, or showed up through the front door until the place was packed with people, probably two dozen or so. Everyone gathered their things (I grabbed my battered suitcase) and we headed down to the docks as a semi-organized mob.

    Unlike when I was alone with Seyari, this time the crowd parted for us. No catcalls either. We headed straight for the larger of the two ships in the harbor. Many more people were already helping to load and prep the ship to set sail. The Lady of Liseu was larger than the Swordfish had been, still three masted, but with an additional deck, a much larger aft section with large windows made of smaller panes of glass, and a notable number of cannons. Seyari told me it was a small Turquoiser galleon and I could only think how massive a large one must be.

    Seyari and I were shuffled into a small cabin with four hammocks, two of which were ours. I¡¯d hoped for a private room so I could sleep without a glamour, but this would have to do and I¡¯d recharged at least enough magical capacity to go for a while yet. I¡¯d volunteered to help out in the mess hall while Seyari would help up on deck where needed.

    Setting off was, thankfully, a smooth affair, though I was nervous we¡¯d somehow be caught out. Outside the hidden grotto the island rose out of the waves behind us as a wall of high, rugged cliffs. Surrounding the area were nasty looking rocks that we navigated through with practiced ease and a lot of shouting.

    Once we got away from the entrance it disappeared into the folds of the cliff. Unless you got into the dangerous rocks, you¡¯d never notice the hidden harbor. I felt like we were going on an adventure, which was technically true despite the circumstances that kept me from truly enjoying the experience.

 Chapter 15: Dangerous Waters

    ¡°You¡¯re picking this up crazy fast,¡± Seyari commented, leaning back in her hammock.

    ¡°Like you said, Turquoiser and Cavenish have roots in common with Ordian. Plus, Salvador gave me a good foundation,¡± I responded with a shrug from my own hammock.

    ¡°You sure this isn¡¯t some sort of innate ability?¡± Seyari asked me candidly.

    ¡°I wish I had an innate ability! Ordian is haaaard.¡± A high-pitched voice interrupted from across our room.

    That voice belonged to Nelys, one of our two roommates. The diminutive human poked their head up over the side of their hammock cocoon and smiled widely.

    ¡°Maybe we should take a break then?¡± I offered. ¡°Nelys sounds like they need it.¡±

    ¡°Do not!¡± Nelys hopped out of their hammock and stood defiant and very short in the center of the room. ¡°Renna might need a break though!¡±

    I smiled at them. Nelys stuck out their tongue, but then smiled back and laughed.

    While our other roommate, a human woman named Thea, was hardly around and didn¡¯t talk much, Nelys immediately latched onto the ¡®new and exciting¡¯ people and was taking lessons in Ordian from Seyari. Short and energetic, they had darkly tanned skin with shoulder length curly black hair, black eyes, and a young androgynous figure. Compared to much of the rest of the crew, they wore simple clothing. An exception was their bright blue coral pendant necklace.

    Seyari hadn¡¯t known Nelys which meant they were a recent addition to the crew. They claimed to be an adult, but I had a hard time reconciling that with their often-impish behavior. Seyari had asked where the diminutive pirate came from, but all we learned was that Torrez found them and took them in as part of the crew.

    It¡¯d been a week since we set out, and every bit of free time I had was spent learning Cavenish and Turquoiser, primarily the latter. Nelys didn¡¯t want to be left out, so I was helping teach them Ordian while learning. So far, I¡¯d picked up far more than I¡¯d expected. Being immersed in an environment where I had to use the language certainly helped, but I wondered if something else was going on.

    Not that I had much time to follow that line of thought.

    ¡°I wanna learn all the languages! Then I can go everywhere in the world and talk to everyone else!¡± Nelys plopped down on the floor and looked at both of us.

    ¡°How many do you know already?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Three! Turquoiser and Cavenish and another one that¡¯s a secret!¡± they replied proudly.

    For good reason, I thought. I¡¯d recently decided it was odd for someone who made a living traveling to only speak one tongue.

    We studied for another hour or so before I had to go to the mess hall. Seyari headed up to the deck and Nelys went to help Aarsh with the rigging.

    I heard talk of a ship sighted east of us while peeling potatoes. Though I could have done it with claws, had I some privacy, I was happy to have a peeler and avoid gunk under my nails. Although I wished it¡¯d been a sharp peeler. I thought about Lorelei and Markus and Salvador again. I wanted to talk to the latter and ask why he let me go knowing what I was. I wanted to talk to the other two to try to see if I could make them see the real me. Probably a stupid, na?ve idea, but I just didn¡¯t feel any animosity toward them.

    Soon, I heard from the crew that the other ship had turned and was headed our way. The crew was concerned since, according the Seyari, this trip was actually semi-legal. We were transporting a bunch of grey market goods on the way to pick up some definitely illegal goods. We weren¡¯t sailing as pirates at the moment, but the Lady of Liseu was well equipped and supposed to be a known threat. Hence, someone had made it worth the crew¡¯s while to start taking on the occasional merchant voyage.

    I¡¯d barely finished the potatoes when the alarm bells went off. Most people had already started preparing for an engagement, but that was my excuse to drop the shitty peeler, secure the peeled potatoes as best I could in a barrel of brine, and sprint up to the top deck.

    Seyari had sold me on being a competent fire mage, and I fully intended to help out where I could. Sure, these folks were pirates and not many of them were kind, but according to Nelys they didn¡¯t go out of their way to kill people.

    So, of course, I¡¯d defend them by going out of my way to kill people. Maybe I should aim for their sails or something?

    I joined Seyari by the prow behind a section of railing meant for spellcasters and archers. To my surprise, Elnie was also here along with another Kazzel crewmember I didn¡¯t recognize. Bearing down on us was a ship that looked roughly the same size as ours, though I was admittedly not a good judge of that.

    The shape was sleek, with heavily angled beams along the upper decks of the stern. I couldn¡¯t make out the flag it was flying other than its black color. The prow was armored and lacked the admittedly embarrassing carving of a human woman the Lady of Liseu had. Behind the cover of the armored prow, I could make out figures crouched like our own mages and archers. Rather than turn to broadside us, the enemy ship accelerated straight toward us.

    ¡°FIRE!¡± Captain Torrez¡¯s voice cut clear through the scene.

    Earsplitting booms rang out from below and behind my position. The Lady of Liseu rocked back from the force of its own cannons firing. The incoming ship was hit several times. Their prow took the brunt of it, but through splintered beams and twisted metal, the reinforced hull held.

    The sides of the other ship suffered glancing blows, but the shape of the prow deflected most of the barrage. To my side, Seyari fired an arrow of wind. One of the heads just barely sticking above the other ship¡¯s prow exploded in a shower of gore.

    That image more than anything else stirred the fighting instincts I¡¯d learned from my time on the island. I conjured a dense ball of crimson flame and flung it at the front mast. With a boom, flames exploded across the deck and ignited the front sails. The mast itself, heavily charred and splintered, began to list and fall to the side. Arrows volleyed the enemy ship, tearing holes in the sails and hitting a scant few of their well-protected crew. Elnie flung bolts of force that cut several important-looking ropes.

    Rather than slow down, the ship sped up. Magically enhanced wind drove them forward rapidly. They were going to ram us!

    ¡°HARD TO PORT!¡± that familiar booming voice shouted.

    The Lady was already turning toward the opposing ship, as if to pass. Somewhere up in the rigging, Nelys and Aarsh were hard at work. And in grave danger. We weren¡¯t the only ones with range.

    From further back on the deck, a return volley of arrows peppered our ship. One struck the barrier right in front of me. The fourth mage with us cried out, having stood up to fire too late. Blades of wind tore into our sails. Seyari turned to look and I could feel currents pushing against each other as she managed to stop our mainsail from shredding entirely.

    We were turning, but not fast enough. Our own crew¡¯s magic sped up our turning rate as best they could but the Lady¡¯s forward momentum slowed.

    ¡°BRACE FOR IMPACT!¡± Torrez shouted. ¡°KILL THE BASTARDS!¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The ship drew closer and I could see their top deck was higher than ours. Good cover for ranged attacks, but it¡¯d be similarly tough to board. And that was even if we¡¯d survive ramming. To my side and back Seyari and Elnie grabbed me and moved across the prow to brace away from the incoming ship. Crew dropped from the rigging to brace as well.

    We gave them another volley, and another fireball shattered some of their prow¡¯s cover. More bodies. Our fourth mage was still hanging on. The Kazzel was pierced through the shoulder and gritting their teeth.

    Time seemed to hang for a moment, and then a massive impact rocked the Lady of Liseu. We¡¯d managed to turn such that we were almost facing them. Where I was just crouched a moment before, a wicked looking spiked prow had embedded itself in our ship. I thought we¡¯d splinter or break apart, but the Lady of Liseu was, for now, still in one piece.

    ¡°Good job Elnie!¡± The Kazzel with the wounded shoulder looked to the elven woman.

    She looked exhausted. My eyes went wide. Elnie must have softened the impact with her force magic! She gave an angry smile back at the Kazzel then looked to all of us.

    ¡°Fuck you. Give ¡®em hell,¡± Elnie said, then collapsed.

    No sooner had the Kazzel snapped the shaft of the arrow sticking out of them than the grappling hooks landed into our deck with a staccato of crunching thuds.

    With some enemy crew behind cover, others leapt or swung onto our deck, armed to the teeth. We met them with our own. Dragging Elnie to relative safety, the three of us moved to fire on those still up on deck. I felt fatigued. I hadn¡¯t properly rested and recovered my mana since I left my island.

    Below me, the melee was tilting out of our favor. On top of that, our own archers could barely hold against the other ship¡¯s fire support.

    I saw Aarsh duck a slash, only to get stabbed in the shoulder. Nelys moved to defend him, but the two of them had been isolated, having come down from the rigging just before impact.

    Fuck this. I wasn¡¯t going to fire off my exhausted magic or try to help with a dagger. I felt anger flaring up, and I wasn¡¯t the only one. This time I¡¯d let my wrath through, at least a little bit.

    I looked at Seyari. She looked back at me with a conflicted expression and said nothing.

    I dispelled my glamour and leapt into the melee. My second pair of arms tore through my blouse and my tail uncoiled behind me.

    I slapped someone to the ground with my tail when I landed. Slashing and shoving, I forced my way through to Nelys and Aarsh. My small roommate had a nasty gash on their arm and Aarsh was bleeding and pale.

    ¡°Demon!¡± several someones shouted.

    ¡°Renna!¡± Nelys shouted at me.

    Aarsh looked and his eyes widened. The group around us charged me. Blades and claws flashed. I blocked with my arms and tail, but several thrusts landed. None managed more than superficial cuts. To my immense satisfaction, I heard a blade snap against my skin.

    My claws pierced through the armor an unfortunate enemy and I rent them apart. The human man ripped open with a startling lack of resistance, showering me with blood and viscera. I gagged.

    I paused. These were people.

    Aarsh screamed behind me. I turned and saw a blade sticking out of his chest. My heart sank. Another flashed toward Nelys who had just stuck the person who¡¯d impaled the Kazzel. I caught it with a hand an snapped it in my grip. People I cared about could die¡ªwere dying. This was no time to hesitate.

    I grabbed the wide-eyed woman who had nearly stabbed Nelys by the arm and threw her away as hard as I could. Something in her arm snapped, and with a scream she flew across the deck and clipped the railing before plunging overboard.

    Back in front of me, Aarsh coughed blood and fell limply forward, blade still sticking out of him. He probably wasn¡¯t going to make it, but I couldn¡¯t face that fact right now.

    A voice from the other ship shouted loud over the din of battle. Suddenly, the enemy fire support focused on me and the battle I was stuck in. Arrows rained down. One arrow, magically enhanced, caught me in the shoulder and pain bloomed from the spot.

    I danced around the edges of the fight on our deck, slashing, gouging and using my tail like a bludgeon. Our own mages and archers had fired back after the melee was barraged and kept the ranged attackers at bay. The melee turned in our favor, but the deck ran red with the blood of both sides. Somewhere in all of this, Nelys had darted back into the crew safely. I caught a flash of curls and steel as they stuck someone in the gut.

    The voice from the other deck rang out again and I chanced a look. The source of the voice was a male human in sandy-colored robes standing on the prow. Standing next to this dark-haired figure were two others, a man and a woman, dressed nicer than the others. The woman was clearly not human. Red skinned with horns and sweeping bat-like wings behind her, she looked every bit the stereotypical demon.

    A blade of wind and a bolt of lightning from our mages fired toward them but was dispersed by a shield of crimson-tainted force created by the demon woman.

    The man in tan robes spoke to another in a hooded red robe who looked toward me. I saw the ball of fire forming in his hands. My eyes went wide: he was aiming for the melee, heedless of his own crew. Our own fire support turned toward him. Their attacks were narrowly repelled by a hastily-erected shield of force in front of the caster, tenuously holding for now. I sprinted forward toward the other ship, intent on breaking through.

    I might have been much faster than a human, but I only made it to the railing before the massive ball of fire impacted and washed over me. The chaotic nature of a cast spell was too much for me to control. My clothes ignited, burning quickly in the heat. To me, however, the fire was barely warm.

    Blinded, I used my aura sight and saw the three auras: the two robed figures, and the demonic woman¡¯s which had a slight tint similar to my own. I stepped on the railing and kicked off in a jump up toward the enemy deck.

    I impacted the wall of force claws first. The shield shuddered. Without purchase, I slid off back toward the churning water below. The flames cleared just in time for me to see the shimmer of blades of wind strike the shield.

    The force holding me back shattered, but I¡¯d lost all momentum. I tumbled down the prow and managed to grab on with three hands to stop myself. Shouts from above reached me. More wind, allied and enemy, swirled where I hung.

    I scampered up the ruined prow. Blades of wind sliced into me before a stronger gust dispersed them. With a final heave I launched myself up to the enemy deck. Immediately, the other demon was on me, slashing forward with a wicked looking sword of blackish-red metal. She was much smaller, but I¡¯d no experience fighting a demon like her.

    The fire mage was as good as useless and had taken cover while the leader who was controlling the wind seemed hellbent on cutting me to ribbons. He was visibly straining as his own efforts were constantly disrupted. I gave a quick thanks to Seyari while I squared off with my demonic opponent.

    What I lacked in experience, I made up for in strength and number of limbs with sharp bits on them. Unfortunately, my opponent was fast. She danced around my slashes and used her magic to block the hits she couldn¡¯t avoid. For now, I had her on the defensive.

    However, I was bleeding and hurt. A good hit from her sword cut the last of my blouse apart and scored down to my ribs. My shoulder with the arrow in it burned still and the wounds caused by magical wind were healing too slowly. On top of all that, I was still partially exhausted from mana depletion. I wracked my brain trying to figure a way to end this. She wouldn¡¯t let me get close to the wind mage without leaving myself open to her counterattack.

    My opponent¡¯s face was contorted in fury. I could feel her anger pulsing. Unable to focus and do more, I pulled bits and pieces of the emotion off her and the fire mage. Their leader, to my immense surprise, held no anger. My mana began to replenish, and with it some of the magically-inflicted wounds stopped bleeding.

    Still, I doubted I could take more than a single glancing hit from my opponent¡¯s black blade.

    ¡°DUCK!¡± A booming voice spoke across both ships in Ordian.

    I did as I was told and dropped nearly prone. A sharp bang echoed. Time seemed to slow for a moment. Then, the enemy leader¡¯s shoulder and upper torso exploded.

    Immediately, the demon woman in front of me stopped fighting and stared at the corpse. A metal collar around her neck, etched with runes, flared and cracked. A tattoo on her cheek dissolved in a burst of magical fire. She then turned toward the fire mage who stared back at her wide-eyed.

    I stood up to attack her, but before I could, she dashed at the fire mage who tried in vain to summon a counterattack before his head was separated from his shoulders.

    ¡°GRAB THE STRAGGLERS!¡± Torrez ordered the others back on the Lady of Liseu. ¡°WE¡¯LL BE TAKIN¡¯ PRISONERS. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT¡ª¡±

    The rest of the sentence was a series of creative swears in Turquoiser that I had no hope of making out. Captain Torrez clearly wanted some answers and I didn¡¯t doubt he¡¯d get them. A look back at the man revealed that he was holding a literal small cannon affixed with handles. Smoke streamed from the barrel.

    In front of me, the demon woman turned to me and did something wholly unexpected. She bowed and briefly lowered her solid black eyes, glancing at the now-exposed symbol and gem on my chest.

    ¡°Sovereign of Wrath, it is an honor,¡± The woman spoke in flawless Ordian.

    ¡°Wha?¡± My response was less elegant.

    ¡°Hm?¡± She quirked a brow, then tilted her head back and laughed. ¡°Oh, how very interesting! My Mistress is going to love this.¡±

    ¡°Love what? Who is your Mistress?¡± I replied, still confused.

    The red-skinned woman wiped an eye before bursting out in another fit of laughter. She then did something wholly unexpected; she blew me a kiss and winked. ¡°You¡¯ll find out!¡±

    Before I could reply, she jumped into the air with surprising alacrity, beating her wings. Wind blades from the Lady of Liseu sliced toward her, but only one managed a shallow cut across her torso before she turned and flew toward the south at high speed.

    I turned back to the ship again. Everyone was staring at me, including an exhausted looking Seyari and a conflicted looking Torrez. I didn''t see Aarsh.

    ¡°Hey Renna! Why are you a demon?¡± Nelys was there too.

 Chapter 16: Change of Plans

    Several intensely awkward hours later, I was sitting in Captain Torrez¡¯s quarters next to an angry Seyari and across from the Captain who looked tired more than anything.

    ¡°She¡¯s a demon, Seyari.¡± Torrez kept his eyes on me.

    ¡°And you saw how she helped against those Navanaean privateers.¡± Seyari¡¯s voice was hoarse.

    At least they¡¯d stopped yelling.

    I was dressed in my spare shirt, which sported new armholes, and a pair of the Captain¡¯s old pants. I was also unglamoured. The vicious slash across my chest had been bandaged but still hurt. Whatever kind of magic had been on that blade was clearly quite effective.

    ¡°Do you want me to risk the whole crew trying to sneak her into the Coast?¡± Torrez voice was still loud enough to make my tired head pound.

    ¡°She has a damn near perfect human glamour! It even disguises her aura somehow!¡± Seyari pleaded. ¡°They won¡¯t catch her even if the ship gets inspected by the Church.¡±

    ¡°The whole damn crew knows though. If there¡¯s any suspicion, someone¡¯ll talk. Hell, they might even brag about the battle later. Fuck, I know I want to.¡± Torrez slid back on his chair.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll stay on the ship until the repairs are done,¡± Seyari replied.

    ¡°Ya really want to stay for gods-know how long stuck on a ship in port in Navanaea? Going to hope everything goes well and no one finds out? The bound demon got away, so someone¡¯ll be after us even though those assholes were clearly rogue.¡±

    Before Seyari could respond I interjected, ¡°Is there really no way to fix one of the ships at sea?¡±

    Torrez gave me a pitying look. ¡°`Fraid not, lass. You did their mainsail in and the good Lady¡¯s taking on so much water we¡¯ve half the damn crew in the bilge. If we get caught in a storm, we¡¯re six kinds of fucked.¡±

    We¡¯d lost people in the fight and would be short on crew. I thought back to Aarsh, who hadn¡¯t made it. His body was anything but peaceful, a pained rictus across his face in death. We¡¯d buried him and the five other dead from the Lady¡¯s crew at sea. Four were left of the other ship¡¯s crew. There¡¯d been more, but they¡¯d been killed and dumped overboard: too many to watch over according to Torrez.

    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± I looked down.

    ¡°Not your fault.¡± Torrez seemed to soften a moment, then turned to the other woman. ¡°Damn, I see what you mean about seeming innocent, Seyari. Hard to believe she¡¯s the same woman I watched rip a man in godsdamned half.¡±

    I winced. The memories of today would weigh heavily on me. I expected nightmares, though at the moment I felt very little revulsion.

    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to go to Ivlaet, since it¡¯s the closest port, and dump us there?¡± Seyari said venomously.

    ¡°Fuck, don¡¯t put it like that. It¡¯s the only port near here and it¡¯s on the mainland,¡± Torrez replied. ¡°I owed ya that favor, but keeping your demon secret, pushing up our schedule, and giving you enough money and a cover story to get overland to Liseu is a damn sight more than I ought to do.¡±

    ¡°Ivlaet is in Navanaea, which, as we¡¯ve been over many times, binds demons,¡± Seyari glared.

    ¡°Just bind her yourself then!¡± Torrez glanced between us. ¡°Clearly you trust her and I believe you when you say she¡¯s not faking her personality. The contract could be fuckin¡¯ nothing.¡±

    Seyari groaned, ¡°Do you even know anything about binding a demon?¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± Torrez fired back.

    ¡°I, uh.¡± Seyari looked between the two of us and then lowered her voice. ¡°Yeah, I do. And it isn¡¯t that fucking simple.¡±

    Captain Torrez just shook his head and sighed exasperatedly.

    ¡°What does the bind do, Seyari?¡± I asked.

    She paused a moment. ¡°The binding would make it so you cannot act against me or my interests directly. Then, any number of restrictions or orders could be added on top of that depending on the contract. I don¡¯t know if the contract is a mental charm or a compulsion, so I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d be prevented from acting against me, or made to never want to.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s the former.¡± I thought back to the bound demon on the ship, and her words.

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I didn¡¯t even hesitate. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Bind me.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I set my shoulders and gave Seyari a hard look. ¡°Why not? I won¡¯t have to be stuck in a glamour, I can fight better if we need to, and you can just end it when we get to Liseu, right?¡±

    She met my gaze. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll bind me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Just, no, okay. I¡¯m not going to do anything like that to anyone ever.¡± Seyari¡¯s voice cracked.

    I saw tears form at the corner of her eyes.

    Captain Torrez coughed. ¡°Couldn¡¯t ya just put a collar on and paint a brand on?¡±

    There was a drawn-out moment of awkward silence as Seyari composed herself. ¡°Anyone who checked would see there¡¯s no magic binding it.¡±

    ¡°How likely are people to check?¡± I asked.

    Seyari looked at me with tired gray eyes. ¡°You look like, and I think you probably are, a particularly powerful greater demon. Anyone who could check would do so.¡±

    I paused for a moment, defeated. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°You can wear your glamour again, right?¡± Seyari looked pained.

    ¡°If I really need to, I can.¡± I wanted to cry, but I tried to think rationally.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Seyari put a pale hand on my crimson one.

    ¡°That¡¯s a big fuckin¡¯ risk to take, but I¡¯m not getting dragged further into this,¡± Torrez shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll arrive in Ivlaet in a week. I¡¯ll need to deal with the rogue privateer situation and get repairs figured out.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave as soon as possible once we¡¯re ashore,¡± Seyari replied.

    ¡°Good. Now go rest.¡± Torrez turned to a pile of what could be graciously considered documents and slumped even lower in his chair.

    Seyari turned to walk with me, but I was already at the door. I slammed it on my way out.

    I was tackled immediately by a black-haired blur.

    ¡°Mmsrry,¡± The blur said into my stomach, their coral pendant pressed sharply between us.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Nelys.¡± Their presence lifted my low mood. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    Behind me, Seyari slunk out of the room. She glanced at me and made to walk the other way.

    ¡°Hey Seyari! Do you know what people speak in Navanaea?¡± Nelys shouted at the retreating woman.

    Both of us looked surprised for a moment, but I supposed it made sense Nelys had been eavesdropping.

    ¡°They speak Navvish. But Turquoiser is used as a trade language.¡±

    ¡°You should teach Renna and me Navvish then!¡± Nelys grabbed one of my lower hands and beamed up at me before turning back to Seyari. ¡°And you gotta make sure Renna can speak Turquoiser too, right!¡±

    Seyari looked back at me for a moment before replying, ¡°I should, yes.¡±

    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go then!¡± Nelys tugged on my arm.

    ¡°Nelys, we need to sleep,¡± Seyari said tiredly.

    The diminutive figure looked between us and their face fell. ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    I looked up at Seyari and she gave a half smile back at the two of us. With a bandaged Nelys, we walked back to our room together. When we got there, Thea¡¯s stuff was gone. She¡¯d moved after the fight for any number of reasons. Thankfully, our cabin was in the aft of the ship and hadn¡¯t been damaged by the collision.

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    Since Nelys had been hurt in the fight alongside me and Seyari was mana exhausted, we rested while the able-bodied crew worked. Surprising both of us, Nelys was the first one asleep, going still in their hammock with slow, even breathing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about asking you to wear your glamour,¡± Seyari whispered.

    Her voice was barely audible over the creaking of the ship and the gentle sound of waves against the hull.

    ¡°Then why did you? You know I hate it.¡± I looked up at the underside of her hammock above mine.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    I thought for a moment. ¡°My head aches, my extra arms and tail ache even though they¡¯re not there, and I just feel claustrophobic. Like a too-tight outfit all over my body and even my face. But worse. It also makes me tired, I feel weak all the time, and my magic is hard to use.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think being bound will be better?¡± Seyari replied in a biting tone.

    ¡°Yeah, I do. I trust you. Plus, the binding won¡¯t be permanent.¡±

    ¡°How can you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Because you saved me and you keep helping me.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t even know me.¡± Her voice was a hiss. ¡°You don¡¯t know why I¡¯ve done what I¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re kinder than you think you are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really not.¡±

    ¡°You really are.¡±

    ¡°Renna, stop. I¡¯m not a good person. I¡¯ve done a lot of bad things and hurt a lot of people in my life.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to do more bad things?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. I do.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Do you want to make up for any of the other bad things?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Seyari paused for a long moment. ¡°I think so, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me then.¡±

    ¡°What? Why? You don¡¯t know me and I just gave you a huge reason not to trust me,¡± She sighed and continued. ¡°I¡¯m just using you for my own ends.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± I countered. ¡°If you really wanted to do that, you¡¯d jump at the chance to bind me.¡±

    Seyari started to speak, but I cut her off to continue. ¡°And don¡¯t give me some crap about it being ¡®too obvious¡¯ either. It¡¯s clear you have some history with binding or something similar. I want to know, but I won¡¯t ask.¡±

    ¡°I could still just be using you!¡± Seyari¡¯s voice, like mine, was rapidly raising from a whisper.

    ¡°Not if I want what you want. Did you ever think of that?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what I want.¡±

    ¡°Well why not?¡±

    Nelys stirred in their bunk across from us. ¡°Noo, don¡¯t fiiight. Stoooop.¡±

    Our conversation stopped. Nelys tossed and turned for a minute or so before their breathing evened out again. Did they wake up, or was it a nightmare? Would they really dream about me and Seyari?

    Seyari looked down at me from above, her messy hair falling everywhere. I looked back up at her and for a moment, my blue eyes stared into her gray ones. I blinked first and she sighed.

    ¡°I want to destroy the Church of Dhias.¡± Her voice was so soft it was barely audible. ¡°There¡¯s one man I want to start with and I want you and your power to draw him out so I can kill him.¡±

    Her eyes were focused, but wet.

    ¡°Who?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know him. He¡¯s high up in their organization, lives in the northeast of Ordia, and he needs to die.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± My reply was even.

    ¡°Okay? Just like that?¡± Seyari¡¯s eyes searched mine. ¡°Is that your demonic side talking? I thought you didn¡¯t want to fight the Church.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a demonic side.¡± I gave a fanged smile back up at her and stuck out my forked tongue. ¡°Just me.¡±

    Seyari shook her head and pulled herself back up to her hammock.

    ¡°The Church made the ritual I died in; you know. They killed me and nearly everyone I loved.¡± Above me, the shape of the fabric shifted as Seyari stiffened. ¡°Does it really surprise you that I want revenge?¡±

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t hate Markus or Lorelei earlier. Was that a lie?¡±

    I took a moment and shook the dark thoughts from my head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a lie. I want to find my sister more than anything. I want to know why they killed my friends and family. I want to see the murderers brought to justice.¡±

    ¡°By your own claws?¡±

    ¡°If I have to.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Seyari continued after a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°We really should sleep. They¡¯ll be putting both of us back to work tomorrow. I hope you and your arms are ready to empty the bilge for twelve hours.¡±

    ¡°Sure. One more thing first, though: Are you sure you won¡¯t bind me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me.¡±

    Despite the weight of our conversation, sleep took me quickly. I dreamt of Tania and Abby hiking with me in the mountains above Linthel. I looked as I did now and I kept our tent warm with my magic all night long.

    Seyari woke me up early with a gentle shake to my right shoulders. She left soon after and I dressed myself, shaking off my dream and thinking back to the conversation last night. As soon as I could, I¡¯d get tail-friendly pants and underwear.

    Nelys¡¯ twisted hammock unfurled and dumped its occupant unceremoniously onto the floor. They yelped before scrambling upright in a disorganized flurry of limbs and underclothes. The blue coral amulet threatened to swing over and off their head, but Nelys caught it just in time.

    ¡°Morning, Renna!¡± Nelys yawned at me. ¡°Didja sleep okay?¡±

    ¡°Great, actually!¡± I replied, although I yawned back.

    I hadn¡¯t lied. No nightmares. Despite the pit in my stomach when I really thought back to how I so casually killed at least two people, thoughts and memories of that moment didn¡¯t evoke, well, any feelings really. Aarsh¡¯s death stuck with me, however. I hoped my nature as a demon wasn¡¯t hurting my empathy. The people I killed had been trying to kill us, after all.

    Nelys stretched and turned toward their loose clothing strewn in a corner.

    ¡°Tha¡¯s good. Mmkinda tired.¡± They pulled on a crumpled pair of pants from their pile. ¡°Tell Seyari to teach us Navvish when she gets off shift, kay?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing Nelys.¡±

    The diminutive human checked the bandage across their chest. It was stained dark, but dry. I thought back to Aarsh and the other dead crewmembers and my expression darkened.

    ¡°I wish I could heal like you do.¡± They pointed to the faint line across my chest under my brassiere which was all that was visible of the huge gash I¡¯d received the previous morning.

    ¡°It is nice, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d bet! I gotta go get this bandage changed, though. Have fun in the bilge!¡± They grabbed a shirt and left in a jog.

    I smiled after them. I was glad Nelys was okay. They seemed so young sometimes that I couldn¡¯t help but think a pirate¡¯s life wasn¡¯t appropriate for who they were. They were even sincere when they told me to have fun in the bilge. I¡¯d probably fail to do so, but it wasn¡¯t going to be for lack of trying.

    ***

    I failed to have fun in the bilge. The first hour wasn¡¯t so bad while I figured out how to maximize efficiency with my four arms. After that, however, the task became mind-numbing repetition. Water was coming in through a variety of gaps across the hull caused by the impact. The impact site itself was a massive hole across two decks. Taller waves would splash in and send everyone scrambling. On top of that, the ceiling was low enough for a normal person to have to duck. Meaning I spent half the time on two hands and my knees and the other half in a severe crouch.

    Some of the crewmembers were down here trying to patch leaks, but most of us were bailing. The hole itself was already made smaller by junk timber, but leaked nearly constantly near its base. I hadn¡¯t realized just how close the Lady of Liseu had come to capsizing. I appreciated Elnie¡¯s magical defense even more.

    I really should visit her and apologize before we reach Ivlaet. Maybe she¡¯ll hit me, but I probably deserve it. She¡¯d been up with other critical crew maintaining course and helping both ships out, so I hadn¡¯t seen her since the fight.

    The four crew from the other ship, whose name I¡¯d never learned, were held somewhere on the Lady. Their ship trailed behind ours, roped loosely and watched closely.

    When it became apparent that I could do the work of at least two crew members bailing, the number of people down in the bilge was reduced to help keep this whole mess afloat. This meant more work for me. Couple that with a high level of endurance and it was late evening by the time I was able to switch out.

    I reeked of seawater when I sat down in the mess hall and finally got something to eat. The place was mostly deserted so I had to cobble together dinner from leftover bits.

    A minute or so after I¡¯d sat down, I saw Elnie walking toward me. I waved at the elven woman, but she glared daggers back at me.

    ¡°Demon.¡± She stopped a couple meters away and addressed me.

    ¡°Elnie.¡± I frowned back at her.

    ¡°What did you do to me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I pulled on your anger and something snapped. Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°You what?¡± She glared at me. ¡°I¡¯m not alright, you bitch. No wonder I¡¯ve been getting headaches and my emotions are all fucked up. Fix me. Now.¡±

    I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. ¡°I, well, I don¡¯t know how. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t fucking cut it, demon.¡± Elnie glared at me. ¡°We should throw your ass overboard. Cunt.¡±

    I hesitantly reached out to her anger. The mass of her emotion pulsed unevenly, struggling to grow. I wanted to help.

    ¡°Your eyes are glowing. Don¡¯t fucking think I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to see if I can fix it.¡± I kept my voice level.

    The only response I got was a glare, but she didn¡¯t leave.

    The mass of her anger was lopsided. I saw it after a few more moments. I pushed some of my mana into her emotion. She didn¡¯t resist. Not knowing how much to use, I pushed too much in. Her anger flared bright and boiled into a rage.

    Elnie moved, lunging at me in a fury, her magic forgotten. Her hands wrapped around my neck. I felt pressure, her manic strength enough to impair my breathing despite my demonic fortitude. I tried to keep my concentration.

    I poked and prodded the mass. Her face shifted with each alteration. I tried to understand what I was doing, hoping some sort of instinct would take over. I was in luck.

    From the odd shape of the mass, I felt a tug. Pulling and twisting her emotion, a cord formed. On its own, the string snapped to something else intangible that I couldn¡¯t see and connected to it. The roiling mass stabilized, still burning bright.

    Elnie didn¡¯t stop strangling me.

    Unsure if I should fight back, I tried my best to remain calm. I could try to reduce her anger, but while I¡¯d gotten better at doing so, I really, really didn¡¯t want to make things any worse.

    After a few more moments, when it was clear her attempts to strangle me weren¡¯t effective, she kicked off me and with a flick of her arm sent a blade of force at me.

    The magic caught me by surprise. Pain blossomed from the side of my head. I felt warm wetness trickling down. Something hit the table. Numbly, I looked down and saw my bloody ear sitting in the remains of my dinner.

    ¡°We¡¯re even. Stay the fuck away from me, demon.¡± Elnie sounded satisfied.

    Originally, I wanted to thank her for saving the Lady of Liseu, but right now all I could do was stare at my severed ear. Deep breaths. My sigil, perhaps a better term for my tattoo, glowed a faint green.

    I managed to keep my voice level and looked back up at Elnie¡¯s smirking face. ¡°Fuck you too.¡±

    Elnie turned and walked off without another word. I sensed her anger again and it seemed to have shrunk naturally, at least. I also took a moment to look at her aura. I hadn¡¯t seen an aura that wasn¡¯t demonic¡ªI¡¯d been too worried about my eyes glowing with my glamour on¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t really tell what I was looking at. Her aura was a faint lavender over gray and comparable to my own.

    I looked away in case she looked back and caught me staring.

    The bleeding from the side of my head quickly stopped and was replaced by an itching, hot sensation. I hoped this meant the ear would grow back. And screw Elnie if she thought regeneration wouldn¡¯t make us even anymore. We were even when I apologized and fixed her before she assaulted me. Bitch.

    The few other crewmembers who¡¯d been watching either left or tried to finish their meals. I got up and dumped my plate, ear and all. I wasn¡¯t hungry any more.

    Briefly, I contemplated revenge, but it would only escalate things. Seyari told me Elnie was vindictive, so if she says we¡¯re even then I¡¯m not going to poke someone who might really try to kill me. Especially someone who could very well make good on that promise. Force magic, at least from what I learned in Ordia, was rare, and force magic that could hurt someone that precisely, even more so. What someone like her was doing in this crew I had no idea, but her abilities along with Seyari, and the Captain, were starting to explain the Lady of Liseu¡¯s reputation.

    If my ear didn¡¯t grow back though, I¡¯d show Elnie a real demon. Even if her magic worried me.

    Someday I¡¯d need to learn more about magic. I knew so little, and whether I liked it or not (and I did decide I liked it), my life was going to have a lot more magic in it from now on. Thankfully, the short walk back to my cabin was uneventful aside from banging my horns into the top of the doorframe. Again.

 Chapter 17: Bound or Not

    My ear grew back. The process took a couple of days and itched like hell, though. Was it strange to be a demon using ¡®hell¡¯ in the same sort of way I did as a human? Well, I¡¯d never been to hell, so I didn¡¯t think so. And no one was going to judge my thoughts, I hoped, so I didn¡¯t need to care.

    Bailing was boring work, but at least Elnie kept away from me. According to the crew, we were drawing close to Ivlaet, which was good because the seas had gotten a lot rougher of late and I was glad for the patchwork that¡¯d been done to the hull.

    Seyari was still teaching me Turquoiser and Cavenish, the former of which I was picking up exceptionally quickly thanks to the whole crew speaking it. Nelys was learning Ordian from the both of us, while Seyari taught us both what she knew of Navvish.

    Turns out I finally found a language the mysterious woman wasn¡¯t fluent in. Aside from basic phrases, she kept conflicting herself on the complex conjugations present in the language and eventually admitted she knew it only in passing.

    Unfortunately, I hadn¡¯t yet gotten an answer on whether Seyari would bind me or I¡¯d be stuck in a human shaped sack for who knows how many weeks. Aside from brushing it off or stopping the conversation when I brought it up, we all got along well enough.

    Perhaps too well regarding Nelys. They were part of the Lady of Liseu¡¯s crew and wouldn¡¯t be joining us, which was something I could tell was eating at them. Especially after Aarsh¡¯s death, the crew needed the small bundle of energy up in the rigging.

    Though I hadn¡¯t known the kazzel closely, the moment of Aarsh¡¯s deathblow was seared into my memory. I¡¯ve had at least one nightmare involving that scene. I¡¯m certain Nelys had been affected as well, but they didn¡¯t show it and I wasn¡¯t sure how to approach them to even ask. Seyari had been closer to Aarsh, but aside from a brief moment when we had given him and the others their final rites, I¡¯d seen no emotion from her.

    I swapped out my shift for the day and walked back to our cabin with a piece of hardtack, some jerky, and a dried fruit I couldn¡¯t identify but had enjoyed the whole trip. I missed durians.

    Seyari was waiting for me in our room, alone. This time, I¡¯d managed to avoid announcing my presence by knocking with my horns. I willed myself to ignore the twin indents above the door.

    ¡°Do they have durians in Navanaea?¡± I asked, sitting down on the floor to eat.

    ¡°In the northern jungle they do. Once you get past the hills to the south and up onto the inner plateau, it¡¯s all desert.¡±

    ¡°Will we have to cross the desert to get to Liseu then?¡± I held my food in two hands and fished around in my battered suitcase for a flask of water with the others.

    ¡°Unless we can get a ship. If you¡¯re openly a demon, that won¡¯t be an option.¡± Seyari watched my arms. ¡°You really are used to those, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they grew on me.¡± I gave a lopsided smile.

    ¡°Really?¡± Seyari¡¯s voice rose. ¡°How the fuck are you this calm? You should be scared. Angry! Frustrated!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a demon,¡± I replied simply. ¡°Most people want me dead and everyone else wants to use me.¡±

    ¡°Like me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like you.¡±

    Seyari glared at me, but there was no anger behind it that I could feel. ¡°I don¡¯t think Nelys fits either group.¡±

    I looked up with a mouth full of dry hardtack, half expecting them to appear in the room after being mentioned. ¡°Point taken.¡±

    I took a swig of water and swallowed.

    ¡°You¡¯re incorrigible,¡± Seyari sighed.

    ¡°Yep. Want to bind me?¡±

    ¡°Not sure.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Just said I wasn¡¯t.¡±

    I pouted.

    Seyari gave me a look. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re a demon.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere, I guess. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re so damn agreeable all the time.¡±

    ¡°I ripped a guy in half last week, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and you apparently gave Elnie her anger back and were fine losing an ear for the favor.¡±

    ¡°It grew back!¡± I replied indignantly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ªugh!¡± Seyari threw her hands up. ¡°You know she was nicer before you ¡®fixed¡¯ her.¡±

    ¡°I allowed her to feel her full anger again, so it makes sense. I¡¯ve no right to control someone¡¯s emotions, you know.¡± I wagged a claw at her.

    ¡°I guess? Probably good you think like that,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°Do you feel anything at all for the pirates you killed?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t they privateers?¡±

    ¡°Trust me; there¡¯s no difference.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I paused to think back. ¡°I had to kill them or they¡¯d kill people I cared about. I guess I¡¯m a little concerned I don¡¯t feel worse about the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Yeah, that¡¯s not too normal a reaction to killing other people. Probably has to do with being a demon.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a bad thing?¡±

    ¡°No. Actually, I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to worry about you freaking out over killing people when there¡¯s no easy way out.¡±

    ¡°Good?¡± I paused to think for a few moments. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any power from those who died either, so I¡¯m certain I¡¯m not a Reaver at least.¡±

    ¡°I believe you. Reavers normally go after mages due to higher mana density in their souls, but you didn¡¯t target either one. Instead, you helped make sure the crew survived being boarded.¡±

    I felt a bit of pride inside at Seyari¡¯s compliment. I may not feel sick or have nightmares over who I killed, but I¡¯d make sure to never lose that part of myself.

    ¡°Hey Seyari?¡± I asked. ¡°Have you met a Reaver?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s reply shocked me enough to break the flow of our conversation. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I killed her.¡±

    A bit of fear rose up from the tip of my tail when she said those words.

    The conversation died right there. I finished eating in silence. Nelys came in a few minutes later and dragged both of us into language lessons. Soon, I was chatting and laughing with two people I called friends, but I had a lot of new questions for Seyari to add to the big pile of older ones. Someday I¡¯d get answers, I hoped.

    That night, I looked at Seyari¡¯s aura as she lay in the hammock above me. The act was probably an invasion of privacy, but curiosity got the better of me. Green, specifically a hue that looked like someone had taken a lime and washed the brightness out of it. Her aura was perhaps a touch weaker than mine, which I thought odd for a moment until I remembered the extensive training she probably had compared me.

    Nothing unusual though. I think. Not like I would know what to look for.

    ***

    The next day was the last before we reached Ivlaet. In the evening, my two roommates and I were in our cabin for one last night of language lessons.

    ¡°How did you end up with the Lady of Liseu¡¯s crew anyway?¡± I asked Seyari. ¡°You¡¯re clearly an accomplished mage. Shouldn¡¯t you and Elnie have more prestigious options?¡±

    ¡°Hey! The Lady of Liseu has the most¡­prestigious pirate crew on Varra!¡± Nelys hitched on the unfamiliar word in Ordian, but powered through it admirably.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± I looked toward Seyari who furrowed her brow.

    ¡°I joined, well, Captain Torrez took me in when no one else would,¡± Seyari answered hesitantly.

    ¡°Why would no one take you in?¡± I asked.

    The silver-eyed woman looked back at me, then to Nelys. ¡°I was wanted for treason and murder against the Church of Dhias.¡±

    ¡°Treason?¡± Nelys asked.

    Seyari repeated the word in Turquoiser and Nelys nodded before they replied, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem so bad! Except the murder I guess, but it depends.¡±

    ¡°I assume you were guilty?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Very.¡±

    ¡°Did the person deserve it?¡±

    ¡°Most of them did.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± both Nelys and I spoke.

    ¡°Why treason though?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not something I¡¯m willing to talk about.¡± Seyari¡¯s face grew stern. ¡°Maybe someday, but even Torrez doesn¡¯t know much more than I¡¯ve told you.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°How long were you around?¡± Nelys asked. ¡°People mentioned you sometimes but wouldn¡¯t tell me much.¡±

    ¡°A few years,¡± Seyari shrugged.

    ¡°How old are you anyway?¡± I looked at her face, but I couldn¡¯t place her much above thirty.

    ¡°Thirty-three.¡± Her answer came after some hesitation.

    ¡°What about ¡®it¡¯s not polite to ask a woman her age?¡¯¡± I joked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give a shit about that,¡± Seyari smiled.

    ¡°What about Elnie?¡± Nelys asked. ¡°Why¡¯d she join?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a high noble from Aloria who murdered her fianc¨¦e,¡± Seyari replied without hesitation. ¡°Afraid I don¡¯t know more than that. She saw me as a rival pretty quickly and we never got along after that.¡±

    ¡°Aloria? The Elven queendom?¡± I vaguely recalled the name from old stories.

    ¡°The one and only.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they matriarchal?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but it doesn¡¯t excuse killing your husband-to-be.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± I paused for a moment. ¡°What about leaving the crew. Why did you?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Oh! I know this one!¡± Nelys vibrated. ¡°The crew raided some weird Ordian ship and then Seyari got really weird and left at the next port.¡±

    ¡°Did it have something to do with my symbol?¡± I pulled the front of my shirt down to reveal it.

    ¡°Yeah, it did. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just your symbol either. Though I don¡¯t know about the gem.¡±

    ¡°Who else has it?¡± I asked cautiously.

    ¡°What else has it?¡± Nelys asked excitedly.

    ¡°I wish I knew,¡± Seyari replied.

    ¡°I want to know too. Hopefully we can find out.¡±

    ¡°Me too! Seyari¡¯s gem is pretty and the pattern is nice!¡± Nelys was excited.

    Seyari looked at Nelys and seemed unsure how to respond.

    ¡°Nelys, dear, you know Captain Torrez has already said none of the crew are to follow us,¡± I said as kindly as I could with a soft smile.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Nelys¡¯ face fell. ¡°Good luck then! And come back some day!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Nelys,¡± I replied. ¡°You too. And stay safe.¡±

    I didn¡¯t approve of them being a part of a pirate crew, but so far as anyone knew, they were an adult. Torrez certainly thought so, and the crew treated them well enough. Even Elnie was relatively cordial to the energetic person.

    ¡°But we¡¯re not saying goodbye yet!¡± Nelys smiled in triumph. ¡°We have most of a whole day!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seyari finally found her words. ¡°Oh, and Renna, you¡¯ll need to stay on the ship a bit tomorrow while I get the binding supplies. I already cleared it with Torrez.¡±

    Seyari said it so casually the statement took a moment to sink in. ¡°Really? Thank you! Feels weird to be thanking someone for binding me and all, but it really is what I want. At least to try it.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re going to try it first. I¡¯ll be picking up spare materials and we¡¯ll make an initial bind that¡¯s easy to try to break and see what it does to your mental state. If the contract forces you to feel loyal regardless of the conditions of the agreement, then I won¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡±

    ¡°I wanna watch!¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Seyari shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough experience to know what might go wrong.¡±

    Nelys looked to me.

    ¡°Sorry Nelys, but I agree with Seyari here. I¡¯ll be sure to say goodbye after so you can see the collar and brand.¡± I tried to let them down gently.

    Nelys thought about it for a long moment. ¡°¡­Kay.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for being understanding.¡± I ruffled their hair and they smiled.

    ¡°We should also be able to get proper clothes for you in Ivlaet, Renna.¡± Seyari smiled at me.

    ¡°Sounds good! Oh, and you can call me Zarenna. I said Renna when we first met because I thought ¡®Zarenna¡¯ sounded too demon-ey.¡±

    ¡°Too ¡®demon-ey¡¯? Pfft, okay,¡± Seyari laughed.

    We spent the rest of the night trading stories. Most of them were the exploits of the Lady of Liseu from Nelys and Seyari, but I snuck in a few from my childhood, with a lot of the details scrubbed out. I felt bad hiding my past like that, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to explain everything.

    Mid-morning, we reached Ivlaet and sailed into the harbor. I had no view from the bilge since the hole was mostly patched. The sounds of a busy harbor did manage to filter through. Along with a lot of chatter from the crew.

    Despite the other ship having had precious little loot, this was a big haul, and a potentially a big nightmare for the crew since the rogues had flown a privateer flag.

    Seyari had gone ashore as soon as possible to get the supplies for the binding, which left me to practice my Turquoiser by myself. Despite only having a week or two, I felt confident in basic conversation. My literacy was weak, but so long as no one was too pedantic when they talked, I should be able to understand them.

    Nelys was somewhere else helping to get both ships docked. The Lady of Liseu would need to go into drydock, but for now I was stuck making sure the patches held and we didn¡¯t sink at the dock.

    ¡°Hey, uh, Zarenna was it?¡± I turned to see a crewmember, a dark-haired human man who looked Turquoiser, sticking his head into the bilge from the top of the exit hatch.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Seyari¡¯s back and wants to see you. Captain said you¡¯re done bailing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, great! Thanks!¡± I turned and smiled.

    He recoiled and pulled his head back up quickly.

    Probably shouldn¡¯t show teeth.

    Back in our room, the place had been cleared out. My suitcase was outside next to Seyari¡¯s pack. Nelys¡¯ pile was gone entirely.

    Seyari beckoned me inside. I remembered to duck in time and closed the door behind me.

    ¡°So, how do we do this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll stand in the ritual circle here.¡± Seyari pointed to a large rune laid on the floor with some sort of silvery chalk. ¡°We¡¯ll make a verbal contract and then you place a drop of your own blood at the edge of the circle. I¡¯ll do the same on the inside of the collar.¡±

    ¡°Then I put on the collar?¡±

    ¡°I hand it to you and you put it on, yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you get one that looks nice at least?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°But you did! Can I see it?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but if you make one comment about me buying you a fancy collar, I¡¯m editing in a stipulation preventing wordplay.¡±

    I blushed deep crimson. With everything going on, I hadn¡¯t stopped to consider sexuality since I got my dress. I couldn¡¯t deny I felt Seyari was attractive, but, well, neither of us were in the place to really consider that sort of thing. Plus, I had no idea if she¡¯d feel anything for a demon anyway.

    My pause was long enough that Seyari had her own slight blush and I realized I¡¯d been staring. ¡°Uh, thanks.¡±

    Smooth as gravel. Regardless, I took the collar and looked it over. The piece was silvery-gold and weighty enough to make me wonder if it was solid metal.

    ¡°It¡¯s electrum. I realized that a greater demon like you would be suspicious with a cheap binding collar.¡±

    Oh. ¡°That makes sense¡­¡±

    ¡°Plus, electrum handles magic better than iron would, so it hints at a detailed contract.¡±

    ¡°How do demons normally agree to this sort of thing?¡± I asked a question I realized I¡¯d never put much thought into.

    ¡°They don¡¯t. Typically, they¡¯re captured and forced into it. Sometimes, particularly with greater demons, the binder bargains a piece of their soul upon their death.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Still want to do this? I realize I might not have been abundantly clear. In Navanaea and bound like this, you will be seen as my property.¡±

    ¡°So long as you don¡¯t treat me any different when you don¡¯t have to, I¡¯m fine with that.¡±

    ¡°Figured you¡¯d say as much. I just have a couple more things to go over.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡± I handed the collar back to Seyari. ¡°This doesn¡¯t hurt, does it?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡±

    Seyari just shrugged and handed me a robust-looking needle. ¡°Prick your finger with this, and place the blood where I¡¯m pointing. When I hand you the collar, place the half with my blood in front of you and the other half in the back. They clasp together.¡±

    Seyari twisted the collar and it unlocked neatly into two segments.

    ¡°Ready, Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°Good! Now remember this first contract¡¯s a test, so try to disobey and say ¡®bilge¡¯ once the contract¡¯s made. Also, try to shake hands diagonally across with yourself.¡±

    ¡°You missed an opportunity to make me do something embarrassing.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s smile fell. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    The focus required for the ritual did a lot to dispel the awkwardness of my joke. The contract was completely basic and had no conditions at all aside from the test ones. Once we verbally agreed, I pricked a finger on one of my lower hands, which took a good bit of force, and placed my drop of blood at the front of the rune on the floor.

    Seyari pricked her own finger and handed the collar to me in two pieces which I took in my upper hands. I carefully positioned the cold halves of a ring before clasping them together. I didn¡¯t try to resist the tug on my mana.

    Instantly, magic tinged with my own crimson, Seyari¡¯s muted green, and a swirl of blindingly bright white flared around me. The collar heated up. Below me, the dust of the rune shimmered and flowed up, carried by the magic. The color of the powder darkened, and it poured onto my left cheek, burning into a sigil of the same symbol drawn on the floor.

    Within moments, the room looked completely normal again. The collar now felt cool around my neck. I felt a wave of tiredness and realized the binding had pulled a good chunk of my mana reserves to do its thing.

    I felt the mark on my cheek. There was a magic affecting me like a low hum in the background. A faint sort of tug in the direction of Seyari was all I could really tell.

    Seyari recovered first. ¡°When you¡¯re ready, tell me what you¡¯ve been bailing out the past few days.¡±

    I formed the reply in my head. That came easily, but trying to say it felt heavy. I took a deep breath.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been bailing out the bilge.¡±

    There was a flash of light from the symbol on my cheek. The collar felt looser around my neck.

    Seyari blinked. ¡°Did you just¡­?¡±

    The tug and low hum of the contract was gone.

    ¡°I think so?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­what even are you?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯d like to know.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you know anything else about yourself? Any strange abilities, feelings, instincts, anything?¡±

    ¡°I have aura sight?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t heard of a greater demon that didn¡¯t.¡±

    I immediately thought about my Name. Zerix¡¯Arranthariel. Even saying it in my thoughts rang with weight. I didn¡¯t want to say it out loud. While I¡¯d won out over my demonic anger during the time on my island, every part of me felt giving away my Name to be a bad idea.

    ¡°I have a Name.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Not my name, but my Name. Is that normal?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Ooooooh. Well fuck, that explains a lot.¡±

    ¡°A lot of what?¡±

    ¡°A True Name. Something granted to powerful demons and celestials. Thing is it¡¯s granted. Like a title, but unique? I don¡¯t know much more other than invoking one is powerful for both the holder themselves, but also anyone trying to defeat them.¡±

    ¡°Defeat them how? Did you ever use one?¡±

    ¡°Not quite sure how, but I think it has something to do with compulsion. Some sort of honor system for outer beings. I never used one, but I heard one once and know another. And no, I¡¯m not talking about that right now.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s both awesome and worrying. But I assume it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with why I broke the contract?¡±

    ¡°No. And you didn¡¯t break it. That¡¯s the part I can¡¯t explain. If you broke it, the collar¡¯d be a wreck. It¡¯s like you just nullified it or something.¡± Seyari thought a moment and then continued. ¡°Do you know how you got a True Name?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, that happened when I touched the statue in the cathedral on my island. The gem the idol had moved to my symbol.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s super fucking important! You probably inherited your True Name from the volcano demon! Never heard of the gemstone thing, though. Plus, I¡¯ve seen similar sigils and yours, even without the gemstone, is different. Normally, the symbol¡¯s just the vortex. No six-pointed starburst and no other patterns I can¡¯t identify.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what the vortex means?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to find out. I¡¯ve only seen it on greater demons, though. Not sure why.¡±

    ¡°So, you went with the expedition to find out more about my sigil¡¯s differences, then?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Think that¡¯s why I was able to nullify the contract?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t think of anything else it¡¯d be. You saw how the demon¡¯s collar on the ship fragmented when her master died.¡±

    ¡°How does a contract end anyway?¡±

    ¡°Either the terms get fulfilled or one party dies. Typically, you¡¯d bind a greater demon to more than one person or at least have a backup. The rogue privateer who had that greater demon bound was absolutely insane to use a simple binding like what we did.¡±

    I thought back to the demon and remembered what she¡¯d called me. In the chaos since, I¡¯d hardly thought about the event.

    ¡°Seyari,¡± I started. ¡°Does Sovereign of Wrath mean anything to you?¡±

    ¡°Where the hell did you hear that?¡± Seyari¡¯s voice tried and failed to hold level.

    ¡°Well, uhm, the demon bowed and called me that¡ª"

    ¡°¡ªHah. Hah. Hahhhh. Of fucking course.¡± Seyari choked out a laugh. ¡°FUCK!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Yeah it really, really is. Sovereign Demons are a legend more than anything. They¡¯re supposed to perfectly embody their aspect.¡±

    ¡°Is that what I inherited?¡±

    ¡°Probably not? You aren¡¯t exactly the embodiment of wrath. The whole thing doesn¡¯t fit with what I know, but neither do you. I¡¯ve also never heard of a Sovereign Demon being bound in any of the legends about them. Maybe she was fucking with you.¡±

    I thought for a moment. ¡°She might have been, actually. I don¡¯t suppose you know anything else about Sovereign Demons?¡±

    ¡°Not really. At least nothing reliable.¡±

    ¡°Why does the Church of Dhias not mention them?¡±

    ¡°They do, just not to the masses. They¡¯re considered legends by most people who know of them and even then, Sovereign Demons don¡¯t exactly fit with the Church¡¯s narrative of demons, do they?¡±

    ¡°How wrong is that narrative?¡±

    Seyari looked at me and sighed. ¡°Take a look in a fucking mirror. Pretty damn, I¡¯d say.¡±

    I smiled at that. ¡°Fair point, but I think I¡¯m the exception, not the rule.¡±

    ¡°I suppose.¡± Seyari took the halves of collar from me. ¡°We should bind you again. I¡¯ll draw a new sigil. We¡¯ve been over what you need to do to keep the binding active.¡±

    ¡°Are you happier with this since I¡¯m not really bound by the ritual?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Zarenna, I kinda am.¡± She nudged my shoulder. ¡°Now move out of the center of the room. I have work to do and I want to get ashore in time to have a real dinner.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯d like a bath.¡± I looked down at the brine-soaked outfit I¡¯d somehow gotten used to and winced.

 Chapter 18: Ivlaet

    Before we left the ship, I looked for Nelys. No one had seen them since morning. Much of the crew no longer flinched when I looked at them! Progress which would sadly be lost after Seyari and I departed. Despite my lack of social prowess, I¡¯d come to realize I¡¯d miss much of the Lady of Liseu¡¯s crew. Seyari and I would have to write or something.

    For now, I managed to convince Captain Torrez to lend me a piece of scrap parchment on which I penned a letter to Nelys in Turquoiser. I hoped they were doing well mentally, but they clearly didn¡¯t want to be found. Saying goodbye might be harder on them than I thought it would.

    I wrote a simple goodbye, described the electrum collar that Seyari gave me, and expressed my intent to find the crew someday to visit. After I was finished, I gave the letter to Captain Torrez. He seemed to smile lightly as he kicked me out of his office and slammed the door.

    Seyari had waited for me outside and handed me my suitcase. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s sentimental attachment, but you¡¯re ditching this old thing for a solid pack in town.¡±

    ¡°Fine by me. Oh, would it be best if I carried both our things?¡± I wanted to add a ¡®Mistress¡¯ in there, but I¡¯d learned the hard way not to joke with Seyari about my situation.

    It was absolutely not because I thought of the implications and had to cover a blush by turning to look out over the cityscape.

    ¡°Ugh. You should, yes. I assume the weight won¡¯t bother you?¡±

    ¡°Unless you¡¯ve an extensive rock collection, no it won¡¯t.¡± My head stayed turned toward the city as I took in the unfamiliar sight.

    Navanaean architecture made heavy use of curves and colors. Domes, arches, and spires dotted the landscape. The buildings were painted a stunning array of colors; primarily blues, golds, purples, and reds. Though I did catch defiant streaks of green contrasting the borderline garish display. Something about the confidence and consistency of the color scheme lent the whole vista a genuine air.

    Surrounding the rather large city was a sunbaked jungle unlike what I¡¯d grown familiar with. Sparser, but equally green, the foliage ringed the white beach and tan sandstone piers of the harbor itself. Blue sky above mirrored the harbor below and the whole image pressed against a backdrop of green-topped lumpy mountains.

    ¡°The food here tastes like the city looks, if that makes any sense.¡± Seyari handed me her pack.

    I struggled to fit the loops around my four arms. Letting out all the slack, I managed to wrestle my way into the bag in front of an amused looking Seyari.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to dinner then.¡± I smiled at her.

    ¡°You all ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready enough. I couldn¡¯t find Nelys to say goodbye, but I wrote a letter for Captain Torrez to give them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be good enough. I wasn¡¯t really asking.¡± Seyari moved toward the ramp leading to the pier. ¡°You¡¯ll need to keep quiet unless spoken to. It shouldn¡¯t matter if you speak Ordian or not, but I¡¯d stick to Turquoiser if you can just to be safe.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. So, bath, dinner, then bed?¡±

    ¡°Tired of carrying everything already?¡± Seyari smirked.

    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to enjoy this?¡± I teased.

    ¡°I, ugh, you¡¯re right,¡± she paused a moment. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You can though. Really, you should. I think it¡¯ll be better for both of us, and you know I can just cancel everything any time, so it¡¯s really like I¡¯m not even bound.¡±

    Seyari turned and walked down to the pier without replying. Progress?

    ***

    The humans of Navanaea shared many traits with those of Cavenze; dark hair and darker skin, although general facial shapes seemed different in a way I couldn¡¯t place. Additionally, many people had very slightly pointed ears to the point where I wondered if they were a unified trait unrelated to a shared elven bloodline. I knew so little about the world¡¯s peoples, but now more than ever I determined to learn what I could.

    I didn¡¯t see many people of different species, but a few Kazzels stuck out in a crowd of vibrant colors. Clothing in a large port such as Ivlaet was bound to be diverse, but the prevailing style seemed to be loose and vibrant, with bright takes on earth tones rimmed occasionally by gold and silver.

    Curiously, I saw only one other bound demon while we walked. He was dressed in simple gray clothing in the Navanaean style. Unlike other humanoid demons I¡¯d seen, his skin tone was a milky off-white, and he mixed wolf-like traits similar to the few Lupael I had seen in with human features and small straight horns.

    Ahead of me, Seyari walked with purpose. People looked at me, standing a head above the crowd, and moved aside. The looks I received were unpleasant. Fear and anxiety toward myself were obvious from furtive glances and rigid postures. Toward Seyari, the gazes ran through a mix of emotions, although it was easy to see some as being of envy.

    Of course, not everyone treated us in such an antagonistic way. Most people saw us and simply carried on with whatever they happened to be doing; walking, mostly. The other demon and his binder, however, had given us a wide berth. We¡¯d not even made eye contact. I¡¯d need to ask Seyari about that.

    In the meantime, I was more concerned with my stiff and unwashed state of dress. Ivlaet would certainly have no shortage of options for someone with my skin tone, but I was mostly concerned with presenting myself in a way I could be proud of.

    Despite the reception, my mood was high as the both of us walked quickly along. I wasn¡¯t pretending to be human, and could walk around relatively unmolested.

    Past the dense crowd of the harbor, Seyari stopped us in front of a food stall on a street crowded with them. The dense array of unfamiliar spices from all around us stuck in the front of my face; not unpleasant, but difficult to sort through.

    Seyari ordered for us in Turquoiser. She handed me a sort of fried pancake with a dollop of a sweet-smelling chutney on top. I folded it to keep the topping in and took a bite. The pancake was rich and savory, while the topping was sweet and creamy with just a hint of heat from a chili I couldn¡¯t hope to identify.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± I exclaimed, looking toward the cook and smiling brightly. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    My demeanor seemed to catch the man off-guard, but he smiled good naturedly after a moment. ¡°Glad you like it!¡±

    After his reply, however, the stall owner looked toward Seyari, slightly confused.

    She replied to his stare and shrugged, ¡°If I¡¯m to be around my contracted demon, I don¡¯t want her to be unresponsive and dour.¡±

    ¡°Right. Yes, of course miss!¡± The stall owner stopped himself from giving a bow. ¡°Thank you for your patronage.¡±

    By this time, I¡¯d finished my snack.

    ¡°Could I have another, please?¡± I made sure to direct my question at Seyari.

    The act of asking for permission like a child felt demeaning. Outweighing that feeling was the desire for absolutely only one more.

    ¡°One more dosa, then.¡± Seyari paid the man.

    I made sure to savor my second dosa as we resumed our walk through Ivlaet. We passed around market full to bursting with people. Even as we skirted the edge, I could see somewhat over the crowd and sighted a stall selling durians. I¡¯d need to come back here before we left the city for sure.

    A few more blocks of walking and Seyari took us into a hotel with a rather long fa?ade. The reason for which became immediately obvious once we passed inside. The center was taken up by a large courtyard. Carefully tended plants alternated with open space dotted with tables, chairs, and benches. Many of these spaces were taken and the sound of conversation filled the air. Around this center, doors to rooms were visible. A second floor with an open walkway and identical doors was capped by a tiled roof rimmed with robust gutters. I tried to remain as impassive as possible, but the pleasant space brightened my expression.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Seyari paid for a room and I followed her up a single flight of stairs and around to back of the courtyard where our room was.

    Inside were two beds covered in pale orange sheets. Four arched windows at the back looked out at the brightly-painted building across a small side street. We had a wash basin and a chamber pot along with a small open-faced wardrobe.

    I set our belongings inside and turned to Seyari.

    ¡°Do you know where the bath is?¡± I asked her, poking at my stiff blouse. ¡°I really, really need it.¡±

    ¡°Were you not paying attention to the clerk?¡±

    ¡°I was looking at the courtyard!¡±

    ¡°Ugh. The bath¡¯s down the hall to the left at the corner. Don¡¯t talk to anyone when I¡¯m not around.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a bound demon. Like I told you, most contracts only allow the bound demon to speak when spoken to.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be that strict. That¡¯s stupid.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be dense enough to not understand why.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it.¡±

    Seyari forced a smile and plopped in the bed closer to the window. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re in a good mood at least. I want to take a minute to relax, but we¡¯re going to dinner soon. I¡¯ve only been to the place once before, but if it¡¯s still here I¡¯m not passing up the opportunity.¡±

    ¡°I like this side of you. You don¡¯t need to act so stoic all the time, you know.¡± My smile froze in place as my brain came to a screeching halt when it realized what I¡¯d just said.

    Seyari looked down and didn¡¯t immediately respond. I wanted to say something, but no words came to mind.

    ¡°No. I¡ªI¡¯m not. I can¡¯t.¡± Seyari looked up at me. ¡°Please just let it drop for now, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry!¡± Seyari shook her head. ¡°Look, just go take a bath already!¡±

    I fought back the urge to apologize again and quickly excused myself, closing the door as I left.

    The bath turned out to be several private stalls with overhead showers and pumps. The place was empty, likely because it was the middle of the day. The water came out lukewarm from the heat of the day. Much colder than I would have liked. I washed my clothes out as well, scrubbing the salt from them as best I could with what little soap was present.

    I¡¯d left in a hurry and forgotten to bring a change, so I struggled back into the wet clothes. The loaner shoes I¡¯d gotten, large enough to fit my feet and just barely the talons on them, had gouges inside I could feel when I put them back on. Inspecting them, the claw on my big toe had actually pierced all the way through on both. Hopefully they¡¯d hold up a bit longer, but I should get something open-toed. My feet would certainly be fine walking around barefoot, but for all my vanity, I¡¯d like to keep them clean if at all possible.

    Raising my body temperature until steam poured off the garments, I got my clothes and myself mostly dry. The shower wasn¡¯t the relaxing experience I¡¯d hoped for, and I was still somewhat tired from the bindings, but feeling clean refreshed me all the same.

    I walked back to our shared room and knocked in the door. Seyari answered and I walked inside. The atmosphere was still awkward.

    ¡°What¡¯s this place you want to go to like?¡± I asked, hoping to break the tension.

    ¡°It serves Navanaean food with a Turquoiser twist. I found it the last time the Lady of Liseu was in port here since the sign was in Turquoiser.¡±

    ¡°What kind of food do the dishes end up as, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Something that both sides would probably call a bastardization, but it¡¯s so good I don¡¯t care. Most of what I want are seafood dishes that use Navanean spicing with Turquoiser pastas.¡±

    ¡°That does sound good! I think. Why would both sides dislike it?¡±

    ¡°Besides how the regions don¡¯t get along terribly well, it has to do with preparing components differently than they should be prepared.¡±

    ¡°Do Navanaea and the Turquoise Coast take their food that seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Neat, I guess.¡±

    ¡°How would you feel if someone used an aged Edathan cheese with sausage in a soup?¡±

    ¡°That sounds good too actually.¡±

    Seyari threw her hands up. ¡°You¡¯re fuckin¡¯ impossible, you know that?¡±

    ¡°I do. You keep reminding me that I am.¡± I couldn¡¯t resist smiling at her.

    ¡°I¡ªyou¡ªugh!¡± Seyari huffed. ¡°Get up. We¡¯re going now and I¡¯m ordering you the hottest thing I can find. You¡¯re bound to me, so you can¡¯t say no.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± I tried not to think of this like a date and failed. ¡°Hey, can I change into something else first?¡±

    ¡°Do you even have something else?¡±

    ¡°Yep! Give me just a minute or two.¡±

    I grabbed my suitcase and walked toward the folded privacy screen leaning next to the wardrobe. Setting it between us, I carefully unfolded my dress from inside and held it up. Somehow, the garment had survived unscathed. I wanted to wear it.

    Excitedly, I put it on. My lower arms felt free and my tail swished through the fabric behind me. I still didn¡¯t have proper shoes for the garment, but this was enough.

    I looked myself over and paused. Was this too much? I wanted to wear it for me, but what if I came off like I was trying to force something between us? Seyari clearly had reservations. So did I, actually. I should save this for later and just go in my normal clothing. I was just a bound demon right now, anyway.

    ¡°You about done?¡± Seyari called out.

    ¡°Uh, you know what, never mind,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll just wear what I normally do.¡±

    I looked over the screen that only came up to my chin back at Seyari who smiled at me.

    ¡°Come on!¡± She said. ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡±

    I made my decision and stepped out. ¡°I, well, I don¡¯t know that it¡¯s appropriate.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s jaw dropped and her cheeks flushed. ¡°Yeah, uh, well. It¡¯s really nice, but the place isn¡¯t fancy and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll change back then,¡± I said with finality. ¡°Some other time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seyari let out a deep breath and her shoulders relaxed. ¡°Can we just go now?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I quickly put my normal clothes back on; a black blouse over a pair of altered and worn brown trousers. Not bad, and definitely better suited for a dinner with a friend than my very fancy dress.

    When did I start to think of Seyari as a friend? Sometime on the Lady of Liseu I was sure. Nelys probably had something to do with it. I couldn¡¯t deny we acted like friends. Perhaps we were. If I saw Nelys again, I¡¯d have to thank them.

    The restaurant in question was a rather short walk from our inn. I was certain this was no coincidence. The place was busy but not overcrowded; a modest-sized establishment with a mix of outside and inside dining.

    I received some looks I expected by now. I tried to remain as impassive as possible. Just act like a bodyguard. I doubted Seyari needed one, but it would only help both of us if I could play the part.

    We were seated inside, along the side wall next to a window with an overgrown planter in full purple bloom. The single menu we shared had a variety of dishes I could hardly begin to decipher the contents of, due at least in part to my limited literacy when it came to Turquoiser.

    Seyari made good on her promise and didn¡¯t leave me an opportunity to figure anything out. She ordered for both of us right away. I didn¡¯t miss the judging glare sent at me. What it was for, I could guess at, but I wasn¡¯t certain.

    ¡°Where did you get that dress?¡± Seyari asked, sipping water.

    ¡°From a tailor¡¯s shop in Port Princely. The owner said she was inspired by me and altered the dress right then while I waited.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± I received no further reply.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan from here?¡± I took a drink myself.

    ¡°We hitch up with someone going to Liseu. We¡¯ll probably have to pass near the capital, but I¡¯m really not sure.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the river here go to the capital? Would a ship not be faster?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and probably, but then we¡¯d need to find another group and I¡¯d rather be stuck here where I can understand most everyone.¡±

    Totally not because this restaurant is here, I thought to myself.

    ¡°Who would take us? I haven¡¯t been getting any friendly looks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you look strong and don¡¯t act submissive. People are going to fear you for what you are, even if you¡¯re bound by a contract and less dangerous to them than anyone else in the crowd.¡± Seyari paused and looked around the room. ¡°I was hoping to get us hired as protection. A ship¡¯s not going to want mercs and it makes sense as a cover.¡±

    I nodded. Perhaps she¡¯d thought this through a bit more than I figured.

    Or not. The food arrived with a strong smell of spices I couldn¡¯t identify, and with the way Seyari¡¯s face lit up, I was certain this place had something to do with why she wanted to stay here longer.

    Both dishes were a thick-noodled pasta with some kind of fish tossed in a heavily spiced sauce and served with slices of fresh fruit.

    My sauce was notably darker than Seyari¡¯s. The smell of first bite burned the inside of my nose. I hoped my immunity to excessive heat would protect me.

    It didn¡¯t. Back in Edath, the only heat from spice in food came from certain mustards (and radishes if you wanted to punch very low). This was an altogether different sort of experience.

    Everything was cooked well, but any nuances of the dish were buried under the all-consuming pain. Toned down and experienced by someone used to the sensation, I¡¯m certain it would have been a pleasant warmth that built over time. In my case, it was a painful heat that ascended into an unholy inferno. The irony of my thoughts was lost on me.

    The sweet fruit helped me to endure but was quickly depleted. Determined to finish just to spite Seyari who looked to be greatly enjoying hers, I pushed through the pain, eyes watering.

    ¡°Not immune to this kind of heat, eh?¡± Seyari smirked at me.

    I didn¡¯t reply. Sucking air into my mouth would not have been worth any comeback I had the capacity to muster. With a grimace, I quickly downed the last of my meal and very, very carefully wiped my claws and face with the cloth napkin.

    ¡°It w-was¡­lovely,¡± I stammered.

    So much for being an intimidating bodyguard. At least my suffering seemed to have eased some of the tension in the room from the other diners.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to eat all of it, you know.¡± Seyari¡¯s mirth faded at my sad state.

    ¡°I wanted to prove I could.¡± I tried to smile.

    Seyari sighed, ¡°Watching your reaction wasn¡¯t as much fun as I thought it¡¯d be.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I deserved it.¡±

    Seyari gave me a strange look. ¡°Don¡¯t think like that.¡±

    ¡°Same to you.¡±

    She gave a thin smile.

    Seyari paid for us. I wanted to offer to split it, but I supposed not doing so was one perk of my current situation. The walk back was uneventful, and sleep took me quickly, another person in the room hardly registering.

    In the morning, we entered the central courtyard to find a well-dressed Navanaean man waiting for us. He was flanked by guards and wore an obviously fake smile with his very real silk.

    ¡°Hello!¡± He spoke to Seyari in clipped Turquoiser. ¡°I would like to negotiate for the purchase of your bound demon.¡±

 Chapter 19: Not for Sale

    ¡°She¡¯s not for sale,¡± Seyari replied bluntly.

    ¡°Oh, but of course! If you would like, we could retire to a more private¡ª¡°

    ¡°No. Fuck off.¡± Seyari turned to walk around him.

    I turned as well, but was in time to see the man¡¯s expression twist into fury. The few people in the courtyard at the early hour quickly made themselves scarce.

    Anger burst out of the well-dressed man in a torrent. ¡°Insolent! Do you know who you are¡ª¡°

    ¡°Nope. Don¡¯t care. Fuck off.¡±  Seyari walked around the man¡¯s guards who now had their hands on their weapons. I followed quickly behind and tried to keep my expression as impassive as possible.

    ¡°You dare to insult Third Prince Malich!?¡± The man¡¯s face looked a similar color to my own. ¡°How could an ingrate such as yourself possibly capture or even summon such a magnificent creature!¡±

    I shivered involuntarily at his choice of words. Seyari made a rude gesture. I sent him my best glare which I hoped looked sufficiently intimidating.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you arrested! I bet your demon¡¯s controlling you, you wretch!¡± Malich was screaming now.

    Seyari didn¡¯t respond and kept walking, though her pace accelerated. I followed her quickly, but kept my eyes back on the prince. Now I noticed other guards stationed around the courtyard. Likely part of his retinue. I could mess with his anger, but I didn¡¯t want to dig our hole deeper, and unless I permanently altered his capacity to feel the emotion, I doubted it¡¯d do much other than recharge my already full magical capacity.

    Malich shouted after us, but someone, likely one of his guards, spoke to him in Navvish. After some words I couldn''t follow, the Third Prince stopped marching after us. He was still shouting, though.

    Why was the Third Prince here?

    We¡¯d been seen by plenty of people. Was this city his home or was the creep visiting? I sincerely hoped the third prince wouldn¡¯t try to make good on his threat. Seyari¡¯s posture was tense and jittery and I¡¯m quite certain any aggression would break out into a fight. A fight where entering would have dire consequences for us.

    Thankfully, no one made a move to stop us. Seyari looped us quickly around back to our room. Two goons were at the door and no doubt heard the argument from below. I glared at them. Fire sprung up along my horns and at the tip of my tail. As if by instinct, I hissed at them, revealing my many sharp teeth.

    Both of them decided whatever the jerk down there was paying them wasn¡¯t enough and they quickly excused themselves back toward the stairs. Seyari opened our door and stomped inside. I followed and resisted the urge to slam the door behind me after extinguishing my fire.

    ¡°Fucker.¡± Anger poured off Seyari in waves. ¡°Fuck! I¡¯m too angry to think straight.¡± She flopped backward onto the bed.

    ¡°I, uh, could help with that,¡± I offered hesitantly. ¡°If that¡¯s an okay thing to ask.¡±

    Seyari clapped her hands on the sides of her head. ¡°Ugh! Do it!¡±

    I sat down on the bed next to her and mentally reached out toward her anger. Carefully as I could, I pulled from the mass, slowly deflating it. The feeling I received was not too unlike eating a light snack when I was already full.

    Seyari sighed a long exhalation of air. ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel too bad honestly. A little weird.¡±

    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t make a habit of it,¡± I said reassuringly.

    ¡°I¡¯m more surprised you asked at all.¡± Seyari¡¯s voice was level now.

    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± I flopped down next to her.

    ¡°Leave town, and soon. I doubt Prince Charming¡¯s the type of person to take ¡®No¡¯ for an answer.¡±

    ¡°Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± I said sarcastically.

    ¡°Damn, I fucked up though. Didn¡¯t know he was royalty.¡± Seyari put her hands over her face. ¡°Thought he was just some asshole merchant.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t exactly act like royalty. Maybe we¡¯ll get lucky and he¡¯s known to be a petty ass.¡±

    ¡°I hope so. As Third Prince it¡¯s not like he¡¯s next in line for the throne. He might not have much power.¡±

    ¡°If he keeps acting like that, I think the whole of Navanea would be glad he¡¯s not a contender for the next king.¡± I sank into the soft sheets, careful to keep the tips of my horns from catching in the pillow. ¡°I was wondering though, what did he mean by ¡®summon¡¯? Something like bringing a demon to the mortal realm from hell?¡±

    ¡°Something like that. I don¡¯t know too much about it besides that it¡¯s difficult and exceedingly dangerous. The practice has roots dating back to the Lost Era, and, at least in Ordia, very little is known about it.¡±

    ¡°Whoa. Should we say I¡¯m captured or a summon then?¡± I turned to look at Seyari and found her facing me across the thankfully wide bed.

    ¡°Not sure.¡±

    ¡°How about summoned? Mr. Prince seemed to think it was more prestigious.¡±

    ¡°You just want to wear that dress, don¡¯t you?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even thought about the dress. But now I sure did and my change in expression didn¡¯t go unnoticed. The tip of my tail twitching excitedly certainly didn¡¯t help.

    ¡°Should¡¯ve kept my mouth shut.¡± Seyari sat up. ¡°Summoned it is then. Could bite us in the ass if I need to bullshit how I did it, though.¡±

    ¡°Just say it¡¯s a secret.¡±

    She sighed, ¡°Probably our best option.¡±

    Grumbling, Seyari picked herself up off the bed and moved to pack her things. I did the same. I listened for footsteps in the hall, but there were none. Outside the room, it appeared Prince Malich and company had left the immediate area, although the courtyard was still empty of guests.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± I said after looking around.

    Seyari drew her lips into a thin line. ¡°I don¡¯t like that. I don¡¯t know Navanaean law, but if we were in Ordia, he could have had us arrested for insulting him.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think he left?¡± I asked while we took the stairs down at a brisk pace. ¡°Do you think it was because he knew his goons couldn¡¯t take us?¡±

    ¡°I wish I knew. He¡¯s planning something, but his behavior doesn¡¯t make sense. People like him are usually too stupid to back down.¡± Seyari spoke quickly.

    ¡°Maybe we shocked some smarts into him?¡± I offered.

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°No. It can¡¯t be this easy. I don¡¯t want to draw attention, so we¡¯re acting normal this morning, but we need to leave today.¡±

    ¡°Why not leave right now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s basically admitting guilt. We might not get ahead of his orders even if we sprint. A demon with their binder visibly fleeing town would paint a target on our backs for more than just the Third Prince. I don¡¯t want to get questioned by the city guard.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± I shrugged.

    I still wondered why Malich dropped his pursuit and let us walk away at all, but we¡¯d reached the front desk and I was out of time to ask. We returned the key and soon we were back on the streets.

    ¡°We¡¯re going back to the same place for breakfast.¡± Seyari¡¯s tone brokered no compromise.

    ¡°Could I at least get a proper pack sized to me first?¡± I tried anyway.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I wanted to protest, but didn¡¯t.

    Luckily, there was no sight of Malich or his entourage and we made it the few blocks to the restaurant. Seyari said she was reasonably sure we weren¡¯t followed. Another skill I¡¯d need to learn.

    The place was crowded like last time, but we managed to get a table indoors and away from the visibility of the street seating. This time, I got to order for myself, so I took my time with the menu. I ordered a fish curry with a kind of small dumpling while Seyari got the same thing as last time. I derived some small pleasure from the unnerved and confused look the waiter had when I ordered for myself casually and with a smile.

    Special attention was something I¡¯d need to get used to, so I might as well take pleasure in it when it isn¡¯t hostile. Despite the good food (and mine was very good this time around with proper seasoning), we didn¡¯t talk much.

    After breakfast, we picked up traveling gear including a big pack and open-toed sandals for me. The battered suitcase I managed to convince Seyari to keep and it now hung from the side of the pack, containing my dress and nothing else. With tents, cookware, food, and other necessary supplies, I looked a bit like a pack mule. I marveled at how little it all seemed to weigh. I could feel the effect of the mass on my movement and mobility and that was all.

    The last stop we made before leaving for the edge of town was the market where I¡¯d seen durians yesterday. My fruity prize was safely stowed near the top of our bag when we made our way to the south edge of town. With sparser buildings, small farms, and tufts of wild growth, I realized that northern Navanea wasn¡¯t as lush as I was used to. The region must get less rain.

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    Unlike Port Princely, the city of Ivlaet had a wall surrounding it. Two to be specific. One wall for the central city, which was lightly manned and had no criteria for entering or exiting. Indeed, we¡¯d left through it mere minutes ago with hardly a second glance beyond what I¡¯ve come to see as ¡®normal¡¯.

    Ahead of us was the outer wall. This wall protected the extended city as well the small farms, though I could see more agrarian land in the hills above. Shorter than the inner wall, but of solid sandstone construction, the barrier didn¡¯t look like it was meant to stop a siege.

    Nevertheless, it was guarded. I became nervous, but the feeling quickly passed when we were not accosted leaving through the gate. Either the third prince had little power in Ivlaet, or he didn¡¯t think we¡¯d leave this way. There was also the chance he¡¯d given up!

    Yeah, no.

    He was planning something. I understood Seyari¡¯s nervousness now. I felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

    On the other side of the gate, the city continued for a short way. Or, rather, a cluster of buildings huddled around the point of entry edged into neighboring farms. To our side, wagons and carts lined up for inspection, but there weren¡¯t many and the process seemed minimal.

    The sight ignited an old memory. I fell into step beside Seyari and thought back to my childhood.

    ***

    My family had traveled to the capital to see extended relatives. Linthel no longer had a surviving wall¡ªjust a few old sections left from before it was conquered by Ordia. The Ordian capital, Ardath, however, was ringed by an immense stone wall that seemed to tower into the sky. Perhaps the scale was distorted because I had only been a child, but my memory saw them as an impenetrable cliff. There¡¯d been a queue we waited in with the group we¡¯d traveled alongside.

    The line then was much longer. The guards checked our papers quickly, but the sheer number of people coming and going made even the bustle of Linthel seem tiny. We¡¯d passed through what I thought at the time to be a big stone hallway, gated on both ends, before entering the city. Five-year-old me had expected houses of marble and streets of gold. While certainly nice, the parts of Ardath I¡¯d seen were much less notable, leaving only the memory of the city¡¯s walls.

    Mother was newly pregnant with Tania at the time we went, though we wouldn¡¯t find out for sure until the end of the trip. My sister had always wanted to see Ardath. I thought back to how a civil war happened in my home region of Edath while I was dead. I just knew Tania had made it safely away the night of the fire. Something made me certain she had.

    Did she get to see the walls of Ardath? Did she survive the war?

    She must have, I told myself. However, I couldn¡¯t be entirely certain and the thought resumed gnawing at me. We¡¯d find her, whatever the case may be.

    My trip down memory lane encompassed our walk up to a group of rather uniform looking wagons facing out toward the open road. Wagons toward the rear of the formation were being loaded with a variety of goods. Some of the people standing around were lightly armored in leathers or chain shirts.

    Seyari hailed the group and the armored people tensed up. Two figures, one in a chain shirt and one in loose clothing moved forward to talk. The man in the chain shirt had a very elven bent to his Navanaean features and wore his dark hair slightly shaggy. The other man was stouter and clean-cut with an air of professionalism that wavered as they approached.

    ¡°Hello. My name is Seyari, and this is my contracted demon, Zarenna.¡± Seyari motioned toward me and I bowed slightly. ¡°We are seeking to travel to Liseu on the Turquoise Coast and wish to ask if we could travel with your caravan to the capital, Baetnal. Provided you are heading in that direction, of course.¡±

    ¡°You may not.¡± The stout man spoke, earning a sidelong glance from the armored one.

    He spoke in fluent Turquoiser; probably a native.

    ¡°Sir, are you certain?¡± The armored figure asked with a thick Navanaean accent. ¡°Skirmishes with Desertkin are likely to escalate to war any day and the routes even far away from the front have suffered from the loss of patrols.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying your company is not enough to protect my caravan?¡± The stout man looked toward his companion.

    ¡°Barring the severely unlikely, my people are more than enough. However, my company has an excess of provisions and this woman¡¯s contracted demon looks quite strong, which speaks to the ability of both of them. I think you should consider allowing them to join, sir.¡±

    ¡°We are looking for passage, not pay,¡± Seyari interjected.

    The stout man looked us over. ¡°I do not trust them.¡±

    ¡°If she will allow, we may be able to determine their intent.¡± He turned to Seyari. ¡°Would you consent to an examination of your bound demon under your orders?¡±

    Seyari looked to me and I nodded back. I had, well, actually a lot to hide. I didn¡¯t mean any harm at least.

    ¡°First, where is your destination?¡± Seyari said. ¡°There¡¯s no point continuing if you¡¯re not going where we are.¡±

    ¡°Baetnal, then west across the desert to Liseu,¡± the stout man replied. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll entertain the idea of taking them along. If they are truthful.¡±

    ¡°May I have your names?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Aretan,¡± the mercenary leader answered first.

    ¡°Florian,¡± The stout man replied brusquely.

    ¡°Very well then.¡± Seyari turned to me. ¡°Zarenna, I command you to answer any question asked by Aretan truthfully until I rescind this order. You may decline to answer at your own discretion.¡±

    I didn¡¯t miss how her mouth turned down at her own words. A darkness crossed her brow for just a moment.

    ¡°What about me?¡± Florian asked angrily.

    ¡°You may relay your questions through Aretan,¡± Seyari said flatly.

    Florian harrumphed, but didn¡¯t comment further. Instead, he stared at me with great intensity. I smiled back, careful not to show teeth.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Aretan started. ¡°Zarenna. Do you or your binder, Seyari, have any interest in this caravan beyond transportation to our given destinations.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Would you, under any circumstances, rob my client Florian Vergat?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Would you harm any member of this caravan?¡±

    ¡°Unless it were in self-defense, no I would not.¡±

    ¡°What if it were an order from Seyari.¡±

    I thought about it for a moment. The truthful answer was that it would depend, but no contracted demon would be able to say such a thing truthfully.

    Finally, I replied, ¡°I decline to answer.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Aretan looked surprised.

    Next to him, Florian frowned. ¡°Ask her why they would want to travel with us specifically.¡± He looked toward Aretan who shrugged.

    ¡°Why would you want to travel with us specifically?¡±

    ¡°You are the only sizeable caravan headed overland that looks to be departing today.¡±

    ¡°Why is it important that we depart today?¡±

    ¡°I decline to answer.¡±

    ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t take them on!¡± Florian stated confidently.

    ¡°Really? I would find it more suspicious if they didn¡¯t have an urgent reason to leave Ivlaet,¡± Aretan disagreed. ¡°That said, we need to ensure they will not bring us trouble.¡± He paused a moment then continued, ¡°Why do you need to leave Ivlaet today?¡±

    I looked to Seyari who thought for a moment before nodding hesitantly.

    ¡°The Third Prince Malich wanted to purchase me. Seyari strongly disagreed. The Prince did not take rejection well.¡±

    Florian looked mortified.

    Aretan laughed. ¡°Is that all? The Third Prince has a reputation for being petty and spoiled. So long as you did not assault him, I doubt he will receive much support in continuing to pursue you.¡±

    Florian and I looked gobsmacked.

    Seyari, on another hand, looked relieved. ¡°Any further questions?¡±

    ¡°Just a couple,¡± Aretan replied. ¡°Zarenna, what¡ª¡±

    ¡°RENNA!¡± The mercenary captain was cut off by a familiar voice yelling over the crowd.

    I turned just in time to feel a familiar diminutive form impact me in a hug. ¡°Nelys!? What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Coming with you!¡± They replied with a smile.

    I noticed they had a pack of their own.

    ¡°How did you find us?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Renna¡¯s easy to follow since she¡¯s so tall and red!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I looked down and tousled Nelys¡¯ hair. ¡°Is Captain Torrez okay with this?¡±

    ¡°Yep! I think he knew what I was planning, but he didn¡¯t stop me.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s permission enough.¡± I shrugged.

    Nelys was supposedly an adult, after all.

    ¡°Excuse me for interrupting the reunion,¡± Florian coughed. ¡°But who is this?¡±

    ¡°A friend we thought wouldn¡¯t be joining us,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I suppose we will have to make room for them too.¡± Aretan smiled at the three of us.

    ¡°Aretan! You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Florian shouted angrily. ¡°They¡¯re far too suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Will all due respect sir, I disagree. They are clearly just trying to get away from Prince Malich.¡± Aretan looked to Nelys hugging me. ¡°And I think it is clear they are not malicious.¡±

    I looked at the ball of energy vibrating beside me. Did Nelys just guarantee our way into a caravan by accident? Florian looked at the three of us for a moment before sighing loudly.

    Aretan continued, ¡°Also, I am willing to consider their wellbeing my responsibility for the duration of our journey. I will also take responsibility for their actions.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You were recommended to me based on your reputation for integrity. I suppose I¡¯ll consider your opinion.¡± Florian turned to us. ¡°You three! Wait here while the mercenary captain and I discuss what we¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Seyari replied.

    We talked to Nelys about joining the caravan. They were enthusiastic about the idea, which surprised neither Seyari nor myself. After a few rather tense minutes, the two men returned and Aretan wore a triumphant smile.

    ¡°Welcome to our caravan. I hope you brought your own supplies,¡± the mercenary captain said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like you got to make the decision,¡± Florian huffed. ¡°Nevertheless, you¡¯re allowed to join us, but we¡¯ll be watching you.¡±

    ¡°See? You would have made their acceptance sound much too dour,¡± Aretan fired back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push me, Aretan.¡± Florian¡¯s tone brokered no compromise.

    Aretan made a placating gesture with his hands and bowed lightly. ¡°I do not mean to presume, sir.¡±

    Florian gave the mercenary captain a stern look. ¡°Good. Keep it that way.¡±

    I beamed at Aretan. Nelys smiled as well.

    ¡°I can¡¯t speak for our third, but I brought enough supplies for the two of us. Thank you for letting us join your caravan,¡± Seyari said formally.

    ¡°Certainly,¡± Aretan waved. ¡°There is space in the second wagon to last, but you will probably need to move when we trade in Baetnal.¡±

    Florian nodded, still looking conflicted. He turned and hurried back to the front of the caravan.

    ¡°Zarenna, I rescind the truth order,¡± Seyari said to me.

    ¡°Sure thing, boss!¡± I gave her a two-handed salute and her formal fa?ade cracked a little.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving within the hour and could use your help loading a few things,¡± Aretan motioned to the last few wagons not yet full.

    I nodded along with Seyari and Nelys. The three of us joined the crew in loading the last of the crates. I suspected that even if we weren¡¯t overheard, the display with Nelys broke the ice. At least no one seemed too uncomfortable around me, for one reason or another. Perhaps my additional arms and ridiculous strength just made them grateful I did their work for them.

    Well within an hour, we got underway. The three of us sat in the back of the wagon where we caught Nelys up on what had happened in Ivlaet and our travel plans for the future. They seemed eager to see the world in whatever way they could. I wished I could be that carefree.

    I took the durian out of the pack and, splitting it open with my claws, began to hand out portions to the others. A minute or so later Aretan poked his head in and joined us.

    ¡°The wagon behind you is complaining of a rancid odor,¡± he said with a smile.

    ¡°Oh, should we have saved this for when we stopped?¡± I asked, unsure of Aretan¡¯s intent.

    ¡°You are fine!¡± He laughed. ¡°I told them it was just a durian and they should stop complaining. Really, it is not even that strong outside in the open air.¡±

    ¡°Do you want some?¡± I offered him a piece.

    He graciously took it. ¡°I did have a reason for coming back here though.¡±

    ¡°Was it about the questions you forgot to ask?¡± Seyari asked somewhat coldly.

    Aretan smiled in response. ¡°Yes, actually. And no, I do not want to ask any of them under oath. Both of you have the look of someone capable. I wanted to know what you all can do. My crew does not excel in magical power.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a wind mage. Good with a bow and can be silent if needed. I also have experience with light blades,¡± Seyari answered matter-of-factly.

    ¡°I¡¯m acrobatic, small, and fast. Not gonna be much help in a big fight though,¡± Nelys volunteered excitedly.

    ¡°Fire magic,¡± I responded and covered a finger in fire, burning the durian juice off my claw. ¡°So far as I know I¡¯m immune to heat. I¡¯m also quite strong and my claws are very sharp.¡±

    ¡°Like most of my crew, I¡¯m good in a scrap. I can keep people organized and know my way quite well around a blade.¡± Aretan looked at us staring back at him. ¡°What? If you end up getting into a fight and helping us, I need to say my piece too. Also, how hot do you mean, Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve gone swimming in lava,¡± I deadpanned.

    ¡°Impressive!¡± Aretan seemed unsure whether to believe me, but I thought he did. ¡°Well, I have to get back to my people. Dinner is at sunset after we make camp. Zarenna, we will want your help circling the wagons. We should be safe tonight anyway, but it is good practice and there is no point risking anything.¡±

    Aretan left the wagon with a smile and a wave.

    ¡°He certainly seems friendly,¡± I said aloud.

    ¡°Yeah, no kidding. I wonder what his angle is,¡± Seyari replied.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s just nice!¡± Nelys said.

    After a glance at Nelys, we decided at the very least that Aretan seemed genuine at the moment and settled in for the ride south.

 Chapter 20: Road to Baetnal pt. 1

    The well-maintained road wound its way gently up the hills. Seyari, Nelys, and I took turns looking outside, but it wasn¡¯t until close to sunset when terraced farms gave way to untamed wilderness. We stopped for the evening in a high pass near the start of the descent.

    The top of the old mountains here showed just how severe a rain shadow they cast. The forest had thinned toward the top, but there was almost a distinct line separating the green side of the peaks from the dry brown. Only a hundred or so meters ahead of the camp, the road began its descent. The view afforded was spectacular. I only had a brief moment to watch how the mountains descended to the inland plateau where scrubland quickly turned into undulating dunes out to the horizon line, before I needed to return to set up camp.

    Just as Aretan had said, I was told to help move the wagons into a circle. To my amusement, I had no difficulty moving them and could probably pull one if needed. However, the weight of pulling a full wagon was notable enough that I wouldn¡¯t want to for any extended period.

    Dinner was provided for us, contrary to expectations. Simple fare, but clearly Navanaean in spicing and preparation. I tried my best to maintain the stoic persona of a contracted demon, but I¡¯m quite certain that mask slipped several times as the night wore on.

    Aretan and his company were amiable and accepting to the point where I felt myself relax around strangers for the first time since I became a demon. Florian and his employees were more guarded around Seyari and me, but Nelys¡¯ charm eroded boundaries and the two cliques saw their isolation at least partly worn away by evening¡¯s end.

    The next morning, we formed back up into a line and resumed our journey; winding down into the scrubland. I¡¯d asked how long to Baetnal and was told a week and that we¡¯d pass through one oasis town on the way. The road didn¡¯t follow close to the river due to seasonal flooding. Before we descended too far, I caught a glimpse of the body of water glittering off to the east and flanked by twin ribbons of green.

    Aretan had alternated his morning and afternoon between talking with us in our mostly-empty wagon and drifting along the caravan. He¡¯d quickly grown to ingratiate himself into our group. He seemed inexhaustibly curious about me, but I didn¡¯t get the feeling the reason was unsavory.

    The first couple days were, well, boring. While I did interact with the mercenaries, the caravan merchants more or less kept to themselves. I hardly saw Florian, but when I did, he at least didn¡¯t seem to hate me. Neither Seyari nor I had thought to bring something to entertain ourselves like dice, a deck of cards, or even a book. The evenings, however, were quite fun. Once the people of the caravan had gotten over my presence, the three of us were coerced by Aretan into joining games with the mercenaries.

    Neither Nelys nor I had the face for betting games. On the plus side, I¡¯d learned that my ability to sense anger could be more subtle given time and effort. Even if I couldn¡¯t win, I could tell when a few of the more intense people hit bad luck. We traded some stories, mostly about the mercenaries. Aretan¡¯s band had been together a few years and mostly ran the major land routes in Navanaea. Unlike other groups, they¡¯d take foreigners. We really had gotten lucky it seemed.

    The badlands had faded quickly into dunes, where the ¡°road¡± was mostly just a compass in the front carriage. By late morning of the third day, I was sick of seeing nothing but things that started with ¡°S¡±: sand, sky and sun. Seyari was alright though. All jokes aside, I still felt like she was distant for a friend. She¡¯d told me and Nelys much about herself, but it was an open secret that she kept a lot more hidden. Originally, I hadn¡¯t minded, but I was increasingly curious and perhaps a bit apprehensive.

    We¡¯d reach the small oasis town tomorrow afternoon. For now, though, the four of us, Aretan included, sat in our wonderfully shaded and relatively sand-free wagon, talking once again to fill the time. For the first time in a while, the conversation turned toward my nature as a demon. Seyari and I hadn¡¯t been too careful about limiting what I could say and do. She found it distasteful and I found it boring. Sometimes, I had started to forget the ¡°demon¡± part of me and I think Aretan honestly had too, at points. Perhaps out of familiarity, he had decided to dig a bit deeper.

    ¡°If I may ask, were you summoned or captured, Zarenna?¡± Aretan asked. ¡°You have a much more cordial relationship with your binder than I would assume.¡±

    ¡°I was summoned,¡± I replied, thankful Seyari and I had discussed this.

    ¡°Oooh, what did Seyari offer you?¡± He seemed excited.

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± Seyari stated matter-of-factly.

    ¡°I wanna know too!¡± Nelys poked their head up from the pile they¡¯d made out of our bedding.

    ¡°Maybe later,¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s really not important.¡±

    ¡°If you do decide to tell, let me know!¡± Aretan said.

    ¡°Why are you so interested?¡± Seyari asked bluntly.

    ¡°I am studying summoning,¡± Aretan replied, ¡°I¡¯ve no magical capacity to speak of, but the nature of demons and their contracts has always fascinated me. High magical capacity, a host of unique abilities, outstanding physical attributes most of the time, and often they don¡¯t require food or drink.¡± He listed the reasons off on his fingers. ¡°I know there¡¯s more to them than people think and I¡¯ve always wondered what we could achieve by working with them.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t demons malicious by nature?¡± I interjected.

    ¡°Are you?¡± Aretan countered.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Come on brain, think of a reply!

    ¡°Renna¡¯s not malicious! She¡¯s super nice!¡± Nelys volunteered. ¡°She¡¯s even nicer than Seyari!¡±

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    Seyari looked at Nelys, then at Aretan. ¡°They¡¯re not wrong I suppose.¡± She pointed at me. ¡°That one¡¯s an odd case.¡±

    I pouted at being called ¡®that one¡¯. Also, Nelys kept calling me Renna. I decided that it was cute and I liked it. Hypocritical? Yes.

    ¡°And that is why I am so interested in both of you!¡± Aretan exclaimed. ¡°Am I too forward? I am excited since I have not met many demons and none of them stood out like you, Zarenna. I want to think demons are not all ¡®evil¡¯; just more driven by their nature than us ¡®mortals¡¯.¡±

    I had to admit, when we picked this caravan, I didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d run into probably the only demon sympathizer in Navanaea. Actually, considering the nature of demons in the kingdom, it was possible there was an entire faction of Aretans. I¡¯d like to meet them. Well, so long as they didn¡¯t want to ¡®examine¡¯ me closely or anything. I suppressed a shudder.

    ¡°A bit too forward, maybe,¡± I said, then hastily added, ¡°but I¡¯ll get over it. Are there others who share your view?¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Aretan nodded his head. ¡°There are some, yes. The Second Prince is one of them, but he is not going to inherit, so I doubt we will make much progress.¡±

    Seyari looked conflicted. She started to say something and then stopped for a moment before actually speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should take demons so lightly. I¡¯ve met many and Zarenna here, by pure luck, has been the only good one.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Aretan¡¯s face fell. ¡°How many exactly? Because¡ª¡±

    Aretan cut off as a cry of alarm sounded from the front of the caravan. He was the first to leap up and exit the back of the wagon. Seyari and I followed suit, Nelys close behind us.

    Crash!

    The sounds of fighting picked up from the front; grunts, shouts and orders from Aretan and another mixed with the sound of impacts on a hard surface.

    Seyari had grabbed her bow from inside while Nelys produced a pair of daggers from I didn¡¯t know where. Not waiting for an order, I ran ahead.

    Between the fight on the ship and what I was seeing now, I started to really notice how much slower humans were, and not just in terms of sprinting. Their movements in a situation like this seemed deliberately plodding and slightly sluggish. The difference wasn¡¯t enough to notice unless the person in question was trying to move as rapidly as possible.

    I doubted I¡¯d be able to cleanly and reliably dodge blades swinging at me, but I felt a clear advantage. That feeling, exacerbated perhaps by the knowledge of my own strength, both magical and physical, made me feel more than a little confident.

    That confidence wavered slightly when I saw what had attacked our caravan. An immense sand-colored scorpion the size of at least two wagons, was locked in combat with the front guard of Aretan¡¯s mercenaries. The monster had two tails tipped with wicked stingers which the mercs were only barely holding off. To the side, the lead wagon was overturned and partially crushed.

    I lit my claws ablaze and closed the distance. My aura sight picked up a weak magical aura from it, concentrated primarily in the tails. Is this just a regular monster? A demon would have a stronger aura, right?

    Still sprinting, I circled around to the massive arachnid. To its credit, the scorpion monster noticed me immediately and gauged me the bigger threat.

    It turned with surprising alacrity and stabbed a tail down toward me at a speed I could barely follow. Memories of the monsters and lesser demons I¡¯d fought on the island flashed through my mind. My muscles remembered and I shifted my body to the side, narrowly dodging the strike.

    I slashed at a leg with four sets of claws. The scorpion¡¯s carapace absorbed most of the force, but my flaming finger-blades sliced through just deep enough to score into the flesh underneath.

    Focusing my magic and channeling my anger as best I could, I attempted to burn it from the inside out.

    The scorpion stumbled, lashing a claw toward me to knock me away. The mercenaries wasted no time and dove on the other claw.

    I looked up just in time to see a tail zip toward me. An arrow laced with wind magic pierced the fat spiked bulb at its tip before it could hit me.

    I jumped away to the side while the scorpion¡¯s injured tail, thrown off by the arrow, thudded into the sand. Spinning midair, I slapped its partially-cooked leg with my tail and the limb crumpled.

    Something slammed into my back from above. I lost control of my jump and fell face first into the sand. Pain blossomed from between my many shoulder blades and I felt a pressure enter my body.

    I¡¯d forgotten about the monster¡¯s second tail! I twisted away from it as quickly as I could and lashed out with my claws. To my satisfaction, they found purchase and, enraged, I poured fire magic into the stinger bulb which exploded in a shower of bug goo and venom.

    The monster reared away from me. I quickly stood back up, but fell to a knee. My back felt like it was on fire, which was concerning because if it actually was, it wouldn¡¯t hurt like this. I focused on my magic and raised my body temperature, trying to burn out the venom. Something sizzled on my skin, but I felt the burning inside spread.

    The scorpion, however, now with both its tails functionally crippled, was fighting a losing battle against the mercenaries. I looked across the battlefield. Only now did I notice at least one person on the ground.

    Despite my injury, I wasn¡¯t going to count myself out. I was made of tough stuff and I¡¯d taken worse back on my island. I formed a large ball of fire between my four hands and threw it at the scorpion¡¯s legs. The heat was intense, and a loud snap sounded as the leg directly hit boiled hard enough for the chitin to crack.

    With one side mostly crippled, the scorpion listed toward me. My attack took its attention once again from the mercs who used the opening to good effect, breaking another leg on their side. The monster thrust an open, grabbing claw at me

    I wasn¡¯t sure I could dodge the attack, so I stood my ground. I grabbed it, two arms to a side. It tried to close, but I pushed back. My limbs were rapidly losing strength, but I pulled on the anger of the mercenaries, taking what I could.

    I could still feel myself weakening, but with a sudden burst of strength, I pushed the halves of its pincer apart, gripping hard enough for my claws to puncture its chitin. Free, but flagging, I charred the wounds I¡¯d made and pulled away.

    Before I could retreat out of its range, another claw swung at me. I tried to leap over it, but my muscles weren¡¯t responding properly and I moved too late. Hard carapace met my midsection with enough force to drive the air form my lungs. I flew backwards into the sand and rolled several times before collapsing onto the side of a dune.

    Again, I tried to pull myself up; four arms under me and my tail to my side. I managed to get to my knees, but my body slowed down. Slower than a human¡¯s. The battle in front of me reached a tipping point and my vision started to dim. Blades of wind and steel had shattered the chitin armoring the monster¡¯s claws. With injured legs, the scorpion tried to back away. I saw the familiar silhouette of Aretan leap on top and drive a polearm into its head. The monster started to spasm as the other mercenaries closed in.

    My vision grew darker, and the burning was replaced by a cold numbness across my limbs. I could feel my heart slowing down.

    No. I won¡¯t let it end like this. I was careless, reckless. But there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let myself die now!

    Surging my remaining mana within my body, I turned up the heat as hot as I could go. Underneath me, I could feel sand melting and glassing over. My heart thumped irregularly before steadying, but far too slowly.

    Slow, too slow.

    I saw Seyari and Nelys as shadowy figures running toward me. I tried to tell them I¡¯d be alright. That I¡¯d stopped the poison. The words wouldn¡¯t come. I felt my mana reserves flagging and my flame dimmed before my vision blackened and I fell face-first onto glassed sand.

 Chapter 21: Road to Baetnal pt. 2

    Perspective: Seyari

    I saw Zarenna take a second hit and get sent tumbling. I¡¯d hoped that monster scorpion¡¯s venom would somehow have not affected her. I was wrong.

    My feet pounded into the sand as I ran toward her. She managed to struggle upright, still looking in the direction she was tossed from.

    Behind me, Aretan and the mercenaries were finishing the scorpion off. Another set of lighter footsteps followed; Nelys no doubt.

    Ahead of me Zarenna flared brightly, her entire body burning with magic. Flames licked off the surface of her skin, burning away her clothes in an instant. Even the sand below her started to melt.

    Fuck. I should¡¯ve warned her about diving into a fight with that thing. Would she have even listened? I didn¡¯t think to give her an order, and even then, she might¡¯ve just ignored it and caused a shitstorm when she broke the contract.

    I let it focus on her. I¡¯d stayed in the back, like a coward. I could¡¯ve been right there with her, I could¡¯ve maybe¡ª

    No. I can¡¯t. I won¡¯t.

    Zarenna turned toward me and mouthed something. Gods, why was she smiling? The vertical pupils of her blue eyes were wide, but her gaze was lidded. Her fire dimmed and went out.

    I was twenty paces away.

    She closed her eyes and fell forward.

    Ten paces.

    She hit the sand headfirst and her horns shattered the cooling glass.

    I reached her before Nelys. She was hot enough to blacken my gloves, but rapidly cooling. I pulled her upright and felt her pulse. My breath hitched for a moment when I felt nothing. Then, a slow single beat. Too long of a pause, then another.

    She was alive, but something was really wrong.

    Fuck!

    Maybe I could, but then¡ªwait, she¡¯s a fucking demon!

    What I might be able to do wouldn¡¯t even work for her.

    And I couldn¡¯t face that part of me, anyway.

    Shit. I had to hope the mercs or the caravan had something. If they did, they¡¯d better fork it over. I didn¡¯t doubt she saved a lot of lives today and everyone here owed Zarenna big.

    ¡°Is she okay?¡± Nelys asked beside me, their voice small.

    ¡°No,¡± I answered, then continued, ¡°She isn¡¯t dead, but she¡¯s really hurt.¡±

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll heal herself?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We need to get her to someone who knows about the venom of that monster.¡±

    Nelys nodded seriously.

    I looked over their small frame. ¡°I can carry her, can you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Go ask people for help? Yeah!¡± They had picked up on what I wanted before I could even say it. For all their childish act, Nelys was always quick to read the room.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I nodded back to them.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be okay Seyari,¡± Nelys said confidently.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± I snapped back.

    They frowned. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right."

    Nelys turned and dashed quickly off to the caravan. Armed with only daggers, the small human had stayed out of the fight to help get the injured clear. Where I was firing arrows. Stupid arrows. They had a reason to stay behind, since charging in with their short reach and small daggers was suicide. I had options.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I pulled Zarenna up. She was heavy. I expected as much given her height and build. I managed to get one of her upper arms over my shoulder. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do with the lower one and it was in the way, but I started to carry her back nonetheless. Her knees and tail dragged, furrowing the sand behind us.

    ¡°How is she?¡± Aretan met me part-way and grabbed another arm, lifting the part of the weight off me with a grunt.

    ¡°Bad. Heart¡¯s barely beating.¡±

    ¡°Not good,¡± Aretan said solemnly. ¡°What about the hit she took that knocked her away?¡±

    ¡°I doubt she really felt the impact. Girl¡¯s as tough as they come, even for a demon.¡± I looked across at Aretan over my demonic friend¡¯s horns.

    Aretan nodded. ¡°I can believe that. She received at least a full dose of venom from a titan scorpion. I have never heard of anyone or anything surviving that.¡±

    ¡°Fuck. Is there any way to treat the venom?¡±

    ¡°I do not know,¡± Aretan sighed. ¡°Usually, the sting itself kills the person. I¡¯ve heard that some big animals live a few moments more before collapsing. I¡¯ve only even seen a titan scorpion once before, and it was in the deep desert.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°The titan scorpion was very far away and moving between burrows at night.¡±

    ¡°I expected something much worse,¡± I laughed dryly.

    ¡°Trust me, if it had seen us that time, I would not be here. We were lucky this one was barely even an adult.¡±

    I almost tripped. ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°Do not go into the deep desert,¡± Aretan looked at me seriously.

    ¡°Trust me I never want to.¡± I shuddered.

    ¡°Good,¡± Aretan said with finality.

    We reached the camp and headed for our wagon since we knew it¡¯d be empty enough to lay her down.

    ¡°Do titan scorpions ever show up on this route?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it has happened, but not since I¡¯ve been alive.¡±

    ¡°What does a monster like that even eat?¡±

    ¡°Out here? Everything that is big enough. They are ambush predators. I need to hear more from my crew, but I did hear so far that it was hidden in the sand and ambushed the lead wagon. My guess is the vibrations from our caravan were enticing.¡±

    While Aretan was explaining, Nelys ran up and picked Zarenna¡¯s tail off the ground. ¡°No one here knows how to make Zarenna better. There¡¯s a kai-roar-jen in the next town that might, though!¡±

    ¡°Do you mean chirurgeon?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, one of those!¡± Nelys started to smile and failed. ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    I explained in Cavenish and Nelys¡¯ smile returned.

    A few moments later, we reached our wagon and loaded Zarenna into the back. The glances we¡¯d gotten in the caravan seemed concerned, so I hoped we¡¯d have their full cooperation, including resources if needed. I knew Zarenna didn¡¯t have a lot of money and we¡¯d need what I had to get to Ordia.

    We laid Zarenna down on a sheet. Checking her back, the skin and muscle were healed with no sign of a puncture wound. Her breathing was very shallow and irregular. Her heartbeat, however, was steady, but far, far too slow. We covered her with a second sheet, as much for decency as any other reason.

    Nelys opted to stay with Zarenna. I stepped out of the wagon with Aretan and looked toward the front of the caravan where the first wagon was a ruin and the second badly damaged. People clustered around the area, cleaning up and helping the wounded.

    ¡°I knew patrols had been lessened, but I did not think something like this could happen.¡± Aretan¡¯s face was hard.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say to that. I followed the mercenary leader¡¯s gaze to the bodies of the dead.

    Three of his people had died. One had been stung like Zarenna. Several others were injured some badly. Out of the crowd, Florian walked toward us, his face somber. Both of us glanced at him as he approached, but neither of us said anything.

    ¡°Seyari,¡± Florian broke the silence, ¡°I wanted to thank you and your contracted demon. This disaster would have been much worse had you not been with us.¡±

    ¡°Sure. You should call her Zarenna.¡±

    Florian stared at my expression for a moment. ¡°I will. Tell Zarenna that I will do whatever is within my power to aid in her recovery.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± both Aretan and I replied.

    Florian bowed. ¡°I need to help take inventory and determine how best to redistribute goods to the remaining wagons. I will give consideration to making sure Zarenna has space.¡±

    He turned and walked back to the others. I looked over at Aretan.

    ¡°How quickly can we get to the town?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If we push through the night, we can make it there before sunup,¡± Aretan replied, turning back toward me.

    ¡°It¡¯ll have to be good enough.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to thank you three as well. Seyari, you took out one of the tails and at least one person is alive because Nelys helped get him away from the fighting. When she recovers, I want to thank Zarenna especially. She pulled the scorpion¡¯s attention from my soldiers and distracted its tails, not to mention the damage she inflicted.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do enough,¡± I whispered under my breath.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. You¡¯re welcome, I guess.¡±

    With everyone pitching in, we scavenged parts from the ruined wagon and managed to fix the damaged one. As per request, the dead were cremated before we moved on. We were moving again before sunset.

    The night was bright with stars and a pale moon overhead. Nelys and I stayed by Zarenna¡¯s side in our wagon while Aretan stayed with his crew. The crimson woman¡¯s breathing evened out but stayed shallow while her heartbeat remained unchanged and deathly slow. I don¡¯t think either of us spoke the whole time.

    Our wagon had been partially filled with textiles, leaving little space for anyone but Zarenna to lie down. I gave what little space there was to Nelys who, despite their protests, nodded off eventually.

    I stayed up the entire night, part of which was spent watching the stars from the back of the wagon. The possibility of Zarenna dying weighed heavily on my mind. I¡¯d gotten really attached to her, despite everything. Hell, I¡¯d been growing closer to her for a while now.

    I would just end up hurting Zarenna, though. But it was too late to back out now. Maybe I selfishly wanted to try to get closer, but I¡¯d never be able to be as close as she wanted. I could tell she was starting to worry over what I hadn¡¯t told her.

    What I could never tell her.

    Fuck.

 Chapter 22: Oasis

    Perspective: Seyari

    We arrived in the oasis town before the sun even threatened to rise. Ratev, Aretan called the place. I was expecting a hamlet, but the town easily had a thousand residents. I supposed it made sense given that the oasis itself was sizeable and there really weren¡¯t going to be small towns out in the dunes.

    That Ratev was a hub became immediately apparent. Our wagons were parked at the edge of town, thankfully inside Ratev¡¯s rather low wall. Dunes piled up next to it in places and I wondered if the wall¡¯s purpose was to keep out monsters like that scorpion or to save the town from being buried under sand.

    We waited until dawn arrived and the town started to wake up and move before we left the convoy. Nelys had volunteered to stay with Zarenna while Aretan and I went to fetch the chirurgeon to help. I questioned why the man would go with me rather than with his mercenaries. He seemed offended I¡¯d asked, and our conversation died there.

    Ratev¡¯s central plaza bordered the oasis, which looked to me like a modest lake surrounded by thick greenery. Trees and tall flowering bushes provided shade to the many stalls selling food and wares. We weren¡¯t the only travelers in town from the look of the plaza.

    Our goal wasn¡¯t amongst the stalls, however. Zarenna was still unconscious from a Titan Scorpion sting and needed healing we couldn¡¯t provide on our own. Aretan led us through the throng and to a well-worn sandstone storefront. Outside the open doors, a sign with a mortar and pestle made the building¡¯s purpose clear regardless of language.

    I hoped the chirurgeon spoke enough of a language I knew so we could communicate with each other. Aretan would be able to translate at least, but I would have preferred to do this myself.

    The air inside the shop was thick with the smell of incense. The scent of sandalwood would likely have been pleasant if it wasn¡¯t so intense as to fog the air. The place was surprisingly clean and organized inside, and larger than I would have imagined. There was a clear, open path to back rooms I guessed housed patients. To the side, densely stacked shelves sat in neat rows. At the rear, behind a counter, part of an alchemical laboratory was visible.

    I followed close behind Aretan. He paused at the counter, and I took advantage of his indecision to ring the bell twice. A grumble in Navvish sounded from inside the lab. I stared at the offending incense tray by the bell for a minute and was about to ring the bell several more times when an old, but well-preserved man walked slowly from the laboratory to the counter.

    Navanaean in appearance, the old man sported a long, thin gray beard that was well kept and thick eyebrows that weren¡¯t. Small spectacles hung off his nose and his bald head shone dimly even in the darkness.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± He said in Navvish, looking past me and straight at Aretan despite the fact I stood in front and had clearly rung the bell.

    A small gesture, but one that would never cease to piss me off. For all the Empire¡¯s atrocities, at least they did slightly less of a shit job when it came to treating women than some of the other places I¡¯d been.

    I was only mildly annoyed to find the conversation had progressed in its entirety in my absence, devoid of any input from myself. I caught only a small part of what was said.

    ¡°Did you tell him I was the binder?¡± I whispered to Aretan in Turquoiser as the old chirurgeon made his way out from behind the counter.

    ¡°I did not want to mention that sort of thing until he had agreed to look at Zarenna,¡± Aretan replied.

    Every day I learned to appreciate Aretan more.

    ¡°Smart. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Aretan¡¯s tone was almost apologetic.

    The fresh air outside the shop was welcome. The old man at least seemed interested in Zarenna¡¯s condition, asking several questions in Navvish while we walked back to our convoy. He seemed incredulous and surprised. I assumed he wanted to know more of how someone survived a sting from a titan scorpion. The old man probably thought we were mistaken.

    We reached the wagon without interruption. The old man was sprightly enough to decline any assistance climbing inside. Nelys was sitting next to the comatose Zarenna. They were playing a solo card game and only barely paying attention to it. I understood the feeling.

    ¡°You did not tell me it was your bound demon,¡± The old chirurgeon approximately said in Navvish, looking toward Aretan.

    ¡°Not mine. Hers.¡± Aretan pointed at me and continued when the old man opened his mouth to protest. ¡°Seyari and her contracted demon Zarenna saved this convoy from a titan scorpion on the road here from Ivlaet.¡±

    I understood most of what was being said, thanks in part to Aretan speaking clearly with simple words. However, I didn¡¯t understand the indignant reply the old man gave. The intent got across well enough, however: He didn¡¯t believe it was a titan scorpion.

    The two went back and forth for a long, tense minute before Nelys spoke up.

    ¡°You¡¯re the chirurgeon, right? Please help Zarenna get better.¡±

    While their earnest words may not have been understood, Nelys¡¯ tone and expression did much to end the argument. From Aretan¡¯s expression, I guessed the result was in our favor.

    Grumbling, the old man looked at me intently. I stared him down. Seemingly satisfied, he glanced toward Zarenna and back to me. I nodded and he moved to look my friend over.

    I noticed he was reluctant to touch her and aside from checking her pulse and briefly touching her forehead, he kept his hands off. He felt for her breathing under her nose as well before turning to Aretan and asking slowly in Navvish, ¡°Can you turn it over?¡±

    I was certain I didn¡¯t misunderstand.

    ¡°Her,¡± I replied, scowling. ¡°And why do you ask?¡±

    He turned to Aretan and replied.

    Aretan translated it for me. ¡°He wishes to see the site of the sting.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think there would be anything to show, but I nodded my assent and then moved to do it myself before anyone else could. Careful to preserve Zarenna¡¯s modesty with the thin sheet, I turned her to her side. My eyes widened in shock. Though the site of the sting had healed, her entire back was a swollen bruise.

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    The old chirurgeon hummed thoughtfully and poked her back before I could stop him. He retracted his hand at my glare. Staring intently at Zarenna¡¯s back, his eyes glowed briefly. Uncommon as aptitude for aura sight was, I was surprised to see he had the ability.

    ¡°I believe you. This one is strong to still live.¡± The old man looked over his spectacles at us.

    ¡°How could the venom still affect her? She¡¯s a demon and aren¡¯t demons immune?¡± I asked.

    Aretan translated for both of us.

    ¡°Titan scorpion venom is magical. That much we know. I have heard tales of demons falling to magical poison or venoms and affected by certain mundane toxins as well.¡±

    ¡°Is there a cure then?¡±

    ¡°No. But, there is a type of twin-tailed scorpion closely related to a titan scorpion. This pattern here, around the sting, is similar and her symptoms are as well. We may be able to use that scorpion¡¯s venom to treat it.¡±

    ¡°What about the magical nature of the venom?¡±

    ¡°That I do not know, but I have several ideas which may work. Titan scorpion venom is not the only magical toxin, you know.¡±

    Nelys interjected, ¡°So you can cure her?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    ¡°How soon can you make the antivenom?¡± Aretan asked, breaking from his role of a simple translator.

    ¡°Within two days. But I will need the venom of a twindeath scorpion first.¡±

    ¡°How can we get that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I will need a live scorpion. Preferably several.¡± Aretan went back to translating for the old man. ¡°They prefer dark, cool areas. Individuals are a handsbreadth long, dark tan in coloration and have their distinctive two tails.¡±

    ¡°Aretan.¡± I looked at the helpful man. ¡°You¡¯ve traveled this route often. Do you know any close places where we might find some?¡±

    He thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°There is an old temple to Aena about a day west of here. There used to be a town on a small plateau there many years ago, and the temple is all that is left. Aside from occasional pilgrims, no one goes there.¡±

    ¡°How old is the place?¡± I asked, suddenly curious.

    ¡°I do not know.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it could date back to the Lost Era?¡± I asked excitedly.

    Aretan took a moment to understand what I was saying. Recognition dawned bright on his sharp features. ¡°Most certainly not. There are records of its founding far back in the history of Navanaea.¡±

    I looked down in disappointment. ¡°Damn. Could you ask the old man if that place would work?¡±

    Aretan did so and the old man nodded.

    ¡°That settles it then.¡± I turned to Aretan.

    ¡°When do we leave?¡± Nelys asked.

    I was about to tell them it was too dangerous, but Aretan beat me to a reply.

    ¡°We could leave now. Evening and night are best for traveling if you do not have cover from the sun, but we can manage. Plus, we would arrive early tomorrow and have much daylight to search with.¡±

    Nelys face lit up.

    I frowned. ¡°Who will watch Zarenna then?¡±

    ¡°Some of my mercenaries. I guarantee you can trust them,¡± Aretan replied.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s pack and head out. Two days there and back and a day to search right?¡±

    Aretan nodded.

    ¡°We pack for a week then, okay Nelys?¡±

    It was Nelys¡¯ turn to nod.

    We sent the chirurgeon on his way. Aretan and Nelys thanked him, but I wasn¡¯t going to do so until he¡¯d produced results. Knowledgeable as he seemed to be, I didn¡¯t like him. And if I wanted to be petty, I would.

    ***

    I was sick of sand. Outside the walls of Ratev to the west, the dunes closed in quickly. On top of that the sun was glaringly hot and I hadn¡¯t slept the previous night. Nelys and Aretan fared better, but it was clear we were all pushing ourselves. What we were doing wasn¡¯t smart or safe, but after seeing Zarenna¡¯s back and how her condition hadn¡¯t improved at all, I wasn¡¯t going to waste any time.

    Ahead of us, dunes broke up the skyline, but though it wasn¡¯t quite summer yet, the heat haze made it difficult to determine if a dark blotch low against the horizon was the plateau we were heading toward or nothing at all.

    ¡°What is Aena the god of, anyway?¡± I asked Aretan.

    I knew very little about Navanaean religion, other than that it was polytheistic. Outside of the Church of Dhias, much of the world worshipped something other than a singular deity. My ¡°education¡± had offered precious little information regarding other faiths aside from how they were ¡°wrong¡± and to disregard them or try to convert followers. I¡¯d learned more of the world in my early travels, once I got free, than I had ever learned at my time with the Church of Dhias.

    ¡°Aena is the goddess of¡­hmm,¡± Aretan paused for a moment, ¡°I think the ¡®life-giving cool and damp earth¡¯ is the best way to describe it in Turqiouser.¡±

    ¡°Would ¡®soil¡¯ be accurate to say then?¡±

    ¡°Not quite.¡±

    ¡°So, she¡¯s the goddess of really good dirt?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°What an irreverent way to put it, but yes.¡± Aretan¡¯s tone was bright. ¡°Her temples are built in areas important to agriculture or to bless the soil in more desolate regions.¡±

    ¡°Was there farming done out here?¡± I looked in disbelief over the dunes.

    ¡°The sand has moved over centuries. The plateau here used to have enough water and soil to support itself as a trading post. The rock has a good view of the surrounding area too, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°How do you know so much about this place?¡± Nelys asked excitedly.

    ¡°My father and mother work for the Grand Temple in Baetnal. This location is important enough to maintain, or at least it was several years ago.¡±

    ¡°What are the other gods like?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°There are quite a lot of them, but I suppose I can tell you about the seven other major deities when we sit down and have time to spare.¡±

    We trudged in silence for a few minutes more, catching our breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised there¡¯s no castle or fort on the plateau.¡± I did my best to resolve the dark smudge on the horizon, and I thought I could see a bit of the outline of our destination.

    ¡°There was a fortification once, but that was so long ago it is likely no more than a few tunnels and heaps of stones.¡±

    ¡°The tunnels might work too!¡± Nelys¡¯ excitement threatened to overcome their fatigue.

    Aretan laughed and we resumed walking after a quick break for water. I kept thinking over what he said. Did Aretan really think the temple was the best place, or did he want to come here for some other reason? He seemed to genuinely care for Zarenna, so I wanted to doubt he¡¯d take us here if he didn¡¯t think it¡¯d help.

    We walked until I could clearly see the outline of the plateau through the heat haze. Evening came and cleared the skies. From this distance, lumps of what might be buildings were just visible across the plateau¡¯s surface.

    The desert here was rockier, and Aretan found us a place to camp that was mostly out of the wind. We didn¡¯t make a fire out of concern for visibility with how dangerous the region was becoming, but the temperature was comfortable enough to where we really didn¡¯t need it. We had brought light tents and bedrolls, but I knew sand would get everywhere and was prepared for a gritty, hard, uncomfortable night.

    Without a fire to stare into while we ate dinner, the silence around us quickly became awkward. Nelys broke it by telling more stories I¡¯d heard before. Aretan seemed to enjoy them well enough, but we were all distracted.

    Nelys was the first asleep and would take middle watch. I agreed to take the last watch and Aretan the first. My fatigue was clearly catching up to me faster than the others.

    ¡°Why do you want to go to the Temple of Aena, Aretan?¡± I asked, finding a rock to stare at rather than him.

    ¡°You figured out I had another reason.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t expected him to be so forward about it.

    I tensed up as I continued. ¡°What is that reason?¡±

    ¡°I told you my parents worked for the Temple, right? I¡¯ve always had an interest in the Gods of Navanaea, and I wished to seek guidance at the temple. It is said that more remote regions may lead to a clearer connection to the gods in times of need.¡± Aretan continued. ¡°I do truly think the Temple is the best place to find these scorpions, regardless.¡±

    I flinched. How easily I¡¯d started to mistrust him. I had been thinking about how I would interrogate him.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    I tried to let go of the tension, but it was slow to leave. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Do not be.¡± Fuck, I could tell he was smiling at me. ¡°I thought my reasons could come across as selfish, particularly if you do not follow the same faith as I. I should have told you without you having to ask.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡±

    My thoughts turned back to what kind of person I really was. I needed to sleep and get away for a while. I was tired enough that it should be easy.

    ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    I chanced a look at Aretan. His face showed concern. Fuck you. Why do you get to be so nice?

 Chapter 23: Temple of Aena

    Perspective: Seyari

    Nelys woke me for my watch before the sun rose. I¡¯d been lucky: no dreams last night. I watched the sun rise and did my best to keep my thoughts positive. Zarenna really was rubbing off on me, whether I wanted her to or not.

    Aretan had given me no reason to doubt him. Still, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to trust him and I couldn¡¯t tell myself why.

    Aretan talked of the other Navanaean Gods over a breakfast of trail rations, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention. Nelys, on the other hand, seemed to soak up the information like a sponge. I realized part-way through that I was waiting for Zarenna to jump in and ask a question.

    Despite the seriousness of our trip, the scene was comfortable and friendly. I stayed on the edges of the conversation and pushed us to pack and get going as soon as we were all finished eating.

    The mood grew somber by the time we reached the base of the rocky outcropping. Aretan showed us a path of steps worn into the rock. Hundreds of years of travelers had worn the stone smooth to the point of slickness.

    The path wound up along the side of the rock. The plateau was layered, and the path moved between relatively flat places and stuck mostly away from the edge. I¡¯d caught enough of a view of the top to see at least one rather large sandstone building, but now that we were upon the rock face, I could only guess what awaited us at the top.

    Nelys darted around nimbly. I worried they¡¯d fall, but assumed they could take care of themselves and didn¡¯t call out.

    Halfway up, Aretan stumbled next to me. I caught him and managed to maintain my own balance.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, looking toward where he would have fallen.

    The drop wasn¡¯t serious, but I didn¡¯t doubt it would have injured him.

    ¡°No problem,¡± I replied.

    He looked at me as if he wanted to reply. Before he could perhaps think better of doing so, he did anyway.

    ¡°Something else is bothering you besides Zarenna¡¯s injury, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Aretan paused for a long moment. ¡°I do not understand, but I will not ask. If it is anything I have done, I am deeply sorry and will do what I can to correct my behavior.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not you.¡±

    He nodded and quickly looked back toward the path ahead.

    It¡¯s me. It¡¯s always been me, but why do I care now? A year ago, I wouldn¡¯t have thought anything of something like this. Has meeting Zarenna changed me?

    I shook the thoughts from my head and we ascended the rest of the way to the top of the plateau.

    Up top, the wind was strong. Outlines of buildings were visible from short remains of their walls. Toward the center, the rock depressed and I could still see some scrub bushes clinging to life. Set behind this, toward the edge we faced when we approached the rock, was the only structure in good repair.

    The style was simple sandstone. The roof of the main chamber was domed, and the building was painted in faded earth tones streaked with bands of green and blue. The building must have at one point been surrounded by gardens, but now only few hardy desert flowers still clung to life near the base of the structure.

    I wondered if the flowers survived due to Aena¡¯s influence.

    Together we walked up to the door, its wood wind-worn and ill-fitting. Beside me, Nelys stared at the pale purple flowers.

    Aretan put a hand on the latch and turned back to us. ¡°The temple has a basement. I have only been here once before when I was very young, but I believe tunnels from the old fort connect to it and the outside. I think we should start our search there.¡±

    ¡°Can I pick a flower?¡± Nelys looked toward Aretan for permission.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Aena would mind just one, Nelys.¡± Aretan smiled back.

    Nelys returned with a bright smile of their own and plucked a single pale purple flower. Deftly, they reached around and stuck it at the base of one of my braids. I turned to look at them.

    ¡°I think it looks pretty with your eyes, Seyari!¡±

    I reached up and felt it carefully. After a moment of hesitation, I made sure the flower was secure on the side of my head and removed my hand.

    ¡°Thanks, Nelys.¡±

    ¡°Welcome! Now let¡¯s go catch a scorpion!¡±

    Aretan let out a short laugh and opened the door. Inside, the temple was barebones, but structurally sound and surprisingly clean. Windows of thick stained glass let in light colored into soft reddish-gold hues blotched with blues and greens.

    The front door led immediately into the large central chamber. Several doors were closed to the rear and sides. A statue of a well-proportioned Navanaean woman painted the colors of her Temple looked over the room from a small raised base at the rear of the otherwise empty chamber. The ceiling above was covered in a faded mural expertly made look like the view inside a lush jungle.

    ¡°Do you two mind if I take a moment to pay my respects to Aena?¡± Aretan broke the silence.

    ¡°Go for it,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start looking!¡± Nelys moved toward a side room.

    We¡¯d all taken sacks and jars for the capture as well as thick gloves. I took a door next to Nelys and got to looking while Aretan kneeled in front of the statue of Aena.

    He only took a few minutes before joining us in our search. The upper floor was empty of furniture and the type of scorpion we were looking for, though not entirely devoid of small life.

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    I half expected Nelys to ask to keep the desert mouse we found in the old kitchen as a pet.

    Soon enough, we found the door to the basement and the probable tunnels and catacombs below.

    ¡°I should mention the feeling I received from Aena,¡± Aretan said as we stood by the angled frame of the basement door.

    ¡°Was it a bad feeling?¡± Nelys asked.

    I refrained from speaking. Saying I had a bad history with deities was putting it mildly, but I wasn¡¯t about to start an argument.

    ¡°Aena seemed distant, but I could feel, of all things, anger. I think something is wrong here.¡±

    ¡°Like a monster in the tunnels?¡± Nelys seemed excited more than nervous.

    ¡°Potentially. Something, living or not, is here that is unwelcome.¡±

    I frowned at Aretan¡¯s statement. ¡°What sorts of things are unwelcome to Aena?¡± My tone was acidic.

    Aretan studied me for a moment before replying. ¡°The Gods of Navanaea are embodiments of their domain. If something is unwelcome, whatever it is must go against Aena¡¯s domain. Nothing else would be unwelcome.¡±

    ¡°Demons included, right?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Aena does not align with demons or angels, so yes.¡±

    ¡°But some Navanaean gods do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Zud aligns with the Demonic Realm and Eorr with the Celestial Realm. Zud is not widely worshipped, but as a member of the Eight, he is respected nevertheless.¡±

    From Nelys¡¯ expression it was clear this had already been explained by Aretan previously. It¡¯s not like I made much of an attempt to hide that I wasn¡¯t paying close attention this morning.

    ¡°Did you not listen this morning, Seyari?¡± Nelys¡¯ tone was playfully accusative. ¡°Zud is why demon binding is practiced in Navanaea!¡±

    ¡°Are angels bound the same way?¡± I asked with genuine curiosity.

    ¡°Not in the same way, but mutual agreements can happen, yes. Although they are exceedingly rare and among the angels involved, few stay in Varra,¡± Aretan explained.

    Angelic contracts in Navanaea were news to me. Something to think about later. Knowing this put some perspective on practices within the Church.

    ¡°So there¡¯s a chance there¡¯s something down there that¡¯s bad for the soil of the plateau?¡± I tried to summarize.

    ¡°Close enough, yes,¡± Aretan nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready for a fight then.¡± I checked my gear and felt for the familiar presence of my magic.

    Beside me, the other two performed their own checks. Aretan was equipped with a longsword and buckler while Nelys pulled a pair of knives out from somewhere. Aretan looked determined and Nelys¡¯ excited.

    ***

    In the basement of the Temple, nothing awaited our descent. The air was cool and less dry than above. The first room was like those above, but further down the hall the rest of the lower floor was simply carved out of the rock.

    Aside from the remains of crates and barrels, the first room was empty. Down the hall, however, light shone in from a small slat window carved into the rock wall of a side room.

    It was in this room where Nelys spotted a twindeath scorpion. They pointed to its shape barely distinct in a crevice of the rock wall.

    I crept forward carefully. Both hands were covered in thick gloves and I doubted it could sting through my boots, but I didn¡¯t want to take any chances.

    With a swift motion, I threw the sack over the crevice. The scorpion didn¡¯t fall into the sack, however. It probably clung more tightly to the crevice. Despite this, I could see a sharp, rapid shape in the sack, showing it had tried to sting.

    I wished I had four hands for this. I motioned for someone to come hold the top of the sack. Nelys bounded over and reached up on their tiptoes to hold it in place.

    With my free hand, I grabbed one of my daggers. With the sheath still on it. I pushed against the thick fabric and flicked upward through the crevice. A small, thrashing weight fell into the sack.

    Nelys and I quickly retreated to the hallway with our prize, which we carefully pushed into a jar. The small thing stung anything that came near it viciously and rapidly. Thankfully, no one was hit anywhere they weren¡¯t protected. We left airholes at the top of the jar and set it back by the exit to the basement.

    No sense in risking a fragile container with an angry, deadly arachnid inside it if we had to fight something. Still, we needed to find more in case the one we had didn¡¯t survive or have enough venom.

    The passage turned ahead and the air grew noticeably moister. However, carried on it were faint traces of a sharp pungent scent. Alert, and with hands on our weapons, we advanced down the hall to the single side room which had no door. Further on, the hallway narrowed and tilted down into the rock.

    From the side room, a rapid tapping sound could be heard. Aretan, despite only wearing the chain shirt from his armor set, took the lead. I followed behind with Nelys, my magic and short sword at the ready.

    Carefully, we snuck a glance into the room. A well, or at least what had once been a well, sat in the center of the room. Around it was a noisome morass of remains and leavings. Nestled amongst the filth, a large, dark brown, sinuous insectoid body shifted.

    The monster quickly perceived our presence, and a giant centipede as big around as my torso lunged forward. The front few pairs of legs were aimed squarely at Aretan¡¯s chest like a set of knives. He managed to block one side with his buckler while his chain shirt seemed to stop the others.

    He took a swing in retaliation and cut deep into the centipede¡¯s carapace. Calling upon my magic, I fired a blade of wind further down the thing¡¯s body. With limited space I had to make sure I didn¡¯t hit Aretan or Nelys.

    Our diminutive friend avoided the thrashing tail and its wicked looking spikes with a leap. They drove one dagger into its head before the monster¡¯s thrashing threw them away.

    Aretan kept its front locked in battle, but the rear and body of the creature started to thrash around the room. I had no idea which of its pointy bits were most dangerous so I tried to stay away from all of them.

    Another blade of my wind took off the spines by its tail end. Nelys kept up their dodging and bounded off the wall to drive another dagger through its thick carapace midway down its body, having just narrowly missed the head.

    Aretan took off yet more legs, and the chittering clacking, hissing mass, recoiled. With a yell, the man took the opening granted to him and thrust his blade between the monster¡¯s mandibles. The entire body convulsed and twitched, scattering filth across the room and the three of us.

    As quickly as I could, I conjured wind to blow myself and the others clean and push whatever was in the air back down before we could breathe it.

    After a few more moments, the thing died. Nelys removed their daggers and all of us rushed back into the hallway for fresh air.

    ¡°What. The fuck. Was that disgusting bug?¡± I heaved out between breaths.

    We¡¯d run all the way back to the room with the window and I was cycling fresh air in from outside.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Aretan barely managed to avoid retching when he took a breath in. ¡°It could have been a, ugh, magical monster or a known species I have not heard of.¡±

    Nelys tried to say something, but only succeeded in gagging. The poor thing had already vomited in the corner when we ran in.

    ¡°At least it¡¯s fucking dead,¡± I coughed.

    Nelys gave a thumbs up.

    ¡°Seyari,¡± Aretan addressed me after a few moments. ¡°Could you use your magic to clean that room? I do not think it could be any clearer that thing was what Aena wanted gone.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say. And yeah, I can. I¡¯ll need to find something to cover my face first.¡±

    After repurposing one of my least-favorite shirts as a face covering, I set about blowing the well room clean. Needless to say no living twindeath scorpions were in the room, but Nelys and Aretan managed to capture two more in other side rooms further in and get them safely jarred. Nelys also thought to capture some food for the scorpions, so the two of them spent several minutes chasing insects around the rooms before taking some of them in a fourth jar.

    Unfortunately, my magic was ill suited to clean the well itself. We had nothing to purify the water, but Aretan bravely sacrificed his rope for us to use an ancient pail from an earlier room to haul the worst of the filth out of what little water remained at the bottom.

    After an hour, the room was tolerable to be in again. Desperately wanting a bath, I and the others left the temple on our long walk back. Comfort would have to wait until Zarenna was safe.

    ¡°Do you think it was a demon, Seyari?¡± Aretan asked as we walked carefully back down the plateau toward the dunes.

    ¡°Are either of your weapons magical?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Aretan answered.

    Nelys shook their head.

    ¡°Then, no, it wasn¡¯t a demon. At least not a proper lesser demon, or your attacks would have done little to nothing.¡±

    ¡°Some kind of magical monstrosity then?¡±

    ¡°I fucking hope whatever that was wasn¡¯t a normal bug.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Clearly, Aretan was bothered by that thing showing up out here. I was too, but not in the spiritual sense. First the scorpion, and now this thing. The impending war with the Desertkin was clearly pushing Navanaea¡¯s defense away from its interior. Hopefully, that was all, but even then, these events did not bode well for our journey to Liseu. We¡¯d have to cross close to Desertkin territory.

    That, however, was a problem for much later down the road. Our job now was to make sure Zarenna got the antivenom she needed to recover.

 Chapter 24: Recovery

    Perspective: Zarenna

    I heard voices in the darkness. I couldn¡¯t make out what was said. I strained and strained to catch the words, but didn¡¯t understand any of them. I grew more and more confused as to why I couldn¡¯t make out anything that was said. I couldn¡¯t even figure out what was wrong with me.

    With a start, my last memories flooded back to me.

    I sat up with a jolt. Someone next to me shouted in surprise. Someone else hugged me weakly. I blinked my eyes to clear the stars from them. I had a pounding headache, my throat was parched, my mana was exhausted, and I was hungrier than I¡¯d been since I left my island.

    I looked around to see who had shouted. Whoever they were had left the wagon, which I realized I was laying down in. That means we won right? How long was I out? I couldn¡¯t feel the venom in my body any more.

    ¡°Mmgldyrokay,¡± the person hugging me mumbled into my chest.

    I looked down and blinked, realizing I had my aura sight on. Nelys was clutching on to me tightly enough I could see their muscles straining. Their magical aura was very weak. A peculiar sort of cyan that looked as though it really wanted to be any color other than blue, but couldn¡¯t figure out how to make that happen. At the center of their chest was a brighter spot of aura. I blinked to turn off the sight and gave Nelys a four-armed hug in return.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked Nelys.

    My voice was weaker than I expected.

    ¡°You got stung and tossed. Then you used magic to get really hot and melt the sand! But you passed out after and looked really sick.¡±

    I remembered most of what Nelys had said so far, but I wasn¡¯t aware I¡¯d melted sand before passing out. From my apprenticeship with Bourick years ago, I had a vague idea of the heat required. Could I really make fire that hot? Was it hotter than the lava I swam in when I became a demon?

    ¡°What about after I passed out? Did we kill that monster scorpion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Nelys¡¯ expression turned from happy to sad in an instant. ¡°Some people died though. Aretan killed the scorpion about when you got knocked out.¡±

    ¡°How long was I out?¡± I could hear conversation outside, particularly a group coming closer whose voices I at least partly recognized.

    Nelys counted for a second. ¡°Five nights.¡±

    Five nights. I was surprised at how coherent I was. Nelys and the others must have taken care of me. I wondered how I had beaten the poison, but I wouldn¡¯t have to wonder for long as the conversation outside reached the back of the wagon.

    Seyari entered the wagon first. I realized how rarely I¡¯d seen her smile, and how unfamiliar the honest happiness she showed seemed. Behind her was a relieved looking Aretan and a bushy-eyebrowed old man I didn¡¯t recognize. Nelys broke the hug to face them, and the group that just entered quickly turned to look away. Seyari¡¯s face burned a shade of pink I hadn¡¯t seen on her. Aretan coughed.

    It took me a moment to realize I¡¯d been topless under the sheet. I looked down as if to confirm what I could already feel. I rushed to cover myself with my two lower arms, but failed to hide my embarrassment.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± My face shifted to a deeper shade of crimson.

    Really, it was their fault for leaving me undressed! I remembered my clothes had burned away as I fell. Whether I liked it or not, I realized that in order to get me back to the wagon, they¡¯d seen more than what I had just inadvertently showed. I didn¡¯t feel terribly reassured by this.

    After I covered myself, the old man said something in Navvish to Aretan.

    ¡°He wants to make sure the antivenom worked,¡± Aretan translated for the rest of us. ¡°How are you feeling Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°Thirsty, hungry, tired, mana exhausted, and I have a headache.¡±

    ¡°We can take care of the first two.¡± Aretan turned to leave, then paused. ¡°Nelys, could you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Nelys popped up and dashed out of the wagon.

    ¡°Thank you all for taking care of me.¡± I spoke loudly enough that I hoped Nelys heard.

    ¡°You are welcome!¡± Aretan immediately responded.

    Seyari seemed to have difficulty meeting my gaze, but eventually she responded, ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    ¡°He was the one who made the antivenom, though.¡± Aretan gestured to the old man who had approached me.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said in my best approximation of Navvish.

    The old man, who had seemed surprised by my earlier words, was clearly taken aback by what I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± He replied hesitantly, then turned to give instructions to Aretan.

    From the conflicted look on Aretan¡¯s face, I guessed simple instructions weren¡¯t all that was said. Seyari¡¯s expression darkened, but softened slightly when I gave her my best smile. She, at least, didn¡¯t mind all the sharp teeth.

    Over the next few minutes, I had my aura checked, my temperature and pulse probed, my back and limbs poked and prodded, and several other things I hoped were strictly necessary. At the very least, this old man seemed to act the consummate professional.

    I was given a clean bill of health, and the chirurgeon left only a few minutes later. Nelys returned with something I didn¡¯t expect: freshly cooked street food along with a waterskin. I took the meal from them with a quick thanks and a tousle of their hair. I tucked in right away while using my lower arms to keep myself modest.

    At the urging of Aretan, I did stop long enough to put something on. I was down to my last shirt, and borrowing pants, but street food meant a town and a town meant clothing.

    While I ate, the others told me of all that had happened after I passed out. The three of them had their own adventure, which made me a little jealous I¡¯d missed out. I honestly felt lucky to be alive, though. All throughout, Seyari kept forcing her gaze off me. She was also unusually quiet.

    As I ate, I thought about another thing: how lucky it was I¡¯d found friends like these. With what I was now, there was every chance I wouldn¡¯t ever experience a comfortable, happy moment like this. Nelys had even gotten me a double portion (perhaps more, but whatever, I was a big girl) and by the time I finished my meal, I felt a good chunk of the way back to normal.

    Done stuffing my face, I spoke up again. ¡°Is this the oasis town? When do we leave for Baetnal?

    ¡°We are in Ratev, yes. Florian has said we will move out tomorrow morning,¡± Aretan replied.

    ¡°How much daylight do we have left?¡± I wanted to get clothing and get it altered enough to fit my extra bits.

    ¡°Lots!¡± Nelys responded.

    ¡°It¡¯s just before noon,¡± Seyari finally spoke.

    ¡°Thanks. Are you okay, Seyari?¡± I tilted my head at her. ¡°I messed up and almost died. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Seyari was quiet in response.

    ¡°I will tell Florian we are going into town to top up on supplies,¡± Aretan quickly volunteered an exit.

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    Nelys looked between Seyari and me, before following Aretan out at the merc captain¡¯s gesture.

    Seyari looked after them for a moment before breaking the uncomfortable silence that had started to form.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know what they¡¯re on about, but I¡¯m fucking fine.¡± Seyari wasn¡¯t looking at me.

    I tilted my head in concern. ¡°You only swear when something¡¯s got you worked up.¡±

    I let the words hang for a moment.

    Then another. I realized she wasn¡¯t going to respond, but she didn¡¯t move to get up.

    ¡°Are you okay to talk about it?¡±

    Another long pause.

    I was about to continue when she spoke again, still staring at the back of the wagon. ¡°Not really, no.¡±

    ¡°So, is that a ¡®no¡¯ for sure? Because¡ª"

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a ¡®no¡¯ for sure.¡±

    ¡°Can you at least tell me if there¡¯s anything I can do to help you feel better?¡± I asked softly.

    Seyari¡¯s shoulders slumped. She let out a long exhale that tapered into a rattle at the end.

    ¡°It¡¯s not something you¡¯d ever do.¡±

    ¡°Try me.¡±

    Seyari looked up at me with a conflicted expression. ¡°Leave now, then. Walk away and never look back.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect that answer. I felt she was being overly dramatic, but I bit back a joking retort.

    I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯d never do that. I don¡¯t think you want that either.¡±

    ¡°How do you know what I want?¡± Seyari spat.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, I guess. But I do know that you¡¯re only acting angry but I can¡¯t sense a shred of anger coming from you.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this. Sorry.¡± She made to stand up.

    I knew I was overreaching, but I stood after her and put a hand on her shoulder. She spun around and slapped me. Her eyes were wet. The strike stung, just not physically.

    I didn¡¯t react, but I met her gaze.

    After a few moments, her look turned apologetic. ¡°Fuck. I¡ªsorry, just¨C¡°

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have stopped you from leaving just now,¡± I replied in an even a tone as I could.

    ¡°But you did.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    A moment of silence stretched out as we stared into each other¡¯s eyes. I couldn¡¯t quite place the emotions shown within, but she looked more unsure than I¡¯d ever seen her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me now, but there is nothing you could possibly say that¡¯d make me leave you.¡± I took a breath and continued, ¡°And yeah, I don¡¯t know that for sure. But I don¡¯t think any reaction I could have would be worse than what you¡¯re doing to yourself.¡±

    ¡°You¡­you¡­You¡¯re un-fucking-believable.¡± Seyari¡¯s expression flushed.

    Only then did I realize the implication of what I¡¯d said. I won¡¯t leave you. I¡¯d just implied a whole lot and probably more than I¡¯d admitted to myself.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut it, Zarenna.¡± I expected another slap, but instead she turned and embraced me.

    I went stiff for a moment before cautiously hugging Seyari back. Barely had I done so, however, before she pulled away. In this moment, some amount of mutual confusion dissipated.

    Seyari spoke softly, ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯m gonna fucking regret it, but I¡¯ll tell you everything. And then you¡¯ll leave and I¡¯ll have to fucking deal with that.¡±

    ¡°Seyari,¡± I paused and she looked up at me. I couldn¡¯t stop my tone from wavering and my eyes from growing wet, but I pressed on. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to judge you on the person you are now. You accepted me despite knowing I¡¯m a demon. If I can¡¯t do the same, then I¡¯m not worth your time.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the person I am now.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking like that, Seyari. You¡¯re either the best actor on Varra, or I have a damn good idea the type of person you are.¡±

    I expected a denial.

    Instead, Seyari spoke in a small voice. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll think about that.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said sincerely. ¡°And sorry for cornering you.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s tone brightened slightly. ¡°Fuck you. I might¡¯ve needed that, though. Don¡¯t do it again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    I smiled at her and the corners of Seyari¡¯s mouth curled in what could very generously call an attempt to return the expression.

    ¡°You¡¯re missing the teeth.¡± I pointed a claw at my own fanged smile.

    That got an actual smile from the silver-eyed woman.

    ¡°Not a lot of people would agree, you weird demon.¡±

    Seyari left the wagon and I followed her out. She looked back at me questioningly.

    I shrugged. ¡°I need new pants.¡±

    ¡°Then go get new pants. Town¡¯s right there.¡± Seyari pointed at the sizeable town beside our camp.

    ¡°I can, but¡­¡± I pointed to my collar with two hands and held my tail in the others.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°Right¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting whatever¡¯s cheap and durable.¡±

    I pouted.

    In the end, we spent the day exploring Ratev.

    The clothes I ended up receiving weren¡¯t the most comfortable, but we hadn¡¯t the time for anything custom tailored. I¡¯d known Elena back in Port Princely had been an anomaly, but the insane amount of work she had done for me in that short time became obvious in the face of the quickly-altered clothing we managed to fit my body into. I felt terrible for the fates even her basic clothing had suffered.

    The tailor in Ratev, who spoke some Turquoiser, called my body shape awkward. I maintain it¡¯s the clothing that¡¯s awkward. In fact, for the slightest of moments when I was waking from my venom-induced coma, I worried that my new life as a demon had all been a dream. I still felt guilt at my worry. After all, if it was a dream, so many of those close to me would still be alive. I banished the dark thoughts from my mind as best I could.

    Walking around the town, the weight of my own breasts never felt so comfortable. Even if the unusual bodice was slightly tighter than I would have liked. Though we¡¯d purchased traveling clothing more akin to what I was familiar with, I had managed to convince Seyari to get a more local outfit, the complexities of which I still struggled with.

    Over my slightly tight top, a long purple and silver drape was wound around in ways I sorely doubted I could replicate. A petticoat that was altered for my tail went down past my knees and maintained my modesty. Modesty was something I was glad for as the looks we received were plenty and rarely kind. Demon binding may be practiced in Navanaea, but today I learned it was only popular among the elite.

    There was another road out of town we had passed, toward the river. Asking at lunch had told us that direction led to farms and a host of villages close to the river, the size of which was limited due to flooding we were told sometimes almost reached Ratev itself in the wetter seasons.

    With our necessities taken care of, Seyari and I sat in a park by the oasis, which had surprised me with its localized explosion of greenery. Despite summer turning to autumn, some of the plants were still in bloom. Above us, a tree covered in waning flowers cast shade and dropped petals all around its base. Had we just gone on a date? Had Aretan taken Nelys so we could have this time for ourselves?

    Evidently, Seyari had a similar line of thought, because she steered the conversation very quickly toward a less romantic topic.

    ¡°You need to learn how to use a weapon, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m comfortable using my magic, claws, tail and horns,¡± I listed items off on my fingers.

    ¡°You¡¯ll only have magic with your glamour on. And with a mundane aura, doing anything more than big spark isn¡¯t smart.¡±

    My stomach clenched at the mention of being forced into my glamour. ¡°What about punches and kicks?¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°You need reach.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m plenty tall already.¡±

    ¡°Not going to be enough, even if you could kill someone with a punch as fast as a blade across the throat.¡±

    There went any lingering fragments of a cheery mood. I¡¯d need to face the fact that I couldn¡¯t exactly live in Edath openly as a demon. Be they people or monsters, I very well may need to fight to kill between here and there.

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to teach me to use a sword?¡± I asked, trying to figure the direction of our conversation.

    Seyari snorted, ¡°No. Swords take years of training to use effectively. A small blade like a dagger would be wasted with your size, too. You¡¯re learning how to use a spear.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Are spears really that much easier to learn?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re certainly easier to pick up.¡± Seyari shrugged.

    ¡°What about a something like a halberd?¡± I thought back to all the weapons I¡¯d seen working in Bourick¡¯s smithy.

    ¡°That would probably work for you, but I¡¯ve never used something like that. Spear first, at least.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I guess,¡± I leaned against the trunk and looked out across the oasis.

    Seyari stood up and dusted herself off.

    I turned over to her and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°We have some time until sundown.¡±

    ¡°Today?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to change clothes.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±

    Seyari looked at me expectantly.

    ¡°Do I need to come with you to get a spear?¡± I asked her.

    Seyari pointed up at my height. ¡°I¡¯m not a giant, so I¡¯ll need you there to help pick one out.¡±

    ¡°Do they even sell weapons here?¡± I tried one last time to get out of getting up.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I sighed and dragged myself back onto my feet.

    As we left the oasis, Seyari plucked a pink flower from a bush and stuck it in a braid at the side of her head. The action seemed unlike her, but I didn¡¯t comment.

    In the end, it was a good thing a spear was what we were after, because the smithy had very few weapons compared to every-day tools. The owner, an older Navanaean man, seemed surprised a pair like us would be interested in a common spear.

    In the end, we managed to find something that was almost tall enough for me. Simple and steel-tipped, with a handle of dark, strong wood. It felt light in my hands, like a toy rather than a killing implement. Seyari had gotten one for herself as well.

    The rest of the hours until sundown were spent teaching me how to stand and thrust and position myself. I had managed to get Seyari to let me change first, at least. We practiced in a clear area by where the caravan was parked. I felt like I¡¯d made some progress, but my additional arms were something Seyari didn¡¯t know how to position. My tail went unused and even got in the way since it wasn¡¯t being used as a counterweight.

    We agreed the weapon was something I¡¯d need to practice with in my glamour, but Seyari didn¡¯t want to show off to everyone in the caravan what I could do to hide my nature. I was more than happy to agree.

    At some point, Nelys stopped by to watch. Aretan joined toward the end and helped with my posture, offering advice on how I might be able to use my limbs and tail. The mercenary captain was an expert with many hafted weapons, and I attributed much of my progress to his intervention. Seyari was knowledgeable, but her instructions more often than not were difficult to follow.

    The rest of the evening passed in a blur of firelight, friends, and food. The other mercenaries, who I still knew only in passing, were completely at ease around me for the first time on the trip. Florian even stopped by briefly, to offer his thanks. I felt all of this was overblown, but I enjoyed the company and goodwill too much to care.

    Morning came all too soon. The repairs had finished the day before I awoke. We were packed up and on the road by the time the sun crept fully into the clear blue sky.

 Chapter 25: Unara and Karya

    Thankfully, the trip from Ratev to Baetnal was uneventful. I spent much of my time with Seyari and Nelys. Aretan split his time as best he could between his mercenaries and us, though the evenings saw both cliques meld together.

    I even got to meet some of the more skittish folk from Florian¡¯s group, although we hardly did more than exchange pleasantries. I found the mercenaries to be significantly worse at liar¡¯s dice and Turquoiser poker than the crew of the Lady of Liseu had been. I wondered this to Nelys who cheerfully informed me it was because they were worse at cheating. I don¡¯t know what to make of the diminutive ex-pirate most all the time, honestly. At least now I could say I won often enough to lose my coppers slowly.

    Seyari¡¯s mood had improved. We sat closer, talked more often, and I could tell she was making an attempt to let herself have a friendship that we both wanted. And maybe more. Someday, perhaps.

    I learned from Aretan about what had stung me. A titan scorpion, that monstrosity was called. Their venom was magical in nature, which was why it had affected me the way it did. My face had paled when he described how nothing was known to survive its sting. I was happy there had been a similar scorpion and a chirurgeon with magical training.

    The Navanaean man told me a great deal about The Eight. Navanaean Gods were something I had been completely unfamiliar with. That they did not treat demons and angels the same as the Church of Dhias gave me hope for my future. Though my kind (still felt odd to say such a thing) were still seen as evil based on their actions.

    This wasn¡¯t something I intended to dispute, but I wondered about whether I¡¯d meet other demons like myself. Perhaps if I did, I¡¯d soften my stance. Either way, I wanted to be judged for who I was rather than what I was. Seyari should be given a similar courtesy; judged for who she is now rather than who she was in the past.

    Navanea¡¯s Eight didn¡¯t seem to mind I was a demon, at least. I thanked Aena for her old temple providing what I needed to recover. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d follow her closely, but the fact Aretan assured me I wouldn¡¯t be rejected outright made a convincing case. The prayer ritual itself was uncomplicated and largely unstructured, much to my relief.

    Amongst all the pleasantries, spear practice continued unabated. Somewhere along the line, Seyari gave me a shield to use as well. In reality, it was the top of a damaged barrel and a cut of old rope. I used it with my lower right arm, spear in the upper left. A left-handed demon was an irony not lost on me, but I¡¯d been that way before as well. My parents had decided not to try to ¡®correct¡¯ my handedness. I still missed them dearly.

    Still, I¡¯d press onward with my new life. I would find Tania and get closure. Revenge was secondary.

    When we finally sighted the city of Baetnal from a small rise, I was more than ready for a night in a nice bed. The city itself was the kind of sprawling mass where stylistic and architectural cohesion was lost in favor of an almost organic sense of the progression of time. A city, largely, of its people. The land here was firmer and rockier; elevated slightly from the desert. From shrubs and small trees scattered about, the region was also evidently wetter.

    The Nav River curved through the city; banks hemmed in by sloped fitted stone. The depth showed the extent to which it would swell in late winter. Even this far inland, boats of all sizes clogged its surface. Beyond the city cultivated fields huddled against the river to the horizon.

    Towering above this scene, rose a kaleidoscope of color. On a plateau sat the Grand Palace of Navanaea. I¡¯d been told of the ancient fortress by Aretan, but no description could do justice to the artistry displayed. The palace seemed to float, nearly disconnected from the city below it. Just visible over the rear walls, towering trees of green spoke of grand gardens, immense domes, and tall towers with stunning views.

    Despite the beauty, I couldn¡¯t help but think of how it clashed with the heap of city below, where bright Navanaean colors mixed together in an incoherent statement of the common person. The palace seemed to lord over the surroundings and stand distinct from them, as if a separate world. I doubted the symbolism was unintentional.

    Around me, Nelys looked with awe, Seyari a clouded expression, and for many of the mercenary company, the weary elation of returning home. I subconsciously wondered if all the cities I visited would somehow lead me to vistas like this.

    When we moved closer, the buzz of activity from the busy capital became obvious. An outer wall was being constructed around Baetnal, and not a small one. The city had long ago expanded past the old walls, and from what Aretan had said, open war with the Desertkin was all but a reality. I¡¯d never met any of the insectoid humanoids myself, but after the last few years as myself, I doubted I¡¯d react with open hostility.

    Just inside, a modern-looking military compound was filled with soldiers drilling in orderly lines. Many were using polearms and shields, which gave me hope that I might be able to find some instruction. Florian had business in the city, and that meant a few days of rest and exploration. Certainly not enough to learn a new weapon, but hopefully enough for a few points of guidance and enough to make a decision.

    Guards checked over all our documents. Aretan had signed us on as part of his company, but we were still stopped. After an hour-long delay that deeply frustrated Florian, a military mage was brought to check my binding and my aura.

    I tried to keep my posture as neutral as possible. After all, despite the fact I wasn¡¯t really bound by my contract, I technically had the sigil and collar and the magic binding in place. The mage¡¯s gaze lingered heavily at the symbol on my chest. Eventually, however, she turned her gaze back to Seyari.

    ¡°Your contract, please,¡± she spoke in fluent Turquoiser.

    ¡°What?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Your contract. License, application, approval. You do have that, yes?¡±

    ¡°Is it not clear she¡¯s bound properly?¡± Seyari¡¯s tone was sharp.

    ¡°Indeed. But that one is powerful and it surely was approved by the crown, yes?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re foreign. I don¡¯t know what approval you want,¡± Seyari seemed to look for a way out, while Aretan¡¯s expression had gone hard.

    I wanted desperately to speak up, but that would only make things worse. I especially wanted to proclaim that I was not an ¡®it¡¯.

    ¡°Understood,¡± the mage turned to Aretan and Florian, ¡°The rest of you may enter Baetnal. The demon and its summoner must stay outside.¡±

    Seyari looked ready to argue, but Aretan spoke first, ¡°Are you certain they cannot enter?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Now hurry along, you have held up inspections far too long already.¡±

    Because you took your sweet time coming over here. I thought to myself. That she¡¯d come from the nearby military complex was obvious to everyone present.

    Surprising all of us, Florian spoke up, ¡°I can attest to their integrity, if that¡¯s what this is about. Those two are the reason the caravan made it at all, what with how unsafe the road was.¡±

    ¡°Matters of war demand a reduction of patrols for lesser routes. I will not make an exception, especially for a foreigner.¡± The mage¡¯s rising voice brokered no compromise.

    More than my nice bath was slipping away. If we couldn¡¯t get into the city, we¡¯d be stuck out here with no shelter at the very least. We¡¯d also need to meet with the others as they left and I could tell from the look we were getting that staying close to the new walls wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    ¡°Captain Anva! Are you giving these two a hard time?¡± A voice I absolutely did not expect came out of the crowd.

    Prince Malich strode forward, clad in a very cleanly trimmed white shirt and a pair of matching trousers. Flanking him were professional looking guards in full armor. At his side strode another demon covered almost entirely in plain gray robes.

    How? He would have had to come by boat and leave about the same time we did to beat us here. Was he waiting for us? Was this a coincidence?

    I slid my eyes past the rude prince and to the demon by his side. They were androgynous in both physique and presentation. Humanoid with dull grey skin, they nevertheless had a face that struck me as uncanny. Something about their overlarge solid black eyes, too-small nose, and wide mouth. They had no hair, but their head was dotted with many small horns. Their robe obscured any other physical details from my sight. What I could see, however, was the thick collar and intricate rune on their left cheek.

    The mage, Captain Anva apparently, bowed lightly, but her expression remained stern.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°These two foreigners are dangerous, my Prince. They do not have their contract.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I suspected as much.¡± Prince Malich¡¯s smile was overly sweet. ¡°I¡¯ve verified their contract myself. That they lack identification is no doubt the fault of my assistants.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a copy of the contract with you?¡± Captain Anva¡¯s resolution wavered.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. You see, I just arrived in town by boat the other day and I did not think to double check the work of my subordinates.¡± Malich shot an angry glare at his entourage.

    The guards wilted, but the demon grew a too-broad smile.

    ¡°Do you suggest I let them into Baetnal, my Prince?¡± Anva asked.

    ¡°Is your head full of sand? Yes! In fact, they are due at my estate this evening.¡± The third prince glanced our way as if daring us to refute his claim.

    Thankfully, Anva didn¡¯t ask our opinion on the matter. I doubted I could agree with a straight face and from the rather intense look Seyari had, I didn¡¯t think it would have gone well.

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Anva acquiesced. ¡°I will record that these individuals were allowed entry by royal exemption.¡±

    Prince Malich took a moment to reply. ¡°Very well. Now, if you two would follow me.¡±

    The third prince looked expectantly at us, like the cat who caught the mouse.

    Seyari¡¯s look shifted and she replied with an exaggerated bow, ¡°Of course, your majesty. Unfortunately, we have business with the caravan to sort our payment and retrieve our goods. What time are we expected tonight?¡±

    Prince Malich looked like he¡¯d bitten a lemon. I recalled he had said ¡®this evening¡¯. Good one Seyari, I thought.

    ¡°I am certain that may be taken care of while you are at the estate. You must be quite tired from your long journey, after all.¡± The prince managed to hold his expression neutral, but his eyes burned.

    ¡°Your majesty, I must apologize, but I have yet to finalize their payment and will need the two of them present to identify their goods and ensure our books are balanced before we change wagons,¡± Florian interjected.

    I hadn¡¯t expected him to intervene, and from the sweat across his brow I don¡¯t think Florian himself expected what he said.

    ¡°Acceptable,¡± Prince Malich said through gritted teeth. ¡°Of course, as my personal guests, I insist that my guards accompany you. It would not do to have your pedigree questioned by incompetents.¡± He glared at Anva who returned the expression before stalking off back toward the garrison.

    ¡°Your majesty, we¡ª¡° Seyari started, but Malich cut her off.

    ¡°Dinner is at sundown. I expect you¡¯ll arrive an hour before as agreed, yes?¡± His regal tone broke partway through the sentence.

    A small crowd, mostly of workers from the wall, had formed by this point. Seyari looked to me and I gave an unsure look back at her.

    ¡°As you are aware, we are more than capable ourselves,¡± Seyari retorted hotly.

    Aretan quickly stepped in, ¡°I can assure you, my Prince, that my mercenary company will ensure their safety until this evening. You need not waste your resources on us.¡±

    Prince Malich¡¯s composure broke. ¡°Fine. One hour before sundown. Do not even think of making me wait.¡±

    The Third Prince glared at us, before turning on his heel and walking away. The demon¡¯s gaze remained fixed on me as they retreated, looking over my shoulder. I noticed they never blinked. I shivered involuntarily. I hated to judge, but I did not like them.

    Returning from wherever they had retreated to, the guards we had first seen gave Florian and Aretan their papers back in a hurry before moving toward the next group in line.

    ¡°Do we even go in the city now?¡± I looked at the partially constructed wall and the scrubland outside the city. The sprawl extended beyond even the new walls.

    Seyari hummed in thought and turned to Aretan. ¡°Could we meet up outside?¡±

    Aretan thought a moment and then shook his head. ¡°There are increased patrols due to skirmishes with the desertkin, and the west gate of the city is finished. We could possibly meet in the desert, but if Malich is looking for you, we will be watched until we are well away from Baetnal.¡±

    I looked toward the military camp. With my eyesight, I could see at least one person watching us. ¡°They¡¯d also know we didn¡¯t go in. And that we disobeyed the Third Prince.¡±

    Seyari looked to me.

    I shrugged, but my eyes drifted toward the city.

    Seyari looked back to Aretan. ¡°We¡¯ll go in. I have a plan.¡±

    We walked into Baetnal surrounded by stares and whispers. So much for a relaxing time in the city.

    ***

    ¡°What was up with the Third Prince?¡± I asked Seyari once we got to the caravansary. ¡°It¡¯s clear he¡¯s planning something, but I thought he¡¯d fly off the handle sooner.¡±

    We were both helping to unload wagons. Around us, horses were being taken to stables for a well-deserved rest. Road conditions had not been favorable for them.

    ¡°He thinks he¡¯s winning.¡± Seyari set a crate down with a grunt.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Bullshit power games. I¡¯ve seen his type. He didn¡¯t know what to do the first time we met and I threw his offer in his face.¡± She looked up at me. ¡°Now he thinks he knows how to play us.¡±

    ¡°We at least made him a little mad, so that¡¯s good, right?¡±

    ¡°Good as in things aren¡¯t going just as the fucker wanted them to, yeah.¡±

    I tilted my head. ¡°How do we get out of this?¡±

    ¡°Easy,¡± Seyari replied matter-of-factly. ¡°We don¡¯t go. We¡¯ll need to get away from the caravan and stay somewhere in a part of town where it¡¯ll be hard to look for us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll have trouble finding me.¡± I bit my lip with a fang nervously.

    ¡°Then use your glamour. It sucks, but we need to hide.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± I pointed to Seyari¡¯s face. ¡°You stick out like a pale thumb around here.¡±

    ¡°I have a cosmetic kit for disguises. I can make something work easily. I¡¯ll also cover up that sigil on your cheek since I doubt it disappears in your glamour.¡±

    ¡°Why not just end the contract?¡±

    ¡°Because if we do get caught, then we¡¯d be totally fucked.¡±

    ¡°Okay, good point.¡± I idly tapped a claw against a horn, ¡°What about meeting up with the others?¡±

    Seyari sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not going to be easy. They¡¯ll be watched for sure.¡±

    ¡°So what then? Leave the city one way, circle around a few kilometers out, and then meet up on the way to Liseu?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡± Seyari paused in the middle of lifting a box. ¡°Ah, fuck.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I grabbed four small crates from next to her.

    ¡°They might watch the road and all the checkpoints out. We¡¯ll have to work something out with Aretan. I need to find out how much power that slimeball can swing around.¡±

    We stayed mostly silent after that while we finished unloading. After, we met up with Aretan and talked about our options. According to the merc captain, Florian wasn¡¯t going to be a part of any further plans. He wanted plausible deniability and while he didn¡¯t like the prince, as a foreign merchant, he couldn¡¯t risk an incident that would impact more than just his profit for the trip.

    Understandable, but frustratingly limited. In the end, we settled on disguises until we left and Aretan helped us pick an area in a poorer part of the city to stay. Full of migrants and hard-up travelers, its people were less likely to ask questions.

    When we decided to leave, the gates would be the riskiest. We¡¯d break the contract and hope the disguises would be enough. The Prince should have no way of knowing I could glamour myself and we doubted he¡¯d think we¡¯d end the contract.

    In fact, at Seyari¡¯s urging, we refrained from explaining my glamour to Aretan and instead just told him we had a solution that would disguise me thoroughly. I objected to this, but Aretan himself declined hearing any further ¡®details¡¯ since it was safest if he knew as little as possible.

    The last, and perhaps biggest, issue was Nelys. They wanted to go with us and we didn¡¯t want to say ¡®no¡¯, but they were also an unknown to the Prince. Aretan offered to keep them with his company, but Nelys put their foot down on staying with us. They insisted their presence would help mask us by adding a third person when it would be a group of two being looked for.

    Eventually, we gave in and agreed to let them come with us.

    We knew the Third Prince would send someone to watch us if he hadn¡¯t already. Seyari decided we needed to get as much of a head start as we could, so Aretan helped us find an unused room in the caravansary to get our disguises set up.

    With some amount of trepidation, I pulled on my magical reserves and forced the glamour over myself. Seyari sat to one side with a rather extensive mummer¡¯s kit open on a crate. How all of the powders, markers, and creams fit into the bag she¡¯d unwrapped was a mystery to me.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Nelys looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°I wish I could do something like that!¡±

    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t hate it.¡± I looked down at them, and at my newly pale skin. ¡°What would your glamour be anyway?¡±

    Nelys had always struck me as comfortable with themselves, but now they looked at me with a strange intensity.

    They clutched at their coral pendant under their shirt. ¡°Uh, well, something strong!¡±

    They forced a smile up at me. It seems I¡¯d hit a nerve, so I decided not to pry and changed the subject instead. ¡°Do I still have the sigil on my cheek?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Seyari spoke up from where she was applying a heavy compound to her face. ¡°I can cover that up easily. You¡¯ll need to be careful not to scratch at it.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I answered. ¡°Do we need to do anything else for me?¡±

    ¡°Not much I can do,¡± Seyari replied and turned to me with a half-altered face. ¡°You¡¯re too damn big so you¡¯ll stand out no matter what. Not many women walking around who are over two meters tall. I can put something in to color your eyes at least.¡±

    I surprised myself by wanting to reject that idea out of hand. My blue eyes were the only part of the old me I had, and the only part I¡¯d liked. I paused long enough for the question to hang a moment before agreeing.

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Good. They¡¯ll end up dark brown, probably.¡±

    ¡°Oh! What about me!¡± Nelys interjected, their earlier melancholy all but forgotten.

    Seyari looked them over. ¡°Dark hair¡¯s hard to dye, but I can brighten it up a little bit. Do you mind getting a haircut?¡±

    ¡°Aw, I can¡¯t have bright hair like yours?¡±

    The blond woman shook her head. ¡°It¡¯d damage your hair too much. The color probably wouldn¡¯t look right, either.¡±

    ¡°Aww. Okay.¡±

    We spent a while getting everything in place. By the end, my tattoo was covered and I¡¯d gotten some scarf-like garment ¡®borrowed¡¯ from the room to cover my collar. I also lost my beloved eye color for a greenish-brown. When she checked my makeup, the fact that Seyari, who was rather tall, didn¡¯t quite reach my shoulders was painfully obvious. I¡¯d gotten used to my height, so I¡¯d forgotten how outlandish it was. Thankfully, I doubted most people¡¯s first assumption would be ¡®demon in disguise¡¯.

    After we were finished, Seyari looked a completely different person. Her eyes had been tinted brown, though they still had a silvery sheen. Her hair was black and the braids had been undone into a single long, straight ponytail with long bangs framing the sides of her face. Her face itself had a slightly different shape. I had to take a moment to associate Seyari with her new face. She¡¯d definitely done this before.

    Nelys¡¯ curly mop had been trimmed down to a boyish cut and lightened slightly to a deep brown. Seyari hadn¡¯t done anything to alter their face.

    On top of this, we¡¯d managed to decide on aliases for the duration. Seyari became Unara, I took on the name Karya, and Nelys managed to somehow convince us to let them have Sylen.

    With rudimentary directions to the part of town we¡¯d hide out in, the three of us left through a secondary exit onto a crowded street. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever stop appreciating the view my height afforded, as I could see clearly down the entire avenue. At the moment, however, and at Seyari¡¯s instruction, I did my best to look relaxed and confident as we walked down increasingly narrow streets into the depths of Baetnal.

 Chapter 26: Fried Rice

    The place where we¡¯d chosen to rent a room was better than I dared hope it to be. While the area was only slightly above a slum, I¡¯d expected more filth in the streets. Navanaean architecture and city planning were a step beyond what I had been used to in Ordia. Proper sewers extended nearly the whole of the city, even here where the buildings stuck together like too many teeth packed in a row.

    I¡¯d guess the outflow to be the River Nav, but we hadn¡¯t encountered much of a stench crossing it, despite the midday autumn heat. We, or mostly my height had drawn some stares from the people here, but hardly anyone spoke out. Cultural or something unpleasant, I couldn¡¯t say the reason.

    Since neither Nelys or I spoke Navvish, Seyari spoke to those we encountered. Dry goods for a week had been purchased, and a room negotiated. Overall, we¡¯d arrived without serious issue. That I felt absolutely dreadful solely due to my glamour dug a sharp edge into my mood that I¡¯d tried not to show.

    I hadn¡¯t done very well at keeping my mood to myself, however. Seyari asked me not to scowl when she negotiated a large room for the three of us. Apparently, my dour mood and looming height had served wonders for negotiating the price of rice, but was unwelcome toward a place to stay.

    This time I wasn¡¯t the only one alone with my thoughts. Nelys had started off energetic, but their mood had dipped when it had become clear we¡¯d no time to look around. I¡¯d just gotten used to how nice it was understanding everyone around me. By the time we arrived in Linthel, I was certain I¡¯d be quite the polyglot.

    I was finally able to relax slightly when we had a chance to close ourselves into our room. To avoid an accident or running out of makeup, I¡¯d let Seyari talk me into keeping my human glamour on for the week. I collapsed into the single small chair with a sigh. The wood groaned under my weight.

    My tail would be drooping if it wasn¡¯t stuffed up so tight as to make tinned sardines jealous. Wherever my tail was, anyway. The first chance I got; I¡¯d learn more about my magic. And magic in general. For now, though, I pushed the thought out of my mind as best I could.

    ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡± Nelys asked once they¡¯d had their fill of exploring the room top to bottom.

    ¡°Fried rice,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°There¡¯s a communal kitchen downstairs.¡±

    ¡°Okay, will there be meat in it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re traveling light, not out of money. Though we¡¯re getting close,¡± Seyari whispered the last part under her breath.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll have spices we could use downstairs?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    I sincerely hoped they had something. Sadly, didn¡¯t seem like I¡¯d ever develop a tolerance for hot foods (much to the amusement of Aretan¡¯s merc¡¯s). I¡¯d grown fond enough of cuisine beyond bland Ordian fare that I doubted I¡¯d make it through a tasteless meal after the whirlwind disaster that was today (without crying at least a little).

    Since we were laying low, I didn¡¯t get to leave the room the rest of the day. My stature was too distinct. Although, I¡¯d have to leave at some points in the next few days to keep up appearances. Seyari and Nelys, or Unara and Sylen, took to the streets to make sure they knew their way around until dinner actually happened.

    Despite being asked to keep them closed, I took a peek out the shutters and was disappointed, but not surprised, to find we had a lovely panoramic view of a wall so close I could probably reach out and touch it. Tired of being cooped up and fresh out of interesting things to stare at in our room, I decided to take a look at the kitchen situation downstairs while the other two were still out.

    Basic is the best word to describe the guest kitchen. I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find it clean, if barren. The centerpiece was an aged stone oven, which seemed to take no wood.

    I inspected it and found a heating element I¡¯d wager was enchanted. Such things were considered luxuries back in Edath. In Baetnal, however, I doubted many homes could afford to burn wood. Plus, I doubted this part of the world saw cold winters. We were still quite far north, after all.

    Searching around more, I found basic pots and pans that seemed clean. As I expected, there were no spices or knives.

    I knew I should stay in the room, but I wanted to try my hand at making dinner. Seyari and Nelys would return soon enough and I was hungry. I was absolutely not doing this because I wanted to cook for the two of them. Nope, not at all.

    Mind made up, I returned to my room and fetched everything I¡¯d need to make fried rice. Aretan¡¯s mercenaries had made a variant every other night, though they usually spiced it a bit hot for my tastes. Since I got to be the lighter for the fire, I had used that as an excuse to stay around and help prepare. I felt somewhat confident in my ability to pull this off.

    I returned downstairs with my two arms full of supplies. I had some difficulty carrying all the ingredients. I¡¯d piled everything together assuming I had more limbs to hold it all.

    The kitchen was no longer empty when I returned. A Navanaean woman was putting the pans I¡¯d gotten out away while humming a bright melody I didn¡¯t recognize.

    She turned and saw me ducking inside with my awkwardly balanced load and smiled. She said something in Navvish.

    Not understanding, I gave a ¡®hello¡¯ in Turquoiser.

    The comfortably dressed woman nodded in recognition before replying in the same language, ¡°Do you need any help?¡±

    I was about to reply that I didn¡¯t, but the pile chose that moment to fall apart. I managed to grab the bag of rice and our knife, but the spices, oil, meat, and vegetables spilled across the floor. My face burned in embarrassment, but the woman just gave a chuckle.

    ¡°Actually, I think I might.¡± I let slip a giggle of my own.

    I carefully set the knife and rice on the counter. Together we picked everything up. Thankfully, the oil container hadn¡¯t broken and none of the spice bags opened.

    To my surprise, the washbasin in the room was connected to a pump and soon we were washing the dirt off the vegetables and meat shoulder to shoulder.

    Well, her shoulder to my elbow. The woman was well-built, but not particularly tall, and exaggerated my height.

    ¡°Not a lot of guests use the kitchen these days,¡± the woman mused. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see someone¡¯s not given up on cooking their own meals.¡±

    I hummed a response.

    ¡°Oh, pardon me! My name is Vana. My husband and I run this place.¡± The woman looked up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m Karya,¡± I replied. ¡°Does your husband check in guests?¡± I asked.

    Her age seemed similar to the man we spoke to when getting our rooms, so I wondered if that was him.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him!¡±

    We put the washed items aside and I began to oil the pan before replying.

    ¡°Sorry if I scared him earlier. S-Unara told me I was brooding.¡±

    ¡°Well you certainly left an impression! He¡¯ll be fine though.¡± Vana chuckled again and pointed to the rice. ¡°Do you mind if I wash the rice?¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± I paused at her question. ¡°And, uh, no I don¡¯t mind I guess.¡±

    ¡°Great! Oh, and let me know if you want me out of your hair. I¡¯m a known chatterbox, so if I stick around, I¡¯ll talk your ear off!¡±

    Truthfully enough, I enjoyed Vana¡¯s company. It took my mind off the situation I was in. As she said, Vana was a very talkative person.

    I told her that I didn¡¯t have a special diet or giant¡¯s blood, or anything unusual, to grow as big as I was. She told me how she and her husband have run this place for several decades. I¡¯d pegged her a bit younger than she clearly was, but I suppose she did seem to take good care of herself.

    Apparently, Baetnal had grown rapidly the past few decades once trade with more regions had opened up. The neighborhood the inn was in had, according to Vana, gone downhill. Given the hints, like the magic heating element, and the size of the rooms, I felt she was probably right.

    Vana stayed the entire time I was cooking and her help was invaluable. Without her, I doubt I would have added all the ingredients at the right time or remembered to cook the meat in a separate pan before cutting to small pieces and adding.

    Right as we were finishing, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you are!¡± Seyari didn¡¯t sound pleased.

    ¡°Are you making dinner? That smells amazing!¡± Nelys, on the other hand, respected my disobedient efforts.

    ¡°I thought I¡¯d make us something while you two were out¡­¡± I trailed off dejectedly.

    Worry creased Seyari¡¯s brow and I didn¡¯t blame her. I at least could have left a note. She looked like she was about to scold me for disappearing, but she saw Vana smiling pleasantly and thought better of it.

    ¡°Just tell me next time,¡± Seyari sighed. ¡°You said you¡¯d be in the room when we got back.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Sorry. I just wanted a nice dinner.¡±

    ¡°And I must say it¡¯s a lovely dinner.¡± Vana tried to brighten the mood. ¡°Your friend here is a kind soul, I can tell. If everything¡¯s okay, then you should eat and forget about your troubles.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s eat!¡± Nelys had clearly forgiven me.

    ¡°Sure, I guess,¡± Seyari eyed Vana carefully.

    ¡°Oh, my apologies! I¡¯m Vana and I run this place with my husband. You already met him when you checked in.¡±

    ¡°We did. Sorry for getting worked up, Vana,¡± Seyari gave a shallow bow, but then fixed me with a glare that spoke of words to come later.

    ¡°Would you like to join us?¡± I asked Vana.

    ¡°Thank you, but I already ate. Getting a chance to cook with someone was reward enough. Enjoy your stay!¡± Vana gave a nod to us started to leave before turning back. ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t forget to clean up!¡±

    I looked over the kitchen. Honestly, the mess wasn¡¯t too bad.

    Seyari looked to confirm Vana was gone before walking closer to me. ¡°Sorry for snapping at you, but you need to make sure everyone knows where you¡¯ll be at all times. We all do.¡±

    ¡°I get it. Can we just eat?¡±

    Nelys was already dishing themselves a plate. Seyari and I followed shortly. There was a small table with four chairs and we sat there to eat. It was delicious. Probably not the best I¡¯ve had, but since I (mostly) make it myself, the taste was all the better for it.

    ¡°How big of a risk was it that I spoke to Vana?¡± I asked.

    Seyari swallowed and replied, ¡°Since she¡¯s the owner, it¡¯s fine as long as you didn¡¯t say anything that could compromise us.¡±

    I thought back to our conversation. Most of it was a blur.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I did. She did most of the talking.¡±

    Seyari pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Great. Now I¡¯m going to be worried about it.¡±

    Nelys looked up, but when they saw that Seyari looked like she¡¯d drop it, they turned merrily back to their large pile of fried rice.

    The rest of the meal and evening passed uneventfully. Downstairs had a good number of patrons over the course of the evening, if the hum of conversation was any indication. The stone walls blocked most of the noise, thankfully.

    Our room originally only had two beds, but when we had returned a third smaller one was placed inside. I silently thanked Vana. Despite everything, our stay in Baetnal was turning out unexpectedly pleasant.

    At night, however, I tossed and turned trying to get to sleep. My glamour kept distracting me. I only slipped away into sleep when I managed to drag my mind away from the discomfort I felt.

    ***

    The next four days were uneventful. The three of us took turns cooking to alleviate the boredom. Vana helped out with us frequently and I suspected she had little to do herself based on how few guests there were. The crowd downstairs sometimes seemed rather rough and from how she¡¯d spoken of this part of the city, I don¡¯t think she got along well with those patrons.

    Seyari had gone out on the fourth day with Nelys to refresh our supplies. We¡¯d made it to the halfway point and after tomorrow we¡¯d try to arrange a way out of the city. Nelys was cooking dinner tonight. For all their antics and cuteness, they were seriously dependable when it came to certain basic skills.

    However, I suspected Vana¡¯s help was a major influence. Nelys had taken a liking to her and hearing about the stories the Navanaean told our petite friend always brightened the mood.

    Which is why neither of us had a second thought when they were a little late finishing dinner. Neither Seyari nor I had the heart to deny Nelys cooking dinner, and there was no way to justify hovering without arousing suspicion. Not to mention how awkward and domineering the act would have been.

    However, when they didn¡¯t show up for several minutes, worry set in rapidly. There¡¯d been no commotion. The kitchen was nearly under us and while we couldn¡¯t hear their conversation some sounds always filtered up. Those hadn¡¯t stopped.

    As best we could without seeming panicked, both of us made our way downstairs, locking the room behind us.

    When we reached the kitchen, my blood turned to ice.

    Vana was finishing the rice, but Nelys was nowhere to be seen. Had we been wrong to trust her?

    ¡°Vana,¡± I called her name.

    No response. I called louder and still nothing.

    Seyari and I shared a glance before quickly entering the room. Nothing looked out of place, but Seyari started searching for anything while I moved over to Vana.

    I put a hand on the older woman¡¯s shoulder. She kept stirring without looking over at me.

    I looked down. The rice in the pan was just beginning to burn.

    I waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing.

    Bending down, I looked at the inn owner. She was staring listlessly ahead.

    Unsure of what to do, I grabbed her lightly and shook. She dropped the spoon and it clattered onto the floor. Now, she simply stood in place and stared.

    ¡°Fuck. She¡¯s entranced.¡± Seyari spoke from next to me. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of a struggle, so they probably put Nelys under too.¡±

    ¡°Entranced?¡± I asked. ¡°Magic, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Rare magic. Usually, only demons of certain types can use it. Mortals can have the affinity in rare cases, though it¡¯s usually weak.¡±

    ¡°A bound demon then?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    My mind raced, trying to figure out if this was Malich and how he¡¯d found us.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Seyari snapped her fingers at my ear. ¡°Not the time to get stuck in thought. I¡¯m telling you this now, because you need to know.¡±

    ¡°How do we snap her out if it?¡± I forced myself to get back on track.

    Seyari sighed, ¡°Depends on how strong it is. I¡¯m surprised she didn¡¯t come out of it when you shook her.¡±

    ¡°Would shaking her more work? I don¡¯t want to hurt her.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but probably not. I can try something.¡±

    Seyari pulled on her magic and a small, gentle, whirlwind whipped up around Vana. Seyari¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration for a moment before she let the wind go and slumped her shoulders.

    ¡°No dice. You have any way to dispel magic?¡± Seyari looked up at me.

    ¡°That¡¯s a thing?¡± I replied, gobsmacked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a ¡®no¡¯ then. Fuck! I don¡¯t want to just wait around.¡± Seyari put her head in her hands.

    ¡°How long could it last?¡± I wracked my brain for anything.

    ¡°With how well done the effect seems, I¡¯d guess however long the caster wanted it to last. Probably not more than a couple days.¡±

    ¡°Days?¡± I didn¡¯t bother to hide my surprise. Magic was terrifying sometimes. ¡°What did you do with the wind?¡±

    ¡°Tried to mix my magic into the spell and see if it would fall apart?¡± Seyari raised her head back up and bit her bottom lip

    ¡°Does that work?¡± I inclined my head.

    ¡°Not usually, but I¡¯m out of options.¡±

    I thought about all I could do and, in that moment, had an idea.

    ¡°I could try manipulating Vana¡¯s anger? Would that work?¡± I asked, then quickly added, ¡°I¡¯d have to remove my glamour though.

    ¡°I have no idea. Go for it.¡± Seyari looked defeated.

    ¡°But if she sees me, I¡¯ll out myself.¡±

    ¡°They already fucking know where we are!¡± Seyari shouted.

    I drew back in surprise at her outburst. I knew both of us were beating ourselves up about this. If we¡¯d just stuck together more, we would still be together. We may be compromised, but right now we¡¯ve put Nelys, who is innocent in all this, into serious danger because of our own actions.

    My nature as a demon dulled me to some emotions. I still felt nothing for the pirates I killed. But, right now, I was certain that this pain I was feeling in my gut was very real.

    I nodded to Seyari. The kitchen didn¡¯t have a door, but the stove was out of view so I dropped my glamour where no one walking by would see me. I stretched the kinks in my arms and tail out quickly before trying to feel out Vana¡¯s anger.

    There was none to speak of. After all, it took conscious anger for me to feel any in the first place. Still slightly unsure of what I was doing, I thought back to when I helped Elnie¡¯s damaged anger on the Lady of Liseu and tried to extend my senses out the same way.

    I pushed a bit of mana and felt something let it in. Carefully, I pushed in a little more and watched. Anger started to bubble within the older woman. I wasn¡¯t going to push it far, but I wanted enough to where I could notice it. Something like I felt people get in heated arguments.

    Despite how well everyone got along in the end back with the caravan, I¡¯d had some time to feel out my empathic ability.

    Once I reached that point, I stopped. For a few moments nothing happened. Then, Vana¡¯s expression changed to a frown. A few moments more and she moved her hands to her head, frowning deeply and muttering.

    Seeing that she was coming out of it, I drained away the anger I¡¯d artificially put into her. Slowly, since I could to not let her slip back under. Also, to make sure I didn¡¯t damage anything.

    I was so focused on draining Vana¡¯s anger that I didn¡¯t manage to get my glamour put back in place in time.

    Vana shook her head and looked around, eyes first landing on me. They went wide and she screamed.

    I probably could have put a hand over her mouth. I¡¯d rather her scream than try to stop her, however. Seyari cursed and looked toward the door, indecision weighing on her features.

    ¡°Vana! Sorry! It¡¯s me, Karya!¡± I put on my best toothless smile and pulled my scarf down to show my active binding collar.

    I brought another hand up and rubbed the foundation covering my mark away.

    ¡°K-Karya? What? What happened. You¡¯re a demon!?¡± Part of what the older woman said came out in Navvish, but I understood well enough.

    ¡°Someone or something came in and entranced you.¡± I tried my best to put on a reassuring tone.

    A masculine voice from outside interrupted. ¡°Vana! Is everything alright?¡±

    Vana took a deep breath in and I leaned back so she could reply.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine dear! Just a scorpion under the stove!¡± she shouted.

    ¡°Did it sting you?¡± came the shouted reply.

    ¡°No! Unara got it for me!¡± Vana finished.

    I blinked several times in surprise. ¡°What? Why?¡±

    Vana looked at me seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you and your friends have gotten into, but I want my husband to stay out of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let me finish. You¡¯re hiding from someone. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m a good judge of character or I¡¯d turn you in myself. Covering a contracted demon¡¯s mark and collar is highly illegal.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say.

    Seyari spoke up in my stead. ¡°Sylen was with you, right? What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your friend was with me. The last thing I remember is talking to a man who seemed oddly, well, gray. Funny, I can¡¯t remember anything else about him.¡±

    Seyari and I shared a glance. Immediately, I thought back to the gray demon next to Prince Malich at the gate last week. It had to be them, right?

    ¡°That¡¯s a good clue. Thank you,¡± I said sincerely.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I hope you find your friend.¡± Vana looked between the two of us and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t harbor fugitives. Pack your things and leave.¡±

    I wanted to protest but before I could even make a peep, Vana continued.

    ¡°Now,¡± she said.

    I nodded my head and put my glamour back on. I pulled my scarf up above my nose to hide my mark. With a last, forlorn look at the now burned rice, Seyari and I walked quickly upstairs to get our things.

    Thankfully, the room hadn¡¯t been broken into. Everything was as we left it. We¡¯d planned in case of something like this, so packing again took little time. Even Nelys had mostly kept their stuff in a neat pile. I took their pack along with my own.

    Downstairs, we paid for our room quickly. Seyari made up some excuse about misremembering a date and within minutes we were back on the street.

    My head was still spinning and my empty stomach was doing flips.

    ¡°What now?¡± I asked the air.

    ¡°We get another place to stay and try to find out more about Malich,¡± Seyari replied in a frustrated tone.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to rescue Nelys, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we are.¡±

    ¡°What can we do about the entrancing magic?¡± That my lucidity could be stolen from me had me worried.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stronger auras are hard to enchant. More importantly, this demon requires their targets to be aware of them. We can use that.¡±

    We walked quickly back to the nearest square. I knew Seyari was doing this to lose a tail in the crowd, but given my position above everyone else, I couldn¡¯t see that working. How did we ever delude ourselves into thinking we could hide from the Third Prince in his own city when I was so distinct?

    Sure enough, only a few blocks later, a young masculine-sounding voice called out to us in Turquoiser.

    ¡°Excuse me, tall miss?¡±

    I turned to see a young Navanaean man in work clothes.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I replied, careful to keep my face covered.

    ¡°Someone told me to give this to you.¡± The young man handed me a weighty bundle wrapped in cheesecloth. ¡°Said to tell you ¡®you¡¯re late¡¯.¡±

    I took the package from him. ¡°Who told you this?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I-I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    I glared at him.

    ¡°N-no, really I don¡¯t I swear! It¡¯s w-weird, but I really don¡¯t remember a thing except what he told me.¡±

    I let out a sigh that turned into a growl. The young man¡¯s eyes widened and he ducked quickly back into the crowd.

    ¡°The same fucking demon,¡± Seyari said from next to me.

    ¡°It has to be,¡± I replied.

    Carefully, dreading what I might find, I opened the cloth. Inside was Nelys¡¯ blue coral pendant. Both the pendant and the leather strap looked undamaged.

    How on Varra did Malich find us?

    ¡°Shit.¡± Seyari¡¯s brow darkened.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, then hesitantly asked, ¡°what now?¡±

    Seyari¡¯s disguised eyes shone with anger. ¡°He said we¡¯re late. Let¡¯s not keep him waiting.¡±

 Chapter 27: Better Than Never

    From the outside, Third Prince Malich¡¯s estate didn¡¯t match his personality. I expected gaudy, overwrought design full of clashing elements. What I got instead was white on red with gold accents. Ostentatious, but he was a Navanaean prince. To his credit, I doubted anything short of a thick coating of rotten slime would be able to properly reflect the shallows of his personality.

    I concluded he must have inherited the estate from someone far more reasonable. At least in terms of aesthetic sense.

    Unfortunately, insulting the man in my mind did not, in fact, grant me bravery. Regardless of how, the fact was that Malich had at least one greater demon bound to him. He¡¯d be dead if he lacked countermeasures against my kind. A demon like the gray one was dangerous and subversive and a human like the prince wouldn¡¯t stand a chance without something to give him an advantage before the binding. I was oddly torn between imagining the entire place on fire and turning tail.

    Speaking of tails, I finally had mine back. No point in disguises anymore, so we¡¯d taken a few minutes in an alley to remove them. Hopefully a giant red demon and her binder with an unusual complexion (for the region) would be remembered enough that Aretan could find out where we went.

    I¡¯d slipped Nelys¡¯ coral pendant carefully between my breasts. Seyari had shown me the trick to sneak small items way back on the Lady of Liseu. I didn¡¯t intend to undress and no one would search there. At least no one who wanted to remain in possession of all their limbs.

    Beside me, Seyari¡¯s eyes were as cold as the dull steel they resembled. By all accounts, Malich should know little of what I could do. Still, his information network was not to be underestimated. He¡¯d arrived at our destination before us after all. Although only because of my injury, the fact that it was the capital didn¡¯t absolve the bastard from suspicion.

    We reached the gate without interruption, though it was painfully clear we were watched from the moment we came in view of the estate. The property sat at the hilly edge of Baetnal. Close enough to where the new wall formed a boundary at the rear of the estate. The property sat elevated like much of the surrounding nobles¡¯ district such that, from the inside, the outer wall looked about waist high.

    A rather practical metal fence surrounded the rest of the estate which looked to have extensive gardens. I expected Malich¡¯s initials to be in the wrought iron gate, but to my disappointment, there was instead a symbol that probably belonged to the royal family of Navanaea.

    I had plenty of time to admire the scenery since Seyari did nothing but glare at the gate guards. Like some others we could see about the grounds, they wore well-polished armor and carried polearms.

    The tension was rising, but my station absolved me of responsibility to do anything about it, which gave me some amount of comfort. That I also enjoyed watching two potentially innocent people squirm was not lost on me.

    Seyari let the silence stretch on, daring them to do something. Eventually one of them spoke up in stuttering Navvish.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Seyari responded with one of the few Navvish words I could understand.

    She didn¡¯t elaborate. After a minute or so of awkward silence, someone who looked of higher station reached the gate. The man wore full armor like the others, but with a distinct-looking tabard. Terse words were exchanged with the gate guards, who looked more than a little whipped.

    Following the exchange, the gates opened and we were let inside. The sound of metal closing behind me dropped an anchor into my stomach.

    We were relieved of our bags and weapons by surprisingly polite guards who informed Seyari she would get them back before her departure. Our stuff was stashed in a guard house off to the side of the gate. I worried for my dress in its battered suitcase more than I worried about my weapons. Seyari, on the other hand, seemed to care a lot more. Her posture lost most of its surety and recovered very slowly as we walked toward the mansion in the center of the estate.

    Without really thinking, I reached out to take Seyari¡¯s hand. She let me and I gave her a reassuring squeeze. Before I really registered the action, Seyari squeezed back. We¡¯d get Nelys back safely and we¡¯d get through this, together.

    ***

    The well-maintained grounds led to an interior that I really should have expected. Malich had done his best to erase any semblance of taste from the d¨¦cor. From the taxidermy and rugs alone, I could doubtless learn much of large Navanaean fauna. I even recognized some of the displays from Edath and Ordia.

    No one had told the man gold didn¡¯t go with silver. Combining that with a riotous disregard for color pairing, the massive foyer alone hurt my eyes. About the only pleasant view was the large mural on the ceiling which depicted a beautiful starry night, lit by a chandelier that thankfully seemed original to the estate.

    Twin staircases swept around the sides of a large set of double doors I assumed led to a ballroom of sorts. Down one of the staircases oozed the leering Third Prince Malich, flanked by three humanoid demons. His suit this time was a rather vibrant shade of green I¡¯d dare say matched well with his dark features. Malich¡¯s outfit made him look like a bright painter¡¯s error set against the deep orangish-red of the wall behind him.

    I recognized the gray demon from earlier to his left. To his right was a crimson-skinned woman whose outfit could conservatively be called indecent. From the way she carried herself, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess she fell into a rather common demonic stereotype. She looked at me as if appraising a piece of meat and flicked her whiplike tail. I returned her look with a glare and she merely quirked her lips up in response.

    The last demon behind was the least humanoid looking of the bunch. Spikes grew from his shoulders, his massive horns pointed forward aggressively, and though I could not see them clearly, his arms looked disproportionately large.

    To my surprise, the cocky glare he gave me turned into a look of shock. Quickly, his expression shifted into a mediocre attempt at impassiveness. I hoped I didn¡¯t let my surprise show.

    ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Malich¡¯s words dripped venom.

    ¡°You have someone of ours,¡± Seyari stated coolly.

    ¡°And you have something of mine.¡± The smile the Third Prince directed at me was anything but friendly.

    A shiver ran up my spine. Gray looked at me with unnerving stillness. Succubus licked her lips, and Spikes visibly struggled to keep a neutral face.

    Malich filled the silence before it could grow. ¡°Despite your lack of both manners and sense, I am nothing if not magnanimous. I am certain we can come to an agreement.¡± He smiled for effect. ¡°A trade, perhaps?¡±

    Seyari looked over the assembled demons. My eyes followed her gaze and only now did I notice the sheer number of armed guards in the room. There had to be at least a dozen on top of three mostly unknown demons. How on Varra were we going to get out of this?

    Seyari clenched her jaw. ¡°You know what we want.¡±

    ¡°We?¡± The prince laughed harshly. ¡°You have such interesting opinions about your pets.¡±

    I wanted so very badly to wipe the smile off his face, but I held my gaze level at him, though the animosity in it was obvious. I felt Seyari¡¯s anger blaze to life next to me. I doubted it would dim while we were here.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Get. On. With. It.¡± Seyari¡¯s patience was diving negative.

    ¡°Hmm? No friendly discussion? Such a rude house guest, you are.¡± Malich waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Fine. We can negotiate over dinner. You must be famished.¡±

    Seyari and I shared a glance. With the firepower in the room, now wasn¡¯t the time to take our chances.

    ¡°Come. Gods know you¡¯ve kept me waiting long enough.¡± The Third Prince gestured to a large door at one side.

    Surrounded by an abundance of guards, we reluctantly followed and were corralled down a wide, garish hall and into an equally garish dining room.

    Malich, flanked still by his three bound demons, took a seat at the head of the table. Before him was a lavish looking meal.

    Our seats, far down at the foot of the table, had the sad remains of lavish meals. Everything was cold and solidified. The vegetables and fruit were limp and smelled notably off.

    ¡°I apologize, but your meals may have gotten slightly cold while I was waiting,¡± Malich grinned viciously.

    ¡°What about yours?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but fire back.

    ¡°Seyari! Keep your pet on a tighter leash.¡± The Third Prince deftly dug into his meal. ¡°Then again, I¡¯ll soon teach it proper discipline.¡±

    ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Seyari¡¯s tone was, somehow, even.

    From my position across from her, I could see her hand shaking slightly.

    ¡°You give my connections too little credit.¡± Despite the quick reply, Malich¡¯s tone wavered. ¡°And to answer your pet¡¯s rude question, I ate my meal the night of, of course.¡±

    Silence filled the air until Malich decided to replace it with the grating sound of his own voice.

    ¡°Your friend is very far from the ocean, you know.¡±

    Seyari and I shared a look of confusion for a moment before we could hide it.

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know? How very interesting. I wonder how close you¡ª"

    ¡°Cut the bullshit Malich. Where¡¯s Nelys?¡± Seyari, like me, refused to touch the rancid meal.

    ¡°Watch your tone, wretch!¡± Malich¡¯s face contorted. ¡°You do exactly what I say or your friend dies.¡±

    I felt a spike in his anger.

    ¡°What do you say, then?¡± Seyari choked out.

    ¡°Simple.¡± The prince paused and made a brief show of enjoying his meal. ¡°You give me what I need to transfer Zarenna¡¯s contract. Once she¡¯s mine, you can take your friend Nelys and leave.¡±

    I don¡¯t think either of us believed that for a minute. Still, we needed him to give us an opening. We still didn¡¯t know where Nelys was held. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard, but we all knew damn well that killing him would bring the whole of Navanaea down on us. Fucker was still the Third Prince after all.

    ¡°Fine. I agree,¡± Seyari replied eventually.

    ¡°Wonderful! I have important business after dinner, but I¡¯m quite certain you won¡¯t mind waiting until later this evening.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Third Prince.¡± Seyari said, bowing her head.

    Only I could see the middle finger she made at him out of his view. Her anger roiled away in a tight knot. Malich¡¯s anger still simmered. I wondered if I could push him into a rash decision, but I worried it wouldn¡¯t get past Gray.

    Seyari¡¯s acquiescence couldn¡¯t have sounded any more fake, but Malich seemed to buy it completely.

    Malich tapped the base of his goatee. ¡°Oh, and do give an order to your pet so I can be sure of your sincerity.¡±

    Seyari made a show of frustration before turning to me. ¡°Zarenna. I order you to comply with orders given by Malich and his bound demons as though they were my own. Their orders supersede my own.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± I replied simply.

    Of course, I had no intention of following any order I didn¡¯t want to.

    Malich clapped his hands. ¡°I¡¯m so glad we could come to an agreement. Zarenna is truly a magnificent specimen. She¡¯ll be much better off in more capable hands, don¡¯t you think?¡± Malich let the silence hang.

    Seyari made a show of eating her rancid meal rather than respond. Malich frowned briefly before, I imagine, determining that he was still winning the exchange and resuming his meal.

    The Third Prince ate in silence while Seyari and I did our best to figure a way out in our own heads. At some point, she managed to mouth ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me¡± without getting seen. For my part, hungry as I was, I ate the curry that still seemed edible and a good portion of the stale rice.

    Malich was exactly petty enough to not offer food again.

    What I didn¡¯t understand was why he even offered to let Seyari go. On top of that, with how excited he seemed to have me effectively his slave, he made a show of delaying when he¡¯d get the chance. Malich didn¡¯t strike me as the type to put any sort of business before ¡®pleasure¡¯. Something else was going on, and I hoped Seyari realized it as well.

    With the acoustics of the room and all the people in it, there was no way for us to whisper anything while being so closely watched.

    After what felt like an eternity, ¡®dinner¡¯ ended and we were shuffled along and down into an extensive basement. Of course, a creep like him would have an extensive basement. Never mind that it probably dated to the estate¡¯s construction and served a purpose. I seriously doubted the torture devices and multiple cells we passed along between the many closed doors were leftovers of a previous occupant.

    At an intersection, Seyari and I were separated. Panic set in until Seyari managed to sneak a thumbs-up at me before she left my sight. I should have, but I didn¡¯t expect us to be separated. At this point, my guards were Spikes and Gray with a few humans who kept well back. The Third Prince, half the human guard entourage, and Succubus went with Seyari.

    Spikes looked dearly like he wanted to say something, but either his contract or Gray¡¯s presence stopped him from speaking. I looked over occasionally, but the spiked demon didn¡¯t meet my gaze. I did get a chance to look at him more and damn, did his arms and hands look like they could crush boulders. With a bit of a start, I realized they very well could do just that.

    My claws sometimes got in the way, but at least I could use my hands much the same way I always had. I also took some pride in the height advantage I had. My horns were only a few centimeters from the ceiling and I had to duck deeply under the doors. After a moment, I wondered why I¡¯d felt such a need to compare Spikes to myself.

    Something was going on, but I hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what. I did feel like I could probably take him though, and the thought reassured me.

    While we followed the Third Prince, I¡¯d kept an eye out for closed off rooms that might contain Nelys. I also memorized the path we took down here. The place was truly a maze, however, and I wasn¡¯t completely sure about all the turns by the time we arrived at a dark room in the depths of the underground labyrinth.

    We¡¯d descended another flight of stairs at some point, and the walls were now carved into the rock. At the end of a hall was a large, reinforced door.

    Gray had the hand-sized key. I started to think they was probably at the top of the hierarchy for Malich¡¯s bound demons.

    Spike pushed me inside, though I didn¡¯t fight it. An idea had started to form in my head.

    Malich could bind me with any contract he wanted, but I was confident I could ignore his binding. There was absolutely no way he was aware of this. Only Seyari and myself knew, and I was confident she wouldn¡¯t let that critical detail spill.

    All I had to do was wait for an opportunity and I could get us all out of here. Maybe. Hopefully.

    The room I was led to was completely dark. I could see regardless, though as per usual with my darkvision, colors were washed out. Heavy chains and several sets of manacles ran from the floor and ceiling and were the only things in this circular room.

    I wasn¡¯t surprised when Gray moved to manacle me. I thought briefly about my chances of taking them out and making a run for it. The problem I had was that I knew so little about Gray and what he could do. Plus, I doubted Malich would want to keep me chained. Right? I thought back to his earlier odd behavior.

    There was no way his selfishness would lose out to whatever else was going on. Confident enough, I let myself be manacled. My four arms presented a bit of a challenge, resulting in my body being almost strung up between two sets that were set apart. My two left wrists were shackled by one set and my right to the other. I expected cold, but the metal burned my wrists and ankles.

    ¡°Holy magic.¡± Gray¡¯s voice was unnaturally void of emotion.

    I paled. Not only could I probably not break the manacles off, the holy magic burned deep into my ankles and wrists. Of course, the burns inflicted by holy magic negated my regeneration, leaving me with a constant useless drain on my mana due to constant exposure.

    The unnerving demon smiled far, far too wide. They turned to leave and Spikes followed, though not without one last glance my way.

    I thought about trying to melt the manacles, but even if I failed, the results would be obvious. As much as it pained me to do so, for Nelys sake, I need to keep my rage in check.

    As the darkness stretched on, however, I started to lose the battle with my own anger. Who dared to shackle me?

    Before my thoughts could turn to visions of fire and death, my sigil glowed green and cast its faint glow around the small room. The color reminded me of Abby¡¯s eyes.

    Deep breaths.

    Slowly, I calmed myself down. I had to be patient for everyone¡¯s sake. Malich¡¯s ego would give us an opening.

    The minutes dragged into hours. I kept my breathing even and my thoughts as clear as I could. To my surprise, I almost grew used to the burning from my manacles. The drain on my mana was only slight, though fatiguing all the same.

    I was musing about demonic pain tolerance versus what this experience would have been like when I was human when I finally heard the sound of a key in the lock.

    With Gray and Spikes flanking him, Malich strode into the room with a wicked smile on his face. Gray carried ritual implements I couldn¡¯t identify, while Spike glanced up at me before looking down.

    I glared down at Malich with anger and fear in my eyes. For as confident as I was in my ability to nullify bindings, the idea of being wrong scared me to my core.

 Chapter 28: Another Contract

    ¡°Hello, Zarenna,¡± Malich said with a wide, creepy smile.

    ¡°Third Prince Malich,¡± I replied as evenly as I could.

    ¡°Astrodach told me you were quite cooperative.¡±

    Was Astrodach Spikes or Gray? My bet was on Gray.

    ¡°I¡¯d expected more resistance given your outburst at dinner.¡± Malich sneered, then motioned toward Gray.

    The odd demon began to draw a ritual circle underneath me. Despite my knowledge, fear rose up within me. Alongside it was rage, which I struggled to keep down.

    Malich continued, heedless of my burning gaze. ¡°Perhaps you recognize a more proper master, hmm?¡±

    The Third Prince looked up from leering at my body through my clothing. The involuntary flinch he gave upon meeting my eyes was deeply satisfying.

    ¡°Defiant to the end then?¡± Malich stared off to the side. ¡°You know, this isn¡¯t the end. I have great plans for you and my other bound. With me, you¡¯ll achieve far more than you ever would have under your useless former master.¡±

    The circle under me was about halfway complete. My rune didn¡¯t seem to want to help control my anger at the sight of the blasphemous construct. Who dares to bind me?

    Barely, I managed to keep myself still, though my tail twitched and I could feel the temperature in the room rising.

    Malich must have felt it too, for his confidence wavered slightly to be replaced quickly with anger. His emotion was weak, fickle. Easily generated and lacking in depth. For reasons I didn¡¯t understand, that made me all the more disgusted by the man. He called for Astrodach to hurry the circle. Astrodach was Gray¡¯s proper name, then.

    The feeling of Malich¡¯s anger sickened me. Behind, Spike held my tail that had started to thrash. Acting on instinct, I gathered my magic to lash out and tear his useless emotion from him. Something around me began to groan and grind.

    My collar began to glow and I only barely caught myself from breaking my bond with Seyari. Quickly, Astrodach had moved from a crouch to stare directly at me. I was certain the uncanny demon could feel what I was about to do.

    Whether he could block it, I didn¡¯t know. Thankfully, I wouldn¡¯t have to find out. With great difficulty, I forced myself to swallow my own rage and loosen my muscles.

    I hadn¡¯t even noticed I¡¯d strained against the manacles. I¡¯d pulled hard enough to crack the rock ceiling around the arm chain supports. The enchanted metal was bent slightly.

    A rattling breath left my lungs and I tried my best to calm my gaze.

    Malich, a shade paler even by the dim light of the two lantern someone had lit, darted his eyes from me to his bound demons. His fearful expression quickly gave way to more of his disgusting, cheap anger.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand how that woman could possibly have bound something like you!¡± Malich fumed. ¡°How could you possibly want to reject me! You¡ªwait!¡±

    Malich took a breath and seemed to reach a realization as his posture shifted and his anger hardened into something more substantial.

    ¡°You just want the freedom given by your old master¡¯s contract, don¡¯t you?¡± The Third Prince stroked his slim beard. ¡°No doubt you also realize all the loopholes in it. Why, I¡¯d almost think your master made it up on the spot. You were close to finding a way out, weren¡¯t you? To kill your worthless master and be free on Varra to do as you pleased?¡±

    I glared at the Third Prince. After my outburst I felt more in-control, but only slightly. The bastard¡¯s derisive attitude was wearing my very, very limited patience down. At least he seemed to have bought whatever bullshit Seyari fed him about our contract.

    ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? Clever little demon you are,¡± Malich purred, then turned on Gray. ¡°What is taking you so long?¡±

    ¡°Pardon me master,¡± Astrodach stated in their unearthly voice. ¡°I need to see her sigil to finish my work.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Do it!¡± Malich answered.

    Astrodach nodded and moved in front of me. With surprising alacrity, they neatly opened the top of my blouse just enough to reveal my symbol above and between my breasts.

    For the first time, Astrodach¡¯s expression shifted. I had no idea what their face meant, but it returned to placid neutrality only a moment later. They returned to a crouch and resumed sketching the circle

    Malich leered at my symbol. ¡°I admit I¡¯ve not seen a symbol quite like yours. You must have quite the interesting origin.¡±

    Whether my earlier outburst shook him or he just wanted me to suffer in silence, Malich didn¡¯t speak again until Gray signaled they were done with the ritual circle. I looked down and saw something vastly more complex than what Seyari had used for our binding.

    My burning wrists throbbed and my mouth went dry. I would be okay, right?

    I felt shaken, but some instinct told me with absolute certainty that I could not be bound.

    ¡°Now, Zarenna, we will begin.¡±

    Malich read the terms of his contract with all the glee of a child sneaking a cookie from the jar. I kept myself calm throughout by hoping to be the one to catch him, so to speak.

    The first point was that I had to follow every order given by Malich. What surprised me is that the King of Navanaea and the Second Prince were included. While I hadn¡¯t interrupted the ritual to voice a question, to my surprise, Malich saw my unsure gaze and explained the reason.

    Royal policy was why. To prevent incidents like what happened with the demon I¡¯d met on the boat, bound demons, particularly powerful ones, were to have redundancies such that the assassination of a single binder would not free them. I noted that Malich left the First Prince out.

    However, following any order was just the beginning.

    Unsurprisingly, the restrictions to my actions were sweeping and extensive. I was not to speak unless spoken to, with the exception of direct communication that helped with any orders I had been given.

    I began to suspect my contract was more strongly worded than Astrodach¡¯s at least. Seyari and I hadn¡¯t exactly put ourselves in a position to negotiate terms.

    I was also to not use my magic, to restrain my strength to human levels, and to limit myself to human speed when moving. I only recently started to realize how shockingly fast I could be. My time on my island had warped my perspective for speed and reaction times.

    All these restrictions could be lifted or relaxed by Malich¡¯s order, of course.

    The only part of the contract I liked was that the forbiddance of my magic extended to my human glamour. Malich clearly valued the ability and wanted to keep my glamour a secret. The contract stipulated so, and the clause overrode other orders unless stated otherwise.

    Seriously, the boring minutia of the contract drove me mad. The handwriting on the papers the Third Prince read from had to be seriously tiny.

    Probably not the only thing that¡¯s tiny.

    Immature and rude as the thought was, Malich was clearly insecure. Normally, I¡¯d never make fun of someone¡¯s insecurities, but the absolute pervert had several paragraphs covering my ¡°bedroom duties¡±. He even detailed how I should reply if asked about his ¡°performance¡±. Revolting.

    Finally, after several more minutes covering etiquette, bound demon hierarchy, and my future status in his inner circle, Malich finished his portion of the contract. Unsurprisingly, I was the bottom of said hierarchy.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Surprisingly, I got something out of all of this.

    ¡°Now, while I do not know what your former master had bargained with, I will offer you, Zarenna, one tenth of my immortal soul. This is certainly low for a demon of your strength, but understand that your binding will transfer to my half-brother should I die, and my father should he die. In turn you will gain a tenth of my brother¡¯s soul and one percent of my father¡¯s.¡±

    He sounded like I should be impressed. Unfortunately for him, I had absolutely no idea the value of this offer. My impassive look served to frustrate the petty prince.

    ¡°You must understand your position, Zarenna. I will offer you greatness through the power of the Royal Family of Navanaea. I have ambitions beyond and above Navanaea. You will help me reach them and then you will get your due.¡±

    Clearly, Malich had rehearsed this. Probably had time when he was sitting on his ass waiting for Astrodach to find us. The monotony of the contract had dulled my fear. The burning of my limbs, my tail cramping in Spike¡¯s grip, and the pounding headache from the Third Prince¡¯s debauched degeneracy all combined to make me more frustrated than angry.

    An impressive feat considering I was one snide comment away from breaking these chains, wringing his neck, and finding Nelys myself if I had to burn the whole damn estate down.

    ¡°Twenty percent,¡± I stated my counteroffer.

    Malich had three demons and probably had something from a sibling¡¯s contract. I honestly didn¡¯t even want his stupid soul, but at this point I¡¯d settle for being contrarian purely out of spite.

    ¡°Fifteen,¡± Malich replied coolly.

    Five percent more of something worthless was still worthless. I tried to shrug but lacked the slack in the chains to do so.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I replied. ¡°I accept the terms of the contract.¡±

    Certainly, there was a pitfall or a way out for the Third Prince somewhere. Thankfully, I shouldn¡¯t need to worry about that. With any luck, Malich will want to celebrate his victory and the contract wouldn¡¯t last the night.

    I barely resisted the urge to headbutt Malich when he came in close to transfer the blood contract on my collar. Soon, magic swirled around me. It was far denser than my simple contract with Seyari. The color, too, differed.

    My crimson mana was clearly visible interwoven with Malich¡¯s. The Third Prince¡¯s mana was a sickly gold color like tarnished brass. Like last time, magic swirled around and into me as binding ritual completed.

    With the final burning sensation of a new brand forming on my cheek, it was done.

    I felt sick to my stomach at the sheer wrongness of being bound. The contract¡¯s intricacies wrapped chains around my volition. I didn¡¯t dare test my mental bonds at the moment, but my instinct¡¯s fury burned hot and anxious. The moment I needed to; I did not doubt I could break these chains.

    I just needed patience for a little while longer. I could still feel Nelys¡¯ pendant safe and snug where I¡¯d hidden it.

    Astrodach was the first to inspect my new mark. ¡°The contract is complete, master.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Malich eyed me greedily. ¡°Get her down then.¡±

    I was surprised the Third Prince opted not to test the contract. Though, I suppose if demonic binding was prone to unexpected and subtle failure, few people would practice it. Fewer people, at any rate.

    Regardless, that Spikes moved to free my arms was a relief. Letting go of my tail, the large demon moved in front of me and froze for a moment when he saw my gem and symbol.

    ¡°Hurry up! I have plans this evening,¡± Malich snapped.

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Spikes replied with a deep rumble.

    I was released from my shackles. Rubbing my many wrists, I could feel the burns had gone deep. I worried if they¡¯d heal, but I doubted Malich would injure me enough to permanently harm my usefulness to him.

    I thought to ask after Seyari now that she¡¯d completed her end of the bargain. I doubted Malich would hold up his. In fact, I was counting on him gloating.

    My contract caught the words in my mouth. Quickly, I stopped myself before I risked annulling the contract. The brief glow my collar emitted caught the Third Prince¡¯s attention as he led the procession out of my dungeon cell.

    ¡°You may speak, Zarenna,¡± Malich gave the order.

    ¡°What will happen to my former master? Will you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    The simple word caught my tongue in an instant. The Third Prince smiled. Bastard was enjoying this. Of course, he was enjoying this. Probably got off on it, too.

    Malich grinned wickedly. ¡°I¡¯ll let her go tomorrow.¡±

    My eyebrows arched in surprise, which turned out to be short-lived as the petty man continued.

    ¡°In fact, I believe the people who will take her should be in the city already,¡± Malich laughed.

    Fucker actually laughed. I¡¯d read stories like this in my teenage years, but I¡¯d hardly suspected a person so cartoonishly evil could actually exist.

    I wanted desperately to ask who he intended to give Seyari too, but had to hold my tongue. Malich could clearly see I wanted to speak. However, he just turned and continued on enjoying the sound of his own voice while walking us back down the hall.

    ¡°Nelys, however, I can keep. Honestly, I¡¯ve not seen one of her, or his, kind before. I¡¯d ask where you found it, but, well, I¡¯m enjoying the silence right now.¡±

    I could feel the smile through the back of Malich¡¯s head. In front and behind me, the other two demons walked quietly.

    We reached an intersection.

    ¡°Verrux, you may return to your duties,¡± Malich said.

    Spikes, Verrux, apparently, nodded and turned away from the group back toward the direction I seemed to remember led out. He gave me one last look before leaving. To my surprise, his expression did not seem unfriendly.

    I didn¡¯t know how to respond, but before I could, Verrux had turned away again.

    Malich continued on down the hall. After a few doorways, most of which were closed, the Third Prince stopped at an unassuming door. Taking a key from ring produced from his pocket, the Third Prince opened the door and entered. Astrodach and I followed.

    The room inside was full of gaudy furniture and cushions. Certainly, an odd room to have deep in the basement, but the color scheme and nature of the furnishings made the sexual purpose of this place obvious.

    I barely contained my rage. I¡¯d sooner burn the place than sleep with Malich. And if he did something to Nelys¡­

    Three other doors branched off from this sordid lobby. The one at the rear was where Malich headed.

    ¡°Astrodach, wait outside. If I need you, I will call,¡± Malich said.

    The gray demon nodded and took a standing position by the exit door. I wouldn¡¯t want to sit on any of the furniture here either.

    A heavy sounding deadbolt turned with Malich¡¯s key. The bastard looked back at me and smiled wickedly. From within the room, came a muffled cry in a familiar voice.

    With trepidation, I followed Malich into the room.

    Inside, a naked figure was tied to a bed. Nelys¡¯ face was clearly recognizable, but they were assuredly not human. I believed cecaelia was the term. I¡¯d asked Seyari after the different species Elena the tailor had told me about ages ago, and recalled that species was the aquatic one with tentacles instead of legs.

    Their body was androgynous. Gold with blue rings, and tendrils for hair. More important than anything was their current state. Nelys looked at me with fear and confusion, panic visible in their eyes.

    My rage boiled over in an instant.

    Malich turned to me with an evil smile. He started to speak. I didn¡¯t let him.

    I dove at him fast as I could.

    A bright crimson-gold light shone from my collar as it burst into shards. Malich¡¯s face had hardly an instant to register surprise before I was on him.

    I grabbed his arms with two hands and his head with my other two. Some sort of magic flared around him, but my rage pushed through and the spell shattered. Malich tried to call on his own magic, but I didn¡¯t give him the chance.

    I pulled on Malich¡¯s skull, hard. With a tearing, cracking sound the Third Prince¡¯s head separated from his body. I smashed his skull between my upper hands, brain and viscera flying everywhere.

    I whipped around and, with a lower arm, threw his body back through the door. Astrodach, faster than any human could move, dodged the Prince¡¯s headless corpse.

    The gray demon looked at me with an unreadable face. I moved between them and Nelys, aura sight flaring.

    Astrodach¡¯s aura was black and indistinct. It flared outward toward me. I could feel myself drawn to the demon¡¯s eyes.

    My vision started to blur when the gem on my symbol burned crimson, flashing across the bottom of my vision. How dare they!

    Black spots dotted the edges of my vision and my movements slowed massively, but I could still feel my rage. From Astrodach, I felt nothing.

    Drawing on my magic, I willed a gout of flames toward the gray demon. They barely dodged in time, singing their robes. Astrodach turned toward me, a wide-eyed expression I recognized as surprise on their face.

    I flared my mana through my body, burning away the fog in the process. Astrodach didn¡¯t even try to put me under again. They turned toward the door and their form distorted and blinked out before appearing in the hall, sprinting away.

    I moved to chase, but a whimper behind me gave me pause. I came here for Nelys.

    And.

    And¡­oh gods what have I done!?

    Malich deserved to die, but I splattered him all over the room. Nelys¡¯ eyes were wide with fear and they froze on the bed when I looked at them. What the hell could I even say?

    Flecks of the Third Prince¡¯s blood dotted their lower body.

    Hesitantly, I reached out. Nelys didn¡¯t flinch, but they were clearly panicking. I cut their bindings, but they just curled into a ball, shuddering. They started to sob.

    Wait! Nelys¡¯ pendant!

    I quickly burned the blood off my hands before cooling them and carefully lifted out the blue coral piece. Slowly, I sat beside them on the bed. They didn¡¯t respond.

    I took the pendant and, careful not to touch them, draped it over their head.

    Looking now, I could see the pendant resonated with a magic not unlike Nelys¡¯ aura. Once on them, the two auras seemed to merge and the pendant became the bright spot I had seen the last time I observed my small friend¡¯s aura.

    Their form shifted quickly, back to their familiar human appearance.

    ¡°Nelys, I¡­¡± I wanted to say anything to comfort them, but came up with nothing.

    The small human said nothing, but they looked up at me with eyes full of tears.

    Hesitantly, I reached out with open arms; inviting them but not pushing.

    Slowly, they leaned forward until, with a whimper, they let themselves fall the rest of the way, head on my chest.

    Carefully and slowly, I embraced them. Astrodach was somewhere and I doubted we¡¯d be able to stay like this for long. I¡¯d stay as long as I could.

    ¡°I *hic* was so scared,¡± Nelys voice was hoarse and barely a whisper.

    ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry,¡± I whispered back. ¡°Did he¡­¡±

    I let the question hang. After a few moments Nelys softly shook their head ¡®No¡¯. Cold comfort, but the tightness in my chest lessened slightly.

    Rocking the both of us slowly, I hummed a lullaby my mother used to sing for me. Tears of my own soon joined Nelys¡¯. At least demons could still cry.

 Chapter 29: Breaking Point

    Perspective: Seyari

    Fuck Malich. At least he was an idiot.

    An idiot with an ego and access to power will always have ambitions without the skills to realize them. People like Third Prince Malich were easy to use, but those same ambitions made them dangerous since they¡¯d flaunt their power without concern.

    I should know. Fucking hell.

    He bought the story I made up on the spot about how I summoned and bound Zarenna. Called it ¡®blind luck¡¯ and that luck ¡®explained how a woman such as myself could bind a magnificent creature such as Zarenna¡¯. I didn¡¯t miss the emphasis he put on my gender.

    Fuck him and his sexism. At least that and his big fucking ego made him believe the shit I fed him. His leering lust demon was even smart enough to see I was lying. She looked like she wanted to speak up, but the dumb bastard had probably bound her up so tight in rules that she couldn¡¯t say a word.

    Unfortunately, she was also why Malich was dangerous. I couldn¡¯t be fucked to remember her long-ass name, but she was strong and significantly smarter than her master. I¡¯d planned to break out and find Nelys, but she stayed behind after Malich went to bind Zarenna to keep watch over me. I hated that she was doing a good job of it.

    Malich, of course had put me in a cell. Stone walls, cot hinged to the wall, shit bucket, and prison bars. Brought back a lot of memories I¡¯d rather forget. On both sides of the bars.

    Lusty was sitting slouched in a chair outside my cell, looking for all the world like she was asleep. I knew better and caught her glancing at me from time to time with her red eyes. Her thin tail twitched lazily. Probably as bored as I was, at least.

    I was also nervous. I hadn¡¯t been able to figure out where Nelys was. This place was a godsdamned labyrinth and had to run under half the estate grounds. Whatever Malich had in store for me and Nelys, it wasn¡¯t going to be letting us walk out the front door.

    I needed a plan to get us out; the sooner the better.

    I was worried for Zarenna was well. She¡¯d have to be stuck with the fucker and I worried she¡¯d let herself be subjected to something truly horrible before she killed the bastard.

    I fully expected Malich to die. Zarenna was the best way to make that happen, unfortunately for her. She was far too kind for her own good, but I¡¯d seen her kill people when she had to without hesitation.

    I knew enough about greater demons to know that Zarenna could probably take on any of Malich¡¯s demons individually, at least in a straight fight. She was still pretty useless with a weapon, but she fought, well, like a demon, with her own claws and magic.

    Whatever happened to her on Korzon Island had shaped her into a strong berserker.

    I had to try to get Nelys and get out before Malich pushed Zarenna to her breaking point, or the whole place would come down on our heads. We were near the edge of the city, so we could flee into the desert. But, if we needed to search this labyrinth for Nelys, we might not have enough time to get out.

    The guards here were professionals. I¡¯d seen emplacements for mages as well, though the property was largely designed for aesthetics over defense. The mundane guard staff would pose a threat due to numbers and quality of equipment. Underneath all the set dressing what they carried looked unfortunately practical.

    Zarenna would also want to avoid killing the guards if she could help it. I didn¡¯t have an issue with killing them; they knew their role. Still, I found myself more willing to entertain a quiet way out. I told myself it was merely for practical reasons.

    This meant I had to get out of this cell, rather than wait for an angry Zarenna to come in here and rip the whole front of the cell out of the rock. I almost wanted to wait here just to see that happen. Thinking about that image drifted my mind to an awkward place.

    Like crimson big tits over there, Zarenna was unreasonably physically attractive in the way that only angels and demons seemed to be. Obviously, in the situation I was currently in, I felt nothing toward the lust demon. But I¡¯d noticed since Zarenna woke up that I¡¯d mostly stopped paying attention to anyone else I saw that I¡¯d normally find physically attractive.

    I¡¯d never been one for intimate relationships. More like I¡¯d never had the chance, I guess. The past few years I¡¯d only had short, physical flings. Now though, I didn¡¯t really know how to feel.

    I did know that I needed to not be thinking about this right now, however. Malich had taken the keys with him when he left, and I didn¡¯t plan on trying to get through the bars. I should have been able to use wind magic to feel out the lock if it was simple enough, but from the soft glow of Lusty¡¯s eyes, I knew she¡¯d catch on.

    I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do it quickly enough to prevent her stopping me and I really didn¡¯t want to have to try to fight her. Actually, I did, but I really couldn¡¯t.

    I sat for a long time, waiting for Lusty to slip up. That ended with a thump and faint noises of a scuffle in the distance. I wasn¡¯t certain it was Zarenna, but Lusty finally looked up and, after a moment of hesitation went to the door of the cellblock hallway to look out.

    While she was looking out, one of the human guards nodded their head and walked past her into the cell block. She faintly acknowledged his presence with a nod back, still looking away.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    His armor was ill-fitting and hastily donned, a fact I picked up on immediately. His face was mostly fake in a rather amateurish way. The man walked quickly to my cell and produced a keyring with a few keys on it from inside his sash.

    I recognized him now as Aretan. He wore a look of determination and I could see fear in his expression. The heavy makeup on his face was starting to run from sweat and I noticed a black eye forming.

    I wanted to whisper and ask he was doing here, but I didn¡¯t dare make a sound. The first key didn¡¯t work.

    He didn¡¯t look up, instead going to the second key. It looked like there were six on the ring.

    I looked behind him just in time to see Lusty turn around. She didn¡¯t even say a word.

    ¡°Look out!¡± I shouted.

    Aretan looked up at me and then tried to dive to the side.

    Too slow. A barbed whip caught him around the middle. The magicked weapon tore through the armor like paper and blood blossomed out from the wound.

    Aretan cried out in pain. The keys flew out of his hand and landed next to me in the cell. My friend spun about and landed heavily on the floor.

    I dove for the keys and grabbed them. Lusty rushed to the downed Aretan as he struggled to stand. The man must have had hand-to-hand combat training, because he was able to block her first claw swipe, though it cut his forearm to ribbons.

    As fast as I could, I tried a key in the door. No luck. I couldn¡¯t even remember which keys Aretan had already tried.

    Outside my cell, my Navanaean friend staggered from the blow. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge the whip from her other hand and it caught him around his good arm. Lusty pulled him to her and then smiled as she slashed his throat deeply open with her claws.

    Blood gushed from the wound and Aretan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He fell to his knees and collapsed to the floor, blood quickly pooling under him. A second key failed.

    Lusty looked at me and smiled, licking a blood-covered claw. She motioned for the keys I held.

    That fucking did it.

    Two months ago, I would have ducked back down, handed the keys over and waited for a chance to escape. Not anymore.

    I pulled on all the mana I could, and forced it against the barrier somewhere deep within my magic. The cold, jagged wall had formed after I crippled my own magic all those years ago. I¡¯d felt something warm beyond the ever-present reminder of my shame the last few years. Until now, I was too scared to do anything about it. I wanted to keep hiding from my past.

    I still did.

    I¡¯d watched friends die before; on the Lady of Liseu or elsewhere. I¡¯d watched closer friends die. I¡¯d been taunted before, too. Honestly, I deserved worse. Somehow, I¡¯d chosen this time to be different. I just couldn¡¯t admit why.

    Fuck me.

    The wall shattered violently, and I stumbled, coughing up blood.

    A fraction of a second later, a feeling I¡¯d long since detached myself from filled me as an explosion of holy mana welled up within. My old magic flooded into my entire body; hot and furious.

    My shoulders screamed as blood poured from old wounds made fresh before my natural healing sealed them shut. My wings would never grow back, after all.

    I knew my magic would return my hair to its old gleaming silver coloration that I¡¯d worked so hard to bleach out. The silver dye burned out of my irises as they doubtless regained their glowing gold hue.

    In front of me, Lusty stood in shock and confusion. I wanted to smile back at her, but through my own pain all I could do was glare. Turning to run, her collar began to glow angrily.

    She was still slightly faster than me, but she didn¡¯t quite make it out the door before a massive beam of holy magic lanced through her. Lusty dropped forward, a gaping smoking hole through her chest.

    I staggered, unused to using my magic after so long. I¡¯d put my all into that spell and it drained me far more than I expected.

    I rushed to the front of my cell and stuck an arm through the bars. Barely, I was able to touch Aretan¡¯s body on the floor.

    Miraculously, he hadn¡¯t bled to death quite yet. I hesitated for a moment, trying to make sure I¡¯d heal him and not scorch him. Decades had passed since I¡¯d last healed anyone.

    Thankfully, I got it right and color returned to his face as his wounds sealed. His blood loss was something I could only partially fix. Such a thing was costly in terms of mana and I¡¯d just made myself quite the target. I¡¯d need every bit of power I could get.

    Whether I liked it or not, we were getting out of here the loud way now.

    Lusty, somehow still alive, had crawled most of the way out of the door. I¡¯d blast her again, but if she was alive from the first attack, blowing off her foot wouldn¡¯t end her.

    I tried to bend the bars wide enough to slip after her. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the sheer impossible strength Zarenna had. I did manage to bend them, but not fast enough.

    I grabbed the keys and hurriedly tried one I thought we hadn¡¯t. No luck. Thankfully, the second got the door open.

    Aretan was still coming to on the ground, so I leapt over him after the slowly retreating lust demon.

    I reached her easily, and to my luck, no one was immediately outside save for a pair of human guards who¡¯d been approaching and who turned and ran at the sight of me. Well, fuck. That was going to happen sooner or later anyway, I guessed.

    Lusty didn¡¯t put up much of a fight. The angry glow on her collar faded once we reengaged. Her magic was busy barely keeping her alive, so after a brief scuffle where I showed her my own decades of fighting experience, I got in and opened her neck with a blade of holy light.

    Finally, after twitching a few times, she died. At the end of the hall, I saw the gray demon from earlier, robes singed, run by. We locked eyes for a moment.

    I expected them to attack and steeled my mind against an assault. They sent out a probe I batted aside, then turned and kept running. That way was probably out. I tried to commit it to memory.

    I really, really didn¡¯t like that the gray demon was running somewhere, however. The royal family doubtless had redundancies in binding to prevent something like a single death unbinding a multitude of demons. They were still bound. If they were running, it wasn¡¯t just to get away. That gray demon was going somewhere or to someone.

    I ran back to Aretan in the cell block. He¡¯d managed to drag himself up to a sitting position. Numbly, he looked his body over, finding no wounds left, but several scars. Healing had never been my forte anyway.

    ¡°Aretan!¡± I asked. ¡°How the fuck did you get in here?¡±

    ¡°I, eh,¡± He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts, ¡°I knew you had gone here out of disguise. I have contacts in the city and one of them works at this estate. He knew to look for you. He told me you came here, then gave me an opening to get inside. I know this is not a good time, and I am sorry if you do not want to tell me, but are you part angel?¡±

    ¡°Half-angel,¡± I paused a moment. ¡°You almost died! Do you know how stupid it was to come here?¡±

    Aretan looked offended as he shakily stood up. ¡°Yes, I know. Of course I know! I could ask you the same question, but I will not. I trusted you had a good reason to do something like this and I would like you to grant me the same.¡±

    ¡°I...fuck. Fine. You¡¯re right, sorry,¡± I replied. ¡°We need to find Nelys and Zarenna and get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Aretan nodded, then looked downcast. ¡°I do not know where they are. Do you?¡±

    ¡°If I had to guess, right out of this door, down the hall and somewhere to the left. I saw the gray demon run by with singed robes. I¡¯d bet anything Zarenna did that.¡±

    Aretan nodded and moved with me quickly to the exit. He stumbled just out of the door and I caught him. The man still looked pale. Neither of us said anything, but I lent him my shoulder to lean on and together we jogged down the hallway in search of Zarenna and Nelys.

 Chapter 30: Catching Up

    Perspective: Lorelei

    ¡°Markus, how in heaven¡¯s name are you able to stand this heat in all that armor?¡± I fanned myself in a desperate and useless bid to cool off.

    ¡°I¡¯m just as miserable as you are, Lor.¡± Markus, helmet off, walked beside me.

    The whole dang country was far too hot for my comfort. I¡¯d taken to wearing an overlarge sun hat just so I wouldn¡¯t turn as red as a cherry. The local clothing was supposed to help. If it did, I sure didn¡¯t notice. All this after I¡¯d only just gotten used to the heat in Cavenze!

    ¡°At least it¡¯s a dry heat?¡± Markus tried to comfort me.

    I pouted. ¡°Yeah, like an oven! At least in the tropics we were surrounded by water!¡±

    ¡°We were on a river until yesterday,¡± Markus replied, then saw my frustrated look and deflated. ¡°The sand does get in my armor,¡± he conceded.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± I clapped him on the back with a dull clang, ¡°The sooner we can go home, the better. Why did that demon and the traitor have to run here of all places, anyway?¡±

    I looked up at the sky between the buildings and groaned. We¡¯d taken a riverboat from Ivlaet to Baetnal. The demon and that traitor Seyari had managed to slip out of our net back in Port Princely. I should have suspected she¡¯d had pirate connections. Seyari was far too crass not to have something shady in her background.

    Markus and I stopped for some street food that wouldn¡¯t destroy my insides and found a shady spot to sit and rest. I got to thinking about all the dumb reasons I was in this stupid desert.

    I called her a traitor, but Seyari probably just got enthralled by the demon that nearly fooled us. To think I hadn¡¯t even been sure until the day before we left the island! She was insidious. Something like that demon could easily gather enough power to hurt a lot of people.

    And she was patient, too. We¡¯d not seen any evidence of her trying to corrupt the people of Navanaea. She even managed to fake being bound by the human she¡¯d (probably) enthralled! Oh, the irony!

    Honestly, we¡¯d gotten lucky to have tracked the pair to Navanaea. Until we¡¯d received the report from our contact in Ivlaet, we¡¯d assumed their destination to be in the Turquoise Coast. The ship Markus and I were on had to change course mid-route to Liseu.

    Since the ship was going on to Liseu straight after, we didn¡¯t have time to get proper supplies. I had to eat nothing but hardtack with the rest of the crew for half a week!

    Ugh, my mouth still felt dry. No wait, that was probably the baking heat. Seriously, why Navanaea!?

    Well, in fairness, we did find the answer to that in Ivlaet. Their ship had been attacked by pirates and forced to harbor or risk capsizing in rough conditions. For once, brigands may have done the world a service by delaying that demon.

    I was certain the captain knew ¡°Renna¡± was really a demon in disguise, but the crafty bastard didn¡¯t let anything slip. He¡¯d said he¡¯d only found out near end of the trip and that the demon, Zarenna apparently, was already bound.

    The pirate captain wasn¡¯t even doing anything truly illegal! Legally gray certainly, but under the stupid vague Turquoiser laws, he was in the clear.

    The crew said about as much, but they weren¡¯t sure about the binding. Not like they¡¯d know what to look for either. I decided we wouldn¡¯t push the issue. We weren¡¯t after him anyway, and I wasn¡¯t about to cause a mess in a nation where the Church was only just starting to make inroads.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Hey Marky, what do you think that demon¡¯s up to?¡± I put a hand to my chin.

    ¡°No idea, Lor. Demons aren¡¯t rational; they don¡¯t think like us.¡± Markus replied drily.

    I sighed. ¡°Well yeah, duh. But some greater demons sometimes have patterns, yeah? This ¡°Renna¡± demon¡¯s playing some kind of long game and I can¡¯t figure it out!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll put a stop to whatever it is, don¡¯t you worry.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess. She probably didn¡¯t try anything with us because she knew she couldn¡¯t win.¡± I shrugged and kept walking toward the city¡¯s center.

    I wondered how the demon had corrupted Seyari. Yeah, she was a bitch, but she wasn¡¯t evil or anything.

    We¡¯d been informed the demon had met the Third Prince of Navanaea who had tried to buy her. I imagined the meeting to be clandestine, but I¡¯d overestimated Prince Malich because of his title. The tantrum he threw was known to most all the city.

    Our agents had contacted the Third Prince, offering him the location and known abilities of the ¡°bound¡± demon, Zarenna, as payment in exchange for using his political weight to snare her and her ¡°binder¡±, Seyari, for us. We¡¯d also mentioned that Seyari was wanted and we could make sure he¡¯d be able to get the demon if he gave Seyari over to us. Basically, he could strongarm his way to what he wanted and not get in trouble for it.

    Not only had Third Prince Malich jumped at the offer without hesitation, but the moron had press-ganged the next ship into taking after the two who had been seen leaving with a merchant caravan headed south. Unfortunately, this also meant he¡¯d left without Markus and I, forcing us to take the next ship south and delaying the entire operation.

    Of course, we¡¯d no intention of letting him have the demon. If the demon didn¡¯t deal with Malich, we¡¯d make sure there was an accident. I always hated this kind of work, but it needed to happen. It was all the fault of demons anyway. Binding was a blasphemy and risked the safety of everyone.

    The Third Prince was, despite his less than impressive tendencies, one of the major proponents of demon binding in Navanaea. He supported his brother, the First Prince, for the throne. The First Prince was the favorite to succeed the King, but his deep influence undoubtedly came with secrets that, should they come to light, could damage his claim. Like all of his brother Malich¡¯s poorly concealed dirty laundry. The Royal Family of Navanaea could only cover up so much.

    The Second Prince, who preached some nonsense about demonic cooperation, was an even worse candidate. But he had virtually no support. The Church probably wanted to put some sycophant on the throne. Whatever.

    Honestly, I hated all this politicking enough when all I had to do was read reports on it. Now that it¡¯s forced me into the depths of a hot, heathen nation working for an imbecile, it made my blood boil. This stupid heat made it so much easier to get myself worked up!

    Markus, the sweet man, saw my ugly expression and tried to help.

    ¡°Lor, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, love, just uncomfortable in this heat,¡± I replied absentmindedly.

    Markus rolled his broad shoulders. ¡°We could move to someplace indoors. Our contact hasn¡¯t reported capturing our quarry yet.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that monster would even give him the chance to?¡± I tapped a finger on my chin.

    Markus shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. She¡¯s been laying low so far. Wouldn¡¯t fit the pattern.¡±

    ¡°Well, I hope she takes him out. I haven¡¯t met him, but the reports on his hobbies give me the creeps.¡± I stood up and dusted myself off. ¡°Let¡¯s go someplace cool. We¡¯ll go meet him in the morning.¡±

    Markus stood up beside me, ¡°We really should go early, Lor.¡±

    He knew me too well. I¡¯d planned to stall until noon. I still might, but the oppressive climate and the thought of leaving sooner made my resolve waver.

    I sighed. ¡°Fiiiiine. I¡¯m taking a cold bath tonight though. Find us a place to stay that has one, will you?¡±

    Markus smiled lightly. ¡°Sure, Lor. Thanks for humoring me. I just think this quarry¡¯s unusually dangerous, so I don¡¯t want to take risks. Our contact didn¡¯t check in last night, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. He¡¯s missed two nights already so he¡¯s probably just off doing something gross.¡± I started walking in a direction that I hoped had nicer looking buildings. ¡°Hey, you ever wonder what Mordwell¡¯s real goal is? Like, he hired Seyari and that Salvador guy even though they¡¯re outsiders and has had us running all over Varra for years now¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t get a response, so I turned to look back. Marcus was still standing by the bench we¡¯d been sitting on, looking over a poorly-folded map. He looked up. ¡°Sorry Lor, I didn¡¯t catch that.¡±

    I plodded back over to him. ¡°Ugh, never mind. Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±

    I grabbed an arm.

    Markus put away the map then looked around before pointing in a direction away from where I was tugging him. ¡°Best hotels are that way.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I replied, then smiled. ¡°Lead the way then! Cool bath here I come!¡±

 Chapter 31: Caught Up

    Perspective: Zarenna

    I wanted to stay longer. I really, really wanted to give Nelys the time they needed. But I couldn¡¯t. I had to find Seyari and we had to get out of here.

    I could feel fatigue from the magic I¡¯d used, but not enough to really hinder me. What had happened weighed me down much more heavily.

    I lifted my head and looked around the room. Eyes blurry from tears cleared rapidly to show the blood-spattered room. An armoire sat near the other end of the small space. I looked back down at Nelys who was still naked.

    They¡¯d stopped sobbing, but still clung to me tightly. Carefully, I stood up, princess carrying their small form with my lower arms.

    I opened the armoire and found the clothes they¡¯d worn along with, to my surprise, the dress that Elena had made me.

    I suppose given the sick purpose of the room we were in; a wardrobe was to be expected. Well, it was my dress and I wouldn¡¯t let Malich¡¯s intent ruin its purpose.

    One of our bags sat at the bottom. I stored the dress in it along with what other clothing I could find that didn¡¯t make my skin crawl.

    I helped Nelys dress quickly. They were still out of it, but the normalcy of getting dressed seemed to help slightly. Enough to where they didn¡¯t want me to carry them. Still, I took their hand and we exited the back room into the sex dungeon proper. Sex dungeon was probably the right term even if I¡¯d tried my best to avoid using it. Malich¡¯s crumpled, headless body had slid down the wall by the door to land in a pool of blood.

    My thoughts strayed to that bastard. Nelys squeezed my hand softly when I froze. I squeezed back and averted my gaze. Together we walked quickly out of the room.

    I tried to remember which way was out. I headed back to where I had last seen Spikes, or Verrux. I was about to turn the corner when I froze. I didn¡¯t know where Seyari was.

    I looked back down the hall at all the doors. Would I have to search each of them for her? Would I have enough time before something happened?

    Nelys tugged on my hand and looked up at me. They pointed around the corner. ¡°That way¡¯s out.¡±

    ¡°Seyari,¡± was all I could reply with.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Nelys looked down again.

    Someone had to know where she was taken. I couldn¡¯t leave Nelys here. Resolved, I turned the corner.

    Ahead, I saw two figures walking down the hallway toward me. One of them, a wiry Navanaean man, was leaning on the other. His face was a smeared mess of makeup, but I recognized the shape immediately.

    ¡°Aretan!¡± I shouted.

    The woman he was leaning on looked up at my voice. Her face was familiar, but her eyes glowed burning gold. Literally glowed. Her eyes and long silver hair cast faint light on the walls of the hallway.

    Holy magic, and powerful. A quick look through aura sight showed the burning power of the woman¡¯s magic. Her aura was a blinding pale gold that faded to green at the edges.

    I recoiled, then recognized that green tinge.

    The woman and Aretan both opened their mouths to speak, but Nelys beat them to it.

    ¡°Seyari?¡± My small friend asked.

    ¡°Nelys?¡± The woman, Seyari, replied.

    Her voice was only vaguely familiar. The word came out melodic and strong, despite her fatigued expression.

    ¡°Oh, thank fuck,¡± Seyari sighed.

    This was Seyari alright. Although her face had a slightly different shape. Overall, the differences were enough that I hadn¡¯t recognized her at first.

    ¡°Seyari?¡± I questioned, unsure.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me, I get it.¡± She rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°Fuck, I have a lot to explain, don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Are you alright? What did he do to you?¡± I fired off questions while walking quickly toward her.

    My body wanted to run away, screaming danger. I briefly thought about my own form. Was I like this to other people?

    ¡°Malich? Nothing. This, uh, fuck. I don¡¯t really know how to explain it. I was gonna tell you, but I just¡ª¡± Seyari stumbled through her words.

    Her angelic appearance was jarring against her mannerisms.

    ¡°She is half-angel,¡± Aretan cut her off.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Seyari glared at the man, who looked at both of us seriously.

    ¡°We are all here and we need to go. We can talk later,¡± Aretan¡¯s tone was clipped and his face slightly pale.

    ¡°Right. Which way?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Back the way we came,¡± Aretan replied. ¡°Did you make that loud sound?¡±

    I stumbled over a reply. ¡°Oh, uh, yeah. I killed Malich. Astrodach ran away.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Seyari cursed. ¡°Now we really need to get out of here. The whole city¡¯ll come down on our asses!¡±

    Despite her words, Seyari didn¡¯t sound disappointed.

    We all started walking quickly down the hall. Aretan seemed much more tired than the rest of us, but Nelys was starting to perk up. I just hoped they¡¯d be alright.

    ¡°He deserved it,¡± I tried to defend the act.

    ¡°Yeah, he fucking did. Zarenna, if you of all people thought that, they probably deserved it.¡± Seyari nudged my shoulder.

    ¡°Are you really a half-angel? You don¡¯t exactly, well, y¡¯know¡ª¡± My turn to trip over my words.

    ¡°Act like an angel? Yeah, fuck that. You don¡¯t act like a demon much either, Zarenna.¡± Seyari shook her head, sounding tired. ¡°Lotta stuff happened and I ended up with my angel part broken for a long time. I¡¯ll tell you about it as soon as we¡¯re out of here, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I gave her a side hug with two arms.

    We continued down the hall until we entered a moderately-sized room with three other exits. The trip had been unnervingly empty of guards. The room we entered was furnished lightly like a lobby. One exit led to another basement hallway, while the other two were solid-looking doors. I remembered entering through here right after the stairs down, so we were almost out.

    There was, however, a big problem. Namely, Verrux. The spiky demon stood by one of the doors, presumably the one leading out. He looked me up and down before his collar glowed and he dropped into a combat stance.

    He didn¡¯t attack, however. I still felt oddly about him.

    ¡°Can you not speak?¡± I asked.

    Verrux shook his head.

    ¡°You have to stop me?¡±

    Another nod.

    ¡°What about the others?¡±

    Verrux pointed to Seyari and nodded, but shook his head at the other two. Aretan took Nelys hand from me and moved to a side.

    ¡°Do you not want to fight me?¡± I asked, watching for Verrux¡¯s reaction.

    He shook his head, then bowed slightly at me. His collar glowed angrily. The entire conversation, the binding must have exerted more and more force, and I could feel the tension ready to snap.

    I made a decision. ¡°Aretan, take Nelys and go. Seyari and I will catch up.¡±

    I expected pushback. I would have given some. Aretan had experience I lacked, however. The man simply nodded. Nelys hesitated a moment before following his lead.

    ¡°Meet us in Liseu or the road there. If you cannot, we will go to Lockmoth and wait until next spring solstice.¡± Aretan said as he and Nelys retreated quickly to a side, ready to make a line for the door.

    ¡°What about¡ª¡± I wanted to ask after Aretan¡¯s mercenary obligations, and why he would follow us out of Navanaea, but this was the moment Verrux chose to move.

    He leapt forward with startling speed. I was only just able to throw up two arms to block before he barreled me into and through the stone wall behind me.

    Dust and debris showered everything. The arms I¡¯d blocked with broke immediately from the impact. I roared in pain and flipped myself on top of the other demon.

    With two arms useless, I could barely hold him down. Hits from my tail did nothing through his armor as we struggled on the ground.

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    With their usual rapid speed, my bones were knitting themselves back together. Still, it would be a minute or more before I could use those arms.

    A bolt of holy magic narrowly missed Varrux as we struggled. Another followed it, then another. Seyari chose to miss rather than risk hitting me.

    I turned to my magic. I breathed in, then exhaled a gout of white-hot flame into Verrux¡¯s face. He roared underneath me, but seemed resistant to my magic. Still, his face, twisted into a pained snarl, was half-burned when I ran out of breath.

    The spiked demon managed to wrench his arms free and raked two gashes across my back. I could feel massive claws bounce off my spine, gouging into it. Blood flowed down my back.

    I took my free arms and raked him back, going for the neck. My first swing missed, but the second tore into flesh. His throat opened and he began to choke on his own blood as we continued to fight.

    More importantly, my claws had cut the half-melted collar open. Despite the damage it had already sustained, the magically-reinforced metal had nearly resisted my slash. Nearly, but not quite.

    The collar flared brightly as it shattered. The sigil on Verrux¡¯s cheek lit up. Right before the magic of the contract exploded outward, he gurgled something quickly in a language I didn¡¯t understand.

    Then the world went crimson and gold.

    I was thrown into the ceiling hard enough to crack the stone. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t feel anything break. A testament to how strong Verrux must have been to break my arms.

    Underneath me, the other demon was consumed by the contract¡¯s magic. The crimson separated from the sickly gold and rammed into me.

    I fell to the side and rolled into a heap. I felt a slight burn of holy magic followed by a stream of cursing in Seyari¡¯s voice. Her form became visible as the room cleared.

    Not again. I really didn¡¯t want to black out again. I poured more mana into my regeneration, then stopped as stars closed in on my vision.

    Strangely enough, I felt more power left than I thought I had in me. Slowly, I pulled myself into a crouch, arms still sore and legs barely responding.

    Seyari helped me into a sitting position. Where Verrux had lain, only a pile of blackened ash staining the sandstone floor remained.

    I coughed. Pain lit up along my entire torso. ¡°Ow.¡±

    Seyari responded by hugging me lightly. ¡°You fight like a fucking berserker.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get a shot in. Ever heard of disengaging?¡± the half-angel said into my shoulder.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying sorry.¡±

    ¡°S¡ª¡± I paused. ¡°No. Sorry.¡±

    Seyari squeezed. ¡°I guess you¡¯re fine then.¡±

    ¡°I will be.¡±

    Seyari shook me in the hug and looked up at me. More pain. ¡°Learn a weapon. Learn how to fight with allies.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I squeezed her back, careful of my strength.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°Good. Because shit¡¯s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± I smiled.

    ¡°How the fuck are you like this?¡± Seyari looked at me, smiling back.

    I shrugged. Ow. ¡°Right back at you.¡±

    ¡°Bitch.¡±

    I stuck my forked tongue out.

    Seyari bopped my horn. ¡°Can you walk?¡± She asked.

    ¡°In a minute,¡± I replied. ¡°Aretan and Nelys got out, right?¡± I noticed Verrux had pushed the fight far clear of the door. What had he said?

    ¡°Yeah, they got out. That demon gave them an opening for some reason.¡± Seyari let go and stood up.

    I didn¡¯t even try to follow her up. ¡°You saw him. He didn¡¯t want to fight.¡± I missed the hug already.

    ¡°I saw that, but I don¡¯t get why,¡± Seyari wondered.

    I shook my head. ¡°Ne meither. I wish there was a manual for being a demon. Verrux said something right before he died. I feel like part of the contract or him or something made me stronger.¡±

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re not a reaver?¡± Seyari asked, then continued, ¡°Wait. ¡®Ne meither¡¯!?¡±

    I smiled sadly. ¡°Abby used to say that. I guess it just slipped out. And I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not a reaver, yeah.¡±

    ¡°I heard you say that name before.¡± Seyari looked at me with concern. ¡°On the Swordfish when you almost went overboard.¡±

    ¡°She was an old friend of mine. She¡ªshe died when I did.¡± I tried to keep my voice even, but it was hard.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Seyari put a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡ªwe got to say goodbye at least.¡± I tried to stand up. Nope, not happening yet.

    ¡°Good. Need a few minutes?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think my spine might¡¯ve broken.¡±

    Seyari looked at me funny, ¡°You ever stop to consider how insane your regeneration is?¡±

    ¡°Demons are crazy.¡± I resisted the urge to shrug.

    ¡°Yeah, no. What you have isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    I tilted my head and put a claw to my chin. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s normal?¡±

    Seyari put her hand to her head. ¡°Probably a tenth of that speed.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yay for me!¡± I halfheartedly pumped a fist in the air. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we seen any other guards, though?¡±

    Seyari looked around the destroyed room and wall. ¡°They¡¯re hiding, probably.¡±

    ¡°What about Malich¡¯s other demon?¡±

    ¡°I killed her,¡± Seyari¡¯s said flatly.

    ¡°Do we have enough time for you to tell me about your mysterious past?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Probably not and I don¡¯t want to talk about it here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re stalling.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be overheard.¡±

    ¡°Stalling,¡± I repeated.

    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± Seyari smiled thinly.

    I shrugged painfully. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll just wait in awkward silence until my spine un-breaks.¡±

    ***

    Several minutes of awkward silence later, I¡¯d healed enough to walk. I may have waited some extra time out of spite, but I really did want to be ready in case we weren¡¯t out of the woods yet. Still, despite the boost in energy, I was tired. I didn¡¯t know if what I got was like a one-time thing or had some permanent effect.

    Together, we ascended the stairs. I walked ahead of Seyari since I could survive most kinds of nasty surprise. The room we found ourselves in at the top was in disarray. Signs of a struggle were everywhere and the gaudy furnishings had mostly turned into a gaudy mess.

    Sitting on one of the couches was a person I absolutely did not expect to see. She had long red hair and wore a white armored dress. The outfit looked impractical. I was jealous.

    ¡°Hello, Demon,¡± Lorelei¡¯s voice dripped with derision.

    Markus stood to one side of her, armor slightly scuffed.

    ¡°I told you they¡¯d come out the main exit,¡± Markus said to Lorelei.

    ¡°Yeah, and I told you that Malich would try to screw us over,¡± Lorelei fired back.

    ¡°Were you working with that scumbag?¡± I voiced my disbelief. I didn¡¯t even think to ask how the hell they followed us here from Port Princely.

    ¡°Why do you care, Demon?¡± Lorelei mocked.

    ¡°Because I thought you were better than that,¡± I replied.

    Lorelei¡¯s smile flashed into a dark scowl. ¡°You dare! We were going to betray that creep, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Betray how?¡± I replied, carefully measuring my tone.

    Markus replied, ¡°We do not have to tell you, Demon.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t he?¡± Lorelei searched my face.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied icily.

    That I killed him was left unsaid. Seyari followed me into the room and stood next to me, moving into view.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone?¡± I asked plaintively.

    ¡°Do you take us for fools?¡± Markus spat at me.

    Lorelei was silent. I looked to her only to find her face frozen in an expression of shock. I traced her gaze back to Seyari.

    Markus followed and his eyes widened under his visor at Seyari¡¯s appearance. ¡°Angel-blooded? Powerful, by the look of it. How have you corrupted Seyari, Demon? Angel-blooded should be resistant to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yothariel!¡± Lorelei interrupted with a voice that had lost all confidence. ¡°B-but you¡¯re dead!¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you,¡± Seyari replied coldly.

    Markus jolted. ¡°Yothariel! Wait¡ª¡±

    I was clearly the only one out of the loop.

    ¡°Yothariel?¡± I asked the room.

    Lorelei looked at me and fear flickered into her eyes. ¡°Y-you! You have to know.¡±

    My dumbfounded look seemed to have gotten cogs turning. Seyari, for her part looked over the other two dispassionately.

    The redhead turned to Seyari. ¡°You. What are you planning?¡±

    Seyari replied with a shrug and a candid smile.

    ¡°Can we take them?¡± Markus asked Lorelei, his gaze on us and his hand on his sword.

    ¡°Yothariel does look weakened.¡± Lorelei thought for a moment.

    Markus drew his sword and took a combat stance. Lorelei shifted slightly, but kept a mostly neutral posture.

    I let her think. I had no intention of fighting here. I wanted to think Lorelei and Markus were good people and I wanted to prove to them I was too. Plus, my mind was whirling at the moment from the revelation of Seyari¡¯s old identity. I honestly had no idea who she was in her past life, but clearly Lorelei and Markus knew.

    Tension covered the room, slowing time to a glacial pace. Both sides squared off, auras active and magic tinging the air with a faint indescribable bitter taste. Lorelei¡¯s aura was a pale pink edged in dark silver, while Markus¡¯ was a siverish-tan and significantly weaker. Lorelei¡¯s aura was strong and, had Seyari and I been less powerful in our own right, would have seemed overwhelming. Eventually, after what had probably been no more than a minute, but felt an hour, Lorelei broke the silence.

    ¡°I think we should retreat. We have to report this.¡± Lorelei¡¯s voice was even quieter than when she had spoken to Markus earlier.

    I probably wasn¡¯t meant to hear that.

    ¡°We¡¯ll let you go for now, demon¡± Lorelei spoke up and addressed the room. ¡°Enjoy the Navanaean Royal Guard outside.¡± She barely even tried to hide the lack of conviction in her words.

    Markus looked reluctant, but quickly followed Lorelei in a retreat. The two left the room with weapons drawn, keeping an eye on us the whole way. I wasn¡¯t certain whether to try to follow her or not. Seyari put an arm out to stop me.

    ¡°We need to find another way out,¡± the half-angel spoke. ¡°Even if they¡¯re lying, we don¡¯t want to go through the city right now.¡±

    ¡°I think Markus let slip there was a back way,¡± I replied as we quickly walked back down to the basement.

    ¡°There always is in places like this. We just need to find it and hope they aren¡¯t guarding the exit.¡± Seyari sped up. ¡°Oh, and Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Seyari smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach her faintly glowing eyes. ¡°Thanks for not asking.¡±

    ¡°Welcome. I really want to, though.¡±

    ¡°I figured. I¡¯ll tell you if we can get clear of this mess.¡±

    ¡°How will we meet up with Aretan and Nelys and get to Liseu?

    We turned a corner. I headed for the lowest floor on a hunch, but Seyari pulled us in the other direction.

    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°We¡¯ll meet them in Lockmoth after we get across the mountains to the south.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s all wilderness!¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll survive. All we need to do is get across the desert¡ªhere!¡± Seyari pulled me into a storeroom.

    ¡°We¡¯re stocking up, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Grab what you can and stuff that pack of yours.¡±

    We spent half a minute packing my bag. Seyari had grabbed some kind of pack from a room we¡¯d passed and filled it as well.

    ¡°Okay, so we cross the mountains into Ordia. How the hell do we get across the north of the Empire and its heartland?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to deal with your glamour. We¡¯ll work as mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this. What if you get recognized?¡± I asked Seyari.

    ¡°Think I had that disguise kit for no reason? I¡¯ll still look angel-blooded, but I can change enough.¡±

    ¡°And if anyone does think they recognize you, you¡¯re supposedly dead,¡± I added.

    ¡°Not for much longer. Fuck,¡± Seyari grimaced.

    ¡°We¡¯re too recognizable, then? Could this even work?¡± Doubt crept into my voice.

    ¡°Got another plan?¡± Seyari looked at me, expression neutral.

    ¡°No.¡± I sighed. ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, shit¡¯s right. We¡¯ll get through this though. The north is sparsely populated so we can probably pick up gear and bounce between small towns.¡±

    Seyari led us on through room after room quickly looking for a hidden exit. The whole basement was thankfully deserted.

    ¡°But first we have to cross through Desertkin territory,¡± I pointed out as we ran along.

    ¡°We do, but if we¡¯re not hostile to them we should be fine.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Seyari groaned. ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t fucking know.¡±

    ¡°You said we don¡¯t have another option, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we really don¡¯t.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Then we¡¯ll make it work.¡±

    Seyari told me some of the ways a secret exit could be hidden. We searched likely rooms for a few nerve-shattering minutes until we found something. The reality was almost like the fiction I¡¯d read: a bookcase hiding a false wall. My sharp eyes were the ones that spotted the gap along the bottom.

    The secret exit tunnel was tiny. Whoever designed it didn¡¯t consider overly tall demons. My cramping back was offended.

    The tunnel was long, but relatively straight and we exited carefully. The passage led to a rocky bluff beyond the new walls of Baetnal. Thankfully, no one had been set up to guard it, but we had to move carefully lest we be seen by the walls.

    Shortly after we made it out, a large patrol of soldiers approached the hidden exit. Thankfully, we were out of sight by then. The rocky, undulating landscape made for good cover, thankfully. I doubted it was an accident a secret exit led to this kind of terrain.

    Silently, I thanked whatever bureaucracy complicated things enough for us to escape. I almost wanted to try looping around to the road to Liseu. I realized Florian wouldn¡¯t be able to risk taking us in, though.

    I just hoped Aretan and Nelys had made it out and would be able to leave Navanaea safely. Hopefully everything would focus on us. Ideally, the conflict with the Desertkin would shield us from Navanaean eyes as we fled south.

    Together, Seyari and I ran off into the scrubland under the morning sun.

 Chapter 32: Moonlight pt. 1

    Soon, the rocky landscape gave way to rolling sand dunes. Both Seyari and I were nearing exhaustion from the day¡¯s events. My body may have been fine, but my mana reserves were flagging and I could feel Seyari slowing down.

    Still, she ran much faster than before the whole revelation of her identity as a half-angel. I wanted desperately to ask her more. At the same time, I wanted even more desperately to be able to comfort her. Her old identity clearly carried a lot of baggage, and she hid herself away from it.

    Despite that, I had a feeling the reason she was with the expedition to my island was related to parts of her past she couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t let go. Or that wouldn¡¯t let her go.

    I had to admit, I was struggling not to be angry at Seyari. I didn¡¯t know what her capabilities were as a half-angel, but from everything I thought I knew about angels, and from how Lorelei feared her, she had to be strong. She had taken out Malich¡¯s other demon by herself. If she¡¯d revealed she was half-angel earlier, maybe Aarsh would still be alive. Maybe we¡¯d already have arrived in Ordia aboard the Lady of Liseu. Maybe no one would have had to die to the titan scorpion.

    I wanted to be furious at her. It¡¯d be so easy. I was a wrath demon, after all.

    But I¡¯d told Seyari I wouldn¡¯t run. That I¡¯d stay and listen. Lorelei knew of Seyari¡¯s past, and feared her. Maybe there would have been other issues if she¡¯d revealed herself instead of me. Or alongside me. Maybe she didn¡¯t have a good reason.

    Whatever the case, now we were separated from Aretan and Nelys for who knows how long and we wouldn¡¯t be going to Liseu. We were running for our lives through a desert we knew nothing about, toward a vague direction on the map, with the hope we stole enough food and water to get us there.

    I could tell Seyari was hurting. She was trying too hard not to show anything. I had to be strong, and try to be there for her. I told her over and over again that mistakes in the past didn¡¯t matter if you owned the future. I just had to practice what I preached.

    And I had to hope she was willing to move forward.

    As we fled south, we skirted some small settlements, though we did have to quickly cross a couple roads. The area south of Baetnal away from the River Nav fell quickly to untamed dunes. I hated the dunes, but they meant we were unlikely to run into anyone else. The undulating terrain also gave us some amount of cover, which Seyari was quick to utilize.

    Behind us, the wind would blow away evidence of our passing. In front was a long, perilous journey. I will find you, Tania.

    Midday turned to dusk. We¡¯d been following the sun and heading due south, and were surrounded by nothing but dunes.

    I was certain the pace we¡¯d kept had been inhuman. Seyari, half-angel or whatever she was, certainly had greater endurance and speed than I remembered. Perhaps it was only my exhaustion showing.

    In the twilight, we both looked to the horizon for any feature where we could set up camp. Climbing to the top of the nearest dune, I looked out over the sand. Nothing.

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    A fear of finding a titan scorpion wormed its way into my thoughts. I tried to dismiss it, but the memory of my near-death experience lodged the discomforting thought near the back of my mind.

    ¡°Anything?¡± Seyari¡¯s voice still carried the odd melodic lilt I¡¯d noticed since the Third Prince¡¯s estate.

    I looked back down at her and shook my head. Even without my sight on, I could feel her aura as it burned the edges of my awareness. I hoped my urge to fight or flee from a source of strong holy magic would die down.

    ¡°Shit. Well at least they¡¯re not gonna follow us out here.¡± Seyari plopped down on the slope and winced.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Seyari replied, then added, ¡°but I¡¯ll be fine. Just wish we didn¡¯t have to camp in the open sand.¡±

    I sat down next to her, then had an idea.

    ¡°You said I melted sand back when the titan scorpion stung me, yeah?¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°I want to see if I can melt the sand into something to sleep on. Maybe even a shelter!¡± I smiled widely.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll work.¡± Seyari shook her head, but I could feel my earnest playfulness had softened her mood.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work!¡± I put on my best indignant face and crossed my lower arms.

    ¡°Weirdo,¡± Seyari replied with a small laugh.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    My silver-haired friend rolled her eyes. ¡°Look, if you¡¯ve got mana to spare, go for it, I guess. We probably aren¡¯t going to run into anything out here.¡±

    I smiled and stood back up, dusting myself off. I walked to the bottom of the two dunes we were between and drew on my mana. Focusing the flame as hot as it could get, I bent down and used fire from my top hands to try to melt the sand. I knew a little of temperatures from what little smithing I did, and I¡¯d have to be able to make far more heat than any typical fire mage could produce for anything at all to happen.

    Nothing happened at first. I kept at it, feeling my already depleted mana exhausting quickly. The grains began to glow and fuse. I kept at it, melting the area under my hands, grains losing definition into a mass that darkened as it cooled. Slowly, I moved my upper hands toward me and scooted backwards on four limbs.

    My mana quickly depleted, but by the time I was done, I¡¯d created a long, uneven sheet of rapidly cooling fused sand and patchy glass. Sadly, my handiwork really didn¡¯t look comfortable. Plus, I could tell it was very thin. I¡¯d probably shatter the sheet trying to lay on it.

    ¡°Darn,¡± I sighed and fell back onto the sand; grains mingling with my long hair.

    ¡°I think you may have made something even worse than sand to sleep on,¡± Seyari commented with amusement in her voice.

    ¡°You sure?¡± I joked back. ¡°Try it and maybe you¡¯ll like it.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll wait until it won¡¯t cook me,¡± she laughed.

    I turned to look back up the dune at Seyari. She was leaning back on her elbows and watching me with an amused smile on her face. I didn¡¯t help with setting up a camp, but at least I broke the solemn mood that had been following us like a dark cloud.

    ¡°So, do you want to talk about your past now?¡± I ventured.

    Seyari¡¯s smile vanished and she looked up at the sky. Stars were just starting to show through the red of the evening. I was worried she wouldn¡¯t answer and almost spoke up again when she finally replied.

    ¡°Yeah. Ready as I will be, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied.

    I wanted to say something with more weight, but I couldn¡¯t find the words. I trudged up to where Seyari lay. The half-angel looked over at me with golden eyes, then back up to the sky.

    For a moment, I considered again the problems she¡¯d caused by hiding things. Seyari didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that, though. She knew better than anyone exactly how much her inaction had done. I had a feeling she was being hardest on herself. Even if I knew she wouldn¡¯t talk about that part.

    I sat next to her, close as I dared. Following her gaze, I looked up at the sky as well. I couldn¡¯t find space for four elbows behind me, so I crossed my lower arms over my abdomen. My tail had to go somewhere or be stuck buried underneath. Carefully, I curled the limb around the both of us, not yet close enough to touch.

    If Seyari noticed, she didn¡¯t mention it when she started to tell her tale. As the half-angel spoke, I watched the last of twilight fade and the stars emerge; brilliant and shining around a new moon.

 Chapter 33: Ward

    Perspective: Seyari

    I started to speak, and felt the walls I¡¯d built around myself crumble away. Slowly at first, then gaining rapidly in intensity, the memories I¡¯d held locked away for so long came alive again in the desert moonlight.

    We¡¯d have a long night ahead of us, and Zarenna sat eagerly next to me. Her presence was comforting. My magic may have instinctively rebelled at our proximity, but I stamped it down. I was my own master.

    I started at the beginning. My past, held down for decades, rushed to meet me.

    ***

    I watched a group of other children playing in the courtyard outside. I wished I could join them, but the Sisters so rarely let me play with the other kids staying here. I didn¡¯t understand why. Was it my wings? Except for the Sisters and Brother Mordwell, everyone stared at them. I hadn¡¯t seen anyone else with wings except the one time I went to see father. They were scary!

    I turned and looked around the book-filled small room I sat in. Little bits of dust hung in the air and shone in the light coming through the tiny panes of the window. The metal bits between the panes made a pretty pattern across the paper-covered desk. I looked at the black-robed lady across from me. Several hairs stuck out of the tight bun she kept her brown hair in. Maybe that¡¯s why she had her hood up all the time, to hide it? She was kinda pale.

    ¡°Sister Greda?¡± I asked softly.

    My tutor looked up from grading my latest assignment. ¡°Yes, Yothariel?¡±

    ¡°Why does no one else here have wings?¡± I looked over my shoulder at my white-feathered wings, stretching them a little bit in the process.

    Sister Greda smiled at my question. ¡°Because, dear, there are few half-angels like you.¡±

    I tilted my head ¡°Why?¡±

    My tutor¡¯s smile got thin and she sighed. ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, you are more than half-angel and the wings are a result of your holy bloodline.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but why aren¡¯t there more like me?¡±

    ¡°As you know, Yothariel, your father is the Angel Berethiel. Your mother has a strong celestial bloodline as well; quite a rarity.¡±

    Sister Greda said father¡¯s name wrong again. I didn¡¯t know how I knew, but I tried to correct Brother Mordwell once and he told me never to say my father¡¯s actual name. I couldn¡¯t even ask why!

    ¡°Oh.¡± I scrunched my face and thought about it for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Yothariel! Please do not make faces like that, young lady. You must be proper at all times.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Sorry, Sister Greda.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, dear. Be thankful Sister Jane didn¡¯t see.¡±

    The mention of my etiquette tutor sent a shiver down my spine. Sister Greda was the nicest, but Sister Jane was mean.

    I sat up straighter, tucking my wings straight behind me. The left one liked to droop, according to Sister Jane. They always cramped up after being held close like this for a long time. How did Sister Jane know proper wing posture? She didn¡¯t even have wings!

    Quietly, I resumed my reading. Today we were covering Ordia¡¯s conquest of Edath. The heathen region had been made part of Ordia a few decades ago. I was so close to the end of the book! Surely there couldn¡¯t be that many more history books, right? Right?

    I sighed. I doubted I was right. Thankfully, I had magic training after this. I¡¯d also get some time to play outside! Alone again, probably. And they wouldn¡¯t let me fly, either. Well, not that I¡¯ve ever gotten very far without crashing.

    Brother Mordwell got really mad about that. I heal quick though, and could always fix myself up with magic. I guess I couldn¡¯t fix the window, though. The paintings in the window had been really pretty, so I was sad I¡¯d broken it. At least the new one was mostly done.

    Through a small garden beyond where the kids were playing, I could see the new unfinished window on the side of the small courtyard chapel. The midday light always felt so warm inside there. It was my favorite place for daily mass, but Abbot Oliver always held mass in the big drafty chapel in the main building.

    The book I was reading got done with the exciting battles and started talking about a bunch of nobility and how Edath was divided. I tried to keep my eyes on it, but I kept drifting back to the bright sunny day outside that I was missing.

    Sister Greda did want me to ask questions, so maybe I could do that? She probably meant about the book because it used really big words. Oh well.

    ¡°Sister Greda?¡± I put my textbook down on the table. ¡°Why do I live here and not with mother?¡±

    ¡°Your mother is very busy, dear. She wanted you to be raised well and to know the grace of Dhias.¡±

    I felt a pang of sadness and didn¡¯t know why.

    ¡°When can I see her again?¡±

    ¡°She is expected to return from her mission before the harvest festival down in the village.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­Thank you for telling me, Sister Greda.¡±

    That was so far away! I hadn¡¯t seen mother since last autumn. I hoped she brought me something this year! She barely talked to me last year. Or the year before.

    I felt my eyes becoming wet. I wiped them with the back of my hand. My wings were better, and softer, but Sister Jane told me not to do that with them. She also told me not to cry.

    I kept my back straight and managed to dry my eyes. Sister Greda had an odd look on her face for a moment before she looked back down at her grading. Quietly, I went back to the book. I didn¡¯t talk the rest of the lesson.

    ***

    My memory faded into a starry sky. I was about to continue, when I felt Zarenna¡¯s tail brush against my leg. I didn¡¯t react and she brought it around me, tip over my toes. I let myself lean into her. She was warm against the cold wind that had started to blow over the dunes.

    We said nothing for a minute and I didn¡¯t look away from the sky. Soon enough, I felt ready to move on to the next part of my past.

    ***

    I recalled the remainder of my childhood at Pinewold Abbey in the north of Ordia. I never was able to make friends with the other kids. Not in any real sense. I moved from etiquette and history lessons to magic and combat training, which I excelled at. I also learned to fly. They never let me go beyond the grounds.

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    I saw my mother four times more. She never really engaged with me, but she wasn¡¯t unkind. The third time, she spoke to me more than she ever had.

    I learned of her history in Ardath where her celestial blood had lifted her family out of poverty when she entered service of the Church of Dhias. Of my conception, she did not speak. Mother gave me my only gift that year; a worn charm bracelet with a new-looking holy symbol of Dhias next to weathered baubles.

    The bracelet had been hers years ago, and she wanted me to have it. We parted on good terms and my early-teenage self had eagerly awaited her return.

    The fourth time my mother returned was in a casket. They said her body had been badly damaged and despite my pleas, I wasn¡¯t able to see her again. I was, however, given the name of a demon that had killed her and her company: Etia¡¯Nazurathun. In hindsight, I wondered how much of what I was told was planned out. How I was manipulated.

    Hardly a year later, I received the offer that would change the course of my life.

    ***

    My blade found home and I slid it clean with a vicious twist. A quick tilt of my wings changed my trajectory and a beam of my holy light blasted a charred hole through the straw of another training dummy. Something sped toward me in my peripheral. A quick burst of wind and a flap and I barely managed to twist up and away from the clay projectile.

    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to dodge the follow-up. I twisted my shield arm, but couldn¡¯t lower myself in time. The heavy projectile struck me in the leg and I just managed to regain my balance before I risked falling out of the sky.

    Down below, I saw Brother Mordwell smiling up at me like he didn¡¯t just bruise me with one of his earth magic projectiles.

    I bit back a jibe and landed smoothly back by the start line. We were in the outer part of the courtyard, by the rear wall that bordered the forest. Enough space to train, but I was forbidden from flying over the wall. I felt constrained.

    ¡°You did well, Yothariel.¡± Brother Mordwell addressed me with an earnest tone.

    The man had been just out of acolyte training when he came to Pinewold Abbey two years after I had arrived. I was too young to remember then.

    He¡¯d yet to turn thirty, and his young, round face gave him an air of childishness that belied his serious nature. Nevertheless, he was never unkind to me. Like Sister Greda, Brother Mordwell allowed himself to be more casual in my presence.

    I¡¯d learned that was why I¡¯d not been able to play with the other children. I was superior to them, evidenced by my wings, dual magic affinities of holy and wind, and physical prowess far exceeding a human. All things that had only become more apparent as I had grown into my teens.

    Still, it was nice to have someone who could speak to me informally. I¡¯d learned well how to act regal whenever I dealt with people. Sister Jane had made sure of that much.

    Now though, my mask cracked.

    ¡°I failed, Brother Mordwell. Had this been a real combat scenario, I would have been injured and left open to further attacks.¡± I bowed my head and pouted in a way most unbecoming of an Angel.

    Brother Mordwell walked closer and mimed placing a hand on my shoulder. I hadn¡¯t realized a few years ago the reason no one touched me was due to what I was and how they were not worthy in the eyes of Dhias. Sometimes I still wanted physical contact. I pushed those thoughts away.

    My mother had been able to, though she had only hugged me once. I could still remember the feeling and it was difficult to shake.

    I looked across at Brother Mordwell and saw that his smile had lost its radiance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt yourself. You can never doubt yourself, Yothariel,¡± he said with a hint of kindness. ¡°You completed the entire routine flawlessly forty times already today. You, of all people, have the capacity to be perfect. Never forget that.¡±

    Unsaid at the time, was that I couldn¡¯t doubt myself. To do so would reflect poorly on the church and what I was to become. I only realized this years later, upon reflection.

    ¡°Of course, Brother Mordwell,¡± I replied, coming as close to agreeing as decorum allowed. ¡°I will endeavor to improve myself beyond my current limits.¡±

    Brother Mordwell nodded. I looked over stone walls of the small chapel I loved so much in the fading afternoon light. I¡¯d never broken another window, thankfully.

    ¡°Is it permissible to spend time in prayer right now?¡± I asked, feeling a desire to reflect more than to speak to Dhias.

    Not that Dhias himself ever directly answered me. I did receive visions and clear, unbidden thoughts or emotions, however. When He wanted to contact, me I could always feel His presence beforehand. He truly did pay attention to one of his own, distant from an Angel though I may be.

    ¡°Will you be receiving his wisdom?¡± Brother Mordwell asked.

    My training and schedule were important. To interrupt it of my own volition was something I was only allowed to do when I felt the call of Dhias. I had many times over the years, but the infrequent wisdom I had received was all in cryptic pieces.

    Today, selfishly, I wanted more to pray and reflect in silence. Perhaps that itself was a sign?

    ¡°I am unsure.¡± I responded as much in my favor as I could.

    Angels cannot speak lies, of course.

    Brother Mordwell should have denied my request and told Abbot Oliver of my uncertainty. Receiving a vision was not something one could be uncertain about.

    Instead, he turned to me with a careful expression on his face. ¡°As you wish, Yothariel. I will wait in prayer outside until you are finished.¡±

    Visions could sometimes take days to manifest. I took it to mean he knew what I wanted was selfish and was asking I not take too long. Acceptable.

    I entered the chapel, closing the door reverently behind me with a sigh. The inside was lit by the depictions of Dhias and His wonders cast from the stained-glass windows. I strode forward in front of the pulpit, and knelt before the depiction of Dhias adorning the rear wall.

    That I was still in full armor hardly bothered me. The weight was nothing and what the padding didn¡¯t stop from poking into me, my own natural toughness made irrelevant.

    Half an hour later, a very short time by even my own standards, I rose, bid thanks to Dhias, and left the chapel. My head felt clearer, but I wanted more than ever to soar beyond the walls and up toward the firmament, the stars of which my superior vision could just make out in the fading light.

    Brother Mordwell rose from his own prayer position in the grass outside. He brushed off his knees and nodded at me. It would be impertinent to ask after my prayer.

    I simply shook my head slowly, with a smile and a joyful expression to show reverence despite not receiving a vision or direct guidance.

    ¡°Are you ready to resume your training, Yothariel?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I am, yes,¡± I replied and turned my softly glowing eyes toward his unreadable brown ones. ¡°Darkness will not impede my vision, but what about yours?¡±

    ¡°There should remain enough light to finish for the day, if only barely,¡± Brother Mordwell replied as we walked back over to my training ground.

    As I was about to start, Brother Mordwell spoke up. Highly unusual, but not entirely out of line.

    ¡°Yothariel, it is clear you are on the path to becoming one of the Church¡¯s greatest warriors. Have you thought about what it is you will do when you come of age?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t expected such a deep question. Truly, I hadn¡¯t given it much thought. I was an extension of Dhias¡¯ will and would serve the Church. Where and how had not been a concern. Dhias would, of course, steer me on the right path.

    ¡°The Inquisitors would greatly benefit from your strength, if you would have them. You may not know, but I am, and your mother was, part of their order.¡± He smiled solemnly.

    ¡°Is that why mother was only able to visit rarely?¡± My attention had been hooked.

    Perhaps my prayer just moments ago did have significance. Perhaps this was the path I was meant to follow.

    ¡°Yes. We are still hunting the demon that slew her. And many more besides. The world is a very dangerous place outside these walls, Yothariel.¡±

    I put a hand to my chin and closed my eyes in thought.

    ¡°Would you truly be satisfied serving Dhias in a capacity that may not play to your greatest strengths?¡±

    I thought about Brother Mordwell¡¯s offer more and more favorably. The other positions I would take would have me be a face for the common people. Sparingly, of course, as close to an Angel as I was. I would heal people, give sermons, and tend to the affairs of the Church. All things I had little aptitude for.

    I keenly felt my sword at my side, my shield on my arm, and the plate armor wrapping my body. Outside of war or a demonic incursion, I would have no chance to take up these things in service to Dhias¡¯ will. I knew little about the Inquisition, save that they were highly secretive and their work highly dangerous.

    As well, I would get a chance to avenge mother. I recalled the only hug I¡¯d ever received. It was enough to tip the scales and make my decision.

    ¡°Brother Mordwell,¡± I started with a cold smile and his face lit up. ¡°I think I would very much like to join the Inquisition. Please, tell me more of your efforts to slay the demon that killed mother.¡±

    ***

    ¡°That decision remains my biggest regret. Though, I suppose, in the end, it freed me from my chains and allowed me to see the Church¡¯s true face.¡± I finished the first part of my story, and finally tore my eyes from the firmament above.

    Not like I could see the Dhias¡¯ realm through it anyway. Fuck you, father. And fuck Dhias, too.

    I turned to look at Zarenna, my eyes wet. Her face wore a sad, pained expression and tears clouded the black sclera of her slitted blue eyes. She wordlessly put two hands near me, as if suggesting an embrace. I nodded.

    For the fourth time in my life, I shared a hug with someone I knew I loved. And for the first time in my life, I wasn¡¯t the one who started it.

 Chapter 34: Moonlight pt. 2

    Perspective: Seyari

    Neither of us moved or spoke for a long time. I wanted to continue, but I didn¡¯t want to give up the comfort of the moment.

    In the end, it was Zarenna who broke the silence. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go any further tonight if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Her voice was smooth and deep, like always. The tone was slightly other, compared to a human voice. I always found myself surprised Zarenna was able to inject genuine concern into a tone of voice I¡¯d expect from a magically-enhanced stage villainess performance.

    ¡°I want to.¡± I leaned into her shoulders more and turned my head to look up at her.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she said softly. ¡°Take your time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t have any questions.¡± Both of us maintained eye contact.

    Zarenna smiled broadly, showing twin rows of sharp teeth. Intimidating, if I didn¡¯t know it meant she was distracted enough to fail to rein in her expression. I took the chance to look at her through my aura sight. I hadn¡¯t been able to activate it while everything was sealed away.

    Zarenna¡¯s aura was a deep, rich crimson. There was a lot of strength behind it as well. Only the demon who slew my mother was significantly stronger.

    While I was looking, the aura¡¯s owner replied to what I¡¯d said. ¡°I have a ton of questions. But I don¡¯t want to ask them until you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready enough,¡± I replied as confidently as I could.

    The demon shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t buy that. But I¡¯ll ask anyway and you don¡¯t have to answer.¡±

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m fine,¡± I insisted. I appreciated how Zarenna could read most people so easily. Sometimes I wished that didn¡¯t extend to me.

    ¡°Okay then. What happened to the bracelet your mother gave you?¡±

    I breathed in sharply. A small detail, but Zarenna had hit on something personal. She opened her mouth, no doubt to apologize, but I shushed her and replied anyway.

    ¡°I lost it some years ago. I don¡¯t remember when.¡± My tone was colder than I wanted.

    ¡°I, uh, sorry.¡± Zarenna gave me a reassuring squeeze I¡¯m pretty sure would have bordered on bone-crushing for most people. ¡°I won¡¯t ask anything else.¡±

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s fine,¡± I replied in a tone that was hopefully reassuring. Hearing my old voice again was jarring, and I didn¡¯t really have full control over its strength yet.

    ¡°No, I, uh, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± my demonic friend trailed off.

    ¡°But you do, don¡¯t you?¡± I was genuinely confused. ¡°You¡¯ve not stopped like this in the past. What about in the wagon when you kept me from leaving? What about constantly nagging me to tell you in the first place?¡±

    My voice definitely took on more of an edge than I intended.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± Zarenna¡¯s voice hitched and her eyes grew wet.

    Frantically, I tried to salvage things. ¡°No! Don¡¯t! I mean, uh, shit. Look, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I, well, I was really happy you cared enough to do that. I just figured you¡¯d blaze through again here.¡±

    Zarenna looked unsure.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine! Really! I¡¯ll be perfectly fine and I want to have this conversation!¡± I seem to have finally gotten across to her because her expression brightened.

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    ¡°Sorry,¡± she apologized. ¡°I, just, well, you haven¡¯t been, uh, vulnerable like this before. I really didn¡¯t want to hurt you and the other times were impulsive and¡ª¡±

    She stopped when I put a hand on her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s fucking fine. I like you and I know you mean well. I¡¯m not some fragile thing you need to protect, okay.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I barely resisted rolling my eyes. The wetness in them helped.

    ¡°You¡¯re like an awkward teenage boy right now, you know that?¡± I joked.

    Zarenna jolted like she¡¯d been struck and pulled away from my hand.

    ¡°Zarenna!?¡± I asked, suddenly panicked. ¡°Are you okay? Shit, I didn¡¯t mean to say anything bad.¡±

    Right then, I realized I knew very little of my friend¡¯s past. Zarenna always seemed unshakeable. I put up a front, but was a mess inside. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, but always seemed so solid underneath. I¡¯d never questioned what could haunt her about her own past.

    ¡°But,¡± she paused a moment, ¡°I¡¯m not, right?¡±

    ¡°Not what?¡±

    Zarenna¡¯s reply came as a faint whisper. ¡°A boy. I¡¯m not a man, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Her reply left me thoroughly confused. ¡°Of course you¡¯re not a man! Why on Varra would you think otherwise?¡±

    ¡°Well, you said¡ª¡±

    ¡°A joke. A bad joke. I just meant that you were awkward but you normally come across as cool and composed, so I just figured, well, y¡¯know.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t see me as masculine?¡±

    Again, I was confused. ¡°Not at all.¡±

    Zarenna thought for a moment, putting a claw to her chin. ¡°But you see me as cool and composed? Me?¡±

    ¡°Do you really not understand how you come across?¡± I asked.

    Was she seriously not aware?

    ¡°Well, I always seem to mess something up, and I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m doing half the time.¡±

    I looked at my demon friend, completely at a loss. She did sort of have a point about being clueless about some things, though.

    I shook my head and replied, ¡°People look up to you, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Wait, really? Not just because I¡¯m tall?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± If she was able to pound a gram of self-worth into my thick skull, I was damn well going to pound a ton into her adamantium cranium. ¡°You¡¯re caring to a fault, more powerful than I even really understand, and you¡¯re just, godsdamned, fucking hot as hell. Sorry if that¡¯s too blunt, but I really don¡¯t think you understand any of this.¡±

    I finished with my finger pointing at her so close I could almost touch her nose.

    ¡°Oh.¡± She blushed deep crimson. ¡°You¡¯re, uh, reallyhotandbadasstooimsorry¡±

    My own cheeks heated up at that. Not like I hadn¡¯t heard as much years ago, but a clapback from someone I had the same damn thoughts about hit differently.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out what to say next. Zarenna had the same problem. Silence stretched out awkwardly. We were still half-hugging. Her tail, in particular had wrapped almost up to my knees, which I¡¯d pulled in towards my chest. It was warm.

    Eventually, I broke the awkward silence. ¡°Sorry about that joke. I don¡¯t remember if I apologized already.¡±

    I¡¯d toyed with the idea of trying to take things further, but decided against it. Gods knew we both clearly wanted to go somewhere with this. I¡¯d had plenty of flings over the last few decades and never had any issues getting straight to the point.

    Sex. Sex was the point, then. Here though, everything felt completely different. I wanted something else that I had never before dared to pursue. My heart was beating rapidly, and I couldn¡¯t think totally straight.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one. Zarenna took a long time to find her voice.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to apologize. I mean, apology accepted,¡± she replied and then paused. ¡°I should really tell you about my own past sometime. Though, it¡¯s nowhere close to as interesting.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you erupt out of a volcano?¡±

    That got a smile. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s peak interesting for my story.¡±

    I laughed softly. ¡°Good. Give me some damn normalcy.¡±

    Zarenna giggled, the sound oddly fitting despite her appearance. ¡°Seyari, if you think anything about us is normal, then I have some very bad news for you.¡±

    ¡°Us?¡± I raised an eyebrow.

    Zarenna turned a deeper shade of crimson and her eyes widened.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m fine with it if you are.¡± I shifted to a more upright position before ruining my posture by leaning too hard on the neighboring demon.

    ¡°Us? Yes! Yes to us. I am fine with us as yes,¡± Zarenna sputtered.

    ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t always so cool and composed.¡±

    Zarenna huffed, but her expression morphed into another, frankly terrifying, smile. I¡¯d gotten used to her teeth, but I really should tell her how it makes her look.

    Nah, fuck that. It¡¯ll be more fun for her to figure that out on her own.

    ¡°Mind if I continue?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    I sighed, ¡°It¡¯ll ruin the mood, though.¡±

    Zarenna thought about it a moment. ¡°Go for it. I have enough shoulders for both of us to cry on.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make sense.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Zarenna protested.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t!¡± I shot back.

    ¡°It sounded better in my head,¡± Zarenna mumbled.

    I launched into the next part of my life story before our conversation could devolve any further. Not so secretly, I was glad for the morale boost. Yothariel was far from a good person during her adult life and it was only going to get more painful for me to revisit from here on out.

 Chapter 35: Weapon

    Perspective: Seyari

    The road had narrowed to the point where the wagons could hardly traverse it long before we entered the town¡¯s secluded valley. The small village we were staying in was idyllic in the way only a small hunting town deep in the mountains could be. We¡¯d traded bucolic countryside for tall pines days ago.

    The first snow of winter had yet to weigh down the pines. The morning light had barely burned through the clouds and what shone through the needles was hardly enough to warm the humans.

    I was above such petty concerns, though the trip and secrecy surrounding it had cramped my wings in both mind and body. The Inquisition sought to deal with the situation here without making anything public knowledge. I protested that nothing would leave a small town like this, but was told rumors would spread and be harmful to the other small towns in this area where the Church¡¯s presence was thin.

    I was certain I could take care of this demon myself. And I wouldn¡¯t need to travel for days on the ground to do so. A lesser demon like what had spawned out here would hardly require me to lift a finger. Though I might leave section of forest scorched, it would grow back and with trees as far as my perfect eyes could see, I doubted the people here would want for game.

    Unfortunately, the Inquisition rarely moved outside of secrecy. As such, the caravan was full of useless people and goods to sell the idea that I was an Angel who had come here to bless ground for a new chapel. The town¡¯s small shrine was in a truly dismal state, I supposed. Though I had some small amount of human in me, I certainly wouldn¡¯t accept prayers given at such a location. A new chapel would do the poor folk here some measure of good.

    Whether anything came of my blessing was unfortunately not up to me to decide. Those above me spoke Dhias¡¯ will and I listened.

    Right now, his will was that I remain in secret to be used as a gesture toward the villagers and ensure cooperation. The demon had slain several of them, but the Inquisition had gotten wind some of the people here may have taken to worshipping the walking blasphemy.

    Unfortunately, this required me to ride in a wagon that had been barely upgraded for comfort, as opposed to my normal carriage. Right now, I was stuck in the blasted thing, unable to even get out and stretch my wings.

    ¡°Priestess Yothariel, it is time for you to consecrate the chosen site.¡± A familiar voice called to me from outside the canvas covering.

    ¡°Certainly, Brother Mordwell.¡± I stepped out from the wagon and onto the needle-covered ground.

    I was no Priestess, but regardless of how much I wanted to hear my own recent title of ¡®Inquisitor¡¯, maintaining our cover was paramount. Unfortunately, this also extended to the heavy priestess robes I now wore. Altered for my wings, they were nonetheless awful to move in; ponderous and restricting.

    Still, I was excited for my first proper mission. Even if it was something I could do by myself. Inquisitor training had been a brutal six years, but I had learned much in that time.

    Chief among what I learned was how far above humans I was. I had to avoid underestimating them, however. Many, like Inquisitor Theodric Mordwell next to me, knew devastating magic of their own and possessed physical prowess heightened through training and magic beyond what a human could normally achieve. I¡¯d learned the man¡¯s first name during my years of training alongside him, though he always preferred to go by his surname.

    As we walked, I took a moment to stretch my wings. Their span was more than three times my height, and the white feathers glowed blindingly in the morning sun.

    We approached the town center from the edge where our wagons were camped. Villagers stared in awe at my divine presence. I gave them my best radiant smile as we walked across the small settlement to the proposed chapel site.

    A few individuals seemed less than pleased by my appearance, and two in particular moved quickly away behind buildings. Silently, I indicated to Mordwell the ones who had shown anything other than reverence in my presence.

    Such an act was frowned upon, but not forbidden, of course. I was an Angel, not Dhias, and was not a figure to be worshipped. The individuals would be questioned by other members, and only properly interrogated if evidence of demon worship was found.

    I still did not understand how Ordia allowed its people to stray from Dhias¡¯ guidance in any form. But, provided they did not worship demons or construct pagan ritual sites, there was only so much we could do to reach them. Such was not my responsibility.

    Except today. I had to fill that role, which I had been trained for as such events were distressingly common. Without constant guidance, people would stray.

    Wordlessly, the two of us reached the chapel site. Ground had been cleared and roughly leveled. I strode forward confidently and performed the rite of blessing as I had learned it. My aura flared and my holy magic flooded the area, leaving a lingering glow that would persist for several days.

    ¡°It is done,¡± I said solemnly.

    Truthfully, I was bored. I had hoped the cult or the demon would try something. Nothing around but a cluster of villagers watching from a respectful distance.

    The rest of the day flew by in a blur of nothing. I wasn¡¯t allowed to look for the demon, but at least I was given accommodation in a quaint spare room in the village head¡¯s home. The rustic surroundings were much rougher than in Pinewold Abbey, but returning to this part of Ordia was making me nostalgic.

    After sunset, I was contacted by an agent and informed that there was, in fact, a cult, and that their hideout had been located. I asked after the demon and was told it was not present, but likely nearby and could be drawn out.

    The demon¡¯s presence meant I couldn¡¯t use holy magic strong enough to scare it away. Still, I was excited. I hadn¡¯t trained my martial skills for nothing. Quickly, I was helped into my armor back at the wagon and we were off through the forest.

    The cult¡¯s hideout was an old iron mine. The hills were littered with them, and this particular one appeared much more well-fitted than the average. There was evidence of recent activity, and two cultists had already been dealt with, one of whom was dead.

    Overriding objections, and with Mordwell¡¯s backing, I took the lead. I strode confidently inside. My wings, even tucked nearly touched the crossbeams. Thankfully, the main shaft was wide enough not to cause issue.

    ¡°Heathens!¡± I called out, radiant voice echoing down the poorly-lit tunnel. ¡°Repent and I shall grant you mercy in Dhias¡¯ name!¡±

    There was no response, though they doubtless heard me. Darkness meant little to my sight, but branching paths meant I had to rely on my hearing as well. Mordwell¡¯s earth magic would keep him apprised of any incoming threats. He would be more than capable of signaling to the other two agents. I turned my focus forward.

    Sure enough, an ambush had been set at an old room between shafts. The moment the villagers-turned-cultists attacked an Angel was the moment they sealed their fates.

    The first person to reach me was a young man with a wicked looking short blade. I blocked his clumsy, slow swing with my shield, and took his head off with my blade faster than he could react.

    There were thirteen other cultists. Of them, one older man in the back let loose a bolt of lightning. My aura sight picked up the demonic taint present in his foul magic.

    Conductive as the spell was, I had to dodge rather than block. I managed a twist which would have been impossible for a human, the spell dissipating on the rock behind me. The twist left me open and a poorly swung blade skittered across my breastplate.

    I took the wielder¡¯s hand off at the wrist, my magically-enhanced blade singing through the stale air. Leaving the mundanes to Mordwell, I ran for the mage in the rear.

    Unlike the others who were dressed in normal clothing and pieces of battered armor, this one was dressed in dark robes and wielding a blackened root as a focus. He had salt and pepper hair and was clean shaven with cold brown eyes. Clearly, this mage was their leader.

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    If he needed a focus to cast, he was either drawing power from it, or had little aptitude himself. I sought to close distance regardless. Lightning and metal armor are a bad combination, even if my gambeson would shield me from the worst of it.

    To my surprise, he pulled out a faintly glowing, chipped blade when I approached. Catching me off guard, he managed to block my swing. I followed it with a shield bash that sent him reeling, but a crackle of lightning caused me to jump back rather than follow through.

    We circled each other. I wondered what could possibly make this man and the others turn from Dhias¡¯ light. The village was remote, but all signs had pointed to a relatively comfortable life for its inhabitants.

    ¡°Why have you led the others astray?¡± I asked earnestly.

    The man seemed taken aback I¡¯d spoken to him at all. He should be honored I deigned to, but I wanted to know what made scum like him tick.

    He lunged in response. A feint. I batted it aside and fixed him with a stare. Behind me, the battle was tilting in my favor.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, heaven-spawn,¡± the cultist leader spat. ¡°Dhias¡¯ light doesn¡¯t reach this dark corner of Varra. Great Claw will grant this village much and more. Great Claw will give us power to transcend humanity!¡±

    He was actually insane. The head cultist barked a laugh and I watched his aura distort, corruption spreading from a source over his heart.

    His body warped and fur started to sprout, but before whatever wicked transformation he had started could complete, I pushed a bolt of wind at his dominant shoulder.

    Caught off-guard he stumbled. Wreathing my blade in holy light, I drove it home through his heart. Something in the way shattered, leaking demonic magic into the space around us. My aura flared brightly, burning it away.

    Hairy and misshapen in his robes, the corrupted man¡¯s body fell.

    He had used a demon-tainted item. That was beyond what we had expected to find. Such blasphemous creations were rare and difficult to create.

    While we would have annihilated the item with holy magic anyway, I had destroyed it with my attack before we could analyze anything about it. A pity, but not my problem.

    Behind me, the melee was drawing to a close, the last of the cultists falling.

    Before I could try to retrieve the remains from the body, a deep, unnatural roar sounded from deeper inside the mine. That had to be the demon. Good, I wouldn¡¯t have to wait.

    The ground shook faintly, and moments later, a large, horrifying beast turned the corner from further inside the mine and charged at us. The demon was a combination of canine and ursine features. However, they were mixed like two immiscible oils that had been shaken together.

    The demonic patchwork opened its misshapen maw, magic gathering at it.

    However, the stupid beast had given me plenty of time to prepare my own attack. Before the animate pile of wolf and bear parts could use its foul magic, I fired my own attack, a massive beam of holy light.

    The entire mine lit up brighter than daylight for a moment. The beam lanced down the shaft; into the demon¡¯s open maw, through its body, and out the other side.

    The demon¡¯s momentum carried its corpse nearly into the room with us. Like most demons, its corporeal body fell apart, leaking demonic mana as it rapidly turned from a recognizable corpse into a pile of bones and meat chunks.

    I looked back to Mordwell and the others, a triumphant smile on my face. Truthfully, a spell of that magnitude had left me moderately drained. I didn¡¯t show any of my fatigue, of course.

    The two agents stared in barely contained shock. Mordwell simply had a knowing smile on his face, returning my own smile for a job well done.

    ***

    ¡°Demonic items? I didn¡¯t even know those were a thing!¡± Zarenna asked when I finished this part of my tale.

    ¡°You can imagine the Church isn¡¯t exactly going to advertise something like that.¡± I leaned into my four-armed heater. The night wind was picking up across the desert and the temperature had dropped rapidly.

    Just because I could tolerate the cold didn¡¯t mean I wanted to.

    ¡°Are, uh, are they always obvious?¡± my friend asked.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Well, if they¡¯re actually full of demonic mana. Without a source from a demon or a very difficult ritual, they decay quickly back into mundane or non-demonic magical items.¡±

    ¡°Can they be recharged?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they can,¡± I grimaced, thinking of the parts of my story yet to come.

    ¡°Oh, that explains something I think.¡± Zarenna looked off toward the starry sky in thought and shifted slightly in the sand.

    ¡°Something about your past?¡± I ventured.

    ¡°Yeah. Think you might have just given me an answer to a question I had.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s concerning.¡± I thought about the extreme dangers of corruption from such items.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably fine now. For a given definition of fine.¡± Zarenna placed a hand over her sternum.

    Oh, right. I never stopped being startled at how easy it was to forget Zarenna was a greater demon. Doubtless some sort of artifact was involved with her past, but she was a pure demon, not something corrupted. Plus, demonic mana would just give her a boost, anyway. Can¡¯t corrupt the corrupter.

    Though the image of Zarenna corrupting anything was something I couldn¡¯t even really imagine.

    ¡°You can tell me later, okay?¡± I tried throwing my demon friend¡¯s own tactic back at her.

    I guessed the item she was thinking of might have been the amulet she mentioned that night outside of Port Princely. I¡¯d wait for her to tell me on her own, though.

    ¡°I will, yeah.¡± She nodded in response.

    I gave her a smile in agreement and started the next part of my story.

    ***

    We¡¯d finally cornered Etanza. The demon who killed mother went by Etanza, rather than her true name of Etia¡¯Nazurathun. True names were still poorly understood by the Church. They had power certainly. I knew father¡¯s and could feel a resonance even when I thought the words.

    The problem was that the Church didn¡¯t quite understand what they could do. Angels did not offer any answers either. I had no true name personally, held back as I was by my mortal blood.

    Ten long years of following her trail of destruction had led us to this long-abandoned fort on the western frontier. During this time, Etanza had spread corruption across much of Ordia, creating demonic artifacts and spawning lesser demons like weeds. We¡¯d been able to gather she was after something that had led her to this mountain. From all of our intel, we had gathered she¡¯d not found it, but was about to move her operation somewhere far to the north.

    Which was why we had decided to assault her current lair. Once no more than a redoubt on an ill-used mountain pass to dwarven lands, the location had been expanded through magic and forced labor into a nightmarish, labyrinthine castle.

    Mordwell and I had fought tooth and nail alongside a massive contingent of Church forces. The lives of many good people had been sacrificed so that we could reach the final chamber where Etanza was no doubt fully prepared to fight us.

    From scattered survivors we¡¯d learned she was freakishly strong, and completely unhinged. Reports stated Etanza was almost certainly a Reaver. Given what she¡¯d fought, I was, for the first time in a long while, afraid. The fact she was a Reaver meant that she¡¯d taken part of mother¡¯s soul. Fury gave me courage.

    I kicked the door in. Etanza stood inside, fully armored and armed, and aura aflame. She stood roughly two and a half meters tall, had deep blue skin and the typical horns, tail, and hooves one would expect of a greater demon. Her aura was a shifting, roiling mass of colors and textures. From a central, black mass, the sickening rainbow gained definition all the way out to the fraying edges. Etanza¡¯s aura was massive, beyond anything I had witnessed, and for a moment, the sight gave me pause.

    I hadn¡¯t seen a Reaver¡¯s aura before. My moment of hesitation could have cost us everything. Instead, Etanza had spoken to us.

    ¡°You¡¯ve come back for me then?¡± Her voice, surprisingly shook and wavered. Tones and echoes of other voices intermingled with her main timbre, giving it an ethereal quality.

    ¡°Yothariel! Snap out of it!¡± Mordwell interrupted what Etanza had started to say next.

    I then realized my hesitation. Fury welled up within me, and with a burst of speed from my wings, I dove at Etanza.

    I remember little of the battle, other than that it was long. Rather than destroy parts of her outright, my holy magic seemed to burn off parts of her aura. The Reaver threw all manner of magic at my allies while I fought her in close combat.

    As her aura shrank, her hits became less devastating. I spent less of my time healing myself and more time on the offensive. However, her strikes became more and more precise.

    Toward the end, after a bad exchange where I had taken one of her wings, Etanza spoke to me.

    ¡°Church dog! Do you know for whom you fight?¡± Etanza whispered through gritted teeth, narrowly blocking a strike that would have taken her head. ¡°You people made me what I am. But you couldn¡¯t control me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond to her lies. Instead, I had finally taken advantage of the Reaver demon¡¯s flagging strength. Etanza had started to say something more, but had failed to block my strike. With it, I cut through the front of her neck and whatever words she had wanted to say forever died with her voice. The slash had not been a clean cut, so I remembered hacking several times until her head was finally severed from her neck.

    Below her neck, I could see an intricate symbol exposed from under Etanza¡¯s destroyed armor; a massive vortex that spanned her chest and a strange pit in the middle like an old, deep scar.

    Immediately, I flew back across the massive room to the others. Only a few were left standing, but there was a chance I could yet save some of my downed comrades. As I landed. I caught the tail end of a conversation an elder Inquisitor was having with Mordwell.

    I only heard three words, but while I thought little of them at the time, I never forgot them.

    ¡°¡­too far gone.¡±

    ***

    Back in the moonlit desert, I slouched against Zarenna¡¯s side. ¡°Somehow, at the time, Mordwell had convinced me they had been talking about how Etanza was unstable and it allowed her to be defeated despite how monstrously strong she was. I had bought it, hook, line and sinker.¡±

    ¡°Was Etanza¡¯s symbol like mine?¡± Zarenna asked softly.

    ¡°Sort of. Yours has a six-pointed starburst and a faded outline of a vortex underneath it. Etanza¡¯s was just a chaotic vortex. Her mark was also much larger.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you thought I was a reaver?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°What about my gem? Do you think Etanza¡¯s scar was similar? I don¡¯t even think I can scar.¡± Zarenna pulled her borrowed shirt down enough to expose her mark. She also exposed copious cleavage resulting from the too-tight garment. I tried to keep my eyes on her mark.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I responded. ¡°Maybe? You said you got that from some statue, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I wonder if Etanza was rejected or something?¡±

    That explanation seemed to click.

    ¡°I think you might be right,¡± I responded, eyes fixed in place.

    ¡°My face is up higher,¡± Zarenna giggled jokingly. ¡°But you can stare if you want.¡±

    My face flushed scarlet.

    ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± Zarenna asked with genuine concern.

    I tore my eyes from her symbol and met her gaze. ¡°Yeah, I do. I can skip how it took me nearly ten more years to realize how I¡¯d been lied to.¡±

 Chapter 36: Woe

    Perspective: Seyari

    ¡°Traitor!¡± I shouted at the surprised man behind his ornate desk.

    My sword, alight with holy fire, pointed at his neck. Around my feet were the smoking remains of the door to Baron Haverly¡¯s study. The small room was stuffed full of books organized haphazardly. I couldn¡¯t get close to opening my wings in here, much to my discomfort.

    ¡°Surrender and I may spare you,¡± I spat.

    Baron Haverly responded by raising a barrier of force across the room. Not that it would do him much good. I had been warned of the Baron¡¯s surprising magical prowess, but I had yet to see it in action.

    I had never intended to spare him. Sadly, he¡¯d been smart enough to put that simple fact together.

    I tensed my legs to jump toward the barrier, shield first. Feeling the air move, I instead leapt to the side at the last second. Behind me, a human in the outfit of a servant landed into a roll, twin daggers narrowly missing my back.

    I¡¯d seen this woman on the way in. Her aura wasn¡¯t that of a mage, but she was clearly dangerous. For defending that man, she too would die.

    Behind me, the Baron wasted air with some sort of taunt. I couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to his exact words. I turned to the servant-turned-assassin who met my gaze with a neutral expression. Her posture betrayed nothing, but I sensed another shift in the air from behind me.

    Reflexively, I dodged another human who looked just like the first. A twin? The two of them circled me and I took a defensive stance. My armor would mean little to their daggers. The sheaths must have blocked the weapons¡¯ aura, for each blade lit up with magic. These assassins were simply another sign of the Baron¡¯s guilt.

    I pulled on my training to keep my mind clear and focused on my objective. I was here to cleanse human filth that consorted with demonic filth.

    To my side, the Baron made a triumphant sound from behind his barrier. Did he really know so little of my power? Up until he had turned traitor, Baron Haverly had worked loosely with the Inquisition. His own son had even joined the order. He should know the only reason his entire estate wasn¡¯t ash was because the Inquisition would have to clean up the fallout.

    Baron Haverly¡¯s son had been executed the night before, carried out by my hand. The entire family was rotten, and I would purge this household to the last were such decisive measures permitted.

    I refused to be made a fool by humans. If I was to lend them my power, it would be on my own terms.

    Wordlessly, I drew upon my vast reserves of mana. My entire body began to glow. The twins rushed me, but it was too late. A wave of holy light burst from all around me, burning the room to cinders.

    Twin screams evidenced the twins¡¯ demise.

    When the light dimmed, two charred corpses lay in the destroyed room. I could see night clouds through the wrecked ceiling. I turned to the Baron¡¯s half of the small study. I was impressed. His barrier had shattered under the force of my magic, but the room beyond was hardly scorched.

    The man himself was singed and clearly mana exhausted. He¡¯d probably burned all his power maintaining that pointless barrier. I strode confidently over to him.

    He coughed and looked up at me, defiance in his eyes. ¡°Funny how they can¡¯t make a demon to control, but they can make a fine puppet out of an angel.¡±

    He smiled and spat on my greaves. I cut his head off.

    His sardonic smile stuck as the head rolled away, neck already cauterized. I was tempted to crush his skull out of spite, but I needed the proof of Haverly¡¯s demise.

    Since part of his study had survived, I took a moment to look for further evidence of his crimes. A false bottom in a locked desk drawer yielded a ledger. Additionally, a hidden safe in the floor had been exposed by my blast of holy magic.

    I ripped the small, heavy, metal box from the floor and carried it out with me. The head I kept in a bag along with the ledger.

    No one moved to stop me. The servants stared dumbstruck as I strode past. The report had indicated no one but the Baron himself and the son had been complicit in the betrayal. I doubted the veracity of that claim, but I would return if I found a single shred of evidence otherwise. Not like they could stop me.

    A middle-aged woman in expensive night-clothes ran out of a room behind me. I tensed, but she turned and ran the back the way I had come, rather than confront me. I was walking out the door when the screaming started.

    I took wing from the front of the estate and flew to a nearby copse, where I set down among the trees to look over what I had gathered. I had not been ordered to look for additional evidence. That fact made me almost rethink looking at the ledger and in the safe.

    Almost.

    The ledger was easy to cut open with a blade. Inside were financial records that I understood little of. The safe, however, held something much more important.

    My hearing was sufficient such that listening for the tumblers was no issue. In only a few minutes I had gotten the safe open. I was tempted to try to cut through it with my magic, but holy magic was ill-suited to the task, I was tired, and any papers inside would be destroyed.

    Indeed, the safe had an anti-tampering measure in place. By sheer luck, my spell earlier hadn¡¯t tripped it and I was able to look at everything.

    Money, a small painted portrait of the late Baron and his family, a broken amulet, more financial documents, and a small book were inside.

    The broken amulet was familiar, though nearly half of it was missing. It took me a moment to place it, but I realized it was similar to the symbol Etanza had across her chest, though it was much simpler; just a starburst pattern and a simple vortex.

    Demonic iconography. Nothing serious enough to warrant my involvement if that was the only thing. I turned to the book. My eyes¡¯ glow lit the cover faintly. Simple leather with no markings. A journal, most likely.

    Conjuring a small ball of light to read by, I leaned against a tree and opened the book. It was indeed a journal. I skimmed the early entries and started paying more attention to dates closer to the present, starting a year ago in AL 1322.

    The entry dated to the winter solstice of AL 1322 took me by surprise. I¡¯d been looking for what had caused the late Baron to turn away from Dhias. I¡¯d found the account of how the broken demonic amulet came to be in Haverly¡¯s possession, but what I¡¯d read couldn¡¯t possibly be correct.

    The entry claimed Haverly had found the amulet in his son¡¯s possessions when he had come home for the solstice. He questioned his son who denied all involvement at first. The amulet had been placed in the safe at that time.

    Had his son been corrupted by demonic influence? The amulet perhaps? But if it was broken when the baron found it, any magic would surely have faded. If the baron¡¯s son was corrupted, why would the amulet be broken?

    Baron Haverly¡¯s son hadn¡¯t joined the order until several years after Etanza¡¯s death. Any of her enchanted items would have been inert when he found them. He was absolutely clean of any corruption during his training. I¡¯d trained him myself¡­

    Against my judgment, I found myself back in the cell two weeks ago with Eric Haverly. He¡¯d pled for his life and wept, raw and openly before I¡ª

    This had to be a mistake. Eric was corrupted! Influenced by an unknown demon! Mordwell had confirmed it! His aura had yet to be tainted, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t working with a demon. Just that he¡¯d not¡­been¡­controlled.

    I read ahead, rapidly flicking my eyes across the words that upended everything I knew to be true. Eric had confessed he¡¯d found the broken amulet among another inquisitor¡¯s belongings. The name wasn¡¯t written down. Any artifacts of demonic origin were kept under heavy security while they awaited destruction.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    This¡ªthis had to be wrong. A trick. A ploy.

    In the next entry, Eric confessed to his father he suspected the Inquisition was hiding a dark secret.

    I skipped ahead again, eyes dancing across the page even as I could feel my heart growing heavier. The past year, Eric Haverly and his father had investigated the Inquisition. They¡¯d found little at first, but Eric had talked about areas off-limits to himself and the people coming and going. Mordwell¡¯s name was among them.

    Recently, Eric had found a pattern of likely-fake expenses, missions, and item requisitions that lined up. A partial copy had been transcribed in the journal. There had been a spate of activity twenty-five years ago. My heart clenched. Etanza¡¯s origin was around that point in time.

    I thought back to the Baron¡¯s magic. He wasn¡¯t tainted. Nothing in his estate had any signs of demonic influence, even at the end. I¡¯d killed dozens of demons and slain hundreds of the corrupted.

    If there was a demon involved, I had always seen clear evidence. But there had been several times without direct demon involvement. There had to be an explanation for those, right?

    ¡°You people made me what I am.¡±

    ¡°¡­too far gone.¡±

    ¡°¡­can¡¯t make a demon to control¡­¡±

    No. Nononono. Absolutely not!

    I read frantically now. Behind me, my wings twitched uneasily. Eric had been due to return home in a month. Together, they would take their evidence to the Duke and the local Church authority.

    I flipped the page and stared at blank off-white of the next one. This was the end of the journal. No dramatic cutoff. No ending.

    That wasn¡¯t true. I knew what the ending was. My shoulders slumped and I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t known I¡¯d been holding.

    I stared at the heavy clouds above me. As if on cue, a peal of thunder sounded somewhere in the far distance and the skies opened up.

    ***

    I shuddered and shook in Zarenna¡¯s arms. Tonight¡¯s sky wasn¡¯t a rainstorm. I wasn¡¯t alone in a copse of trees just outside the estate of an innocent family I¡¯d killed and destroyed.

    The stars were blurrier than they had been. My wings hurt; phantom pains from the long-lost limbs reminding me of my failures.

    ¡°At that time, I still couldn¡¯t quite believe the Inquisition was trying to make demons and control them. I wanted so desperately to be wrong.¡± I tried to sigh but hiccupped instead. ¡°I burned the journal, destroyed the amulet, and gathered evidence for two years.¡±

    I turned to look at Zarenna. She had been staring at me with wet eyes and our gazes met. I tried to smile, but couldn¡¯t seem to do it right.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill all of the corrupt inquisitors, did you?¡± Zarenna¡¯s question caught me off-guard.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Zarenna replied sadly.

    My eyes went wide as dinner plates. I looked up at my friend and realization dawned on me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I offered meekly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡ªapology accepted. But you couldn¡¯t have known. I couldn¡¯t have known.¡± Zarenna hugged me closer. ¡°How did you get your revenge?¡±

    I took a breath, and told Zarenna the final part of the story.

    ***

    There was no turning back now. The inquisition base I¡¯d called home for so many years was more than a hundred kilometers behind me. My wings ached from the hard flight. The bodies I¡¯d left behind wouldn¡¯t even be cold yet.

    Two years. I¡¯d spent two years gathering information, and what I found was horrifying. The Inquisition was rotten to the core. Perhaps the rest of the Church, too, but I never found how much the people at the top knew.

    I knew some people in the Inquisition were innocent. I¡¯d been innocent once, too. Those I could trust; I¡¯d told ahead of my plan. The others I¡¯d tried to leave alive.

    In the depths of the forest ahead of me, the Inquisition was attempting a ritual. All the top members would be there except the one I¡¯d left dead behind me.

    I¡¯d nearly been caught twice. The things I¡¯d had to do to ¡®prove my conviction¡¯ made my stomach turn. I was a monster.

    The Inquisition wanted to create one they could control. Tonight, I would show them one they couldn¡¯t.

    I flew low and quiet, riding air currents and updrafts between the tops of the trees. The stars shone brightly above me. Ahead, I could see a column of smoke and the orange glow of a fire. There was an isolated village there this morning. There¡¯d be nothing but ashes come tomorrow.

    I drew closer. The orange glow suffused the horizon.

    Soon, I could see the fire, the arranged bodies, the ritual circle etched in soot, and the Inquisitors performing the ritual. There were about forty, and they were all deep in focus. At the center, with another two people stood Mordwell.

    I could kill him first, but I didn¡¯t like my chances in the open. I also didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen to me inside the active ritual.

    I landed at speed, my blade beheading the Inquisitor next to me. I swathed through the assembled Inquisitors. Heads rolled and blood pooled on the hard-packed dirt. I wasn¡¯t quiet, and the focus of the ritual broke before I was through a third of the assembled members.

    The circle flared unevenly. I jumped backwards with a flap of my wings. The magic of the ritual came unbound an instant later. I shielded myself with my holy magic. The screams were horrifying.

    I channeled my wind to blow the smoke over the center of the ritual and dove into the stunned outer members.

    I recognized faces. People I had once called friends. Confidants. Allies.

    They died all the same. There was surprise, fury, sadness, and even some few faces in which I saw only regret.

    I barely had time to dodge the first counterattack.

    A lance of stone shot through the clearing smoke and nearly pierced my wing. Mordwell would have to do better than his training to stop me now.

    I had to turn my focus away from the few stragglers in the outer ring. Mordwell stood in the center at one flank of the head Inquisitor. The only name I knew that man by was Vinzent. The other was a woman I did not know.

    The battle was brutal, and quick. The unknown woman was able to hold off my radiant attacks. Mordwell kept me in the air, and Vinzent threw bolts of lightning. I was barely able to stay alive, let alone counterattack.

    The remaining outer members threw their own magic at me. Most died for their attempts.

    As I flew and sliced at my foes with blades of wind, I felt something try to enter my mind. The woman was too focused on defending, and Mordwell was too enraged.

    Vinzent¡¯s attacks had been less focused. The presence had to be him.

    I focused on my rage and forced the presence back. For a moment it worked, then it pushed back with redoubled effort.

    ¡®Traitor!¡¯

    I am.

    The presence reeled but struck out again. Vinzent stumbled, but his cold eyes locked onto mine.

    ¡®Submit.¡¯

    No.

    I held, but like a wall starting to crack I could barely hold him away. I faltered.

    A spike of earth dented my chest plate. A second shattered the bones in my leg. A bolt of lightning froze my wings. I fell toward the spiked earth below.

    ¡®You are no angel.¡¯

    I agreed.

    But that didn¡¯t mean I would go without taking them with me.

    I pulled on all my mana at once. My magic surged into and through me. I fell into the spikes, and could feel them pierce my armor and my body in half a dozen places.

    My power kept me alive. I looked up, a glow lighting the clearing before me.

    For the first time, I saw fear in Vinzent¡¯s eyes.

    I spoke the only word I¡¯d said that night.

    ¡°Die.¡±

    I let my power explode. The world went gold. Something inside me shattered. I heard the start of three screams. And then I blacked out.

    I came to moments later. Agony. All I could feel was agony that seemed to extend deeper than my body. Around me were two charred skeletons and a blackened and cracked wall of earth.

    The spikes under me had crumbled. I crawled toward the wall. If Mordwell had survived, I would have to finish him myself. In the moment, I didn¡¯t care whether that would be possible. I hadn¡¯t intended to survive the night.

    Moving was agony. My feathers, charred and twisted, fell to the blackened earth around me.

    I reached the wall. There was no body behind it. Footprints in the ash led to the south. I looked at the dark forest with blurry eyes.

    Mordwell had escaped. My task wasn¡¯t done.

    Mordwell would be back to check if I lived. I had to admit I could not fight him, broken and twisted as I was. I needed to leave. I needed to recover and wait. I would come for him again someday.

    I turned painfully toward the northern forest, away from where Mordwell and any survivors would have run.

    ***

    After I finished, Zarenna was quiet. She held me gently.

    Eventually, she spoke. ¡°How did you get away?¡±

    I dredged up the memory. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I dragged myself into the forest and hid for months while I healed slowly.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what happened to your angelic half?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not exactly. Whatever I did at the end broke or sealed something. It was only a few years ago when I felt that start to heal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zarenna said quietly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡ªYothariel was a monster.¡±

    Zarenna thought for a moment. ¡°Maybe she was. But you, Seyari, are not.¡±

    I looked up at the demon next to me. I saw nothing but compassion in her toothy smile.

    I felt a weight off my shoulders. I carried so much, but the load was lighter now. I cried. I sobbed and heaved until I ran out of tears. Zarenna held me the whole time.

    When I finished, I looked up at her through blurry eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Zarenna nodded. Then she continued, ¡°do you mind if I ask you a question?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Did you know anyone in the Inquisition named Finley?¡± Zarenna asked softly.

    I was about to shake my head, but the name was familiar. I looked up in shock, then anger. ¡°Yes, actually. Inquisitor Finley was among the youngest members of the cult,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯ve met him, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I have.¡± Zarenna¡¯s tail tensed around us.

    ¡°Did he?¡±

    ¡°Not him personally, but his hired thugs did.¡±

    ¡°If only I¡¯d been stronger¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Zarenna retorted sharply.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me, it was a miracle you survived.¡±

    ¡°But I failed. I failed to see I was a puppet. I failed to stop my puppeteers.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s two of us this time.¡±

    I looked up and this time, Zarenna¡¯s smile gave me a full-body shiver. The feeling was gone as soon as it came and my demon¡¯s eyes softened.

    ¡°I¡¯m not what I used to be.¡± I reached behind me and felt the old scars on my back.

    ¡°Neither am I.¡± Zarenna gave me a ¡®light¡¯ squeeze. ¡°We¡¯ll kill Mordwell for you and we¡¯ll kill Finley for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m damn well going to try at least.¡± I found a hand to shake. ¡°Deal.¡±

    Zarenna looked at my back. ¡°Can I ask you something else?¡±

    I knew where this was going, but saw no reason to hide anything. ¡°I cut them off in penitence. I¡¯ll never know how many innocent people I killed, but I didn¡¯t deserve to be an angel any longer.¡±

    Zarenna thought for a moment. ¡°If you think you deserve to be an angel again, can you get them back?¡±

    I hated to ruin the hopeful look in Zarenna¡¯s eyes.

    I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±

 Chapter 37: Not an Imposter

    Perspective: Zarenna

    I kept my eyes on Seyari¡¯s back for a moment more before turning to face her. I couldn¡¯t imagine the pain of cutting off your own limbs. Or the opinion you¡¯d need to have of yourself to consider the act justifiable. We looked into each other¡¯s eyes for a long moment. I tried to lighten the mood.

    ¡°Told you I wouldn¡¯t leave,¡± I smirked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would,¡± Seyari replied with a half-smile.

    Wordlessly, I pulled her closer and she leaned into the embrace. Her head came up to just below my chin. Her long, unbraided silver hair brushed softly against my skin.

    I thought back to what she told me as silence stretched on and the night sky brightened at the corners. I hadn¡¯t expected a life story, but I couldn¡¯t express how I felt at being the first person she told. I didn¡¯t doubt Seyari¡¯s age of thirty-three was from the time of her escape and self-mutilation.

    Fatigue washed over me in waves. Beneath me, Seyari¡¯s breathing slowed and her posture slumped. As carefully as I could and mindful of my claws, I got up and held her in a princess carry.

    I didn¡¯t have the energy to go anywhere today either, but both of us would benefit from some form of shelter.

    Seyari yawned. ¡°We should rest.¡±

    Her voice was soft and tired.

    ¡°I know. We will,¡± I replied quietly.

    Carefully, I made my way down the dune to the sheet of glass I¡¯d made. I picked it up, grabbing one end with my tail and the other with my two free hands. Surprisingly, it looked to be at least a finger width thick. Good.

    I moved back up the slope a short distance and buried the long side of the sheet into the sand. The partially-fused sheet was mostly opaque, but still I covered the top in sand. Using our packs to support the sides, I made a small space and set Seyari inside.

    She was still fighting sleep and grew restless when I had to break contact to finish packing the sides around the packs. The end result of my work was a small cave of sorts, not quite enough for me to fit inside with her, but better shelter and cover than nothing.

    Hopefully any flying bound demons sent out to look over the area would look over the spot. Probably not, but it was shelter from the morning sun and I was too tired to care. At least my time on my island had taught me a thing or three about improvised shelter.

    Our shelter done, I crawled in and laid next to Seyari. I had to scoot in close enough to be touching, but she snuggled against me. I pulled her slightly closer and managed to get myself under cover except my tail. I pulled it up and over both of us before letting sleep take me. Despite the sand everywhere and the raft of recent trauma, I felt perhaps the most comfortable since my rebirth.

    Soon, I drifted off to sleep. Perhaps unburdened by stress and urgency, my mind wandered into dreams I¡¯d not had since I left my island.

    ***

    Beside me, Tania said something as we walked through the weekend market. I was taking care of her today with both of our parents working. She was short. I was short, too. Well, shorter than I thought I ought to be. Tania pointed to a stall across the square excitedly.

    In front of the stall, I looked at the honeyed sweets on display. We really shouldn¡¯t, but just this once wouldn¡¯t hurt.

    I opened my mouth to order. The voice that came out was all wrong. Confused, I reached up and grasped my throat. My hand brushed across stubble and panic rose up.

    Tania asked what was wrong. The stall owner stared. I tried to say what was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t talk. Horrible noises escaped me, turning to coughing. I started to choke and fell to the ground. Around me, I could see faces. They held only disgust.

    Tania had faded away somewhere, lost behind the wall of people crowding around me. Blood starting pouring from my mouth as I continued to choke. It pooled around me, crimson and bright. Then it moved up and around my body. My form shifted and contorted.

    There was no pain. My spine cracked and expanded. Another pair of arms pushed out. A familiar tail grew from the base of my spine. The coughing stopped.

    Around me, the disgust turned to fear and hatred. People screamed and ran. Flames licked around my body. I felt myself move to go after the fleeing people. Wrathful and vindictive. To punish.

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    A hand grabbed one of mine. I whirled on who had grabbed me. Their hand slipped out of mine and grazed a claw.

    Abby stood there looking at me. Her hand was bleeding, but she paid it no mind.

    Her green eyes stared into mine. ¡°Are you okay? Tania was scared when you collapsed.¡±

    Her clear words cut through the fog in my mind.

    ¡°Your hand!¡± That I¡¯d caused my best friend harm turned my stomach.

    ¡°Will be fine. Now come on! Your sister¡¯s worried sick.¡± Abby took my hand again and pulled me back to the center of the square.

    Tania sat on the rim of a fountain nearby, munching on a handful of candied walnuts. She smiled when she saw us.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± I asked Abby.

    ¡°Why would I be?¡± Abby tilted her head in confusion.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a demon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah? And? If you think people are gonna be bothered by it, just put your glamour on.¡±

    ¡°I hate my glamour!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I woke up with a start.

    ***

    I felt warm sun on my back. I was in the dune shelter with Seyari, the big spoon to her little one. My friend (girlfriend?) was still asleep, breathing soundly.

    Some distant instinct tried to recoil at her angelic nature. I shut that feeling down, swiftly and with prejudice.

    I still felt tired, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I could go back to sleep. The last part of my dream stayed bright in my mind. Abby¡¯s last question rattled around my head.

    Why did I hate my glamour?

    That my arms, tail, and horns experienced discomfort was a sure part of it, but the reason was honestly deeper than that. I hadn¡¯t hated my glamour at first. Disliked it, certainly, but I hadn¡¯t truly hated it until I met other people.

    Why?

    I really wished Seyari would wake up right then. I¡¯d would very much have liked an excuse to keep putting this off. I wasn¡¯t that lucky though.

    Why?

    My mind wasn¡¯t going to let this one go. I thought about why I hated my glamour, besides than discomfort. I felt dishonest hiding that I was a demon. True, but not the problem. I wasn¡¯t at all bothered by the fake names we¡¯d taken in Baetnal. My glamour made me weaker. Accurate, but if I was fighting as a human, I wouldn¡¯t want to access my full power anyway.

    I felt like a fake.

    My heart clenched and my tail tip twitched. That was the reason.

    Why did I feel like a fake?

    Because I wasn¡¯t really a woman. I was an imposter. A pervert. Everyone would treat me like the fake I was if they only knew.

    My own thoughts were a punch to the gut. As a demon, I could put myself outside humanity. A persona. An act. I could hide from reality. I was too different to be an imposter as a demon.

    But my human glamour wasn¡¯t.

    My human glamour looked mostly like human me. Female me. Everything I ever wanted to look like. Like how I felt I should have looked.

    Like I don¡¯t deserve.

    Seyari stirred in my arms, quickly waking.

    ¡°Zarenna. Air,¡± she said in a pained voice.

    I realized I¡¯d been squeezing her tighter and tighter and released my arms as fast as I could. Seyari took a deep breath.

    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± she coughed. ¡°What a way to wake up. You probably would¡¯ve crushed a full human.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled.

    My mind was still in my own melancholy. I was certain Seyari wouldn¡¯t be able to love me knowing what I really was.

    ¡°No. None of that.¡± Seyari¡¯s said in a concerned voice. ¡°Something¡¯s eating you. Spit it out.¡±

    I locked up.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking,¡± Seyari continued, turning awkwardly to stare straight into my eyes. ¡°After last night, I¡¯m pretty sure you could tell me anything and I¡¯d be fine with it.¡±

    My reply came immediately, without any processing input from my brain.

    ¡°I was a man before I became a demon!¡± I blurted out.

    ¡°Wait, really?¡± Seyari looked confused.

    ¡°Well, uh, I was born a man. Had a guy¡¯s body. You know¡­¡±

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve never had a dick,¡± Seyar responded with a smile. ¡°But seriously, that¡¯s it? Tons of people are born with a body that¡¯s not right.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°But what?¡±

    I started to stammer. ¡°But, I¡ªI¡¯m not really¡ª¡±

    ¡°A girl? Bullshit. You¡¯re as much a woman as any other woman I¡¯ve known. It wouldn¡¯t matter even if you looked like Torrez. And you really don¡¯t look like Torrez.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m really¡­¡± I trailed off, unwilling to speak further.

    ¡°Yeah, you are. Fucking say so.¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m a woman.¡±

    ¡°Good. Keep going.¡±

    Deep breaths. ¡°I¡¯ve always been a woman. I was born in a man¡¯s body, but that doesn¡¯t matter!¡±

    Seyari turned around as much as she could in the small shelter. ¡°See, was that really so hard?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I paused for a moment to think, ¡°it really wasn¡¯t.¡±

    It was. Well, the words weren¡¯t hard, but saying them honestly felt like the hardest thing I¡¯d ever done. Now that they were out? I think I believed them.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Seyari caught my lie.

    ¡°No. That was the hardest damn thing ever.¡± I shook my head.

    ¡°But it¡¯s done now, right?¡± she asked me, eyes searching my expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know? I think so.¡±

    I certainly did feel better.

    ¡°Great! Can I leave our sandy tomb now? There¡¯s sand up my ass.¡±

    Blushing, I crawled out as fast as I could. Seyari climbed out after me and stretched. She reached a hand back, and with another around the waist of her trousers, she blasted a veritable cloud of sand off her lower body. The next burst of magic she aimed up, causing silver hair to fly everywhere before a gentle breeze guided it back into place.

    ¡°Could you do me next?¡± I asked.

    Seyari looked me up and down. ¡°Fuck yes. Want me to get the sand off you first?¡±

    If I was as hot as my cheeks felt, I¡¯d melt the sand under my feet. Seyari laughed at my flustered expression and walked over to gust me clean.

    ¡°Seriously, Zarenna: Are you feeling better? I¡¯m not great with this kind of stuff.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I think you did fine. Maybe a little blunt.¡±

    ¡°People could stand to be blunter,¡± Seyari replied with a shrug.

    ¡°Sucks to be stuck with me then. I¡¯m covered in sharp bits.¡± I waved back at her with my claws.

    The last gust of wind nearly took my top off.

    ¡°What?¡± I teased, suddenly in a much better mood. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°Cheeky demon.¡±

    ¡°Serious angel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see if any food managed to avoid a sand coating. Did you even think before packing our bags with sand?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no.¡± I smiled widely.

    Seyari huffed.

    I laughed and helped Seyari dig our packs out. Several minutes of wind magic later and we¡¯d assembled a breakfast bereft of sand. We ate too quickly for conversation and soon we¡¯d put our packs on, checked the position of the sun, and resumed our walk south.

 Chapter 38: Shifting Sands

    The rest of the day¡¯s walk was fortunately uneventful. Sadly, this meant it was also crushingly boring. Both of us focused on making good time, so there was little conversation. I could also tell we were both still tired.

    I didn¡¯t use magic to make another slab, so we slept under the stars the next night. I held Seyari again. This time, my sleep was much better. The only dream I remembered was a fading one where I fought one of the demons on the island in my human glamour. I punched it out. Seyari was there too, somehow.

    Despite the quality of my sleep, I didn¡¯t get much of it. Combining that with strict rationing of our food and water, I felt far from my physical peak. In a flatter stretch of particularly unremarkable sand, the monotony finally got to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about all you said the other day,¡± I said.

    Seyari¡¯s next step faltered a moment. ¡°How so?¡± She asked with a hint of trepidation.

    I realized my wording could have been better. ¡°Just thinking about what we should do. You said you wanted to destroy the Church, but from what you said the other night, it sounded like you only wanted to go after the secret organization within the Inquisition. Or what¡¯s left of it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You might be right. I was angry at everything, but reliving those memories reminded me of some decent people in the Church of Dhias. I want to know how deep this corruption goes, though. I¡¯m going to cut out every piece of it. And there¡¯s a lot to cut out. Mordwell rebuilt the cult. He¡¯s the one who Lorelei and Markus work for and he organized the expedition.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I felt a sinking feeling. ¡°Do Lorelei and Markus know about the cult? What about Salvador?¡±

    ¡°Lorelei and Markus don¡¯t know. I used them to get hired without directly meeting Mordwell. I doubted I¡¯d restrain myself and there was the slim chance he¡¯d have recognized me. Salvador got hired on at the same time as me. I don¡¯t know anything about Salvador aside from our job and that he hated being called Sal.¡±

    ¡°But you two fought like a team!¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°Your island was our second outing together. Plus, I have decades of experience, and he was very good at what he did.¡±

    I chewed on that thought until we neared the top of the next dune; a particularly large one.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose the demon-creating or summoning cult has a name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not that I ever found, no.¡±

    ¡°Want to name them something stupid?¡± I stopped at the crest of a dune.

    Seyari stopped beside me to look out at the endless sand. ¡°What, like ¡®Demon Cult¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s way too generic!¡± I was about to come up with a brilliantly insulting name, but I saw something in a flat area ahead. ¡°Hey¡­is that a tree?¡±

    I pointed to a small dusty green smudge in the distance. Seyari turned her faintly glowing eyes after my extended claw.

    ¡°It might be? Could also be a mirage.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s in the direction we¡¯re going. If it is a tree, maybe we could get some shade and stop for lunch?¡±

    Seyari looked at my crimson complexion. ¡°I really doubt you care about sun exposure.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I want to check it out if it really is a tree. Plus, you look like you burn easily.¡± I glanced pointedly at Seyari¡¯s pale complexion.

    She shrugged. ¡°Not really. We can go to that place, but if the smudge is the lure of some giant monstrosity, that¡¯s on your ass not mine.¡±

    Suddenly, I had reservations. I remembered the titan scorpion. Would we encounter another one? Did anything even scarier exist?

    ¡°Do you really scare that easily?¡± Seyari reached up to wave a hand in front of my face.

    ¡°Yeah, kinda.¡± I admitted with a four-shouldered shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t really feel like dying again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re way too open.¡± Seyari replied. ¡°Great. Now I want to go check it out too. Even if I don¡¯t burn, it¡¯d be nice to get out of this heat for a bit, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s hot out?¡± I gave Seyari my best clueless look.

    She punched my lower shoulder hard enough to make me stumble.

    We resumed walking and I rubbed at my shoulder even though my regeneration quickly took out the forming bruise. As we got closer, the heat haze cleared enough for me to see that there was, in fact, a lone tree in a slightly flatter, rockier spot between dunes. Hopefully the harder ground meant this wasn¡¯t a lure. Unless the monster was bigger than the flat area. I tried not to think about that.

    Even still, I kept my claws at the ready. However, nothing happened, and we reached the tree without issue. It was a small thing, twisted by wind and scored by sand. The tree wasn¡¯t quite twice my height and provided hardly enough shade for one of us. Seyari took that spot. Not that I minded.

    I sat next to her and wrestled my four arms out of my pack. We each got something from our packs for lunch and as we started to eat, I realized there was something I wanted to try.

    A familiar tug on my magic and I shifted into my glamoured form. I felt different; none of the discomfort was present, although I definitely felt phantom limbs. This form was me as well. Not demon me, but human me. Same me, but more easily sunburned.

    Speaking of which, I was able to feel the heat a bit more. I also nearly fell over since I¡¯d been sitting to accommodate a thick tail that was no longer there. I leaned back against the tree, no longer able to use a pair of hands to balance and another to eat. Idly, I wondered if my weight changed or if it just compressed. The tree seemed solid enough in any case.

    ¡°Zarenna?¡± Seyari asked.

    I swallowed my mouthful of some kind of dried fruit. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Why are you wearing your glamour?¡±

    ¡°Felt like it.¡± I put another piece in my mouth. Apricot maybe?

    ¡°Since when do you ¡®feel like¡¯ doing something you¡¯ve repeatedly told me you hate?¡±

    ¡°Since I found out I wasn¡¯t a fraud.¡±

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    ¡°Zarenna, you¡¯re a demon who magically altered herself to look like a human.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± I replied brightly. ¡°But both mes are me and I¡¯m not a guy, so I¡¯m not a fraud.¡±

    Seyari was quiet for a long while.

    ¡°Mmmph!¡± Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me tightly. Thankfully, I managed to swallow and not choke.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I put you through that,¡± Seyari said.

    ¡°Apology accepted! Honestly, I wish I¡¯d been able to accept everything earlier. Would have made some things a lot easier.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this if you¡¯d rather look like a demon.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean now or in Ordia?¡±

    ¡°Uh, fuck. You¡ª¡±

    ¡°Have to in Ordia.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I know. As long as I can stretch my arms and tail every few days, I should be fine now.¡±

    ¡°Would you mind switching back for a moment?¡± Seyari asked in a voice that was suddenly small.

    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± I removed my glamour and turned to look at her.

    Seyari looked up at me with glowing eyes and leaned forward. As if by instinct, I leaned toward her as well. Our lips met. We held for a moment, then broke apart.

    Before I could speak Seyari continued. ¡°Now your glamour.¡±

    I obliged. We kissed again, lips parting for just a moment to touch tongues before we both pulled back. Seyari was blushing furiously. I felt my cheeks heat up the same way.

    Seyari nodded. ¡°There. Now you know how I feel about both forms of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied with a great big smile.

    I really meant it. I could feel my heart beating quickly in my chest. I kept up the hug and debated going in for another kiss. Seyari saw my look and we shared one more, this time much more involved. Her tongue wrestled with mine, and in a desire to win, I felt my tongue shift toward my demonic forked one. My longer muscle was able to pin hers down and I pulled away triumphant.

    Seyari¡¯s lidded golden eyes widened in surprise.

    I pulled my tongue back in. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Stick out your tongue again,¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Sure.¡± I stuck out my tongue.

    My tongue was long and forked, just like it was supposed to be.

    ¡°Did you not feel your teeth?¡±

    ¡°Whah?¡± I ran my tongue along them. Dull, human teeth. ¡°What? How do I still have my glamour?¡±

    Seyari stared back at me. ¡°How would I know?¡±

    I tried to feel for my glamour. At first, it felt the same, but when I tried to manipulate it, the whole thing felt different, and malleable. On top of that, it seemed to hardly drain my mana at all. What happened? Was it really just my acceptance of my glamour?

    With a thought, I turned my tongue to a human one. The change was almost instantaneous. I looked down at my human hand, and with a thought shifted it to my demon hand. My crimson coloration spread down the forearm, fading into the light tan of my glamour¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Whoah. That¡¯s wild!¡± Seyari exclaimed.

    ¡°It feels so natural to do, too. I¡¯m hardly using my magic.¡±

    I turned the hand over and experimented some more. The hand¡¯s coloration shifted until I had my normal claws sticking out of a human hand. I could even change them one by one. Another thought and I brought one of my lower arms out. The entire limb was demonic, and I found I couldn¡¯t change it to look human without draining a large portion of my mana.

    Well, there went that idea. Not like I¡¯d be able to explain four arms and a tail as a human anyway. Still! I could shift my glamour dynamically! Already, I felt much better about the future. I could live like this.

    Not that I¡¯d choose my glamour if I could afford not to. I wondered what could possibly have happened for me to have this ability. I tried to feel if anything was different. I still wasn¡¯t completely recovered from our escape, but I did feel as if I had a bit more magical capacity that the last time I was rested.

    My mind flashed back to Verrux¡¯s last words. I couldn¡¯t make out what he¡¯d said, if it was even in a language I spoke. Had what he said meant something? He seemed to respect me for some authority I knew nothing about.

    Before I could ask Seyari her thoughts on the matter, a different voice spoke up. ¡°For one of your kind, your mortal transformation is truly impressive, Sovereign of Wrath.¡±

    Immediately, I leapt to my feet, my human glamour gone in an instant. Beside me, Seyari took a combat stance, unsheathing a small blade she¡¯d pilfered from the estate.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean any harm!¡± The voice spoke again from across the flat area. ¡°I did tell you when last we met that my Mistress would wish to meet you, did I not?¡±

    I turned to the sound of the voice. It seemed familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite place it. Turning on my aura sight, I saw a faint outline of a roiling reddish-pink aura.

    ¡°Seems you¡¯ve found me!¡± The aura came into focus alongside a familiar demon who faded into view. ¡°You do remember freeing me, right?¡±

    The demon before us looked the part of a succubus of legend with crimson skin and solid black eyes. Her wings were folded neatly behind her. Now I recognized her. She¡¯d been bound to one of the pirates who attacked our ship. The one who had flown off.

    ¡°What was that about a Mistress?¡± Seyari asked with venom in her voice.

    ¡°My Mistress, the Sovereign of Lust. Did you not come this direction to seek her out?¡± The lust demon cocked her head to one side.

    ¡°We most certainly did not,¡± Seyari replied, then looked to me with a worried expression. ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°R-right!¡± I piped up and turned to Seyari. ¡°I, uh, forgot to tell you that she mentioned her Mistress on the ship before flying off. We started talking about binding and I ended up forgetting.¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± Seyari spat. ¡°Think we should hear her out?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m not sure.¡± I replied honestly.

    Our uninvited guest spoke up. ¡°Hellooo. I¡¯m still here, you know.¡±

    Both of us turned to glare daggers at her. She put her hands up and her tail down in a placating gesture.

    Then she smiled. ¡°Honestly, you two make a great couple. Who knew angels and demons could find love? Truly a story for the ages!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to endear yourself to us, it won¡¯t work,¡± Seyari said icily.

    ¡°It won¡¯t? Darn.¡± The demon pouted. ¡°Still think you make a cute couple. Now if you¡¯d be so kind as to follow me, we¡¯re only a day¡¯s trip out, though I must admit you¡¯re slightly off-course.¡±

    She turned as if to leave.

    ¡°Why would we follow you?¡± I asked coldly.

    My harsh words seemed to have more of an effect than Seyari¡¯s. The demon of lust stopped and looked back at me.

    She gave a shallow bow. ¡°My apologies for the offense, Sovereign of Wrath. My Mistress wishes to meet with you to establish good relations. She is willing to offer further guidance across the desert, as well.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Mereneth,¡± she replied.

    I looked to Seyari who glared for a moment more before shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but it¡¯s your decision,¡± she said.

    I thought about the offer for a long moment. ¡°Can you agree we will not be harmed or manipulated in any way?¡±

    Mereneth bowed slightly again. ¡°You won¡¯t be harmed. My Mistress wouldn¡¯t dare try to manipulate another Sovereign or her partner without good reason. Provided you keep to your uncharacteristically good nature, I don¡¯t foresee an issue arising.¡±

    ¡°How did you know we were out here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Baetnal looks like a kicked wasp¡¯s nest after the Third Prince¡¯s death. And someone left the door open to an escape tunnel leading south. I, along with several others, were sent to start combing the desert.¡±

    I thought about her answer. The coincidence was almost too great. Almost, but still believable. From the air, a tree with two travelers by it would by incredibly easy to spot. Not to mention I was red and Seyari glowed in the dark.

    ¡°Is anyone from the city after us?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see them from here, but our spies¡¯ last reports indicated a troop deployment to the south. If you don¡¯t follow me, you might be able to stay ahead of them,¡± Mereneth replied.

    Well shit. Seyari¡¯s expression darkened at that as well. If we ran into any trouble, we could end up with an army hot on our heels. Or worse. We also had limited food and water. We¡¯d need to find an oasis or something in the next few days or we¡¯d be in trouble.

    How woefully unprepared we were for a trip across the desert started to sink in. I¡¯d thought only about the next day, but we were going to have to start relying on luck soon if we kept on as we were.

    ¡°What if they follow us?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Unless they can get through all the illusions and wards of compulsion, they won¡¯t even come close.¡±

    ¡°What are the chances they do get through?¡±

    ¡°Small. If they¡¯re not looking for such wards, I doubt they¡¯ll ask any bound demon to look for them. The human mages won¡¯t be capable of interfering, and they¡¯re the ones giving orders to their pets.¡± Mereneth smiled smugly.

    ¡°So, the chance of being followed isn¡¯t zero?¡± I clarified.

    Mereneth¡¯s smile waned and she nodded.

    I gave another minute to thought. Seyari shrugged again. I would have to make this decision myself.

    ¡°Is there a bath where you¡¯re taking me? A bed?¡± If I was going to ask questions, I wasn¡¯t going to waste the opportunity to see about a wash and a good night¡¯s rest.

    Mereneth laughed. ¡°Both, of course. Is that enough to sway you?¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± I said after a short pause. ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    With that, Mereneth smiled, turned and took a running jump into the sky. She kept low and pointed in a direction. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading that way. I¡¯ll fly low and you wave if you need anything. Try to follow me closely: this area is known for titan scorpions.¡±

    Yikes. We either dodged an arrow or were walking right up to a ballista. I really hoped it was the former.

 Chapter 39: Quaint Illusion

    With Mereneth flying overhead, Seyari and I continued our march through sand, sand, and more sand. Neither of us particularly trusted our demonic guide, so we still rationed food for dinner.

    We stopped well after the sun had set. In a surprising show of politeness, Mereneth sat far away from us. Still, neither Seyari nor I were in the mood for continuing our make-out session that had been interrupted.

    I flicked a grain of sand off of the piece of jerky I was eating. ¡°When I was young, I remember learning about the Church¡¯s fight with a demon in the west of Edath. I¡¯d been told the demon was massing an army. Some people had even blamed the dwarves. No mention of your old identity either.¡±

    I spoke low enough that we wouldn¡¯t be heard. Unless Mereneth had better hearing than I did. Even that possibility was thrown out when Seyari used her wind magic to create a vortex around us that I imagined would drown out our voices. I was impressed and thankful she had the control to keep from sandblasting us.

    After setting up her wall of wind, Seyari looked toward our third wheel and back to me. ¡°That was the official story, yes. Not terribly far from the truth, in a sense. As for my old identity, the Inquisition kept my identity and existence largely a secret through contradictory rumors and by keeping me isolated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to live like that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too. In hindsight, they clearly did so to better control me. I wish I¡¯d seen through their lies sooner, but I can¡¯t change the past.¡±

    ¡°But you can prevent the worst parts of it from repeating,¡± I added.

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Yeah, I can. We can.¡±

    After a moment, I asked, ¡°The dwarves clearly weren¡¯t involved, but did the Church start that rumor too?¡±

    Seyari took paused to think. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Church circulated that rumor. As far as I know, they¡¯re still trying to make inroads with the dwarves.¡±

    ¡°No luck, I hope?¡±

    ¡°None at all. I¡¯d like to see what the poor quill-pusher who got stuck with adapting a human-supremacist doctrine for dwarven sensibilities came up with, though.¡±

    ¡°The Church really is human-supremacist, isn¡¯t it?¡± I looked down at the sand between my bare feet.

    I¡¯d taken my boots off to give them a break. My toe claws had about punched all the way through the front of them anyway. I could glamour the sharp nails away, but they were my boots¡¯ problem, not mine. I dug my claws into the still-warm sand.

    I thought back to what Elena the tailor had told me. I only remembered the names of a couple species of people, but at least I¡¯d avoid lumping a bunch of disparate peoples under one word.

    Seyari answered after a few moments. ¡°The Church is very much human supremacist, but your optimism makes me want to hope some members don¡¯t ascribe to that shit. Funny enough, Dhias himself isn¡¯t human-supremacist.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I looked up at Seyari with some measure of hope.

    ¡°Yeah, really. I read enough scripture that I¡¯d damn well better remember some. Doesn¡¯t accept demons though. Sorry about that.¡±

    I laughed darkly. ¡°Darn. Here I was thinking I could point to some text in a book and get everyone to forget their prejudices.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be nice.¡± Seyari let out a long sigh. ¡°The Church fits Dhias¡¯ tenets to their ideals, not the other way around, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Did it always used to be like that?¡±

    Seyari gave me a serious look. ¡°Most people you ask from the Church would still insist it¡¯s the other way around. Probably been like that a damn long time.¡±

    ¡°Well that sucks.¡± I had half a dozen other replies I could have given, but I wasn¡¯t up for trying to debate moral philosophy.

    Seyari, thankfully, also let the conversation (and the swirling wind) drop and went back to eating. After dinner, I was reluctant to sleep the way Seyari and I had the past two nights. Seyari wasn¡¯t however, and her reminder that I ¡®didn¡¯t need to give a fuck¡¯ what our guide thought soon saw us into a comfy sleeping position.

    Or one that would be comfy if not for the sand. Mereneth better not have lied about a bed.

    The next day, we resumed walking while Mereneth flew overhead. Sometime around midafternoon, the lust demon landed next to us.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to hold my hand when we pass through the wards.¡±

    We both gave her an incredulous look.

    Mereneth huffed. ¡°I can¡¯t drag both of you through if you¡¯re fighting me, so unless you want to banish the wards and risk the army investigating before my Mistress can put them back, you¡¯ll each hold one of my hands.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    To my side, I saw Seyari¡¯s eyes flare up with aura sight for a moment. I checked as well. Something seemed to be suspended in the air like motes of magic dust. Not that I could make head or tail of it. Really, had I not been looking I may not have noticed it. Then again, I¡¯m not trained in aura sight. Or magic at all. Or any kind of weaponry. I should fix that soon if I¡¯m going to have to fight in my glamour.

    Suitably convinced, we each took one of the demon¡¯s hands. Her skin was soft. I¡¯d be jealous, but mine was too. Somehow. Surely a benefit of nonsensical demon physiology.

    Mereneth¡¯s aura pulsed. I didn¡¯t resist her magic and felt a small tingle.

    We walked through a seemingly normal stretch of desert and into the fine dust of the wards. Nothing happened for a minute or so, but as we continued, my anxiety grew. I kept my thoughts ahead and on keeping my grip on Mereneth¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re crushing my hand,¡± Mereneth said from far away.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I replied from somewhere deep underwater.

    Another few agonizing minutes and the feeling slowly ramped down from its awful peak. Sounds returned to normal. That normal was simply the soft rushing of loose sand underfoot and bountiful silence. I didn¡¯t see anything ahead.

    We walked for the better part of an hour before Seyari spoke up. ¡°Can we let go of your hand now?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Yes, of course,¡± Mereneth replied.

    ¡°How long have we been out of the wards?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Only for a kilometer or so,¡± Mereneth giggled.

    Seyari gave her a death glare. I laughed and took Seyari¡¯s hand in mine. My girlfriend smiled smugly at the lust demon who looked surprisingly pleased in response.

    ¡°I told you the two of you were cute!¡± She formed a heart shape with her spaded tail.

    Seyari¡¯s glare faltered. I almost kissed her cheek, but stopped to decide if I wanted the fallout of purposefully making the situation even more embarrassing for her. Personally? I was all for being a cute couple. I hoped and suspected Seyari was too, and just being contrarian.

    I kissed her quickly on the cheek.

    She punched my shoulder, but not very hard.

    I knew I was right.

    ***

    Logically, hiding behind terrain and not just wards made sense. If anyone managed to make their way wholly or even partly through, you wouldn¡¯t want to be revealed. It only made sense to have even more sand. I kept telling myself this, but when the dusty green of an oasis came into view an hour later, I couldn¡¯t maintain that outlook any longer and barely restrained myself from sprinting toward it. The oasis itself was a modest sort of thing set somewhat surprisingly at the top of a small rocky outcropping. I didn¡¯t understand the geology behind it, nor did I care to at the moment.

    Fear of the unknown was a powerful motivator. I wanted to make a good first impression at the very least, given that who we were here to meet was a powerful demon. Mereneth had been surprisingly cordial compared to what I expected, and I made an attempt to temper my anxiety with an open mind. I¡¯d be a hypocrite if I judged other demons by anything besides their actions.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but a quaint town of an architectural style reminiscent of what little I remember of the central Ordian countryside was near the bottom of my list. Several houses and outbuildings surrounded a central plaza. While there was a well, this location had no open pool of water. Clearly the place had groundwater, however, as the land sloping up behind the outcropping was home to a small region of rolling fields bounded by a stone wall. A windmill lazily rotated in the hot breeze and set the backdrop for a jarring scene.

    We climbed a series of stone steps and walked through a small gate into the central plaza. I wondered if the entire town was an illusion right up until someone in the town square, who looked very much human, openly walked up to the three of us to greet Mereneth with a smile. Adding to the illusion of a displaced Ordian village, they spoke in Ordian.

    The other demon responded with a smile and introduced me and Seyari by name. I didn¡¯t recall telling her our names, but she could easily have picked them up from conversation.

    We followed Mereneth through the town to a moderately large house overlooking the sands and oasis both. I was surprised my appearance wasn¡¯t noted by the people who were by and large human (though I did see a Kazzel individual).

    Seyari and I shared a glance. Something wasn¡¯t right here. The odd styling of the town aside, I had a hard time believing my appearance wouldn¡¯t garner any reaction. A few people had waved, but most of those who were about glanced over then kept on with their business. From the look of the fields, it was close to harvest and there seemed to be work aplenty.

    Perhaps everyone was just used to seeing demons. I doubted that and decided to ask the Sovereign of Lust once we met her. If these people were under her thrall, I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d do. On one hand, I would want to free them. On another hand, I had no idea if I could take on a demon who had enthralled an entire small town. On a third hand, I didn¡¯t know the circumstances of these people or why this town even existed in the first place. I hoped the Sovereign of Lust was amenable to questions, because I had plenty to ask regardless.

    We entered the house¡¯s front garden; a rather pretty arrangement of flowering desert shrubs and grasses cut by a straight stone path. I¡¯d expected a mansion, a fortress, or, well, something demon-ey. This home looked downright cozy despite the clash of surrounding geography.

    Mereneth hit the knocker against the door twice. From inside, a bright feminine voice called that she was coming. Seconds later, the door opened to reveal a bizarrely normal sight.

    Standing in the doorway, clad in a modest ochre dress that complimented her magenta skin, stood a spectacled demonic woman with a bright smile on her face. She had no visible wings, but a tail with a fat spade at the tip flicked excitedly behind her.

    ¡°Mistress, I have brought the Sovereign of¡ª¡± Mereneth¡¯s announcement was cut off by a dark pink blur.

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± The magenta-skinned demon dashed forward and craned her neck to look up at me. ¡°You¡¯re even taller than Meri said!¡±

    The spectacled woman must have been more than half a meter shorter than me. Before I could respond, she whirled past a flustered looking Mereneth to stop in front of Seyari. ¡°And who might you be? Part-angel, too! Mostly angel, even!¡±

    Mereneth tried again to speak. ¡°Mistress, she is the partner of the Sov¡ª"

    ¡°Partner!? Oh my, how absolutely wonderful! Truly the bonds of love can transcend all boundaries! Please, come inside! I¡¯ll prepare tea and you two can meet my wonderful Izzy!¡± The Sovereign of Lust was practically bouncing on her feet, excitement lighting up her red-pupiled eyes.

    Mereneth spoke up again, frustration seeping into her carefully respectful tone. ¡°Mistress, what about the other¡ª¡±

    ¡°How many times have I told you not to call me mistress, Meri! Lilly is fine!¡± Lilly grabbed one of my hands and one of Seyari¡¯s. ¡°Oh, and could you be a dear and call the others back from the search? Thanks!¡±

    Before poor Mereneth could even respond, Lilly the Sovereign of Lust dragged both Seyari and I inside, closing the door with her tail. Both of us were too stunned to react.

    What on Varra had we gotten into?

 Chapter 40: Expected/Unexpected

    ¡°Izzy! We have company!¡± Lilly shouted into a room on one side of the modest hall we were standing in.

    ¡°Is it the Sovereign?¡± A masculine voice sounded back from the room.

    The doorway was just wide enough I could see a cozy sitting room, but not the owner of the voice.

    ¡°Yep! And her partner too. They¡¯re such a cute couple!¡±

    I heard the sound of a heavy book closing from the same room. ¡°Could you make us some tea, dear?¡±

    I looked down at the welcome mat under my feet. Black claw tips poked out from my boots, which had finally given up their fight to stay together. I must have looked quite the sight. As my confusion ebbed, I started to feel more and more self-conscious about my ill state of dress and cleanliness.

    If Lilly had wanted to disarm us with her actions, she¡¯d done a distressingly good job of it. Beside me, Seyari seemed more ill at ease, glancing around the house with suspicion.

    ¡°Of course, love!¡± Lilly replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to set out the tea cakes I made yesterday too, so you¡¯d better join us!¡±

    Lilly bounced off to the other side and into what I could see was a large kitchen. From the opposite room, a chair creaked and footsteps announced the approach of a well-dressed middle aged human man of Ordian complexion. His glasses matched Lilly¡¯s pair, but his Ordian-styled clothing was nicer by a margin.

    ¡°You must be the Sovereign of Wrath.¡± He looked at us and seemed startled for a moment when he caught Seyari¡¯s eyes. ¡°And you must be the Sovereign¡¯s partner. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Isidore Travend.¡±

    He offered a hand out to shake and I took it, careful of my claws.

    Isidore took in my state of dress. ¡°Dearheart, did you offer the Sovereign and her partner a bath yet?¡± He turned to me. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to insult, but you look like you both want and need one.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lilly poked her head back out of the kitchen, and her eyes went wide in surprise before her expression turned to one of embarrassment. ¡°Sorry! You both must be exhausted! Bath¡¯s down the hall to the left. I can fix your clothes right up if you don¡¯t have a change, too! Tea and snacks will be ready when you finish, but take all the time you need, okay?¡±

    I could scarcely believe this was happening. Had anyone asked me what meeting the Sovereign of Lust would be like, a trip to my nan¡¯s would have been the last option I picked. Seyari, for her part, managed to hold onto a neutral expression, though her eye twitched dangerously.

    Before the situation could devolve, I intervened. ¡°We¡¯d love a bath! By the way, I¡¯m Zarenna and this is Seyari.¡±

    I wanted to say girlfriend, or partner, but I wasn¡¯t sure what to call us. I knew I was being daft, but I¡¯d ask Seyari as soon as we were in private.

    Isidore nodded. ¡°Welcome to our home. My wife is a bit¡­odd for one of her kind, but she usually means well.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Lilly protested with a smile.

    ¡°Thank you for having us.¡± I looked down at my sand-and-dust-covered self. ¡°A bath would be lovely.¡±

    Taking Seyari¡¯s hand, she let me walk us past our two hosts and down the hall to the bathroom. I ducked inside, careful of my horns, and Seyari followed me.

    ***

    Inside was an inset, pink-tiled tub large enough for two people. There was a hand pump and what looked like a magical heating element. The room was clean, but a shelf to the side showed a large amount of well-used pink and red candles along with a wide selection of soaps and oils. A large fogged window let in plenty of light.

    Somehow, this love nest of a bathroom relaxed me more than if it¡¯d been a chaste affair. So far, Lilly had shattered my preconception so thoroughly, I expected pieces to come falling out of my ears. Provided her act wasn¡¯t a fa?ade, anyway.

    The problem did remain that there was only one bathtub and no place to change out of view. Before I could ask, Seyari spoke up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± Her eyes¡¯ glow faded as she shut off her aura sight. ¡°We need to talk. This room isn¡¯t warded with anything dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good sign?¡± I moved to look at the soaps.

    ¡°Not when we¡¯re dealing with a demon like her!¡± Seyari hissed.

    I stopped and turned. ¡°What do you know about Lilly?¡±

    ¡°Did you read her aura?¡±

    ¡°No, why?¡±

    Seyari glared at me. ¡°Are you trying to let yourself be caught off guard?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had to worry about the stuff before, Seyari! I don¡¯t always know what to do.¡± I snapped back.

    Seyari¡¯s expression twisted through a range of emotions before settling on a tired look. ¡°I forget that sometimes, okay? Lillith¡¯s aura is the strongest I¡¯ve ever seen, Zarenna. I¡¯m worried we¡¯re in over our heads.¡±

    ¡°Is she stronger than your father?¡±

    ¡°I think so. I was too young to really remember, but she¡¯s stronger than Etanza was, and her aura is far calmer.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Sovereign Demons should be strong, right?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s an order of magnitude above you, Zarenna. And I have no idea what her game is with all this quaint bullshit!¡±

    ¡°What if it isn¡¯t bullshit?¡± I asked quietly.

    ¡°Zarenna, she¡¯s a demon, she¡ª¡± Seyari cut herself off and went quiet, looking pensive.

    I laughed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to offend me like that, Seyari. You probably know more than I do about demons anyway. It¡¯s a huge risk to trust her, but from what you say we probably wouldn¡¯t stand a chance anyway, would we?¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to just trust her then?¡± Seyari asked with exhausted honesty. ¡°There¡¯s a spell over the whole town out there. Something¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s strong like you say she is, I say we give her a chance, but stay wary.¡± I tried my best to sound reassuring. ¡°What¡¯s the spell anyway? I noticed the people here didn¡¯t stare at me, and the town¡¯s existence is weird as hell, but Lilly and Isidore seem genuinely nice.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the spell is. It¡¯s tainted with demonic mana, but that¡¯s all I can tell.¡±

    I frowned at that. ¡°Would any magic a demon does be tainted?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell?¡± I looked at my own aura. Lilly and Mereneth both had red in theirs but a different shade than what tinged my fire. I doubted recognizing a demonic aura was a simple as ¡®red is demonic¡¯.

    Seyari put a hand to her chin. ¡°I can¡¯t really explain it. Demonic auras have a different¡­texture is probably the best word.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t get that at all. I remember when we first met, Lorelei said she didn¡¯t focus on aura reading, but you told me later she knew from my fire. What gives?¡±

    Seyari thought a moment. ¡°Lorelei¡¯s a perfectionist. She¡¯s been trained, but not completely. I doubt she¡¯d have seen it if she wasn¡¯t looking for it.¡±

    ¡°How long does training take?¡±

    ¡°Two to five years.¡± Seyari shrugged. ¡°Depends on talent and practice.¡±

    Well, there went my plan of learning quickly.

    ¡°Can you teach me?¡± I asked.

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°No. I found out how to do it on my own when I was young. All I can say is to look for texture.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± I turned back to the wonderfully scented shelf. ¡°The magic over this town really could be anything, huh? I say we ask Lilly what the spell is.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. But she wanted to meet with me as Sovereign, whatever that means. If she¡¯s at all genuine, she¡¯ll probably just tell me.¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s something horrible? What will you do?¡±

    I stared at the bottle of lavender bath soap I¡¯d picked out. ¡°I¡¯d let her know what I think.¡±

    ¡°You are crazy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well even if I¡¯m weaker than Lilly, we¡¯re both Sovereigns. I can¡¯t fight her, but I¡¯m not going to run away. I¡¯ll treat her like an equal. And if she¡¯s doing something abhorrent, I¡¯ll get stronger than her and come back to put an end to it.¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±

    ¡°Neither do I,¡± I agreed. ¡°But while I can, I am going to take a wonderful bath.¡±

    Seyari looked between me and the empty bath. ¡°There¡¯s only one tub.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± I smiled.

    Inside, I was nervous. I didn¡¯t intend to go further than bathing together, but it was still a big step.

    Seyari smiled deviously. ¡°Good. Because I¡¯m caked in sand and sweat and I don¡¯t want to take turns.¡±

    I reached slowly to start undressing. Seyari ungracefully pulled her blouse and what was underneath it off as I looked straight at her. I blushed and hurried to do the same. We eyed each other for a moment, Seyari¡¯s cheeks dusting rose pink. I heard her mumble ¡°huge¡± under her breath.

    I didn¡¯t think they were that big, but my chest certainly wasn¡¯t small and given my overall proportions¡­ I blushed harder and felt an oddly deep sort of satisfaction. Though I have to admit, Seyari wasn¡¯t lacking either. Her skin even seemed to glow faintly.

    Wordlessly, she moved to fill the tub and I selected a plain bar soap and shampoo to go with the lavender bath soap. We finished undressing with little fanfare, but had to rinse sand and sweat off before we could refill the tub all the way to really soak.

    Hair came first and I was surprised to find neither my hair nor Seyari¡¯s seemed prone to tangling. I managed to get enough sand off to make a small pile at the bottom of the tub. From there, we moved lower.

    This was the first time we¡¯d seen each other naked and I could see a pair of horrible scars on Seyari¡¯s back. I scrubbed carefully around them, but she directed my hands over the area, wincing slightly.

    ¡°You should give four-armed massages,¡± Seyari hummed.

    I¡¯d dulled my claws with my glamour. After practicing, I was able to slightly alter my lower arms as well, but the drain on my magic was notable for even small changes. Once I finished, I rinsed her off and we switched positions. Seyari¡¯s hands didn¡¯t stay far, but I felt her trace the musculature and shoulder blades of my second set of arms.

    The urge to get clean had overpowered any other urges, but the redness in both our faces was certainly not from the lukewarm water.

    Once we were no longer coated in grime, I emptied the tub and refilled it with the soap and hot water from an enchanted heating element. Within a minute were sat inside covered mostly by mountains of foam. I resisted the urge to raise the temperature beyond what the tub¡¯s magic already had done.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you added too much bath soap?¡± Seyari batted a wad of lavender-scented suds at my face.

    Most of what she threw slid off, but a chunk of bubbles stuck to one of my horns.

    I dunked under the water to clear my face. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a bath like this in weeks. If I want suds, I am making suds.¡±

    Due to my size, the tub was quite full. I wanted to stay for hours, but I didn¡¯t want to make Lilly and Isidore wait. After only a few more blissful minutes, we got out.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised the water stayed so warm.¡± Seyari said as she blew her hair dry with wind.

    ¡°I have no idea why that happened,¡± I responded in a playful tone.

    I dried my legs and feet. Then I heated my body up, boiling the rest of the moisture away.

    Seyari looked at me and laughed. ¡°I should have known. Is that sort of heat bad for your skin?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. I hope not!¡± I reached up to feel my face. Soft and smooth and hairless.

    ¡°I think you look great,¡± Seyari stepped over and gave me a peck on the cheek.

    I gave a fanged smile back. ¡°You too. Do you have anything to wear?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    We both moved to our packs we¡¯d set in a corner. After a moment¡¯s thought, I grabbed some usable lower undergarments and carefully got my dress out. The garment had a couple wrinkles, but I smoothed them out with warm hands in the moist air.

    I slipped into the dress, four hands making light work of ensuring everything was in the right place. The dark purple garment still fit me like a glove. I wasn¡¯t used to the idea of a bottom that wasn¡¯t some kind of trousers, but the feeling of loose fabric against my legs overrode any nervousness I felt. The light blue thorned roses stood out against my skin tone. I knew they matched my eyes as well.

    My top arms fit through the sleeves, but my bottom arms were bare. If I ever had the chance, I¡¯d get matching ribbons to tie around them. The bottom of my dress was loose enough that my tail felt no discomfort. Though, I¡¯d have to be careful about how I moved it lest I show something I¡¯d rather keep private.

    I wished I had a pair of shoes to go with the dress. Not for comfort, but to complete the look. I was already a head taller than all but the tallest humans I¡¯d seen, but I wanted to try heels. I¡¯d probably regret them rather quickly. Still, heels were a statement I wanted to make.

    ¡°So, how do I look?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Gorgeous. Dangerous.¡± Seyari took my clawed hand in her smaller one. ¡°And you¡¯ve quite the manicure.¡±

    She traced a centimeters-long black blade carefully.

    ¡°What should I call us?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Girlfriends. Partners. Either one works for me.¡± She replied with a rare wide smile.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten you in such a good mood? Besides the bath. Aren¡¯t you still worried?¡±

    She met my gaze. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m real fucking scared to be honest. I haven¡¯t felt that way in a long, long time and I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯m focusing on you so I don¡¯t focus on what¡¯s outside.¡±

    ¡°You sound like that¡¯s working.¡±

    ¡°It really, really is.¡±

 Chapter 41: Tea with Lust

    Seyari and I exited the bathroom and walked back toward the kitchen. When we got there, Isidore was sitting at a table by a wide bay window which overlooked the front garden. He had a large book in front of him which he read with rapt attention. Lilly was, of all things, knitting quietly next to him.

    In the center of the table was a tray of small, sugar dusted cakes next to a bowl of fresh Navanaean fruit. Four plates had been set. Crumbs were left on Lilly¡¯s plate, and Isidore¡¯s plate had a tea cake with a single bite taken out.

    Lilly looked up as we entered. ¡°Did you two have a nice soak?¡± She noticed my dress and her eyes sparkled. ¡°Oh my! What a lovely dress, Zarenna¡ªit really shows off your curves. Seyari¡¯s one lucky girl to have you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lilly.¡± I blushed deep crimson and took a seat. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have Seyari, if I¡¯m being honest.¡±

    Lilly smiled and put her knitting down, grabbing a fruit I didn¡¯t recognize. No durians in the bowl, but that was just as well for their smell. Seyari took the seat next to me and gave me a pointed look. She had a change of travel clothes on.

    Lilly poured us both cups of tea from a pitcher. I took a sip, finding the black tea to be pleasantly fruity. On top of that, it was chilled and sweet.

    ¡°Lilly, do you mind if we ask you about the town here?¡± I opened.

    ¡°Not at all! Ask me anything you want about Sandmeadow.¡±

    Ouch, that name! Can¡¯t say it isn¡¯t accurate, though.

    ¡°Why does Sandmeadow look like an Ordian village got lost and ended up in the desert?¡± I asked.

    Lilly answered easily. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because the people here are mostly from Ordia.¡±

    ¡°How did you all get here? How did you build this?¡± I used all my arms to gesture around us and to the town visible out the window.

    ¡°Most people came at once by boat and caravan. Others have joined over the years. We built Sandmeadow by trading for materials¡ªin secret of course¡ªand with magic.¡±

    I chose to ask the riskiest question next. ¡°What is the purpose of the spell over the entire town?¡±

    Lilly put a finger to her chin. ¡°Hmm, that one¡¯s a little complex. Basically, it keeps the folk here from thinking of demons as abnormal.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Seyari interjected.

    ¡°They see demonic traits as just those of a different kind of folk, one that is familiar. Frankly, I¡¯m impressed with my own spell work since Zarenna here didn¡¯t get funny looks.¡± Lilly seemed all too happy to explain.

    ¡°Any mental compulsion?¡± I asked.

    Lilly frowned and sighed. ¡°Well, I suppose I should have seen that question coming. Yes, a smidgen? Everyone here is aware we¡¯re in the Navanaean desert and our idyllic life is a result of remaining secret, but I make it so people who want to leave come to me first.¡±

    ¡°What do you do when someone wants to leave?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°I let them leave?¡± Lilly made her answer a question. ¡°The journey isn¡¯t easy, and few want to make it, but we¡¯ve had plenty of people leave Sandmeadow. Oh, and I don¡¯t kill them, but I do mess with their memories of this place so they can¡¯t give away where it is.¡±

    ¡°If they remember this place, won¡¯t they tell people about it, even if they don¡¯t know where it is?¡± My girlfriend asked.

    ¡°Some do,¡± Lillith shrugged.

    ¡°What happens to them?¡± I asked with concern.

    ¡°We discredit the rumor or the person who spread it. This place sounds like an unbelievable conspiracy to most anyone.¡±

    ¡°Do you silence anyone?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yep! It¡¯s pretty rare though,¡± Lilly frowned. ¡°Could we talk about something else now?¡±

    Lilly was definitely creepy and a more than a little twisted. At the very least she seemed sincere. I felt like she was leaving some pieces out, but if what she said was true, then she could be worse. Not like I¡¯d be able to stand up to her right now. I¡¯d need to talk to the townspeople before I left and verify what Lilly claimed.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°We can,¡± I consented after a long pause. ¡°I apologize for any rudeness. I am simply pleasantly surprised by the lifestyle of my fellow Sovereign.¡±

    I tried my best to sound formal. Lilly seemed mollified at least. All throughout the conversation, Isidore kept reading what looked to be a dense text. The only evidence of any other activity being a second bite out of his tea cake. I took one for myself and another for Seyari who hadn¡¯t quite managed to stop scowling.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m also pleasantly surprised, Sovereign of Wrath,¡± Lilly addressed me. ¡°Your predecessor was, hmm, much less amenable to polite conversation.¡±

    ¡°She means the last Sovereign of Wrath tried to rip her head off when they first met,¡± Isidore spoke up unexpectedly.

    Lilly sputtered and coughed, nearly choking on her tea. ¡°Yes, well. Uh-hum! It¡¯s a pleasure to have you two as guests.¡±

    I thought a moment and grabbed a second tea cake. The first one had disappeared quickly under mysterious circumstances.

    ¡°Why did you want to meet with us?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I wanted get to know you! It isn¡¯t every day a new Sovereign shows up somewhere, especially without announcing their arrival in some cataclysmic fashion.¡±

    ¡°She wanted to see if you¡¯d be an ally or an enemy,¡± Isidore deadpanned.

    ¡°Honey, do you have to be so blunt about it!?¡± Lilly said with a hint of panic.

    Isidore looked up from the book at Lilly, over at Seyari, and then back to Lilly. My girlfriend was busy trying to stare a hole into the table while scowling. I reached down and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

    ¡°You can be open with us, Lilly,¡± I said.

    Lilly nodded. ¡°Okay. Well, I¡¯m not the most popular of the Six Sovereigns, so having an ally would be a big help! Plus, you¡¯ll get to have me as an ally when you get dragged into the others¡¯ politics!¡±

    ¡°Six Sovereigns?¡± I grabbed some fruit to offset the cakes.

    ¡°Oh. OH! You¡¯re really new, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lilly tilted her head. ¡°Okay, so there¡¯s up to six Sovereign demons. Right now, there¡¯s me, you, Conceit, Avarice, Apathy, and maybe Envy.¡± She tallied them off on her fingers.

    Seyari perked up a bit. ¡°What makes a Sovereign demon?¡±

    Lilly gave a rapid-fire explanation. ¡°It¡¯s like a title, passed down from demon to demon. Usually by a demon challenging and killing the current Sovereign. I thought that was how you got the title, Zarenna, but I guess that¡¯s not it? Anyway, Sovereign demons are like a ruler over all the demons of their particular aspect and we can¡¯t be made subservient to anyone else. Don¡¯t know why that is, but it means that Utraxia won¡¯t be able to get me under her thumb, so I¡¯m happy about that at least.¡±

    Well, that solves mystery of why I couldn¡¯t be bound. I wondered if that was also why Verrux seemed deferential toward me.

    ¡°Utraxia?¡± I inclined my head.

    Lilly looked like she¡¯d bitten a lemon. ¡°Sovereign of Conceit. Ice queen who lives in a literal ice palace. Or cold rock. Close enough anyway. We¡¯ve never gotten along and I don¡¯t want to talk about her!¡±

    Oh. ¡°Can demons tell if another demon is a Sovereign?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, easy! Besides the gem on our bodies, any demon would know just by looking at your aura, unless you hide it. I¡¯ve heard its more difficult for non-demons to tell, but I don¡¯t know why that is. Go ahead and look at my aura!¡± Lilly puffed out her modest chest.

    I obliged and looked at her aura. Lilly¡¯s aura was massive. An ocean of bright pink swirling out from a distinct dark pink orb in the center. I looked for a demon-y texture, but couldn¡¯t find one. I turned my aura sight off and blinked away at the spots in my vision.

    ¡°Is it the pink orb at the center of your aura?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Got it in one!¡± Lilly smiled. ¡°Mine¡¯s pink and yours is red.¡± She pointed to where my gem rested at the center of the symbol on my chest.

    ¡°Can I see your gem?¡± I asked.

    Lilly blushed furiously. ¡°Uh, well, you see¡­Mine¡¯s not in the same place.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I clapped my mouth shut and quickly took a sip of tea. ¡°Sorry for asking.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lilly waved it off.

    ¡°Do you know what Zarenna¡¯s symbol is? The one around her gem?¡± Seyari broke her silence.

    Lilly put a finger on her chin. ¡°Kinda? It¡¯s a religious symbol for some ancient order of demons that¡¯s long gone. Some mortals made cults around it even after the Lost Era. I think there was a Sovereign of Wrath before my time who had the same mark.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Do you know anything else?¡±

    Isidore spoke up. ¡°I know it is often attributed to greater demons following an ancient sect. The vortex represents the pull of the demonic realm from the void and the starburst the six major demonic aspects. Your variation in particular shows the aspects triumphing over the demonic realm¡¯s influence based on the relative size of the overlaid symbols. A single enlarged point of the starburst likely represents your aspect of wrath. Were I to hazard a guess, I would imagine you are a terrestrial demon, which is highly unusual.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s jaw dropped open.

    ¡°What? What does all that mean?¡± I managed to ask.

    ¡°It means I am going shopping for dinner because Izzy is going to drag you two off to talk about the souls and the planes until the sun goes down,¡± Lilly interjected peppily, then looked to the two of us with mock concern. ¡°Good luck you two.¡±

    Lilly bounced up from her seat, grabbed a basket off the counter and bounded out the front door.

    Isidore sighed and closed his tome. ¡°It may be best to have this conversation in the living room. That is, assuming you want to.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Seyari and I replied at the same time.

    Isidore nodded and picked up his plate with the mostly finished teacake. I grabbed a handful of fruit and one more cake. Seyari took some snacks for herself, too. We carried our tea and food and followed Isidore into the other room.

    All this time we¡¯d looked for any sort of answer, and Isidore seemed to know most of what puzzled me and Seyari both. I sank into a plush chair that had a trench for a tail (way too small for mine, but still highly appreciated) with a smile on my face.

    Seyari wore a look of nervous anticipation, but I could see a hardness in her eyes. She didn¡¯t trust Isidore. I realized I had no reason to either. I tempered my expectations as best I could.

    Isidore set his plate and book down carefully by a large, comfy looking chair he took as his own. He sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose before he began.

 Chapter 42: The Nature of Demons pt. 1

    ¡°Why should we trust you?¡± Seyari asked before Isidore had even started to speak.

    The middle-aged Ordian man kept a level gaze at Seyari. ¡°Trust me to do what, exactly? Or do you mean whether you should trust my information?¡±

    ¡°Both,¡± Seyari and I answered at the same time.

    Isidore leaned back in his chair. ¡°I will answer both then. I was kicked out of the University of Ardath for my research into demons and the methodology I employed. I desire to determine the nature of demons and construct a universal theory governing their formation, growth, and disintegration. What I have to tell you are only my theories, but I believe them to be correct. My motives are and always have been my own.¡±

    ¡°Methodology?¡± Seyari raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Disintegration?¡± I gripped the armrests of the chair and leaned forward.

    Isidore raised a hand to cut off our protests. ¡°Human experimentation. And Zarenna won¡¯t have to worry about disintegration.¡± Seyari looked about ready to cut him off, but he continued. ¡°My subjects were convicted of grievous crimes. Most had already been sentenced to death.¡±

    Seyari tilted her head down to glare at the floor instead of him.

    ¡°That¡¯s still wrong,¡± I asserted.

    Isidore looked at me carefully. ¡°Is it? Perhaps. I hold no remorse for my actions, nor do I seek to defend them. How you judge me is your own choice to make.¡±

    ¡°What about what you know? How do you know you¡¯re right?¡± Seyari asked pointedly without looking up.

    Isidore looked offended. ¡°I went further into my research than any record which two decades of searching using the University¡¯s resources could provide. Between what I found at the University and what I have learned through my wife, I do not know of anyone with greater knowledge in the field of demonology.¡±

    Seyari looked up. She and Isidore stared at each other. I looked back and forth between them and bit my lower lip with a fang. Just as I was about to speak up, Isidore broke their staring contest.

    ¡°I believe you, but I don¡¯t like you,¡± Seyari stated when the other man looked away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to like me,¡± Isidore replied smoothly.

    ¡°Hey, can we have this talk about demons now? I want to know what I am,¡± I interjected with as bright a tone as I could muster.

    No one spoke. The tension in the room froze, and slowly began to drain away. I really didn¡¯t want the two to fight. The truth was, Isidore¡¯s past had disturbing implications that he clearly didn¡¯t care to move beyond. I didn¡¯t particularly like him either, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d try anything, even if his anger had flared when Seyari called his knowledge into question. Isidore¡¯s passion was undeniable, I needed information, and hearing it from him wouldn¡¯t hurt anything.

    Silence stretched on. I ate another tea cake¡ªI wanted the recipe. Seyari and Isidore sipped their tea.

    After a minute, Isidore broke the silence. ¡°What should I assume you already know about demons?¡± he asked.

    I hummed in thought. ¡°Assume I don¡¯t know anything a trade worker from Edath Province wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Considering that, since the Ordian Civil War, Edath Province has become the semi-autonomous Kingdom of Edath, I trust that you¡¯ve been away for a while.¡± Isidore fixed me with an earnest gaze.

    I took note of the streaks of gray starting to run through his dark brown hair.

    ¡°Eight years,¡± I replied. I wasn¡¯t certain it was exactly eight, but I saw no reason to let Isidore know that.

    ¡°Hmm. That won¡¯t affect our discussion, but you may want to ask Lilly about the civil war over dinner. She keeps better apprised of world events than I do these days.¡± Isidore turned to Seyari. ¡°What about your knowledge?¡±

    ¡°I know only that Zarenna¡¯s symbol dates back primarily to Lost Era civilizations. Regarding demons, I used to be an Inquisitor with the Church of Dhias,¡± she replied in a steady tone.

    My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn¡¯t expected Seyari to reveal that fact. Then again, Isidore was the first person she¡¯d met who could give her answers in over three decades of searching.

    ¡°An Inquisitor?¡± Isidore looked her up and down. ¡°Just as well you¡¯re no longer associated with them.¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose, lifting his glasses slightly. ¡°I will start with the basics then, since neither of you have significant prior knowledge.¡±

    ¡°You mean to say the Church doesn¡¯t know their stuff, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I would hope you understood that, yes. The Church knows very little of demonology and teaches none of what they do know, preferring to stick with fable and falsehood. The Inquisition knows some practical matters related to tracking and fighting demons, I will concede, but their theory is entirely incorrect.¡±

    I felt anger flaring from Isidore before he clamped down on it. Clearly, the man had a bone to pick with the Church. Given he married the Sovereign of Lust, this wasn¡¯t exactly a surprise. I wanted to ask after that thread, but held my tongue.

    Isidore coughed lightly. ¡°However, we are not here to discuss inaccuracies in common doctrine, but rather the actual nature of things. To start, demons are formed from strong lingering emotions which fracture souls wholly or in-part upon someone or something¡¯s death.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Isidore sighed. ¡°Like shards of souls that are large enough not to dissipate gather together in the void. Demonic-aspected mana binds the fragments together into an amalgam, pulling the resultant demon-to-be to the demonic plane, or ¡®hell¡¯ if you prefer.¡±

    ¡°Why is there demonic mana in the void?¡± Seyari asked.

    Isidore took a moment to answer. I sat in my chair wide-eyed. I had some very clear memories of my time between my death and rebirth as a demon. What if the memories were fragments of souls? What does that mean for Abby, my mother, and Abby¡¯s nan? I didn¡¯t share any of Abby¡¯s memories, but I was certain that she was in the void with me. She gave me my name there. I made a promise to her to live as we would both want.

    Across from me, Isidore continued with his head inclined toward Seyari. ¡°Both angelic, or ¡®holy¡¯ if you prefer, mana and demonic mana diffuse from their relative planes into the emptiness of the void. Both are, hmm, closer is the simplest word¡ªthough not entirely accurate¡ªto the void than the material plane.¡±

    ¡°What happens to the souls that break?¡± I asked with trepidation in my voice.

    ¡°Break is not quite the correct term, Zarenna. Most souls do not suffer more than what would amount to chips off a relatively large rock, if they suffer anything. Souls from which a large enough fragment, relative to their size of course, breaks off have the remainder dissipate into the void.¡±

    ¡°What happens to those large fragments?¡± My voice wavered.

    ¡°They form greater demons. The more complete the fragment, the more conscious memories of the former soul the demon retains. Typically, one large fragment serves as the anchor for many small ones.¡±

    I looked down at my lap and the lower arms I held across it. Was I no longer the same person? Was I just a demon with memories of who someone else was?

    ¡°Can a demon ever be the person they were before?¡± I asked quietly, without looking up.

    Isidore¡¯s tone softened. ¡°Truthfully, I do not know. In theory, it would be possible for a soul that is effectively complete to be converted. I can assure you the likelihood of that is slim. There are some Lost Era texts which allude to such a practice, though nothing is known for sure. Amalgam souls form such that they try to make a complete soul from parts and pieces. At least some break would have to be present for such a process to occur.¡±

    I looked up with wet eyes for a moment, drying them with the back of a wrist. I¡¯d just started to understand, and now nothing made sense. Seyari reached over and took one of my lower hands with a soft squeeze.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Could her symbol indicate such a thing?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Just so, I would imagine. Zarenna, you act unusually human. If it would be acceptable, may I ask if you have ever been to the demonic plane?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Then I would imagine you are indeed a terrestrial demon. Such beings are created when the amalgam soul is ejected into the material plane rather than pulled to the demonic realm. The influence of demonic mana is less, and as a result terrestrial demons tend to be more emotionally diverse and stable. They are also less weak to angelic mana, though they have less of an affinity for demonic as a result.¡±

    ¡°Terrestrial demon?¡± Seyari sounded genuinely confused.

    ¡°A topic few people know about. I am, you could say, uniquely qualified to talk about such cases. Your symbol, or a variation of, also appears with all examples of greater terrestrial demons I have found, though not all instances of your symbol are from such beings.¡± Isidore paused a moment to look at my downcast expression. ¡°If this topic is distressing for you, we do not have to continue.¡±

    I took a deep breath and met his hard brown eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I think you¡¯ve explained most of my origin, but I have a few more personal questions if that is okay.¡±

    Isidore¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Okay!? That¡¯s wonderful. Cases such as yours do not show up often and I would very much like to know more about the nature of your formation and continued existence.¡±

    Isidore really tried his best to rein in the creepy energy he was giving off. He wasn¡¯t succeeding in the slightest, but the effort was appreciated.

    I took another deep breath to keep my voice steady. ¡°Okay, well, I can remember the void¡ª¡±

    ¡°YOU CAN REMEMBER THE VOID!?¡± Isidore shouted and leapt up from his seat. With a cough he sat back down and adjusted his glasses. ¡°My apologies for interrupting. Would you give me a moment to fetch a quill and paper? I will refrain from naming you directly in my notes, of course.¡±

    I jumped from Isidore¡¯s sudden outburst and had to take a moment to calm myself. All the while he stared at me intently from behind the lenses of his large glasses. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s okay.¡± I squeezed Seyari¡¯s hand.

    She stopped the death glare she¡¯d fixed Isidore with when he jumped up. We let the older man leave to the other room for a moment to fetch his things. Seyari and I shared a look and I tried to let her know I was okay with a smile.

    Isidore returned shortly with a quill and paper and I recounted as best I could the events of my formation. I started with stating who had died, though I did not use their real names. From the events of my death itself through a vague description of the memories, I spoke of what I felt and did not feel. I ended with the volcanic eruption and my symbol¡¯s odd glow.

    After I finished, Isidore sat quietly for a long while, scribbling away. For my part, I got up and raided the fruit bowl and cakes in the other room. I left one each for the others. Seyari looked at me when I returned with multiple plates full of produce and sweets.

    ¡°What? I¡¯m at least twice your weight, cut me some slack.¡± I gave her a look.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better. I¡¯m sorry you had to go through all that.¡± She snatched a cake off one of my plates.

    I took a piece of fruit. ¡°Thanks. I think you had it worse though, my pain was limited to a very short time. I really didn¡¯t feel five years passing in the void.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. At least on the surface.¡± Seyari met my eyes.

    ¡°Oh.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    We sat in relative silence a few minutes more, enjoying the coziness of the home we found ourselves in. Isidore¡¯s scribbling took on an almost droning quality.

    ¡°Zarenna?¡± Isidore spoke up at long last. ¡°I have some theories if you want me to tell you them. Nothing concrete, of course.¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    ¡°You may not like what I have concluded.¡± Isidore looked pointedly at me.

    My breath hitched. I pondered for a moment. Abby would want to know, however, so I decided I should too. I gestured for Isidore to continue.

    The former researcher cleared his throat. ¡°Well, I believe that your soul from before you became a demon is essentially whole. The cult that killed you was likely attempting some sort of Lost Era ritual and your amulet interacted with it in some way. The anger you carried at the time of your death was likely just enough to catalyze whatever caused your to soul to become a demon of wrath. Additionally, a second demon may have been formed from what you saw get pulled out of the void.¡±

    I had to take a while to process what Isidore said. It made sense, mostly. But he didn¡¯t answer the question burning away at me.

    ¡°What about my parents and Abby?¡± I asked cautiously.

    Isidore took on an even more serious look. ¡°I believe, unless they had reason for their souls to fracture fully, your parents and most all the others would have moved on to the next life. Your friend Abby, however, was different. I do not know how, but I believe she gave her soul somehow to ensure your continued existence. It is likely the ritual you stumbled into was performed incorrectly. I do not know what the other outcome would have been. If this is true, a large part of your amalgam soul is her, but in a diffuse form.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡± My words died in my throat.

    ¡°I will prepare your room for tonight and give you some time.¡± Isidore set his notes aside and moved quickly out of the room.

    I managed until Isidore left the room, but then I couldn¡¯t hold the tears in. I didn¡¯t know that I wanted to.

    I cried for Abby. Big ugly tears. Seyari held me all the while, eventually moving to cram into the same chair as me, across my lap. I knew Abby was dead, but I had always hoped there was something after for her. The Church taught of a paradise after death, but warned that it was not guaranteed. I thought for sure she¡¯d made it there. Even after all this time, I still hadn¡¯t let go of that idea.

    What Isidore told me was just a theory. That didn¡¯t matter. All his theory did was force me to face what I already knew. What I knew since she said her final words.

    Abby was gone.

    ¡°She¡¯s with you, you know.¡± Seyari looked up at me with a faint smile and reddened eyes.

    Had I said that out loud?

    ¡°But she deserved so much more.¡± The first word came out hoarse, but my voice cleared by the last word. Sometimes I wished I could turn my regeneration off.

    ¡°She wanted this, didn¡¯t she?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°I¡ªshe did, but¡­¡±

    Seyari said nothing.

    ¡°She gave so much. I didn¡¯t deserve it.¡± I spoke in a defeated tone.

    Would I have been able to do the same for her? I wanted to think I would, but I wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°She thought you did though.¡± Seyari spoke quietly, but her voice was firm.

    I looked down at Seyari. She looked so small in the moment.

    She continued, ¡°I think you should respect that. Like she respected you. Abby was a good friend, Zarenna¡­and I think you know that.¡±

    My tears started right back up. This time, I felt different. I wanted to prove Abby right. I wanted to prove I had what she had seen in me.

    By the time I pulled myself together, I heard hushed voices across the hall in the kitchen. Lilly must have gotten back while I was mourning. Outside, the sun was setting. Rays of purple and red streaked across the room.

    I realized I had a few more questions for Isidore. I hoped he wouldn¡¯t mind. I got up shakily and Seyari clung to me for a moment before letting herself down.

    In the kitchen, Lilly was starting to work on dinner and Isidore had half the kitchen table covered in notes.

    Lilly saw us and bounced over. ¡°Are you alright, dear?¡± She looked genuinely concerned.

    ¡°I will be,¡± I replied.

    That got a big smile. ¡°Great! Think you can help with dinner? I want to borrow your claws as a peeler.¡±

    I nodded my head and took a position beside her peeling some sort of purple tuber. Seyari sat at the table. I could hear conversation with Isidore, but I wasn¡¯t up for trying to pay attention.

    ¡°Hey Lilly?¡± I asked the Sovereign of Lust.

    ¡°Yes, Renna?¡± She replied brightly. ¡°Can I call you Renna?¡±

    I thought back to what I¡¯d told Seyari about my name. Truthfully, I liked Renna. I just felt like it was a fake and that I was obligated to use my full name since Abby gave it to me. She¡¯d never liked her full name. I liked mine, but that wasn¡¯t a reason not to let a nickname be.

    ¡°You¡¯ve stopped peeling. Is everything alright?¡± The shorter demon asked me.

    ¡°I, uh, yeah. You can call me Renna,¡± I replied sheepishly.

    ¡°Okay, Renna! Anyway, what did you want to ask me?¡± Lilly finished peeling a tuber and moved to the next one.

    I thought about the shape my body had taken as a demon. ¡°What determines a demon¡¯s body shape?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think it¡¯s the shape of the soul. For a greater demon, that¡¯s usually pretty clear, but a lot of lesser demons are hideous chimeras.¡±

    ¡°Could one soul influence another?¡±

    Now it was Lilly¡¯s turn to stop and think. ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯d need two major fragments competing with each other and that¡¯s super rare.¡±

    ¡°What would that be like?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, one will usually end up being dominant and if that¡¯s stable, will take over. But your base form could have features from two ideals.¡±

    I looked down at myself. I felt how I wanted to feel. I never felt influence from Abby¡¯s soul outside of a few times when I was certain she had calmed my rage. The green glow had reminded me of her eyes.

    Gods, is my stability erasing the last vestiges of her existence?

    ¡°In my case, it means I have a penis!¡± Lilly said happily.

    What.

    ¡°You looked like your mind was going someplace you didn¡¯t want it to. Thought I¡¯d shock you out of it.¡± Lilly smiled up at me and giggled. ¡°I know a lot about having two competing fragments. I don¡¯t want to talk about it, but I can tell you right now that you¡¯d damn well know if that was the case.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Lilly.¡± I was certain I sounded more relieved than I felt.

    ¡°No problem!¡± Lilly winked. ¡°You want to start peeling another one? There¡¯s not much left of what you¡¯re holding.¡±

    I looked down. I¡¯d absentmindedly peeled the root into one long coil.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I set the mess down and took another one.

    Lilly waved her hand. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine! We¡¯ll think of somewhere to use it.¡±

    ***

    Dinner was quite nice in the end. Lillith had managed to make the local produce remind me of home back in Edath. We¡¯d be heading south again soon and hopefully I¡¯d be able to find Tania and get the rest of the answers I was owed from Finley. I¡¯d gut him like a fish when I was done with him. The thought brought a pulse of cold anger, but I felt no remorse over the idea.

    After dinner, Lilly and Isidore invited us to stay the night. They also offered a few more days if we needed the rest. We agreed to at least stay the next day. I wanted another bath.

    Exhausted, Seyari and I headed to our room. Even if my body wasn¡¯t very tired, my mind was beat and I needed to sleep. Inside our room was a single modest-sized and very plush-looking double bed.

    An armoire, a desk with a mirror, and a bookshelf stuffed to the brim completed the look. A large window had dark curtains already drawn over it. Our packs had been set in one corner.

    Carefully as I could, I slipped out of my dress but kept my lower undergarments on. I collapsed into the bed first and wriggled my way under the covers. My feet hung far off the end, so I curled onto one side and pulled them up. I had enough presence of mind to dull my claws and horns. The sheets felt nice and I¡¯d hate to shred them in my sleep. Already, I was enjoying the perks of my more flexible glamour.

    Moments later, Seyari pulled the covers aside and joined me, snuggling backwards up to my chest. I put my arms around her, flipped my tail over both of us, and was asleep in no time.

 Chapter 43: The Nature of Demons pt. 2

    The next morning, we shared a breakfast of fruit with our hosts. I wore my dress again, wrinkles be damned. I liked the way my claws clacked on the cool sandstone floors, but still dreamed of shoes to complete the look. Heels would be fun, but I already had to duck a little under doorways¡ªnot counting my horns.

    ¡°Isidore?¡± I asked between bites. ¡°What happens to the souls that don¡¯t break into demons? The Church of Dhias always taught that heaven awaited the righteous, but so long as you were not truly evil, you would be reincarnated. Evil souls went to hell, which I guess isn¡¯t entirely wrong? How much of that is true?¡±

    Isidore looked up from his notes and adjusted his glasses. ¡°That is an interpretation of what I believe happens. I know precious little of angels compared to demons, but I do presume that, under certain circumstances, a soul may move on to the angelic realm to become an angel. The others I believe are reincarnated through a method only the gods know.¡±

    ¡°That really doesn¡¯t sound that far from the truth. Like an absolute interpretation.¡± I glanced out the window at the idyllic country scene of farm fields and neat houses.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Isidore followed my gaze.

    ¡°Why do demonic and angelic bloodlines exist if demons and angels are born of the souls of the departed outside the material plane?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯ve been trying to find an answer to for decades,¡± Isidore replied with a sigh.

    ¡°Some demons can have kids with mortals, and some can¡¯t,¡± Lilly chimed in. ¡°Usually only greater demons can.¡±

    ¡°What about when traits show up in families that don¡¯t otherwise have them?¡± I thought far, far back to the child with demonic traits from my neighborhood when I was young.

    ¡°That, I do know,¡± Isidore replied with a hint of pride. ¡°Demonic traits are not only hereditary, but are often atavistic. You may see unusual eyes, horns, or even something like a tail, generations down the line.¡±

    ¡°These traits have no effect on the individual¡¯s mindset, right?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°That depends on your understanding of innate versus learned behavior. I¡¯m no psychologist, but how we are treated as we grow and mature certainly affects how we view the world¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being pedantic again, love,¡± Lilly cut off her husband. ¡°What he¡¯s trying to say is that, no, mortals with demonic or angelic blood don¡¯t act like demons or angels any more than anyone else. But they do often have affinities for magic commonly associated with their bloodline¡¯s aspect.¡±

    I thought back to the Church¡¯s treatment of those with demonic traits. Placed under suspicion for something that had nothing to do with them. I hadn¡¯t ever heard of demonic magic users. Did the Church hide them or something?

    ¡°Lilly?¡± I asked. ¡°Are there people with demonic magic? What even is pure demonic magic?¡±

    ¡°Demonic mana changes other kinds of aspected mana. It doesn¡¯t have a pure form on its own outside the background mana of the demonic plane. Angelic mana, however, can be used purely. And no, dear, I have no idea why that is.¡±

    I looked to Isidore, but he shook his head. ¡°I used to teach magic theory, but I moved to demonology and haven¡¯t looked back. I probably have a basic book you could read, if you really want to.¡±

    ¡°I do!¡± I replied excitedly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look for it then. If I don¡¯t find it on my shelf, it should be in the room you two are sharing.¡±

    I nodded. Talking about magic made me think of demon summoning. ¡°Isidore, how do mages summon demons?¡±

    Isidore took a moment to reply. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ complicated. There are many theories for how demons end up in the material plane, and various summoning rituals seem to make use of disparate and conflicting ideas. If I had to pick a common method, I¡¯d say find a location where the demonic plane is, hmm, ¡®close¡¯ is an acceptable word, to the material plane and try to bridge that gap somehow.¡±

    ¡°Bridge that gap how?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, you see¡ª¡±

    ¡°Darling, don¡¯t bore our guests with theory!¡± Lilly cut him off.

    Seyari eyed Lilly suspiciously at her sudden insistence.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine hearing the theory!¡± I interjected excitedly.

    Unfortunately for all of us (except Isidore), Lilly really seemed to have been trying to protect us. Tedious demonic and planar theory consumed the rest of the morning.

    I won¡¯t claim to have understood anything, but Isidore¡¯s favorite theory was that when the planes got close enough, some unknown effect allowed demons to just sort of ¡°tunnel¡± from one plane to the other. What type of tunnel this was apparently defied definition. At least a definition I could understand.

    I did learn a few more useful things, however. Demonic bodies are created from mana and while they are flesh and blood, their origin is one reason for their regenerative abilities. Magic in general disrupts this, and holy magic severely disrupts this, hence their weakness.

    Additionally, I found out not all demons required food and drink, and could feed on ambient mana, or emotions instead. Isidore talked about emotions generating mana that wasn¡¯t mana but was also mana and at that point I lost the plot. All I knew was that I wasn¡¯t from hell and needed to eat.

    Oh, and when Lilly managed to sneak a word in on the side, I learned that my human transformation was very uncommon among wrath demons as they usually abandoned humanoid forms entirely, let alone have a dynamic transformation like a lust demon. Although mine was limited to a single form. Y¡¯know, me.

    Lilly also told me what I had now was a transformation as opposed to a glamour. The lack of pressure I felt from trapped limbs wasn¡¯t purely mental. The Sovereign of Lust also warned me that certain beings and magics could tell I was transformed, or even force me to revert to my normal form.

    Thinking more about wrath demons, I thought back to how Verrux looked. He¡¯d looked pretty humanoid. I wondered what his story was, and lamented that I¡¯d never know. I didn¡¯t bring this up with Lilly. As nice as she seemed to be, I really didn¡¯t want to trust her too much.

    Eventually, the conversation ended. Isidore had gotten very involved in his passion and Lilly had seemingly used her own abilities to direct that energy¡­ elsewhere. The end result was an apologetic lust demon dragging her husband off to their room.

    Seyari and I excused ourselves quickly and took the chance to get out of the house and explore the town of Sandmeadow.

    I asked the first person we saw if the town was really called ¡°Sandmeadow¡±.

    To my immense disappointment, it was. Then, I asked them how the town got its name. They shrugged the question off, and seemed confused when I pressed the issue.

    I probably would have overlooked a small detail like that had the situation I found myself in been anything other than normal. Here, however, I worried Lilly may not have been entirely honest about the extent the people of Sandmeadow were manipulated.

    We wound our way to the small market square. We both received a lot of smiles and waves, which lifted my mood immensely, but the worry at the back of my mind grew. Seyari too, looked nervous by the time we decided to put together a late lunch from the market¡¯s food.

    There was a surprising variety on sale. We asked about the origins and received noncommittal answers about ¡®importing¡¯. We asked a few more people about the town¡¯s origins and its location. Those answers, at least in a general sense, seemed to match what Lilly said. The people of Sandmeadow understood they were in the southern desert of Navanaea. However, no one seemed willing to talk about details.

    Seyari and I shared a look and moved to quickly finish our shopping.

    ¡°Do you know Lilly?¡± A stall owner asked me after we purchased some sausages.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± I countered as politely as I could. I wanted to dig for information.

    ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, miss. It¡¯s just, well, you share certain similarities with Lilly, so I wondered if you might know her from outside Sandmeadow.¡±

    ¡°No offense taken. I¡¯m her guest, not a relative, so I guess that¡¯s true? What¡¯s similar about us?¡±

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    ¡°Nothing, I suppose. Just that we don¡¯t see many folk like you, and the ones we do see tend to work for Lilly. Sorry for presuming.¡±

    ¡°Folk like me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Demonkin, right?¡± The woman replied, confused

    ¡°¡­Yes. And I accept your apology,¡± I replied, then turned to leave.

    The woman looked confused for a moment before she waved us off. Seyari and I walked to a well-maintained park and sat at an outdoor table to eat. The ground of the park was rocky, but carefully cultivated desert shrubs and small trees created enough greenery to cheer up the atmosphere.

    This also meant the table was partially shaded. Seyari sat on the cooler side. Instead of moving opposite her, I plopped down next to her and looked over with a smile. She returned it after a moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised the bench can take your weight,¡± she commented while unpacking our lunch.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I replied with fake indignance. The bench had creaked in protest when I sat down.

    ¡°So, what do you think about the people here?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried they¡¯re more manipulated than Lilly said they were. I¡¯d bet Lilly told them about ¡®demonkin¡¯.¡± I paused to think for a moment. ¡°But they could also just be secretive to outsiders.¡±

    Seyari bit into a bright desert fruit I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯d bet they¡¯re under more charm magic, too.¡±

    I almost asked what we should do about it, but I stopped myself. Lilly invited me here. I could make the decision. ¡°I think we can trust Lilly to help us as long as it helps her. If she can do magic like this, I know I personally have no idea how to combat it. I don¡¯t like everything she¡¯s done here, but the people don¡¯t seem totally out of sorts and I can¡¯t say the illusions and wards wouldn¡¯t keep them safe.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they need all this protection?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°I¡ª¡± I paused to think about what Lilly said with regard to her and the other Sovereigns. ¡°I don¡¯t think they need protection from Navanaea. I think she¡¯s hiding from the other Sovereigns, or at least one of them.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°I think so too. Do you think it¡¯s worth the risk to associate or ally with someone like Lilly who may have enemies more powerful than she is?¡±

    I thought back to Lilly¡¯s aura. We could be painting a massive target on our backs by doing this. I already knew the Church was after us. Would I want to make enemies of the other Sovereigns? Did I even have the option not to at this point?

    I took out the sausages and speared a couple on my claws. With a quick pull on my magic, I cooked them through. I¡¯d had so much practice cooking my catches during my years as a castaway that I knew I wouldn¡¯t burn them. I offered one to Seyari and she took it.

    I swallowed a bite and spoke up. ¡°We don¡¯t know very much about Lilly, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s purely malicious. If what they said about me is true¡ªwhich I feel like it is¡ªI think I¡¯ll be dragged into demonic politics one way or another. At the same time, she has to understand my own relative weakness. I¡¯ll not ally with her openly yet, but I¡¯m willing to work with her.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Seyari replied wordlessly.

    ¡°Well, what would you do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t commit to anything and run far, far away as soon as I could,¡± Seyari answered easily.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that attitude eventually catch up to you?¡± I finished the sausage and tilted my head.

    Seyari shrugged ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I gave her an odd look.

    Seyari continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t say what I¡¯d do would be the right thing. My past is finally catching up to me after all these years, anyway. However, I do think we¡¯re in no position to do anything against Lilly right now.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right about that. Good thing I don¡¯t want to go against Lilly right now. I¡¯m not going to tell her everything, of course.¡±

    Seyari nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would.¡±

    I thought of my Name. No way I¡¯d ever share that, except maybe with Seyari. At the same time, I burned with a desire to know more about its origin and the history of my island. I¡¯d go back some day. Perhaps I¡¯d take Tania with me.

    ¡°We should probably go back,¡± Seyari said.

    I nodded.

    We stood up and headed back through town to Lilly and Isidore¡¯s home. We had enough ingredients for a good dinner and I¡¯d a few more things I wanted to ask Lilly. I also wanted to spend some time with that magic book. Self-taught as I was, there¡¯d doubtless be something I could learn from it.

    ***

    The rest of the day was pleasant. Almost unnervingly so, after all I¡¯d been through these past few years. I¡¯d liken it to the night I spent in Port Princely, but the two were really incomparable. Not just because of my newfound acceptance of self, but the half-angel I was growing ever closer to.

    Conversation had been mostly light, and Lilly had kept her remaining secrets to herself. Thankfully, she granted me the same courtesy without much prompting.

    I had learned a small bit more about my homeland, in what was now the semi-autonomous Kingdom of Edath. Apparently, it was ruled by King Carvalon. I wondered how on Varra that vapid man had managed to make that massive leap from Lord of Linthel to King. Something was off, and I worried he might have had a hand in what happened the night I died. The civil war had started not too long after what was now known as the Great Linthel Fire. Lilly didn¡¯t know anything more specific than that. More than anything, I was worried about Tania.

    Then Seyari brought up the Lost Era.

    ¡°That was before my time,¡± Lilly replied evenly. ¡°Before my predecessor¡¯s time. I don¡¯t know much. What I do know is: Lost Era ruins are scattered across Varra, their societies were similarly advanced to our own, and the Navanaean practice of summoning comes from knowledge once hidden in this very desert.¡±

    Lilly ticked the items off on her fingers.

    I thought back to the stone cathedral where I had gotten my title and Name. I thought about the figure, statue, and murals. That had to be my predecessor. But what about the other Sovereigns of Wrath between us? The last one Lilly had mentioned clearly wasn¡¯t my predecessor. I felt it dangerous to give any information to Lilly, but I wanted to fish for answers.

    ¡°Were Sovereign Demons different during the Lost Era?¡± I asked a probing question.

    Under the table, Seyari deftly stepped on my bare foot with the metal edge of her boot. I coughed to hide my grimace.

    Lilly smiled at me, looking for all the world a chipper and excited historian. ¡°Nope!¡± My heart sank and the Sovereign of Lust held up a finger and leaned in close, pushing her glasses up her nose. ¡°But! There¡¯s a lot we don¡¯t know about that time period.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°Can Sovereigns inherit out of order?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lilly tilted her head.

    Seyari stepped on my foot again. This time hard enough to bend the metal edge of her boot. I grit my teeth.

    ¡°Nothing, I guess. Just a random thought.¡± I did my best to smile.

    Lilly¡¯s crimson eyes flashed dangerously for a moment before she beamed a smile back at me. ¡°Okay!¡±

    From here, Seyari quickly steered the conversation away by asking Isidore about his research. The only time after this where the conversation topic strayed from banter was when I confirmed my intention to maintain a cordial relationship with the Sovereign of Lust. I didn¡¯t intend to get involved in demonic politics.

    Lilly didn¡¯t seem to think I had a choice.

    That said, the Sovereign of Lust had come to the desert here to escape and at least seemed happy that I intended to lay low and not seek immediate power.

    When the sun started to set beyond the rim of the mesa, Seyari and I retreated to our shared guest room after a long bath. We intended to leave late in the morning, and Lilly said she¡¯d arrange Mereneth to take us out of her domain.

    Lilly had offered to enchant my dress. Perhaps against my better judgment, I took the offer. Not blindly, of course. Seyari confirmed she¡¯d be able to check at least the basic structure of the enchantment, while Lilly only offered to enhance its durability and allow it to be repaired by feeding it mana.

    I didn¡¯t really know what either of those were. Seyari explained that the first effect was basic and vague while the second was difficult to do and typically quite expensive if one was to purchase. All the talk made me more excited than ever to learn some proper magic theory.

    As a result, I found myself scanning the bookshelf in the fading light to look for the book Isidore had told me about. Seyari sat on the bed, sharpening the single knife she had as a weapon. Lilly had offered something more, but Seyari had refused outright.

    Seyari finished casting something behind me and I felt a thin skein of magic wash over the room. At least part of it was holy if a shiver of my spine was any indication.

    ¡°Lilly lied to you.¡± Seyari spoke softly.

    ¡°When?¡±

    ¡°About demons during the Lost Era. She knows something.¡±

    ¡°How could you tell?¡± I asked, confused. I couldn¡¯t read Lilly to save my life.

    ¡°Three-quarters angel, remember? Normally, I can¡¯t read her either, but your question caught her off-guard and she slipped up for a moment. If I wasn¡¯t watching I wouldn¡¯t have noticed.¡±

    ¡°Wait, can angels tell when people are lying?¡± I was more surprised by that fact than that the Sovereign of Lust had lied to me.

    ¡°Not without training,¡± Seyari replied softly.

    ¡°Oh.¡± I sent an apologetic look her way and resumed trying to find my text.

    The magic Seyari had put over the room dissipated and I heard her resume sharpening the knife.

    Before I found the text I was looking for, my eyes were drawn to a series of similarly-bound books. Each had a stylized dragon embossed on their red leather spines. The volumes were numbered and some of the older ones showed creases from heavy reading.

    My curiosity got the better of me, and I carefully removed the first book. ¡®Atagor: the Eternal Flame Vol. 1¡¯ read the title. I flipped to the first page and skimmed. The story started off from the point of view of a young lovelorn human woman in a small farming village.

    I skipped ahead a few pages. Something about a dragon, knights, a corrupt duke, and a famine in the region. Interested, but eager to find that book on magic, I decided to skip to about three quarters of the way through the book.

    Oh.

    Oh my.

    Well, the young woman had found the dragon, named Atagor. They got along very well if the act I found myself dropped in the middle of was any indication. Atagor had a humanoid form and he was, uh, well¡­

    My cheeks rapidly heated up. I quickly closed the book and put it back. Honestly, I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised the Sovereign of Lust would have books like that.

    At least they definitely had, uh, mutual love.

    Without stopping to more than glance at any other books, I quickly scanned the shelves and found the book I was looking for on the bottom shelf in a small section of books that looked to be more technical.

    ¡°Find something interesting?¡± Seyari looked up and asked when she saw my lingering dark crimson blush.

    ¡°Uh, you could say that.¡± I tried to evade the question and sat down next to her.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    I looked over at my girlfriend, but I could not read whether she was stringing me along or serious.

    I tried to give a polite reply. ¡°I, uh, found the sort of book that you would think the Sovereign of Lust would have.¡±

    Seyari smiled lopsidedly. ¡°Oh? Was it good?¡±

    Yeah, that smile was definitely facetious. I didn¡¯t answer and instead began to read the text on magic.

    Seyari put away her sharpened knife and walked over to the shelf I¡¯d been looking at. With a bit of poking around, she found the same book I¡¯d pulled out and took it herself. I was somewhat surprised since I thought she wasn¡¯t into that kind of relationship.

    She wasn¡¯t.

    I got to spend the rest of the evening trying to decipher a magical text that Isidore somehow had the gall to call ¡®beginner friendly¡¯ while Seyari laid on the bed next to me laughing at the antics and explicit scenes of Atagor.

    She picked out the cheesiest lines and read them out loud. I ended up spending more time giggling than focusing. Overall, it was a good evening. At the end, a teary-eyed Seyari put the book back and we crawled into bed together.

    Sadly, I hadn¡¯t learned much of anything about magic.

 Chapter 44: Bookworm

    I found myself enjoying another calm morning in the household of the Sovereign of Lust. I had to keep reminding myself who lived here. Lilly was certainly not entirely as she seemed. Her husband Isidore had all but admitted to cruel human experimentation.

    These facts clearly weren¡¯t lost on Seyari. She¡¯d woken up early this morning and slipped out of bed. I found her carefully organizing all our gear when I woke up at sunrise. I¡¯d been waking up early ever since I became a demon, but I hadn¡¯t thought much of it until these past few days. Did I need less sleep? I definitely needed some amount of sleep, but even with a comfy bed I couldn¡¯t sleep in. And it wasn¡¯t worry either, since Seyari hadn¡¯t woken me when she got up in the pre-dawn hours.

    Lilly had talked about how demons didn¡¯t necessarily function like mortals. According to Isidore, I was an oddity anyway since I¡¯d never been to the demonic plane. I probably was closer to mortal than most greater demons.

    I hated the idea of calling people ¡®mortals¡¯.

    I definitely didn¡¯t want to start calling people that. Varrans, maybe? From Isidore¡¯s talk of planes, that felt more sensible. Still pretentious, though. And it begged the question if I should refer to myself as being from the void, or what my remembered life as a ¡®Varran¡¯ meant to my own identity. I decided to stick with ¡®non-demons¡¯ for now. Even if that didn¡¯t account for angels.

    Once again, Seyari and I found ourselves eating breakfast with probably one of the most powerful demons on Varra and her equally eccentric husband.

    ¡°Hey Lilly?¡± I asked into the quiet morning mood.

    She swallowed a bite of fruit. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the Atagor books?¡±

    Lilly laughed. Still staring at his aged tome, Isidore smirked, then sighed with resignation.

    What followed was a very one-sided conversation where Lilly gushed about her love of the Atagor series and its mysterious unknown author. We¡¯d long finished eating by the time Lilly was done explaining how the plot from the second book returned in the twentieth, crossed over with the side series, and brought all the timelines back together (including the one from the controversial seventh book that wasn¡¯t even confirmed canon until then). My head hurt and I didn¡¯t even know that was possible without serious weaponry hitting my skull.

    ¡°If you love those books so much, why are they tucked away in the guest room?¡± Seyari asked in a tone that wanted desperately to be cordial.

    ¡°Because the author hasn¡¯t written a new one in almost a century! And they didn¡¯t even finish the series! I want to know what happened to¡ª¡±

    Isidore coughed loudly.

    Lilly gave her husband a look, then sighed. ¡°I got mad because I couldn¡¯t find the author and learn the ending, even with all my resources. And that was before I retired! I kept the books because I love them so much, but I¡¯m worried that the author is dead and I¡¯ll never know what happened!¡±

    I felt bad for being surprised Lilly was interested in the series for its story. Either that, or she didn¡¯t want to describe the raunchier scenes at the table. Regardless, I¡¯d had more than enough of suave dragons for the¡­ year probably.

    ¡°When were you last active?¡± I asked, trying to steer the conversation and maybe fish for some more information.

    ¡°Oh, about eighty or so years ago. Though, I came out here more recently than that.¡± She paused for effect. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask how old I am, are you? I¡¯ve been around a long time, but I¡¯m not the oldest.¡± Lilly¡¯s smile had a slight predatory edge to it.

    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be the same Lillith from the old Church of Dhias legends, can you?¡± Seyari asked icily.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m familiar with all the legends, dear. I¡¯m not the first Lillith, nor the second. I took that name when I took my title.¡±

    Seyari lowered her eyes to the table in thought.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the oldest, then?¡± I asked.

    Lilly¡¯s attention was successfully diverted to me.

    To my surprise, she answered the question. Her voice lost all of the bright, lilting quality she¡¯d carefully kept until now. ¡°Ov. The Sovereign of Apathy. I don¡¯t think anyone knows how long they¡¯ve been around, but trust me when I say you do not want to get their attention.¡±

    I nodded, unsure how to respond. Isidore, having finished eating far before the rest of us, quietly excused himself.

    Lilly spared him a glance, then continued. ¡°I¡¯m only warning you because I think our alliance could be mutually beneficial. Do not trust any Sovereign Demon to be anything other than their aspect personified.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Seyari asked coolly.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Sovereign of Lust, dear. I want what I want and I seek what I want. Right now? I want a peaceful life away from everything. But a new Sovereign¡ª¡° Lilly looked at me with a neutral face. ¡°¡ªalways causes a stir.¡±

    I stared right back. ¡°So why ally with me? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to wait things out and let me get myself killed?¡±

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    Lilly laughed; a dark laugh. ¡°Dear, it¡¯d be better to kill you myself if I wanted that. No, I had a hunch and I was right. You¡¯ll be much more interesting to work with than against.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I fought to keep fear and anger out of my voice.

    Lilly wagged a finger at me. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t want to tell you. But I can assure you the reason isn¡¯t malicious. You and I have some things in common the other Sovereigns don¡¯t.¡±

    It only took me a second to put together what she meant. ¡°You¡¯re also a terrestrial demon.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t phrased it like a question.

    Lilly smiled for real this time, her eyes softening. ¡°You got it!¡±

    She quickly darted her hand out and poked me lightly on my nose with a knuckle. I hadn¡¯t been expecting her to move and she moved fast enough to where I hadn¡¯t reacted in time.

    From my side, holy magic flared quickly and dissipated just as fast. ¡°Is that it? Why all the drama?¡± Seyari asked, incensed.

    Lilly turned to her and shrugged. ¡°It was fun?¡±

    Seyari¡¯s eyebrow twitched and I heard her grind her teeth to bite back a retort. I felt her anger clearly, but I left the emotion alone.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be the only reason!¡± I exclaimed.

    Lilly beamed. ¡°You¡¯re right again! Shouldn¡¯t be too hard to guess why!¡±

    Seyari answered through gritted teeth. ¡°You want to show us what we¡¯re getting into.¡±

    Lilly put a finger to her chin and hummed. ¡°Mmmm, close enough!¡±

    I thought back to when she poked me. Even if she was moving as fast as she could, I¡¯d have a hard time keeping up. If I caught the wrong demon¡¯s attention, I could be in big trouble if they found me.

    I stared intensely at the other Sovereign Demon. ¡°What can I do to get stronger?¡±

    Lilly smiled kindly, but it still sent chills down my spine. ¡°Now, you¡¯re thinking like you need to!¡±

    I suddenly doubted whether we¡¯d be leaving in the morning.

    Seyari and I shared a look.

    Lilly clapped gleefully. ¡°Izzy! Could you get my armor ready? Renna and I are going to spar.¡±

    From the sitting room floated a grumble of agreement followed by deliberately slow footsteps. I wanted to oppose having this decision made for me, but I also wanted to see Lilly actually fight. I was weighing the options in my mind and my window of opportunity closed.

    ¡°So,¡± Lilly continued, ¡°As demons, we get stronger in two ways: our soul gets better at magic, or our soul gets bigger.¡±

    I had so many questions. ¡°Uh, what do you mean by a soul getting better at magic? And I¡¯ve never heard of a soul getting bigger.¡±

    Instead of heading down the hall, Isidore walked into the kitchen. ¡°Lilly, would you mind letting me explain this?¡±

    Lilly pouted. ¡°Fine, dear! I¡¯ll go get my own armor!¡±

    She dragged herself out of her chair in an exaggerated manner. With practiced ease, she swept up our long-abandoned plates before darting away down the hall.

    Isidore coughed lightly and sat down. ¡°What my lovely wife was trying to say, is that demonic souls can absorb ambient mana to increase their amalgam soul¡¯s integration and capacity. They can also, depending on the type of demon, add to their souls from fragments of others.¡±

    The second part made sense. I had that deal for a fraction of his soul when Malich bound me. I silently wished for someone who could explain things at a level between Lilly and Isidore.

    ¡°I assume Reavers are the only ones who can take fragments of a soul whose body they kill without some form of contract?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Functionally, yes,¡± Isidore replied. ¡°Sovereign Demons are bit odd in this case, as other demons of their aspect may pledge part of their soul to their Sovereign.¡±

    That clicked. Verrux must have done so when I killed him. Why though?

    ¡°Why would a demon do that?¡± I thought aloud.

    ¡°Respect, mostly. It¡¯s not exactly common for the giving demon to be the one making the decision, though. Usually, the Sovereign forms a contract with their underling.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I said, shocked.

    Seyari said something similar at the same time, and I reached up to feel my symbol that was exposed by my dress.

    Isidore gave a cold smile. ¡°It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    He offered no further explanation for that line of thought, instead choosing to continue his impromptu lesson. ¡°With regard to mana absorption, demonic mana is absorbed faster than unaspected mana, though terrestrial demons hardly absorb demonic mana at all. You will find, however, that you accumulate power to a much higher, hmm¡­ density is, I suppose, an apt word. A simple way to think of it is that your soul has a more stable and uniform structure and that you will have more power for your size at the cost of growth rate. Although given that you are not in the demonic plane, your own strength gain may actually be slightly faster than average.¡±

    ¡°Does this have to do with the fact that my soul is largely my own from before I became a demon?¡± I furrowed my brow.

    ¡°You can think of it that way, I suppose.¡± Isidore shrugged.

    ¡°What of the souls of Reavers?¡± Seyari sounded eager.

    ¡°Reavers do not properly integrate their soul fragments. This instability is what causes their parasitic abilities in the first place as their soul is constantly trying to balance itself. Of course, it cannot do so and continually attempts to grow.¡±

    Now, I was interested. ¡°Do Reavers have a limit to their soul size?¡±

    Isidore nodded. ¡°Yes. Eventually, the size of their own soul will weaken their ability to break off new fragments to add to it. After some period of time, their unstable amalgam soul should fall apart and the core should fracture. At least in theory. I don¡¯t know of any instance of that ever happening. Every Reaver I have learned about who was not slain ended themselves before they reached that point.¡±

    ¡°What would happen when the core fractures?¡± Seyari asked worriedly.

    ¡°This is my own theory, but I believe it would be a catastrophic release of their soul¡¯s energy.¡± Isidore declared.

    ¡°Like a massive explosion?¡± I asked with wide eyes.

    Isidore smiled. ¡°Yes, Zarenna, like a massive explosion.¡±

    Apparently, Reavers kept going until they fell apart and exploded. Maybe. Still, that was a terrifying thought.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to seek out other wrath demons, and I want to do more than wait around. What can I do to get stronger?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You can learn how to fight demon to demon!¡± Lilly replied cheerfully from the doorway.

    She had to have timed that. The pink demon was decked out in some kind of strange, low-profile armor that covered everything except her spaded tail. She was carrying a helmet that had holes for her horns and a sword with strange v-shaped lines crossing its width. She¡¯d left her glasses behind. The armor and sword both were an odd sky-blue metal.

    ¡°What kind of armor is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The ancient and secret kind!¡± Lilly replied smugly.

    ¡°Mythril,¡± Seyari replied.

    I detected a hint of jealousy in her voice.

    ¡°Aww, you knew! Well, I enchanted it as well and I bet you won¡¯t guess what I did!¡±

    Seyari¡¯s eyes glowed with aura sight. A pulse of anger and she sighed. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know what you did with it. But you¡¯d better not do anything to Zarenna besides teaching her.¡±

    Lilly¡¯s crimson eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°Or what?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t fight in the house, dear. I rather like our home,¡± Isidore said calmly.

    Seyari and Lilly glared at each other while I went back to the guest room to change. Our clothes had been laundered, but I still wore the worst shirt and pants I had. I didn¡¯t take shoes. I only had the one pair, and I rather preferred to feel my claws on the ground when I fought.

    Once I was decent, I made my way back to the others. I was nervous about sparring against Lilly, even if part of me was thrilled at the thought of being able to go all out for a bit.

 Chapter 45: A Friendly Spar

    When I returned to the living room, Lilly and Seyari had shifted their gazes away from each other, but made their discomfort obvious. Lilly¡¯s armor shined a brighter blue in the sunlight, contrasting with her pink skin. Silver haired Seyari, meanwhile, was literally glowing (slightly). Thankfully neither of them looked to have made any moves toward the other. They were, however, standing facing slightly apart in obstinate silence.

    Lilly broke the silence. ¡°So, what kind of weapon do you use, Renna?¡±

    Seyari gave me an odd look.

    ¡°I said she could use the nickname,¡± I shrugged my lower shoulders.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like it?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I replied and turned to Lilly who had an impatient look on her face. ¡°I use a spear, but barely. I want to learn how to use a halberd to take advantage of my reach.¡±

    My limited blacksmith training came in handy sometimes. I had passing knowledge of several different weapon types.

    Beside me Seyari gave a look that said ¡®we¡¯ll talk later¡¯.

    Lilly had us stop by a blacksmith on our way. Unsurprisingly, they had no halberds, but I was given a metal-tipped spear. I was lucky: it was about the only weapon in the place. I guess in a town hidden by wards with an extremely powerful demonic leader, there wasn¡¯t much use for armaments. Lilly held it for a moment. A glow of magic moved from her to the weapon.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a proper enchantment, but at least you won¡¯t snap this thing in half the first time you swing it.¡± Lilly said, handing me the weapon.

    I inspected it with aura sight, realized I didn¡¯t even know what to look for if there was a trick here, and sheepishly accepted my weapon.

    From there, Seyari and I followed Lilly to a fallow field far from the town proper.

    ¡°Okay!¡± She announced when we arrived. ¡°Here¡¯s how we do this! You start on one end, and I¡¯ll start on the other. You come at me with everything you¡¯ve got and we¡¯ll see how you do. Then! I¡¯ll give you a small peek at what I can do.¡±

    ¡°Is magic allowed?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Lilly beamed and put on her helmet.

    She turned and walked to the far end of the field. I stood at the other end on the hard-packed sandy dirt, feeling the balance of my spear. Seyari moved about ten meters away.

    I was surprised she¡¯d not complained more. Either I was going to get chewed out for going along with Lilly, or she thought we¡¯d get something out of this. Some insight into the Sovereign of Lust¡¯s capabilities, probably. I hoped.

    I took a fighting stance. The stance I needed to take for a spear conflicted with how I wanted to stand to fight with my claws and tail. I chose the stance for the spear since I¡¯d more or less asked for the weapon.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Lilly shouted from across the battlefield.

    Given her odd attitude, I¡¯d expected her to remain in a casual pose, but she had taken a stance of her own. I hadn¡¯t seen many people who were trained with a sword, but the stance seemed odd in a way I couldn¡¯t place.

    I¡¯d be worried if I had any hopes of beating Lilly. As it stood, I just wanted to learn something and come out with all my limbs more or less intact.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± I shouted back.

    ¡°You¡¯d better be! You lock up like that in a real fight and you¡¯d be dead!¡±

    I know that! The demons and beasts I had to fight on my island had forced me to learn that much.

    By the time I was thinking about the other foes I¡¯d fought, I had already started to sprint across the field, claws digging through the sandy dirt under me.

    Ten meters out, I pulled on my magic. My tail lashed forward slinging a thick arc of fire. I twisted in my run, using my lower arms to balance opposite my tail. The spear got in the way and I had to correct. I¡¯d almost tried to get into claw range.

    Lilly darted to the side and dodged my fire. She had moved right into my path. I thrust forward with the spear. The weapon may not have been truly enchanted, but I had to pretend that it was. I wouldn¡¯t be using a weapon against a real demonic opponent unless it could hurt them.

    My opponent bent her body at an impossible angle and the tip only just grazed her armor. I darted back out her sword¡¯s range.

    I knew she could move faster. I¡¯d seen it. She was toying with me. With practiced ease, I channeled the anger that rose up through my magic. Flames lit up my claws, horns, and tail.

    The spear handle started to scorch. I quickly pulled my magic back from my spear hand and the polished wood thankfully didn¡¯t catch.

    Lilly¡¯s eyes glowed crimson. Unless she decided to go on the offensive early, that would be her aura sight.

    I turned mine on as well. Her aura was big and bright enough that I couldn¡¯t immediately see where she was focusing her magic. I quickly shut my aura sight off.

    More frustratingly, since she was completely uninterested in attacking, she made no openings for me. I really didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be a good idea to test her patience by waiting for her, either.

    I dipped into a low crouch and quickly darted to one side. Lilly moved along with me. I feinted a spear strike, then tried for a tail slap from the other angle.

    Lilly moved like she was expecting it. Fighting for my life had taught me a few things, and I took advantage of one of my lower arms to throw a handful of sandy dirt in her face. Her helmet had a mostly open face. My entire plan had been to blind her for a moment.

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    My dirty trick landed, but a shimmer of magic stopped anything from reaching inside Lilly¡¯s helmet. Since she was able to see, Lilly had no problem deflecting my spear. True to her word, the spear strained, but did not break.

    We continued to trade blows. I didn¡¯t manage to land a solid hit. I kept flipping between my claws and my spear and couldn¡¯t seem to find a rhythm that made the two styles work together. At some point, Lilly called for me to stop.

    ¡°Hand me your spear.¡± Lilly ordered.

    I handed her the spear. There was a large black mark along the shaft. The Sovereign of Lust looked at me, looked at the spear, and then tossed it lightly to one side.

    ¡°Why do you want to use that?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m tall and it gives me even more reach,¡± I replied then added in a smaller voice, ¡°and it¡¯s straightforward to learn.¡±

    Lilly looked me up and down. ¡°Smart. But until you find one strong enough for you, you¡¯ll want to stick with your claws.¡± Lilly pointed to my hands. ¡°You¡¯re a wrath demon. Those are going to be more reliable than almost any other weapon you could get. Did you know you almost broke the spear despite my magic?¡±

    ¡°I did?¡± I really couldn¡¯t tell.

    Lilly smiled. ¡°Yep! You¡¯re probably physically stronger than I am, which is good. You¡¯re only half bad when you fight like a berserker, too.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I guess? But I can¡¯t use my claws if I have to pretend to be human.¡±

    Lilly giggled darkly. ¡°Pretend to be human? Renna, I don¡¯t give a flying squirrel how you fight things weaker than you. But you can¡¯t pretend to be human and fight something like yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I looked down at my hands.

    Lilly leaned forward. ¡°You fight with that stick like a student who¡¯s only been taught the forms.¡±

    I winced. She got that one right. I looked back to Seyari who was watching us with a carefully neutral expression. ¡°Could you teach me anything about using a spear?¡± I asked, not wanting to give up on the weapon.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Lilly replied cheerfully.

    ¡°Great, so can¡ª¡±

    ¡°But I won¡¯t!¡± The Sovereign of Lust interrupted with a tilted smile. ¡°I can¡¯t make you a master in a day, you¡¯ll need to be ready to fight as you are, and I honestly don¡¯t want to put out the effort.¡±

    I looked to Seyari, then glared at Lilly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop learning a practical weapon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should stop!¡± Lilly tittered. ¡°I¡¯m just saying I want a good fight to see what you can do, and you¡¯re worthless with a spear right now. Next time we meet, go ahead and show me what you¡¯ve learned.¡±

    I smiled at Lilly, showing all my teeth. ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Good! Now! Fight me like a demon and don¡¯t hold back. When I think I¡¯ve seen enough, I¡¯ll fight back and you¡¯d better be ready for it since I won¡¯t warn you.¡± Lilly returned a fanged grin of her own.

    I shifted my weight and rushed her. I swung left and low at the same time. Lilly barely shifted her weight away and my claws only grazed her. I tried for a feint with fire into a grab. Lilly slipped out and flipped away, neatly, but narrowly dodging my tail. Around us the dirt compacted and scorched as we fought.

    She kept on the defensive, but my glancing hits started to become more frequent. Without the spear, I put my full strength into my blows and it forced her to dodge rather than block. My strength continued to surprise me I felt stronger than the last time I¡¯d really fought something, back when I was up against the titan scorpion. My magic was certainly lasting longer.

    A tipping point came when I finally forced Lilly to block a strike rather than deflect it. I¡¯d managed to contort myself and get in with two clawed hands at the same time as a tail sweep.

    Despite its appearance, the flat of her thin blade stopped my blow. However, the force was strong enough to bend Lilly¡¯s arm back sharply. I heard a crack and she staggered, leaving two deep footprints behind her.

    I quickly moved to follow up on my strike. Nearly too late, I missed that Lilly had decided to fight back. I hadn¡¯t felt any anger from her, either. She swung her sword in an odd arc, before it split into a dozen bladed segments held together by chain.

    I wasn¡¯t able to completely avoid her strike, and the bladed segments dug deep. I shuddered as I felt one scratch across bone. Any later and she might have taken off my arm. I didn¡¯t know if I could regenerate that.

    I drew my stance back. The magic from Lilly¡¯s sword meant the wound would take some time to close. My upper left arm was mostly useless for now. I lashed my tail and waited for the follow-up strike.

    Lilly simply circled me. I watched her carefully and noticed that her form seemed to blur at the edges. Instinctively, I darted to a side, but not before I felt a blade pressing into my neck.

    ¡°Yield,¡± Lilly spoke in monotone.

    The illusion I had been staring at disappeared into nothing.

    ¡°I¡­ yield,¡± I choked out carefully.

    The blade retreated and Lilly bounced on her heels back around to face me. ¡°So! What did you learn?¡±

    ¡°Illusions suck,¡± I replied, rubbing the shallow gash on my neck.

    The deep wound on my shoulder had nearly stopped bleeding.

    ¡°Really? I thought mine was pretty good!¡± The smile disappeared. ¡°You should keep your aura sight on in battle. It¡¯s a lot harder to use magic and get away with it if you have to hide your own aura while doing it.¡±

    ¡°You can hide your aura when you use magic?¡± I asked, surprised.

    Lilly shrugged. ¡°Very few demons can. Ov, for instance. Or so I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Lilly echoed innocently.

    I sighed. She couldn¡¯t be more obvious about dodging the question if she¡¯d announced as much.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Lilly continued.

    Seeing we were done, Seyari walked toward us from the sidelines. She looked contemplative; an odd mix of shaken and disappointed.

    I flexed my claws and looked to Lilly. ¡°I should use my strength to overwhelm my opponents?¡±

    ¡°Eh, kinda? You need to be smart about it. What I really want to get into your surprisingly thin skull is that you should never fight a real opponent without knowing what they¡¯re capable of.¡±

    ¡°Did you know what I was capable of?¡± I asked.

    I didn¡¯t ask about the thin skull comment. I feared the answer would somehow make even less sense.

    Lilly simply smiled at my question. Yeah, okay, she knew. I could think of a few ways how and I really hoped the answer was hearsay combined with her underling Mereneth¡¯s account of the fight on the Lady of Liseu.

    I looked to Seyari and then to the spear. ¡°I¡¯m going to learn a proper weapon.¡±

    Lilly shrugged. ¡°Do what you want. But incorporating a spear into your current fighting style will be difficult and slow.¡±

    Beside me, Seyari sighed. ¡°I hate it, but Lilly¡¯s right. You need a lot of work with the spear, and you¡¯ll have to change how you fight. That won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    ¡°Hey, why do you hate that I¡¯m right? I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m usually right!¡± Lilly pouted jokingly. At least the fight seemed to have improved someone¡¯s mood.

    Seyari¡¯s eyebrow twitched and it didn¡¯t take my senses to tell she wasn¡¯t happy about Lilly¡¯s flippant attitude.

    ¡°Could you enchant a spear, Lilly, so Seyari can teach me properly?¡± I asked both of them.

    I may have been stuck playing referee between these two, but I¡¯d do my best job at keeping things civil. I certainly couldn¡¯t stop Lilly with my arm halfway off. I ignored how I ignored the pain.

    Seyari was the first to answer. ¡°I would love to teach you.¡± She glared a challenge at Lilly.

    ¡°Sounds great!¡± Lilly said with disarming friendliness. ¡°Oh! I can have Smith make you something! I¡¯ll even enchant the spear when I do your dress so you don¡¯t have to worry about breaking it.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t the enchantment read as demonic under aura sight?¡± I asked. ¡°Also, Smith? Is that really his name?¡±

    Lilly shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s his family name, but I call him that because it¡¯s fun. And I guarantee no one will be able to tell a demon enchanted your stuff. I¡¯m not going to do anything a skilled mortal mage couldn¡¯t pull off, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, okay then. Thanks?¡± I looked to Seyari.

    She shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t need my permission. You know what I think about all this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that bad! Really!¡± Lilly protested.

    Seyari rolled her eyes, but I could see tension in her shoulders. I¡¯d make sure we left tomorrow.

 Chapter 46: Desert, not Deserted

    Lilly measured me for clothes when we arrived back at her home. I asked how any new clothing could possibly be ready by the time Seyari and I left in the morning. She seemed to pout at the fact I was leaving.

    She said that nothing would be fitted for me, but they probably had some stuff big enough and could get it altered with magic before I left. I at least had the good sense to ask Lilly for an outfit without extra sleeves and an alteration for my tail.

    I tried to find and read another magic book as the daylight faded, but I just couldn¡¯t get into it. Lying next to me on the bed, Seyari lazily flipped through volume twenty of Atagor. Her heart wasn¡¯t in her jokes, and she didn¡¯t have my talent for bad puns.

    ¡°So about today¡­¡± I let the question hang in the air.

    ¡°What about it?¡± Seyari replied bluntly.

    I started to move my tail to lay across her but stopped short. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the nickname thing. I really should have told you I was okay with Renna and I didn¡¯t like the name only because it made me feel like I was creating a false human identity.¡± My words just sort of all tumbled out.

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad about that.¡± Seyari closed the book with a clap. ¡°I¡¯m mad that you¡¯ve gotten so friendly with Lilly. Even she¡¯s been trying to tell you how two-faced she is.¡±

    I sighed and leaned back. My tail started to bend, too thick at the base for me to lay comfortably. I turned to the side and scooted back so I could see Seyari better. I thought about how I could sense anger, but not where the emotion was directed. There was some kind of allegory to be made there, but I wasn¡¯t going to do it.

    I looked at the ceiling before turning back to the half-angel. ¡°I get that. Part of me wonders if she acts like she does because of some kind of self-hate or lingering regret. Maybe she doesn¡¯t think she¡¯s allowed to be a genuinely good person? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d go that far, but maybe she¡¯s changed from a morally bankrupt past or something?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Seyari paused for a long time, but eventually met my gaze with her gold-colored eyes. ¡°I really want to brush you off for playing demon psychologist, but this damn desert¡¯s had us both thinking like that for a while now. I know you know this, but Lilly¡¯s dangerous. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± I replied solemnly. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something in the sand?¡±

    I stared at Seyari with a mock-blank expression. After a moment, she groaned and punched my tail. I laughed and the tension shattered like a frozen spiderweb. From there, we did our best to enjoy the last comfortable night we¡¯d have for quite a while.

    ***

    The next morning was quiet compared to the last few days. No big revelations or tense conversation. Mostly, we talked about the weather. If we moved quickly, we might be able to beat the first snow in the pass to the far south. Lilly left after breakfast, but returned shortly with a pile of simple clothing topped by my carefully folded dress. I took it and looked through aura sight: it lit up to a noticeable degree. I wasn¡¯t about to try to tear the garment, however.

    Lilly handed me my clothes. ¡°I beefed up the enchantment on your dress! Whoever made it did a stellar job, but now you should be able to repair it if you do manage to tear or melt it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean ¡®beefed up¡¯?¡±

    Lilly tilted her head in confusion. ¡°I took the enchantment that was already on the dress and made it stronger. Whoever did it was good, but I¡¯m better!¡±

    I tried to hide my shock. That the dress was enchanted certainly could explain how Elena was able to make something like that for me in a single evening. I vastly underpaid her. Someday I¡¯d need to go back and thank her. And also ask her a few dozen questions that were now bumping around in my head.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know it was enchanted, did you?¡± Lilly looked at me with the smug grin of the cat who got the mouse.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Curious¡­¡± Lilly mumbled something, then retrieved the rest of what she¡¯d brought.

    What else she brought amounted to a few changes of clothes, including a single set fit for my human form. Clearly, Lilly had priorities. More importantly, she carried with her a simple spear that my aura sight told me was enchanted. The enchantment looked much weaker than the one on my dress.

    She handed the weapon to me and I transformed to my human form. I walked to give myself space and began to run through the practice drills Seyari had taught me.

    ¡°I have to admit, I¡¯m surprised,¡± Seyari said with a hint of bitterness.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Lilly leaned toward the half angel. ¡°Surprised why?¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°You brought a practical weapon without frills or nonsense.¡±

    ¡°You wound me!¡± Lilly replied playfully. ¡°But if you must know, Smith made it and I didn¡¯t give any input to the design. A human weapon made by a human for a demon who wants to pretend to be one.¡±

    Lilly¡¯s comments stung. Despite speaking to Seyari she was absolutely talking about me. The obvious side eye was more than I needed to understand.

    So far as I was concerned, Lilly could shove it. I was who I was: human, demon, didn¡¯t matter. I imagined if I wasn¡¯t going to be forced into it all the time, I¡¯d use my human form casually, like my dress or a fun hat.

    Maybe that attitude made light of my transformation and what it meant, but I didn¡¯t intend to hide any longer than I had to. People had every right to know both forms of mine. I was no danger to the people of Ordia so long as they didn¡¯t do something a normal human would get bent out of shape about. Summoning a demon, trying to kill me or Seyari, that was a short list of acts that¡¯d make a person see a real wrath demon.

    I brought out my other pair of arms and my tail to test the balance and froze. Oh, right. Humans have two arms.

    I hadn¡¯t forgotten that, of course. I only forgot that I¡¯d need to have two arms. Thankfully, the feeling of crushing disappointment at this realization was far better than the raw disgust I previously held. Small improvements!

    I shifted back and returned to the others. ¡°Thanks, Lilly¡± I gave her an honest smile.

    ¡°Oh, do thank me! But also thank Smith. He worked very hard on the spear, so I¡¯ll give him your deepest gratitude!¡±

    ¡°Thank you both then,¡± I amended my statement with a short laugh.

    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Seyari asked grumpily.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±

    We packed our old gear with the new stuff, including a pack overstuffed with food that Lilly insisted would keep. I won double pack duty. I get it: I¡¯m large.

    Surely, Seyari didn¡¯t think four arms somehow gave me enough space on my back for two packs? I ended up slinging one over each top shoulder before strapping them around under my bust. Not the most comfortable, but the packs wouldn¡¯t fall off and I could mostly move all my arms.

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    ***

    Once we had everything sorted, we said our goodbyes to Lilly and Isidore. Mereneth met up with us and we walked together to the edge of town.

    We were walking toward the sand below when Seyari spoke up. ¡°Hey Mereneth? What do you think of Lilly?¡±

    The lust demon answered quickly. ¡°She is my Sovereign. Flighty, eccentric, and far stronger than I am.¡±

    The silver-haired half-angel frowned. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± Mereneth asked sardonically.

    I felt a pulse of anger from Seyari. She huffed and picked up her pace.

    I wanted to be away from Sandmeadow more than I wanted to play mediator. I followed along and we passed into the wards in silence.

    The odd, unnatural feeling was much milder than going in had been. I suspected that was because, after the first stretch, we were doing exactly what the magic was trying to compel us to do. After a long awkward silence, we made it again into open desert.

    Mereneth gave us directions. ¡°Go south until you can see the mountains. Head toward the largest peak, but stay east of it. Others and I have seen what might serve as a pass around that area. Watch out for titan scorpions.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us?¡± I stated more than asked.

    ¡°Mistress told me you needed training.¡± She smiled wickedly.

    I wasn¡¯t about to argue the point. I didn¡¯t particularly want Mereneth with us, and Seyari wanted her around even less. I needed to ask my half-angel girlfriend if she had ever used magic to weaponize that glare of hers. Her glowing gold eyes were uncanny.

    ¡°You can leave now.¡± Seyari said coldly.

    ¡°Ooh, frigid!¡± Despite the playful tone, Mereneth took a step back. ¡°Bye for now, then!¡±

    The crimson lust demon kicked off the sand and pumped her wings skyward. Both Seyari and I were hit by a rush of sand. Rude.

    We started to walk south. Seyari checked over her shoulder again and again until the speck of Mereneth shrunk to a small dot in the distance. She motioned for us to stop and turned on her aura sight.

    I did the same. Sometime later, Seyari seemed satisfied. Tension visibly left her shoulders.

    ¡°Sorry about all that,¡± I offered.

    ¡°Not. Your. Fault.¡± Seyari took several deep breaths.

    ¡°Was it that bad?¡± Suddenly, I was worried.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Seyari replied, then added in a softer tone, ¡°Really, I¡¯ve had worse.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I gave her a side hug. ¡°Want to hear about my life before I became a demon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ abrupt.¡± Seyari tilted her head at me.

    ¡°I want to get it off my chest, and you could use a distraction. Besides, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything else to do.¡±

    Seyari glanced around the ocean of sand. ¡°Sure, I guess. But you don¡¯t have to tell me everything.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning to!¡±

    The rest of the day while we walked, I talked about my old life. Faces and memories I¡¯d not thought about in years bubbled up into my mind. I talked a lot about my sister. And about Abby. The adventures we had around our city and the ones we dreamed of having when we all got older.

    I spoke about my blacksmithing apprenticeship. Seyari asked if I¡¯d enjoyed the experience. I realized I had.

    Maybe I could try to find Bourick once this was all done? He¡¯d never have to work to get a forge up to temperature again if I was around.

    I cried a lot. But I also laughed. We also laughed. The experience was cathartic, right up until I got to the end. I would see Finley burn.

    ¡°Do you really think your sister is alive?¡± Seyari asked carefully.

    I knew I should doubt that my sister was still alive. But I felt so certain she was alive. If Tania had died, what would happen to me?

    Would I be able to hold myself together, or would my rage take over? Would Abby¡¯s influence even be able to stop me?

    ¡°Hey, uh. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked that.¡±

    I shook my horned head and glanced over at Seyari. Her angelic face held honest concern. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I need to be ready to accept whatever comes.¡±

    I knew I had my answer. I cared deeply about Seyari. Even if my sister was no longer alive, I¡¯d still have her. Together, we walked off into the sands until the sun began to dip low.

    We were looking for a place to camp for the night, when we heard sounds of combat from up ahead. We took off toward the sounds. While it was certainly possible we¡¯d find a Navanaean patrol, I¡¯d rather help now than try to skirt the fight and hope we¡¯re not found.

    Cresting a dune, we saw a nearly familiar battle ahead of us. A group of people were fighting a titan scorpion. The massive arachnid was already injured¡ªone tail hung limp and two legs were broken. The people, however, were not Navanaean. They weren¡¯t human at all, in fact.

    The people were humanoid in shape, but insectoid in nature. Humanoid bugs, four-armed and covered in chitin. They also had suffered no casualties in the fight. They fought with crossbows and hafted weapons. The exception was one who had a massive hammer of some sort. As we watched, the head came down on one of the massive scorpion¡¯s leg joints. The chitin shattered.

    ¡°Should we even interfere?¡± I asked Seyari quietly.

    I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d been noticed. At the same time, if I was down there, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d pay attention to anything that wasn¡¯t a house sized bug trying to kill me.

    ¡°I think we should skirt around. Neither of us look Navanaean and from what we¡¯ve heard I doubt they¡¯d attack us unprovoked.¡±

    I nodded in agreement and we turned to leave when a dune behind the hunters exploded outward. A second titan scorpion skittered toward the hunters. Quickly dropping my packs and spear, I dashed forward and down the side of the dune, barely able to keep balance with my tail. I wanted to try my spear, but the cabin-sized armor-plated monstrosity wasn¡¯t the place for another few feet of reach.

    Wherever I stood would be within range. Unless maybe I was too close¡­

    Ahead of me, rather than chaos, I saw the group of insectoid people form up and move to defend against the aggressor. They¡¯d been scattered, however, and several individuals were separated. Sharp intonations that sounded like no language I¡¯d ever heard rang across the battlefield.

    Maybe they could take on this new threat. I didn¡¯t care¡ªI wanted to help and I was going to.

    I sprinted to the newly-arrived scorpion. I couldn¡¯t get enough grip to jump properly, so I ran under its swinging tails into the mess of legs. I was still angry after thinking about my death.

    I imagined the sharp limb in front of me was Finley¡¯s sharp face. I grabbed hold and swung myself onto the thing¡¯s back. The sand-polished chitin was slippery, so I heated my toe claws and punched into the surface for grip.

    Still holding onto the leg, I grabbed hold of the thorax with my two lower arms. With my two upper arms, I pulled the top segment of the leg back and wrenched it as hard as I could.

    There was a tremendous sound like crunching bone and the leg joint bent back and over the thing¡¯s body.

    A stinger shot down toward me. I smacked it away with my tail. I wasn¡¯t done with the mangled leg just yet.

    Next, I twisted the limb. I was surprised at how easily the limb severed from the body.

    Around me, lances of wind cut shallow gouges in the titan scorpion¡¯s armor, distracting it. Seyari had decided to join in. Somewhere further away, shouting from the insectoid people renewed.

    Right now, I was focused on the target of my rage. I used my extra arms for leverage and pulled on the lip of the ruined leg joint.

    The effort was massive. This thing¡¯s chitin had to be as thick as Seyari¡¯s arm. I heated my claws. The ones gripping the edge threatened to cut through, but the armor around the others softened. The scorpion¡¯s exposed flesh bubbled and burned underneath my magic.

    I cooled the hands I needed for grip and pulled with everything I had. My muscles screamed. I hadn¡¯t found my limit yet, but this had to be close.

    The sound of the massive scorpion¡¯s chitin ripping apart was horrific. Like a chain shirt made of bones being ripped apart inside my head. Now, I¡¯d made an opening to the thing¡¯s insides. They were blackish-green, wet, and pulsing angrily. Except the bit I¡¯d already charred.

    I wasn¡¯t happy with what I was about to do. I was extremely thankful to be wearing clothes I didn¡¯t care much about.

    I dove forward and begin ripping into the scorpion¡¯s insides with all my arms. I tore chunks out and burned everything I came into contact with. Once I¡¯d made a gory hole, I aimed and lanced a gout of white-hot flames inside.

    By now, the scorpion, was shaking violently, trying to toss me off. Seyari had focused her wind blades and cut the bulbs of its stingers to shreds. From where I was sitting, none of the thing¡¯s other limbs could reach me. The massive arachnid screeched in agony as I cooked it alive.

    Seconds passed, and I could feel the drain on my mana from the constant flames I was producing. I¡¯d used over half of my mana by the time the thing stopped moving and collapsed to the ground. The chitin I sat on was hot enough to distort the air around it. The flesh around the gaping wound had long since charred to ash, but I could still hear the thing¡¯s insides sizzling. My heat had burned most of the gore off me, along with the sleeves and trouser legs of my clothing.

    I took deep breaths to calm myself and stood up to look around. The insectoid people had finished killing their quarry and were arranged far away in a half circle. They were clearly wary. I know I¡¯d be if I¡¯d just seen a demon rip a massive scorpion open and cook it from the inside out.

    I really should practice with the spear. I¡¯d want to, even if the only reason was to avoid having to explain why I fought like a wrath demon. Besides, uh, being a wrath demon.

    The tall person with the hammer stepped forward. Now that the scene had calmed, I could get a better look at them. They had dark reddish-black chitin and a face that was almost how I¡¯d imagine a bug would look as a humanoid: two large main eyes of solid black, a few smaller ones to the sides, no nose, a mouth that faced forward but with mandibles in place of jaws, and a pair of antennae on top. Like me, they had four arms, but their lower pair were smaller.

    I realized I was staring and looked quickly away. Hopping down from my kill, I strode forward slowly to meet them.

 Chapter 47: Listless in Liseu

    Perspective: Aretan

    After the death of Third Prince Malich at the hands of Zarenna, Baetnal had looked for all the world to be a nest of angry termites. When Nelys and I had left Zarenna and Seyari behind at the Third Prince¡¯s estate, the noble district seemed as if Zud¡¯s domain would emerge to cover the city. No unbound demons appeared, thankfully. I understood well the extent of Navanaea¡¯s military might, but to see the royal guard away from the palace district and swarming was a more shocking sight than even some of what I had seen these last few days.

    We¡¯d exited the estate before the alarm was raised. I took notice of a clearly nonnative couple who entered the estate shortly after we exited. The red-haired woman seemed for all the world a civilian, but the large man with her was covered head to toe in polished armor. I would stake my reputation on the woman being a mage of some repute. I had no idea who they were or why they were in the Third Prince¡¯s estate, but I would bet they were involved with his schemes in some way.

    Nelys, the small companion of the demon and half-angel, was safe. It may be better to say they were physically unhurt. I¡¯d not seen the boisterous young human act so demure. I worried for them, but I felt I could do little more than provide a shoulder to lean on.

    I reflected on the feeling I had gotten from Aena in her temple. Restlessness, and a desire to do something other. It felt right to travel with Zarenna, Seyari, and Nelys. We had parted for now, but perhaps that was necessary? I intended to keep my word.

    Weeks ago, I would have balked at the notion of our Third Prince¡¯s true nature. Having seen it secondhand, I could only say I agreed with Zarenna for killing him. The rest of Baetnal did not agree. I prayed to Aena for the safety of the demon and her friend.

    Florian¡¯s caravan left for Liseu the next morning out of the western gate. Every person I saw entering or leaving the city was subject to extreme scrutiny. So, we agreed to smuggle Nelys out the way Florian told me he usually did for his illegal goods. They were still melancholic from their ordeal, but agreed easily to hide in a small, well-concealed compartment. Nelys wasn¡¯t discovered and the caravan made it out onto the route west.

    The road to Liseu had been dusty and crowded. The near-jovial atmosphere that had existed on the way to Baetnal was gone, replaced with stale routine. We had no unusual encounters, but the caravan was stopped by patrols on three occasions.

    They inspected everyone carefully, and asked after two people who were clearly Zarenna and Seyari. From the patrols, I found out Zarenna had a human form. With how human she acted; I was surprised I¡¯d not seen that side of her. Each time a patrol examined us, Nelys hid in a secret compartment. They weren¡¯t asking after them, but we all knew they were aware of their association.

    They were also aware of ours, and each time the questioning delved deeper than I would have liked. My background and Florian¡¯s honest belligerence were essential in getting them to leave us alone. I was hopeful Zarenna and Seyari had slipped the net. Each patrol we¡¯d encountered consisted of two dozen trained soldiers, including at least one mage. Standard for keeping our borders against the desertkin, which is what I imagined they were called in from doing. Dangerous, even for a demon and a half angel. Closer to Baetnal, the patrols would be much more frequent.

    As we rode with the caravan away from Baetnal and my homeland, I worried for Zarenna and Seyari. Of all people, it was Nelys who assured me the two of them would be okay. Over time, they seemed to rise part-way out of their melancholy. I realized their childishness was partially untrue. I had no doubt they were young, but Nelys seemed possessed of an unshakeable optimism that burned away at their worries. Almost.

    I hoped they were alright, but any time I asked after their mental wellbeing, I was politely, but firmly rebuffed.

    It wasn¡¯t until we could see the coast and the many islands of the city of Liseu that they truly spoke up.

    ¡°Hey Aretan? What¡¯s the plan again?¡± Nelys¡¯s voice sounded almost normal. They rode behind me on my horse, as they had most other days during this journey.

    I looked across at the sprawling Turquoiser capital, then turned to look at them over my shoulder. ¡°We will seek passage by ship to Lockmoth, in the Ordian Empire.¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    I fully expected the conversation to end at that moment. I started to turn back.

    ¡°Hey Aretan?¡± Nelys¡¯ said in a small voice.

    I stopped and looked at them. ¡°Yes, Nelys?¡±

    They looked around us. We were riding to the side of the main column, near the front. No one was paying us mind, let alone listening in.

    ¡°Do you ever wish you were something you weren¡¯t?¡± Nelys clutched through their rough shirt at the blue coral pendant underneath.

    Their question caught me off guard. I took a moment to think about my answer. ¡°Perhaps,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°In what way do you mean?¡±

    They clutched the pendant tighter. ¡°Like your body was wrong?¡±

    I shook my head. Seeing their face twist, I quickly clarified. ¡°Not my body, but I felt what my family had planned for me was wrong.¡± I met their gaze with some difficulty. ¡°You may recall what I spoke about when we went to the temple of Aena to help make antivenom for Zarenna? That was not the whole truth. My mother is the high priestess of the temple, and my father is a regional noble. I had been groomed from a young age to take the title of high priest. My parents had even managed to allow me, as their only child, to inherit our landed title as well.¡±

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    ¡°But you didn¡¯t want that?¡± Nelys¡¯ voice perked up.

    I nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Growing up, I spent my days reading about the wonders of Navanaea between my lessons on the Eight and on Navanaean nobility. My desire to see the region has matured into a desire to see the whole of Varra. I also want to continue to study demons, but I worry of the dangers involved.¡±

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you do all that and be high priest?¡±

    ¡°As a high priest, I would be a representative of Aena on Varra. I could not leave the High Temple grounds without reason. I do not even know how I would manage my father¡¯s lands on top of such duties. I doubt I would even have had any time to escape and read.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That sucks.¡± Nelys looked down at the worn, sun-bleached saddle we both sat on.

    I gave a dry laugh. ¡°Yes. I do not know about a wrongness of body, but I know that Aena has accepted my path in life. I am certain you will find acceptance yourself.¡±

    Nelys was quiet for a long while. Eventually, they spoke again, as we neared the walls of the mainland portion of Liseu. ¡°Will you accept me?¡±

    I laughed genuinely. ¡°Of course! I already do.¡±

    Nelys seemed to relax. They nodded intensely.

    ***

    The whole of Liseu was a maze of islands, bridges, dockyards, and ships huddled against the rolling chaparral of the Central Sea¡¯s eastern coastline. Despite my familiarity with a small part of the city due to my frequent contracts here, I knew very little of the place. Florian ensured we entered Liseu in a timely fashion.

    I gave command of my mercenaries to my second. I¡¯d apprised him of my departure during our long trip from Baetnal. He didn¡¯t know entirely why I was leaving, but I am certain he knew it had to do with my personal wanderlust. My desire to explore the world had been sparked again by that wonderfully odd demon who had traveled with us for a time.

    As a parting kindness, I even did the paperwork for the finalization of our mercenary contract. Florian haggled the final price less than I had ever seen a Turquioser merchant haggle. I ended up with my crew¡¯s rate paid in full. I booked a room at a middling inn not too far from where Florian had told us we might find an Ordian ship.

    I was finally able to relax that night. The seafood was fresh, but different from what I was used to Navanaea. Nelys practically inhaled their meals. I was only too glad to see them feeling mostly back to normal. I¡¯d expected more of a lingering effect from whatever trauma they went through, but since the conversation we¡¯d had just outside the city, the atmosphere around them was much brighter.

    We began to talk more as friends. I hadn¡¯t really known why I¡¯d told Zarenna I¡¯d meet her and Seyari in Lockmoth with Nelys. The feeling I¡¯d gotten from Aena was certainly a factor. I was glad I made the choice I did.

    We spent the next few days searching for passage to Lockmoth. I¡¯d picked the city since I imagined it to be easy to find a ship to. However, relations between the Coast and Ordia had grown colder recently, according to the merchants. Hardly any ships were taking passengers.

    My years as a mercenary combined with my lessons gave me an uncanny ability to haggle and persuade people. My mercenary company had been well-contracted for good reason. Eventually, and for a grossly high price, we found a ship that would take us to our destination without ulterior motive. I had to hope as much, anyway.

    Unfortunately, the ship would not leave for a week. Nelys wanted to take the time to see the city. To be honest, I did as well. Careful of my coin purse, we toured the sights that Liseu, the City of Islands, had to offer. We couldn¡¯t afford many of the attractions we wanted to see, but exploring one of the most important port cities in the world offered a tantalizing glimpse into the wider world.

    The evening before we left, Nelys and I sat downstairs in our inn to plan a list of places we wanted to go. I¡¯d come to greatly enjoy their company, and they seemed like they had nowhere they needed to be. I had expected we would travel with Zarenna and Seyari to see Zarenna¡¯s home country, but beyond that, I wanted to see the world. I wondered if there were more demons like Zarenna out there. I would need to be careful and temper my expectations. Perhaps also my blade.

    Shortly after we¡¯d arrived in Liseu I¡¯d purchased a basic enchantment for my polearm and for one of Nelys¡¯ daggers with my dwindling money. I knew enough about demons to know that, without magic, a human would be hard pressed to harm one.

    If we were able to meet with Seyari and Zarenna in Lockmoth as we planned, I was certain I¡¯d meet more things, or people, who were beyond human. Not all of them would want conversation. I had fought magical beasts, but never a demon. That would certainly change, even if I¡¯d rather it didn¡¯t.

    All of these plans, however, hinged on whether I was able to stay away from Navanaea for much longer. The death of the Third Prince would rock the Navanaean nobility. Should my home threaten to tumble, I would return to set it right.

    We spent the last day talking in our shared room. The evening wore on and the inn¡¯s common room became crowded. I was not much of a drinker, and Nelys was a lightweight, so we were two of the only sober people in the place. Thankfully, most of the crowd at this inn seemed to keep themselves functional.

    There was a bard playing tonight. Different from the last, his voice rang out a lilting melody I¡¯d heard only a few times before. The words carried easily across the murmur of the thinning late-evening crowd:

    I¡¯ll tell you a tale of a man from Liseu

    He sold the whole world, just to us lucky few

    We packed up our ship and we left while the dew

    Was still fresh on the grass

    Was still fresh on the grass

    Away to the north, sails and spirits held high

    Our storeroom was full and the winds they were mild

    Far past our home lands and on toward the wilds

    Where we would meet our doom

    Where we would meet our doom

    We followed the map to an island most green

    A home to strange folk, stranger sights still to see

    Who gave us their fruit so we gave them our mead

    They told us not to go

    They told us not to go

    The slopes here were steep but the cave it was wide

    Three weeks in the jungle, mayhap he had lied?

    A temple of rock and this heat so alive

    He spoke not all the truth

    He spoke not all the truth

    The words were sung in Turquoiser, as you would imagine. The song¡¯s subject matter had done little to dim the content atmosphere of the room. As for myself, I couldn¡¯t help but frown. The message of the song was bleak. The waters of the north were known to be dangerous, and tales of strange lands were far less common than the silence of those who never returned.

    I turned to my companion. Nelys seemed interested in the song, but wore an odd expression. Regret, perhaps? I looked down and realized I¡¯d written ¡®northern seas¡¯ on a list of places we had talked about visiting.

    Nelys lifted their bit of charcoal. They hesitated over the words. With an unsure hand, they crossed ¡®northern seas¡¯ off the list.

 Chapter 48: Another Side

    Perspective: Zarenna

    ¡°Greetings,¡± the hammer-wielder spoke in Navvish.

    Their voice was clear, but shrill and monotone. They spoke something after, with a click and hiss that I did not understand.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I replied simply, then looked to my partner who spoke a little more Navvish than the simple phrases I knew.

    Seyari nodded her head and spoke in Navvish. ¡°What did you say after you greeted my partner?¡±

    The bug-like humanoid thought a moment. I couldn¡¯t read their eyes and their face was likewise inscrutable. However, their lower pair of arms fidgeted. They responded in Navvish, but I couldn¡¯t follow what they said.

    Seyari translated into Turquoiser for me. ¡°They say the term doesn¡¯t have an equivalent outside their language, but ¡®corrupted one¡¯ is the best I can translate.¡±

    I frowned.

    The hammer-wielder spoke up. ¡°I can¡­ speak the blue human trade language. Not good.¡±

    The more they spoke, I noticed their voice was not monotone, rather it shifted tone in steps, without any inflection or transition. The effect was uncanny.

    ¡°Whatever you are most okay with,¡± I replied in careful Turquoiser.

    The fact I had a limited vocabulary in the language was helping for once.

    The fidgeting of their lower arms stopped for a moment. Their antennae twitched.

    ¡°The blue human language good.¡± The tones of their voice pitched lower.

    I had no idea what their voice change meant, though I had a hunch they were uncomfortable speaking in Turquoiser and had lied for some reason.

    ¡°If you are sure,¡± I replied as kindly as I could. ¡°I am Zarenna and my partner is Seyari.¡±

    ¡°This one thank you for help. We did not know the other was so close.¡± They paused a moment. ¡°Call this one Hammer.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°What are your people called?¡± I gestured to those assembled around us.

    ¡°We are |\>¡ª,¡± they replied. ¡°Formid, in human language.¡±

    Over the next few minutes, we held a halting conversation and I learned a little bit about Hammer and their band of Formid hunters. I tried to have Seyari talk in Navvish and translate, but I was only partially successful. Around us, Hammer¡¯s hunters went to work disassembling the two titan scorpions. We learned the party had hunted one and sighted the other some distance away. Titan scorpions were solitary, but the other had stayed close for an unknown reason and rushed in, likely to kill its rival.

    Had we not intervened, the group would have retreated empty-handed with losses while the two monstrous arachnids fought. I didn¡¯t contest them taking from my kill. I couldn¡¯t use anything from it, and even if I could, I really didn¡¯t want to carry it over a mountain range.

    As we spoke, Hammer kept their distance from both of us, me in particular. Their reaction had been far better than what I imagined the reaction south of the mountains would be, but I wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled.

    In a surprisingly short time, the hunters had made ready to leave. The large bundles each was carrying impressed me. Their strength far exceeded a human of their stature.

    Before they left, I wanted to get more information from Hammer.

    ¡°We¡¯re going through the mountains to the south, do you know a good route for us to take?¡± I asked.

    They didn¡¯t reply immediately. Instead, they levelled an inscrutable gaze at me.

    ¡°We are escaping Navanaea,¡± I added with an unsure voice.

    Hammer was quiet a few moments more. I did my best to meet their gaze. Eventually, they broke eye contact by turning their head.

    ¡°Does the corrupted one lie?¡± Hammer asked Seyari.

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°No. Zarenna is telling the truth. We are not agents of Navanaea.¡±

    Hammer turned back to me, and dipped their antennae low. ¡°This one owe favor to the corrupted one. This one will take both to the path. Do not enter the Formid tunnel, or die. Path end before cross mountain.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied.

    Hammer didn¡¯t reply.

    We followed the insectoid people in silence. I had so many questions I wanted to ask the reticent Formid! I wanted to know more about their people, their conflict with Navanaea, and especially about their immense namesake hammer.

    Maybe weapons like that were commonplace, but the all-metal weapon looked huge and ancient to me. The surface was weathered and marked with intricate faded patterns. A curved spike opposite the head had long ago broken. I couldn¡¯t place the alloy either, but I knew just enough to know I was woefully ignorant when it came to uncommon metals.

    When they had swung the hammer, it certainly didn¡¯t seem light, either. I imagined a normal human wouldn¡¯t be able to use such a weapon. I wondered if the weapon was Formid-made, or other.

    I had hoped to ask some of my questions when we stopped for the night. To my surprise, however, we continued to march through the night. Seyari managed to get Hammer to explain that Formids did not have the same sleep cycle as humans and would rest for an extended period every few days. They also did not want to risk being caught by scavengers or predators when asleep.

    Or let their guard down around me, I thought bitterly.

    The next morning, I was hardly tired. I probably didn¡¯t need to sleep every night, but old habits were hard to break. Maybe I¡¯d find a hobby to take the time when I was in a position where that would make sense.

    We kept a steady pace until the evening, when Hammer led the group to a small rocky area to rest. The ground was hard enough that there¡¯d be no sudden surprises from the sand below. Seyari and I camped a way away from the group. We elected to sleep in shifts. I doubted we¡¯d be attacked, but I didn¡¯t want our reluctant guide to leave us.

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    Hammer made no attempt to ditch us, but we were up and moving again very early. This pattern continued on for another week. Two days of solid marching, then a night of resting in shifts.

    The most significant thing that happened, aside from the hunting party beating off various scavenging animals and smaller monsters, was when I realized I¡¯d forgotten to get Lilly¡¯s tea cake recipe.

    I also asked Seyari about using the nickname ¡®Sey¡¯. She¡¯d told me I was more than close enough to call her that. I told her again the same was true for Renna. I don¡¯t think either of us were really in a state of mind to use nicknames. We both wanted to be clear of the desert.

    Hammer, meanwhile, largely ignored us. I assumed they resented our continued presence. Then again, they had agreed to guide us.

    Every day, the mountains loomed closer. Days ago, they had reminded me of the snow-capped peaks that could be seen in the distance, south of Linthel. Now that we had drawn closer, I realized with no small amount of trepidation that these peaks were much larger than those mountains. Their jagged tops sloped down into a mess of ridgelines and smaller peaks.

    A day later, the sands died out and were replaced by rocky foothills. The land was barren, but by afternoon, scrub had started to make itself known in crevices and valleys. Tracks of dry streambed cut their way through the landscape.

    That afternoon, Hammer¡¯s hunting party split from us, headed east. Seyari and I continued on with Hammer toward the mountains to the south.

    That evening, I tried again to talk with Hammer. They were seated on the hard-packed earth, alone. Either they trusted us to keep watch, or the danger was behind us.

    ¡°Hello Hammer,¡± I opened with a small smile.

    They looked at me, but did not respond.

    I took that as tacit permission. ¡°Do you mind if I ask about the conflict with Navanaea?¡±

    ¡°The human of the north invaded our hunting ground,¡± Hammer replied in a single unwavering tone.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I looked away.

    I sensed no anger. Hammer¡¯s answer was simple enough. Both the Formid and the people of Navanaea were encroaching into the same region. Given Hammer¡¯s appearance and mannerisms, I could easily see the people of Navanaea as being unwilling to cooperate with the Formid. At the same time, I wondered if the Formid had even sought cooperation. I knew too little about the conflict to weigh in to either side.

    I hope killing the Third Prince didn¡¯t hurt the situation.

    From everything I¡¯d heard, the Third Prince was much maligned, but in a time of tension, a high-profile ¡®assassination¡¯ could spark a war.

    I looked to Seyari. She was sitting next to me and watching the single cloud pass in the sky. I looked up at it too, a thin string of wisps impossibly high in the sky.

    I wanted to help. I wanted to find a peaceful solution. But I was ignorant. I knew hardly anything of Navanaea and less than nothing of the Formids. I had no stake in this conflict outside of my friendship with Aretan and concern for his family and some of the people I¡¯d met.

    It¡¯s not my place to get involved.

    I sighed inwardly.

    Was Hammer reticent because demons are known manipulators?

    Wrath demons weren¡¯t exempt from that reputation either. Demons of my kind were simply more¡­ direct. Sure, I wanted to reach a peaceful solution and avoid violence, but good intentions wouldn¡¯t change the fact of what I¡¯d be doing.

    Stupid morass of tangled morality.

    ¡°You¡¯re in your head again.¡± I hadn¡¯t even noticed Seyari staring at me. She spoke on Ordian.

    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± I looked to our guide.

    If they were concerned about a conversation in a language they probably didn¡¯t know, they didn¡¯t show it. Not surprising.

    I sighed and planted two hands in the dirt to turn my gaze skyward. I felt the weight of my horns on my head and the warm dirt under my tail.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s eating¡ª¡±

    Seyari and I spoke at the same time.

    ¡°You go.¡± I held a hand up to let the sun shine between my fingers.

    I heard Seyari scoot closer to me. ¡°What¡¯s eating you, Renna?¡±

    ¡°I was wondering if killing Malich might make this conflict turn into a war. What if Navanaea decides the Formid were responsible? Maybe I¡¯m wrong, and that would only happen in a story.¡±

    Seyari was quiet a moment, then I felt her hand on the back of one of mine. ¡°Shit like that does happen, Renna. But¡­ I think you¡¯d tell me something like ¡®that won¡¯t be your fault¡¯ if I was thinking what you were.¡±

    I looked back down at her. Seyari gave me a reassuring smile. I did feel a little better.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I put a hand over hers that was still on mine and squeezed gently.

    I turned and found Hammer was still staring at us.

    ¡°Sorry. Personal stuff.¡± I spoke in Turquoiser.

    No reply. As usual.

    ¡°I like your hammer,¡± I made an ill-advised attempt at small talk.

    ¡°This one does too.¡± Hammer¡¯s tone pitched high. Their lower hands fidgeted.

    I latched into the hint of emotion. ¡°Do you mind if I ask how you got it? Was it made for you, or did you find it somewhere?¡±

    ¡°This one does not mind. This one hammer was found ahead through the mountain. This one hammer is not a Formid weapon.¡± Hammer¡¯s tone stayed high.

    ¡°Could you show us where?¡± Seyari interjected.

    ¡°Yes. The place is close to where this one leave you. The tunnel is not Formid.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Hammer!¡± I replied.

    Their antennae perked up slightly. Maybe it was just the wind.

    That evening, Seyari and I took shifts watching. Hammer stayed awake the entire night.

    Where we headed the next few days matched Mereneth¡¯s directions. The snow-topped peak to our right was the largest I¡¯d seen on the horizon and Hammer took us east of it. We wound through increasingly rugged terrain along narrow footpaths.

    The vegetation grew briefly thicker, but thinned as we climbed. Hammer spent more time resting, and had slowed their pace when we were walking. I asked them about it, but they brushed the question off.

    We reached the end of the path a day before we reached the entrance to where Hammer had found their hammer. They indicated a narrow-entranced cave, then pointed to a gap between ridges south of us.

    ¡°This one found hammer deep in the cave. South, between the two hill may be a pass. This one must go now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for taking us here, Hammer,¡± I said earnestly.

    ¡°Thank you. Do you know anything about where you found your hammer?¡± Seyari asked.

    Hunter dipped their antennae. ¡°This one does not. Formid do not like this height.¡±

    ¡°Have others been here?¡± Seyari looked at the cave entrance carefully.

    ¡°This one does not know. This one told location long ago.¡± Hammer moved their lower arms in a gesture I desperately wanted to interpret as a shrug.

    Seyari frowned, then smiled. ¡°Thanks for telling us, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes. This one must go now.¡± Hunter turned to leave. ¡°Be safe.¡±

    ¡°You too!¡± I replied with a two-armed wave.

    Seyari and I watched the Formid and their namesake hammer descend back the way we came.

    ¡°Do you think their hammer¡¯s a Lost Era artifact?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I hope the place hasn¡¯t been picked clean,¡± Seyari said anxiously.

    I turned toward the narrow cave entrance. ¡°Who would even come up here? Besides other Formid?¡±

    ¡°No one I can think of. I¡¯ve never heard of people living on this side of the mountains.¡± Seyari edged ahead of me to look inside the dark tunnel.

    ¡°Ne meither,¡± I stood behind Seyari and looked in over her head. ¡°But I barely knew these mountains existed until we got to Navanaea.¡±

    The tunnel, predictably, was long and dark. I could see fine, but there was nothing to look at but rock. Thankfully, the tunnel was bigger on the inside than the entrance. We tossed our packs a couple meters inside.

    ¡°Saying ¡®ne meither¡¯ just sounds like you screwed up your words.¡± Seyari turned sideways and squeezed inside.

    ¡°That¡¯s the point!¡± I declared proudly and tried to squeeze in after her.

    My horns scraped, and my chest smooshed down uncomfortably. Then I got to my tail. The base of it was too thick to fit inside.

    ¡°Crap.¡± I started to wiggle.

    Seyari turned to look at me. I swear I saw appreciation when her gaze roamed over certain parts.

    ¡°Help?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What? Not strong enough?¡± She was definitely enjoying the view over wanting to help.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to collapse anything!¡±

    The rock felt solid, but I didn¡¯t want to find out if I could survive being buried alive if I tried to break the opening bigger and caused a landslide. I could probably survive that. Digging out would be another thing entirely.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Seyari huffed. ¡°Give me your hand.¡±

    I stuck out both of my left hands toward her. She grabbed both of them.

    She nicked a finger on one of my bladed digits. ¡°Hey! Watch the claws! Can¡¯t you dull them, or something?¡±

    Wait.

    I am not very smart right now.

    I shifted into my human form right as Seyari tugged.

    Suddenly knocked off balance, I fell onto the smaller woman and we landed in an ungraceful heap.

    I found my face close to Seyari¡¯s. I¡¯d landed on top of her, face-to-face.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make fun of me for forgetting my human transformation.¡± I moved to push myself off her, blushing hard.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything.¡± Seyari reached up and pulled me back down. Then, she leaned up and pecked me on the lips. ¡°Now you can get off me.¡±

    I smiled at my girlfriend as I stood back up. Seyari got up before I could offer to help her up, flashing me a bright smile. We grabbed our packs and began to walk down the long tunnel-like cave.

 Chapter 49: Mountain Secrets

    We followed the cave deeper and deeper into the mountain. Hammer had called the place a tunnel, but it looked natural enough to me. I guess I wouldn¡¯t have any idea what a Formid tunnel would look like. Maybe something else made this one?

    We passed a few small offshoots. Some were dead-ends I could see down, and others curved off to who knows where. Long, pale centipedes and other smaller cave fauna skittered and shifted around in the darkness.

    Years ago, human me would have been terrified to walk through a place like this. I could almost imagine Abby pretending to put a centipede in my hair. Now, though, I could see clearly through the dark. Although, without light, the colors had all faded like a threadbare shirt washed too many times. The only worry I had was scraping my horns along the ceiling when the tunnel constricted.

    Next to me, Seyari was quiet. Her gently glowing eyes lit up enough of her face for me to see her anxiousness.

    ¡°You nervous?¡± My voice echoed down the tunnel ahead of us.

    Seyari looked up at me. ¡°A bit. Lost Era ruins have a reputation for some nasty lingering magic. Mostly, I¡¯m worried about what we¡¯ll find.¡±

    The tunnel shrank suddenly and I barely ducked in time. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nervous about what we could learn. Between you and Lilly and what Aretan told me, I¡¯m finding out that demons are a lot more complex than I thought I knew. They¡¯re also much more present. I had no idea something like Ov, the Sovereign of Apathy, existed, if Lilly was telling the truth.¡± Seyari answered with a sigh.

    ¡°Ov scares me,¡± I admitted. ¡°The Sovereign of Conceit¡ªUtraxia or whatever her name was¡ªdoes too. I don¡¯t really want to get dragged into all this.¡±

    ¡°But you probably don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Seyari finished my thought for me. ¡°We¡¯ll learn what we can. I want to know the Lost Era¡¯s relationship with demons.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, same.¡± I thought back to where I got my Name and title. ¡°I wonder if demons were different back then? At least a little.¡±

    Seyari hummed in thought. ¡°Maybe. I doubt many were like you. No offense.¡±

    ¡°None taken.¡± I smiled.

    The tunnel wound on for what seemed like kilometers. I hadn¡¯t noticed much of a change in elevation either. The cave creatures started to thin out was we went along.

    Carefully, I reached a hand behind Seyari and flicked her hair. She shook her head.

    ¡°Hey Sey?¡± I tried to sound nervous.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a centipede in your hair.¡±

    ¡°No there isn¡¯t.¡± Seyari deadpanned.

    I pouted.

    After only a few more minutes of walking, we saw light at the end of the tunnel. Oddly enough, it looked like daylight. We picked up the pace.

    The light was daylight. The cave opened into the side of a small valley. Steep cliffs surrounded the vale on all sides. Stunted pines gathered around a small, placid tarn at the center. On the far side loomed an immense fa?ade carved into the rock.

    From the distance, my sharp eyes could pick out huge columns and statues that were vaguely humanoid, though their features eluded me.

    Seyari and I shared a glance, then began to make our way downhill. The valley was cast in shade from the mountains, but we knew the time to be evening.

    ¡°We should make camp,¡± Seyari said as we walked between twisted trees that were barely twice my height.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with going in at night?¡± I asked, looking toward the ruin that was mostly obscured by trees. ¡°It¡¯ll be just as dark in there during the day.¡±

    ¡°I want to know if the valley is dangerous before we¡¯re exhausted from whatever we had to fight in there and need to make camp in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯d all the excitement go?¡± I asked, but set my packs down in a flat place a dozen or so meters from the mirror-like surface of the alpine lake.

    ¡°Concern killed it.¡± Seyari began to clear away pine needles.

    ¡°I will mourn its memory,¡± I nodded solemnly, then looked again to the water. ¡°Think there are any fish in that lake?¡±

    Seyari got out the tent Lilly had given us. ¡°Maybe?¡±

    I walked to the tarn and looked down into the clear water. The gravel bottom was easily visible, as were a few small fish that darted into a patch of weeds. The water didn¡¯t look deep, but the fish didn¡¯t look big either. The pool was maybe twenty meters across. An empty streambed led into it.

    The lake was surely a lot bigger in early spring with the snowmelt. Before I turned around, I caught a glimpse of a larger fish further in. I dipped a hand into the water. Cold!

    The sight of the bigger fish had me excited. I helped Seyari set up camp, then took off my shoes and rolled up my trousers. I managed to find a branch and made a fire-hardened tip at the end. I hadn¡¯t fished like this since I was back on the island. The water there had been a lot warmer.

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    My reflexes were even better than I remembered, even if my motions were rusty. By the time the shade across the valley had turned to dusk, I had managed to catch a fish big enough for a meal. Seyari¡¯s wind magic and my fire magic helped me get dry and cozy soon after.

    Seyari and I sat by our tent, and cooked the fish over a fire. The valley would be idyllic if not for what we both knew lay beyond the trees and across the tarn. The evening was peaceful and the valley was silent. We spoke more about the past, but also the future.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to northeast Ordia. Is it really just across the mountains?¡± I asked, looking up at the stars.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Seyari replied easily. ¡°The Empire considers the region to be its territory, but there are few roads and many of the towns have little or no Imperial presence. At least that¡¯s the way it was a few decades ago, especially close to the mountains.¡±

    I flicked my tail tip idly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you grow up in the region?¡±

    ¡°The northeastern forest is a big place. Where I grew up was in the southwest of the forest.¡±

    ¡°Oh. We¡¯ll be heading that way to get to Lockmoth, won¡¯t we?¡± I thought about Aretan and Nelys, then about Seyari¡¯s goal. ¡°Will we be close to Mordwell¡¯s estate?¡±

    ¡°Mordwell¡¯s estate isn¡¯t too far out of the way. I want to finish my business there before we go to Lockmoth.¡± Seyari¡¯s tone turned bitter.

    ¡°Do you think we can just walk there? If Lorelei and Markus have told him about us, won¡¯t he be expecting you? I can¡¯t change my height and that¡¯s a dead giveaway if someone knows what they¡¯re looking for.¡±

    Seyari took a moment to think. ¡°No one ever crosses these mountains. If we stay away from major towns and roads, we can get close without him knowing. The smaller towns are too isolated to need to worry about.¡±

    ¡°What then? Won¡¯t he have guards? I don¡¯t want to kill people who might be innocent.¡± I looked down at Seyari who was staring into the fire with a frown.

    The half-angel let out a long sigh. ¡°I think¡­ I think I only want to kill him. Maybe that¡¯ll be enough. We¡¯ll find a way to get Mordwell alone.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    I turned from looking at Seyari to stare into the fire. The flames held no answers. I worried for Seyari.

    We put out the fire and Seyari went to bed shortly after our conversation died. I was first watch tonight, and alone with my thoughts. Seyari¡¯s words rattled around in my head uncomfortably.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯ll be enough.¡±

    What could I even say to that?

    I didn¡¯t want to dissuade her from killing Mordwell. Bastard deserved it from everything Seyari had told me. But the fixation on Mordwell had me worried for Seyari¡¯s mental wellbeing. And I was the wrath demon here! She¡¯d been carrying this burden for decades. I had to hope she knew she was loved no matter what.

    I also worried over who else we would run into. Lorelei had said she and Markus would find us again. If they were waiting at the estate¡­

    I thought back to the look Salvador had given me that night in Port Princely. He had a reason to let me go. Similarly, there had to be a way to get through to Lorelei and Markus. If Lorelei knew Mordwell¡¯s past, she wouldn¡¯t be working with him. For all of that woman¡¯s duplicity, her zealotry was no lie.

    I kept thinking about what I could say to Lorelei until I had to wake Seyari for her turn at watch. She looked more tired than I would have expected.

    ¡°Did you sleep okay?¡± I whispered.

    Seyari yawned. ¡°No. Nightmare.¡±

    ¡°What about?¡± I slipped past her into the tent.

    ¡°Demons. I don¡¯t remember much.¡± Seyari took her place and poked the cooled embers with a stick.

    ¡°Want a second layer?¡± I asked into the chill of the night air.

    Seyari nodded and I grabbed a cloak from the tent for her. She wrapped herself up and took a seat on a log by the fire. I returned to the tent and laid down in our bedroll. The fabric was warm and sleep took me quickly.

    ***

    I dreamt I was back on the Swordfish with Lorelei¡¯s expedition. I doubt I would have noticed the inconsistencies that mixed it with my time on the Lady of Liseu, and a river trip I took with my family when I was a child. I doubt I would have noticed except for the presence.

    The presence dragged me into lucidity even though I was still very much dreaming. My sister Tania had been arguing with Lorelei over something Aarsh had said, when I came to the sudden realization I was in a dream.

    I looked down and saw a familiar clothed bust and four red arms. No one on the ship had been panicking!

    The presence pushed into my awareness again and ruined the mood. I looked for anything amiss in my dream. Now that I was lucid, a lot of what I saw didn¡¯t make sense. I couldn¡¯t find the presence immediately.

    My gaze landed on Seyari. She was sitting at the prow, a gorgeous pair of massive off-white feathered wings folded neatly behind her.

    The presence slammed into me angrily.

    ¡°How dare you!¡±

    I didn¡¯t hear words, but I could feel an intent. I could easily imagine a sneer on a face I couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°Remove that¡­ that thing!¡±

    The presence tried to nudge me toward Seyari. It was weak, but I nearly stumbled forward in surprise. I wheeled on it and saw a dark mass clouding my dreamscape.

    Without hesitation, I tore into the mass. My claws ripped through it and my fire burned away the remaining wisps of dark fog.

    Even as the fog dispersed, I could still feel its contempt. Around me, the dream fell away to nothing, and my mind returned to sleep.

    ***

    I awoke to Seyari gently shaking a shoulder. I blinked the fog out of my eyes only to find the tent was full of fog as well. I followed my girlfriend outside. A thick fog covered the ground up to my waist. The lake in front of us was entirely obscured under the dark gray sheet. The surrounding mountains cast the valley in shade, creating an eerie atmosphere.

    ¡°This rolled in suddenly about an hour ago.¡± Seyari kept her voice defiantly loud into the still morning. The strange timbre of her angelic half resonated clearly. ¡°It¡¯s not natural, but the magic in it is faint.¡±

    I looked at the fog with my aura sight. There was a faint, icy blue tinge to the edges of it that disappeared when I returned to my normal vision.

    ¡°That might be my fault,¡± I admitted. ¡°I dreamt of a presence that wanted you gone.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s lips drew into a thin line. ¡°That¡¯d explain the nightmares. What happened in your dream?¡±

    I tried to recall, but the dream was vague and fading. ¡°I tore the presence apart. I don¡¯t remember much else.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Seyari nodded, then groaned. ¡°Shit. At least we know there¡¯s something dangerous here, but damnit, I wish it wasn¡¯t expecting us.¡±

    I tried to see a bright side. ¡°Neither of us wanted to go in last night.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. You did and my caution kept us out here.¡± Seyari began to take the tent down.

    I joined her. ¡°I guess. I had a nice evening, so it was worth it. Whatever¡¯s in there is probably all bark and no bite.¡±

    The corner of Seyari¡¯s mouth tweaked upward. ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s hope for that. And if it isn¡¯t, we¡¯ll kick its ass anyway.¡±

    I smiled broadly at Seyari, showing teeth. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±

    We finished taking down our campsite, then secured the packs in a memorable-looking tree. I did keep a small bag containing food with me, just in case. After that, I steeled myself for what was to come. We walked carefully around where we knew the tarn to be and up toward the ruins.

 Chapter 50: Fog

    Ghosts of stone walls rose and fell out of the fog that surrounded us. The weathered, broken shapes sat forlorn between twisted trees. In the fading evening light, the valley had been beautiful. In the dim predawn light, it was haunting.

    I hadn¡¯t noticed the other ruins through the trees yesterday. Last night, the forest seemed thinner and I could have sworn there was nothing but rocky soil and groundcover.

    Seyari and I held hands as we walked. Not out of romantic interest, but safety (though I wouldn¡¯t have minded the other reason). The fog was thick, up nearly to Seyari¡¯s shoulders, and getting deeper. Over it, I could see the statues looming ahead. Between the centermost two, a black opening dared us forward.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you disperse this?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°I will if I need to,¡± Seyari whispered her reply. ¡°I want to save my mana and my tricks for what lies ahead. You can still see where we¡¯re going, right?¡±

    I nodded.

    Together, we walked in silence up to the stone fa?ade. Up close, the fog lowered slightly, down about to my waist and Seyari¡¯s upper chest. The statues were immense. Flanked by columns holding up a small plaza dug into the mountain, the two statues stood opposite a large stone doorway. They were identical, but mirrored.

    I could tell the statues had been defaced. The faces of each were hacked to pieces. The shape of the statues was inhuman below the waist. Four legs, like a centaur, but not with the lower body of a horse. The limbs looked almost reptilian with taloned feet, and the tail certainly matched.

    The figure depicted wore ornate robes on their upper body and many rings on their feet and tail. Any color the stone once had was long scoured away by wind and time.

    I turned my sight to the doorway. All I could make out within was a large chamber.

    We walked toward the opening and the statues, passing through the ancient columns. Our footsteps echoed on the cracked stone floor.

    Through the yawning doorway, the room inside was a mess. Cracks wound jaggedly through all the surfaces I could see, and the back wall had collapsed. Two other doorways stood open, one to each side.

    I didn¡¯t need it to see, but I conjured a bright ball of flame at the end of one of my claws. After a moment, I moved it to the tip of my horn and willed a matching flame to appear on the other.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Seyari said with a bit of tremble in her voice.

    The otherworldly tone she¡¯d had since awakening her angelic side was in full force, rather than controlled and minimized.

    I suddenly felt less sure about the idea of exploring here. We might not be able to take whatever lingered within these walls.

    I shook my head. The light from my spell swung around the room and danced along the jagged stone rubble.

    Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to take whatever¡¯s in here?

    The lack of confidence passed and I strode to the center of the room. The rubble-strewn floor looked to be tiled in some sort of pattern too faded to make out. I had an idea of what it would have looked like though, and placed a hand over my symbol.

    I turned and looked down the side doors. Hallways, both of them. I turned and saw Seyari standing back near the entrance, at the edge of my light.

    ¡°Hey, Sey, you alright?¡± I asked.

    She shook her head and placed a hand on her forehead. ¡°Y-yeah. This place gives me the creeps is all, I guess.¡±

    ¡°You scared of some rocks?¡± I asked jokingly.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Seyari walked slowly to stand next to me.

    Yeah, I caught that flare of anger.

    I gave her a wicked smile. To my surprise, the smile she returned was weak and uncertain. Something about this place was getting to her. And that had me worried.

    We took a quick look around the entry room. The carved walls were patterned, but I couldn¡¯t make out anything recognizable beyond an aesthetic purpose. Above us, the ceiling was shallowly domed. Shifting rock had damaged it too much to make out whatever had been carved up there one upon a time. I saw what could be a mountain. Perhaps a carving of this very valley?

    The rubble at the back had pieces of statue in it. Seyari found a partial clawed foot, and I found a cylindrical piece of tail. I¡¯d bet the same figure as outside.

    ¡°Do you think the statue person was a demon, or a¡­ not-demon¡± I tripped over trying not to say ¡®mortal¡¯.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Seyari spoked quietly, with that odd angelic resonance. ¡°I didn¡¯t see a symbol like yours.¡±

    ¡°We should check the statues by the door again.¡± I set the tail piece back on the pile.

    Seyari nodded. We went back outside and looked the statues over. They were large enough that I could walk under the legs of each. I we found a place on the door-side rear haunch that had been heavily damaged and scored on both.

    I said ¡®we¡¯, but I didn¡¯t notice the area apart from the other damage until Seyari pointed it out.

    ¡°You think there might have been a symbol there?¡± I looked to the doorway and back. The spot was clearly visible.

    ¡°We can¡¯t know,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°But yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so probably a demon. Got it.¡± I hopped down in front of the doorway. ¡°Want to go check out the rest of the inside?¡±

    Seyari looked back out over the fog-covered valley for a moment before replying. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Yeah, something was up.

    I tried to sense Seyari¡¯s emotions, but she wasn¡¯t angry anymore and my sense only worked on anger. I tried aura sight. The inside had more of that ice-blue tinge in the air, but I couldn¡¯t identify a source and it seemed weak.

    ¡°You want to hold my hand?¡± I asked, trying to keep from sounding patronizing while sounding just patronizing enough to tease her.

    She glared at me a moment, then took one of my lower hands. I dulled my claws. Her grip was tighter than I expected.

    We moved from the central chamber and explored the hallways, left first. The place was empty. Square rooms with little adornment and no furnishings. Well, no furnishings that weren¡¯t rubble or decayed into dirt. The doors, at least, were tall enough for me to walk through them without issue.

    When we investigated each room, Seyari would let go of my hand. She grabbed it again when we left. I¡¯d find the action cute if it wasn¡¯t so out of character.

    The hall was collapsed part-way down, but the last room had a smaller room at the back. It was empty, but had a carving of a symbol much like mine on the rear wall. There was a relief of a faceted stone at the center, but the shape was all wrong to be mine.

    Definitely related to demons, or demon-worship. Not related to Wrath was my guess.

    ¡°Do you always find demonic iconography at Lost Era ruins?¡± I asked, carefully tracing the outline of the symbol with a dulled claw.

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    Seyari shook her head. ¡°Not always. Now that I know what the symbol is, I would say more often than not. I¡¯ve only been to a few sites myself, though. Most of what I know is secondhand from the Church.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if there were more terrestrial demons back then?¡± I asked the symbol on the wall.

    The stone didn¡¯t answer, but Seyari did. ¡°Maybe.¡± She seemed disinclined to speak more into the tomb-like silence of this place.

    I didn¡¯t have that problem. ¡°I think so. Not that that makes demons good in general, but I am certain that amulet made me a demon instead of the normal death I would have had. I certainly would have contributed a fragment of my soul to a demon of wrath, but not the whole thing.¡±

    Seyari hummed in response.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked again.

    ¡°Y-yeah, fine.¡±

    ¡°Bullcrap. You¡¯re acting like me before I became a demon. Afraid. Uncertain. Unconfident.¡± I used my height to tower over her.

    She glared up at me.

    Anger. Perfect.

    I stoked the emotion gently. Something was influencing her. If I knew Seyari, and I liked to think I did after we spilled our everything to each other, she ranted when she was angry.

    Seyari jabbed a finger into my stomach. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not fine. Something filled the entire valley with unnatural fog, which is some serious fucking magic. There¡¯s a presence here I can feel, and we both had dreams we shouldn¡¯t have had. I¡¯m not sure we can take whatever¡¯s in here and I think we should leave while we still can. The thing here¡¯s probably crazy fucking strong and would wipe the floor with us!¡±

    I smiled down at her in victory. ¡°You done?¡±

    ¡°Am I done!?¡± Seyari started to yell, but caught herself.

    Oh, right, the anger.

    I pulled on it slightly. She resisted, but only for a moment. I was careful not to take too much. I tried to ignore how satisfying this whole exchange felt.

    ¡°Sorry. I meant to ask if you feel any better. I want to check out the other hallway and then we can leave.¡± I rubbed the back of my neck casually.

    ¡°Apology accepted.¡± Seyari closed her eyes and grabbed my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath. We can take whatever¡¯s in here.¡± I added.

    And stop whatever it¡¯s doing to Seyari.

    ¡°Fine. We check the other hallway and then we leave.¡± Seyari glared at me.

    I nodded. ¡°Understood.¡±

    I tried to keep my tone respectful. Seyari still held my hand as we walked back to the main room, so perhaps I¡¯d done okay.

    The other side¡¯s hallway extended further. The first few rooms were empty, but beyond that we found where Hammer must have gotten their hammer. The room wasn¡¯t an armory, but remains of ornate broken weapons and other artifacts were scattered about.

    ¡°Ceremonial weapons?¡± I picked up a bladeless hilt and inspected it.

    ¡°Hammer¡¯s weapon seemed functional enough.¡± Faced with something that interested her, Seyari¡¯s voice gained confidence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find anything still in one piece!¡± I suggested enthusiastically.

    Seyari smiled weakly and the two of us began to carefully sift through the remains in the room. I kept a watch on her, but as we pulled broken item after broken item from the rubble pile, my partner seemed to gain confidence.

    We didn¡¯t just find weapons, either. Despite the small size of the room, the pile was immense and varied. Some bits showed evidence of being burned or melted. Whoever had defaced this place had done so a very long time ago, and had been thorough.

    Some of what we found had iconography that matched my symbol (without the gemstone). Others matched the statues. Still others were humanoid, animal, or esoteric.

    The variety made me wonder what the purpose of this place had been. It had been more than a temple, that much was clear. I was about to ask Seyari what she thought when I lifted a broken slab of stone and found something mostly whole.

    It was a sword. Ornate, and of a dark metal that had not rusted. The guard on the handle was broken, but the blade was whole, if chipped. The metal gleamed dully in the light of my horns¡¯ fire. Under aura sight, There was a very faint magic to the weapon, like the icy edges I¡¯d seen in the fog.

    I picked it up by the handle and turned to show the blade to Seyari. ¡°Look what I found!¡±

    She set down a piece of pottery and took a look. ¡°Whoa, not bad! What¡¯s that design on the handle? We should¡ª¡±

    Thicker wisps of icy magic swirled into the room from behind me and wrapped around Seyari.

    ¡°¡ªW-we should go. Now.¡± All the confidence had drained out of her voice.

    I turned to the source of the magic. Wisps tried to form around me, but disintegrated. The magic was clearly messing with Seyari¡¯s mind somehow, but now I had a lead on a source.

    The rear wall of the room, the direction the magic had come from, was cracked. I turned back to find Seyari had already gone to the door, and the edge of the light.

    I wanted to chase the magic and take out its source. But I wasn¡¯t going to leave Seyari. I was reckless in the past, and would probably be reckless in the future, but here and now I could at least make a plan.

    I needed a way to get her to stay with me. She was far from fragile, and I might need her help. She¡¯d want to help, too, if she found out something was in her head. I could imagine just how furious she¡¯d be.

    Oh. That¡¯ll work.

    I hoped she¡¯d be okay with what I was about to do after this was all said and done.

    ¡°Hey Seyari?¡± I asked, and held the sword like I was inspecting it.

    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Her voice was uncharacteristically nervous. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go already!¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not just yet. I think this sword might be cursed. We can¡¯t leave it in one piece.¡± Mindful of the enchanted blade, I took it in three hands and made a motion to snap it over one knee.

    For just a moment, hot anger pulsed from Seyari.

    That moment was all I needed. I didn¡¯t like to practice manipulating anger, but I had been improving quickly when I did. Someone with a strong will could resist, but the better I knew someone, or the more I knew about the focus of their anger, the stronger my ability seemed to be.

    I didn¡¯t want to send her into a rage. She needed to be coherent, and I already had serious moral reservations about what I was doing. I thought I was justified to fight fire with fire, so to speak.

    I grabbed onto that ember of anger and pushed it into a flame. For a moment, we stared at each other. Seyari¡¯s posture straightened and she fixed me with an intense glare.

    ¡°Not. Funny.¡± She spoke through gritted teeth.

    I carefully set the sword at the edge of the room. ¡°Neither is whatever¡¯s been messing with your emotions since we¡¯ve been in here.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­¡± Seyari¡¯s face moved through a series of expressions over a long, awkward silence. She landed on cold neutrality.

    That¡¯s¡­ Oh that¡¯s a lot of anger.

    Seyari spoke. ¡°Where.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question; it was a demand.

    I gestured with two thumbs over my shoulder. ¡°Through that wall. Want me to break it?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I will.¡± Seyari¡¯s voice still had its unnatural timbre, but any lack of confidence or fear was buried under her rage.

    I smiled wickedly, then turned to the wall. I took a couple steps to run up, and crashed two fists into it as hard as I could.

    Stone shattered along the cracks, and the thick wall fell in a heap of rubble. On the other side was the ruins of a grand hall. Soot and cracks covered the rock walls and supporting columns. The faint smell of smoke still lingered in the stale air that washed over us.

    I kept my aura sight on in time to see a weak-looking icy wave come crashing toward me from deeper inside. I flicked my tail and sent a wave of fire back at it. My flames sputtered, but the wave lost coherence. Before the magic hit me, a blinding beam of holy light burned the rest of the spell to nothing.

    I turned to look at Seyari. Her golden eyes were glowing in rage. And aura sight.

    She dashed deeper inside down the newly-opened hall. I was glad for my unnatural speed. There was no way a human would¡¯ve been able to match pace with the more agile woman. Seyari darted around columns and rubble piles. I barreled over or through them. Except the columns. I steered awkwardly around those. Still didn¡¯t want to get buried under a mountain.

    I kept up the fire orbs on the tips of my horns. The light from them danced wildly around as we ran, casting jagged shadows over soot-stained walls not seen in centuries.

    Ahead of us, the ceiling of the grand hallway had collapsed at some point. Seyari and I followed around through side rooms and halls, all burned. Some still had recognizable ruins of furnishings. I shouldered my way through another wall at a point where we hit a dead end. That wall had been less damaged and my pride took a hit when I didn¡¯t break through on the first try.

    The blue aura tried another attack, but Seyari¡¯s holy magic burned it to nothing. The attack¡¯s aura hadn¡¯t looked demonic to me, but I didn¡¯t doubt it was. If there was a pattern for demonic auras, I hadn¡¯t figured it out just yet.

    Another, smaller hall took us into a large chamber so thoroughly destroyed it looked to be a rubble-filled cave more than a building. The magic and aura emanated from a blackened, ruined heap at the top of a larger mound.

    Before us, the aura coalesced into a figure vaguely like the statues. Their face was missing. The aura drew up and surged forward, galloping directly at Seyari.

    I threw a wall of fire at the misty figure. It stumbled and distorted. In front of me, Seyari had drawn her mana into a massive holy spell. Rather than a ball of raw power, the edges and shape of the spell were clearly defined.

    She threw the spell onto the blackened heap while the mist was recovering. My eyes burned. I closed them immediately.

    Seyari¡¯s holy spell hissed and burned atop the ruined pile. The figure twisted as if in agony, then dissipated. From the walls around us, more of that icy blue aura formed a visible fog. Seyari kept her concentration on her spell. I knew more than enough magic to know to protect her. Not that I wouldn¡¯t do that anyway, if given the chance.

    I stood behind her and tried to form my fire into a ring wall around us. Fine control was difficult. I could feel my mana draining as I shaped and maintained a ring of fire around the two of us, wide enough not to burn Seyari.

    The mist slammed into my fire. I faltered and almost dropped my spell. Keeping my wall up against the onslaught started to drain me, faster due to how inefficient I knew my spell to be.

    I felt magic fatigue start to creep in when the pressure from the aura suddenly cut off. I kept the ring of fire up, just in case.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Seyari said, sounding exhausted. ¡°You can drop your spell.¡±

    I obliged and dropped the wall of fire. Seyari was sweat-soaked in my arms.

    Wait.

    When did I?

    Before I could think about how I came to be holding her close, Seyari turned in my loose grip and hugged me back.

    ¡°Thanks for that back there.¡± She relaxed into our hug. ¡°Fucking mind magic.¡±

    I let my shoulders relax as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I manipulated your anger without asking.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say ¡®you¡¯re welcome¡¯ like a normal person?¡± Seyari sighed, but her voice sounded happy.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this.¡± I smiled, resting my chin on her head. ¡°I¡¯m not normal.¡±

 Chapter 51: Pass

    We didn¡¯t stay in the room for long. Whatever was in the pile that had emitted the magic and aura was gone. In its place was simply another indistinct stain on a ruined floor.

    The presence was gone. Ironically, we decided to leave the once-cursed place. Fatigue was certainly a factor. Seyari looked a mess and I seriously doubted I was much better. Fatigue from mana depletion wasn¡¯t something I could just regenerate away.

    A headache throbbed around the base of my horns. The humanizing sensation was a single part comforting and a dozen parts a bad headache.

    The rooms we glanced in were almost entirely burned out. Unless I wanted the sad remains of an ancient chair, there was nothing here for me. Any iconography had been brutally destroyed, as fit the pattern of this place.

    I picked up the ancient sword on our way out, and we left the ruin into bright, sunny day outside. From the vantage point of the entrance, I could see bits of stone wall that had cropped up through the fog. They didn¡¯t look nearly so intimidating in the daylight. I could barely see the glassy surface of the tarn glittering through the trees.

    We stopped a moment, and I looked back at the statues flanking the entrance to the ruin. Aura sight showed nothing.

    I turned to Seyari. ¡°Do you know what that thing did to you?¡±

    Seyari plopped down on the rough stone and looked at one of the statues. ¡°I felt like we were up against some invincible force. I doubted my own abilities.¡±

    I sat down next to her. ¡°Do you know what that might mean?¡±

    She gave me an appraising look, then looked back to the defaced statue. ¡°What do you think it means?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± I shrugged

    ¡°Well, I am.¡±

    ¡°Then what was it?¡±

    ¡°Figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I tilted my head in confusion.

    ¡°I said: figure it out,¡± Seyari spoke sternly and looked back at me with a half-smile. ¡°You¡¯re a Sovereign Demon. You need to be able to puzzle stuff like this out yourself.¡±

    I almost made a joke about being a Sovereign of Wrath, not a Sovereign of Riddles, but I held my tongue. Seyari was right: this was good practice for me to rely on myself more.

    I thought about what she said and what we saw. The ruin¡¯s former ruler was vain and narcissistic. Not unique among demons, but probably not a demon of Wrath or Apathy. I wasn¡¯t certain about Apathy. Seyari had seemed afraid.

    Fear?

    No. Not quite. She had been afraid, but the reason why was more important. She felt we couldn¡¯t win. Something had drained out her confidence. The answer was simple.

    Conceit.

    Lilly had called the Sovereign of Conceit, Utraxia, an ¡®ice queen¡¯. I only had my gut feeling to go on, but to me the pale blue aura had seemed ¡®icy¡¯. The only other wrath demon I¡¯d seen was also a shade of red, so maybe color meant something?

    I looked to the statue. ¡°Conceit. It was a demon of conceit that drained your confidence. I think I wasn¡¯t affected because I am a Sovereign Demon.¡±

    Seyari scooched closer and gave me a half-hug. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°I wonder who this demon was and what this valley was like during the Lost Era. I wonder if they were once the Sovereign of Conceit.¡± I made sure not to phrase my thoughts as a question.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Seyari conceded. ¡°This place was big, but it could be they were just a powerful greater demon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡± I took one last look into the darkened chamber, then stood and turned back to the sunlit valley. We started the walk back to the lake, and I took the lead. ¡°Do you think we killed them?¡±

    ¡°They were already long dead,¡± Seyari answered tiredly. ¡°My spell destroyed the lingering remnants that had gathered.¡±

    ¡°Remnants of what?¡± I looked the battered old sword over and resisted the urge to test its blade on a forearm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give that thing blood, Renna.¡± Seyari admonished me. ¡°The remnants of lingering emotion and memories made that thing.¡±

    I moved the blade away from my skin. ¡°Like a spirit of the land? But evil? Or like a demon, but on Varra instead of the void or the demon realm or hell or whatever Isidore talked about?¡±

    Seyari stretched. ¡°I don¡¯t know. One of those probably. Whatever happened there was brutal enough to corrupt the ambient mana. Or something like that. I¡¯m tired and it¡¯s been thirty years since my magical theory classes with the church.¡±

    Immediately, I wondered if she could teach me. ¡°Wait, you had magical theory classes? Could you teach me?¡±

    ¡°Do you use holy magic?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well, not entirely. How much do you know?¡± Seyari walked up beside me.

    I gave her a blank look.

    She stared back at me, waiting for an answer.

    I kept up the blank look.

    Seyari caved first. ¡°Oh.¡±

    She gave me a stern stare. I shrugged nervously.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°All your use of magic is untrained guessing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, uh, I have practical experience? And demonic intuition?¡± I scratched at one of my horns nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit your magic isn¡¯t totally incoherent.¡± Seyari hefted her pack and resumed walking. ¡°But even I can teach you some things. Let¡¯s stay in this valley tonight, and I¡¯ll spend the rest of the day teaching you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± I smiled and walked after her. ¡°Also, what was that about giving the sword blood?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s a demonic enchantment, there¡¯s all sorts of nasty things it could do with blood. Or not. It depends, and I don¡¯t know enough to tell you what it is at a glance.¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°What if it¡¯s demon blood?¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯d be different. Maybe not. Again, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I looked the blade over. A geometric pattern covered the hilt. ¡°Hmm. Do enchantments fade over time? What if we tried to charge it? I¡¯m a bigshot demon and you¡¯re half or more of an angel, so I doubt it¡¯d be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll look at the sword tonight,¡± Seyari said tiredly. ¡°Do you want magic lessons or not?¡±

    I pouted. ¡°I¡¯ll take the magic lessons. But if this thing¡¯s some kind of evil blade, I don¡¯t want to go to sleep near it without figuring out what it does.¡±

    Seyari gave me a quizzical look, and then laughed. ¡°We¡¯ll look it over.¡±

    I tilted my head at her laugh, but she brushed me off. We made it back to our campsite easily and set up for another night.

    By the time the shadows of the peaks had started to deepen into twilight, I¡¯d learned more about magic than I had in either of my lives. Seyari was not a particularly kind or insightful teacher, but she gave me the basic foundation that I was missing.

    Before, I had pulled on my mana, pushed it out, then forced my magic into a crude spell. From Seyari, I learned to reorder the steps, setting up a form for the magic to take, and then pulling only enough to fill that mold.

    I took quickly to Seyari¡¯s basic instruction. I was too drained to practice much, but the experience I had from forcing things the hard and inefficient way did give me some proficiency with visualizing basic spell forms. My small uses of magic wouldn¡¯t change much, but if, or rather, when I needed something more, I wouldn¡¯t exhaust myself as quickly.

    Seated next to each other by the fire, Seyari and I inspected the enchanted sword from the ruins. ¡®We¡¯ was a generous word. I watched with aura sight active as Seyari studied it closely.

    The result?

    A simple enchanted sword with a broken handguard and a chipped blade. The enchantment was why it was even still around and potentially usable. As a magic weapon, it would cut a demon like me with the same ease a normal blade would a human.

    The sword¡¯s length was just shorter than a longsword relative to Seyari¡¯s height and reach. At least that was what it looked like to me. I knew something of the types of swords, but was far from an expert.

    Seyari intended to sharpen and use it. After Baetnal, she¡¯d carried no weapons beyond a mundane knife and her magic. The iconography on the hilt was not overtly demonic, so we¡¯d not draw too much unwanted attention. If we had a proper whetstone, I would have offered to take a crack at sharpening it.

    ***

    The night passed uneventfully, as did our return trip out of the valley, back through the cave, and to the spot where Hammer left us two days prior. I remembered to shift my tail away to exit the narrow cave opening. I didn¡¯t even have to get stuck first.

    Beyond the cave, we followed animal paths toward the gap in the mountains which we hoped would have a usable pass. The terrain was rugged and rocky. I surprised Seyari by removing my rapidly degrading boots in favor of bare feet. I¡¯d spent the entire time on my island barefoot, and I felt more comfortable with the extra grip in terrain like this. Progress was slow but steady, and by evening, the mountains had surrounded us.

    There was greenery up here; sparse, wind-battered pines and thorny shrubs I would have avoided as a human. The animal paths grew thinner, so we followed a streambed for a time. Our easy path ended in the large, worn rock face of a dry waterfall. Looking up, the valley leveled out again some thirty meters up.

    I was no expert climber, and Seyari wasn¡¯t in the mood to heal her own injuries even if a fall probably wouldn¡¯t kill her, so we backtracked a way and found a small animal path leading steeply up onto a ridge.

    Beyond the waterfall, the valley climbed and became significantly more difficult. We made camp under a rocky outcropping for the night, and took turns on watch.

    Like on the island, animals stayed away from me. The land around us was eerily quiet during the day, but far off animal calls in the night reminded me we weren¡¯t alone in these mountains.

    We continued on this pace for another few days. Our progress was slow, but our rations were holding out and we¡¯d ventured deep into the mountains. We passed the base of one of the giants of rock, and approached another.

    Then, the pass ended.

    Ahead of us stretched a rocky incline so steep it wouldn¡¯t be disingenuous to call it a cliff. The temperature had been dropping rapidly during the day. The landscape was harsh. The few trees that remained were stunted, twisted things no taller than I was.

    I¡¯d kept warm through my magic. Seyari used me as a heater.

    Now, though, the rocks ahead of us faded away under patchy coat of old snow. I could see the glint of the ice crystals in the morning sun. Faint memories of partially-melted snow, abrasive and unpleasant, came to mind.

    Worse still, what little of the horizon we could see heralded the arrival of dense clouds.

    ¡°What now?¡± I asked to the rocks.

    ¡°We look for another way through,¡± Seyari answered for them.

    I thought they would approve. The stone here, untrodden perhaps ever, by people, did not have an inviting look. That the cliff was a hundred meters or more high to where it rounded gradually out of sight didn¡¯t color my perception in the slightest.

    Discouraged, we turned around and looked for another way through. We spent the rest of the day chasing valleys we¡¯d seen branch off the largest path. All led to face a mountain, or away from the southern direction we needed to maintain.

    In the end, we returned and camped by the base of that same cold cliff. We¡¯d not enough wood for an overnight fire.

    The morning saw a thin coat of fresh snow over the landscape. Turning to look the way we came; the sight was beautiful. Or it would have been in better circumstances. As things were, I was tired of rocks.

    Still better than sand.

    Another look at the cliff in the morning showed that it had not moved or shrunk or acquiesced to our passage in any way. I pondered why the mountain air made me philosophical.

    Seyari, for all her life experience, had precious little experience tackling cliffs like this without pitons and rope. Or wings. We had rope, but no pitons. And no wings. I was strong, but not strong enough to reliably carve out hand and foot-holds all the way up.

    ¡°How do we do this?¡± I asked my partner.

    She turned from looking up the cliff. ¡°Slowly and carefully. I can survive that kind of fall, and you¡¯d probably hurt the rocks more than yourself.¡±

    I gave a short laugh. ¡°My head¡¯s not that hard. And I¡¯m not that heavy!¡±

    Seyari shrugged and gave a smile that reached her eyes. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe!¡± I giggled.

    Our course of action decided, we packed up and began the ascent. I was happy the packs were lighter than when we set out, if only for the fact it made them smaller. The going was slow.

    My claws scratched at the rock, and my four arms gave me a serious edge over Seyari, who was struggling through certain sections.

    ¡°Do you think I could carry you?¡± I asked when we reached a small ledge before a steeper section.

    Seyari actually seemed to consider the idea. ¡°Probably. Or maybe it¡¯d tip your mass and we¡¯d both fall.¡±

    The rock ahead of us was nearly sheer, with few places to hold on.

    I thought up an idea. ¡°I could climb up with all the packs. I leave them up there, then get you. If the packs don¡¯t send me off, then you probably won¡¯t either.¡±

    Seyari shook her head and made a careful attempt to start up ahead of me. She didn¡¯t make it far before she slid back down and handed me her pack.

    I took the bag and attached it to the others on my back. The result was horribly unwieldy. I put one hand in a handhold. Then another. Then another. My long reach allowed me to get to more possible handholds.

    I drove my fourth hand into a crevice and chipped it wider with my claws. Carefully, I put two hands in from of the other two, and brought my clawed feet up behind. Using my six limbs, I inched my way up the mountainside.

    Reaching the top took an agonizing amount of time. My demonic physique largely prevented exhaustion, but the terrain was testing that, and hard. By the time I reached the top, I was grateful for the cool of the icy snow. I breathed heavily in the thin air.

    The snowy hillside crested just above where I could see. I wanted to check if we could truly get over this, so I set the packs down and took the few careful, slick steps to the top.

    I could see down the other side. Rocky and snowy for a time, but beyond that, in the distance, I could see the deep green of a forest.

    I made sure the packs were secure in a flat-ish area, then made my way carefully back down to Seyari. The return trip was easier without the bags and with the path mapped out already.

    ¡°I saw a forest down the other side. We can cross here!¡± I was smiling from ear to ear.

    Seyari¡¯s expression twitched a moment at my teeth, then turned into a smile in return. ¡°Thank fuck.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I laughed. ¡°Alright, get on. And mind the tail.¡±

    I turned so Seyari could grab onto my back. The base of my tail almost served as a seat, and she hugged around me just under my lower arms.

    More carefully than the first time, I ascended the cliff. Thankfully, I made it up without incident.

    We grabbed the packs at the top, and began a careful descent. I forgot to put on my boots, and had to deal with cold feet. I preferred that to melting the snow and slipping off down the other side of the mountain.

    When we could see the forest, Seyari let out a massive sigh of relief, but her eyes turned hard.

    Ordia lay before us, but between here and my homeland were the festering remnants of Seyari¡¯s unburied past.

 Chapter 52: Demons are Unnatural

    Perspective: Lorelei

    The ship under me was as still as the ocean on this windless day. Markus and I were on route back to Ordia from Liseu. We¡¯d left Navanaea in a rush after our encounter with the demon and Yothariel. This ship was even less comfortable than the Swordfish had been, but at least we¡¯d be stuck on it for less time.

    Yothariel and the demon had escaped. I wished they¡¯d been stupid enough to walk into the Navanean royal guard and military. We¡¯d only had time and resources to watch for the pair entering Liseu, or Sindomar up the Coast. I¡¯d been told the Turquoise Coast was not a difficult region to operate in, just expensive.

    Yothariel hadn¡¯t shown up in either Turquoiser city or back in Ivlaet. She was too crafty for that, and there was far too much remote land for us to possibly cover in a search. I was glad for that in a way. I¡¯d had quite enough of sand and desolate wilderness.

    Unfortunately, while in Liseu, I¡¯d received the worst kind of order: I was told to retreat. Yothariel was wicked, vindictive, and, worst of all, patient. I¡¯d somehow traveled with Yothariel in human guise as ¡®Seyari¡¯ for months and she¡¯d done nothing. But she had priorities, I was told. And that would make her easy to catch. This meant retreating for now. Again, what I was told.

    Not that I was told how Mordwell was going to capture her! Or why! I leaned against the ship¡¯s railing and pouted harder at the uncaring ocean.

    I tried to tell myself I should be happy to be alive.

    High Inquisitor Mordwell had warned me years ago that Yothariel was alive somewhere. The Church considered her dead, but he knew something no one else did. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever meet the monstrous woman, let alone while chasing down a demon. Yothariel, according to Mordwell, hated everything. I slumped forward.

    A large, warm hand came to rest on my shoulder. Markus, like most of the Church outside the Inquisition, knew of Yothariel as no more than a name in a book. Yothariel was hardly discussed by the Church at large. Just a mistake of the Inquisition; a half angel corrupted by demonic forces and responsible for a massacre that destroyed most of the order.

    Yothariel had been silent for thirty-three years, but she was back and would no doubt come to finish what she started.

    As a close associate of the Inquisition and his beloved grand-niece, High Inquisitor Mordwell confided certain things to me. He told about the half-angel traitor, Yothariel, and what she had looked like. She had golden eyes consumed by rage, and hair the color of polished steel. Yothariel, as I had seen her in Baetnal, had somehow hidden her wings, but her face and features perfectly matched the clear and bloody tales of my great uncle. The power she held was no joke either, even if it her aura hadn¡¯t lived up to the legends.

    Great Uncle Mordwell had told me to run if I ever saw her, and to tell him immediately. I did as he asked back in Baetnal, but the thought of leaving that half-angelic traitor and her demon partner free¡­ I could still taste bile in my mouth.

    We¡¯d sent a messenger bird ahead before we left Baetnal and were told by the agents in Liseu to return to Ordia immediately. Whatever magic they used to communicate was something I¡¯d never had the pleasure of being able to use.

    Most concerning of all was that Mordwell¡¯s message asked us to come to his estate in northeast Ordia. The place functioned as base for the Inquisition in the region. I had to admit, if there was anywhere Yothariel would attack, it would be the High Inquisitor¡¯s estate.

    That much made sense to me. I knew she¡¯d been to his family estate many times before Mordwell inherited the sprawling place.

    Mordwell had been close to Yothariel, once. The old man was tight-lipped about much of his past, but he told me the story of her betrayal. How he had turned and left her broken body for dead, unable to bring himself to end her life.

    He considered the act of mercy his greatest shame. I grimaced at the thought that he was right.

    I put my hand over Markus¡¯s hand and felt the bumps of his knuckles.

    Would I have the strength to kill Markus if he became corrupted? Would he have the strength to kill me?

    I looked up at my love and smiled. Free of his helmet, the large man smiled back. I didn¡¯t want to lose what we had.

    None of this fixed the thought that had been bouncing around in my mind since Liseu: If Great Uncle Mordwell wanted to keep me safe, why was he having Markus and me go to his estate?

    The question circled my head uselessly and staring out over the calm ocean didn¡¯t help one bit.

    I was sick of boats.

    ¡°Hey, Marky?¡± I asked my lover dejectedly.

    ¡°Yes, Lor?¡± Markus leaned closer to me.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    For once, the wonderful man wasn¡¯t in his armor. That didn¡¯t make him any less imposing to people who didn¡¯t know him. He¡¯d gotten us a nice, quiet section of the deck.

    ¡°Why would someone who wants to keep me safe, have me go into danger against the very thing he wanted to keep me safe from?¡± We were on a passenger ship, so I worded my question carefully.

    ¡°Maybe he thinks you¡¯re ready to face that foe,¡± Markus replied easily. A delightful, if simple, answer.

    I kept my frown and turned to look at Markus. ¡°Well, if he does, then we¡¯d better get reinforcements. I don¡¯t know if the old man can fight anymore.¡±

    ¡°That kind of talk isn¡¯t like you, Lor. We know what at least one of our foes can do. We¡¯ll find what the other can do and their weakness, then use it against them.¡±

    I sighed. Markus was so sweet, but for once, I wasn¡¯t sure I could take this fight.

    I kept my voice tight. ¡°We¡¯ll do that, then.¡±

    Markus nodded. ¡°Good.¡±

    I took a look around the ship¡¯s deck. On such short notice, we had to take a normal passenger ship instead of something arranged just for us. This meant we¡¯d sat through a tense week of waiting in Liseu.

    Today was bright and sunny, but with the sun overhead most of the passengers were belowdecks for the midday meal. The food here was disgusting, so Markus and I had brought as much of our own stock that would keep.

    I left the railing and turned to go belowdecks for some shade. On the way we passed the only other people up on deck; an odd pair of travelers we¡¯d met briefly. They were a short person whose ethnicity I couldn¡¯t place and a willowy Navanaean man. The two sat together in an alcove in the shade. The smaller of the two looked to be winning the card game they were playing.

    ***

    The rest of the voyage to Lockmoth was boring. Markus helped me get some confidence back over the course of the journey, but that only made me more anxious to arrive. I didn¡¯t like to run from a fight, but if we were prepared, we could certainly take out a washed-up corrupted half-angel and a greater wrath demon too weak to act on their own nature.

    The city of Lockmoth, as usual, was dreadful. Mordwell insisted the port was useful to easily move goods and people, regardless of origin or legality. I didn¡¯t much care, honestly.

    To me, the city was dirty, smelly, and the men at the docks who leered at me looked worse than diseased hogs. Salt-coated wooden buildings crowded together like bad teeth. I thanked Dhias the tide was in. When the river estuary Lockmoth sat on drained, the smell was literally indescribable.

    The memories of the other times I¡¯d passed through this port came with the memory of the stench. I¡¯d learned so much since the first time I passed through Lockmoth. I¡¯d grown more familiar with this port than I ever would have cared to.

    On one voyage, I¡¯d met Markus in Cavenze, in a small western border town. I remembered the demon we¡¯d fought there together. At my insistent suggestion, Mordwell had hired Markus afterward.

    The demon had been a hideous monstrosity, even for one of its own kind. A greater demon, but hardly even humanoid. That demon was a greater demon of wrath, just like ¡®Renna¡¯.

    I couldn¡¯t get out of my mind how different the two were.

    The tide was going out when we finished disembarking. I hurried us along to our inn room quickly. I¡¯d stayed at the place before, a sturdy, private stone building. The best part was how the place kept out the smell of Lockmoth¡¯s harbor.

    I dropped my bags just inside the door and flopped onto our shared bed face first. I felt Markus¡¯ weight push the end of the bed down.

    He knew something was bothering me.

    Normally, I¡¯d string him along a bit, but I was exhausted.

    ¡°Do you remember the demon we slew after we first met?¡± I asked into the pillow.

    ¡°What¡¯s that, Lor?¡± Markus sounded worried.

    I flipped onto my back and repeated the question, staring at the ceiling.

    ¡°I do,¡± Markus replied evenly. ¡°A greater demon of wrath. A savage monstrosity.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± I folded my hands over my chest. ¡°What happened when it was first sighted?¡±

    Markus exhaled slowly. He hadn¡¯t lived in the hamlet the demon had destroyed, but he had lived in the neighboring town where it had been killed. He¡¯d lost neighbors, and friends.

    My upbringing in a proper house in Ardath was nothing like his life on a farm had been. I couldn¡¯t imagine living in such a small home and working in the dirt all day.

    Markus slouched and then drew himself up ramrod straight. ¡°The demon killed a family at one of the outer farms. There were no survivors. Their neighbors were next, but the eldest son was in town for the weekend. He was the one who¡¯d raised the alarm. But, by the time anyone came¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­The demon had slaughtered every last living soul,¡± I finished the sentence for him. ¡°Sorry for bringing this up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ moved on.¡± Markus replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re still a terrible liar, Markus.¡± I tried to sound playful.

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±

    We were silent for a long time after.

    My mind replayed the fight in the town. I¡¯d arrived to investigate and found Markus trying to rally the townsfolk to fight. He was in the town militia, but their leader didn¡¯t want to go on the offensive.

    He hadn¡¯t needed to worry about that. The demon attacked the first night I was there.

    I shouldn¡¯t have even been there, but I was in Cavenze to investigate a rumored Lost Era ruin at a remote site. My team was called by the Inquisition to join with others and form a hunting party.

    We were lucky to have more than me.

    The demon had been a nearly three-meter-tall mass of misshapen spikes and limbs arranged like a human the same way a bramble patch was arranged like a bouquet.

    Markus had helped us fight. The man was good with a sword, but even better with a shield. He didn¡¯t have his armor then. He seemed like he was missing something without it these days.

    When it was over, we¡¯d won, but the town was heavily damaged. There were several dead, but things could have been much, much worse.

    What struck me the most was the savagery with which the wrath demon fought. Like every demon, it was a mad, depraved thing. Unlike some greater demons I had read about, this one was primal, a destructive force with no higher thought.

    The demon didn¡¯t flinch when hurt. The monstrosity barely paid attention to whatever was hurting it, preferring to fling about in a rage. Its behavior was completely unnatural, like the way it moved itself around with terrifying speed and force despite having a lopsided mess of a body.

    Renna didn¡¯t seem at all like the other greater wrath demon I¡¯d seen. She looked the part of an unusually humanoid wrath demon, but didn¡¯t act like one at all.

    Was she another kind of demon in disguise?

    If she was, she was way more dangerous than I¡¯d thought at first.

    ¡°Hey, Markus?¡± I started. ¡°Do you think that¡­ actually, never mind.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Lor?¡± Markus sounded tired.

    ¡°Nothing important,¡± I replied as peppily as I could. ¡°Let¡¯s go get dinner somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Lor? The tide¡¯s out by now.¡±

    I scowled. ¡°Boo. We¡¯ll eat here, I guess.¡±

 Chapter 53: Family Man

    Perspective: Salvador

    I spent my time on the ship back to Inolza in quiet thought. I couldn¡¯t get what happened that night in Port Princely out of my head. I¡¯d taken my payment from the Korzon Island mission from Lorelei and left the other two for a ship bound for home.

    Sonia was sure to give me an earful when I visited her at the main church of Dhias in Inolza. My Cassandra wouldn¡¯t have let me hear the end of it for how I¡¯d left. My heart clenched at the thought of my wife.

    A year had passed since she died. The anniversary was while we were out at sea. I¡¯d left because her loss had made me restless. Our Sonia had grown into a fine young woman under the Church¡¯s care, but Cassandra and I hadn¡¯t gotten to truly raise her.

    My wife was furious when they had taken our daughter. Cassandra had never been a follower of Dhias; much of Cavenze wasn¡¯t, though that¡¯s changed since my father¡¯s time.

    Before my daughter was born, I thought I understood. Children born with demonic corruption must be raised to gauge its influence and prevent corruption of their minds and souls. When Sonia was born, I knew in an instant she was no different from any other babe. Horns and red skin didn¡¯t change our love for her. Or her love for us.

    My parents had thought the child couldn¡¯t be mine at first. I knew my Cassandra would not have gone behind my back, and the family resemblance was evident enough to silence some of my relatives, especially as my daughter grew older.

    Cassandra and I had moved to Inolza to be near Sonia at the Church, and I¡¯d gone from trapper and hunter to dockworker and fletcher.

    I¡¯d always wanted to know the reasons for children born with demonic features. That grew into a desire to know more about demons themselves. I never imagined they could be anything other than monsters. Unlike my wonderful daughter.

    Then I met Renna. That almost inhumanly tall woman had shown us nothing but kindness. Her easygoing attitude reminded me of Sonia. Try as they might, the strict Church instructors never could temper the levity out of my daughter. She took after her mother that way, always nagging me for being serious and brooding.

    A good joke never caught a rabbit or took down a lone wolf, I¡¯d say. Then Cassandra and Sonia would laugh and tell me not to be so serious.

    Dhias I missed them both. I had to see Sonia.

    That night in Port Princely, when I had looked down the alley and saw Renna without her human guise, I¡¯d thought of Sonia. For just a moment, my mind had gone elsewhere. I wasn¡¯t sure what to think; I understood demons were meant to imitate and trick people, but Renna had seemed so open about her feelings.

    She¡¯d laughed when I taught her puns and swears in Cavenish. I thought of her smile, and of my daughter¡¯s smile. Regret held me for a moment that night in Port Princely, and before I realized what I¡¯d done by keeping quiet, Renna and Seyari were gone into the night.

    I never told Lorelei or Markus and I¡¯d taken the next ship back to Inolza.

    I¡¯d left Cavenze because I couldn¡¯t get over Cassandra¡¯s death. I also left because my daughter reminded me of my wife and her greatest regret was that we had never been able to raise our own child. We had both wanted a sibling for Sonia, but Cassandra had taken ill after the birth, and we could not conceive.

    I¡¯d been selfish. Sonia knew only that I¡¯d left Inolza for work. She must have been worried sick. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her. Cassandra would have told me to look to the future.

    I realized after that night in Port Princely, that looking to our future was exactly what I needed to do.

    Now, I found myself standing at the front entrance to the largest church in Cavenze. I¡¯d come here straight from the ship, taking only the time to drop my belongings off at my home.

    The first member of clergy I found inside recognized me. I fielded questions about where I had been and was told my daughter was worried about me.

    Hardly any time passed when my daughter rounded the corner and jogged toward me in her vestments.

    She looked relieved but also angry, if the line of her mouth was any indication. She collided with me and embraced me tightly. After a moment, I hugged her back.

    ¡°Dad!¡± She pulled away and glared at me with watery eyes. ¡°Oh, thank Dhias you¡¯re alright! Please, please don¡¯t do anything like that ever again.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t, Sonia,¡± I replied and my voice hitched. ¡°I promise.¡±

    Sonia looked me up and down. She wore small bronze rings through the piercings in her horns. I remember when she¡¯d managed to convince the head priest to let her get them. Sonia had told him that she had wanted to ¡®own¡¯ her demonic features and show everyone that her appearance held no sway over her actions. I didn¡¯t know how horn rings fit into that, but I was happy Sonia could be herself.

    The Church had been so restrictive when she was young, I was happy she¡¯d kept her independent mindset.

    ¡°I have a shift to hand out bread at the Harborshade shrine, but you can come with me!¡± She smiled and pulled me close again. ¡°After that, I want to catch up over dinner. I¡¯m paying, and I insist that we play games all night at your place after. Tomorrow¡¯s my day of rest, so I can come stay away until the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°How long is your shift in Harborshade?¡± I asked tiredly. ¡°I¡¯d like a chance to sleep.¡±

    Sonia laughed. ¡°Sorry, did I say ¡®can come with me¡¯? Because, I meant ¡®will come with me¡¯. You up and disappeared for almost three months!¡± She pointed a finger at me accusingly. ¡°I am not letting you out of my sight, old man!¡±

    Sonia only called me old when she was really worried about me.

    I sighed, and accepted my fate. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ***

    The Harborshade district of Inolza got its name for two simple reasons: One was that it cramped up behind the western part of the harbor, and the other was that the cliffs it backed onto cast much of it in shade during afternoons. Atop the cliffs was a wealthy district home to merchants and petty nobility.

    I thought the shade was pleasant, but the district had a seedy reputation and was frequented by many of the less savory types that came in through the dangerous side of the harbor.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I thought if Sonia was going here to distribute bread to the needy, she would be in a large group. However, aside from a young man I guessed to be an acolyte, Sonia and I walked alone.

    ¡°Is this safe?¡± I asked the two of them.

    The young man looked unsure.

    Sonia frowned, ¡°It¡¯s safe enough, Dad. The people here know we¡¯re from the Church and it isn¡¯t like we¡¯re walking into a dark alley at night.¡±

    I looked around. I saw all sorts of places to hide in the shadows. Few were occupied this time of day, and none by the type to really use them.

    ¡°The silence means he¡¯s fine with it,¡± Sonia said to the young man.

    I smiled despite myself. I kept a careful lookout all the way to the shrine.

    The shrine was a small covered area housing benches and a statue of Dhias behind a shallow podium. The wall behind the statue was the only one. Several people stood about the area, some in prayer.

    The young man and my daughter moved to the far end of the covered area from the statue and announced their charity. I watched and helped them give bread and conversation to a wide variety of people. Some were clearly hard up, but others seemed well taken care of. Sonia and the young acolyte didn¡¯t differentiate between the two, so I didn¡¯t either.

    After, Sonia led a small prayer and the crowd dispersed. A few lingered idly on the benches.

    The whole process only took about two hours. A quick return trip later, Sonia changed and together we returned to my home. I wasn¡¯t feeling up to dinner out, and I¡¯d managed to convince her to make do with a stop by a street vendor.

    My place was small and still unfamiliar. I¡¯d moved after Cassandra died, unable to bear her memory imprinted in our old home. Right now, I missed the memory. I knew, without Sonia, this place would feel cold and unwelcoming.

    I¡¯d barely sat down at my one table when Sonia slammed both hands down flat on it. ¡°What were you thinking!?¡± Sonia¡¯s eyes were wet. ¡°You told me you were going out of town and disappeared for months! I was worried you wouldn¡¯t come back!¡±

    ¡°Sonia, I¡­¡± I tried to find a way to put my feelings into words. I was never any good at that. I looked up to her for a way out.

    She met my gaze with teary eyes and a frown. ¡°Take your time¡­¡±

    I took a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have a good excuse.¡±

    I waited a moment, but Sonia was silent. I looked up, but couldn¡¯t meet her gaze. I tried to get my thoughts in order. She needed to hear the truth. After some time, Sonia sat down. I didn¡¯t have to look up from the rough wood of the table to feel her stare.

    Eventually, I gathered myself enough to speak. ¡°I left because I couldn¡¯t get over Cassandra¡¯s death. I shouldn¡¯t have run away and hurt you.¡±

    I waited for the hammer to drop. I heard Sonia get up and walk over to me. Before I could think of what she might want, she hugged me.

    ¡°I miss Mom too,¡± Sonia said softly.

    I stood up and hugged her back. For a long while we said nothing and held each other.

    ¡°So,¡± Sonia said, slowly letting go. ¡°What happened when you were ¡®out of town¡¯?¡± She walked around the table and took the seat opposite me.

    I sat back down and leaned forward slightly. I started at the beginning. I told the story, from responding to a last-minute request for a wilderness specialist, to my traveling companions, to the Korzon Island, and to Renna.

    I ended with what I saw that night in Port Princely and my thoughts about the demon Renna.

    Sonia was silent for a long time. I heard her mumble a prayer to Dhias. After a while, she spoke. ¡°I can hardly believe someone like Renna could be a full demon. Are you absolutely certain she¡¯s not a demon-blooded?¡± Sonia tapped a horn for emphasis.

    I thought for a moment, before shaking my head. ¡°I sincerely doubt Renna is anything other than a greater demon. She had a human form of some sort, and I do not think there are any demon-blooded with six limbs and a tail like hers.¡±

    Sonia sighed and rubbed her temples. ¡°That may be, but I¡¯m wary to believe Renna¡¯s intentions. Are you certain you weren¡¯t affected by demonic magic?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being looked over.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go to my church in the morning.¡± Sonia looked at me intently. ¡°What will you do if you¡¯re of sound mind?¡±

    I took a moment to think. ¡°I wish¡­ to seek Renna out. She said she was from the Edath region in Ordia before the civil war and wanted to go back. I also know that Lorelei, Markus, and the man they work for¡ªMordwell, I believe his name was¡ªare chasing her down. Lorelei let slip where he hails from and it¡¯s in Ordia. I thought to try at least one of the two places.¡±

    Sonia looked confused ¡°You don¡¯t even know any Ordian!¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Renna taught me some. And I can get a book before I leave.¡± I caught her worried look. ¡°I¡¯ll go to your church tomorrow and prove this idea is completely my own.¡±

    Sonia flinched, then nodded slowly. ¡°Do you still have Mom¡¯s old celesternal set?¡±

    Memories of Cassandra and Sonia playing together flitted across my vision. The ancient Cavenish game had been Cassandra¡¯s favorite as well.

    ¡°I do,¡± I replied softly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to remind your old man of the rules, though.¡±

    ¡°Easy!¡± Sonia replied with a bright smile.

    I couldn¡¯t see the sadness behind the expression, but I could feel it in the way her voice wavered. I kept the hefty celesternal box at the bottom of the locked chest in my room. I¡¯d covered it with all sorts of other things, but the aged carvings and brass accents were in excellent shape, if a bit tarnished.

    Inside was a board with carved wooden pieces and tokens of silver and ivory. Sonia set the game up while I watched quietly. There were two sides to celesternal; the celestials and the infernals. Terms for angels and demons, respectively. Before the Church of Dhias, Cavenish religion held the two as opposing forces, each necessary to balance the other and provide stability to our mortal world.

    Even before the Church of Dhias became the dominant faith, few Cavenish people had still viewed demons as creating any sort of balance. I had to admit, I¡¯d never seen how the old beliefs could make sense. Even if Renna wasn¡¯t like any demon I¡¯d heard of, she was just one drop in an ocean.

    Sonia took the infernal side, as I remembered she always did. One of the pieces was red and had horns that nearly matched her own.

    The rest of the night, she taught me how to play again, and mercilessly destroyed me. I was certain the one victory I almost had was because she started going easy on me, then had second thoughts. I didn¡¯t mind. I enjoyed spending time with my daughter, and I knew Cassandra would approve, wherever she was now.

    ***

    In the morning, Sonia led me to the church, and I was declared free of demonic influence after a short visit with the head priest. To have him see me so quickly, Sonia must have pulled a few favors.

    Before she had to return to get ready for her next day at the church, we stopped and got lunch at a nice outdoor bistro. On the walk there, Sonia looked like something was eating her. I didn¡¯t pry.

    Once we got settled into a corner table away from the others and next to a gorgeous late-flowering purple vine, Sonia quietly spoke up. ¡°Why do you really want to seek her out, Dad?¡±

    I felt her gaze searching me for answers. This time, I met her eyes. They reminded me of Cassandra¡¯s, but set into a face with the complexion of spilt blood. ¡°I know you and other demon-blooded aren¡¯t influenced by their bloodline. If Renna, as a full-blooded demon, does not follow the nature of her kind, I want to know why.¡±

    Sonia¡¯s expression brightened as realization dawned on her. ¡°You want to change how the Church of Dhias views demon-blooded, don¡¯t you!?¡±

    I nodded and smiled. Sonia leaned forward and hugged me across the table. This time I was ready to hug back.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go with you, but I think you should go,¡± my daughter said into my shoulder, then lifted her head. ¡°Just promise me you¡¯ll come back, okay? Even if it¡¯s too dangerous and you don¡¯t get your answers. Please?¡±

    ¡°I will, Sonia,¡± I replied honestly.

    She tightened her embrace. ¡°And you just got here, too! When will you leave?¡±

    ¡°As soon as possible,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first ship I can get to Ordia and decide if I want to go after Lorelei or Renna herself.¡±

    Sonia hummed her assent. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ve caught her already?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Unless I was wrong about Renna, she¡¯ll not be leaving a trail of misery and destruction for them to follow. She also has Seyari with her and something about that woman made me think she knows more than she lets on. I¡¯m certain Seyari had a plan to let them escape.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right, Dad,¡± Sonia said right as our food arrived.

    ¡°Me too,¡± I replied sincerely.

    For the rest of our conversation over lunch we talked about the future, and of Sonia¡¯s rise within the Church. The favors she was able to use for me today had come from the assumption that her rank would soon increase. I was happy for her, and overjoyed that she¡¯d found acceptance and a place to belong.

    Two days later, I caught the fastest ship I could that was bound for Ordia and was on my way to find Renna. Unlike the last time I left, I wasn¡¯t part of a group. Funny how I felt less alone.

 Chapter 54: Tall Pines

    Perspective: Zarenna

    The pine forests of northeast Ordia made me nostalgic for the tall green firs of my homeland. Everything looked like an altered version of the forests I played in as a child. I imagined this far north that the weather would be warmer, but the elevation kept the air cool.

    I walked beside Seyari in my human form. The wet crunch of needles under boots was a familiar, comforting sound. Were it not for our grim goal, I¡¯d be tempted to call the atmosphere fanciful.

    Birdsong and the chittering of squirrels echoed around the trees as we followed an animal path. The sounds of a vibrant forest, even this near to winter, were more than worth the trade-off of looking like a human. I was happy to find I still accepted my human form as me. Accepted, but I preferred the form that wasn¡¯t missing important limbs. The fact I no longer made every animal in the forest hide was one reason why I looked human at the moment. If the forest around us was dead silent when we met people, we¡¯d spook them.

    Given we were approaching late autumn, bears would be fat and ready to hibernate; less likely to attack. Even if one or another predator did, I doubted it would be a problem. Seyari had said the bears here were smaller than the ones I was familiar with back home.

    We weren¡¯t likely to be hunted, but we were likely to run into hunters. A lot of animals had their winter coats, and fur trappers would be in the area. If we wanted a fire, and we wanted to be able to relax, I had to be ready to be noticed and interact with humans at a moment¡¯s notice.

    I doubted a quick shift into human form and a ¡®sorry, my bad¡¯ would fix a first impression. Even if many of the folk in these parts didn¡¯t ascribe closely with the Church of Dhias, demons were understandably maligned.

    To keep up appearances, Seyari had finally managed to get a black dye to take to her hair. From what she told me, keeping her angelic half from burning it away was a matter of changing her mental image of herself to have black hair. She¡¯d done the same with darkening her eyes. Despite her admitted expertise in the art of disguise, I caught a silvery sheen to her hair, and the glow from her eyes was faintly visible in shadow.

    We¡¯d decided against such a treatment for me. My height was a dead giveaway to anyone looking, so changing my hair or eye color wouldn¡¯t matter. We only wanted to disguise that we were anything other than human. Although, our cover story involved me having a small amount of ogre blood in me if anyone asked after my height. I didn¡¯t think that sort of thing was possible. Seyari didn¡¯t know either, but we both figured it was an easy enough lie to pass. We probably wouldn¡¯t meet anyone who¡¯d claim to be an expert on that subject, anyway.

    On top of that, we needed to have an excuse for why we were out here. The best we could do was claim to be explorers, try to trade for trapping gear as soon as possible, and then change ¡®occupation¡¯. We¡¯d decided on ¡®looking for lost era ruins¡¯. If anyone asked, we¡¯d point to the sword, and say the site we found had nothing else left.

    The final piece of our thrown-together plan was another pair of fake names. This time, I was Lana and Seyari was Valerie. I insisted on calling her Val.

    We walked for several days before we saw any sign of people. We¡¯d been skirting the edge of a small meadow that was annoyingly full of waist-high brambles, when Seyari stopped and pointed.

    I looked where she indicated and saw a thin trail of smoke twist and break lazily up into the air. The hour was late enough that sunset had begun to tint the sky orange. In any normal situation we would have made camp by now, but with the lack of danger we¡¯d opted for later camp times.

    Someone else didn¡¯t feel the same way. Whoever they were, the smoke looked to be just past the opposite edge of the meadow.

    ¡°Do we want to talk to them tonight or try to find them tomorrow?¡± I asked Seyari quietly.

    She looked at the sky and frowned. ¡°Tonight. Camping this close would be suspicious, even if we should have set up already.¡±

    Her voice had none of the musical quality she¡¯d had right after she revealed herself as a half-angel. She¡¯d been practicing for days to hide it, and has succeeded as far as I could tell.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just tell them we saw smoke and wanted to talk with them before setting up. I know hunters and trappers don¡¯t like other groups working the same area.¡± I looked over the choked field. ¡°I¡¯d bet they¡¯re trapping something in there if they¡¯re not hunting.¡±

    I had some experience with hunters and trappers. Linthel was close enough to the southern wildlands that I¡¯d learned a bit about the trade from acquaintances. Most of them came through Bourick¡¯s shop looking for skinning knives and shared their complaints with the amiable blacksmith.

    I hoped he was doing okay. I can¡¯t imagine he was killed that night given where Abby and I had run into him. He was another item on the list for when I finally made it home. Part of me still worried I didn¡¯t deserve to call it home anymore, but I squashed the negative thoughts down easily.

    I turned to Seyari, who looked bemused.

    ¡°I already said ¡®sure¡¯, Lana,¡± she said, then met my eyes. ¡°Everything okay?¡±

    I returned her gaze and smiled genuinely. ¡°Yep! I just remembered something from my past. Something good to look forward too, for once.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s disguised brown eyes turned away. ¡°Yeah, for once.¡± She coughed softly. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go see if we can get directions to a nearby town from them.¡±

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    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be suspicious if we appeared lost?¡± I asked, tapping a horn but finding only air. I frowned and lowered my hand.

    ¡°Who says we have to appear lost?¡± Seyari said with a wink.

    I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, good point. You want to do the talking?¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°Either way¡¯s fine by me. For all your terrible jokes you¡¯re not bad at reading people.¡±

    ¡°Aww, thanks!¡± I gave her a quick side hug.

    Seyari leaned into it for a moment then pulled away and turned. She mumbled something under her breath I was probably meant to catch. My hearing wasn¡¯t quite there when transformed, but I could easily guess it was a halfhearted insult. Seyari was sweet in her own prickly way.

    We started to walk around toward the campfire smoke.

    ¡°We¡¯re a couple, right Val?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°We might be less accepted out here than in other parts of Ordia, but as long as we¡¯re not all over each other, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°But I just can¡¯t keep my hands off you!¡± I teased, then followed up with a whisper. ¡°All four of them.¡±

    I made a mock grabbing motion and giggled.

    Seyari blushed. ¡°Yeah, okay, you¡¯re not handsy. Point taken. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I nodded in agreement and our conversation turned to the weather while we approached. It wouldn¡¯t do to walk in on whoever was there unannounced. The trees on this side of the meadow were shorter, and their bare lower branches obscured sight and restricted movement in the direction of the camp.

    We had just gotten in view of the campsite, when a masculine voice called out for us to halt. I heard footsteps crunching on pine needles ahead of us. I could make out where the voice¡¯s source was, but I couldn¡¯t see them clearly through the dense, prickly branches. I could see two tents pitched around a campfire, but not in great detail.

    ¡°Hello!¡± I called back. ¡°We don¡¯t want any trouble!¡±

    ¡°Neither do we,¡± the voice called back, source moving so they could see me. ¡°But I have to ask why you¡¯re out here. You wouldn¡¯t be poaching our hunting ground, would you?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I shouted, moving closer myself. ¡°We¡¯re explorers just passing through looking to get back to civilization.¡±

    Another step closer, and I could finally see the man who¡¯d spoken. He looked about thirty, broad-shouldered and rather tall. His features were of a vaguely familiar bent to me, though I couldn¡¯t place the dark hair and eyes as anything other than ¡®north Ordian¡¯. He looked the part of someone on an extended trip in the woods; a bit dirty and unshaven, but not unkempt.

    He looked us over as well. I didn¡¯t miss the places his gaze seemed to get stuck on. We were still a good ten meters away.

    ¡°What¡¯re a fine pair of lasses like yourselves doing so far out in the woods?¡± The man asked in a sweeter tone of voice.

    ¡°Exploring, like Lana said,¡± Seyari replied smoothly. ¡°We¡¯re headed back now and saw your fire. We wanted to make sure you knew we were out here too, and weren¡¯t poaching your kills.¡±

    The man laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about you two poaching anything. I¡¯m worried about you both being out here alone. The deep woods are dangerous, even this time of year. Oh, and I¡¯m Ned, by the way.¡±

    ¡°We can take care of ourselves,¡± I asserted, looking to my spear and to Seyari¡¯s blade. ¡°You already know I¡¯m Lana, and this is Valerie.¡± I gestured to Seyari who softened her face from the glare that¡¯d set in.

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Ned smiled and waved off what I said with a gesture. ¡°If you two fine ladies want to make camp next to ours, Jacob and I will make sure you stay safe. You¡¯re also welcome to join us by the fire tonight, and maybe after. We¡¯ve got meat from kills that needs to be eaten soon or made into jerky.¡±

    I felt a slow rise of anger from Seyari. Nothing serious, but given that I¡¯d not appreciated his tone either, I¡¯d been looking for it. Despite my reservations, I looked to Seyari and nodded. Jerk or not, Ned didn¡¯t seem to me like he meant us harm.

    ¡°We¡¯ll camp next to you, but we¡¯ll set our own watch,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°If you have extra meat, we can trade for rations.¡±

    Seyari had a point. We weren¡¯t out yet, but the pickings had gotten slim the last few days, and there wasn¡¯t much around for foraging. If we could save time by not needing to hunt, that would be worth the money.

    The man motioned for us to approach and we did. ¡°Fine by me, but if you want some company, don¡¯t¡­ whoa.¡± He stopped when I got close enough for him to realize how tall I was. ¡°Damn girl, what¡¯d your parents feed you?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Meat, mostly.¡±

    Not entirely a lie, but not the truth either. Anyway, he seemed to buy the joke as an excuse and didn¡¯t question us further. He went back to his camp and I saw him talking with another, more wiry man. Jacob, I assumed.

    Seyari and I found a flat spot a dozen or so meters away and began to set up our own camp. I set down the packs and waited, but my partner didn¡¯t use her magic to sweep the needles away from where we wanted to put our tent. I gave her a look, and she responded with a side eye towards the other camp and a shake of her head. I nodded.

    Understandable. I didn¡¯t trust Ned or Jacob either, although that might be unfair to Jacob.

    Instinctively, I wanted to use my tail to sweep the needles away. I only just barely caught myself from transforming.

    Well, if people talked first and demons didn¡¯t trick them, this wouldn¡¯t be a problem!

    I grumbled to myself and looked about for something I could use that wasn¡¯t my two hands. I found a branch of decent length and used it to sweep the area clean. Or at least as clean as packed dirt could be. Seyari took our money pouch and hid it somewhere on her person. I mimed using a flint fire-starter and got a fire going. Within minutes, our camp was ready.

    I looked over to the other campsite, mostly visible through the trees. The firs were much older and taller here, and with a lack of undergrowth, the forest was somewhat open. Ned and Jacob sat on a log by the fire talking. I could hear the sounds of conversation, but I couldn¡¯t make out any words.

    I turned to Seyari. ¡°You said ¡®trade¡¯. What do we have to trade for food? Unless you¡¯ve been hiding something, all we have is a dagger, my dress, travel gear, other clothing, and our own food.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t have much besides money, but we can pay for it so long as we don¡¯t look rich.¡± She showed me a coin pouch I¡¯d seen her fiddling with. Inside was a moderate amount of money.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re explorers. It¡¯d be more suspicious if we seemed broke.¡± Seyari put the pouch back.

    ¡°Fair point.¡± I thought a moment. ¡°You said ¡®trade¡¯ instead of ¡®buy¡¯ so they wouldn¡¯t think we were rich. Smart.¡±

    Seyari tried to shrug off my realization and compliment. I could tell from the way her smile tried and failed to leave that she felt at least a little happy at the praise.

    The two of us walked over to Ned and Jacob¡¯s camp. I waved and the two of them waved back. I saw a pot over the fire and could smell something cooking. My stomach rumbled.

    Seyari and I still needed to get directions to the nearest town. Ideally, we¡¯d be able to do that without appearing lost.

    As we approached, Ned gave us a friendly look, but Jacob¡¯s eyes stuck firmly to my chest. The leering, wiry, man had the same features as Ned, but more hawkish and with brown hair instead of black.

    I hoped Jacob was just an awkward person, but doubt crept into my mind. I weighed warm food against social discomfort. So far, food was winning, but I¡¯d see how the conversation went before making a final decision. We hadn¡¯t met anyone so far, aside from Malich, who was truly rotten. I hoped the same was true here.

    Maybe they¡¯d both turn out to be nice and we¡¯d enjoy a pleasant evening chatting?

 Chapter 55: All Kinds

    I didn¡¯t like Jacob. The entire time Seyari was haggling the price for a weeks¡¯ worth of food, he stared at me across the fire pit. The sun set, negotiations finished, and he¡¯d only looked away when Ned addressed him.

    I tried to pay attention to how Seyari argued for a price, but wasn¡¯t fully able to. She started with relative items for bartering, then used those items value to suggest a price. I weighed in a few times, once to confirm that, yes, I do eat a lot, and the other times just to distract myself.

    Once Ned and Seyari shook on a deal, I spoke up. ¡°Hey, Jacob, was it? Everything alright?¡±

    He jumped a bit as if startled, then quickly replied. ¡°Yeah, fine. Great, actually. Lonely out here in the woods, though. Right?¡±

    Seyari sat next to me and I wrapped an arm around her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Ned seems like a good friend though.¡± I looked to the other hunter. He at least had the ¡®good grace¡¯ to discreetly peek at my chest.

    I felt anger rising from Jacob when I held Seyari close to my side and she leaned into it. Surprisingly, I also felt a pulse from Ned. My human transformation dulled my senses, and limited my magical and physical abilities, but my ability to sense anger felt no different. I wanted to let my mind wander and wonder about why that might be, but I couldn¡¯t get comfortable enough.

    Jacob frowned and glanced at the other trapper. ¡°Ned¡¯s a good friend. But there¡¯s a certain kind of companionship we¡¯re missing.¡±

    ¡°Shame about that.¡± Seyari replied tersely. ¡°So, what¡¯s for dinner?¡±

    ¡°And thanks for letting us join in,¡± I added quickly, looking at Ned.

    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Ned replied with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t mind Jacob. We¡¯ll be out here a while yet and he¡¯s homesick.¡±

    I did mind Jacob, but I minded the sharp anger hidden behind Ned¡¯s smile even more. The more cordial of the two hunters had me worried. Not so much for what they might try to do, but more for what I should or shouldn¡¯t do to them.

    Best just to hope they¡¯re lonely and creepy and don¡¯t like that Seyari and I are a couple. I didn¡¯t agree with what I assumed to be their views, but that was no reason on its own to get violent.

    ¡°I can understand that,¡± I nodded politely. ¡°Val and I are eager to get home ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯re you two from?¡± Ned asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m from Rochewood, and Lana¡¯s from Linthel,¡± Seyari answered coolly.

    I knew of Rochewood. Famous as the home of the imperial mint, the city was the largest in the Empire¡¯s northeast. Most all of Ordia¡¯s coins came from there, and the region was responsible for much of the Empire¡¯s mineral wealth.

    ¡°How about you, Ned? Where are you and Jacob from?¡± I turned the question back on him in an attempt to get information.

    ¡°We¡¯re both from Stansend,¡± Ned replied. ¡°But we base ourselves out of Bramble Valley for the winter. If you folks are headed that way, you could let them know we¡¯re going to come back with a few more furs than normal this season.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t heard of either town Ned mentioned. Aside from the major city of Rochewood, the mines in Coppervale, and Seyari¡¯s former home in Pinewold, I didn¡¯t know much about this part of Ordia. The Empire was a big place, and Edath was far to the southwest, across the Empire of Ordia¡¯s central region.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Seyari said carefully, leaning forward slightly. ¡°We¡¯ve business in Lockmoth, and I don¡¯t remember the name of the nearest town southwest of here, but that¡¯s where we¡¯re headed.¡±

    Lockmoth was to the southwest and Rochewood the southeast. Seyari¡¯s reply made sense, but, strangely, I felt a spike of anger from Ned. Jacob broke his leer for a moment to give Ned a confused look. Ned gave him a side-eyed look and the other man looked down into the fire and away from me for a few blissful moments.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright then.¡± Ned said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure Bramble Valley won¡¯t be too troubled if we bring in a few extra furs for trade.¡±

    ¡°The place we¡¯re going to is pretty small. If we could get a caravan out of Bramblevale, we might want to go there instead.¡± Seyari remarked. She tried to seem offhanded, but I knew enough about her to see the tension in her posture as she leaned back and met Ned¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Bramblevale¡¯s a decent-sized town, so they might have what you need. I can draw you up a rough map in the morning. The closest place southwest of here is barely a hamlet,¡± Ned offered. I felt his anger start to fade.

    My empathic powers may have been limited to a single emotion with no indication of source or target, but I was finding them increasingly useful. I just had to pay attention and putting a picture together usually wasn¡¯t hard. This time, however, I didn¡¯t quite get it when Seyari¡¯s anger flashed brightly before dulling into a hot smolder.

    I thought about what had been said between Seyari and Ned, trying to find a connection to my partner¡¯s anger.

    Seyari¡¯s lips drew into a thin line. ¡°That sounds lovely.¡±

    Wait a second. Bramble Valley. Bramblevale.

    Seyari¡¯d messed up the town name on purpose and Ned hadn¡¯t caught it. What I didn¡¯t understand yet, was why he¡¯d given us a fake town name. To see if we were telling the truth? If we were lost? I wanted clarification, but I couldn¡¯t exactly ask Seyari in front of the other two. By her anger alone, I could tell she thought something serious was going on.

    My own intuition and empathy had been giving me the creeps over these two already. Now, I knew something was up. Seyari and Ned had broken eye contact, but neither spoke. Jacob stopped leering at me to look over the cookpot at Ned.

    ¡°Is the stew ready?¡± I asked with feigned innocence. ¡°It smells great!¡±

    ¡°Should be.¡± Jacob broke his long silence. He leaned forward and checked under the lid, stirring a metal spoon around.

    I hadn¡¯t lied about the smell. Simple, but all I wanted was something warm and filling. Seyari and I had been traveling nonstop and I¡¯d not had anything cooked since the fish by the ruins. Jacob dished the stew into bowls that Ned handed us. I was glad for the warm stew, because the night was shaping up to be bitterly cold. Ned and Jacob¡¯s camp was out of the wind and I hoped ours was the same.

    Conversation over the shared meal continued to be awkward. Seyari and I gave away little of ourselves, and large Ned gave away even less about him and wiry Jacob. The latter rarely talked, but the food at least got him to stop staring. Jacob propositioned us again, this time more explicitly, but after a firm denial and a look from Ned, he kept quiet.

    I could feel anger burning steadily in Jacob. Ned¡¯s cooled anger only grew hotter and hotter as the evening went on.

    I wanted to ask after the name of the town to the southwest, but I wouldn¡¯t trust Ned anymore. Maybe it was an honest mistake, but I doubted it. I also wanted directions, which I wouldn¡¯t trust. Ugh. I ended up eating a larger portion than was polite while I stewed in my thoughts.

    The sun set and while we¡¯d eaten and secured some additional food, I felt like we hadn¡¯t made any progress. We had confirmation there was a small town of some sort to the southwest. Maybe. Ned could be lying about that, too. I couldn¡¯t tell lies from truth.

    But a certain half-angel could.

    I waited until we were at our campsite. I shifted my ears back to normal to see if I could hear the two men. I heard enough movement to know they were still at their camp.

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    ¡°Is there really a town to the southwest?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°A close one anyway. Obviously, there¡¯s a town somewhere southwest of us.¡±

    Seyari nodded. I could see her eyes glowing very faintly in the dark. Like a cat with a thin veil over its eyes.

    ¡°What was with the fake town name?¡± I followed up my own question and shifted my ears to human. ¡°Ned was lying to us, right?¡±

    Seyari sighed softly and poked the coals with a stick. ¡°Ned was definitely lying. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯d make up a fake town. Either they wanted us to go somewhere, or they wanted to see how lost we were. Both options suck.¡±

    I remembered the wiry man¡¯s surprised expression. ¡°Jacob wasn¡¯t in on the fake town part, I don¡¯t think.¡±

    ¡°Ned¡¯s the brains between the two.¡± Seyari looked up at me. ¡°Not like that¡¯s saying a lot.¡±

    ¡°You think he didn¡¯t notice his own slip-up?¡± I tilted my head.

    ¡°We can hope.¡± Seyari frowned. ¡°We definitely let them know we¡¯re not totally sure where we are, though.¡±

    I nodded.

    Seyari glanced back at their camp. ¡°Ned was looking at the sword. He probably thinks we¡¯re hiding wealth.¡±

    I followed my partner¡¯s gaze. My eyes, even transformed, could see better than I remember being able to as a human. Probably not as well as the half-angel¡¯s right now. I saw a vague figure sitting by the small, intermittent glow of cooling coals. From this distance, I couldn¡¯t get a clear read on their anger. I felt something, that much was certain.

    ¡°What do you think they¡¯ll do?¡± I turned back to look at our own tent.

    I¡¯d become an expert at putting up and taking down camp, but I wasn¡¯t used to doing it quickly with only two arms. Winter was coming as well and while we¡¯d avoided snow in the foothills, it was only a matter of time, and the cold night only made that clearer.

    I didn¡¯t want to lose our tent. I especially didn¡¯t want to lose our tent because two trappers decided to do something they¡¯d seriously regret.

    Seyari shrugged ¡°Not sure. I think they¡¯ll either do nothing, try to rob us, or worse.¡±

    Or worse.

    I shuddered involuntarily. I thought back to Jacob¡¯s leering gaze. No way he¡¯d try anything, right? I remembered how the wiry man had jolted when I stood up after eating. He saw how much larger I was. Ned was bigger than Seyari, but barely came up to my shoulders. We were also armed and supplied; they had to know we were capable.

    Despite the fact I knew the two men couldn¡¯t overpower me; I still felt a twinge of fear.

    Seyari reached over and squeezed my hand.

    I squeezed back and smiled down at her. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You looked like you needed it.¡± Seyari returned the smile, but the expression was forlorn on a hard-set face. ¡°Hopefully they won¡¯t do anything stupid. We don¡¯t look inexperienced.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hopefully. Probably,¡± I replied distantly.

    What if the only reason we aren¡¯t robbed or worse is because they don¡¯t think they can take us? What if someone more vulnerable runs into them?

    ¡°Hey Val?¡± I whispered as quietly as I could.

    ¡°Yeah, Lana?¡± Seyari studied my expression. ¡°You have your ¡®moral dilemma¡¯ face on.¡±

    ¡°What if they don¡¯t do anything to us, but do something later to someone more vulnerable than us? They¡¯re suspicious and creepy, but that¡¯s just a presumption and I don¡¯t want to judge someone like that. I don¡¯t want to be anywhere near those two, but I want to be sure. But I don¡¯t want to slow us down, and I¡¯m probably just¡ª¡±

    Seyari pressed a finger against my lips. ¡°Stop. You can¡¯t predict everything. You can¡¯t stop every bad thing from happening.¡±

    I frowned and took a breath, intending to cut Seyari off.

    ¡°But!¡± She interjected and stopped me, finger still on my lips. ¡°You helped teach me that you can always choose to be the better person. And you can always try. We¡¯ll try to find out tomorrow if they might rob others. We can give them a scare if we think so, and warn anyone we come across.¡±

    I waited a moment to make sure Seyari was done. I assumed she was when she removed her finger from my lips.

    I leaned down and whispered directly into her ear. ¡°What if we are absolutely certain they¡¯d do something much worse than robbery if given a chance?¡± I didn¡¯t think those two would do anything like that, but my mind jumped to the scenario.

    Seyari¡¯s expression went dark and she turned to me, motioning for me to lean my ear toward her. ¡°If we find that out, then we kill them.¡±

    I shivered, but not from the cold. Slowly, I nodded.

    I¡¯d killed people before. But each of those times was in the heat of a moment. This time, similar though it may end up being, would be different if we fought. Ned and Jacob hadn¡¯t done anything so far, at least not enough to warrant talking about hurting them, let alone acting on anything. Even if they did, I¡¯d want conclusive evidence.

    I really, fervently, hoped we¡¯d clear everything up in the morning and leave the creepy pair on their own. I¡¯d definitely tell Jacob off for leering at me before we left. Part of me, a part I¡¯d conquered and made my own, wanted them to try something heinous.

    ***

    I took first watch, and stayed in human guise. I longed for my full demon vision and hearing, but I couldn¡¯t have either without changing my appearance. I tried changing my ears on the inside, but not the outside, and couldn¡¯t make it work. My demonic eyes glowed softly, and I didn¡¯t want to risk them being seen through the trees. So, I got to enjoy the faint sounds of the night mostly blind and mostly deaf. Stupid idea, in hindsight.

    Our fire had died down to barely smoking ashes, and I could no longer make out the other camp. Sometime after Seyari had gone to sleep, clouds had moved in and taken the night from dark to pitch black.

    Still, I focused my watch in the direction of the other camp. As my watch wore on, my thoughts drifted and I found myself stuck on other moral dilemmas. Looking where I was, distracted, and with dulled senses, I barely heard rapid footsteps behind me in time to react.

    Were I not in human form, I would have had enough time to turn and face whoever it was. The figure that grabbed me was large. My body, even in human guise, was ready to react immediately. My mind, however, had a moment of shock that gave me pause. I really hadn¡¯t expected those two to attack us.

    A large hand dragged a sharp blade across my throat. The cut wasn¡¯t as deep as it should have been given the force I was sure my opponent was trying to apply. Even still, the blade bit in and blood welled up.

    My throat felt like it¡¯d been crushed and my next breath wheezed. The man, wrapping one arm tightly around me, moved a rough hand over my mouth and tried to shove me to the ground.

    I wasn¡¯t going to let him.

    I dropped my transformation and used my lower arms to pry his arm off me. I expected resistance, but the man was impossibly weak. I wrapped my tail around his legs and spun him to face me, pulling his hand off my mouth with my newly-freed upper arms.

    With my night vision restored, I saw Ned¡¯s face. His expression went from grim to shocked. I felt a spike of anger from him. I used my tail and two hands to pin his legs and arms.

    ¡°D-de¡ª¡±

    I clapped a third hand over his mouth. ¡°Where¡¯s Jacob?¡±

    My words came out raspy, but I could already feel the slash across my throat healing. My blood sizzled as it dripped on his shirt.

    He tried to speak.

    I kept my hand on his mouth and shook my head. ¡°Point.¡±

    He pointed to the tent.

    I flicked my eyes over to it and saw motion from inside.

    Oh no.

    I pushed myself to move as fast as I could, throwing Ned aside. He hit the ground hard. His scream reached the tent after me.

    I tore open the flap and ducked inside. Jacob¡¯s dark form was crouched low over Seyari. He had a knife in one hand and rope in the other. The wiry creep jolted at Ned¡¯s scream, but didn¡¯t even have time to look my way before I picked him up and threw him bodily out of the tent. He flew out of the torn flap and crashed somewhere outside.

    I leaned over Seyari. The screams must have woken her because she was up in an instant. A burst of wind tore a hole in the tent, narrowly missing my head. Outside, Jacob shouted.

    Seyari looked up and saw me, sans human transformation. ¡°Fuck. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Ned and Jacob attacked.¡± I offered a hand to help her up.

    She took the proffered hand and stood, still fully clothed. ¡°You okay?¡± She looked to the blood burning into my clothes around my collar.

    I felt the now-unmarked skin of my neck. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Seyari nodded and we dashed outside. I could see Ned running with a limp in one direction and Jacob stumbling in another.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the thin creep,¡± Seyari stated, looking in Jacob¡¯s direction.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get Ned.¡± I turned and took off after the man who¡¯d only managed to get a dozen or so meters away from our camp.

    I expected Seyari to take off running. Instead, I heard a snap of air and a scream that cut itself off the same instant it started.

    I reached Ned moments later. I grabbed his hand, but not with enough force to break his wrist.

    He struggled, screaming ¡®demon¡¯ at the top of his lungs.

    I pulled him closer. For all he looked to be straining, I felt hardly any resistance. I clapped a hand over his mouth again. He screamed into it.

    ¡°Shut. Up.¡± I shouted back at him. A command, not a request.

    For a moment, that worked. His anger tried to rise up. I ripped it out. He resisted, but I didn¡¯t care. Ned went limp in my arms for a moment before he sucked in a slow breath.

    ¡°Why did you try to kill me?¡± I asked with a growl.

    ¡°D-D-Demon,¡± Ned stuttered. ¡°I-I won¡¯t let you have my s-soul!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your soul,¡± I answered honestly.

    I wanted to say I¡¯d let him live if he had a good reason. I didn¡¯t. Jacob was dead, and Ned had tried to kill me for no good reason.

    ¡°Lies. You lying bitch.¡± Ned made an odd expression as I assumed he tried to feel anger and couldn¡¯t. ¡°Why else would you sluts tempt me and Jacob? Two beautiful women, rich and alone and far from home. I knew it was too good to be true. You acted queer just to tempt us further, didn¡¯t you? It would¡¯ve been so easy to¡ª¡±

    Ned¡¯s babbling cut off when I snapped his neck. I didn¡¯t need to hear the rest.

    Holding the man¡¯s body in the air with one hand, I called upon my magic, hot and furious. Flames roared over the corpse, bright light causing shadows between the trees to dance wildly. I turned up the heat until the flames turned white, with only a faint tinge of crimson.

    I burned the bastard¡¯s body to ash.

    I walked part of the way back to camp and looked for Jacob¡¯s body. I found it, headless, and burned it to ash as well. When I was done, I stomped back to our camp.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Seyari¡¯s voice was soft with concern. No remorse.

    I thought a moment and realized I didn¡¯t feel any either. I took a shuddering breath. ¡°Bad.¡±

    I knew neither of us would sleep tonight.

 Chapter 56: Lumber Mill

    Seyari and I talked through the night. Mostly about our pasts, but really about anything we could that would take our minds off what had happened. Seyari said she was doing it for me, but I doubted she was unbothered by death. Even after everything Yothariel did, Seyari still tensed up when she spoke of killing.

    Come dawn, I changed my clothes for new ones without the extra holes my arms and tail had punched out last night. I hadn¡¯t noticed until we packed everything up. Our tent had a skylight now, and the entrance flap had a slice down it. I tried my best to ignore the two piles of ash that had once been people.

    Before we left, we searched the camp of the would-be murderers. I wanted to know why they¡¯d do something like this. We found nothing except a few furs prepped for proper tanning. Any reasons or troubles they had, well, they took them to the grave.

    In a morbid way I was happy the events of last night bothered me as much as they did. I wasn¡¯t losing empathy. The pirates I¡¯d killed knew they¡¯d put their lives on the line. Malich was thoroughly, obviously rotten, to the point where even his own people viewed him with barely veiled distaste. He, twisted as he was, also knew the stakes when he kidnapped Nelys and tried to enslave me.

    Ned and Jacob were trappers, at least somewhat successful ones, and we had given them no good reason to go after us. I didn¡¯t understand why they would try to kill us.

    Well, not really.

    I understood why.

    I just¡­ really, really didn¡¯t want to believe they¡¯d attacked us for no reason other than money and perverse desires.

    Their camp had some coins and intact single tents, as well as an array of survival gear and food. I wanted to leave everything and just get away. Seyari took the money. Ordian currency would be nice to have, and they¡¯d tried to kill me, so I didn¡¯t argue.

    ***

    We walked southwest for three more days before we found anything. The terrain had gotten rough as well, particularly a slew of ravines whose bottoms ran nearly dry and whose sides were so steep that I had to give up my human guise to help us cross. We debated following the water, but with how many rivers and streams were in this part of Ordia, and how few towns there were, a steady direction toward people was our most reliable option.

    Worst case scenario, we overshoot our goal.

    The terrain did confirm that the hunters-turned-attempted-murderers we¡¯d met must have come from the other direction. We wanted to avoid going where they had come from, even if the chance of having to answer hard questions was low. So, we continued on the hard way across ridgelines, avoiding the streams that could take us to civilization, for now.

    The late morning of the third day, I¡¯d hoped we¡¯d finally come upon a town. We began to see cut stumps interspersed among the trees. By afternoon, we were fighting through and around clusters of young dense pines growing in a clear-cut area. We followed the denser young trees with the hope of finding people. The daylight was still strong when we pushed into a clearing and my hopes were dashed.

    There had been people here, at one point. Now, the lumber camp we found ourselves in was derelict. Brambles overtook the main buildings and a stack of timber to one side had become a composite nurse log for the next generation. At the edge of the clearing, a clear, fast-moving creek rushed over the fallen remains of a waterwheel.

    ¡°Abandoned,¡± Seyari said into the stillness. ¡°We could find a road or follow the water to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shhh!¡± I held a finger to my lips, then whispered. ¡°Listen.¡±

    Seyari looked surprised for a moment, then nodded and closed her eyes.

    I gave a half smile. Just because I didn¡¯t often take initiative didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t when I needed to! Most of the time. Around us, only the sound of rushing water broke the still and silent air.

    ¡°The forest is silent,¡± Seyari whispered, looking up at me.

    I gave a wide smile, then frowned. What was even the point of teeth in a smile if they weren¡¯t at least slightly intimidating?

    I looked around cautiously. ¡°Something here¡¯s scared everything off. And for once, it isn¡¯t me.¡± I took my spear from the strap on my back and held it by my side.

    I would say the weight felt comforting, but I wasn¡¯t skilled enough to make that sort of comment. I knew what my best weapons were. My spear was not yet one of them.

    ¡°Careful then,¡± Seyari said quietly. She kept the damaged sword at her side, but held her hands ready. ¡°We¡¯ll need to deal with it if it¡¯s a threat, unless we want to spend another night awake and moving.¡±

    Cautiously and quietly, we made our way over to and behind the old log pile. I shifted my ears and eyes back to normal. At a distance, they¡¯d be difficult to notice, even if my pointed ears poked slightly out of my hair. I¡¯d taken to wearing my long black hair in a ponytail, unwilling to give in to the practicality of cutting it.

    We slowly circled the camp opposite the river and largest buildings. Dense young trees formed a thick wall around the old timber mill. We could clearly see the river now, and it wasn¡¯t large enough for moving logs. That meant they had to be taken at least part of the way by road.

    We crept along in silence. I tried to piece together why the place was abandoned, but couldn¡¯t. The soles of my boots annoyed me; I couldn¡¯t be certain of the sound I was making with each step.

    Timber was a big industry back in Edath, even if the wood from our trees wasn¡¯t as valued as the hardwood from elsewhere in Ordia. My father had been a carpenter. I¡¯d little interest in woodworking, but I picked up a few things about it. A pang of sadness brushed over my thoughts. I¡¯d long since mourned the deaths of my parents, but I¡¯d never truly gotten closure.

    I¡¯d find closure. Soon. We were in Ordia and I had a hunch where my parents were buried in Linthel.

    From my limited knowledge, I could guess there were too many buildings here for a simple sawmill. This place must have turned logs into usable lumber on-site.

    Why would this place be abandoned?

    I could easily have been wrong, but I imagined there was still large timber within easy reach of this place. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, couldn¡¯t other, smaller, camps have been built?

    I would have kept wondering about the history of this place, but Seyari and I had run out of cover. To our left, the trees thinned into what may have been the opening to an old road.

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    Ahead of me, Seyari looked out from the partially collapsed outbuilding we had hidden behind. She froze, then pulled her head back slowly.

    Quietly, and quickly, she placed her hand over my mouth and pointed me to look for myself. I crept forward, crouched low, and stuck my head around the rotting building. I left space for my horns without realizing I didn¡¯t have them right now.

    This side of the main building was a partially burned wreck. Plants failed to grow over the collapsed debris, giving the scene an unnatural bent. Standing outside was the reason why Seyari had called for a halt. A big, ugly wolf.

    I¡¯d seen illustrations of wolves before, and part-wolf dogs in town. The thing sniffing the air was no normal wolf. The canine¡¯s form was twisted and blackened. Part fur part char. The creature was alive, but didn¡¯t look the part.

    I felt the breeze around me kick up and swirl gently. Seyari must have been using her magic to keep our scent away.

    I switched to aura sight. The burnt wolf thing had a very faint aura that struck me as odd. I realized it wasn¡¯t moving the way a person¡¯s aura normally moved. I chanced a quick glance down to my spear. The spear had the same static feel to it. The aura wasn¡¯t the wolf¡¯s own.

    Another twisted wolf came from out if the collapsed building, then a third. I was willing to bet the ruin was their den. Before they could notice me, I pulled my head back into cover and stood up.

    I looked to Seyari and she pointed to a nearby gap in the trees.

    I shook my head and held up three fingers, then pointed in the direction of the wolves.

    Seyari swore under her breath.

    I hefted my spear and met her gaze. I wanted this fight. Those things were unnatural.

    Seyari frowned and knitted her brow. After a moment she nodded.

    I smiled back with human teeth. I shifted my ears and eyes to human as well. My normal form was there if I needed it.

    I crouched behind cover and took a glance back toward the ruined main building. I counted a fourth wolf thing now. The four of them had dispersed, trying to sniff us out. Seyari¡¯s spell kept us hidden for the moment. I waited for the nearest wolf to look away, then jumped out of cover and charged.

    My body felt slower than normal when I pushed it, but I¡¯d expected that. Days of practice while we walked helped me keep my balance without the counterweight of my tail.

    The burned wolf noticed me before I was upon it. Uttering a dry, stuttering growl, it spun and dashed in low.

    I thrust my spear forward and caught the twisted wolf in the shoulder. The thing¡¯s blood was off-colored and thick.

    My opponent growled and struggled, twisting my spear before I remembered to pull it free. Around me, answered calls came from the other burned wolves. More cries than three. I heard wind lash behind me. One of the cries cut into a gurgling warble.

    I held another thrust ready. The simple enchanted tip of my spear gleamed from under the dark blood coating it. The wolf, seemingly uncaring of its injured shoulder, leapt right at me.

    My spear moved in a blur. I aimed for its mouth, but missed high. The point scraped along the skull before burying itself in the eye. I held my arms firm, surprised by either its strength or a lack of my own.

    Without a tail to balance, I had to take a half step back to avoid being knocked over. The force of the wolf¡¯s own leap drove the spear into its skull. Rapid sounds behind me announced the arrival of the twisted wolf¡¯s allies.

    The wolf on my spear spasmed. I pushed it deeper and kicked behind me. My foot caught another burned wolf mid-leap. A blast of wind knocked a third to the side.

    I used momentum of my kick to spin around. The motion twisted the dying wolf on my spear. Something snapped and it went limp.

    I pulled the spear out, and fired a stream of fire at the wolf I¡¯d kicked. The flames weren¡¯t my hottest, and the already burned creature didn¡¯t seem to pay them any mind. Its fur caught and crackled.

    I turned from Seyari¡¯s victim to see her leaping over to me. Wind magic assisted her flight and she landed beside me. Three more twisted wolves were hot on her heels.

    We moved to cover each other, but were surrounded in a moment. A late straggler joined, leaving us fighting six wolves, one of which was on fire and didn¡¯t seem to care.

    I turned to Seyari, but the wolves gave me no time to speak. In unison, they jumped on us. I caught one with my spear and blocked another¡¯s jaws with my forearm. The burned wolf¡¯s teeth dug in painfully.

    A burst of wind sent two crashing into each other. Seyari managed to block a third with the chipped ancient sword, but the last latched onto her leg. She grunted in pain, then screamed in agony.

    Suddenly, playing human wasn¡¯t appealing. I rapidly altered another shirt as I dropped my human transformation. Suddenly, the wolves were much slower than I was.

    I ripped the throat out of the one that had my arm with a free hand¡¯s claws. A second limb and a twist of force drove the spear clean through the torso of the one I¡¯d stuck. I ripped my weapon back out and spun my tail around to catch another midair.

    I felt and heard its bones snapping. The body flew several meters away. Before it had landed, I¡¯d speared another wolf. Again, I missed my mark. Reflexes can¡¯t make up for training. This time, the hit was grazing and no amount of force would change that.

    The wolf jumped back, and I turned from it to Seyari. Holy light filled my vision for a moment. The twisted wolf that had latched onto Seyari¡¯s leg crumbled away into blackened bits. Her eyes were burning bright.

    Where it had gotten her leg, I saw the flesh had charred to bone underneath. Her magic was already healing the grievous wound, char falling off clean bone.

    The wolf Seyari blocked jumped again. She staggered back onto her good leg and brought the blade around. Her timing was impeccable and the blade bit into the wolf¡¯s neck. Twisted jaws latched onto her shoulder and flames burst around the wound, charring flesh. She flicked the sword, failing to cut the spine, and, with a grunt of pain, kicked the dying wolf off her with her injured leg.

    The one I¡¯d run through struggled up, but I smashed it back into the dirt. Seyari switched the sword to her good arm and finished off the one that¡¯d gotten her shoulder.

    The last uninjured burned wolf turned to run. I leapt after the twisted creature. I caught it at the edge of the clearing. The spear¡¯s reach was the last little bit I needed before it would have slipped into the trees. I stuck the wolf and pulled it toward me. A quick slash of my claws ended it.

    I jogged back to Seyari who¡¯d collapsed onto her back and was swearing profusely. Around the clearing lay seven dead twisted wolves.

    I wasn¡¯t sure we were out of danger, so I kept my guard up and my transformation down.

    ¡°-ing hurts!¡± Seyari finished swearing.

    I looked to her leg which had healed enough to be muscle over bone. No skin yet. Holy magic glowed brightly enough that I was forced to look away. I hoped she could heal that kind of wound. So far so good, it looked like.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I hung my head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have fought in the open, especially not in my human form. Can you heal that kind of wound?¡±

    ¡°Apology¡ªfuck!¡ªaccepted.¡± Seyari touched her shoulder and I saw magic glow over the spot. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to fix all this in one go. Next time, how about we pick a good spot instead of charging into the middle, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± I glanced again to Seyari¡¯s leg and winced. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re immune to fire magic,¡± She replied, looking to her healing leg. ¡°I¡¯m not. Also,¡± she looked to the wolf she¡¯d burned with holy magic. ¡°I don¡¯t think these were demons, but a demon had a hand in making them.¡±

    That matched with what I saw of their static auras. ¡°Do you think the demon¡¯s here?¡± I glanced at the ruined main building and took a fighting stance.

    ¡°No.¡± Seyari said behind me. I heard her stand up unsteadily. ¡°They could be anywhere.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re probably near here,¡± I voiced my thoughts.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°Probably. Shit.¡± She glanced up at me. ¡°Are my eyes still good?¡±

    I looked into her golden eyes. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful. But, they¡¯re not disguised anymore.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Seyari groaned. ¡°I¡¯m running out of supplies for that. No more fights unless we absolutely need to, okay?¡±

    I was about to agree and hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°Good enough. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    I looked to the ruined building. ¡°I want to check the main building. Maybe we could find out more about this demon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to get in more fights, aren¡¯t you?¡± Seyari¡¯s tone was exasperated.

    ¡°Probably. But not today if I don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t want anything in there left to chase us, and we might be able to find where not to go.¡±

    ¡°Give me a minute, and then sure, I guess.¡± Seyari took a deep breath and released it.

    We waited until she¡¯d gotten herself fixed up well enough to travel. The healing she¡¯d done had drained her, a fact she was clear to remind me would not have been true in her past life.

    We searched the ruined lumber mill top to bottom. There wasn¡¯t much to see, the building had partially burned. Most of the ground floor had collapsed into a basement. The parts left intact were either destroyed by the elements, or held no useful information. All except one. We found a name on several items: Hartidge.

    Not much to go on, but I wanted to find why these wolves were out here. Demon business was my business now, too. With the name in mind, we found the gap in the trees and left. The break in the trees was indeed a road headed south, though years of disuse had turned it into more of a footpath. Fine enough for our purposes.

 Chapter 57: Lonely Shrine

    We¡¯d hardly walked a hundred meters down the road when I saw a path intersecting ours. Perhaps it was a road once as well? Stones had been laid along it, rather than the packed earth of the trail we were following.

    Still in the new growth of short, dense trees, I couldn¡¯t see past a bend down the other trail.

    I looked at Seyari. ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± she cut me off then sighed. ¡°But stay careful, and if we fight, I¡¯m calling the shots this time, Lana.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡± I beamed. ¡°Besides, if there¡¯s more of those wolf things or their maker, I don¡¯t want to leave them be only to get followed and ambushed in the night.¡± I turned and started to walk down the stone-lined path.

    Seyari followed close behind, hand on her weapon. ¡°How much fiction did you say you read as a child?¡±

    ¡°It could happen!¡± I protested.

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ ugh. Never mind. We should keep quiet for now.¡±

    I turned my head and nodded. Seyari looked tired, understandably so. I felt a pang of guilt at the selfishness of my request to follow trouble.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I, stopped, bent down and whispered. ¡°We could rest and go when you¡¯re healed.¡±

    My partner shook her head. ¡°No. I want to see too. I¡¯ll sleep better if I know.¡± She paused a moment, looked me in the eyes and added, ¡°Thanks for asking.¡±

    I gave Seyari a quick side hug on her good side. She squeezed my hand gently.

    Together, we followed the path as quietly as we could. I shifted my eyes and ears to give us the best chance of sneaking up. Around us, gentle wind swirled from Seyari¡¯s magic. She¡¯d evidently saved some just in case. I hoped we wouldn¡¯t need it.

    However, as we walked, I began to feel a creeping, itching discomfort. I felt like someone, or something was watching me. I put up a hand for us to halt. Around us, Seyari¡¯s wind kicked up slightly.

    ¡°What?¡± She asked in a whisper quickly scattered by the wind.

    ¡°I feel off. Something¡¯s up.¡± I tried to find better words, but I couldn¡¯t really describe the sensation. ¡°Like an itch? But also like I¡¯m being watched?¡±

    ¡°Well shit,¡± Seyari closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Wait. I know this feeling.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Seyari smiled sadly. ¡°There¡¯s a consecrated place up ahead, probably to Dhias.¡±

    I relaxed with the knowledge the road led to a consecrated place. Even if I wasn¡¯t welcome, the twisted wolves and whatever made them wouldn¡¯t be either. Then I thought some more.

    ¡°Wait, I react to holy places? But I¡¯ve definitely been¡­¡± I trailed off, realizing I hadn¡¯t stepped foot on, or even near, holy ground to Dhias since I became a demon. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°If I had to guess,¡± Seyari replied carefully. ¡°It¡¯s because of the holy aspect of the consecration.¡±

    ¡°We passed plenty of holy places in Navanaea and I didn¡¯t feel a thing,¡± I replied indignantly. Then I thought back to what Isidore had said about the nature of demons and angels. ¡°Didn¡¯t Isidore say ¡®angelic¡¯ instead of ¡®holy¡¯?¡±

    Seyari furrowed her brow. ¡°They could be less strong, or more concentrated. But what you just said could be why, too. I know Dhias favors holy, or angelic, magic. I think one of the Eight Navanean gods, Aena, favored earth magic.¡±

    I tried to keep my voice low. ¡°Okay, so different aspects for different deities. That makes sense. I¡¯d bet we¡¯re not the first to come to that conclusion either. But!¡± I put up a finger. ¡°Why do you, as a walking fountain of angelic mana get an uncomfortable itching feeling like a demon?¡±

    Seyari covered her mouth and laughed darkly. ¡°I never said I had the same feeling, just that I knew the feeling. I don¡¯t itch, but I don¡¯t think Dhias would welcome a mass murderer all the same.¡±

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    I frowned at that. ¡°That¡¯s never who you were. You were used and then you fought back. Even if that were true, that¡¯s not who you are now,¡± I chided in my best lecturing voice.

    Seyari looked away. ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t just ¡®thanks¡¯ me! Believe it!¡± I carefully took her hand in both of mine and squeezed lightly. ¡°Please.¡±

    Seyari was silent for a moment. The wind faltered, then resumed. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I let go of her hand. ¡°Now let¡¯s go see this shrine. I, uh, won¡¯t desecrate it with my presence or anything, will I? Will it hurt me?¡±

    Seyari clenched and unclenched her hand and replied absentmindedly. ¡°You won¡¯t desecrate it just by walking in and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strong enough to do much to you.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I turned, then hesitated and offered my hand for her to take.

    She took my hand and the wind died back. Together, we continued down the winding, overgrown path.

    The itching feeling worsened. Soon, the source of my discomfort came into view. It was a small open chapel, intact, but slouching in disrepair. I could clearly see a statue of Dhias at the back. A few older trees stood uncut around a clearing that had only partially overgrown. A few wooden benches still sat facing the statue.

    Cautiously, I led the way into the clearing. The feeling immediately doubled. For a moment, I felt my transformation slip, but I held on. The amount of mana I was spending to keep myself in human form swelled from a hardly noticeable trickle to a solid stream.

    Seyari squeezed my hand. I looked down at her. She was biting her bottom lip nervously, an expression I¡¯d never seen on her face before.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Seyari said softly. ¡°Do you mind if I take a minute?¡± She pointed to the statue.

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll be in the back.¡± I followed her into the shrine.

    The feeling was discomforting in a way that made me want to squirm. I kept myself as still as possible and lowered carefully onto the bench. I heard the bench strain under my weight and quickly jumped up. Ahead of me Seyari had reached the statue and made to kneel before it.

    I dusted a space in front of the seat and sat down cross-legged on the floor. Seyari knelt down. I felt it was rude to stare, so I closed my eyes and listened.

    Around us, the forest was nearly silent, but not like before. I heard a single bird call from up in one of the older trees. An answer came from across the clearing, then the chittering of a squirrel shut them both up, and returned this small place back to calm silence.

    I felt uncomfortable here, but I could tell the quiet of this place different from the unnatural stillness of the lumber mill. It felt almost reverent. In both of my lives, I was never terribly religious. My father was a devout follower of Dhias, but my mother less so. Abby¡¯s family, particularly her nan, had never been devout.

    I thought back to my relationship with the Church of Dhias and frowned. I thought of the Church again. What of my relation to Dhias? I frowned in thought.

    How did I actually feel about Dhias?

    Would he accept me if I had stayed alive as a human and sought to make my body fit me?

    Well, why not?

    I couldn¡¯t come up with a good answer. I wasn¡¯t the most knowledgeable about this sort of thing, but nothing I¡¯d read explicitly forbade it. I¡¯d heard plenty of people condemn the actions of people like me, saying that we were spitting in Dhias¡¯ image.

    I¡¯m in a shrine. Why not ask?

    So, I did.

    While Seyari knelt in front of the statue to Dhias. I asked my questions as best I could. I didn¡¯t ask him to accept me as a demon. I didn¡¯t ask him to accept the people I¡¯d killed, regardless of circumstances. I didn¡¯t apologize for those things either. I just wanted to know if he¡¯d accept me. There were plenty of other gods to follow: Navanaea had shown me that much. But Dhias, however faint, still meant something to me and I wanted to know.

    Perhaps predictably, I didn¡¯t receive an answer. Nothing but silence, broken once again by a squirrel with a grudge against birds.

    I opened my eyes and looked toward Seyari. Her head was bowed, but her shoulders were shaking. Quietly, I got up and sat next to her, close enough to where I knew she knew I was there. Again, I closed my eyes and listened to the calm.

    Eventually, when my legs should have long gone numb, Seyari raised her head. I looked at her and gave a halfhearted smile. Seyari¡¯s eyes were red and puffy and her face held a complicated expression.

    She surprised me by leaning over to hug me. I let her and she collapsed onto me. I held her silently while she cried. My eyes grew wet, too.

    Seyari surprised me by being the first to speak. ¡°He¡­ *hic* Dhias was so faint. Before, I could feel something big. Now, it¡¯s like the last thread that hasn¡¯t been cut is all that¡¯s left. But-but what I felt across it, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m sure Dhias doesn¡¯t hate me. How? Why?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± I hummed in response and rubbed her shoulder. ¡°Maybe Dhias thinks you¡¯re a good person, too, Sey.¡±

    ¡°Renna¡­¡± Seyari pulled her head from my chest to look up at me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay here tonight, okay?¡± I looked out at the fading light. ¡°If there are more twisted creatures, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll bother us here.¡±

    Her blurry eyes met mine. ¡°But you¡¯re¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± I waved a hand. ¡°Really, I¡¯m okay to stay here. Either I¡¯m getting used to it or the feeling¡¯s less intense. I hope I¡¯m not corrupting the place, though.¡± I added the last part even though I knew it wasn¡¯t true. I really did feel less discomfort than I had. Less, but not none.

    ¡°Sure, then. And you¡¯re not going to corrupt anything by accident.¡± Seyari exhaled and leaned back into me. ¡°Can you set up the tent?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied, and, gently, moved to stroke her hair. ¡°In a bit.¡±

    The sun had set by the time our tent was set up. We didn¡¯t start a fire, but the cold dinner of rations was the best I¡¯d had in weeks. Seyari insisted she could take second watch. By the time I had made the difficult decision to wake her, the sun was coming up. I never agreed to let her take full watch.

 Chapter 58: Troubled Town

    The road south continued. Gradually, the path widened from a trail to something a particularly determined person might have been able to get a wagon down.

    Our mood was bright against the dull gray day. There¡¯d been a short rain in the morning. The petrichor and birdsong were a sharp relief against the last few days. I hummed a tune while we walked. Not something I remembered from my old life, but I¡¯d heard the tune many times in Navanaea. Aretan¡¯s mercenaries had put words I couldn¡¯t recall to the melody. Vana, the co-owner of the inn we¡¯d stayed at while hiding in Baetnal had hummed it while we cooked.

    The style was distinct from the music I¡¯d grown up hearing around the neighborhood and on streetcorners. Pleasant just the same.

    I wondered how Vana was doing. Well, I hoped. My thoughts turned to Aretan. I truly didn¡¯t know why he said he¡¯d take Nelys and they¡¯d wait for us in Lockmoth. He had his company and seemed invested in Navanaea. Certainly, he knew Nelys¡¯s sailor background. They could have made it to Lockmoth themself.

    A flash, and I remembered Nelys in Malich¡¯s estate. The way they¡¯d clung to me. I had a guess about their pendant and identity. If that¡¯s what was true for them; human all the way! If I knew a way to make that permanent, or could find one, I¡¯d tell them as soon as I could.

    We¡¯d see each other again in a month or so, if everything went well traveling through Ordia. Also, if everything went well when it came to dealing with Mordwell. My desire for revenge still burned, but the thought of the consequences put a wet blanket over the flames until only smoke of¡­ something slipped out from under the frayed edges.

    I lost control of the analogy, but wouldn¡¯t lose control of what I cared about.

    There, saved it!

    Beside me, Seyari looked markedly less dour than she¡¯d been. She¡¯d finished healing herself, but was drained again today. With any luck we¡¯d find a town and learn where on Varra, and in Ordia, we¡¯d ended up.

    Finding a town was a certainty. Probably. We found the ruins of a few long-abandoned homesteads and small farms toward evening. I wanted to push on through the night, but Seyari reminded me that two women showing up out of the forest in the direction of this abandonment was already suspicious. Do that at night? We¡¯d have a problem for sure.

    I checked the empty buildings. Some had collapsed. A few had signs of fire, but none had anything like the twisted wolves. This place also lacked the sort of stillness that burned like a breath held too long.

    We spent the night behind a small hill near the road. I wondered aloud of the town had been destroyed, and whether we should light a fire or not. Seyari called the idea unlikely. We didn¡¯t light a fire. Victory for me, I guess.

    The next morning was thoroughly damp. The rain started and stopped, but the clouds stayed constant. Not dark enough to herald a late autumn storm, but gray and laden with rain. We made our way back out onto the road, and by afternoon, we saw the first signs of life. Animal paths, widened by hunters crossed the road, and soon after we saw our first inhabited building since we left Sandmeadow.

    A modest, two-room wooden cabin sat back from the road, just visible through the trees. A thin trail of smoke drifted from the chimney and a small, dismal-looking farm surrounded it. We passed it and continued down the road. We weren¡¯t desperate travelers, but explorers passing through on a return journey from the mountains. I hoped there was a bed and a proper bath in the town.

    We continued on the road, and small farms and cabins began to dot the forest around us. Another road from the east joined ours. Hills rose to either side of the valley where we walked. A large stream had wound its way down to run alongside the road. From the empty fields, I guessed we¡¯d missed autumn harvest.

    The sight gave me hope for a proper town ahead. We met a man with his empty cart and tired-looking donkey soon after. He looked the part of a farmer, with a stubble-covered face, and well-worn work clothes.

    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± I started and winced at how formal I sounded. ¡°We¡¯re headed to the town ahead. Do you know whether there¡¯s a decent inn?¡±

    The man looked up, and up at me. ¡°Fredrick has a couple of rooms above the tavern.¡± He scratched at his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me askin¡¯ girlie, but are you even human?¡±

    ¡°She has some ogre blood in her,¡± Seyari cut in before I could flub my words.

    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t get none o¡¯ their ugly bits then.¡± The man smiled, and to me it looked genuine. ¡°We don¡¯t get many travelers around here, you know.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re explorers,¡± I answered. ¡°Heading back from a trip up north.¡±

    ¡°Up north, you say?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°You run into any trouble?¡±

    ¡°No, why?¡± Seyari answered. ¡°And we came to this valley from the east road anyway.¡± Her lie was smooth.

    ¡°Eh, bunch of nasty monsters come from up north sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Really? No one¡¯s come to deal with them?¡± I asked.

    The man shrugged. ¡°People do, but more show up. I moved further down the valley a few years back to keep safe.¡± He looked back up the road, then to me. ¡°But you probably don¡¯t want to hear about my worries. Good luck on your trip back!¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Have a nice day!¡±

    The man waved and pulled on the donkey¡¯s lead. The animal hesitated a moment before starting again. I watched him for a few seconds before I turned back to Seyari.

    ¡°Glad you also realize something¡¯s up.¡± The half angel was facing me, but her eyes looked the way we came.

    ¡°Kinda,¡± I answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think that man¡¯s done anything. What makes you think something more¡¯s going on?¡±

    Seyari put a hand to her face in thought. ¡°He wasn¡¯t lying, but if the monsters were the same corrupted things we fought, then anyone who dealt with them would know a demon had made them. And that a demon could make more of them.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they just couldn¡¯t deal with the demon?¡± I offered, then turned and starting walking toward the town.

    ¡°Probably. And I suppose it makes sense not to let everyone know, or there¡¯d be a panic.¡± Seyari sighed. Maybe I¡¯m too paranoid.

    ¡°Or maybe not,¡± I added with a shrug. ¡°We can ask around town about the monsters. I wouldn¡¯t mind being a sellsword as a side gig to my career as an explorer of Lost Era ruins.¡±

    ¡°You just want to find the demon responsible,¡± Seyari said. ¡°I do too.¡±

    ¡°More than that,¡± I continued. ¡°I want to find why the demon is here and what they want to do.¡±

    Seyari nodded.

    ***

    We arrived in the town itself shortly after speaking to the farmer. A carved wooden sign helpfully said ¡®Harriston¡¯. Not a town either of us had heard of. Larger than a hamlet, Harriston had a small dirt plaza with a well and a few businesses clustered around. The buildings were wood except a few which had stone walls for the ground floor. Tucked behind and to the side, stood a small stone church to Dhias. The main buildings weren¡¯t in disrepair, but the town clearly was not a wealthy one.

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    The tavern, the only one in town, was easy to find. One of the mixed stone and wood buildings, the place had a small second floor above the business area. The sign out front simply read ¡®Tavern¡¯ in Ordian.

    My eyes caught on the simple word. I was in Ordia. Reading a sign in Ordian. Linthel, and Tania if she stayed there, were still a long, long way away. Reading the sign and realizing how far I¡¯d come, distance didn¡¯t seem to matter anymore. I feel close. Tania feels close.

    Seyari tugged impatiently on my hand. I shook my head, missing the weight of my horns, and turned to follow her inside the tavern, ducking as usual to avoid hitting the top of my head on the doorframe. We¡¯d arrived in the middle of the day, so the place was nearly empty.

    The few patrons looked up at us, then back down. One of them, a burly-looking fellow, did a double take, looking from me to the top of the doorframe I almost brushed against. In a good mood, I shrugged and gave the man a sheepish grin. He smiled and returned to nursing his drink.

    The place was homey, but worn. A long counter was warped from age. Behind it, a man sat whittling something behind the bar. The farmer we¡¯d spoken to on the road had called this Fredrick¡¯s place, so I assumed this man was him. He had a thick mustache¡ªan errant hair away from being unkempt¡ªand intense eyes that were focused on the chunk of wood he was holding.

    I let Seyari take the lead, and she waved to him.

    The man set the person-shaped carving down, and brushed wood shavings off his legs before standing up. His eyes looked up at my height, but returned to Seyari. ¡°You¡¯re new in town. Lookin¡¯ for a drink or a room?¡±

    ¡°Both,¡± Seyari replied.

    ¡°Ale okay?¡± Probably-Fredrick asked. ¡°We still have some of the good stuff left over from the harvest festival this year.¡±

    Seyari looked to me and I shrugged. ¡°Sure,¡± she replied. ¡°Do you have any food?¡±

    The tavern keeper moved to a cask behind him with a pair of earthen mugs. ¡°Sausage, bread, and pickled vegetables.¡±

    We both took seats at the bar.

    ¡°Sounds great!¡± I replied with genuine enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯ll take a double portion.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing! I¡¯m Fredrick, by the way.¡± Fredrick replied, filling the second mug with ale.

    ¡°Z-Lana,¡± I replied, managing to not completely screw up my alias. The familiarity of this place had put me off guard. I¡¯d bet the sausage was spiced differently here, though. ¡°And this is Valerie.¡± I gestured to Seyari.

    ¡°Zlana?¡± Interesting name there, lass. ¡°You sound a bit Edathan. Headed back south?¡±

    Seyari gave me a side-eyed glare for a fraction of a second before smiling broadly at Fredrick. ¡°We are.¡±

    ¡°Have a safe journey then. Roads have been getting worse of late.¡± Fredrick handed us the ale.

    I took the mug, looked at the liquid within, and took a big gulp. Not bad at all.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I asked. ¡°We heard from someone on the road into town that there¡¯re monsters to the north. Are there problems to the south, too?¡±

    Fredrick nodded. ¡°Yeah, there are. Monsters and the like. You two girls might want to find someone to guard you if you¡¯ve the coin. Or a caravan, but the last one¡¯s already left for the year and snow¡¯s coming soon.¡±

    ¡°What do the monsters look like?¡± I took another gulp of ale.

    Fredrick leaned over, and his gray eyes met mine. ¡°They¡¯re like twisted animals from what I¡¯ve heard. Some kind of fire magic, too. Nasty stuff.¡± He leaned back away and turned. ¡°Anyway, let me grab your food.¡±

    Seyari and I watched him walk away. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked my partner quietly.

    The half-angel stared hard into her untouched ale. ¡°I think I¡¯m putting the pieces together.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what do you¡ª¡± I cut myself off as Fredrick returned with two plates of food. My stomach growled in anticipation.

    I tucked in as soon as the plate was set down. Like I thought, the sausage was wrong, or, well, different. I learned to enjoy it over the course of demolishing more food than human me would eat in a day. I would say I ate with decorum, but unless ¡®using a fork¡¯ is the base qualification for that, I¡¯d be lying.

    More customers trickled in while we ate and Fredrick alternated between whittling and helping them. A young woman arrived toward the end of our meal and began to take orders and serve customers. With all the ears in here, I¡¯d need to follow up with Seyari in a more private setting.

    Since we were sitting at the bar, Fredrick took our plates when we were done. He returned shortly with a key and handed it to Seyari who paid for us.

    ¡°Hey Fredrick?¡± I asked.

    He gave a quick look down the bar then turned to me. ¡°Yeah, lass? Meal alright?¡±

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± I smiled. ¡°But what I actually wanted to say is that we might be able to help with Harriston¡¯s monster problem.¡±

    A patron next to us laughed.

    Fredrick regarded me for a second. ¡°Lass, I don¡¯t doubt you¡¯re capable, but these aren¡¯t normal beasties.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a normal lass,¡± I replied with a smile. Sitting at the bar, I was almost eye-level with Fredrick, and I doubted he was a small man.

    ¡°We¡¯re explorers and sellswords,¡± Seyari said coolly. ¡°If you have anyone working on the monster problem already, we could at least help.¡±

    I saw and felt several patrons look our way.

    Fredrick stroked his mustache in thought. ¡°The Church folks already cleared them this year, so you¡¯d be alone. And they had trouble¡­¡±

    ¡°Fredrick!¡± a large man next to us said in a friendly tone. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be thinking of letting these ladies go off on their own against dangerous monsters!¡±

    My eyebrow twitched involuntarily.

    Fredrick looked to us, then the man. ¡°Ruston, I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not about to let those fine ladies go monster hunting without an expert!¡± Ruston interjected, putting his hands on the table.

    I turned to look at him. He turned to me with smiling eyes. If only he knew I was using my body as a shield to protect him from Seyari¡¯s death glare.

    Ruston was a large young man with dark red hair, bright blue eyes, and a clean-shaven face. He was well-muscled, with a sheathed sword on his hip and a bow on his back. He looked the part of someone who knew his stuff, at least.

    ¡°You two want to go monster hunting?¡± Ruston asked me excitedly.

    ¡°Ruston!¡± Fredrick boomed. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for you too, boy.¡±

    Ruston frowned. ¡°Well, what if they¡¯re capable like I am?¡±

    I took a moment to glance around the room and sighed. Ruston¡¯s enthusiasm had drawn all eyes not lost in the cups right onto us.

    So much for laying low.

    ¡°What if we are?¡± I asked in a competitive tone.

    I could feel Seyari¡¯s disapproval from behind me. She kicked the back of me knee. ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene,¡± my partner hissed.

    ¡°Too late and not my fault,¡± I whispered back certain half the room had heard.

    ¡°How would you prove it?¡± Ruston¡¯s cocky smile had a friendly edge to it that made me want to punch him and give him a chance in frustratingly equal measure.

    ¡°Arm wrestle me,¡± I deadpanned.

    ¡°What?¡± Ruston sputtered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly arm wrestle a woman! It just¡­¡±

    I stood up and towered over him.

    ¡°¡­wouldn¡¯t be fair.¡± Ruston finished meekly.

    From the peanut gallery, shouts of encouragement for both sides bounced around the room. I caught a glare from the server and mouthed ¡®sorry¡¯ back at her. She huffed and turned away.

    We walked to a table that emptied just for us. Seyari wore a look of anticipation. She tried to turn it into a frown when I looked at her, but I caught the switch in time and stuck out my tongue. She groaned, but the sound was drowned out by the chattering of an excited crowd.

    I sat down opposite Ruston and rolled my sleeve up. He put his arm up next to mine. Mine was longer by a margin, but his was definitely thicker. I had muscle definition and no small amount of mass, but Ruston beat me out in looks alone.

    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked with a smile.

    ¡°Ready,¡± Ruston replied seriously.

    We clasped hands. His was rougher than mine and I could feel calluses. I worried for a moment if it was suspicious that mine had none.

    That worry ended when someone shouted ¡°Go!¡±

    I wasn¡¯t ready and slipped down a bit before my dulled reflexes kicked in. I pushed back against him. The young man was strong, but even in human form, my nature made me far, far stronger. I couldn¡¯t show that, though.

    But I wasn¡¯t going to let him win either.

    I pushed back and Ruston grunted with effort. I did my best to make a show of focus and clenched my arm to try to fake effort. I let Ruston stay slightly ahead for a count of ten before I started to push back. Our hands passed the middle and a shout went up.

    I let myself waver for a moment before pushing Ruston¡¯s arm down the other side in a slow, deliberate motion. His hand hit the table and there was a shout that turned into silence. I heard someone mutter ¡®damn¡¯.

    I gave him a warm look, then cooled it off. ¡°My name¡¯s Zlana, and I¡¯m sorry Ruston, but we don¡¯t need your help.¡± I liked Zlana better than Lana anyway.

    Ruston flexed his hand. ¡°Point taken. But damn, girl. Are you even human?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Part ogre.¡± The anger I sense from Ruston was a dull murmur.

    ¡°No wonder,¡± Ruston muttered, nursing a bruised hand and ego. ¡°But do you even know where the monsters come from?¡±

    ¡°You could tell us.¡± Seyari spoke up from the sideline. ¡°And before you ask, I¡¯m the mage in our duo and no I won¡¯t show you my magic.¡±

    ¡°Buy me a drink and I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Ruston said, regaining some of his confidence.

    Seyari looked like she was about to say no, so I intervened. ¡°Sure!¡±

    We walked back to the bar and sat back down. I fended off a few questions, but the server and Fredrick managed to bring things back under control in short order.

    Ruston downed the mug of ale I¡¯d bought him in one go. ¡°So,¡± he set the mug back down hard. ¡°People say they¡¯re all out by the old sawmill, but I know better.¡±

    Fredrick looked over at us. ¡°Ruston¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fredrick, I know I¡¯m right!¡± Ruston¡¯s face grew hard and he turned to the tavern keeper. ¡°I know my father was right!¡±

    ¡°Ruston¡­¡± Fredrick sighed. ¡°Please. I know it hurts, but you¡ª¡±

    I jumped as Ruston threw his mug at the wall behind Fredrick, shattering it. What actually startled me was the massive spike in the young man¡¯s anger. There had been a simmer the first time Fredrick interjected, but the second time Ruston¡¯s anger had exploded.

    The young man glared at me with hard, wet eyes. ¡°Meet me at my house next to the waterwheel if you want to know what¡¯s really going on.¡±

    Caught off-guard as I was, I didn¡¯t think of a reply until Ruston had stormed out of the tavern and slammed the door behind him.

 Chapter 59: Burned Secrets

    The whole tavern was stunned into silence.

    Fredrick broke it. ¡°Damnit, Ruston¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°His father¡­ disappeared trying to chase down where the monsters are coming from,¡± Fredrick responded with some hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s not my place to talk about.¡±

    I turned to Seyari who had narrowed her eyes at Fredrick. ¡°I think we¡¯ll talk to him in the morning,¡± she said.

    ¡°I think we should talk to him tonight,¡± I looked at Seyari as seriously as I could.

    She stared right back at me. ¡°Zlana, he¡¯s going to be in a rage tonight.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I replied confidently.

    ¡°You think he¡¯s going to do something stupid?¡± Seyari asked, then turned to Fredrick who swore. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go now.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the food and room,¡± I told Fredrick. ¡°Sorry about making a scene. We¡¯ll try to be back tonight.¡±

    ¡°Good luck trying to get through that thick skull of his,¡± Fredrick said sadly.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Seyari replied.

    The two of us got up and quickly walked out of the tavern into the late evening.

    As soon as we were away from prying ears, Seyari spoke up. ¡°Now I really think there¡¯s something going on.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you want to wait until morning?¡± I asked.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t think Ruston would run off at first. I¡¯m exhausted, and I want a bed as much as you do.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡±

    Seyari waved my apology off. ¡°Don¡¯t be. We¡¯re doing the right thing. But you¡¯re going first in case he throws something at us.¡±

    I gave a single short laugh to Seyari¡¯s attempt at levity. ¡°Something Fredrick said make you suspicious?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but he wasn¡¯t totally truthful when he spoke about Ruston¡¯s father. He knows something else.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s malicious?¡± I thought back to Fredrick¡¯s kind demeanor, and Ned¡¯s face flashed across my mind.

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Not to us at least. I felt like he left something out is all. I really do think he cares for the young man.¡±

    I picked up the pace, forcing Seyari to jog to keep up with my longer stride. ¡°All the more reason for us to hurry and find Ruston,¡± I called to her over my shoulder.

    We hurried across the town square to the river. From the bank, we could see a waterwheel upstream turning slowly in the current. The wheel was a hundred or so meters away.

    When we arrived, we found that the mill attached to the wheel was flanked by small houses on either side. Neither looked particularly distinct. Predictably, the first one Seyari and I tried was the wrong house. After apologizing profusely, we tried knocking on front door to the other one.

    We heard shuffling inside and the door opened a crack. I could see a blue eye and a flash of red hair in the gap.

    Ruston opened the door wider when he recognized us. He looked like he¡¯d been trying hard not to cry and only barely succeeding. ¡°You actually came?¡± He sounded disbelieving.

    I gave him a half smile.

    ¡°Yeah, we did.¡± Seyari answered, and motioned toward the inside. ¡°You want to talk out here, or inside?¡±

    Ruston winced. ¡°Inside. Come on in. Don¡¯t mind the mess.¡±

    I ducked and followed Seyari inside. Despite Ruston¡¯s claim, the place wasn¡¯t really that bad. Messy, but in a lived-in, cozy sort of way. We sat at a table in the main room. I took the sturdiest-looking chair, and it creaked in protest.

    ¡°What did Fredrick tell you?¡± Ruston demanded. His body language didn¡¯t match the confidence he¡¯d managed to put behind his voice.

    ¡°He told us your father disappeared trying to chase down the monsters around Harriston,¡± I answered honestly.

    Ruston¡¯s anger spiked. ¡°Bullshit. He disappeared trying to find the source of the monsters.¡±

    Seyari folded her hands under her chin. ¡°So, you think he was silenced?¡±

    Ruston¡¯s rising anger surprised me by faltering. ¡°What? N-no! I think whatever made the monsters killed him.¡±

    I leaned forward in my seat. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have gotten as angry as you did with Fredrick if you didn¡¯t think the people here had something to do with it.¡±

    There¡¯s the spike of anger.

    I felt bad for manipulating Ruston. But only a little.

    Ruston glared at me. I met his gaze, and he broke first, looking to Seyari and then the table. ¡°The monsters started showing up before I was born, but only after the people here killed my grandparents.¡±

    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± I asked in surprise.

    Ruston, still furious, looked at me with smoldering eyes. ¡°Why the fuck do you care?¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡± I tripped over my words and lost what I wanted to say.

    Thankfully, just as the silence started to stretch, Seyari spoke up. ¡°There¡¯s a demon making these monsters, Ruston.¡± She slammed her palm on the table. ¡°And we want to stop it.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Ruston snapped, slamming both his hands down. The table tilted and clattered back on the floor, narrowly missing my foot.

    Seyari leaned back in her chair, unfazed. ¡°Just a hunch.¡±

    I looked between the two, unsure if I wanted to jump in again.

    ¡°Do you two girls really think you could take on a demon? If there even is one?¡± Ruston seemed on the verge of tears. From anger or another reason, I couldn¡¯t tell.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first one we¡¯ve killed.¡± I crossed my arms and let the sentence hang.

    Ruston studied both of us. The single oil lamp on the counter behind us flickered light across the room, playing with shadows.

    Ruston broke the silence. ¡°My grandparents old homestead was where my father disappeared,¡± he said in a resigned tone. ¡°I¡¯ve gone up there to look, but I didn¡¯t find anything. People say the sawmill is the place just because of what happened there, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±

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    ¡°It¡¯s not the sawmill,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t say why I knew that.

    Ruston sighed. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say I believe you. Let¡¯s say there¡¯s a demon and it killed my father and has been making monsters for thirty years. Why? Why us? Why Harriston?¡±

    ¡°What happened at the sawmill?¡± I asked, ignoring Ruston¡¯s question. ¡°Is it related to your grandparents¡¯ murder?¡±

    Ruston looked at the oil lamp, then back at us. ¡°There was a cult in Harriston. Worshipped some dark thing. The town tried to get the Church¡¯s help, but the Inquisition was busy. The people here eventually took it into their own hands. My grandparents were caught up in it all, but they were innocent!¡±

    ¡°Was the sawmill important to the cult?¡± Seyari asked.

    Ruston fidgeted with his hands. ¡°They used the basement for rituals. The place has been abandoned since that night.¡±

    I thought back to the sawmill. The name ¡®Hartidge¡¯ had been on some of items in the ruined building.

    The name gave me an idea. ¡°Does the name ¡®Hartidge¡¯ mean anything?¡±

    Ruston paused a moment and stared at the table to think. ¡°My name is Ruston Hartidge. My grandparents owned the sawmill.¡± He looked up at me, staring intensely. ¡°But they were innocent! I swear! My father knew nothing and I know they didn¡¯t either!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll believe you,¡± I replied. Ruston¡¯s conviction was easy to tell, but I worried he might be wrong.

    ¡°We can go tomorrow,¡± Seyari offered. ¡°We should all get some good rest tonight.¡±

    ¡°We should go tonight!¡± Ruston protested.

    Seyari turned to him. ¡°I¡¯m not going after a demon when I can¡¯t see properly.¡±

    Her vision wasn¡¯t as good as mine in the dark, but I knew she meant for Ruston¡¯s safety. I almost wanted to try to talk him into giving us directions and staying behind. I worried if I did that, I¡¯d erode the small amount of trust we¡¯d built up. I didn¡¯t particularly like him, but I did feel for his loss.

    Not knowing can eat a person away. I thought of Tania. We all knew Ruston¡¯s father had to be dead, but Tania could very well still be alive.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Ruston replied eventually. ¡°Meet me here tomorrow just after dawn. If you¡¯re late, I¡¯m going myself.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be here,¡± I gave a half smile and stood up.

    ¡°Good. I still won¡¯t wait if you¡¯re not.¡± Ruston motioned for us to leave.

    ¡°We get it,¡± Seyari frowned at him. ¡°Come on Zlana, let¡¯s go get some sleep.¡±

    We left Ruston¡¯s house. Behind us, the light just visible through the shutters went out.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s actually going to wait until dawn?¡± I asked.

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Yeah, I do. He knows we¡¯re his best shot at this.¡±

    Back at the tavern, we gave a wave to Fredrick and headed upstairs around behind the bar. He¡¯d looked like he wanted to talk, but neither Seyari nor I were in the mood. Especially with the place packed full of locals.

    Our room upstairs was small, and my legs hung off the straw-filled bed at the knee. Instead of a single larger bed, we had two smaller ones. I pushed them together. Even if the blankets didn¡¯t fit, I wanted to cuddle at least a little bit.

    ***

    Dawn came all too quickly. The bed wasn¡¯t great, but having a bed at all was fantastic. To Seyari¡¯s halfhearted protests, I stretched my all my arms and tail for a few moments before I transformed back into my human form and got dressed.

    In a town like Harriston, we weren¡¯t the only early risers. But Fredrick ran a tavern, not an inn, and we ended up eating from our own food just to be sure we¡¯d be on time to meet Ruston.

    Ruston met us at the door. This time, he was wearing hunting leathers. He took a pack, a moderately-sized hunting bow, and a large axe.

    He looked us over. ¡°No armor?¡± He gestured to me. ¡°I figured you¡¯d be all armored up.¡±

    I rubbed the back of my head, feeling the base of the ponytail I¡¯d tied my hair into this morning. ¡°We were out exploring. Didn¡¯t exactly intend to fight a demon.¡±

    Ruston narrowed his eyes. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t exploring be dangerous enough for you to wear armor? Are you stupid?¡±

    I glared at him. ¡°You try walking for weeks and climbing mountains in full armor and tell me how that goes. We packed light so we could carry whatever we found.¡±

    Ruston opened his mouth to complain, but Seyari cut him off. ¡°Not the time to argue. Armor wouldn¡¯t stop a demon, and you¡¯re in leathers anyway.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Ruston huffed. ¡°Let¡¯s just go already.¡±

    We followed him through the town toward the north. We crossed a small bridge to a cluster of small farms across the river, then took a hunting trail northwest into the hills.

    ¡°How far is it?¡± I asked once we¡¯d crested the first ridge.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get there by late afternoon if you can keep up.¡± Ruston turned to look at me. ¡°If you girls need to stop, we can.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem for either of us,¡± I replied icily. ¡°What can we expect when we get there?¡± I had no idea how Ruston could look at me and come up with ¡®tires easily¡¯.

    Ruston frowned and turned back to the narrow path ahead. ¡°My grandparents homestead was burned, so there¡¯s not much I could find when I was here last.¡±

    ¡°When did you come here last?¡± Seyari asked from behind me.

    ¡°About four years ago, right after the last time the monsters were cleared out.¡± He shifted his pack.

    I took few quick steps to move closer to Ruston. I had a feeling the place wouldn¡¯t be so empty this time around.

    We kept up a good pace, and by early afternoon, we¡¯d crossed a small stream with an impressive waterfall. Ruston told us that meant we were close. I started to pay closer attention to the forest around us.

    As we walked, I noticed all the bird calls I heard came from behind us. Around our group, the forest was silent. Ruston noticed as well. His hand rested on the handle of his axe, and our pace slowed considerably.

    Quietly, we continued to approach the homestead. Soon, a clearing in the trees ahead came into view. We stopped at the tree line and observed. Seyari swirled wind around us gently. If Ruston noticed, he said nothing.

    A smattering of small trees was growing up through what had once been a field. Some were dead. A burned mound that had probably been a building was being encroached upon by groundcover that seemed reticent to touch the pile itself. A nearly dry creek ran across the opposite end of the field.

    We saw motion in the trees. From between two dead saplings, a deer, a buck, walked into the open. Immediately, we all tensed. This thing was burned, and malformed. Two does followed it, similarly twisted.

    I looked to the burned pile. It was large enough for more creatures to be behind it, but unless we were going to go up against twisted rabbits, there was nothing inside the pile itself

    Seyari and Ruston took out their bows. Ruston¡¯s hand shook and he placed his other hand across the back of it to steady himself.

    I had no ranged options that weren¡¯t my magic, and I had a feeling fire magic wouldn¡¯t work on these monsters. Especially not fire magic a human mage would have easy access to.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the buck,¡± Ruston whispered, nocking an arrow.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Seyari replied.

    I readied my spear. We only saw the three, and they were a good bit away yet, but there could easily be more.

    Ruston shot first. Seyari a moment later. Both hit their mark, but Ruston hit the flank. Seyari¡¯s shot took the deer monster through the head and dropped it.

    The buck put its warped, lopsided rack of horns and blackened bone down and charged the tree line. To my surprise, the doe followed suit.

    I moved ahead, ready to intercept, but not in front of the archers.

    Two more arrows fired out. The other doe dropped, but the buck was still charging.

    I moved forward as quickly as I thought would look human, then ducked to a side and thrust the spear at the buck¡¯s neck. I hit home and the magicked tip went clean through to the other side.

    A bit too much strength there.

    I let the weight of it help pull the spear off. Its charge stopped; the twisted deer turned to face me. I thrust as it moved to headbutt me, bleeding profusely.

    My spear took it in the head this time and I used a bit more strength than I should have to stop the antlers from touching me. The point of the spear drove through its skull and out the base of its head, killing it instantly.

    I shifted back and pulled the spear out quickly, looking for any other threats. There were none. The field was quiet.

    ¡°You two are pretty good,¡± Ruston spoke once a moment had passed and none of us had seen any motion.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied evenly.

    Seyari walked past us toward the burned pile. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and look around. If there¡¯s nothing here, I want to get back tonight, and if there¡¯s a demon close by, I don¡¯t want to fight it in the dark.¡±

    I looked up at the sky. The sun wasn¡¯t starting to get low yet; it was midafternoon at the earliest.

    The burned pile yielded no great secrets. A collapsed shed by the field, however, had a few interesting things in the wreckage. First, we found a half-rotted piece of a wooden something with Hartige written on it. I didn¡¯t doubt Ruston was telling the truth, but a bit of proof was appreciated.

    Aside from that, we thought the place was a bust until Seyari spoke up over a pile of junk we¡¯d collected. ¡°Is this a gold pan?¡± She took a round, flat dish out of the pile.

    I couldn¡¯t recall seeing one before, so I shrugged.

    Ruston, however, nodded. ¡°Yeah, it is. There¡¯s no real gold up here, but there¡¯s fool¡¯s gold in some of the creeks.¡±

    ¡°Did people originally come up here to look for gold?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°I dunno.¡± Ruston shrugged. ¡°I think so?¡±

    I looked at the other junk. There was a pair of rusty pick heads. I pointed to them ¡°Did your grandparents come to look for gold? Or to mine at all?¡±

    Ruston followed my finger. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe? Dad never mentioned a mine or anything.¡±

    ¡°Ruston, how big is this homestead?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Goes up to the top of the ridge there.¡± Ruston pointed up the creek to a ridgeline a kilometer or so away.

    Seyari set the pan back down in the pile of junk. ¡°Then that¡¯s where we¡¯ll look. If they found something in the creek, they might have checked further upstream.¡±

    ¡°Dad never mentioned anything like this,¡± Ruston protested, but he looked up at the ridge. ¡°But I think you might be on to something. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    We left the pile of junk where it was and started walking up the creek. There was no trail to speak of, but we made do around the rocky banks.

    I looked up at the ridge ahead of us. Would we really find a demon up there? What would they be like if we did?

 Side Story: The Lady of Liseu

    Perspective: Seyari

    Liseu, TQC, AL 1344, Sometime in Autumn

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± I rolled to the side, barely dodging a throwing dagger aimed at my head.

    ¡°Sorry Seyari, but the money was just too good.¡± Thyrin gave a fake smile and a shrug. The wiry Lupael¡¯s missing ear looked jagged in the flickering light of the large room¡¯s only oil lamp.

    I glanced around. Figures moved in the shadows all around the upper level of the dockside warehouse.

    ¡°Bastard,¡± I muttered. I tossed a blade of wind at Thyrin¡¯s stupid smiling face, but my shot went wide as I was forced to twist away from another dagger.

    ¡°Guilty as,¡± Thyrin turned away, gingerly holding the idol we¡¯d stolen.

    I needed to get out of here. I shouldered a shelf, ducking under the falling structure. Hoping for as much cover as I could get, I weaved through the collapsing cargo. The stupid idol wasn¡¯t worth all this.

    Fucking Thyrin. Backstabber.

    Plates, vases, and pottery supplies crashed around me. The shelf I tipped knocked into another, tipping it over as well. I darted for the back door, around and past my now-former partner. Maybe I¡¯d get one more shot at the double-crossing, good-for-nothing sack of seagull shit.

    The chaos gave me cover and I heard shouts erupt from the ambushers. Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d trash my employer¡¯s warehouse, did you? A ball of fire exploded near me and singed my hair. Of course, someone else¡¯s goons wouldn¡¯t care about this place either, would they.

    ¡°Now, about my payment?¡± a snide, deep voice cut through the chaos.

    I glanced toward the voice¡¯s source. Between a tipping box of fancy glass cups and a falling statuette of a naked woman I caught a glimpse of Thyrin handing the idol to a familiar fat human man. Inzio. I turned and ran faster, crashing into another set of shelves.

    Shit. If he¡¯s here, that idol must really be something big. I need to get out of here and lay low.

    If I can even live that long. Around me, the other shelves on this half of the warehouse were all collapsing into each other like dominoes. I could hear racing footsteps and shouted curses. A knife pinged off something nearby. A spell exploded around on some expensive junk, showering me with ceramic fragments.

    ¡°Wonderful! Of course,¡± Inzio said with disgustingly saccharine fake friendliness. His voice didn¡¯t seem to care for the chaos around him. Maybe I was just focused on the bastard.

    There was an odd moment of silence. I listened into it.

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Thyrin¡¯s reply cut off into a gurgle. Crashing sound blocked me from hearing anything else.

    Another glimpse between cargo and I saw a partial glimpse of the lupael, falling with a knife sticking out of his throat. What the ever-loving fuck did Thyrin think was going to happen if he went to fucking Inzio? Bastard was one of the meanest crime bosses in a city stuffed full of them. And we¡¯d been stealing out from under him going on a year now.

    Liseu. What a fucking awful city. Sure, the Church didn¡¯t look here, but I sometimes wondered if freedom here was any better than hiding elsewhere. Maybe I could try Navanaea?

    I rolled under the last falling shelf. I¡¯d almost reached the door when a dagger sunk to the hilt into my right shoulder. I bit my tongue and clenched my teeth to avoid screaming. I knew the door would be locked, so I pulled hard on my crippled magic and drove a wind blade straight through the lock. Behind me, chaos in the warehouse was dying down. I only had a few moments.

    One kick with a boot later, and I was free into the night. Inzio¡¯s men would be on high alert though. This place was watched, and I¡¯d be lucky to survive long enough to even go into hiding. My crapass flat was a total loss, including the year¡¯s-worth of money I¡¯d saved up doing jobs with Thyrin.

    Fuck. Never trust another murderer.

    ¡°Well, what do we have here?¡± I spun at the sound of the voice and launched a weak wind blade at the speaker.

    The well-dressed man dodged my attack with ease. I got a look at him and went pale. Tall, lean, with slightly pointed ears and a razor smile full of filed teeth. Sharp. Inzio¡¯s top hitman, and someone I had really, really hoped never to meet.

    ¡°You have the idol,¡± I tried to keep the fear out of my voice. I reached up and felt the handle of the blade stuck in my shoulder.

    Sharp didn¡¯t speak. He just smiled wider and took a step toward me.

    I took a step back. The water of the harbor was behind me. The smell wasn¡¯t too bad, so it had to be high tide. Maybe I¡¯d be fast enough to jump? What was Sharp capable of?

    BOOM!

    Sharp¡¯s smiling face exploded into a bloody shower of brain and bone fragments.

    I reacted before I realized he was dead, jerking the blade out of my shoulder and throwing it home. The tip scored the stump of his neck and the knife tumbled off into the night.

    What the fuck just happened?

    I felt a hand around my neck. I looked down and saw nothing, then was jerked up into the air. I took a deep breath before the force magic holding me clamped down over my airway.

    ¡°Elnie. Drop her.¡± I heard a deep voice boom across the yard.

    The force hesitated then dropped me onto my knees. I exhaled then inhaled deeply, looking for the source of the magic. Around the corner of the warehouse walked a lithe elven woman with the nastiest scowl I¡¯d seen in a week. And in my line of work, that meant something.

    Behind her, holding what can only be described as a hand-held cannon, was an absolutely immense human man. Black hair cascaded down his shoulders and over a ridiculous outfit of bright clashing colors.

    ¡°Captain?¡± The elven woman turned to the man. Her accent was lilting and unfamiliar.

    ¡°She¡¯s not working for Inzio, bitch.¡± A voice with a typical Turquoiser accent spoke from the shadows near me. I hadn¡¯t even noticed him.

    ¡°Watch your tone, cat.¡± The elven woman, Elnie probably, spat.

    ¡°Hiss.¡± The Kazzel who materialized out of the shadows spoke the word and made a pawing motion with one of his hands.

    ¡°You.¡± The tall man boomed at me.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I spoke as calmly as I could.

    The man stepped over Sharp¡¯s corpse. ¡°You with Inzio?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no,¡± I spat.

    ¡°You steal from him?¡± The man eyed me seriously.

    I thought about my response. Elnie sneered at me, and the Kazzel frowned.

    ¡°Fuck yes,¡± I replied with the hardest edge I could muster.

    ¡°Welcome aboard.¡± The man walked over and clapped me on the back on the side opposite my wound. I stumbled.

    The elven woman gaped. ¡°Captain, you can¡¯t¡ª"

    ¡°I just did.¡± The mountain of a man looked down at me with a smile. ¡°Name¡¯s Torrez. The elf¡¯s Elnie, and the Kazzel¡¯s Aarsh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Seyari,¡± I replied as calmly as I could. I thought about asking why he wanted me to join and if I had a say in it. The hard edge behind his friendly gaze made me hold my tongue. It was a safe bet my home was already gone, and I wanted out of this fucking city anyway.

    So instead of asking a question, I stuck out my hand and gave him my name.

    Torrez, or Captain Torrez for me now, shook it.

    ¡°Captain,¡± Aarsh spoke up. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stop Inzio from escaping?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the others out front can manage,¡± Torrez replied with a smile. ¡° ¡¯Sides.¡± He took a small paper ball with a fuse out of his pocket, lit it and threw it up into the sky. ¡°That buildin¡¯s hazardous right about now.¡±

    I followed the small ball up into the sky, where it detonated with a sharp bang into a cloud of orange sparks. A series of booms rocked the night. I saw smoke from the large ship moored across from the warehouse.

    Then, I looked back at the warehouse, now sporting holes through several support beams. Shouts came from inside. The building groaned ominously. As it collapsed, figures spilled outside and the fight started in earnest.

    What followed was a one-sided battle between Torrez¡¯s crew and the rest of Inzio¡¯s goons. Inzio himself was no pushover, but Torrez¡¯s crew made short work of the surprised crime boss. I got to see Elnie¡¯s impressive force magic at work when she pulled the idol from his hands, and Aarsh¡¯s agility when he put two knives in the large man¡¯s throat.

    I was nearing mana exhaustion for my crippled magic, and I was hurt and tired, so I stayed out of the fight. The crew didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    Did I really want to join them?

    I looked out over the city of Liseu, sprawled under the starry night sky. It looked like a diseased scab. I thought back to the smell I could never get out of my flat and the horrid jobs I¡¯d let myself do these past years. The only good thing this place gave me was my new name.

    Yeah, fuck Liseu. I¡¯ll take my chances with the crazy pirates.

    They had to pirates, right?

    At the end of it all, I followed Captain Torrez onto the huge ship and tried to keep my head held high. The prow sported an immense figure of a human woman who seemed to be flying forward on a cloud. The large man carried the idol with reverence.

    I¡¯d taken the job to steal the idol because of the symbol it bore. The demonic symbol matched one I¡¯d seen during my life as Yothariel with the Inquisition. When I¡¯d seen the sketch, I knew I had to know more. Etanza¡¯s symbol had been a warped version of it. The captain didn¡¯t seem to care about the vortex-like symbol adorning the solid gold idol¡¯s back. I wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted the ancient piece just for the gold, but I assumed as much.

    When we reached the deck, Torrez turned to me. ¡°Welcome to the Lady of Liseu, Seyari. Your new home.¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Aarsh nodded as he walked past us, but Elnie turned her chin up at me. I didn¡¯t recognize any of the other crewmembers filing on.

    ¡°Why take me on?¡± I asked the Captain quickly. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a bit through the grapevine.¡± Torrez smiled. ¡°Mysterious master of many weapons, wind magic adept, and thief extraordinaire, with eyes of silver and hair of gold.¡±

    I fingered one of my bleached blond braids. The dye in my eyes almost seemed to itch.

    ¡°Do people really talk about me?¡± I thought back to my now-former employer. A discrete and shrewd woman who took in the worst of the worst and gave them a purpose. Thievery and assassination, but a purpose. Still hated her.

    Liseu was a city of bridges, but I¡¯d burn all of my own tonight.

    ¡°If you know where ta listen.¡± Torrez winked.

    ¡°So, you want me for my skills?¡± I narrowed my eyes.

    Torrez gave a booming laugh. ¡°No, Seyari. I want you for your passion.¡±

    ***

    To my disappointment, Torrez sold the idol to yet another Turquoiser ¡®merchant¡¯. Over the years I¡¯d spent in the city, I¡¯d learned to doubt the legitimacy of any trader who was even remotely successful.

    The Lady of Liseu, Torrez¡¯s ship, was a modified Turquoiser galleon. I hadn¡¯t quite realized how immense it was until we¡¯d changed docks.

    Elnie and I roomed together. I don¡¯t know if it was Torrez having twisted fun, or if he really thought we could get along. The elf woman acted like a spoiled princess, and resented me being in her space. The fact she was a competent mage gave me the only sliver of respect I held for her.

    The Lady left Liseu shortly after Torrez sold the statue.

    ***

    Several Years Later

    ¡°What¡¯re their biggest threats?¡± I asked Captain Torrez.

    ¡°A couple of mages; fire and water. Besides that, just a big ship with a lot of cannons.¡± Torrez leaned back in his chair.

    ¡°They won¡¯t land a shot,¡± Elnie proclaimed.

    ¡°We¡¯re boarding, right?¡± Aarsh asked, spinning a dagger in his grip.

    ¡°I fuckin¡¯ hope so. Can¡¯t let ¡®Yari and knife-ears have all the fun.¡± Nessa shot me a sideways smile.

    I blew Nessa a kiss. Elnnie glared daggers at the tall lupael woman.

    ¡°We¡¯ll shred their sails and board. Boardin¡¯ crew¡¯ll have ta be patient, though. Can¡¯t risk a broadside. Cavenish ships are big and slow, but those people make good fucking cannons.¡±

    ¡°That why we use Cavenish cannons, boss?¡± Nessa asked.

    ¡°Sure is!¡± Torrez gave a booming chuckle. ¡°Gotta thank the Cavenish navy for their kind donation sometime.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re done playing nice with the new bitch, can we go over the rest of the plan, Captain?¡± Elnie asked, one of her perfectly-trimmed eyebrows twitching visibly.

    Nessa flipped the elf off. I scooched closer to the lupael and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

    ¡°You two can fuck later.¡± Aarsh rolled his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re just mad Yari got to me first.¡± Nessa stuck her tongue out at Aarsh.

    The kazzel hissed.

    Torrez clapped loudly. ¡°Alright, stow it! Save the barbs for stickin¡¯ the bastards on that ship.¡± We all turned sharply and nodded, so Torrez continued. ¡°We¡¯re lookin¡¯ for Navanaean spices, Alorian silks, and whatever fancy gold shit their bastard captain has, clear? Shit¡¯s fragile, so don¡¯t go blowing everything up. Spices get wet and they¡¯re fucked. Silks get cut and they¡¯re fucked. You got me?¡±

    ¡°¡±Aye Captain!¡±¡±

    ¡°Good. Now get out o¡¯ here the lot of ya! We¡¯re doin¡¯ this right and we¡¯re doin¡¯ this quick.¡±

    We retreated from the Captain¡¯s office and took our positions. Nessa stumbled when something knocked into her from behind. A quick breeze gave some of the boys a good look up Elnie¡¯s skirt. Such a shame she wore loose outfits on a ship.

    I took my position near the prow, behind cover. Our cannon shot would put holes in their sails and damage the ship. My job was to put holes in the crew. Most of the time, we wrecked a sail or two, showed off a bit, and took what we could get. This time, we were out for blood. The captain of this ship had double-crossed the Lady five years ago, shortly before I¡¯d joined on.

    Now they¡¯d get their due, paid back full in blood. With interest.

    The Lady of Liseu moved silently in the night, rounding the cliff edge of the island and heading for the Cavenish galleon sailing lazily toward home. I was glad to get out of the bay into the ocean again. Didn¡¯t have to deal with all those bugs out on the open water.

    We were outside of normal shipping lanes, somewhere between Port Princely and the colony¡¯s suzerain, Cavenze. A route like this was faster, but risked pirates. Unless, of course, they were paid off. But that didn¡¯t matter if the business was personal. Especially if the pirates in question weren¡¯t the ones paid off.

    We kept low and between islets, but the other ship sighted us anyway. We knew they would. The Lady gave chase, her sleek Turquoiser design easily allowing her to catch up with the slow, overladen Cavenish behemoth.

    Realizing they couldn¡¯t run; the other ship began to turn. The Lady twisted and began to circle, just ahead of where the galleon could face. We were still well outside of cannon range, and Torrez had a plan.

    The currents here were vicious things, twisting between the islands like immense water snakes chasing their own tails. Robbed of momentum, the big ship in front of us slowed to a stop and struggled to turn. The direction Torrez had picked to circle ran opposite to the current.

    The Lady straightened and made a sprint for the other ship while it was drifting. The other captain reversed the turn to go with the current, but it was too late. The larger ship turned just in time to see the Lady¡¯s own broadside.

    Thunderous booms rang out as the first volley was exchanged. The Lady rocked back from the force of her own assault. I had already gripped the deck in preparation. Torrez¡¯s obsession with big cannons meant our sleeker ship had at least as much firepower as the monster ahead of us.

    Several of their shots bounced off Elnie¡¯s force walls. She was damn good, but I knew that tactic would only work once before she exhausted herself. Sometimes, seeing their first volley do nothing was enough to make the other side surrender. This wouldn¡¯t be one of those times.

    Our cannons roared tore into the deck and sails of the opposing ship. Several of our cannons were loaded with shot that ripped through their sails. The other solid balls slammed into and through the sides of the enemy ship, opening up some useful holes. Useful for my sight lines, anyway.

    I focused downward. I could see flashes of movement around the other ship¡¯s cannons. Wind magic was powerful at sea for many reasons. The ability to be a silent, precise long-range killer was one of them. Few wind mages could produce enough force over a long distance to do that kind of thing. Crippled as I was, I was still one of those few.

    My first volley of wind blades took more than half my strength, but time was of the essence. I couldn¡¯t be sure, but flashes of motion told me I scored several hits. Hurriedly, hatches closed and cannons were withdrawn to hide and reload. No one living strayed near the holes our cannons had made.

    The Lady of Liseu maneuvered closer, attempting to slide alongside the larger ship. The one disadvantage size gave us was that their deck was above ours. Bad for boarding, but we needed their shit.

    Right as we got in range, a rogue wave slammed into the Lady, knocking us off-course and back toward broadside range. The Lady twisted around dangerously, our prow turning toward the enemy.

    ¡°Seyari!¡± Torrez boomed.

    ¡°Aye!¡± I yelled back. I poured most of my remaining magic into a gust on our sails. They twisted and whipped about, straining at their ropes. Aarsh and the others up in the rigging scrambled to shift them. I drained myself shy of the point of exhaustion, but I¡¯d be flinging no more magic today.

    Before we were fully righted, a ball of fire flew toward our mainmast. At the last moment, a concave shield of force blocked it and I felt the heat wash back just over the deck.

    Shit. Elnie would be tapped out after something like that. Damnably efficient caster or not, something like that improvised on the fly had to cost her.

    Thankfully, our trick worked and the Lady jerked back onto course. A little too hard, in fact.

    ¡°Brace!¡± Torrez yelled.

    I grabbed the railing as tight as I could. We bounced off the larger ship, stern to stern. Not hard, but enough to rattle my bones. I heard a yell from our rigging and turned to look. One of the riggers fell, but managed to catch a lucky rope on the way down. The crossbow bolt from the other ship that caught him through the chest wasn¡¯t so lucky.

    Above us, the enemy crew lined up to fire. We had to move fast. Elnie had to be out of mana and we had no cover from this angle.

    The next moments were a blur. Grappling hooks were thrown from our ship to theirs. One large one was fired from a contraption Torrez built himself and had mounted to the deck. That big metal bastard was half the size of an anchor and took a chunk of the top deck out before embedding itself deep in the other ship. Several crossbow users were sent flying, whole or in bits.

    With a cry, our boarding crew charged up the ropes onto the larger ship. Several fell to crossbow bolts, but others blocked with small bucklers or danced out of the way. I followed them up, daring to use a bit more of my mana to bend the wind in my favor. Since I wasn¡¯t totally mana exhausted, I got to join in for the boarding.

    I scampered up the rope and flipped onto the deck, drawing my sword in a sweeping motion before putting it through the chest of the man in front of me who struggled to draw his own blade. Those closer to the ropes had gotten aboard first. The result was immediate chaos and an all-out brawl that stretched across the whole maindeck.

    I had other targets. I looked toward the prow, and found them. The fire mage was slinging fireballs into the fight. The water mage next to him threw balls of water around my crew¡¯s feet. I only barely didn¡¯t slip myself as I dove for some cover by the stairs up to the foredeck.

    I took the bow off my back with quick familiarity nocked an arrow. Few people carried old-fashioned bows on a ship. Difficult to learn, and difficult to use on a rocking platform. The galleon under me was steady compared to being in flight, and I was a master of my craft. I fired two arrows in rapid succession. The water mage dodged, but I hit the fire mage in the neck and he went down in a spray of blood.

    Now, I had the other mage¡¯s full attention. She turned to me, but before she could attack or I could dodge, the top half of her body disintegrated into red mist ahead of a thunderous boom. I turned and saw that Torrez had climbed aboard beside me. I hoped he remembered to lock the wheel. His hand cannon smoked menacingly before he set it down and drew his axe.

    Some people would say a bigass axe is a terrible weapon for fighting in small spaces. Torrez would tell them to ignore the walls. Together, we turned and rejoined the melee on deck.

    The fire mage had done some serious damage, and most of it to our side. Several of our crew were dead, and many others were injured. I ran over to Nessa who was being pushed back by several enemies. Her twin swords were red with blood and flashed under the starlight.

    Aarsh was probably fine somewhere. One of the enemies screamed in the back. Aarsh was definitely fine.

    Together with Torrez and bolstered by the deaths of the enemy mages, we scythed through the defending crew. Many surrendered. Those we tied up to deal with later. Our grudge was with the captain and their second, not the rank and file.

    Torrez had the others go clear belowdecks. He, along with myself, Aarsh, and Elnie turned toward the captain¡¯s chambers under the aft deck. The elf mage had somehow managed to climb aboard, but looked half a step away from mana exhaustion. Like me, she carried a proper bow.

    The door we faced was heavy and ornate. Torrez put his axe through it. Three swings and he was in. Immediately, a loud bang echoed and Torrez rocked back. Blood oozed from his shoulder.

    ¡°You missed,¡± the captain laughed darkly.

    Before the other captain could reload his small firearm, half a dozen of us swarmed the room, pointing weapons at them. The other captain was a well-dressed, slim individual. Human, and Cavenish if their features were any indication.

    ¡°Torrez! Friend! We can talk about this!¡± They pleaded.

    ¡°Start talkin¡¯,¡± Torrez replied.

    The other captain opened their mouth. Torrez put the axe in it, blade first. I watched the top half of their head sail across the room, shattering a pane on one of the windows on its way out.

    ¡°Good talk.¡± Torrez kicked the corpse, then turned to us. ¡°Loot the ship, then burn it. We¡¯re sending this disgrace to the bottom.¡±

    I raised my eyebrows. Torrez had a merchant¡¯s heart. This ship was worth a fortune, even in its current state. This really must have been personal, but I wasn¡¯t on the crew when the slight happened. I looked to Elnie and Aarsh.

    Both of them smiled wickedly. ¡°Aye captain!¡± They both exclaimed.

    If those two were on the same page¡­

    Well, it wasn¡¯t my call and I didn¡¯t give a shit about the money. ¡°What about the crew?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll drop ¡®em off in the next port. If any of ¡®em talk back, throw ¡®em overboard.¡± Torrez replied, while in the middle of taking an axe to an expensive-looking oil painting.

    ¡°Aye Captain,¡± I replied, and headed back out to the deck.

    Outside, my lupael fling was leaning on the wall, weapons sheathed. Her short-cropped hair and tall pointed ears were spattered in blood. So was her usual piecemeal armor. She turned to look and her brown eyes lit up when she saw me.

    ¡°What a rush!¡± Nessa ran up and kissed me, still covered in blood.

    I wasn¡¯t feeling it, but I leaned into the kiss anyway.

    ¡°Want to find a quiet spot real quick?¡± Nessa asked in a breathy voice with lidded eyes.

    I thought a moment. ¡°Not now, Nessa. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re no fun! Come on! Just a quickie?¡± She had a manic gleam in her eyes.

    I sighed and caved. ¡°Sure, I guess. But just a fast one.¡±

    She smiled and dragged me away. Really, it did make me feel better. More than anything, it was a distraction, and a welcome one. After we finished, we helped loot the ship. By the time the ruined Cavenish galleon was drifting off, ablaze and listing into the afternoon heat, we¡¯d finished getting all our loot stored.

    Torrez had destroyed anything even remotely personal to the old captain. I made yet another reminder to never cross the vindictive man. He was kind to his crew: almost fatherly in some ways, but the man had a vicious streak. Still, we ended up a good deal richer for what we took.

    I had no doubt some of the older crew would retire off the haul. I had nowhere else to go, so I¡¯d stay aboard. We dropped the few remaining people from the galleon¡¯s crew off at a small nearby colonial town, then set off for Liseu. We needed a market to sell our ill-gotten gains, and there was no place better than a city where ¡®stolen¡¯ was more or less implied.

    Celebrations lasted the whole voyage back. Nessa and I spent the time in a drunken haze of sex. Once we got to Liseu, about a third of the crew retired. We¡¯d need fresh blood to replace the veterans we¡¯d lost, so we ended up hanging around the city for a few weeks.

    While in the city, I caught wind of rumors pertaining to Lost Era ruins in the northern isles. Other artifacts like the idol that helped me meet Torrez might be found! More than that, there might be something else I could learn about that symbol. Something more about demons and what it was the Inquisition was trying to do.

    I had wanted to let all that stuff go with the rest of my past. I couldn¡¯t. I needed answers and, at the promise of riches, was able to get Torrez to consider the idea. Maybe then, I¡¯d finally be able to put the past to rest.

 Chapter 60: False Claim

    In silence, the three of us made our way up toward the ridgeline, following the creek. Seyari¡¯s wind magic swirled the air around us gently, obscuring our scent and sound. The supernatural stillness of the forest put me on edge. I¡¯d gotten used to my presence having this effect, but when I passed through in my normal form, the forest seemed to hold its breath. Here and now? The forest was dead.

    The plants around us seemed fine, but no animals truly lived here. Subtle signs: blackberries from the past summer rotting on the vine, and wilted flowers dropping petals onto the brown pile previous years left below.

    Further up, we found tracks. Mixed, orderly, and all leading away from up the creek bed. Not a natural animal trail, the sight sent a shiver down my spine. By all accounts, I shouldn¡¯t have been afraid. The thought helped calm me, but I was still on edge.

    I wasn¡¯t so much afraid for me, but for Ruston and Seyari. I knew the half-angel could hold her own, but I remembered what that twisted, burned wolf had done to her leg. The image of an injury that should have killed her outright was forever burned into my memory.

    For Ruston, well, I had to do my best to protect him. Just because he wasn¡¯t someone I wanted to get closer to didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d hold back from keeping him safe.

    ***

    Soon, we reached the source of the creek. A spring bubbled up into a small pond, surrounded by blackened, twisted plants and soot-caked bones. A steep rocky hillside ascended the short distance to the top of the ridge some meters up. Leaning by the spring was a broken stone monolith, covered in text I couldn¡¯t read.

    Once, this would have been a peaceful, beautiful place. Now, I was immediately cautious. Ruston had taken point, but I was right behind him. I guessed he wouldn¡¯t turn and shifted my eyes for aura sight. The whole vale had a lingering sort of orangish-red aura. It reminded me of the twisted wolves.

    ¡°Be cautious,¡± Seyari warned with a whisper, ¡°It¡¯ll know we¡¯re here once we¡¯re enter, if it doesn¡¯t already.¡±

    ¡°I can take point,¡± I looked down at Ruston, my eyes human again.

    He didn¡¯t look back up. I followed where his head was looking and realized there was a human body on the ground. Had that been there a moment ago? The man looked almost as if he was sleeping, albeit face down with singed clothing. That doesn¡¯t make sense. Something¡¯s up.

    ¡°Dad,¡± Ruston said in a shaky voice.

    ¡°Ruston, don¡¯t,¡± Seyari ordered.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Ruston spoke softly, still fixated on his likely dead father.

    I heard his father groan.

    Ruston did too, and he took a step forward.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong here, Ruston, stay back,¡± I ordered the young man in front of me.

    Ruston¡¯s anger spiked. ¡°No. I have to check. Watch my back.¡± Ruston darted forward.

    ¡°Ruston!¡± I shouted and grabbed his arm.

    ¡°What!?¡± He turned and yelled at me. His eyes were wet and wide. ¡°Let go! What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°The demon¡¯s doing something.¡± I stared back at the young man.

    ¡°So what?¡± Ruston shouted back at me. ¡°Are you an expert on demons now? Screw off! My dad¡¯s hurt, and we need to get to him before the demon does.¡±

    I tried to keep my voice calm. ¡°Ruston¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk down to me!¡± Ruston wrenched his arm out of my grip. ¡°I don¡¯t care that you think you¡¯re some bigshot. If you¡¯re so sure you can take down a demon, help me get my dad out of here first!¡±

    I tried again. ¡°We need to see if¡ª"

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Ruston darted out of my reach. His anger was boiling over. ¡°My dad¡¯s in trouble in this cursed place and I¡¯m not going to let you stop me!¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I conceded. ¡°I can watch your back. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll watch the sides,¡± Seyari spoke up, moving around to another angle close by.

    Ruston didn¡¯t reply, he just gave us a look and darted forward to his father. I ran out into the clearing after him.

    When the young man reached his father, he started to drop to his knees. Everything after that happened in an instant.

    His ¡®father¡¯s¡¯ skin burned away in a flash and a twisted arm shot up and grabbed Ruston by the ankle.

    I threw away my human transformation and surged after him. I reached out to grab Ruston and pull him away. I was an instant too slow. Before my eyes, the young man lit up in a reddish-orange conflagration.

    I tried to control the flames, but I couldn¡¯t. Even if I could have, when I grabbed Ruston¡¯s shoulder, all I touched was warped, blackened bone.

    The immolated corpse that had been Ruston a moment ago, collapsed to the ground. Bits of char held most of the bones together.

    Time seemed to stop, and I stared at the corpse in shock. Ruston had been alive less than a second ago.

    He didn¡¯t have to die. I could have stopped this. I hesitated and now he¡¯s dead.

    I saw movement from the thing that¡¯d killed Ruston. I picked up the twisted formerly human body in four arms and tore it apart.

    I took a breath and realized I¡¯d roared. ¡°We find the demon, now!¡± I shouted in the direction I knew Seyari had gone.

    A wind tipped arrow answered my question, flying just past my side. I turned and saw it¡¯d struck Ruston¡¯s charred remains, which had tried to stand up.

    I spun and looked around the clearing. The spring burbled quietly, the only sound and movement I could see.

    That evil, twisted demon! It was here, somewhere. Hiding.

    I could hear my teeth grinding against each other. Aura sight revealed nothing I hadn¡¯t seen already. A faint aura all over, but no concentrations. The still bodies of Ruston and the other were slightly more concentrated but the orangish-red aura was ebbing away.

    ¡°Show yourself!¡± I shouted into the empty clearing.

    No response.

    My symbol burned hot on my chest, but what was happening didn¡¯t feel like suppression to my anger. Focus. My anger had focus. I was in control.

    I am the Sovereign of Wrath.

    The demon here: Could they be a wrath demon?

    ¡°Demon!¡± I spoke loudly, confidently. ¡°I am your Sovereign, and I demand you show yourself.¡± I felt a stir in the aura. Then, a return to stillness.

    What more could I do?

    I realized the answer a moment later: my Name. My True Name: Zerix¡¯Arranthariel.

    ¡°Demon,¡± I addressed the clearing once again. ¡°I am Zerix¡¯Arranthariel. I am the Sovereign of Wrath, and you will answer my call,¡± I said clearly and loudly, but did not shout. My wrath would not be so uncontrolled.

    The aura around me stirred, condensing toward the spring at the center. Bits of the bodies shot into the water, and a figure broke the surface. What it was couldn¡¯t be a called humanoid. The form was an amalgamation of parts of dead animals, humans, wood and rock. Spindly limbs jutted out from a misshapen, jagged torso.

    A head made of a patchwork of human skulls topped the shape, tiny compared to the meters-tall bulk. Blackened, twisted skin grew over it, giving the awful skeleton a disturbing visage of some frightening monstrosity. The face, however, was like a composite of an older man and woman.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    The jaw full of overlarge, black, pointed teeth, opened. ¡°Sovereign!¡± the demon spoke, in a voice like the crackling of a burning building. ¡°That one was mine, not yours!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I levelled a reply at the hunched beast with too many twisted limbs. I kept my reply short to keep the shaking out of my voice. I knew I shouldn¡¯t be afraid of this thing, but the fact it looked like something from my nightmares¡¯ nightmares, kept my mind on edge.

    ¡°Did you not lead that one to me?¡± The monstrosity scuttled closer to me. ¡°I will not touch your other prey. They are not from those who wronged me.¡± The demon spoke slowly, each word hissing and cracking out staccato syllables strung together with discordant noise.

    I forced myself to glare up at it. ¡°Ruston did not wrong you.¡±

    The thing stared at me with unblinking eyes like cracked coals. ¡°The Sovereign does not understand. Harris-ton killed me and Harris-ton must burn.¡±

    I forced myself to stare into its inorganic eyes. ¡°Not everyone in the town was part of the mob who killed you. There are good people in Harriston.¡± I didn¡¯t know why I thought trying to reason with it would work.

    ¡°The Sovereign does not understand.¡± The thing¡¯s posture shifted. ¡°Zerix¡¯Arranthariel is weak.¡±

    The demon pounced. Sharp limbs struck out at me and the air between us became superheated in an instant. The warmth I felt burned everything away except my spear. My Name had vibrated with power when the demon had used it, but whatever effect it had wanted hadn¡¯t happened. I felt fine.

    The twisted monstrosity was fast, but I was faster. On edge already, I managed to narrowly dodge the flailing limbs that whistled through the air past me.

    I grabbed my spear as it slid down my back and spun it to meet the next limb. The demon had force behind its strike, but I was able to parry the blow cleanly.

    From the bushes on the fringe of the clearing a blinding beam of holy light tore through the air. The other demon shifted unnaturally, but a couple limbs were burned away.

    I darted the spear around the demon¡¯s guard, thankful for the reach it gave me. I struck home, breaking off bits of the thing¡¯s composite body.

    The demon swung back at me, limbs closing around my escape. The spear was long, but the massive range of the thing¡¯s limbs had trapped me. Jagged bits of bone and rock jammed into me, forcing a roar of pain from my lips.

    I tried to burn the limbs away, but the thing seemed to hardly feel my fire, trying to drive the limbs deeper. I struck at the spindly limbs with my claws and spear. Joints cracked, but the bits drove deeper. I could feel my ribs snapping. I crouched low, wincing at the way the invading limbs shifted, then brought my tail up with as much force as I could muster.

    With a cracking, splintering sound, my heavy tail crashed through the half-dozen limbs that had pierced me, shattering them to pieces.

    From above it, Seyari¡¯s beam of holy light came down. Unable to dodge in time, the demon¡¯s entire right side was burned away.

    I took a moment and used my three free hands to rip the bits out of me. The pain blossomed stars behind my eyes, but my regeneration pulled heavily on my mana and I could feel the wounds stop bleeding.

    I took a deep breath, wincing from broken ribs, and leapt for the exposed part of its body. My weight caused it to crash over.

    Around me, what limbs weren¡¯t pinned under it flailed and slashed at me¡ªmy spear and claws stopping most of them. Seyari¡¯s beam fired again, uncomfortably close.

    One limb came for my neck, and I was barely able to grab it in time. I jerked my hand and snapped the end of the limb off. The others inside me I ripped out and slapped with my tail. Some broke.

    I tried to tear at the thing¡¯s body, but all that came out was bits of charred wood, bone, and rock. Worse, I could see the aura around us start to pull severed limbs and other debris toward the demon.

    It¡¯s all just a shell!

    I held on with two hands, and used the other two and the weight of my body to drive the spear into the debris of its body. It sunk in and crashed through bone until the spearhead hit something softer.

    I pushed harder and drove it home. The demon screamed in agony under me; a sound like shattering bone and the hissing of a dying fire. I twisted and leveraged the spear, flexing it dangerously even through the enchantment, but creating an opening.

    The beam of holy light had been replaced by smaller lances. The first went wide, but soon most of the demon¡¯s limbs were shattered before they could impale me. The few in me tried to drive deeper, but I held them back with two hands. My wounds hurt like hell, and my mana was depleting rapidly to try to heal them. Good thing I didn¡¯t need my magic to finish this.

    I used my other two hands and my spear¡¯s head to claw, tear, and stab my way to the thing¡¯s real body. I couldn¡¯t see what form it had taken, but the skin was pink like a scar and burned at the edges. I tore into the demon¡¯s real body viciously.

    More terrible screams sounded from the demon under me. I continued to tear through blackened bone and twisted flesh until, with a final shriek, the thing under me spasmed and went still.

    I felt a rush from the victory, and from something else. The thing¡¯s aura rushed toward me. I flared mine to burn it away, but before it even reached me, the remains of the demon¡¯s magic seemed to merge with mine.

    Like with Verrux, I felt my mana replenish slightly. This time, I tried to look for changes. I didn¡¯t find any in the few seconds it took for Seyari to run up to me.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± the half angel asked.

    I turned to her. Seyari¡¯s eyes were tired, probably from mana exhaustion.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I answered, ¡°but Ruston¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°You tried,¡± Seyari said halfheartedly.

    I shook my head and stood up off the demon¡¯s corpse, wobbling slightly. ¡°I hesitated. Ruston¡¯s dead because of me.¡± The two of us walked to the edge of the burnt clearing and I sat down heavily on the edge of the streambed. I realized I was naked, but couldn¡¯t find the energy to care. Nothing Seyari hadn¡¯t seen anyway.

    ¡°You can¡¯t save everyone,¡± Seyari said sadly, sitting down next to me.

    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s like I didn¡¯t even try,¡± I looked toward the clearing, keeping my eyes and aura sight on the body. ¡°I wanted to be polite and reasonable and not get angry. And now Ruston¡¯s dead.¡± The aura was gone from the clearing, and the unnatural char had receded. Somehow, the place looked even more macabre without it.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Seyari said softly. ¡°You¡¯re too nice. You always bend over backward for people and you never want to take a side.¡±

    ¡°Can you help me grow a spine?¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can.¡±

    ¡°What do I do then?¡± I looked toward the spot where Ruston had died. Not an hour ago we were chatting casually in the clearing down the creek from here.

    ¡°You figure it out yourself.¡± Seyari stood up and walked over to me, bending down to look into my eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t get help with learning to put your foot down. That¡¯d defeat the purpose.¡±

    I stared back up at her and said nothing.

    ¡°Did I sound like you, Renna?¡± Seyari asked, and a small smile graced her features. ¡°Because that¡¯s what I was going for.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Sey,¡± I replied, ¡°but you¡¯re not going to cheer me up.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a look around the place and then we¡¯ll head back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m scared of losing control to my wrath,¡± I said to no one as Seyari walked away.

    Seyari kept walking, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I watched her investigate the broken stone monolith. After that, she started to take the dead demon apart. I couldn¡¯t watch and turned away to look at the sky. The uncaring gray clouds promised rain and gave no answers.

    I thought about how I had handled the situation after I let Ruston die. Would I have hurt Seyari or someone else if they had been next to me? I didn¡¯t think so. Was I in control? I felt like I was.

    The demon hadn¡¯t come out until I¡¯d used my True Name. I realized Seyari knew it now as well. I didn¡¯t mind. I tried to focus on why the demon had shown itself when I used my True Name. I felt the power when I used my Name, like the demon was forced to acknowledge me.

    Why hadn¡¯t my title drawn it out, but my Name had? Was it just the way things worked?

    I tried to think harder; I was the Sovereign of Wrath. I knew it, but the title made me nervous. I tried to follow that feeling of nervousness to where it came from. Years ago, Abby had taught me to do this, something passed on from her nan.

    What about being the Sovereign of Wrath makes me nervous?

    I was scared of demonic politics, so the ¡®Sovereign¡¯ part was certainly a potential culprit. But what about ¡®Wrath¡¯? The last vestiges of Abby had gotten my wrath under control years ago.

    Had she really? Had I really?

    I¡¯d exploded outward in anger a few times, but I¡¯d managed to control it. Most of the time, I just simply didn¡¯t get angry.  Even when I should.

    Even when I should.

    Was I avoiding getting angry? Was I avoiding conflict? I thought back to the last few months.

    I never told anyone about my nature on the trip from my island to Port Princely aboard the Swordfish and was afraid of hurting them. I¡¯d showed Elena the tailor way too much, and left without thinking. I¡¯d revealed myself late and Aarsh had died. I¡¯d let Elnie get away with cutting my damn ear off and I barely got angry. I¡¯d convinced myself to be fine with getting bound in Ivlaet. I didn¡¯t confront the prince in Ivlaet or at the gates of Baetnal. I¡¯d suggested hiding rather than running because I wanted to avoid conflict.

    I¡¯d agreed to work with Lilly despite all the warning signs and despite knowing so little. I hadn¡¯t even really dug for any of Lilly¡¯s information, and now the Sovereign of Lust knew almost everything about me. I ran from the conflict between Navanaea and the Formid. That was and isn¡¯t my conflict, but it is for Aretan and others I know and I just¡­ walked away.

    I let us camp near Ned and Jacob even when we knew they were creeps. I waited until my neck was sliced open before I even did anything.

    All this time, I¡¯ve been going along with the flow and trying not to disturb anyone. I¡¯ve only reacted and I¡¯ve hardly acted. Nelys was almost raped. I helped Seyari reveal herself, but even then I only pushed her once. Her own lack of trust in herself hurt others. My lack of trust wasn¡¯t exempt. I took action in the ruins at the pass, but it took me all day to do that much.

    Why?

    The first thing that came to mind was: I don¡¯t want my anger to control me.

    Yeah, but it already has. Just not in the way I thought it would.

    I¡¯d accepted myself. I¡¯d accepted my demon side and my human side. I¡¯d accepted Seyari and Nelys.

    I¡¯d never accepted that I was a Wrath demon.

    If Abby was still here, she¡¯d probably say something like: ¡°Finally, you doofus!¡±.

    I looked down at my clawed hands. I clenched them and unclenched them. Even if I had been afraid of my anger, I¡¯d never totally lost control. I needed to allow myself to get angry. Maybe my title hadn¡¯t worked because I didn¡¯t really believe it. Maybe not. Didn¡¯t matter. I needed learn to let myself get angry, and take decisive action proactively. I needed to learn to be the Sovereign of Wrath. My own less-destructive version, sure, but I couldn¡¯t hide from the title. And now I didn¡¯t want to.

    All that would be easier said than done.

    ¡°You have any revelations?¡± Seyari walked down toward me. She was carrying in one hand what looked suspiciously like a badly burned human head. Black blood dripped from the stump of its neck. in the other, she had an axe head.

    ¡°Yeah, I think so actually.¡± I stood up and forced myself to smile. ¡°Is that the demon¡¯s head?¡± I assumed the axe head was to identify Ruston.

    ¡°One of them,¡± Seyari replied.

    I didn¡¯t ask her to elaborate.

 Mist & Mystery: A Halloween Crossover with Lunar Marked

    We lost the trail on the way back into town. Without Ruston as a guide, our unfamiliarity of the terrain got the better of us. We didn¡¯t need to go back to town, but both of us wanted to, for closure if no other reason.

    As we walked, the trees became larger and older, their gnarled canopies choking out the sunlight. Fog and mist began to swirl lazily around them.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be the right direction, Sey,¡± I lamented.

    Seyari sighed and looked up. ¡°We¡¯re lost, Renna. We¡¯ve already turned around twice. Maybe you could climb up one of the trees? They¡¯re certainly big enough to hold your weight.¡±

    I looked up into prickly darkness. ¡°Maybe not all the way to the top. I¡¯ll let the weight comment go this time, mostly because you¡¯re not wrong. Limbs weigh a lot, you know.¡±

    Seyari smiled thinly. ¡°I¡¯ll shout if something happens while you¡¯re up there.¡±

    I gave her four thumbs up and started up the largest nearby tree after setting my packs at its base. Sharp tips of dead wood poked at me, and the branches started to groan when I put weight on them the higher I got. I tried to use my claws for grip on the trunk, but the bark flaked off under my weight.

    I didn¡¯t make it to the top. I was above the other trees, but all I could see through the dense needles before I lost my grip was a half-second glimpse of more trees and mist. In the distance, I thought I saw smoke, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. I managed to stop myself falling by hitting several branches and wrapping my tail around the tree. Above me, broken branches and shredded bark dared me to try again.

    I decided against it, and climbed back down, picking needles and sticks out of my braid and clothing.

    ¡°You look like the tree ate you,¡± Seyari giggled.

    ¡°It did,¡± I replied and didn¡¯t elaborate. ¡°I might have seen some smoke, but I couldn¡¯t get a clear view.¡± I pointed in the direction I¡¯d seen it.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°Better than nothing, I guess. We¡¯ll head in that direction and once we can get our bearing, we should be able to make it to a town and then get directions back to Harriston. We can¡¯t have gone that far.¡±

    I nodded, and the two of us set out in the direction I¡¯d pointed, hopeful we¡¯d find a way back to town, any town.

    ***

    ??? POV

    Blearily, I rolled over, grasping the pillow in my arms tighter and snuggling into its warmth. The clink of metal and shuffling fabric met my ears, but I ignored it, my mind drifting slowly back to sleep.

    ¡°Pearl,¡± a voice broke through the haze. ¡°Pearl, wake up.¡±

    I mumbled something about oranges, as I sunk back into the familiar emotional soup of a dream I¡¯d been having. Walking with my father up ahead through a grove of trees toward our house and into our kitchen, with walls that seemed to converge and crowd down around me. There was work to be done; the food was late. I¡¯d forgotten.

    ¡°Pearl,¡± Camilla insisted.

    A hand shook my shoulder, and I blinked my eyes open, finding the dark sorceress standing there in front of me. Right, I was in bed, asleep.

    ¡°Get up! We have to go,¡± she hissed just above a whisper.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The sorceress pulled me to my feet, out of the hot, cozy warmth of my pillows and blankets. When had Camilla gotten up?

    ¡°Quickly, put something on.¡±

    She shoved something into my hands, and I nodded. Staring down, I twisted the dress in my grasp, realizing it was part of my maid¡¯s attire. With a huff of annoyance, Camilla snatched it back from me, and pulled my nightdress up over my head.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡± I muttered through muffling cloth as she slipped the dress around me.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been found out.¡± She snapped her fingers in front of my face. ¡°Get ready. You¡¯ve got less than thirty seconds and then we¡¯re going.¡±

    My eyes widened as my sleepy mind finally began to clear. Oh fuck.

    With a bit more haste, I slipped into some thick socks and shoes, regretting the fact that I didn¡¯t have anything suitable for travel. The shoes were suitable for housework, not running through the forest. I bundled several bits of clothes together, stopping still to ponder what to even put them in until Camilla tossed a half-empty bag at my feet. I gave her a quick nod and began stuffing whatever I could into it. A couple seconds later, she pulled me to my feet, tightening the strings along the sack and shoving it into my arms.

    ¡°This will have to do. We¡¯re out of time. Can you hold the sack?¡±

    I nodded, and her clawed hand gripped painfully into my arm. She pulled, almost dragging me off my feet, as I winced and stumbled forward out of the room just behind her. Just as we crossed the doorway, I spotted a figure in the dark hall. Camilla released her grip and shoved me hard into the wall. My head smacked into the thick wood, and a groan left my lips as a painful throb emanated from the spot. Then the room began to spin as I stepped to the side, doing my best to keep my balance. I heard a man yell out, and a loud thump that echoed and shook the hall. One of my hands pressed against the wall, steadying me.

    A few other thumps and metallic clanging noises met my ears. When I finally turned to look over, two red eyes met my own.

    Camilla cursed, ¡°Shit, shit, shit. Sorry. Are you okay?¡± She took a step toward me. ¡°Fuck. I¡¯m sorry. Can you walk?¡±

    Around her were three bodies spread out along the floor, sentinels in their heavily armored uniforms, though without the long spears or massive shields that they typically carried outdoors. I wasn¡¯t sure if they were dead or just unconscious and wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to ask.

    ¡°Y¡ªyeah.¡± I nodded and tried to take a step back from the wall, only to realize it was a mistake.

    In a blink she was in front of me, an arm pressing against my legs. The room shifted around me, and I thought for a moment that I¡¯d fallen until my side was pressed up against her form. I could feel the touch of naked skin beneath the shadows that curved around her dark skin like a dress. She then placed the sack that I¡¯d dropped into my arms.

    ¡°Just close your eyes and hold onto that as tightly as you can. I¡¯m going to get us out of here.¡±

    I bit my lip but nodded, closing my eyes as the shadowy veil she used as a dress flowed over me. Camilla, with me in a tight princess carry, began to sprint forth through the mansion with ease. Nausea rolled through my belly, and I did my best to keep it down as we twisted around corners at speed. She was so strong.

    ¡°Rosetta and Lena are meeting us along the way. Hopefully they haven¡¯t dawdled or been caught,¡± she whispered. My shoulders fell in relief that she¡¯d managed to already convene with them, only to tighten once more as we turned another corner and my insides rolled.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to throw up,¡± I muttered as acid met my throat.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Though we¡¯ll have to be quiet for a bit now. Try to keep it down.¡±

    I let out a soft groan and moments later, we burst through a door and into the frigid cold of the outside night air. Camilla continued to carry me, and I kept my eyes firmly shut for what seemed like forever. With some luck, my stomach began to finally settle, though the frosty air bit at my hands and face.

    After some time, Camilla whispered, ¡°Alright, I believe it may be safe to talk again.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Rosetta and Lena?¡±

    ¡°Up ahead. They had a bit of a head start, but I¡¯m luckily a fast runner.¡± She chuckled, before her tone grew serious. ¡°And they haven¡¯t a clue at how to hide their tracks. Escape is going to be a challenge once the sentinels begin to trail us.¡±

    Opening my eyes, I found only darkness around me. I was quick to realize, however, that it was due to Camilla¡¯s magic and peeked my head forward until I could see through it. The dark shapes of tree trunks and tall bushes flashed by us at a speed that I couldn¡¯t hope to reach no matter how hard I ran. The cold air nipped at my nose, and I turned my head around to press my frosty face up against Camilla. I felt her twitch as my nose and cheeks pushed into her warm, smooth skin. They were red from the cold, but as I realized just what I was pressed up against, my face turned scarlet. Not that I cared enough to stop¡­

    Camilla¡¯s nearly silent steps slowed to a stop, and a moment later, I heard whispered voices.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think,¡± the girl huffed out a ragged breath, ¡°that I can.¡± Another deep wheeze of air followed. ¡°Keep this pace.¡±

    ¡°Oh, quit your complaining. We¡¯ve got to keep going or Camilla and Pearl will leave us behind. They might be miles ahead of us at this point. Keep moving,¡± Rosetta demanded.

    Lena groaned. ¡°How are you able to run like this without being completely out of breath?¡±

    ¡°Well, m¡¯lady, I work on my feet for a living, and moving quickly is a part of the job.¡±

    Lena grumbled out something else, though I missed it as Camilla shifted my body and brought my feet to the ground.

    Bright red eyes stared into my own, and I shivered. Mostly from the cold. ¡°Do you think you can walk¡ªor rather¡ªrun?¡±

    This time I tested my balance before giving her a hesitant nod. With a hand intertwined with her own, we ran forward until Lena and her maid came into view.

    ¡°Oh thank the gods,¡± Lena said. Her red hair was a messy mop, already having a few twigs and leaves tangled into it. She paused her slow jog to lean against a tree. ¡°I was terrified you wouldn¡¯t be able to find us.¡±

    Camilla scoffed. ¡°With how the two of you have been bumbling through the forest like an off-the-rails train? Unlikely.¡±

    Lena met my gaze and frowned as we walked closer. ¡°I can understand Camilla being fit, but how are you not out of breath, Pearl?¡±

    ¡°I carried her most of the way here,¡± the sorceress interrupted. ¡°Now we should keep moving.¡±

    Lena gave several minor protests, but a few seconds of rest later and we were off through the forest once more, the exhausted noble being the slowest among us. Though, I was sure that with a bit of time, I¡¯d be struggling to drag my tired feet along as well. Only the threat of the Praevus and his men tailing us kept us going as hard as we could. It was lucky that Camilla seemed to know where we were headed, because I was completely lost. I dreaded the possibility of getting separated.

    As we moved, the trees quickly began to change, becoming taller and larger. The large leafy floor changed to thin needles, and in between the massive tree trunks, a misty fog began to gather. It was somehow even colder to the touch than the normal air.

    I rubbed my arms, wishing I had something a little warmer on, and hoping that I¡¯d put something better suited to the temperature in the bag slung across my shoulder. Beside me, I saw Lena shivering, and glaring ahead at the sorceress, clad in nothing but the dark misty shadows flowing down her form as she casually waited ahead for us to keep pace.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Camilla said in a whisper.

    ¡°Wrong?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°These trees,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ off about them.¡±

    We all stopped, Lena, Rosetta, and I shivering in place. Only Rose had been sensible enough to wear something warm over her maid dress, though even that didn¡¯t seem to completely hold off the cold.

    ¡°How are you not freezing your tits off?¡± Lena muttered at Camilla as the woman eyed the woods around us.

    Internally, I had to agree. The sorceress was naked underneath her magical ¡®dress¡¯, and those shadows had done nothing to hold in any heat when she¡¯d carried me within them.

    Camilla glanced her way. ¡°I¡¯m not nearly as delicate as you three.¡±

    Rosetta muttered something under her breath, and then we were off again.

    We trudged further into the mist at a brisk jog until, just a few minutes later, Camilla came to a stop. By this point, the trees had become truly massive, looming above so high that they blotted out the sky.

    The sorceress held out a hand, and we each stopped in place. ¡°There¡¯s something or someone up ahead,¡± she hissed out in a soft whisper.

    I squinted in the direction she was looking, but neither saw nor heard anything at all. Had we already been found? Did they know we were here? Or worse, had we stumbled into something else in the forest?

    I gulped, my eyes trying to peer through the mist for anything other than the large, knotted, and overgrown trees. A chill completely unrelated to the cold ran down my spine as I realized that the forest had become unnaturally quiet, the sounds of insects and other night critters completely absent.

    ¡°They know we¡¯re here,¡± Camilla said, so quietly that I could barely make it out. They? Was there more than one, then? I wasn¡¯t sure if that was good or bad at this point. ¡°Stay behind me. And if I say run, you run.¡± Her voice had a coldness to it that terrified me almost as much as everything else.

    The crunch of leaves made me jump, only for me to realize that it was just Rosetta shifting her feet. For what felt like an eternity, but which was actually a handful of seconds, we waited in silence.

    Then, out of the mist two dark figures approached. Both Lena and I flinched back, and I heard Rosetta release a breath. Camilla, however, didn¡¯t move, her body still tense and already facing them from the start. At first glance, they seemed human, so there was some relief that we hadn¡¯t run into any dangerous beasts. But then I noticed that one appeared abnormally taller than the other. As they more fully walked out of the foggy mist, and into sight, I saw just how truly massive the one on the left was. She¡ªas it was now clear she was a woman¡ªwas so large that I was certain she¡¯d bump her head against the ceiling of my old room above the library. If she could duck through the door to get in.

    The large and muscular one raised a hand casually into the air, as though giving a strange wave or salute as they stopped several meters away, giving us a wide berth.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she greeted in a bright, casual tone.

    I shuddered from just how relaxed she seemed, given the situation. It spoke of a confidence that didn¡¯t bode well for us. My eyes roamed to the other woman that stood next to her. She looked normal at first glance, with black hair much like the larger woman. Though as I stared, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was something strange about her eyes, even if I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what. The two were also a little pale looking, compared to the warm brown colors that were normal around here. Though I¡¯d seen a similar complexion from travelers far to the north of the Empire. The other odd thing was their worn and rough-looking clothes, similar to what you might see a traveling merchant wear, if the merchant was also a beggar.

    All of it came together to scream that these two were not normal, if the strange height of the left one hadn¡¯t already given it away. While they didn¡¯t have the typical appearance that one might expect of two sorceresses, there was no doubt of what they were. I felt stupid. It only made sense that the Praevus would have brought more sorcerers here to handle Camilla, should she finally break from his control. I glanced over to Camilla, who stood leaning forward like a loaded spring ready to fly into battle. Hidden in her hand was a short blade. Her gaze was cold and fierce, never leaving the two.

    The tall sorceress across from us let her arm fall when no one responded to her greeting, only to awkwardly scratch the top of her black braided hair as the silence dragged. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we can solve whatever this is peacefully?¡± She glanced over to her companion, whom I couldn¡¯t help but notice also seemed on edge and ready to fight.

    I licked my dry lips.

    ¡°Turn around now,¡± Camilla growled out. ¡°And I will pretend I didn¡¯t see you. You might be lucky and live to see the next day.¡±

    She was bluffing. I knew she was bluffing, or assumed so at least. The Praevus wouldn¡¯t send two sorcerers who couldn¡¯t easily take her on. But what else could she do in this situation?

    ¡°Okay, yeah. That¡¯s fine. We can go. Though, I¡¯ll admit we¡¯re a bit lost at the moment and, uh¡ª¡±

    The woman next to her elbowed the large lady. ¡°She¡¯s a demon, Zarenna.¡±

    I held back a huff. That was a bit rude. Flicking my eyes over to Camilla, I noted she seemed distinctly unamused. Camilla wasn¡¯t some kind of monster, no matter how she looked. Two random sorceresses should know that.

    ¡°Yeah, I can see that, Sey,¡± Zarenna whispered. ¡°And so what? She might be nice!¡±

    ¡°She might try to kill us,¡± ¡®Sey¡¯ fired back. ¡°Or get us more lost!¡±

    ¡°She just said she wants us to leave.¡± The woman turned back to face us. ¡°Which we were about to do¡ªsorry!¡± She bowed slightly and grabbed the other woman¡¯s shoulder to turn them around.

    I realized the moment they began to move that this wasn¡¯t the end. Regardless of their strange banter, them leaving would only mean the both of them coming back to attack us later, when we were even more vulnerable. And so when Camilla shifted and threw a knife at their backs, I was only a little surprised.

    The normal-sized, if still a bit tall, woman they called ¡®Sey¡¯ turned on the spot to raise a hand, but half a second too late. The knife pierced into the back of Zarenna''s neck, making her take a stumbling step forward, before regaining her balance and posture. To my surprise, the tip appeared to barely pierce her flesh, and stuck in only briefly before falling to the dirt below.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Camilla cursed under her breath.

    I stood frozen, staring. A small trickle of blood dripped from Zarenna¡¯s neck as she turned our way. Camilla wasted no time. She stepped forward, increasing her distance from Lena, Rosetta, and I, as several knives slid out from her shadows, floating in the air around her, as well as two in each hand.

    Zarenna raised her hands up. ¡°Heeey,¡± she said, with an edge in her tone. ¡°We really don¡¯t need to fight. Why don¡¯t we¡ª¡±

    The other lady rushed forward, drawing a glowing sword from her waist. Camilla met her charge with her own, at a speed well beyond normal human means, knives at the ready.

    ¡°Aw, damn,¡± Zarenna sighed out.

    My eyes widened as her body suddenly shifted. Two arms grew to four, her skin became dark red, ridged horns pushed up out from her head, and a long thick tail splayed out from behind her¡ªall in the blink of an eye. I could only imagine how terribly painful it looked to be, despite the sorceress¡¯s lack of reaction. Even with how fast the strange transformation was, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nauseous watching it, with flesh and bone growing out of her where none was before.

    Her fierce eyes briefly flickered our way, and I gulped, before she refocused on Camilla. A pit in my gut swirled as I realized that my mistress might not even be able to take on one of them, much less them both. But what could any of us hope to do in a fight between sorcerers? I was useless, and the heavy weight of that now bore down onto me more in this moment than ever before.

    ***

    Zarenna POV

    She tried to kill me! I stumbled, struggling to keep a lid on the raw fury that wanted to boil forth. Think back to those hunters who tried to kill us in our sleep. Maybe she¡¯s had a similar experience? But she¡¯s not even glamoured or transformed to look human at all!

    The people she was with were unusual, too. Their clothes were oddly well-made and fine, like what I would expect nobility to wear. Not to mention their style was strange, and only one of them had a bag with them despite our remote location.

    I turned around slowly and raised my hands. The demonic-looking woman had seemingly conjured an array of knives that floated ominously in an arc around her. Shadows swirled as if pulled and twisted by magic. Force magic? And something else?

    ¡°Heeey,¡± I said, trying and failing to keep all the anger out of my voice. ¡°We really don¡¯t need to fight. Why don¡¯t we¡ª¡±

    Seyari cut me off by rushing forward, sword drawn. The other woman met her.

    ¡°Aw, damn,¡± I muttered, and shifted out of my human form.

    The humans in the group reacted with fear, and the one woman with a sword stood in front of the other two. I wasn¡¯t interested in hurting them. Or anyone, really.

    I dashed forward and tried to tackle the other demon. I didn¡¯t even make it that far. While still clashing with Seyari, who had whipped her wind magic into a tornado around herself, the other woman sent several knives hurtling my way.

    The last one didn¡¯t do much more than what a mundane weapon would do, but I really didn¡¯t want to find out if these were different. I skidded and rolled under them. One embedded in a tree, but, with a swishing sound the others turned back toward me and picked up speed again.

    Briefly using two clawed hands for grip, I picked myself up into a lunge. Seyari caught the motion and committed herself with feint into a vicious thrust. The other woman barely dodged out of the way, in a burst of movement that was far, far faster than a human possibly could do. It struck me that she wasn¡¯t continually moving that quickly, implying some kind of limit. A potential weakness? Or was it a feint so that we would underestimate her?

    I pulled my claws back for a fist and threw my weight behind it, aiming below the neck. Shadows rushed up, and I had a moment of panic as my fist passed through them, before twisting up the angle of my punch and throwing myself off balance. No reason to see what those did. I reacted quickly, sweeping my tail around as a counterweight. The tip caught her in the shin and she grunted, stumbling to one knee.

    Several points of sharp pain bloomed across my back as the knives found home. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t pierce deeply. The remainder went after Seyari, putting her on the defensive again. There were already a worrying number of thin, bloody cuts along her body, and I feared she was one slip-up away from one of the blades truly spearing into her. Damn it.

    I rushed in for another attempt at a punch and the other demon surprised me with a dagger thrust at a speed I found surprisingly fast. The short blade glowed with some kind of magic. With one of my lower arms I tried to bat her limb aside, pivoting so my punch flew past the side of her head. Her red eyes widened at the force of my hit, but I didn¡¯t completely knock the blade off course and it dug into my shoulder.

    Before I could react, a rush of knives drove themselves into my back, and I jerked, missing my attempt to grab her retreating arm. With an agile jump she backed off from me, thick fog blurring her form even over the short distance. The daggers likewise ripped themselves from my back and returned to floating around the other demon.

    She cursed, and shadows swirled around the mist, to no avail. The thick fog hadn¡¯t even cleared from Seyari¡¯s wind tornado. And speaking of my partner, I could hardly see her form through the mist. A strong breeze blew from her direction, but the fog hung in place, almost like the wind blew through it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t blow it away!¡± Seyari shouted. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get in close.¡±

    ¡°Or, y¡¯know,¡± I shouted back, loud enough for everyone to hear, ¡°We could talk and not fight!¡±

    ¡°Is this mist not your doing?¡± The other demon asked.

    ¡°Huh? Of course it isn¡¯t! I have fire magic, not water or whatever magic could make this,¡± I replied, forming a ball of fire in an open palm. ¡°We got stuck in it this morning and have been hoping it¡¯d burn off all day! Seyari¡¯s wind magic could blow it clear for a few minutes earlier, but I think there¡¯s something magical about it.¡±

    I used my aura sight: the fog had a slight tinge of magic to it, the color washed out and faint. I also saw through my sight, mostly obscured by fog, that the aura of the other demon seemed to focus itself in her legs.

    I tensed myself, and the moment she dashed forward, I sprinted to meet her, barely able to make out her dark form through the dense mist. The fog closed around us, thick and oppressive. It didn¡¯t part in front or behind us, rather, it swirled in lazy whorls as if nothing was moving in it at all.

    She saw I intended to ram her, and altered her stance, but not quite quickly enough.

    We impacted each other, the other demon¡¯s aura flaring to life in her shoulder just before she struck. Twin daggers drove into my abdomen and chest, piercing skin and bone alike.

    I felt like I¡¯d run into a boulder, but my larger mass let me off easy and I only stumbled. Air whooshed out of me from the hit, spraying specks of burning blood into the air.

    The other demon was knocked away, and from the crunch her shoulder had made, I doubted she got out unscathed. One dagger was still in me and I pulled it out, wincing from the pain. My wounds were caused by magic, and would be slow to heal. My heart hurt, and I realized faintly that I¡¯d be dead if I were a human.

    The other demon scrambled upright, holding a wounded shoulder. Her red eyes burned with fury. I could barely see her in the fog, even though we were only a few feet away.

    Panic suddenly welled up inside of me. I looked around for Sey, but I didn¡¯t see her anywhere through the mist.

    Before we could charge at each other again, a scream rang out from nearby¡ªa voice I didn¡¯t recognize. A moment later, Seyari shouted out through the fog as well.

    ¡°Sey!¡± I shouted, and staggered quickly in the direction of the screams.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re ending this,¡± the other demon said, and lunged at me, despite her wounds. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt them!¡±

    ¡°Hurt them?¡± I shouted, dodging her. ¡°You were the one who attacked me! I was going to ask if you needed supplies, or directions back to whatever mansion you stumbled here from! I didn¡¯t even know anyone lived out here at all!¡±

    ¡°You really expect me to believe that? That you¡¯re not working for him?¡± She had a wild look in her eyes, one of desperation. ¡°That this is all a coincidence?!¡± she shouted, one of her knives stabbing forward once more.

    This time, I grabbed her wrist and held it firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    Other knives flew at me, and I let them hit, wincing as they punched into various vital places. She struggled and lashed out, and I managed to grab her other arm with another of mine and then wrap her legs with my tail. ¡°...want to kill you.¡±

    With a free hand, I conjured a ball of white hot fire and held it in front of her. ¡°So stop trying to make me.¡± Then as a last thought, I added, ¡°please.¡±

    Glowing red eyes glared into my own, her face a scant few inches away. I met her glare with a razor-toothed smile. From off in the fog, another scream echoed our way, this time accompanied by a cry for help.

    ***

    Pearl POV

    Lena took another step forward in front of us as the sorceresses disappeared in the fog. Her feet were spread, the sword in her hands pointing forward in a stance that was familiar. My eyes flickered around us, trying to spot anything through the thickening mist. Visibility was getting continually worse by the moment, to the point where I could see fog visibly flowing around and between us.

    ¡°Ugh, what are we supposed to do in all this fog?¡± Lena grumbled.

    ¡°Do you think this is their doing?¡± Rosetta asked as she fidgeted in place, hovering at Lena¡¯s back and to my right.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope not,¡± the noble girl said. ¡°Keep your eyes peeled and shout if you see anything. I don¡¯t imagine that they¡¯re just here for Camilla.¡±

    I bit my lip, staring out into the gray expanse. The fog had become so thick that even the sky was slowly becoming obscured. Stars appeared to wobble and flow from their normal positions. I blinked, having become cross eyed from the strange sight, and shook my head. In the span of a few seconds the fog looked to have drifted closer. Thick tendrils flowed and spun through the air, parting their way around us. A whispering breezy sound in the distance met my ears. Probably just from the trees, I told myself. I shivered and rubbed my arms.

    ¡°Are we sure we should just be standing here?¡± I turned to Lena, hoping she might come up with some plan or another.

    The girl sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. At this point, I can¡¯t even tell north from south. Everything looks the same, and I¡¯m worried that if we run off, we¡¯ll end up lost. Or more so than we already are, and we don¡¯t want to lose Camilla. The good news is that chances are good that the same is true for anyone else in this fog.¡±

    ¡°So we wait,¡± I grumbled.

    Lena shrugged, adjusting her posture as she stared off into nothing. ¡°We wait.¡±

    I turned back around to stare at the strange flowing mist. It certainly didn¡¯t appear natural, which gave credence to the idea that it was a magical creation of one of the sorceresses. But how strong would they have to be to make something so vast?

    I twisted around again to ask something else, my lips parting, when I felt something grip my shoulder. A scream pierced the air as I whirled to see whatever had grabbed me, only to find a swirl of fading mist. When my scream cut off, I sucked in a shaky breath. In the distance, another voice pierced through the fog.

    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± The sword-wielding noble placed herself in front of me, glancing my way to assure that I was fine. ¡°Pearl?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± My gaze darted around the fog covered forest, searching for anything and everything. The flowing mist twirled and danced in glee, as though mocking me.

    ¡°What did you see?¡± Rosetta¡¯s hand met my own and I flinched before meeting her searching eyes. ¡°Tell us what happened, Pearl.¡±

    ¡°I thought something had grabbed me, but,¡± I stared back out into the mist, ¡°there was nothing there.¡±

    As I looked over to Lena, I noticed how her hands shook against the grip of the blade. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right and we should go, after all. Camilla will have to find us later.¡± Then she looked my way. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Y-yeah, just spooked.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said, and marched forth in a seemingly random direction. I only hoped she had some idea of which way she was heading.

    Rosetta and I followed closely behind, her hand still tightly clutching my own. The both of us were searching all around us, occasionally jumping as a tree or bush came into view. Just as we made it past three or four large ones, I heard the sound of rustling. Lena stopped, and Rosetta and I halted quickly after, nearly running into the girl.

    ¡°Something¡¯s coming.¡±

    I tensed and my legs felt like they might give out beneath me. We stared ahead, our gaze shifting slightly to the right as the sound of running footsteps got closer. I gulped. The fog suddenly picked up speed, seeming to become frantic. It rushed toward us, a cloud of mist twisting in our direction like a mass of snakes who¡¯d found their prey. This time all three of us screamed like terrified banshees. I took a step back, but the mist was too fast for us to escape it. Lena swung her sword through the air, hitting nothing as the fog rushed around us. My eyes closed, and I could feel it, trailing and caressing across my skin, whispering into my ears.

    And then it was gone.

    I held still fearing that the worst was yet to come. When nothing happened my eyes opened to find the area around us surprisingly clear. Then I saw why. Standing a few feet in front of us was one of the sorceresses. Luckily, not the big one with four arms. Unlike before, the woman glowed. Shining golden eyes looked our way and silver hair flowed down around her shoulders, instead of the black of before. I might have thought her to be an angelic messenger of the gods if I hadn¡¯t recognized her or the sword from before.

    Lena glared, her sword at the ready. The only upside was that at least the fog directly around us was gone, due to the bubble of air around the sorceress that seemed to repel it.

    ¡°Alright,¡± the sorceress said. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for some answers.¡±

    ¡°¡®Sey,¡¯ was it? I believe I¡¯m inclined to agree,¡± Lena responded, her grip tightening.

    I looked between the two, terrified that the woman in front of us was about to attack and incapacitate us, or worse, simply kill us. Lena may have been learning to use a sword, but sorcerers were trained to fight the great beasts of the Deadlands. And as much as I hated it, I was completely useless here, just barely having begun to learn how to cultivate at all. The best chance we had was to stall until Camilla could arrive¡­ if she arrived.

    ¡°Why have all of you attacked us? Is this the work of one of the sovereigns?¡±

    I looked to Rosetta, who shrugged. Just what was a sovereign? Did they work for the emperor?

    Lena scowled. ¡°Attack you? You aren¡¯t seriously going to pretend we attacked you here? It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re here on orders from the Praevus to apprehend us.¡±

    I certainly hoped Lena was right on the ¡®apprehending¡¯ part of that. Though why else would she stop to talk with us? Was she waiting on the other one?

    ¡°Your demon friend threw a knife with the intent to kill,¡± the sorceress hissed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call her that. Camilla hasn¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± I interrupted, before her gaze turned my way and my jaw clenched shut.

    ¡°Nothing except try to kill us. I don¡¯t know who or what this ¡®Praevus¡¯ is, and I¡¯m not sure that I care. I¡¯m just trying to understand why you attacked us. And make sure that it doesn¡¯t happen again,¡± she said ominously.

    Was the woman trying to claim amnesia? It seemed like a strange act to adopt. Though it could be a peculiar way for them to keep the Praevus¡¯s hands clean or just stall for time. Perhaps both? Lena¡¯s gaze met my own, and I could tell that she¡¯d come to a similar conclusion. We had to find a way out of this. Staying here and talking with her was probably exactly what she wanted.

    ¡°You two run. I¡¯ll distract her,¡± Lena whispered.

    I shook my head and felt Rose tighten her grip.

    ¡°Go,¡± she insisted, and stepped forward bringing her sword forward into a fighting stance.

    Sey let out a loud sigh. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    I stood frozen, unsure of what to do. I didn¡¯t want to abandon her, but it seemed almost rude to brush aside her brave stand to defend us, allowing it to be in vain. I watched as the sorceress strolled casually forward.

    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re not very skilled at fighting just from how you¡¯re moving, even if I¡¯m not familiar with that particular stance. I¡¯d advise you to surrender before I have to stop you.¡±

    Lena said nothing, following the sorceress¡¯s movements with her own steps.

    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll make this quick then.¡±

    The woman struck a strange pose that I¡¯d never seen before. I could tell from the smooth grace of her movements that it was one she¡¯d done many times. A sigh left my lips. I couldn¡¯t forgive myself if I just ran off and let Lena fight her alone. My eyes glanced at Rosetta, who gave me a determined nod. Perhaps if we rushed her at the same time, we could throw her off enough for Lena to get a lucky blow. I took a deep breath. The two got closer to fighting range, and I saw Lena tense.

    Sey spun around and a bright light shone from her hand, stopping what looked to be a dagger mid-air.

    ¡°Not this time, demon,¡± she growled.

    My eyes widened as Camilla flew from the mist several feet behind her, hurling another dagger in her direction and charging forward.

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!¡±

    Behind her, the big four-armed woman bumbled after, sporting dozens of shallow-looking stab wounds. ¡°Stop the fighting! I think there¡¯s been a huge misunderstanding.¡± She grabbed at Camilla¡¯s shadows as though expecting to find clothes just underneath, only for her hand to pass through them. ¡°Seriously! We don¡¯t need to be enemies here.¡±

    To my surprise, Camilla stopped her charge, turning in an instant to point her knife at the large woman¡¯s neck. A few others floated around her back, and pointed the opposite way, as though daring Sey to make a move.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she said in a low tone. ¡°I¡¯m willing to hear you out. Let¡¯s talk.¡±

    ***

    Zarenna POV

    Of course, now she was willing to talk with a knife against my throat. The other wounds she¡¯d given me, still yet to heal, throbbed angrily. I swallowed nervously, all eyes on me. Seyari watched from nearby, fury in her eyes. If I let this situation turn into violence again, she¡¯d kill someone or die trying. I had to salvage this. Come on wrath demon, be the calm, diplomatic one!

    ¡°Hi, uh, I¡¯m Zarenna Miller. I¡¯m a demon, but I¡¯m not like most demons.¡± When I said demon, the knife shifted and pricked my skin. ¡°Seyari and I are trying to get back to Harriston, a small town near here, and then Lockmoth further southwest.¡±

    ¡°Enough with your stories. Do you think we¡¯re stupid?¡± the woman holding the knife to my throat hissed, pressing it closer.

    I could maybe have reacted quickly enough to get away, or maybe I¡¯d end up with my head becoming less attached. Didn¡¯t think I could survive that. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. Look, how about you tell us where you¡¯re headed, and we can try to get un-lost together?¡±

    The red eyes staring at me narrowed. ¡°Your sorceress friend said something about ¡®sovereigns.¡¯ What are they?¡± she demanded, ignoring my question. If this demonic-looking woman recognized my aura, she didn¡¯t mention it.

    ¡°Sovereign demons,¡± I explained nervously. ¡°Sorta the top demon of their aspect. I don¡¯t look it, but I¡¯m wrath. Can¡¯t you tell from my aura? I haven¡¯t met another demon who couldn¡¯t.¡±

    She pressed the knife forward, biting further into my throat.

    ¡°Camilla, wait!¡± The unexpected protest came from the small girl in a maid outfit. The girl nervously moved closer until she was only a few feet away. ¡°I think maybe they¡¯re not from around here.¡± She stared up at me. ¡°Are you from up north?¡±

    I rubbed the back of my head with a hand that wasn¡¯t held in surrender. ¡°Sorta? We¡¯re traveling north to south, trying to get me home to Edath. You¡¯d be surprised how much I¡¯m looking forward to cold winters again.¡± I tried a nervous laugh, and the blade cut deeper.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You know, Edath? Kingdom in the Empire of Ordia, fought a war for independence that ended in a draw a few years back. Cold and snowy.¡± I tried to back my neck off the knife and Camilla gave me some literal breathing room.

    The little maid stared at me in utter confusion before turning to the demon with a questioning look.

    ¡°There is no ¡®Empire of Ordia.¡¯ This is the Haizar Empire,¡± Camilla said slowly.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not the best with geography, but I have never heard of the Haizar Empire. Last I checked, Seyari and I were in the northern wilds of Ordia when we got lost in this weird fog,¡± I replied evenly, keeping anger out of my tone. ¡°Your clothing is odd, too¡ªnot like you¡¯re dressed for a trek into the deep wilds. Maybe some kind of weird magic is happening with this fog.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Camilla is lying, but I¡¯m not entirely certain,¡± Seyari added with an edge in her voice.

    ¡°Is there another empire somewhere I haven¡¯t heard of?¡± The maid asked.

    ¡°No. There isn¡¯t.¡± There was a cold finality in the demon¡¯s voice.

    I checked the fog with aura sight again. There was magic in it swirling around us. The glow of my eyes made Camilla stiffen, and I quickly ended my sight. ¡°The fog¡¯s magic. I don¡¯t have any idea what it does, but maybe none of us are where we think we are?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s demonically-aspected, Zarenna,¡± Seyari flared her magic and threw back the fog for a moment, eyes glowing. ¡°But what I don¡¯t get is why Camilla doesn¡¯t have a demonic aura.¡±

    Huh? Well crap, I couldn¡¯t tell that at all. I took another look at her. Demon-blooded, then? But her shadow clothing didn¡¯t fit with any mortal magic I knew of, though I didn¡¯t know much.

    The fancy girl with the sword took a few steps forward, grabbing my attention. ¡°You keep saying ¡®demon¡¯ and ¡®demonic.¡¯ Is that what the Marked are called where you are from? It¡¯s generally considered an insult around here.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of ¡®Marked¡¯ before. What should I call you?¡± I looked down at Camilla. ¡°I can just call you Camilla if that¡¯s best.¡±

    Camilla raised an eyebrow, finally removing the knife from my throat and taking a step back. Her anger decreased in intensity, but didn¡¯t completely leave. The strange magical shadows covering her began to dip around her chest, nearly revealing her breasts. She pointed to a strange white and circular symbol above her breast that seemed to glow.

    ¡°My Mark. The one that marks me as a cultivator, or as we¡¯re often called, sorcerers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ different.¡± It looked nothing like my own. I pulled my shirt down to reveal my own symbol that sat just above and between my breasts. The crimson gem in the center shined a dull green in the dim light. ¡°This is my symbol: a lot of greater demons have one, but the gem in the center shows me to be a Sovereign. I don¡¯t know about ¡®cultivator¡¯ or ¡®sorcerer,¡¯ but I do know that people with magic are just called ¡®mages¡¯ as far as I know.¡±

    She stared, leaning forward with eyes full of curiosity.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a gay ol¡¯ time,¡± the other maid commented. ¡°Should I flash my chest as well, then?¡± She smirked.

    Flushing a deeper crimson, I quickly pulled my shirt back up and coughed. ¡°Sorry.¡± I glanced at Seyari worriedly, but she just shrugged. At least I¡¯m not in trouble there.

    The sword girl scowled over at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know that this is really the time for humor, Rosetta.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve reached a point of discerning that we¡¯re not enemies here. And that something rather strange is going on.¡±

    I nodded rapidly.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet both of you. My name is Rosetta, maid of the Dyere family, and Lena¡¯s handmaiden.¡± She dipped into a curtsy.

    ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± I bowed lightly. ¡°I already introduced myself, but this is Seyari. Half-angel.¡± I gestured to my girlfriend, who bristled, but nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m Pearl,¡± the other maid said, her gaze flickering between Seyari and I, before frowning. ¡°I guess.¡± Guess what?

    The noble looking girl let out a sigh. ¡°Fine, fine. I suppose we¡¯re doing this. I¡¯m the formerly mentioned Lena Dyere, daughter of Virgil Dyere, the Reeve of Sunridge.¡±

    ¡°Runaway daughter, you mean,¡± Rosetta teased.

    Lena gave her a stern look back. ¡°Says the runaway maid. Difficult to serve the Dyere family running off out here in the woods, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Rosetta blinked, appearing taken aback. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not really a maid anymore, am I?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet all of you, mostly.¡± I shot a glare at Camilla. ¡°But I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get along fine once my dozens of stab wounds finish healing. Would everyone be okay if we teamed up to get out of here?¡± Truthfully, the drain on my mana wasn¡¯t small, and if we did get into a serious fight, I¡¯d be going in about half-empty.

    ¡°I do not trust you,¡± Camilla said. ¡°Either of you. But lacking a better option, we may take you up on that until we figure out just what is going on here.¡±

    ¡°For once, I agree with the sorceress,¡± Seyari said icily. ¡°I don¡¯t trust any of you, but I¡¯ll allow this. For now.¡±

    The tension was thick. I clapped two hands together, hoping to break it. ¡°Right! Let¡¯s get going then, yeah?¡± Then I strolled forth in a random direction, hoping they would all take the hint and follow.

    After a moment, they did. Lena was quickly overtaken by Camilla who put herself between me and the others. Seemingly miffed, she took rearguard behind Rosetta and the very nervous-looking Pearl instead. Seyari, likewise moved between me and Camilla. The sorceress kept the arm whose shoulder I¡¯d injured still, and her red eyes bored into my own.

    If she had any sort of trauma like Seyari did, and I was beginning to think that likely, the best way to gain her trust was to earn it through silent action. Unfortunately, this severely limited my conversation partners as I had no interest in talking over her and risking pissing her off further.

    Curiously enough, her anger was restrained¡ªnot quite so hot as I imagined it¡¯d be.

    ¡°Hey Sey,¡± I asked, desperate to fill the eerie silence with anything positive, ¡°what do you think¡¯s going on?¡±

    She turned from Camilla to look at me, and the look she gave was one of frustration. Yeah, I¡¯m talking about this in front of Camilla. So?

    After an awkwardly long pause, she answered. ¡°I think this fog is something serious. I¡¯d wager we¡¯re not in either Ordia or wherever the others are from.¡±

    ¡°The Hazier Empire,¡± I corrected.

    ¡°Sure.¡± She glanced to Camilla and back at me. ¡°Some powerful greater demon¡¯s behind this, I¡¯d wager. That, or we walked into something that¡¯s either Camilla¡¯s doing or the doing of something, or someone, from Hazier. Whatever it is, I¡¯d bet this is either some sort of illusion or they¡¯ve somehow transported us somewhere. I¡¯ve not heard of such a thing personally, but that doesn¡¯t make it impossible.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense that Camilla is doing this either,¡± I defended the person who even now was clearly ready and willing to kill me at the drop of a hat.

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t blame her!¡± I raised my voice a little. ¡°We¡¯re all here now, we all want to get out, and our best bet is working together.¡± Then, softer, I added, ¡°please, Sey?¡±

    She huffed. ¡°I will, I will. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Could you heal Camilla¡¯s shoulder then?¡± I ventured.

    ¡°¡±No,¡±¡± both Camilla and Sey said at the same time.

    I smiled, careful not to show teeth.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Seyari accused.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied, my smile widening and becoming sharp.

    From behind us, Pearl stifled a giggle and Rosetta chuckled.

    ***

    Pearl POV

    Walking for what felt like hours through the forest at night was rough, though I wasn¡¯t sure how much time had actually passed thus far. The cold had only gradually seemed to heighten and sink in, and worse, my feet were beginning to hurt. On top of that, the fog around us was downright spooky, even with Seyari somehow holding it at bay. I kept seeing faces and other strange things in the mist, and there was this sinking feeling that something out there was watching us. Every strange shape or sound in the distance made me jump, and I was getting tired.

    ¡°You¡¯re certain that you¡¯re feeling alright?¡± Camilla glanced down at me with concern.

    Then there was Camilla, who was now hovering. It was endearing at first, but¡­

    ¡°Like I told you before, I¡¯m fine. Nothing happened. I just thought I felt something grab me in the mist. I think I imagined it.¡±

    She continued to stare. ¡°I don¡¯t mean before, I mean now.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°It¡¯s just cold,¡± I said and rubbed my arms.

    ¡°I could carry you again.¡± Her lips curled up into a teasing smile, and my cheeks reddened.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, really! And besides, isn¡¯t your arm hurt?¡± Looking over to her, it was obvious with how she kept it close to her side.

    She scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re as light as a feather, little Pearl, and really, it¡¯s not all that bad, nothing that a bit of¡ª¡±

    Suddenly she paused, and stared forward, past Zarenna and Seyari and into the fog ahead, her eyes narrowing. A moment later, they both stopped, followed by the rest of us.

    I frowned, worry building in my gut. My gaze scanned the fog, searching for anything out of place. Then we all walked a few meters further, and the fog ahead cleared. My eyes widened, all of us now stopped and staring.

    An old metal gate stood in front of us, its rusting black bars shining from the once again visible moon high in the sky. The tall black fence to each side seemed to loom, with vines growing up its length. The gate stood open, as though inviting us. Within, covered by only a subtle haze of mist, was a large three-story building, seemingly abandoned, were I to guess. The building¡¯s mansard roof was ringed along the top with the same sharp tips of wrought iron as the gate. Its large windows were dark and many were missing shutters. The building¡¯s paint was cracked and worn, appearing gray, at least from this distance in the dark. Perhaps it was once blue or something?

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not creepy at all,¡± Zarenna commented.

    ¡°What does that say?¡± Camilla asked.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t know how to read?¡±

    ¡°I can read perfectly fine. What I can¡¯t read is whatever that language is,¡± the sorceress spat back. She pointed up to the top of a gate, where I noticed a nearly hidden string of symbols that I¡¯d honestly taken to be decoration.

    ¡°Hmm, no idea. Seyari?¡±

    We all turned to Seyari, hoping she might have an answer.

    After staring for a moment, she responded, ¡°It¡¯s not a language I¡¯m familiar with, unfortunately. But were I to guess, I¡¯d say this is some sort of old inn.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have much experience with inns, so I supposed I would take her word for it. The building looked ¡®inn-ish¡¯ enough.

    ¡°So, do we check it out?¡±

    Check out the creepy inn surrounded by fog and in the middle of nowhere? ¡°No way,¡± I said, with a vigorous shake of my head.

    ¡°The maid is right. We¡¯re trying to get out of this fog, not go off exploring any random building we find. Let¡¯s go,¡± Seyari replied, before turning around back into the fog.

    With relief, I followed right behind, with the others not far after. It took only moments for the inn to once more disappear from sight, and I was glad to see it go. If I never had to see the place again, I¡¯d be quite satisfied. The fog alone was plenty weird and spooky enough.

    Half an hour later, I realized it wasn¡¯t meant to be.

    ¡°We¡¯re lost,¡± Lena muttered.

    All of us stared once more at the open gate and the inn just beyond it. A crow cawed in the distance, one of the few sounds we¡¯d heard in this oppressive mist.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been lost this whole time,¡± Zarenna said, offhandedly.

    ¡°What I mean is, we¡¯re so lost that we are walking in circles.¡±

    Camilla¡¯s eyes narrowed at the offending structure. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Zarenna gave a questioning look to Seyari, who turned her back to the gate and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I let out a sigh of relief as we left the strange old place once more.

    About ten minutes later, Lena let out a whine. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me.¡±

    Once again, we found ourselves at the old iron gate. The one occurrence of circling around might have been an accident, us somehow happening upon the same spot in this weird fog and without a true sense of direction. But twice? A shiver slid its way down my back.

    Zarenna shot a toothy grin at Seyari, raising a brow.

    The supposed half-angel gave her a look back, before relenting with a sigh. ¡°Fine, fine, we¡¯ll go explore the old abandoned inn. Maybe we¡¯ll figure out just what¡¯s going on here and get out of this maddening forest.¡±

    ¡°Awesome,¡± the large demon said.

    She strolled forward, before Camilla grabbed onto her shoulder. ¡°Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t just stroll into a place that, by all appearances, may be hostile.¡±

    ¡°I could skip or dance inside, if you¡¯d prefer?¡± Zarenna offered cheekily.

    Seyari¡¯s eyes glowed for a moment, and then she shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s too much ambient magic¡ªI can¡¯t tell if there¡¯s anything else going on here.¡±

    Camilla scowled. ¡°The reasonable thing to do would be to scope it out, see what we can figure out from a distance for a few hours.¡±

    ¡°Through the fog?¡± Zarenna asked.

    ¡°Well, the area around the building itself is clear enough. Let¡¯s handle this sensibly.¡±

    Zarenna pouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but sensibly left when we ended up here for the third time. Someone or something wants us here, so I¡¯m going in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s the most ridiculous thing I¡¯ve heard come out of your mouth. You can¡¯t just¡ª Hey!¡± Camilla shouted as Zarenna walked through the gate. The sorceress rushed after her.

    ¡°Are we really going in there?¡± I asked, my voice wavering.

    ¡°It¡¯s that or stay out here,¡± Seyari replied before following them.

    I looked to Rosetta beside me, who just shrugged. Lena, Rosetta, and I jogged after them.

    As we caught up to them, Camilla grabbed Zarenna¡¯s arm, slowing her down, but not fully stopping her. ¡°Do not test me, ¡®demon.¡¯ I will make you eat the dirt at my feet.¡±

    Zarenna grinned over at her, showing off her very pointy teeth. ¡°Yeah? Is that a challenge?¡± She looked almost ready to pounce.

    Wait, were they flirting? Damn it, Camilla.

    ¡°Now is not the time for jokes,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°And no flirting with the sorceress. You¡¯re mine.¡±

    Wait. They were together? I glanced between both of them, wondering just how that worked, considering the size difference. Zarenna¡¯s fingers were rather big, and those claws. Then I shook my head. This was really not the time.

    Zarenna ignored the large knocker on the double doors, instead reaching right for the handle. The sound of wood cracking broke the quiet around us, as she pulled the door open, the old wood splintering from her forceful tug. She peered inside before entering, followed quickly by Camilla.

    I let out a sigh as the others followed, and then slipped in behind them all, glancing briefly over my shoulder and watching in horror as the gate slowly creaked closed behind us. Fuck.

    I scurried forward, moving up on Camilla¡¯s heels. Twin crimson flames lit up at the tips of Zarenna¡¯s horns, lighting the room in a dim glow. We¡¯d entered into what appeared to be a fairly normal, if old and dark, inn lobby. A small desolate bar sat to one side, one of the stools knocked over to the wooden floor. On the other side appeared to be the desk where one would check in and out.

    ¡°See? Nothing here,¡± Zarenna said, in a voice that was much too loud.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know that for certain,¡± Camilla hissed back. ¡°Keep your voice down.¡±

    The demon raised one of her four hands to her face and yelled out, ¡°What do you mean? This place is empty!¡± Her voice echoed through the room.

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer it if you wouldn¡¯t yell,¡± a calm voice said from behind us.

    I nearly jumped out of my skin, letting out a squeak, before swirling around to face them. My heart was beating so hard and fast that I was worried it would thump right out of my chest. Camilla twisted around in an instant, knife in hand and a hair away from being thrown at someone¡¯s head.

    A young-looking woman holding a lit candelabra walked up through our group to stand before us. I stumbled back as she casually passed by me, not even looking my way. Then she turned to face us as a group. ¡°My apologies that I was not here to receive you,¡± she said calmly before giving a formal bow. ¡°Welcome to the Heartspring Inn. You may call me Genevieve.¡±

    The woman, who I assumed was a maid, had long, straight black hair and wide, dark eyes, with bags under them. She was dressed like what I might imagine of high-end waitstaff of a wealthy noble, or a concierge, slick and pristine. She dusted one of her shoulders with a white-gloved hand, dust flying off of it in a small cloud. ¡°How many rooms would you like?¡± Her wide eyes stared off, not appearing to really be looking at any of us, and she didn¡¯t bat an eye at how strange of a group we were. Was this place in any condition to have guests?

    Zarenna turned and whispered back, ¡°Three?¡±

    Camilla elbowed her. ¡°We¡¯re not here to stay.¡±

    The demon gave her a light glare back. Genevieve gave a single blink, her gaze finally resting on Camilla.

    As before, she spoke slowly and flatly. ¡°Oh. Well, we have a number of other amenities. Unfortunately, the bar is currently closed.¡± We all glanced over to the desolate bar, which looked like it hadn¡¯t been used in decades. What few bottles sat around it appeared to be covered in dust and cobwebs. ¡°But, our hot springs are a popular choice.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get right to the point.¡± Camilla stepped forward until she was right in front of her, the knife pointed toward her chest. ¡°We¡¯re here to find out about the mist, and why we¡¯re being drawn here to this ¡®inn.¡¯¡±

    The girl¡¯s head tilted a fraction of an inch. ¡°The mist?¡±

    The sorceress¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes,¡± she hissed. ¡°The fog blanketing everything outside and making it impossible to travel.¡±

    ¡°Fog?¡± Genevieve blinked again. ¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t realized there was a fog out.¡± She stood there for a moment, as though frozen in time. ¡°Why don¡¯t I show you to your rooms, then?¡±

    She turned, and nonchalantly walked away, as though Camilla wasn¡¯t glaring at her like she wanted to rip her head off. Light from the candelabra she carried swayed and flickered around the dimly-lit lobby. Zarenna shrugged and followed Genevieve. Wait, we didn¡¯t even pay!

    Seyari then sighed loudly and jogged after her. Grumbling, Camilla went as well and the rest of us tagged along behind her. We moved up an old creaking staircase, the wood seeming like it might give any moment. Zarenna in particular stared down with a worried frown at each step. But somehow, we made it up to the second floor and the long, dimly lit hall full of old paintings. Unlike downstairs, sconces holding candles were already lit along the walls.

    ¡°Forgive me if your rooms are a bit sparse. We weren¡¯t expecting guests tonight,¡± Genevieve said as she paused in front of a room.

    ¡°Your rooms are these three here on the left: 204, 205, and 207. We ask that you please not disturb any of the others.¡± She held out her hand; three silver keys sat within. ¡°Your keys.¡± Her gaze shifted to Zarenna, who nodded and gave her an awkward smile, taking them.

    Entering our rooms, we found them not quite as ¡®sparse¡¯ as she¡¯d implied. A four-poster bed sat against one wall. Next to it a painting of a woodland landscape showing gnarled, ancient trees covered in moss hung above a worn-looking vanity and mirror. An ancient-looking armoire and washbasin sat along the opposite wall, and a small table with two high-backed chairs was positioned near a single, wide window that looked out into the fog. Very deliberately, I avoided looking outside and closed the shutters.

    ¡°If it pleases you, I can show you to the hot springs,¡± she said from the hall, in the same monotone voice.

    I looked to Camilla, who¡¯d decided to share a room with me, before we went back into the hall. I could tell she wasn¡¯t pleased, and it made sense, considering how on edge we both were on top of how peculiar the woman was. This was well beyond weird.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get back to why exactly we¡¯re here?¡± the sorceress said.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°I agree. We were very clearly led here, and I hate to admit as much, but I don¡¯t think it was your doing.¡±

    ¡°Are you not here for the hot springs? It is our most popular amenity.¡± She stared between them, her expression blank.

    ¡°If you cannot give us any answers, then perhaps you can take us to someone who can?¡± Seyari continued.

    The woman blinked, pausing.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re all ready? It¡¯s right this way.¡± She turned and walked back to the stairs, before beginning her way down them.

    Seyari sighed, and Camilla grumbled under her breath. Zarenna looked around at all of us before shrugging once more and following after her.

    This was going to be a really weird night.

    ***

    Zarenna POV

    Well, this was getting weirder and weirder. The bed in our room looked comfortable at least. Seyari and I set our things down¡ªafter I convinced her¡ªand joined the others and Genevieve back in the hallway.

    Something about the woman was¡­ off. She didn¡¯t even bat an eye at a demon, a sorceress, and a half-angel walking into her bar and inn. Even now, she walked with a fluid grace that bordered on the unnatural. I swear she was forcing her arm to move the candelabra around as she walked. And there was the way she just stared off into nothing, as though she were peering out into another realm. All of it was simply eerie.

    We followed her further down the hallway, and back downstairs. The inn looked old, but it didn¡¯t quite look deserted. Honestly, that made things worse than if they were one or the other.

    My thoughts stopped at the door she led us to.

    ¡°This is the changing room. There are towels inside. Please wash off before entering the springs.¡± Genevieve produced a small silver bell from¡­ somewhere. ¡°Ring this if you need assistance.¡± She handed it to me.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied, a little confused. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just set this next to the bath once we get in?¡±

    Genevieve nodded slowly and far, far too evenly.

    I turned to the others, and both Camilla and Seyari held out their hands, expectantly.

    I frowned, dangling the bell between them out of reach. ¡°Jump for it!¡±

    Camilla stabbed me, though just with the tip. She won the bell.

    ¡°Are you going to take that dagger into the hot springs?¡± I asked, dramatically putting a hand over my latest stab wound. ¡°Just because I heal quickly, doesn¡¯t mean I appreciate being stabbed.¡±

    ¡°If anything happens, I¡¯m blaming you for this mess that we¡¯re in,¡± she said as she walked past me into the changing room.

    Seyari frowned at me and followed her. What? Do you really need your sword to go take a bath?

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Pearl asked, staring up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine in a minute,¡± I replied. ¡°Probably should wait so I don¡¯t bleed into the pool.¡±

    ¡°You should stop antagonizing Camilla,¡± Rosetta said as she walked by, taking Lena by the hand.

    ¡°Understood,¡± I said with a grimace. I waved for Pearl to go ahead of me and then followed her in.

    The room inside was wood-paneled and floored and better-kept than the rest of the inn had been. True to Geneveive¡¯s word, there were two stacks of six towels. There were also cubbies for clothing.

    At this point, I realized I¡¯d be stripping in front of everyone. ¡°Hey, uh, would you mind not looking?¡± I asked the group.

    Lena, Rosetta, and Pearl assented.

    Seyari said, ¡°Yes, I would mind.¡±

    Camilla shrugged, but looked away.

    I stripped quickly, and then wrapped a towel around my waist. I covered myself up top with two arms while another hand held the towel. Truthfully, I had no idea how I¡¯d manage if I lacked the proper number of arms, like humans did.

    Seyari stood next to Lena and Rosetta, all of them proudly nude and waiting, turned away. Camilla stood off to the side, still in her strange shadowy dress. Was she going to change?

    Pearl, like myself, had wrapped up in a towel, though she managed to cover both her top and bottom with one of the tiny towels they¡¯d provided. Her legs looked a bit shaky.

    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked her, glad I hadn¡¯t turned around a moment too early.

    She nodded, red in the face.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready!¡± I announced and the others turned.

    No, it was my turn to flush red, well redder.

    My eyes decided they had to look at someone, so I chose Seyari. I¡¯d seen her naked before, and she was still as gorgeous as ever.

    ¡°Are you not going to change?¡± I asked Camilla as we walked to the bath part of the changing room, my eyes unable to really look away from Seyari¡¯s butt in front of me.

    ¡°Eager to see me naked?¡± She smirked.

    I blushed harder and coughed a small stream of fire. ¡°Uh, well, Seyari would¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a no~¡±

    I glanced up at her and her shadows dissipated, revealing Camilla in all her naked glory, aside from a waist belt holding an impressive number of knives. My eyes immediately betrayed me and went to her ass. She was naked this whole time!?

    ¡°Enjoying the view~¡± she teased, not even looking back.

    Ahead of us, Rosetta and Lena quickly entered the rinsing pool. Beside me, I could hear Pearl mumbling and I could almost feel her embarrassment.

    I forced myself to look up, and tried to make light of the situation. ¡°Yep! Great ass. Not as good as Seyari¡¯s, but you get three thumbs up.¡±

    Seyari glared at me, but I couldn¡¯t feel much real anger behind it.

    Camilla laughed and motioned to my arms. ¡°Oh, then why don¡¯t you show me those three thumbs?¡±

    ¡°Because they¡¯re covering my boobs and holding my towel up?¡± I replied.

    ¡°Later, then,¡± the sorceress promised slyly.

    I looked at Seyari and she shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a threesome in a while, but I can see a view you can¡¯t, and I think I might like to try it.¡±

    Huh!? What!?

    ¡°Uh, Sey?¡±

    She winked at me and stepped into the rinsing pool as Lena and Rosetta got out. I quickly followed her. Once I got in, I saw what Seyari had been talking about and blushed harder. Camilla had something between her legs I had really not expected. And it wasn¡¯t small either.

    I dropped my own towel as I slid in, keeping a hand over my nethers and another two over my chest. I wrapped my tail around my legs demurely as I rinsed in the too-shallow pool. Frustratingly, no one else had a problem with the depth.

    After Seyari and I got out, Pearl got in behind us while Camilla kept watch over her.

    Seyari and I followed Lena and Rosetta out of the changing room and into the chill night air. The sight outside was, I had to admit, borderline magical, and not in the literal magic from fog and demonic meddling way. Lanterns were hung from wire across a series of rocky pools separated by steaming waterfalls. The rocks above tumbled up into snow and short pine trees. A waning gibbous moon hung above, pale yellowish white and big in the star-filled sky. The steam that rose above the scene was nothing like the fog from outside.

    ¡°Something¡¯s definitely up with this place,¡± Seyari muttered.

    ¡°Oh, for sure, but I¡¯m going to enjoy this for as long as I can.¡± I took her hand in mine and together we walked to the main pool and stepped in.

    Rosetta and Lena were chatting quietly along one edge, and Seyari and I moved to the deeper part, so I could sit comfortably and stretch my arms, relatively sure that the turbulence of a nearby waterfall would cover my sensitive bits.

    Camilla led Pearl by the hand after us. She set the silver bell by the edge of the pool near where they ended up, between us and the other couple. Lena and Rosetta looked cute together, almost happy despite the weirdness of the circumstances.

    I really hoped we could all help each other out of this. Despite her stabby nature, Camilla seemed nice enough, if overtly sexual. The way she sat out of the water just enough to show off her dark black nipples kept me flushed in embarrassment.

    Honestly, it was the way she was clearly showing off that made the act embarrassing. Whatever, I won¡¯t let her get to me. I leaned back and relaxed, trying to care less about what was seen and what wasn¡¯t. It¡¯s all just our bodies anyway. Nothing wrong about it, I suppose.

    ***

    Pearl POV

    I sunk down into the spring up to my nose, wishing I could better hide my body. I felt so exposed, naked out in the open as we were. Camilla was laid out next to me, her eyes closed. One might have assumed she was relaxing, but I could tell there was a rigid tension still there. Why were we even in the hot springs in the first place? They felt nice, but this seemed a strange time to indulge. Were we really going to stay the rest of the night here?

    I blew bubbles into the steamy water, trying to distract myself.

    ¡°Relax, little rabbit. You¡¯ve nothing to worry about,¡± Camilla said to my right.

    Her fingers brushed through my wet hair, across the top of my head. My tiny growing ears twitched, and I fidgeted from under her grasp. ¡®Relax,¡¯ she said. As if she was truly relaxing. I couldn¡¯t see how anyone would be able to truly relax in this place.

    As I lifted my head and neck back out of the water, one of my arms shifted to cover my developing breasts. This would have been a lot easier if I still looked as I used to. Not that I liked looking like a man, but¡­

    I sighed and Camilla took the opportunity to snake an arm around me, snuggling me into her side. My warm face turned crimson, but I wasn¡¯t sure I had it in me to complain. Instead, I pressed my face into her skin, closing my eyes. If nothing else, I could trust Camilla to keep me safe.

    Her grip around me tightened, and with a downward shove, my face dunked under the water. A second later, I came back up, spluttering. My arms waved as I pulled myself from her grasp, taking several steps away. She grinned up at me, and I gave her a glare. Off to the side, I could hear Zarenna stifling a giggle.

    It was then that I realized I was standing. Naked. In front of everyone. My face caught fire as I shot back down into the pool, steaming ripples of water splashing outward. I gave Camilla another glare as she gave me a smug look. Then I sent a splash of water her way, soaking her face. Her eyes narrowed.

    ¡°You dare challenge me?¡±

    I hesitated, nearly backing off, before gathering my nerve. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I gotta see this,¡± came Rosetta¡¯s comment from the side. She stood, walking over to our little pool of water. For a moment, my eyes glued onto her graceful stride, before I forced my gaze away.

    This was not the time to admire beautiful naked women¡­ Right?

    I shook my head, and eyed Camilla once more.

    ¡°The first move is yours,¡± she offered.

    I took my best splashing stance and paused for just the right moment. Then with as big of a thrust as I could, covered Camilla in the steaming hot-spring water. For a few seconds, she paused, the steam rolling up around her. Then, with unnatural speed, she shot forward, and her arms wrapped around my torso. My eyes widened as we toppled down into the pool, and I was fully submerged. When I came back up for air, the evil sorceress¡¯s fingers trailed to my sides, and I realized with horror, that her assault had only just begun.

    Her fingers tickled into my sides, and I yelped out, wiggling to get away from her. My arms and legs splashed into the water, showering both of us, but my attack was ineffective. She was too strong!

    ¡°No-no!¡± I spluttered, giggling. ¡°Stoooop.¡±

    My hands moved to her shoulders, trying to counter her, but even with only two arms, the woman easily outmaneuvered me. Her fingers moved around to my belly, and I wiggled further, flailing and giggling even more. Finally, when she made her way to my armpits, I managed to press one of my hands against her face. After more giggle-filled begging for her to stop, and then repeatedly admitting she¡¯d won, the demonic sorceress eventually relented.

    Clapping came up from above us, Rosetta apparently happy with the results of our duel. I took several deep breaths, laying in the water on my back. My face felt like I was going to combust. At this point, I didn¡¯t even care that I was flashing my chest to everyone. My mind was just too overwhelmed from all the overstimulation.

    I let out a loud huff, turning over to eye Camilla. She had a smug smile on her face, and her gaze shifted to meet mine.

    ¡°You¡ª¡° I took a breath. ¡°You win this time,¡± I managed.

    ¡°Hey Sey.¡± I heard Zarenna¡¯s deep voice from somewhere nearby. ¡°Want to¡ª¡±

    I looked over just in time to see Seyari grab the large demon woman by the horns and dunk her face first into the pool. In the back of my mind, I took notes, as my eyes flickered over to Camilla¡¯s tall horns. Zarenna came up sputtering, and dove forward onto Seyari, all four arms outstretched and without her usual claws. They fell together into the water with a splash that sent a large wave across the pool. I felt some of it splatter onto me even from this distance. This time, Zarenna surfaced first, with a triumphant look on her face as she stood over Seyari with a proud and victorious pose. Completely naked, of course.

    I took a brief moment to look her over, notably the very toned abs along her stomach and large chest. Compared to me, they were very, umm, big. I did my best to keep my eyes from trailing elsewhere, somewhat successfully. My embarrassment finally managed to catch up to me, and once more I dipped back down into the water up to my nose.

    ¡°Look at you, so brash,¡± Seyari commented snidely as she stared up to her tall companion.

    Zarenna¡¯s eyes widened. She let out a surprisingly high-pitched ¡®eep¡¯ and flopped back down under the water, her face flushing a darker crimson than its normal hue.

    I blew more bubbles into the water, averting my gaze from the somehow-shy demon.

    Things ¡®cooled¡¯ down a bit from that point on, though I wasn¡¯t sure Zarenna ever got fully past her moment of incidental exposure. I kept my head down, mostly literally, still a bit shy as well. Eventually Rosetta and Lena got up to grab their towels and move back into the changing room. Lena gave me a smile as she passed.

    Camilla let out a sigh. ¡°I should go with them. Make sure nothing strange happens.¡± I gave her a small nod, and she rubbed the top of my head, making me fidget. ¡°These two seem trustworthy enough, if you need another moment.¡± She eyed me questioningly.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll join you in a bit.¡± I felt like I needed to mentally prepare myself for a few seconds before getting up out of the water once again. It¡¯d be easier with fewer eyes.

    She nodded and stood, gracefully jogging after them. I sighed, and realized that despite everything, I was going to miss this one of a kind moment. To my surprise, Seyari stood as well, moving after the sorceress into the changing room, her eyes narrowed.

    My gaze traveled over to the large red demon. She looked back bashfully, the pool just a bit too small for her to comfortably hide in as I could. I gave her a soft smile, before taking a brave breath of air and standing up from the pool. Spotting the small bell that Genevieve had left us, I quickly grabbed hold of it, my other hand doing it¡¯s best to cover up between my legs. With red cheeks, I walked over to Zarenna and offered her a hand, putting the bell into the other. She didn¡¯t need the helping hand. I mean, she had four of them. But it was the sentiment that really mattered.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± She gave me a shy smile, palm and fingers circling around my own.

    Then she stood, her thick and impressively muscular thighs pushing her to her feet. My flush enflamed into a full blaze. Then I looked up¡ªand up¡ªto her face. You really couldn¡¯t appreciate just how tall this woman was until she was right in front of you.

    She winked, her own cheeks nearly as flushed as I imagined mine to be. ¡°Let¡¯s grab our towels and get out of here before the others come back searching for us.¡±

    I nodded numbly, and began walking back to the changing room, Zarenna following behind. Once the inn came into view, a shadow caught my eye as it moved through one of the upper-story windows, disappearing as quickly as I spotted it. I briefly froze, before shaking my head. Probably Genevieve, or another one of the staff. Perhaps even some other guest here. There was no reason to assume it was something more nefarious. As we made it into the changing room, the two of us twisted the towels around our bodies, covering ourselves up as much as we could. It was surprisingly difficult with a small bell in hand.

    As I moved into the room, Zarenna just behind, I stopped. The room was empty. Not a single person within.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Zarenna said. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t good.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they went on ahead?¡± I bit my lip.

    The demon¡¯s eyes narrowed as she scanned the room. ¡°If they did, they took our clothes with them.¡± She strolled inside, bending at the waist. ¡°As well as the water off the floor.¡± She then turned back to me. ¡°Unless your sorceress has some kind of water or fire magic?¡±

    I tiptoed across the floor, nervously, and peeked out the other side of the changing room, only to find a dark and quiet hall. Quickly, I scurried back toward Zarenna, giving her a shake of my head, before giving her a wide-eyed stare.

    ¡°W-what happened? They can¡¯t have just disappeared.¡± My fingers were gripping around the bell so tightly that it was biting painfully into me.

    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know.¡± Worry crept into Zarenna¡¯s voice. She scratched at a horn nervously. ¡°Should we go check our rooms?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any clothes!¡± I whispered out. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t want to go around wearing just a towel. Is there really nothing here?¡± My head swiveled, looking for anything we could put on.

    ¡°Hmm, what about the bell?¡±

    I blinked and looked down, briefly wondering how a little bell was supposed to help. Then I remembered Genevieve saying to ring it if we needed anything.

    ¡°Oh, good idea.¡± Thank the gods that Camilla left it.

    Holding the tiny silver bell out, I gave it a soft jingle. I stared, wondering how anyone was supposed to hear that soft chime. The two of us looked around, particularly toward the entrance. When no one showed up, I let out a loud sigh.

    ¡°Well, I guess we should have expected that,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t come into the changing rooms?¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°I assure you, I arrive where I am needed.¡±

    We both jumped, and I definitely didn¡¯t emit anything even close to a squeal.

    Zarenna coughed out a small flame. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ way too good at that.¡±

    ¡°Good at what?¡± Genevieve¡¯s face kept a starkly neutral expression. ¡°I would hope you do not find my attentiveness or timeliness lacking.¡± She paused, and there was a brief moment of awkward silence. ¡°Now, what is it you two need me for?¡±

    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± I asked, fidgeting nervously with the bell.

    She stared off and gave a single slow blink. ¡°You¡¯re in the changing room.¡±

    My brows furrowed. ¡°No, I mean everyone else. Camilla, Rosetta, and everyone.¡± I swear, if she said something along the lines of ¡®You two are the only guests here,¡¯ I would go mad.

    Slowly she turned her head, peering lazily around the room. ¡°I do not see them.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where they are?¡± Zarenna asked, a hard edge to her voice.

    She paused. I held my breath, waiting.

    ¡°No.¡± Then she continued, ¡°But if they ring the bell, I can attend to them immediately.¡±

    But¡­ we had the bell? I looked over to Zarenna.

    She sighed loudly. ¡°Fine. But I am disappointed you do not know where they are. I assumed that attentiveness of yours would be better.¡±

    ¡°I cannot see through walls,¡± Genevieve replied with absolutely no emotion. ¡°It is not an ability I possess. Do you two require anything of me?¡±

    I bit my lip, before saying, ¡°Some clothes would be nice.¡±

    She gave a small bow. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Then standing up straight, she moved to the row of cubbies along the wall. The strange woman pulled out two plain white dresses, before holding each out to us. Weird that we didn¡¯t spot them before. Zarenna peeked over her shoulder as if to try to see where they came from. By her confused expression, I assumed she didn¡¯t find an answer.

    ¡°I hope these are sufficient. The tailor is currently indisposed. We were unfortunately not expecting guests tonight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m, umm, sure they¡¯ll be fine.¡± I reached out and plucked the smaller of the two from her grasp.

    Zarenna took the other dress and held it out in front of herself. ¡°This¡­ actually might fit. Thanks.¡±

    I blinked at the peculiar woman, somewhat surprised. It looked like I had a lot of growth still in my maidly skills. This woman was in a league of her own, pulling things like that out of nowhere.

    ¡°If that will be all?¡± Genevieve asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re certain you don¡¯t know where they are?¡±

    She looked over at me, and a shiver went down my back. ¡°Who do you mean?¡± The question brought yet another shiver.

    ¡°Our friends?¡±

    ¡°I do not,¡± was her simple reply.

    Zarenna narrowed her eyes. ¡°Fine.¡±

    Genevieve bowed a final time, and walked around the corner into the bath part of the changing room. Zarenna dashed after her with unnerving quickness, and returned a moment later, frowning. ¡°She was gone.¡±

    Very strange. I shivered once more.

    It seemed like our little gang was split up.

    ¡°Oh, zoinks,¡± I muttered in frustration, the strange word seeming to fit the situation somehow. ¡°Where do we go now, Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°R-I don¡¯t know, Pearl? I mean, right. Let¡¯s go right. I believe that¡¯s the way back to the rooms.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we don¡¯t run into anything too spooky.¡±

    ***

    Zarenna POV

    The light from the orbs of fire atop my horns cast long shadows up and down the surprisingly unfamiliar hallway outside the changing room. We¡¯d reached the end, and there was a single door instead of the stairs that I remembered being there. ¡°Do you remember which way our rooms were?¡± I asked, looking down at Pearl.

    She fidgeted with the hem of her dress and looked up at me with wide eyes. ¡°Uh, n-no.¡±

    My memory¡¯s not this bad, right? ¡°I, uh,¡± I scratched at a horn nervously. ¡°I think I got turned around.¡±

    ¡°All we did was walk down a hallway?¡± Pearl asked worriedly, biting her lower lip.

    I sighed nervously and hung my head. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m lost then. Do you know the way back?¡±

    She shook her head, and patted around her midsection, ruffling the white dress in search of possible pockets. ¡°I can¡¯t find the bell. It was in my hand, but¡­¡±

    I looked back down the dark hallway. ¡°Maybe it fell somewhere? This isn¡¯t the right way anyway, so let¡¯s go back.¡±

    Pearl nodded and the two of us walked back down the hallway. We passed a painting of an old, stern-looking woman and I could have sworn she was facing the other way when we went past the first time. I kept my eyes on the floor and my aura sight on, so I had to quickly catch Pearl with my lower arms when I bumped into her. She¡¯d stopped right in the middle of the hall.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I said quickly. ¡°Are you?¡±

    She reflexively pulled an arm closer around herself and pointed her other hand forward.. ¡°Did you see that?¡±

    ¡°See what?¡± Suddenly, I felt a lot more nervous as I followed her outstretched finger.

    Pearl was pointing at a set of double doors that I definitely did not remember seeing in the way by earlier. They were set in their own rounded alcove, and one of them was cracked open, a thin ray of pale light streaming through.

    As I watched it creaked closed. ¡°What did you see?¡± I looked down, letting Pearl cling onto my limb.

    ¡°A g-g-ghost. I think. Or a spirit. ¡®Ghost¡¯ is a bit disrespectful, I believe.¡±

    I shivered. Even years ago, there were supposedly haunted places I wouldn¡¯t even let Abby drag me into. ¡°M-maybe it was steam from the changing room?¡±

    She shook her head.

    Ahead of us, the soft sound of music playing reached our ears. I glanced up. It was coming from the direction of the now-closed doors.

    Slowly, and carefully, we walked past the doors, only to find the hall turned and dead-ended ahead of us. ¡°I know about undead, but they have bodies. There¡¯s n-no such thing as, like, actual ghosts, or spirits, right Pearl?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Of course there are.¡± She glanced up at me, her eyes quivering and mouth set in a worried pout. ¡°Why are you shivering?¡± The look she gave suggested that I was somehow supposed to be the brave one here.

    Undead I could deal with, but actual ghosts? I wasn¡¯t so sure.

    ¡°Oh, uh, I guess that makes sense.¡± I thought back to Isidore¡¯s talk of souls and demons. Ghosts existing wasn¡¯t a far-fetched idea¡ªjust an undead minus the physical body. ¡°And I¡¯m just cold,¡± I lied. ¡°Maybe we can try one of these doors.¡± I tried two of the single doors near the end of the hall, both were locked.

    The music grew louder, and we both poked our heads around the corner we¡¯d just walked around, mine above Pearl¡¯s. In the flickering light of my fire, a pale faceless figure of mist, in a dress that flowed like fog, strode toward the double doors and passed through them. They creaked slightly, like they¡¯d been opened and closed, but they didn¡¯t move more than an inch.

    Now, it was my turn to fidget at the hem of my white dress nervously. Pearl still held one of my arms. Was that truly a ghost? Perhaps some kind of illusion? Either way, there was clearly something in this house, and I was well and truly spooked.

    ¡°W-we can go investigate the room. Maybe whoever¡¯s playing the music can give us directions? I didn¡¯t see the bell anywhere when we walked by, so¡­¡±

    Had she seen what I¡¯d just seen? My lips parted to ask her, but for some reason I hesitated, scared to know the answer. Pearl looked nervously up at me looking nervously down.

    I schooled my expression as best I could and offered a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m a big scary demon, right? The ghosts are probably more afraid of me than I am of them.¡± Why did those words sound so hollow to my ears? They were true, weren¡¯t they?

    Pearl nodded and then gulped. My hand reached out, slowly¡ªjust in case something tried to grab me as I opened the door. Definitely not out of fear. With a gentle pull, the old door eased open, and the two of us peeked inside.

    The room was well lit, several chandeliers casting flickering candle-light from the ceiling. I looked over to the piano sitting in the corner, noticing immediately that no one sat by it. As the door opened fully, the melodic tune seemed to echo through the hall and fade, the sound becoming strangely discordant. It gave the strange impression that it was an echo of some distant past, somehow held here until the door had finally opened to release it.

    ¡°Does that door look familiar?¡± Pearl pointed across the ballroom at an ornate single door.

    Did it? I might remember it? Either way, it was the best lead we had.

    ¡°Kinda,¡± I answered. ¡°Let¡¯s go that way. If it¡¯s another weird empty hallway on the other side though, I¡¯m going to make my own door.¡±

    Pearl blanched. ¡°Y-you¡¯re just going to destroy their wall?¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay, maybe not then¡­¡± I conceded. ¡°All this is weird and spooky, but this place hasn¡¯t done anything bad to us, really.¡±

    ¡°I just hate the idea of giving poor Genevieve more cleaning work. She might be the only maid here. Or, err, whatever it is that she is?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Fair enough. Shall we go then?¡±

    ¡°And what if they kicked us out? Are we really gonna go back into that creepy fog?¡±

    ¡°No property damage, got it.¡± I gave three thumbs up (Pearl still had my other arm).

    We moved across the room, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel continually more on edge the further we got. There was this strange sensation along my back that we were being watched¡ªa feeling that was growing with each step. I took a moment to look around us, finding nothing out of the ordinary, or at least more out of the ordinary.

    Eventually, we made it, and in a moment of boldness, I thrust open the door with a heavy arm. We were met by¡­ another door.

    ¡°It¡¯s not technically a hallway?¡± Pearl said.

    I put up two hands in a placating gesture. ¡°I said no property damage, it¡¯s fine. Although I have to wonder what the builders of this place were thinking.¡±

    The little maid shrugged. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a closet next to it.¡±

    This time, she was the brave one, moving forward and easing the door open. The two of us strolled into yet another unfamiliar room. Tall windows along one side let in pale moonlight. A single, long table stretched out before us off toward the far wall. Candelabras were lit atop a stretch of white cloth. Fancy plates had been set¡ªsix places, but no food. Strangely, a single glass of dark-red wine sat at the opposite end, or at least I assumed it was wine. Please be wine.

    As we stood around the edge of the table, a shadow passed by outside, flickering darkness down the wall opposite the windows. I looked over, but it was already gone. ¡°Did you see that?¡± I asked Pearl.

    ¡°The shadow?¡± she asked tentatively.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I walked over to the nearest window with Pearl still attached.

    Outside was a courtyard, and the three-floor inn ringed around three sides of it, top windows peeking out of the mansard roof. I could see steam rising from the hot spring in a direction I was certain we hadn¡¯t come from. On the opposite side of the building was a bell tower. The moon was behind it, and something dark and large inside it swung again, sending that same shadow hurtling across the dining room. As we stared, the sense of being watched intensified.

    I really hoped whatever was up there was just a bell.

    Wait a minute. ¡°Hey Pearl, was the inn this large when we entered it?¡±

    She shook her head vigorously.

    A cold pit formed in my stomach. ¡°We need to find the others. Now.¡±

    Pearl nodded rapidly.

    There was a crashing noise from across the room, and the maid cried out a loud squealing ¡®eep.¡¯ I turned quickly, just remembering to slow down enough that I didn¡¯t jerk in Pearl¡¯s grip. The wine glass had shattered on the floor, and the blood-red liquid within oozed out over the wood.

    ¡°W-w-w-what was t-that?¡± Pearl stuttered out. Her fingers were gripping into my hand so tightly that it was close to painful even for me.

    My eyes narrowed. ¡°Someone or something¡¯s messing with us.¡±

    She looked up at me with wide eyes. Under other circumstances, it would have had my heart fluttering. But here, it was beating erratically for very different reasons.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going,¡± Pearl said, her voice trying to find its confidence.

    I gave a sharp nod. The two of us quickly paced across the room to the other door, moving around the table to be far away from the broken glass and spilled something. The other door looked much like the first, and when we opened it, we entered again into a hallway. This time, the sconces were lit, and I saw stairs at one end.

    Pearl sighed in relief. ¡°This is the hall that leads up to the rooms, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I gave a relieved smile of my own back to her. ¡°Looks familiar, at least.¡±

    The two of us began to make our way up.

    ***

    Camilla POV

    I wrapped the towel around my head, strutting through the changing room unashamedly. There was always a sense of liberation to going around in the nude, my body exposed for everyone to see. At first, it¡¯d just been a way to train my control over magic, forming and shaping the shadows around my body continuously. High stakes meant little room for mistakes. And mistakes meant death. As I got more comfortable with my naked body, though, I found other reasons to continue the practice.

    I turned to the others, Lena and Rosetta already dried up and getting dressed. Seyari stood nearby, turning her head such that I was never out of her range of vision. She clearly didn¡¯t trust me still, though I admittedly didn¡¯t trust her either. There was still that lingering worry that this was all some kind of ruse, a peculiar way for them to pull us back into the Praevus¡¯s clutches. Even if I knew it was quite unlikely at this point.

    We all got dressed. Well, they all got dressed. Then we waited for the other two. And waited. My eyes narrowed. It was a stupid idea to leave Pearl out there alone, even if I wanted to make sure the other two didn¡¯t run into any trouble. There was something dangerous about this place. I could feel it. But the fog was dangerous as well, and at least in here, I could see anything coming at us. Grumbling at my foolishness for not dragging Pearl out with me, I made my way back to the hot springs. It was a short jog, made shorter by channeling my mana through my legs. I was careful not to move my arm too much, else my injury turn worse. I truly envied that monster of a woman, Zarenna, and her ability to near-instantly heal from the stab of a knife.

    As I approached the springs, I listened for the telltale sound of conversation, splashing water, or anything that would indicate nothing was wrong. But I heard nothing except the natural sounds of the spring. It didn¡¯t necessarily mean anything, I told myself. Maybe they were just still relaxing. My hand hovered around a knife at my waist, my shadows finally pooling down around me to my feet.

    Moving into the isolated springs, I stopped and glowered around. It was empty. Empty. My anger rolled within, the shadows around me swirling and spreading to reflect it.

    I wanted to scream and curse, or better yet, stab something. How could I have been so stupid? Had I learned nothing at that cursed academy? The world will always take that which you hold the closest to your heart, should you give it a chance. Clawed fingers sliced into my palms as my hands tightened into fists.

    With what mana I had left, I began to scour across the springs and the areas beyond it, looking for any sign that Pearl or that lumbering demon had come through. After long minutes of searching, I found absolutely nothing.

    Damn the gods. Damn this inn.

    I continued until I heard the sound of someone¡¯s approach. A knife was in my hand before I had the presence of mind to consider grabbing it. Seyari moved from the other side of a large boulder, and I had to stop myself from blazing in front of her and stabbing my knife through her throat. She might just be here to help. I can¡¯t assume her and Zarenna are the enemy.

    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± I said, gritting my teeth.

    ¡°Gone?¡± Her own gaze narrowed onto me.

    We eyed each other for a long moment. My hands and legs itched for movement. I had to stay focused. All the mana in the world was useless if I couldn¡¯t keep hold of the focus needed to use it. I took a deep breath, trying to center my head and release some of that boiling anxiety and spiraling thoughts.

    ¡°Yes, gone. I can¡¯t find a trace of them. Nothing out here to indicate anyone besides myself have been anywhere around the springs.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m half tempted to accuse you of having done something. You¡®ve been out here for several minutes now,¡± she replied in a low, serious tone.

    I huffed, and growled, ¡°Same to you. You were notably the last to leave the springs, and your partner would have little trouble subduing Pearl.¡± I had to stop myself from calling her ¡®my Pearl.¡¯ I¡¯d already shown too much weakness as it was.

    The silent stalemate between us continued, neither making a move.

    ¡°If they¡¯re not out here, we should go check inside. Perhaps they managed to find some other way back in,¡± she said.

    My fingers fidgeted. I didn¡¯t want to stop searching out here. What if I somehow missed them? What if they made their way back to the springs? But she had a point, and if we didn¡¯t see them inside, we could easily come back out to continue. Plus, it was probably best that we stuck together, given the strange circumstances.

    ¡°You left the other two inside, alone?¡± I hissed.

    She frowned. ¡°I came to make sure Zarenna was alright.¡±

    With another growling grumble, I shot forward back toward the changing room. It only took seconds before I was bursting through the doors, some amount of relief hitting me as I saw the two sitting on small stools in wait. At my flashy entrance, Rosetta yelped and fell back as Lena shot to her feet, seeming ready to either fight or run.

    ¡°Pearl and Zarenna are missing,¡± I stated, my tone definitive and commanding. ¡°We¡¯re going to search the inn.¡±

    Lena frowned. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to search outside?¡±

    ¡°I already have. Couldn¡¯t find them anywhere around the grounds. If they aren¡¯t anywhere in here, we¡¯ll go back out and continue. It hopefully shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±

    The little noble considered my words before giving a nod. ¡°Alright, that seems reasonable, I suppose.¡±

    Seyari walked in, and I turned slightly, saying ¡°Good, we¡¯re all here. Let¡¯s begin this search, then. We¡¯ll start with our ¡®rooms.¡¯¡±

    The half-angel scowled. ¡°Who said that you were leading this?¡±

    I gave her a dismissive glance, ¡°I did,¡± and then strolled through the changing rooms, letting my shadows roll and billow behind me.

    She scoffed, but didn¡¯t argue as the four of us marched back to our rooms. I could tell she was as eager to find them as I was. I kept my ears tuned to any sounds that were odd or which might indicate where the missing two were. Unfortunately, the place was as quiet as ever, and in short order, we found our way back to the rooms. Searching each one turned up nothing, though I admittedly expected it.

    ¡°Now what?¡± Rosetta asked, upset but doing a good job at hiding it.

    ¡°Do we split up?¡± Lena suggested.

    Split up? What was this, some kind of mystery novel? A bunch of teens looking for ghosts and monsters in some abandoned inn? I scoffed. Never in my life would I want to go back to my teenage years.

    ¡°And risk more of us going missing? I think not,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll start going room to room. I¡¯ll rip this building apart down to the foundations, if we need to.¡±

    I turned to leave, only to be surprised to hear the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs at the end of the hall. With speed, I rushed out. Pearl and Zarenna stopped, both blinking my way with looks of surprise. My shoulders slumped in relief.

    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re both alright,¡± I said, feeling suddenly a little awkward. Were we supposed to hug now?

    ***

    Pearl POV

    I rushed forward, jumping into Camilla¡¯s arms and squeezing her into a hug. She gave me a soft smile, a hand reaching up to rub my tiny, growing ears.

    ¡°¡ªet¡¯s no¡¯ oo tha ¡®gain,¡± I mumbled around the bare skin pressed against my face.

    ¡°Agreed. We should probably stick together from here on. Are you alright?¡± She pulled me away from her, giving me an intense look-over.

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m fine. I mean, a bunch of weird stuff happened. Spooky shadows and wine glasses falling.¡±

    ¡°And this entire inn becoming some kind of strange magical maze that we couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of,¡± Zarenna interrupted.

    ¡°That too.¡± I nodded. ¡°Where did all of you go? You weren¡¯t in the changing room.¡±

    ¡°We were wondering essentially the same, since you disappeared from the springs.¡±

    Next to us, Zarenna walked toward Seyari with four open arms, smiling. ¡°Well¡ª¡± Zarenna made an ¡®oomph¡¯ sound as Seyari crashed into the hug at speed, arms wrapping tightly around her demon¡¯s waist. The demonic woman looked surprised, then her smile widened. She carefully gave Seyari a four-armed hug back, saying, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, too.¡±

    Seyari nodded into Zarenna¡¯s chest.

    ¡°So it¡¯s rather like the fog outside, then,¡± Rosetta said and crossed her arms. ¡°Disorienting, weird things happening, and getting lost.¡± She ticked each off with a finger. ¡°Also, why are you two dressed like that?¡±

    ¡°W-well our clothes weren¡¯t in the changing room. And so we rang that bell for Genevieve. And she gave us this.¡± I pulled at the ends of the white dress, feeling exceedingly shy about just how short it was. Why would a dress not go down to your feet? So strange and weirdly erotic for an inn.

    Camilla gave me a teasing grin. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±

    ¡°Y-you shush.¡± My cheeks turned rosey red. ¡°There¡¯s more important stuff happening right now to worry about my lower legs showing.¡±

    The sorceress tapped her chin. ¡°Still, perhaps an idea for the future¡­¡±

    I fidgeted with the white fabric, as though I could somehow lengthen it by pulling it down in my flustered state.

    ¡°Back to the matter at hand,¡± Seyari interrupted us, still in her hug, and I sighed, thankful. ¡°What do we do now? If we leave and the fog¡¯s still out there, we¡¯ll be no closer to finding our way out.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the source is here somewhere?¡± Rosetta ventured.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s causing this, I¡¯m sure, yeah,¡± Zarenna agreed. ¡°I saw something in the bell tower from the dining room, and I¡¯m pretty sure there wasn¡¯t a bell tower when we got here.¡±

    Camilla gave her a look as though she was losing it.

    I tugged at her arm. ¡°No, there really was a bell tower, or there certainly appeared to be one. I saw it as well. This place isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    ¡°If this is what we¡¯re dealing with, then it¡¯s serious. I think we all know what the next step is,¡± Seyari declared, though her position in Zarenna¡¯s arms compromised the finality of her words.

    I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s like an adventure!¡± A rather spooky one.

    Lena rolled her eyes and Rosetta covered a snicker with her hand.

    Decision made, we left the room, each of us staying close so that we wouldn¡¯t be easily separated again. I really didn¡¯t want to somehow end up lost in the place by myself.

    ***

    Seyari POV

    I didn¡¯t argue the point and let Camilla take the lead, watching her angrily stalk through the halls in search of a way up to the bell tower. She reminded me a bit of myself, when I was younger. Headstrong, opinionated, powerful, and desperately desperately craving affection. I didn¡¯t miss how she treated Pearl.

    I looked up at Zarenna beside me, comforted by the fear on her face. She was powerful, ludicrously so, but she had a naive sort of humanity that endeared me to her ever more. I¡¯d hugged her earlier so quickly I was surprised by the strength of my own emotions. I hadn¡¯t really known how worried for her I was until Pearl and Camilla had shared a similar moment.

    Whatever those two were¡ªand I knew Pearl was something because her aura was more than that of the mundane Lena and Rosetta¡ªI hoped they found happiness once we got out of this cursed place.

    I¡¯d been angry a lot until recently. I still was, honestly, but this whole adventure had taken my mind off revenge if only for a moment. I took one of Zarenna¡¯s clawed hands in my own. It was warm.

    The first hallway ended in a door. Camilla wrenched it open and we kept walking. The few windows I saw revealed a much larger building than when we¡¯d gone in. The bell tower was getting closer, but we didn¡¯t seem to be moving in a straight line.

    We found a staircase up to the third and top floor in the next hall. This floor was much less lavish than the previous one. A fine coat of dust lay atop the bare wood floor, our footprints the only mark of passing. The doors here were thinner and shorter, and Zarenna hit her horns on the first crossbeam we walked under.

    Pearl giggled, and instead of silencing her with a glare, I giggled too. Camilla turned around when we stopped, and her fierce red eyes softened upon seeing Pearl laugh.

    We turned a corner to the wing of the building where the bell tower almost certainly was, and Camilla stopped with a growl. ¡°What do you want,¡± she asked, shadows roiling around her.

    I followed her around the corner and saw Genevieve standing formally in the hallway with a blank look on her face. Behind her, a heavier door unlike the others adorned the right wall. The others pulled up around me.

    ¡°Guests are not allowed in the bell tower. It isn¡¯t safe,¡± Genevieve said while looking squarely at Camilla. She had that same placid expression as always, as though the woman was completely devoid of emotion.

    Camilla growled again. ¡°Move aside, or I will move you aside.¡±

    Genevieve¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Would you like me to lead you back to your rooms? The bell will soon toll the morning.¡±

    My eyes narrowed. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    She blinked. ¡°It is late.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if that was supposed to be an answer or a deflection. If only I could get a read on this woman, conversing would be a lot easier.

    Lena stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we have to go through here. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s of grave importance.¡±

    The woman¡¯s face twitched, her lips appearing to want to curve into some form of emotion, but struggling.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Pearl asked her, tilting forward around Camilla¡¯s side.

    Genevieve was silent in apparent thought. Though at least Camilla¡¯s aggressive posture lightened. Unless I was reading things incorrectly, I didn¡¯t believe there was a need for physical force here. Strange as she was, Genevieve seemed fairly harmless to my eyes.

    ¡°I am¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, sentence unfinished. Then she looked at Lena. ¡°You¡­ are entering the tower?¡±

    Lena gave her a nod, and I looked closely at Genevieve¡¯s face. The emotions were brief and subtle, but there. Fear, horror, and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, perhaps hope?

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ªyou shouldn¡¯t¡ªthey will¡ª¡± Her words were jumbled and stilted, though I tried to follow them, regardless, picking out whatever clues I could. Was the ¡®they¡¯ referring to us, or some other group of people? Perhaps to whoever the cause of this whole mess was? ¡°D-do not linger in the¡ªthe¡ªbreakfast¡ªafter the bell tolls.¡± The way she spoke was peculiar, as though she was piecing together fragments of phrases she¡¯d spoken countless times before. Then she paused, did a snail¡¯s-paced blink, and gave a bow. ¡°Thank you. I hope you have enjoyed your stay at the Heartspring Inn,¡± she said, as though we were already leaving.

    She stood there, and I noticed a flicker of uncertainty cross her otherwise expressionless face..

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said. ¡°We will find our own way out. Do not feel the need to stay for our sake.¡± I hoped I was interpreting things correctly, here. It might be messy, otherwise.

    She hesitated, before giving a simple nod and turning to leave, moving off to a small side door that I didn¡¯t remember seeing before.

    ¡°That was weeeird,¡± Pearl commented, thankfully well after Genevieve was gone.

    I looked up and Zarenna met my gaze. ¡°Did you get anything from that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I think Genevieve is trying to help us,¡± I replied slowly.

    ¡°Good enough for me!¡± Zarenna smiled and gave a thumbs up or three to Camilla who¡¯d been oddly quiet.

    ¡°There¡¯s something very wrong with her. Though not of her own doing, I don¡¯t believe. I¡¯m very much getting the impression that whoever truly owns this place is not someone we want to encounter,¡± the sorceress said. ¡°Let¡¯s hope they aren¡¯t at the top of these stairs.¡±

    ¡°From what she said, I do not believe them to be.¡± My gaze moved to the door ahead of us. ¡°I think we¡¯ve dawdled enough. Let¡¯s get to the end of this.¡±

    ***

    Pearl POV

    As we entered the base of the bell tower, the six of us stared up the winding staircase all the way to where it ended. It was unfortunate that we couldn¡¯t look up through the ceiling high above and get a glimpse of just what we were up against. Then we looked at the stairs themselves, and the partially missing railing swirling up alongside it. The rail along the last stretch at the top appeared to be entirely gone.

    ¡°As we go up, everyone spread out. Stay close enough to help the person in front or behind you, should something happen, but far enough away that we aren¡¯t stepping on the same steps,¡± Camilla said. ¡°I¡¯ll go first. Then Pearl, Seyari, Rosetta, Lena, and finally Zarenna.¡±

    The demon woman frowned. ¡°Why am I last?¡±

    ¡°Because you weigh the most, and if the stairs break out from under you, the rest of us won¡¯t have to try and navigate past them. And also because if anyone falls, I believe you or I would be the most likely to survive.¡±

    Zarenna hummed and gave a shrug. ¡°Yeah, okay. Good enough for me. Though I¡¯d really prefer being in front for whatever is up at the top. You seem a bit flimsier, no offense.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Is everyone ready?¡± Camilla scanned over everyone.

    We each gave her a nod and then began our ascent up the stairs. It was easy going at first, but not too far in I began to realize just how tiring it could get going up stairs nonstop. The upside was that we were being careful enough that it didn¡¯t truly end up a problem. Mostly, we were held back by Zarenna. Despite her size, or rather because of it, each step she took made the wood give out heavy groans and the occasional loud crack. It was not encouraging in the slightest. Even the steps I took had little accompanying creaks as my weight pressed into the old wood.

    When we got about halfway up, I noticed a breeze picking up in the air around us. With every step it got worse, until it was very obvious that the effect was unnatural.

    As the air began to whip by, blowing at the fabric of our clothes and nipping around our hair and faces, Camilla yelled out, ¡°Everyone grab hands. Don¡¯t let anyone fall.¡±

    I gave her a nod and reached for the hand she held out to me, slipping my fingers into hers. From behind Seyari grabbed my other, giving me a small smile in return. For a moment, my mind conjured images of being properly sandwiched between the two, before I managed to shake the thought from my mind.

    ¡°I believe I can counter it for the moment, but if it continues to worsen at the rate it has been, my control will diminish before long,¡± Seyari yelled ahead, and then gradually the wind around us lightened, becoming a simple breeze once more.

    ¡°Good, hopefully it¡¯ll be enough. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±

    For a minute or so, the gentle breeze stayed, before picking up again as Seyari struggled to fight against it. I didn¡¯t want to imagine just how powerful it truly was at this point. The sound of it alone as it rushed past our little bubble of safety made me want to cover my ears. It was like being near the train as it rolled into the station at home.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting close!¡± Camilla shouted.

    I braved a look upward to find that we¡¯d made it around three fourths of the way, if my guess was right. Only two steps further there was a loud crack. Seyari¡¯s grip tightened and then pulled me back and I let out a squeal of surprise. Twisting my head, I watched in horror as most of Zarenna¡¯s upper body fell through the steps. One of her hands was still gripped around Lena¡¯s who¡¯d lost her balance and was on her knees. Two gripped the steps in front and behind her, and the last arm had clawed its way into the wall, leaving a long gash from where she¡¯d fallen.

    ¡°Ow,¡± the demon grumbled. ¡°Stupid wood sliced right into me. What kind of steps are these?¡± I could barely make out the words over the wind, which had picked up slightly from Seyari being distracted.

    ¡°Everyone hold tight, and we¡¯ll try to help pull you back up,¡± Camilla yelled out down to her.

    Her grip on my arm tightened, and then she pulled. So hard that I thought she might pull my arm right off. Luckily Seyari put her own strength into it, lessening the pain in my limbs slightly. With that, plus Zarenna¡¯s three other arms, she was able to get back into stable footing, tearing out a few more loose stairs along the way.

    Afterward, we let out a collective sigh of relief. The woman was strong, but that was a pretty big fall at this point. And even if it didn¡¯t affect her, she¡¯d have to make her way all the way back up to this point without Seyari¡¯s bubble of wind protection.

    Far too soon, Camilla asked ¡°Everyone good? Then let¡¯s continue!¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks for all the concern! I''ll be fine though, go on ahead,¡± Zarenna yelled back as we continued forward.

    As we got closer to the top, the wind became progressively worse, until we could no longer hear each other, and if not for Camilla¡¯s tight grip, I was certain it would have tossed me through the air and down to the very-far-away floor. At this point I didn¡¯t dare try looking down through the holes and cracks in the stairs, keeping my gaze steadily forward. We were all pressed up against the wall, and I could see Camilla somehow clawing fingers deep into the stone with each step.

    I took a daring glance up.

    ¡°The door!¡± It was close. We were nearly there!

    I didn¡¯t know why I bothered shouting it. Even I couldn¡¯t hear my voice through all the wind at this point. Somehow Camilla heard me, the woman glancing back to give me a loving smile. We were going to make it!

    We took another step, and a vortex of flames lit up the air above us. I stared in horror, the heat of it threatening to sear my skin even from a distance. The occasional flame would lap downward near us, and I worried that my dress would eventually catch fire from one. How were we supposed to deal with that?

    A wrathful growl echoed from the wind below, and I turned to see Zarenna moving forward up the stairs. I watched with wide eyes as her claws dug into the stone to our right, along with each step, keeping most of her weight off the fragile wood at our feet.

    She moved up and into the flames, disappearing from sight. Seconds passed, and I worried that something might have happened. Then as quickly as the flames appeared, they vanished, taking the heavy wind along with them. I stumbled forward to my knees, nearly falling and rolling off to the side, before Camilla managed to grab an arm and stop me. I noticed that even she and Seyari had fallen down against the steps due to the sudden pressure of the wind ceasing.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Zarenna said from the top of the stairs. ¡°You¡¯ll need something a lot hotter than that to bother me.¡± She grinned toothily down to us.

    Looking past Zarenna, I could see what looked to be a shattered red gem or crystal that sat partly in the door, missing numerous pieces. Was that what was causing all the wind and fire? I feared what would be in the actual bell tower room ahead, if this was just the stairs leading up to it.

    I gulped as we all stood and made our way carefully the rest of the way to the door. At Zarenna¡¯s feet was the rest of the strange red gem, scattered into pieces. The door itself had a strange array of symbols and circles surrounding the hole that the gem was previously held within.

    Zarenna stepped aside from the door to allow Camilla to pass. ¡°I¡¯ll go last, like we agreed.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Seyari said. We all turned to her. ¡°Let me heal your shoulder.¡±

    Camilla eyed her for a moment, before giving a nod.

    Seyari walked forward and laid a hand on Camilla¡¯s shoulder. A bright golden glow appeared from the spot she touched. Camilla tensed, and Seyari¡¯s brow knotted in concentration. The glow soon faded, and Seyari stepped back with a wordless nod.

    The sorceress strolled forward, cracking open the door with a thrust of her apparently-fixed shoulder. I peered into the room around her. Inside, a set of stone stairs led up, and just above them I could see a dark metal outline I assumed to be a bell. A steeply peaked roof angled above it all, with the bell hanging from a heavy wood frame attached to two large pillars. There were no walls, and a thick fog roiled outside the threshold of the room itself.

    Camilla strode inside, each hand on a knife. I followed her carefully, and the others after me.

    ¡°Pearl, down!¡± Camilla shouted right as she reached the top.

    Instinctively, I ducked, and the others did as well. A flurry of objects flew just over our heads. Camilla stood through the torrent, knives rising and clashing against them. It was over as quickly as it began. The sorceress turned to us, looking me over. To my amazement, it seemed not a single one hit her.

    ¡°W-wha¡ª¡°

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she interrupted.

    I nodded, still shocked at how quickly it had all happened.

    ¡°Those things really stung,¡± Zarenna muttered behind me, standing from a crouch.

    I turned to see her pulling out a small spike that was still poking into her.

    ¡°They¡¯re poisoned, I believe.¡± Camilla bent down to pick one up, holding it between two claws. ¡°A last attempt to take out anyone who¡¯s made it this far.¡±

    ¡°Magicked poison?¡± Zarenna asked. ¡°I might be in trouble if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡°You can still form mostly complete sentences. You¡¯re fine,¡± Seyari said, taking the needle from Zarenna and inspecting it with glowing eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know the poison, but there¡¯s no lingering aura.¡±

    ¡°If you fall over, we¡¯ll drag you out,¡± Camilla told her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the demonic woman deadpanned back.

    Almost as one, our gazes turned once more to the large bell. The mist continued to swirl up and around it, like an eerie caress.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this, shall we?¡±

    Camilla strolled forward, still on guard. I held my breath, waiting for the next attack. But as she approached, nothing happened, beyond the strange mist swirling around her feet. For a moment she stared at it and the strange symbols that covered its surface.

    She turned to us, uncertain. ¡°I¡­ do we destroy it?¡±

    Zarenna shot a questioning look at Seyari and shrugged. ¡°No idea. Maybe try ringing it first?¡±

    Camilla turned back, and hesitantly reached out a hand. I held my breath once more as she gripped the rope, and a moment later, gave the massive bell a loud ring. It echoed out and around us, ringing in my ears. The sound slammed down into the mist circling our feet like a bucket of water. The fog seemed to shudder and flatten, before fading.

    The tower gave a low rumble and shook.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably not good,¡± Zarenna muttered.

    A crack appeared between us and Camilla in the stone, and she rushed over, hopping across it. ¡°Down¡ªnow!¡±

    She swept past me, pulling me up into her arms. I found myself in a familiar position to the beginning of the night, though this time with quite a few more people around to see it. The tower shook again, and I decided I didn¡¯t mind so much this time.

    ¡°Do you mind if I, uh¡­¡± Zarenna asked the others quickly, motioning as if to carry them.

    I didn¡¯t get to hear their responses. Camilla flowed down the stairs, taking several at a time. Rapid, heavy footfalls thundered behind us. Hopefully Zarenna wouldn¡¯t fall through the steps again¡­ I winced as I heard the cracking of wood behind us.

    ***

    Zarenna POV

    I followed Camilla down the stairs, moving fast enough that I was airborne by the time the step under me had broken. I had Lena over one shoulder and Rosetta over the other. Seyari, I held in a princess carry in front of me. We made it out of the tower, and I snuck a quick glance back, finding the door no longer there. Yep, time to get out of here! Just ahead, the sorceress swept through the halls with unnatural agility, and I followed suit, careful of the people I was carrying.

    I didn¡¯t have much time to look at the decor, but I couldn¡¯t help notice that the previously well-worn, but tidy inn was in shambles. Windows I passed were broken, the paint was peeling, and the paintings were moldering in the moist air.

    This time, no magical trickery barred our path. The hallways were shorter, and the stairs less grand as we descended into the ruined lobby. I half expected to see Genevieve there to see us off, but there wasn¡¯t a soul in sight as Camilla opened the door with a leaping kick, Pearl safe in her arms.

    The courtyard outside was a mess of dead plants and crumbling, mossy statuary. Half of the gate ahead of us was lying on the ground, and the other half tilted open on a single hinge. We passed through the threshold into the dense wood and dissipating fog beyond.

    Once we left the gate, a shudder seemed to swell from behind us. I turned just in time to see the old building behind me age rapidly until it collapsed in a pile of rotted, splintered planks. I could swear I heard a sigh, and then the whole thing started to disappear, including the trees around us.

    I set Seyari down and she huffed. Then I placed Lena and Rosetta on their feet as well, just in time to notice they were starting to become translucent too.

    ¡°Umm, it was nice to meet you!¡± Pearl said, standing next to Camilla.

    ¡°You too!¡± I shouted back. ¡°Good luck avoiding that Praevus person. If you do meet him, kick his ass for me, alright?¡± I pounded one clawed fist into another for emphasis.

    She smiled and giggled. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Twin furred lumps twitched on her head as she spoke. Ears?

    Camilla looked over at Sey. ¡°It was¡­ well, not entirely fun, but nice to meet both of you, as Pearl said.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Rosetta said, Lena giving a nod.

    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll meet again some day,¡± the little noble added.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Seyari said with a real smile. ¡°I think it¡¯d be nice to visit under better circumstances.¡±

    We waved at each other until the four faded and Seyari and I were left alone in a much more familiar-looking forest, although I didn¡¯t recognize the exact area. A small clearing was all that was left of the Heartsprings Inn that stood just moments ago. Thinking about it, we never did figure out what the deal with that ghost was. Nor the strange feeling of being watched and Genevieve¡¯s cryptic warning there at the end. Hopefully, the four of them will be alright? Not much we could do about it at this point. I turned to Seyari, pushing the worry from my mind.

    ¡°Hey Sey, are we still lost?¡± I asked.

    She looked around and groaned. ¡°What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 61: The Road pt. 1

    Seyari lent me a spare change of her own clothes for the walk back to town¡ªI had to go barefoot since her shoes wouldn¡¯t fit. Her clothing stretched awkwardly over my much larger frame, but the loose fit (for Seyari) worked just well enough to keep me decent.

    Much of our stuff was gone, but thankfully we hadn¡¯t taken everything with us when we went with Ruston to hunt the demon. Still, one of our packs, some rations, and the sleeping part of our camping supplies had been turned to ash, along with my second to last set of clothes. We¡¯d need to resupply in town.

    We¡¯d also need to explain why we were coming back without Ruston, what happened to him, and that we killed a demon. More pressing to me, however, was my desire to be more proactive with my goals.

    I kept silent on our walk back, which seemed to suit Seyari just fine. Now wasn¡¯t the time for me to voice any concerns. Night brought more rain, and the next morning we had a muddy and miserable trudge back to Harriston. I was glad the trail wasn¡¯t too long, or we might have gotten lost¡ªor even wetter.

    Seyari and I didn¡¯t speak about what we both knew we were going to do next. Mordwell¡¯s estate was close now; a tangible thing instead of an indeterminable goal.

    Telling everyone (including Fredrick) what happened wasn¡¯t without a few bumps, but everyone in Harriston seemed to accept our story. Aside from omitting the fact we weren¡¯t exactly human (or fully human), we left nothing out. Besides killing the demon, which we downplayed, we¡¯d done nothing two accomplished individuals couldn¡¯t have.

    The demon¡¯s head was taken to be shown to the Church as proof of what transpired. There¡¯d be Church folk and Inquisitors crawling all over Harriston in the coming weeks. Ruston¡¯s axe head was taken and buried in a grave next to his father¡¯s headstone: Fredrick had mentioned they never found Ruston¡¯s father¡¯s body and I wasn¡¯t able to suppress a shudder. Lucky for me Fredrick didn¡¯t push for why I had such a strong reaction to the grave site.

    Ruston had no surviving family, but I hoped some of the townsfolk would show up to his funeral, to be held after Seyari and I were long gone. He wasn¡¯t a bad guy or anything, but his obsession had led to his death, even if it was me who failed to save him. The irony wasn¡¯t lost on me. I spent a lot of time looking at Seyari and hoping, just maybe, that I¡¯d come up with the perfect plan or that something would knock some sense into her.

    I just wished it hadn¡¯t taken Ruston¡¯s death to knock some sense into me.

    We left Harriston later in the afternoon, this time on a real road toward a real town. I had a single set of clothes left and had to buy some stuff that was meant for guys (and fit poorly anyway) just so we could get out of town. We¡¯d also managed to buy a tent and replace our lost pack.

    Seyari had asked after Lockmoth before we left, and recalled how to get to Mordwell¡¯s estate from the answer. We were about a week away by foot from Mordwell¡¯s place, she figured, and that included slowing down and leaving the road when we got close in order to approach a certain way.

    Only a few towns lay between us and Mordwell. I had to find a reason for Seyari and me to do something other than charge in, and soon.

    I waited until the two of us had stopped for the night, well away from the Harriston and the demon¡¯s former domain. Then, I decided to speak up. ¡°We¡¯re not going to storm Mordwell¡¯s estate and kill him.¡±

    Seyari looked up from sharpening her knife. ¡°What brought that out? And yes, we are.¡±

    I looked at her across the small fire. We didn¡¯t need the fire, but not making one this close to town was asking for awkward questions in the rare case we were noticed. ¡°My anger was ruling me because I was afraid to ever get angry. And no, we¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with killing Mordwell? Shouldn¡¯t you want revenge more if you¡¯re more okay with getting angry?¡± She gestured at me with the knife, then realized what she was doing and pointed the blade away.

    ¡°I want to live openly in Ordia as a demon. If we just run in and kill Mordwell, all it¡¯ll do is make us targets of everyone. We need to make sure his crimes are known.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s anger spiked. ¡°I don¡¯t care about making his crimes known! I just want him dead!¡±

    I allowed myself to feel anger in return. ¡°What if we could prove what the Inquisition did to you, and get people to see the monster he really is?¡±

    ¡°Do you honestly think that¡¯s possible?¡± Seyari glared at me.

    ¡°Yeah, Sey, I do.¡± I crossed my arms.

    ¡°You¡¯re na?ve. If we find anything like that, the Church¡¯ll just cover it up. I won¡¯t be the one to kill him, and you¡¯ll be attacked on sight for being a demon.¡±

    I crossed my lower arms. ¡°The last part¡¯s probably true. And while you might not be the one who kills him, if we can get what he did out to enough people, the Church will have to acknowledge it.¡±

    ¡°And how exactly do you plan on doing that?¡± Seyari asked angrily.

    I glanced away for a moment. ¡°Connections and influence. Maybe we could hunt demons, get noticed, get famous. I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s got to be a way.¡±

    ¡°Well, when you think of one, let me know,¡± Seyari said bitterly, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Renna. And if you don¡¯t come with me to kill Mordwell, I¡¯ll do it alone.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to let Mordwell continue to control you forever?¡± I asked angrily.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t kill him, he¡¯ll come after both of us! It¡¯s us or him, Zarenna.¡± Seyari sighed loudly. ¡°You agreed before. What happened?¡±

    ¡°I decided to make my own decisions.¡±

    ¡°Maybe learn to make good ones first,¡± Seyari hissed.

    I turned away and looked into the fire. ¡°Fine. Be like that. Let¡¯s just get done with this mess and get on the road.¡±

    The two of us spent the night apart from each other. The ground was hard, but that wasn¡¯t what made the night uncomfortable.

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    I didn¡¯t want to go kill Mordwell in his estate and get us branded as murderers while making him a martyr. Being honest to myself, I never did. I wanted to help Seyari, and to stop whatever evil Mordwell and his ilk had propagated. I still did, and that¡¯s why I wanted to try to find another solution.

    I didn¡¯t ¡®resolve¡¯ to do anything. Nothing was certain. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to change Seyari¡¯s mind or stop her. I didn¡¯t want to know what it¡¯d feel like if she left to kill him and I left her.

    ***

    The next town we stayed in was a bit off the main road. A mining town, I¡¯d asked to stop there to sleep in a real bed. By the time we settled in for the night, our collective mood was better, but there was an undercurrent of discontent that I knew wouldn¡¯t go away until the issue was resolved.

    With Seyari asleep beside me, I laid awake and stared up at the ceiling. I started counting the knots on the wood before I realized I wasn¡¯t going to sleep. The realizations I¡¯d had after killing the Harriston demon kept bouncing around in my skull. An echo that followed it was the argument I¡¯d had with Seyari.

    I tried to order my thoughts.

    I want to help her get revenge and then¡­ Well, I want there to be an ¡°and then,¡± don¡¯t I? Something for both of us. I want to get home, but I don¡¯t think I can imagine ¡°home¡± without Seyari.  I turned and looked over at her sleeping form. She looked stressed, and when I laid an arm overtop her, the lines on her face softened.

    I¡¯d rejected my nature up until only a few days ago. Does she reject her future? Is this why she was so against getting close to anyone¡ªshe hasn¡¯t thought past revenge?

    I¡¯d put my foot in my mouth earlier today. I still wasn¡¯t sure how to say what I was thinking, or if she¡¯d listen. And I might have ruined my chance at getting her to listen. If we charged in, mostly unprepared and with almost no knowledge of what kind of resistance we¡¯d face, there was no guarantee we¡¯d even win. And if we did win, could either of us live with ourselves at the thought some of the people we¡¯d killed had been innocents? Could we even get to wallow in that misery, or would we be hunted down by the bulk of Church and imperial resources?

    Inadvertently, I pulled Seyari closer. I didn¡¯t want to lose her. I tried to draw a parallel with myself, but I couldn¡¯t. Seyari had a strategic mind¡ªshe¡¯d shown as much. This wasn¡¯t like her at all to be so reckless.

    My mind spun in circles until I drifted off just before the dawn. I still hadn¡¯t thought of a way to try to reconcile our goals. She wanted revenge. I wanted a future for both of us. There had to be a way to make both happen.

    ***

    My body wasn¡¯t tired in the morning thanks to my demonic constitution, but I couldn¡¯t say the same for my mind. Seyari and I didn¡¯t speak much during breakfast; I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. We set off down the main road early, looking for the small side road we¡¯d be taking toward Mordwell¡¯s estate.

    As day wore on, I realized I was almost out of time.

    ¡°Are you sure Mordwell will be there?¡± I asked Seyari as we walked the hilly, winding road between the trees. I worked hard to keep anxiety out of my voice.

    ¡°He was using the estate when Lorelei hired me in Cavenze a year ago.¡± Seyari looked up at me. ¡°Could you drop this?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t. This isn¡¯t like you.¡±

    ¡°How do you know what isn¡¯t like me?¡± Seyari snapped. Her anger surged.

    I stared back at her and forced a smile. ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen the real you. Out in the desert in Navanaea. In the mountains before we got to Ordia. You¡¯re not like this.¡± The thought crossed my mind to quell her anger, but if I wanted to get through to her, manipulating her emotions would be the exact wrong thing to do.

    ¡°Like what?¡± Seyari asked angrily. ¡°Like someone who wants revenge? Like someone who told you what she wanted and you agreed?¡±

    I glanced up at the empty road and checked behind us. ¡°I agreed to help you kill Mordwell, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you?¡± Seyari kept her gaze locked on me.

    ¡°I am.¡± I raised a hand to cut Seyari off. I let some of my anger show in my voice. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to let you run in with no plan like this. You¡¯re the one who taught me to plan. You¡¯re the one who taught me not to rush in.¡±

    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, Renna.¡± Seyari dropped my fake name.

    ¡°Really, Sey?¡± I shouted, letting my anger slip. ¡°Do you really? Do you even know if he¡¯ll be there? Do you know what kind of guard he might have? Who might be visiting?¡± Seyari tried to rebut, but I talked over her. ¡°What about right now? I¡¯ve looked and made sure there¡¯s no one around, but you¡¯ve been fixated on me this whole time.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s gaze faltered at my last comment. She gave a quick look down the road. ¡°Lorelei complained he never left his estate. We¡¯ll check and make sure we can take out whatever¡¯s there to protect him.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± I crossed my two arms, wishing I had a second pair I could use for emphasis.

    ¡°And I forgot to check the road because you¡¯re needling me all the time!¡±

    ¡°Are you serious!?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Seyari turned and started to walk again. ¡°Shut it and let¡¯s go. Unless you don¡¯t want to help after all.¡±

    I started after her. ¡°You¡¯re letting your fear of Mordwell control you.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s anger roared so brightly I almost recoiled. She wheeled back on me, furious. ¡°If you think that, then just leave! I knew you would!¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, my own voice wavering. ¡°I want to help.¡±

    ¡°Then leave me alone!¡± Seyari¡¯s voice shook. Her unnatural timbre snuck back in.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°Too bad! Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°I should have known you¡¯d be like anyone else!¡± Seyari turned and walked quickly off into the trees.

    I caught a glimpse of her face. She was crying. I watched Seyari run off into the trees in shock.

    Do I run after her? Would that make things worse?

    I hesitated long enough that when I started after her through the trees, Seyari was gone. I tried to use my demonic hearing to pick her up, but all I got was a faint breeze.

    I¡¯d hesitated again. I¡¯d tried this time, too. I¡¯d tried to take a stand and I¡¯d screwed up.

    I jogged back to the road and turned the direction we were headed. Seyari had explained the route in great detail over the past few days. She¡¯d never been as far as Harriston, but if I found the correct side road, I could get to Mordwell¡¯s estate and try to fix things.

    I kept eyes and ears out for other travelers on the road as I ran. I couldn¡¯t get there too late. I had a bad feeling about what would happen if I did. The only time I slowed down was when I passed the few other travelers on the road. I wanted to just blow past them, but I didn¡¯t get this far just to screw up and alert Mordwell that something might be up. Even in my human form, I felt fast. Not quite as fast as without it, but if anyone had seen me running, they¡¯d have assumed magic or something more sinister.

    I found the side road before the sun had moved to late afternoon. Ahead of schedule, but I didn¡¯t know if I was ahead or behind Seyari. She was moving through the forest and should be slower, but I didn¡¯t know how hard she¡¯d push or how much her wind magic could help her.

    I¡¯d almost missed the small footpath. Steeper, narrower, and rockier, the trail switch-backed up and over a spur of mountains the main road went around. Seyari hadn¡¯t even been sure the path would still be here, since the last time she¡¯d seen it was from the air more than thirty years ago.

    The rain started in the evening.

    I ran until nightfall, then I ran through the night. I hoped I was ahead of Seyari. I didn¡¯t have a plan for meeting her, or what I¡¯d be able to do if I managed to get to Mordwell¡¯s estate first. I ditched my human form at some point. Careful not to rip my last set of clothes, I¡¯d had to change into a set Lilly had given me that would work with my tail. The stop slowed me down, but I more than made up for it by being able to use my full speed.

    The road was full of twists and turns. I could have gone faster in a straight line, but not without knowing where I was going. The rain kept up, soaking me through. I used my magic to keep myself warm.

    The road neared the top of the steep terrain, and ran along a deep gorge. I heard water rushing by far below.

    Focused on the road ahead, I barely saw the flash of light aimed at me from the side. I stopped hard and twisted my body away. The beam of holy magic flew off down into the gorge.

    ¡°Watch for Yothariel! We¡¯ll deal with the demon!¡± I heard a shrill voice yell in Ordian.

    Lorelei? How!?

 Chapter 62: Feather

    Perspective: Lorelei

    Northeastern Ordia, Several Weeks Ago

    I watched the tips of the pine trees through the window of the carriage. Across the fields, the dark green points stood all in a line like soldiers before a battle. Overhead, gray clouds hung low in the sky. It¡¯d rain soon.

    I always liked the rain back in Ardath. I could sit inside and feel cozy while the world seemed to slow down around me. When the clouds broke and the sun came out, the mist coming off the fields was always so pretty. I even liked the snow, too. If rain slowed the world, snow made it hold its breath and wait.

    I was never bored on those days as a child. Not when I had everyone around me.

    The carriage hit a bump and I mumbled a complaint.

    ¡°You know it was generous of High Inquisitor Mordwell to send a carriage for us, Lor.¡± Markus sat across from me. The large man looked out of place in nice clothing.

    ¡°I guess.¡± I sighed and turned away from the window. ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡±

    Markus chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll be there by evening.¡±

    I folded my hands in my lap and looked down at them. ¡°I wish it would rain.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯d that come from, Lor?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Nowhere, I guess. I used to like the rain when I was a kid.¡±

    ¡°Did you splash around in it?¡± Markus smiled.

    I scoffed. ¡°Of course not! I sat inside and played games with my family.¡±

    ¡°That must¡¯ve been nice,¡± Markus hummed.

    ¡°Yeah, it was.¡±

    ***

    We arrived at Mordwell¡¯s estate that evening. The sprawling, remote property was almost a small town unto itself. Coming back here had always made me feel safe, but this time was different. There were several guards I didn¡¯t recognize about the place, and the way they moved about seemed tense and professional.

    We also weren¡¯t the only people here. I saw another carriage I didn¡¯t recognize in the stables. Maybe it was Great Uncle¡¯s, but the mud on the wheels made me think not.

    I quickly looked myself over before I stepped out of the carriage. My dress was a little rumpled from sitting all day, but I looked presentable.

    A pair of the new guards led us to the front door of the main house. One was an older man sporting a vicious scar across his jaw. The other was a raven-haired woman who looked a little younger than me. She had a sharp air about her, and the strength of her gaze turned mine away. Both of them were wearing the iconography of the Church on their tabards. And both were very well-armed.

    We reached the door just as the first raindrops started to fall. Inside, we were led to a very familiar sitting room. I took the chair I usually did by the window. The chair¡¯s fabric felt familiar and my thoughts turned back. It¡¯d been years since I was here.

    Mordwell must have had a good reason to call us back here. The guards as well meant that something was happening. That demon and Yothariel were up to something, and my guess was that Mordwell wanted to put a stop to it.

    I grabbed the edge of the chair harder. Had Great Uncle sent for me to keep me safe, or would he let me go and fight? I didn¡¯t understand this Renna demon, and her fake innocence worried me more than I thought it ever could.

    Tea and snacks were provided, and a few minutes later, a door leading further into the house opened. The man who stepped through had a familiar presence that seemed to fill up the room more than his tall, thin frame would suggest. High Inquisitor Mordwell, my great uncle. He was old, very old, with short-cropped white hair and piercing brown eyes.

    I¡¯d seen those eyes soften before, but they were hard and sharp today. From behind him another pair of people I didn¡¯t recognize entered the room. Two men, middle-aged, dark-haired, and similar enough to be brothers. I wasn¡¯t sure how old they were, as both seemed to have that sort of vague bearing that could put them anywhere from thirty to fifty. Neither smiled.

    Mordwell took a seat at the nicest chair and the brothers sat on the couch across from Markus and me. The steaming tea between us felt much warmer for the chill that passed over the room.

    ¡°Lorelei. Mr. Tozell.¡± Mordwell spoke firmly, gesturing to myself and Markus. He gestured to the two men on the couch. ¡°Inquisitors Marvin and Josef. Now that we¡¯re acquainted, I¡¯ll begin. I¡¯ve requested your assistance with this matter because I intend to solve it without involving the Church as a whole. The traitorous Yothariel has returned and you are to capture her.¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Capture her!?¡± I interrupted.

    Mordwell held up a hand. ¡°Quiet, please. Yes, capture her. If it cannot be done, then her death would be acceptable. As I have told the inquisitors already, she is with a greater demon of wrath. The demon should be killed, but I want to know why it is traveling with Yothariel. Am I understood?¡±

    The two inquisitors nodded. Markus did, too. I raised my hand.

    Mordwell sighed. ¡°Yes, Lorelei?¡±

    ¡°Are you not concerned about the demon¡¯s unusual behavior?¡±

    The high inquisitor put a finger to his temple. ¡°That is why I have asked to know why it is traveling with Yothariel. Are you even listening, Lorelei?¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Yes, but I meant in terms of its pattern of non-aggression as a wrath demon. Even when we were on the island before Yothariel would have been able to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough, Lorelei.¡± Mordwell silenced me with a tired look. ¡°Do you, or do you not want to be a part of this endeavor? I was unsure that I wanted to risk your well-being, and you are making me doubt my decision to grant you permission.¡±

    I lowered my head. ¡°Understood, sir. I wish to be a part of this mission.¡±

    The high inquisitor nodded. ¡°Good. Now, in the next few days, more will join us. Yothariel is headed this way over the mountains to the north and will be here within the week at her current pace.¡±

    How does he know that?

    I didn¡¯t want to speak up so soon after being admonished. Markus also looked like he wanted to say something. I¡¯d been translating into Cavenish for him, though I knew he could pick out most of what was being said.

    ¡°You can ask your question Mr. Tozell,¡± Mordwell said to Markus.

    Markus nodded and sat up ramrod straight in his chair. ¡°Yes, sir. With all due respect, how are you aware of Yothariel¡¯s location? Did you know she was alive because you knew where she was?¡±

    Markus motioned for a silent servant at the back of the room to come forward. ¡°I am aware of her location because of this.¡± The older woman carried a plain-looking wooden box forward and set it on the low table away from the tea.

    Mordwell nodded to the retreating woman, who turned and left the room. He carefully opened the box and pulled out a large glass orb mounted on a brass stand. Inside the orb, a long, burned feather was suspended in place, horizontally.

    ¡°Think of this like a compass,¡± Mordwell said with a small smile. ¡°Truthfully, I did not know if this would work when I had it made. And it didn¡¯t until the day Lorelei and Markus had their encounter with Yothariel.¡±

    I raised my hand, but one of the brothers did as well. Mordwell indicated to him instead of me and I put my hand down, struggling to keep a neutral face.

    ¡°Sir,¡± the man¡ªJosef I was pretty sure¡ªsaid carefully. ¡°Is that one of Yothariel¡¯s feathers?¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Mordwell replied. ¡°I had this made when we did not find a body. Yothariel has hidden herself somehow for thirty-three years. She just recently reappeared. I had wondered if perhaps I was wrong and she would not come for me before age took me. I was not wrong.¡± The high inquisitor gently took a cup of tea from the table and took a sip. ¡°We will set an ambush once we know which route she will take to get here.¡±

    ¡°What are their abilities, sir?¡± Josef asked.

    Mordwell calmly took another sip of his tea and looked toward the ceiling a moment before replying. ¡°Yothariel is adept at both holy and wind magic. Her main forms of attack should be blades of wind and beams or lances of holy light. Do not underestimate her. She is easily capable of feinting a gust or changing her strategy at a moment¡¯s notice. For mundane weapons, she is a master swordswoman and archer and is trained in the use of shield and heavy armor. Her tactics will doubtless have changed to ground-based combat as I am certain she no longer has her wings.¡±

    I looked at Markus who was taking notes. Marvin was paying close attention, but I had the distinct feeling he knew most of this information already. Surprisingly, I¡¯d not seen him or Josef at the estate before, but Great Uncle kept a lot of company I knew nothing about.

    When Mordwell finished, I raised my hand. ¡°What about the demon?¡±

    Mordwell gave me a hard look.

    ¡°¡ªSir,¡± I finished.

    Mordwell nodded approvingly. ¡°The demon is a greater wrath demon capable of fire magic. If Yothariel is bothering to keep it around, it must be decently powerful. Do not underestimate the demon either. I imagine it is quite strong physically as well as capable of manipulation of anger. Remember your training. Even though nearly all demons are capable of small shifts in one¡¯s emotional state, the stronger your emotion, the more power you are potentially giving them. Particularly in large groups.¡±

    Markus raised his hand.

    Mordwell held up a hand. ¡°Mr. Tozell, you and Lorelei will receive accelerated training to cover your deficiencies. I trust you will not share the techniques you will learn.¡±

    ¡°I will not,¡± Markus replied solemnly.

    Mordwell looked to me.

    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t!¡± I replied indignantly.

    Marvin glared at me.

    ¡°Your word choice could use improvement, Lorelei, but that will do.¡± Mordwell sighed. ¡°I do not anticipate the demon to present a problem compared to Yothariel herself, if it is even still with her. However, it pays to be cautious. Now, are there any other questions?¡± The high inquisitor looked around the room.

    No one spoke up.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Mordwell set the half-finished cup of tea back on the saucer. ¡°We will meet again in the morning.¡± He turned to me. ¡°Lorelei and Markus, you will receive training starting tonight.¡± The high inquisitor looked around the room at the four of us. ¡°Remember, you are to take Yothariel alive. Am I understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir,¡± the two brothers said at the same time.

    ¡°Understood,¡± I repeated.

    Markus said the same.

    Mordwell leaned back in his chair. ¡°Good. Now, I want all of you to get some rest. You will meet with the others when they arrive, and Marvin is in charge of this assignment. Be ready to move at any hour of the day.¡± With that, Mordwell dismissed us.

    On our way out, Markus looked at me like he was about to say something, then thought better of it and shook his head.

    ¡°What is it, Markus?¡± I almost called him ¡®Marky¡¯ before I saw that Marvin and Josef had followed us out the same way.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Lor.¡± He shook his head.

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Really, what is it?¡±

    Markus sighed. ¡°Why are you still fixated on that demon¡¯s behavior, Lor? It doesn¡¯t think like a person does. You know as well as I do that it¡¯s all an act.¡±

    I thought back to Renna on the Swordfish. I¡¯d caught her with eyes red from crying one night, but she¡¯d excused herself and gone to bed. Why would she fake that? There had to be a reason, and I wanted to know why.

    ¡°If your conviction isn¡¯t strong, we won¡¯t risk taking you on this assignment.¡± I didn¡¯t recognize the voice until I looked over at Marvin who was staring intensely at me.

    ¡°Brother, we should trust the high inquisitor¡¯s judgment.¡± Josef spoke much more softly than his sibling.

    ¡°Of course, Brother.¡± Marvin met my eyes and turned away. ¡°I won¡¯t tolerate weakness, Lorelei. See to it that you are prepared to give your life to see the demon dead and Yothariel captured.¡±

    ¡°She will.¡± Markus responded for me.

    I nodded in agreement, and steeled my voice as best I could manage. ¡°I will.¡±

 Chapter 63: Not Evil

    Perspective: Zarenna

    I stood shocked after hearing Lorelei¡¯s voice. I¡¯d walked right into an ambush, meant probably for both Seyari and me, alone. How did they know we¡¯d come through here? How was Lorelei here?

    ¡°You are not in charge!¡± a deeper voice yelled.

    I needed to move¡ªnow. I was in the open; a near cliff with ambushers on top on one side, and a ravine down to the river on the other.

    Bolts of magic and magicked arrows flew by me, several holy. I wasn¡¯t able to dodge all of them. An arrow caught me in the upper left arm and I felt the limb go dead.

    The narrow path above the gorge didn¡¯t afford me any cover. I looked up the steep hillside above me, and, with no other options, I clambered up it. Slick with rain, I was only able to keep my grip by my claws.

    A shout of ¡°Incoming!¡± was barely out of someone¡¯s mouth when I reached the top. I ducked behind a large tree, away from a group of people I could see through the rain and dark, and ripped the arrow out. Just touching the shaft burned my hand and I dropped the enchanted arrow with a hiss.

    I didn¡¯t have much time to think. A bolt of lightning split the tree down the middle.

    Why am I hesitating? They¡¯re trying to kill me!

    Hesitating, or debating? I darted behind a small ridge. I wasn¡¯t sure I could take them. Yes I can.

    I just don¡¯t want to hurt Lorelei. Maybe there are others in the group who¡¯ve been misled?

    I decided.

    ¡°Are you absolutely certain we can¡¯t talk about this?¡± I shouted into the rain, knowing the answer.

    ¡°Do not let it inside your heads!¡± That same masculine voice from before.

    Mordwell? I doubted it¡ªthe voice was too young.

    I ducked out from the side of the small ridge and sprinted at my full speed toward where the spells originated, darting from side to side. The rain seemed to slow down.

    I reached a man I didn¡¯t recognize. So slow. I curled my claws into a fist and punched his shoulder, hard. I felt bone shatter and the man spun around, slamming toward the dirt.

    I dashed away before he hit the ground. I dodged more incoming fire and overshot my second target. A pained scream went up from behind me.

    Around me, in the darkness, I could see over a dozen figures, spread out. I didn¡¯t feel anger from any of them. Any of them except one. Lorelei.

    I didn¡¯t see any that looked old enough to be Mordwell at first glance. I darted to my next target, a tall thin man. I threw a punch toward him and a wall of rock moved up barely in time to intercept.

    My fist went through it.

    Stone shattered, only slightly slowing my hit. My aim was off and I caught this man square in the chest. I heard a quick snap and a wet, unpleasant sound. He flew backwards and I turned again.

    Another volley forced me to dodge back toward the ravine. The path below me was wide enough to stop me if I fell. Probably.

    My dead arm started to tingle with feeling, but the wound throbbed.

    I turned to my next would-be target and froze. ¡°Lorelei?¡± My voice was small and vulnerable¡ªnot at all matching the demon of wrath that I was.

    Lorelei seemed too shocked to respond.

    The world started to speed up again.

    ¡°Lor!¡± I heard a deep, vaguely familiar voice.

    I turned and saw Markus, in full armor, sprinting at me. I¡¯d stalled too long¡ªhe was almost on me.

    Then, the earth beneath me started to shift.

    ¡°Die, demon!¡± I heard the same unknown man¡¯s voice call out. I felt his anger, raw and fresh.

    Several things happened at once. A flash of light and bolts of lightning. Holy enchanted arrows. Half a dozen other types of magic.

    I couldn¡¯t dodge them all. I moved and realized Lorelei was still frozen behind me. I turned and grabbed her, shielding her as I tried to drop prone.

    Pain exploded from everywhere as my body was torn into by magic and missile alike.

    I never hit the ground. Earth and stone erupted from around me. Spikes shot up from the ground. One caught Lorelei in the side, and the rest speared through me.

    Then, everything fell away.

    Markus and his glowing sword never reached me, but I heard him shout after Lorelei as we fell. There was no path below. There was only a ruined hillside sliding into the water. I kept my hold on Lorelei as we fell, and tried to shield her with my body as we bounced over rocks and bits of trees. It only hurt when a blow drove one of the arrows embedded in my back deeper into me.

    Why am I even saving Lorelei? Why do I care?

    My mind flashed back to a night long past around the fire on my island. The two of us had talked about fruit and laughed at old stories.

    We hit the water.

    The freezing cold current immediately swept us away. The night¡¯s rain had flooded the creek and the violent torrent battered me against rocks. I pushed some magic into heat against the water. I tried to keep Lorelei above the water and struggled to keep a hand over her side that the spike had ravaged. I won¡¯t let you die. Not now.

    I struggled and kicked as much as I could without hurting Lorelei more than she already was. The frigid cold of the water seeped into my bones and I had to use some of my mana to heat the both of us. I kept tumbling end over end and couldn¡¯t right myself.

    Strength wasn¡¯t the issue. I just simply didn¡¯t have enough grip and couldn¡¯t dig my clawed feet into the rocks fast enough to stop us. I could still feel Lorelei breathing. Somehow, I¡¯d kept her above water enough of the time, but I was starting to choke.

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    My hands and arms and chest burned from whatever magic she used to shield herself from all the blows I couldn¡¯t block

    Eventually, I found purchase on a solid rock and was able to grab and claw my way to the edge of the torrent. I dragged both of us onto the shore and set Lorelei down. I ripped my shirt and tried to wrap her bloody side. The gash was huge. Was Lorelei going to die?

    The broken bits of arrow stuck in me still burned. Two of my arms weren¡¯t responding properly, and I knew I had broken ribs that were in the process of mending themselves.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t die!¡± I hacked the words out, my voice hoarse and panicked.

    Lorelei coughed and winced. I saw blood spray from the wound. She¡¯d lost almost all color from her face. Slowly, the area around the wound lit up with a light that burned my eyes. I watched the gash slowly pull itself closed under my improvised wrapping, Lorelei¡¯s holy magic no doubt saving her life. I breathed a sigh of relief when her breathing evened out.

    I sat down and took a minute to dig out the arrows still embedded in me. My pack was long gone, and so was my spear. My dress was gone, too. I looked up the river and at the ravine we¡¯d fallen from. I had more mana left than I thought I would, but I had a lot of healing left to do. Idly, I started to steam the water off of me before I realized the rain was soaking me faster than I could dry myself.

    I heard coughing. I looked over to Lorelei. She was awake and sitting up, but her face was pale.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.

    Lorelei continued to cough. I was about to walk over to her when she finally stopped. ¡°I¡ªI think I will be.¡± An awkward silence stretched out between us, kept at bay only by the roaring river beside us. ¡°Why?¡±

    I tilted my head at her. ¡°Why what? Why save you?¡±

    ¡°Why¡ªyeah. Why any of this?¡± Lorelei responded and tried to stand. I could feel her anger, but to me she just looked exhausted.

    ¡°I¡¯m not evil, Lorelei. At least I don¡¯t think I am.¡± I stood up shakily myself. ¡°All I want to do is live my life.¡±

    Both of us started to walk away from the still-rising river. Lorelei stumbled and I caught her.

    ¡°Bull¡ª¡° Lorelei coughed involuntarily. ¡°¡ªshit.¡±

    I wrapped her arm around my lower shoulders. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not totally wrong. I came here with Seyari to kill Mordwell.¡±

    Lorelei barked out a laugh then groaned in pain. ¡°Of course! I knew y-you and Yothariel were evil.¡±

    ¡°You mean Seyari.¡± I frowned and corrected her. ¡°What do you know about Mordwell?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the High Inquisitor, and one of the few survivors of Yothariel¡¯s massacre. He¡¯s also helped to purge the Inquisition of corrupt elements many times.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean helped purge?¡± We started to climb the hillside. Lorelei refused to be carried, so I half-carried her up as we wound our way back and forth.

    ¡°He helped get rid of the demonic cult that had infiltrated the Inquisition years ago. He¡¯s a hero,¡± Lorelei replied strongly, managing not to cough.

    I pulled us into a shallow rocky cave out of the rain. Less a cave and more a glorified overhang, but Lorelei looked like her legs were about to give out. I wished I had food, but I could at least make a fire.

    Then I realized what Lorelei had just said. ¡°Wait. Where was this cult? When was this?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do you want to find allies,¡± Lorelei coughed again. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you, Demon.¡±

    ¡°My name is Zarenna.¡± I leaned back against the cave wall. It was wet.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not telling you.¡±

    I glanced over at Lorelei and she had set her jaw, but her eyes were unsure. She hadn¡¯t gotten any angrier either.

    I shrugged. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just rest a while.¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m not¡ªoh.¡± Lorelei frowned.

    I stepped outside a moment and snapped a small tree off at the base. I broke it in half again and quickly stripped the sodden branches with my claws.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be intimidated, demon.¡± Lorelei glared at me when I stepped back inside.

    ¡°I know.¡± I piled some rocks up into a circle and broke the wood into smaller pieces, drying it out with my magic. I turned to Lorelei. ¡°I can dry you or your clothes out if you want me to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay wet.¡±

    ¡°Will you say no to a fire?¡± I piled the wet wood up inside the rocks.

    Lorelei looked at the fire pit and stayed silent, staring away from me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as you being fine with a fire.¡± I conjured flames over my hands and started to dry the wood. After a silent minute, the wood was dry enough to light. I took some of the sticks, dried them, and lit our small fire.

    While I worked, I dried the rock behind and under me. My wounds still hurt, but they were healing. Even the ones inflicted by holy magic were starting to close over.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have anything to eat,¡± I said into the fire we were both staring at. ¡°Pack got washed away.¡±

    ¡°Does Yoth-Seyari make you carry her food?¡±

    ¡°No, but I carry most of ours anyway,¡± I looked over and saw Lorelei¡¯s confused expression. ¡°I need to eat, too, you know.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Silence stretched on with the crackling of fire and roaring of distant water. As Lorelei dried out, a slight dusting of color started to return to her cheeks. The bags under her eyes told a much different story. I imagined she was mana exhausted. Her wound had barely healed closed.

    ¡°Why are you going with that half-angel?¡± Lorelei said softly, as if afraid of my answer.

    ¡°Because I believe her side of the story. Because I want that demon cult dead and they¡¯re tied to Mordwell.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t change your mind on that, can I?¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t, Demon.¡±

    ¡°Zarenna.¡± I corrected.

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± Lorelei said in a resigned voice, ¡°what are you going to do with me?¡±

    I thought a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you or Markus¡ª¡±

    ¡°You seemed to have no trouble killing us earlier!¡± Lorelei shouted, ending in a cough.

    ¡°You were all trying to kill me! And I tried to leave people alive. If I wanted you all dead, I would have burned you or used my claws or my spear.¡±

    Lorelei managed to roll her eyes. ¡°Sure, De-Zarenna.¡±

    I smiled despite myself. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Thanks for using my name.¡±

    Lorelei didn¡¯t respond to that immediately and stared into the fire a long time. ¡°Are you really a demon of wrath?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±

    ¡°Why are you different?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a terrestrial demon. But there¡¯s more to it than that¡ªstuff I don¡¯t understand. I want to find answers though. I¡¯m also trying to focus my anger where it needs to go, and on people who deserve it.¡±

    ¡°Sure you are. What will you do when you find those ¡®answers¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll move on and try to live a life Ab-I¡¯ll be proud of.¡± I looked over to see if Lorelei had caught my slip-up.

    Lorelei arched her eyebrow. ¡°Ab?¡±

    ¡°An old friend.¡± I didn¡¯t elaborate.

    ¡°Another demon?¡±

    ¡°No. And that¡¯s all I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    Lorelei hummed in dissatisfaction, but stayed quiet.

    I broke the silence. ¡°Do you want to sleep here, or do you want me to try to get you back to Markus and the others tonight?¡±

    Lorelei looked over with narrowed eyes. ¡°What are you planning to do with me?¡±

    ¡°I literally just asked you. I¡¯m only planning to keep you safe.¡±

    ¡°If you go after Mordwell or the others, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Lorelei spoke confidently, but her shoulders drooped.

    ¡°I want to prove Seyari¡¯s right, first.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t believe her?¡±

    I shook my head ¡°I believe her. The problem is that no one else does.¡±

    ¡°Did she do anything do you?¡± Lorelei narrowed her eyes.

    Lorelei¡¯s question surprised me. I stuttered the start of my response. ¡°Uh, no? Wait, yes: she opened up to me.¡±

    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t she with you?¡±

    I felt a pang of guilt. ¡°Because I messed up.¡±

    Lorelei shifted as she sat. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean that I was worried and I knew Seyari was acting rashly, but now she thinks I don¡¯t trust her.¡±

    ¡°So, you went your separate ways?¡±

    ¡°I hope not. She¡¯s hurting and I want to help her, but I don¡¯t want her to do something she¡¯ll regret, or worse.¡±

    ¡°Then the half-angel is coming to kill Mordwell by herself?¡±

    I jolted. Shit. I¡¯d said too much. I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Lorelei glared at me and I did my best to look certain. The red-haired woman didn¡¯t let on if she knew or not.

    Now I wasn¡¯t sure if it was safe for me to take her back to the people she was with and slip away. I couldn¡¯t exactly ask her to sit by while I beat everyone but Markus up.

    ¡°I want you to take me back to the others,¡± Lorelei said with a slight edge to her voice.

    I hesitated.

    She turned to me. ¡°You promised.¡±

    Demons didn¡¯t need to keep their promises. ¡°I did.¡± I nodded anyway.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Lorelei stood up quickly and wavered for a moment before finding her feet.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get you close and then leave.¡±

    Lorelei looked conflicted at that.

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving you a choice about that part.¡± I replied sternly.

    I scattered the fire and we left the cave back into the driving rain. The rest of the walk up the hillside drained the last of Lorelei¡¯s energy, and she leaned on me while we walked back through the forest along the ridge above the narrow path.

    Before we got to the ambush location, both of us saw a flash light up the night sky. Then another. And another. This was no late-season lightning. We starting sprinting through the driving rain. Rather, we started sprinting, then I picked a protesting Lorelei up into a princess carry so we could move faster.

    There was only one reason that group would be fighting again tonight. Seyari.

 Chapter 64: The Road pt. 2

    Lorelei and I arrived to a scene of carnage. We¡¯d already passed the site where I was ambushed; the group had moved up to be ahead of the collapsed area, and that¡¯s where this new fight had started.

    We arrived in time to see a wounded Seyari facing down two people. Bodies were scattered around the trio; all of the dead had been sliced or burned by holy magic. Seyari herself was aglow with power, eyes and hair shining through the rain.

    She looked a complete mess, one arm hanging limp and a leg that I was surprised she could stand on. The battered ancient sword was in her good hand. I didn¡¯t recognize the two people facing her. One of them looked like the man I¡¯d punched earlier, and the other was a young woman.

    Scars from magic had turned the surrounding area into a ruined wasteland. From the way they circled, I had no doubt all three were mana exhausted, if either of the other two had been casters in the first place.

    I set Lorelei down and ran forward.

    Behind me, I heard her shout, ¡°Markus!¡±

    The three people fighting stole a glance my way. Surprise flashed across Seyari¡¯s face. Fear across the faces of the other two.

    My arrival was the distraction Seyari needed. She lunged and downed the younger woman with a slash across the neck. Then, Seyari¡¯s bad leg gave out under her and she stumbled. The man brought his own blade down on her.

    I was faster.

    I tackled him at full speed and we skidded across the ground, rolling to a stop. I flipped us over and pinned him underneath me. I heard one of his arms snap, but I didn¡¯t care. Behind me, I heard Lorelei mumbling frantically and Seyari cursing.

    ¡°Surrender,¡± I ordered.

    The man¡¯s sharp features twisted. I felt his rage burning bright and he spat in my face.

    I slashed through his neck, nearly severing his head. The gory stump gushed blood. I stood and burned the blood off my claws.

    ¡°You killed him!¡± Lorelei screeched, turning the last word into a wail. ¡°You monster!¡±

    I turned, but she wasn¡¯t looking at me. Lorelei was standing over the body of a tall, well-built armored man. Markus. A holy glow around his body faded away. She held his sword in two hands, shakily.

    ¡°Yeah. And you¡¯re next!¡± Seyari shouted.

    ¡°STOP!¡± I roared.

    The sound made the two of them falter. I pressed the advantage and jogged over toward them. ¡°No more death tonight, please.¡± I could feel anger raging through both of them, but Lorelei¡¯s almost burned me with its intensity.

    Lorelei turned to me, eyes frantic and face full of anguish. ¡°You! You knew she¡¯d do this! You tricked me!¡±

    ¡°Zarenna¡ª¡° Seyari choked on her words.

    ¡°Lorelei, I¡ª" I wracked my brain trying to come up with anything that could defuse this situation. I pulled gently at Lorelei¡¯s anger, but the mass wouldn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Markus is dead!¡± Lorelei screamed. Lifting Markus¡¯ sword in a two-handed grip, she lunged at Seyari.

    Seyari took a step back, but her leg collapsed again and she fell toward the charred earth.

    I leapt forward and tried to place myself between them. At the same time, I reached out and pulled on Lorelei and Seyari¡¯s anger, trying again to calm them. Both resisted me heavily. Fueled by fear and hope, I pulled and twisted and managed to drain most of the anger from both of them.

    But I was too late to stop Lorelei¡¯s charge.

    The point of Markus¡¯s sword dug into my chest. I felt hope for a moment that I¡¯d stopped everything.

    Then, everything came crashing down. Lorelei, trying to keep a hold on the wet sword, slipped and went down with me in a heap. Markus¡¯s sword flew off into the rainy night. I landed on top of her and I felt something in the small woman snap.

    I rolled off of her as quick as I could. Her arm was bent in a bad way, but she was breathing. Lorelei¡¯s eyes stared up at me, full of pain, confusion, and the smoldering remnants of fury.

    ¡°Lorelei, please.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Lorelei started to cough, hard. ¡°I¡¯ll never¡ªI can never.¡±

    Her voice got weaker and weaker. I looked down and saw a massive red stain spreading from her reopened wound. No! It wasn¡¯t healed!? Quickly, I clamped a hand over the gash on her side and tore the rest of my shirt off. ¡°Seyari! Please!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Seyari breathed heavily as she stood up behind me.

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    ¡°I don¡¯t care that she and Markus tried to kill us! We can¡¯t let her die.¡± I lifted Lorelei and started to wrap my shirt around the blood-soaked cloth already covering the wound, pulling it tighter than before.

    ¡°I can¡¯t, Renna!¡± Seyari¡¯s voice was strained, and echoed with the unnatural timbre from her angelic side.

    ¡°Why not!?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ can¡¯t.¡± Seyari sounded more tired than I¡¯d ever heard her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Renna.¡± I heard Seyari collapse behind me, landing in the mud with a wet thump. She took a breath, deep but uneven.

    No! No no no nonononono!

    I had to do something! Anything! ¡°Lorelei!¡± I looked into her lidded pale blue eyes, over the freckles dusting her pale cheeks. ¡°Stay with me! Please!¡±

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± she choked the word out, and took a rattling breath back in.

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Focus on me!¡± I felt tears sliding down my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! It¡¯s all my fault! I could¡¯ve tried to fix your anger sooner. Or kept you further back. Or¡ª¡±

    ¡°Zarenna.¡± Lorelei¡¯s rattling whisper stopped my rambling cold. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think you¡¯re evil. But¡­ I¡¯ll never forgive Seyari.¡± She took another shuddering breath, but seized halfway through.

    ¡°Lorelei¡­¡± I felt her go limp as I held her. ¡°No! Come on! Please! Not like this! Lorelei! Lorelei!¡±

    I shook Lorelei gently. She didn¡¯t move. Her anger snuffed out, like a candle in a storm. From above us, the rain renewed its intensity, the heavy drops splashing onto my almost-friend¡¯s unmoving face, merging with both our tears.

    ***

    I can¡¯t save everyone.

    I can¡¯t save everyone.

    I can¡¯t save everyone, but that¡¯s no reason not to try to save those I can.

    I failed Lorelei. Markus¡¯ death hadn¡¯t been my fault, but I could hardly convince myself that was the case. And his death had led in some way to Lorelei¡¯s. I felt sick and my head was spinning.

    I picked Seyari up gingerly, grateful for her steady breathing. I didn¡¯t remember when I turned away from Lorelei¡¯s lifeless body.

    What do I do now?

    I can¡¯t just go on to Mordwell¡¯s estate. I can¡¯t stay near here, either.

    I turned back to Lorelei¡¯s body, lying only a couple meters from Markus¡¯s.

    I can¡¯t leave them like this.

    I set Seyari by a destroyed tree, careful to make sure she was laying so she could breathe. Then, I moved over near Markus and Lorelei and started to dig. My wounds had all healed, so I used all my hands to loosen the earth and my tail to sweep it away. I lost myself in the task and ended up with a larger hole than I needed. The rain didn¡¯t stop, and my pile of dirt was turning into a pile of mud.

    I turned to the bodies. I didn¡¯t want to cover them in dirt. Lorelei, save for the red patch on her side and her porcelain-pale complexion, looked like she could get up any minute. Markus, however, was face down in a pool of bloody mud.

    I looked around for anything to bury them with, keeping Seyari in my sight. I found her discarded pack. I took the tent and wrapped their bodies. Moving them was difficult and it took some time to work up the courage. Markus had been disemboweled and the sheer numbness of my mind was all that kept me from emptying my already empty stomach.

    I didn¡¯t want this to be their final resting place, where none of their family would know. I didn¡¯t want to deny anyone closure. I just wanted to keep their bodies safe until whoever would look for them would check here. Loose dirt and a clear ring of stones to mark a shallow grave.

    Would anyone look for them?

    I looked through the other bodies. No one was old enough to be Mordwell. Not unless he had some magical way of keeping himself young. Perhaps he did, but from what Seyari told me, he wasn¡¯t the type to risk himself. The other bodies hurt to look at, but less than my friends. Some of these people had deserved to die. Perhaps even all of them. Did they really? Does anyone?

    I shook my head and picked up the two bodies wrapped in the tent. Carefully, reverently, I lowered them into the hole. Then, I started to fill it in. I couldn¡¯t help but cry again.

    All too quickly, I had Markus and Lorelei buried. The weight of their deaths pressed down on me. I hadn¡¯t even been that close to either of them, but I felt like I had.

    Lorelei was the first person I met since I became a demon. Those weeks together with her, Markus, and Salvador, nervous as I was, were great fun. I wondered where Salvador was. He wasn¡¯t among the dead, to my relief.

    Would I ever see him again? What would I say? Was he close to Lorelei and Markus? How much does he know?

    I marked the grave as clearly as I could using rocks and two big branches stuck into the dirt, burnt at the ends.

    Still in a daze, I picked up Seyari, put on her pack, and wandered in a direction. Soon, I ran into the slide where Lorelei and I had fallen into the river. If I could only go back in time just a few hours.

    I stared out at the mudslide, frozen. I turned to leave, but as I did a glint of steel in the mud caught my eye. I looked closer, then turned on aura sight.

    Was that my spear?

    Still holding carefully to Seyari, I made my way down the loose, slick slope toward the enchanted bit of metal in a daze. I was still too out of it to realize how stupid and dangerous this was. Luckily, I was able to keep my balance by staying low and using my lower hands and tail, subconscious muscle memory from years spent surviving alone on an island.

    Alone.

    I didn¡¯t want to go back to being alone. I didn¡¯t want to leave my friends¡ªespecially Seyari¡ªalone either.

    I reached the bit of metal and pulled on it. It was my spear, unbroken. I held it in a third hand, keeping Seyari close with my upper two arms. Dirt fell away around where I had pulled the spear out. Some of the contents of my pack were there. I saw dark fabric. Aura sight lit up over it. Carefully, I pulled my dress from the remains of my worldly possessions, holding it in my fourth hand. Around me, the ground started to shift and slide again.

    Suddenly painfully awake, I dashed back up the loose hillside as more dirt and mud slid into the roiling water below, taking the rest of my stuff with it. I nearly slipped, but was able to balance using my tail. All my arms were full, for once.

    Once I got up on stable land, I picked a direction away from the road and opposite Mordwell¡¯s estate and I dashed off into the night.

    ***

    Just before sunrise, Seyari stirred in my arms. She tensed for a moment, then relaxed into my grip. I kept running until I could see the sun poking up through the trees.

    ¡°Renna,¡± mumbled Seyari.

    I sidestepped a tree and chanced a look down at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°No. Not this time. This was all my fault.¡± She looked up at me with wet golden eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I forgive you,¡± I whispered. ¡°What will you do now?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I still want to take that bastard down. But I think you¡¯re right. I want to show the world what he really is. And I want to do all that with you.¡±

    I teared up. ¡°That sounds lovely, Sey.¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Seyari pulled herself closer to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. ¡°What happened to¡ª¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± I interrupted, unable to wait for Seyari to say Lorelei¡¯s name.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

 Chapter 65: Reunion

    I desperately wanted to see the sun shining through the clouds when I woke up, but I had no such luck. The heavy gray pall still churned slowly across the sky. Everything was wet, but it hadn¡¯t yet rained today.

    Seyari and I had spent a sodden, miserable night under the lee side of a rocky hill. My partner was still asleep, the slow sound of her breathing giving better comfort than anything else I could imagine right now.

    Yesterday had been a waking nightmare. Today I hoped for better.

    When I had woken up, I¡¯d stripped out of my destroyed clothes. Seyari had thankfully been carrying a pair of my clothes, just in case I lost my pack. I¡¯d done the same for her, the contents of which were now lost somewhere down the mountain.

    Feeling the weight of the grime and dirt I was covered in, I washed myself in a nearby creek, careful to keep Seyari in my sight. The freezing water did a good job of clearing my mind. It gave me a chance to think, but all I could really manage was to hold myself together. I dried myself with my magic, feeling better for feeling clean.

    I didn¡¯t put my last set of traveling clothes on when I was done. Well, I put the smallclothes on, but not the rest. Instead, I slipped into my dress. I knew I¡¯d stain my memories with the garment that had been with me across half a continent by wearing it today. But I needed the positivity it brought. That I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it getting destroyed was another major bonus. The enchanted fabric would repair itself as long as most of it was still left.

    The dark purple dress melted into the morning shadows around me, stark against my crimson skin. I traced along one of the ice-blue embroidered roses and thought about the future.

    What now?

    Mordwell will know we¡¯re coming. If we move fast enough, could we still get something done?

    We needed to get to Lockmoth soon. Aretan had said he and Nelys would be there waiting for us until the next solstice, but I didn¡¯t want to test that. I also wanted to see them again as soon as possible.

    On top of all of this, my heart burned more than ever to get back to my former home in Linthel, to see what became of my old life. I wanted to visit my parents¡¯ graves. I had a guess where they¡¯d be buried, and I had a lot to tell them. And then there was Tania, my sister.

    I was certain she was alive, and I would do anything to find her.

    Seyari stirred beside me. I glanced at her, then turned back to watching the forest around us. It was quiet and peaceful. My demonic presence had silenced the bird calls and squirrel chatter that late autumn hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Seyari stood and moved to sit beside me.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I replied, not quite meeting her gaze.

    My partner didn¡¯t say anything else. Instead, she wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. I put two arms around her.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve been more sensitive,¡± I admitted. I wasn¡¯t sure what I could have done differently.

    ¡°No.¡± Seyari shook her head. ¡°I needed to get Mordwell out of my mind. I regretted what I said as soon as I ran off, but I didn¡¯t feel like I could go back to try and find you.¡±

    ¡°So, you went on ahead to kill Mordwell?¡± I looked down at Seyari and met her gaze.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She met mine. ¡°I thought I¡¯d driven you away.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t.¡± Seyari smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± She leaned upward toward my face.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I replied and leaned toward her.

    We kissed, holding each other for a long moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you found your spine,¡± Seyari breathed when we broke away.

    ¡°I am too,¡± I replied honestly.

    ¡°Thanks for not making the obvious joke.¡± Seyari smiled.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve ruined the moment.¡± I nodded in agreement.

    ¡°So, Renna, what¡¯s the plan now?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Why are you asking me, Sey?¡±

    Seyari stared at me in place of a reply.

    I continued, ¡°Well, if I had to come up with a plan, I¡¯d say we try to case the place and see what kind of force he has on display. Maybe we could even learn something about what he¡¯s planning if we can get closer. Then, we move far, far away from here.¡±

    ¡°How do you think we could get close without being found?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Maybe we can talk to people from outside the estate and get some kind of lead?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Seyari glanced down in thought. ¡°I think I need to go and at least look.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I understand. I wish we could do more.¡± I paused and tapped at one of my horns. ¡°Well, more without making ourselves wanted. Actually, aren¡¯t we already going to be wanted from what happened last night?¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°Not openly. At least I don¡¯t think so. Inquisition business was almost always secretive. We might even be lucky and this might just be personal.¡±

    Might just be personal. I thought back to Lorelei¡¯s death and Markus¡¯ ruined corpse. Just personal.

    ¡°He needs to die,¡± I growled. ¡°We¡¯ll rip off his mask and end him.¡±

    ¡°We will, Renna.¡± Seyari squeezed one of my hands.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded with a scowl.

    We spent the rest of the morning looking over what few supplies we had left. Seyari washed herself as well, and managed to heal the injuries she¡¯d sustained from last night.

    Seyari¡¯s knowledge of Mordwell¡¯s estate was outdated, so we had no idea what the grounds were like or if the entire place had been rebuilt. The grounds did, however, end at a steep hillside. The path we were on now would twist away from the hills ahead of us, winding down to pass close by the estate grounds.

    If we crossed the river with the ravine Lorelei and I had fallen into, and looped around the long way, we should avoid any patrols and end up in the hills above the estate. The downside was exceedingly difficult terrain and dangerous falls. Not an issue for a powerful demon such as myself.

    Against Seyari¡¯s protestations, I kept my dress on and went boot-less in my demon form. I reasoned that anyone looking in that part of the forest would be there to look for us. My partner begrudgingly agreed. I didn¡¯t doubt word of the ambushers encounter with me was sent out before Seyari arrived. Mordwell would be watching for us.

    ***

    Seyari hadn¡¯t exaggerated the terrain. Steep, dense forest broken up by rocks was all we encountered the entire day. We pushed on through into the evening. Seyari thought we¡¯d arrive at night, which was honestly a boon.

    Indeed, it was late evening when we first saw the soft light of the oil lamps dotted around the grounds of the estate.

    ¡°Are you sure this is the place?¡± I whispered to Seyari.

    She took a long glance around the ridges and hills surrounding the grounds and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m certain. I recognize the hills from flying in and out.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say you¡¯re sorry for me.¡± Seyari spoke quietly.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t going to,¡± I replied with a forced smile.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The rest of our approach was quiet. I returned to my human appearance, still barefoot. We crept between the trees, quiet for all our disparate experience. Around us, the late evening sounds of the northern forest echoed loud against the solemnity of our passing.

    Right now, I only wanted to see the estate and maybe get some information from a nearby town on our way out. I wanted to know what kind of resources we were up against, and what kind of force Mordwell would keep back on retainer.

    My mind already wanted to dismiss the people who¡¯d died trying to kill us, but I thought of Lorelei and held myself firm. Regret was okay. More than okay. I hadn¡¯t met¡ªor even seen¡ªMordwell, yet. I didn¡¯t even know the person who wanted me dead.

    We crept closer, until we could see the gardens inside of an impressive stone fence. Nothing either of us couldn¡¯t climb, but clearly the barrier wasn¡¯t designed to withstand a siege. The grounds were clean and partially lit.

    I shifted my eyes and could see more detail about the buildings. There were several, and one was clearly a main house. The curtains were drawn, but even if they weren¡¯t I doubted I¡¯d see much inside at this distance. Hills surrounded the grounds on nearly three sides, and the whole place was perhaps twice the size of Malich¡¯s, although much more was garden.

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    Several guards¡ªsmall figures at this distance¡ªwalked the grounds. With the open area, tall walls, and copious oil lamps, I couldn¡¯t tell if the design was for aesthetics or defense. I wouldn¡¯t give Mordwell the benefit of the doubt.

    I could just barely make out the tabards of the guards. The colors matched the Church of Dhias: red and gold. I couldn¡¯t make out the smudge of a symbol on their tabards, but the shape seemed right. The large statue of Dhias in the courtyard and hedge sculptures told a similar story.

    Mordwell¡¯s estate or not, whoever lived here was invested with the Church. I had a reason to believe Seyari anyway. How many other estates like this could be near the site where we were ambushed?

    I turned away from looking to glance at Seyari. She had a complicated expression on her face and was staring out over the grounds. I turned again and realized just how far away we were. I looked again and focused. My sight hadn¡¯t been this good on the island. Or when we climbed the pass. I was certain of it.

    Did I get part or more of the Harriston demon¡¯s soul when they challenged me and failed?

    Something to think about. Later.

    ¡°We should move closer,¡± Seyari whispered.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied. ¡°But I can see a lot from back here.¡±

    Seyari arched an eyebrow. Quiet as I could, I told her what I saw.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°I might be able to guess his bedroom. But even if he¡¯s there, and even if¡­¡±

    I rubbed her back lightly. She stiffened, then relaxed.

    ¡°He¡¯ll hurt more people if we let him go.¡± My voice was barely a whisper.

    ¡°He will,¡± Seyari nodded. ¡°But we can¡¯t save everyone.¡±

    ¡°But we can try.¡± I was suddenly unsure. ¡°Cut off the head¡­¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already done that once, Renna. Vinzent died that night. Mordwell was just a follower, but if we kill him and only him right now¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll just be martyr for the others.¡± I finished her thought. ¡°And a martyr for people who don¡¯t know his true nature.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You were right.¡± Seyari¡¯s golden eyes burned. ¡°We can at least make sure everyone knows his true nature.¡±

    I nodded in agreement. ¡°Are we done here?¡±

    Seyari took one last look at the estate. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go around and see if we can¡¯t find anything in the nearby town.¡±

    Quiet as we could, the two of us crept around the estate toward the direction of the town.

    We¡¯d only made it a few meters when we were attacked.

    A spear of ice rocketed through the trees toward Seyari. She moved, but not fast enough, and the magic attack caught her in the shoulder, spearing through and shattering bone.

    I didn¡¯t hesitate this time. Shifting out of my human form, I sprinted toward the source of the attack, faster than I¡¯d ever felt myself move. The source was out in the forest with us, rather than from the estate.

    I tore through underbrush and turned on my aura sight. I saw a blue aura, pale and hard, and lunged toward it.

    The last bush was ripped away and I saw the face of our attacker: A black-haired young woman with sharp features and hard blue eyes. Surprise started to spread across her features.

    Just before I could reach her, the ground between us exploded into a red flare.

    ¡°STOP!¡± I heard a voice, distantly familiar, yell out in accented Ordian.

    I almost didn¡¯t listen. My clawed hands twitched, but I skidded to a stop, my face centimeters from the woman. Our eyes met and I saw no fear. I felt only anger, cold, hard, and old, hissing silently from this woman.

    ¡°No more death.¡± A figure stepped from the darkness and through the smoke of the flare. ¡°You are on the same side.¡±

    My eyes widened in recognition.

    Salvador?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The woman snapped at the dark-haired Cavenish man. Her voice was sharp, but the accent was familiar. Edathan.

    ¡°I¡¯m saving you from making a mistake.¡± Salvador switched to Cavenish. He turned to me and nodded. ¡°Is Seyari okay?¡±

    I thought about how she had healed her injuries. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, I¡ª¡±

    From my side, a holy lance shot toward the dark-haired woman. Even with my demonic reflexes, I had a split-second to decide.

    I chose to trust Salvador. I wouldn¡¯t repeat the mistakes I made with Lorelei.

    I dove in the way of Seyari¡¯s holy lance as she burst from the bushes, sword drawn. I tried to shout for her to stop, but the lance hit me first.

    It caught me in the side of my abdomen. I twisted in the air and tried to fall into a roll. The lance of magic pierced me through before dissipating and I fell in a heap instead.

    Pain like I¡¯d never felt before exploded from where I had been pierced. The only thing I could compare it to was my death as a human, but this sensation was so much more. Agony wracked my body and I spasmed on the ground.

    ¡°S-stop.¡± I choked out the word, fangs cutting through my own tongue. My harsh, boiling blood filled my mouth before my regeneration kicked in.

    The holy lance wound was jagged and brutal, and my blood pooled out of me, hissing and burning on the ground below. I pushed myself up on all four of my arms. My dress was a mess.

    I felt my magic go toward the wound, burning against Seyari¡¯s holy magic as it tried to eat away at me. Struggling to my feet, I held two hands over the wound at my side, hissing in pain. I spat my blood out on the ground and wiped my chin with the back of a third hand, turning to stare at the three others.

    Seyari and the other woman were glaring at each other. The other woman was dressed chain armor with a tabard emblazoned with Dhias¡¯ symbol and colors. Seyari¡¯s shoulder had been healed, mostly. Salvador looked nervously between the two and then at me.

    ¡°¡°Why did you¡ª¡°¡± Both Seyari and the armored woman shouted at me at the same time. They stopped and turned to each other.

    Before anything else could be said, I spoke up. ¡°Salvador said we¡¯re on the same side. I¡ªhissss¡ªI chose to believe him.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a demon!¡± The woman pointed at me and looked at Salvador accusingly.

    ¡°She¡¯s Mordwell¡¯s lackey!¡± Seyari pointed at the woman and also glared at the Cavenish man.

    ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± I also turned to Salvador, but my question wasn¡¯t so harsh.

    He looked to us and then the estate. I turned and followed his gaze. People had noticed our fight. Several more armored figures were rushing this way. We had moments.

    Salvador spoke quickly in Cavenish. ¡°Everyone here wants to see Mordwell brought to justice. I¡¯ve been working with Miss Miller here, and I have reason to believe Renna there¡ª¡± He pointed to me. ¡°¡ªis not the evil demon she¡¯s made out to be.¡±

    Wait. Miss Miller? No¡ªcouldn¡¯t be. It¡¯s a common last name, especially in Edath.

    Even so, I looked closer at the raven-haired woman in armor. My eyes stuck to her face. No way. I¡¯d almost¡ª

    The woman looked to me, and then the estate. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. I will see High Inquisitor Mordwell hanged for his crimes, but I don¡¯t have all the evidence I need yet.¡± She turned to Seyari and me. ¡°If you¡¯re really on my side, leave, but injure me first. Badly enough so my story will be believed.¡±

    ¡°I want to help you!¡± I blurted.

    The woman who was maybe my sister looked at me with eyes full of cold fire. ¡°If you want to help me, Demon, you¡¯ll listen and leave. We don¡¯t have time to argue. Shatter my dominant arm and break my legs. With healing, I¡¯ll live and that will be enough for my story.¡±

    I could hear shouting getting closer. Shit. How could she suggest something like that so casually? What had she been through? Just how much did she trust Salvador? She looked certain. I wasn¡¯t going to hesitate and lose this moment.

    This is insane.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I answered. My own magic had only just won out against the holy magic. I felt weak from losing so much blood, but I knew I had enough magic to recover. I met the woman¡¯s gaze. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving that to you, Demon.¡± The woman sounded hesitant.

    I tried to form a response.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to break her legs, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Seyari volunteered with far too much enthusiasm.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care who does what, but do it now!¡± The woman hissed. For the first time, I felt her anger spike. Then, in a controlled manner, the emotion moved neatly back to a circling pattern of cold rage.

    I looked to Seyari and back to the woman who I was almost certain was my sister. My partner and I nodded.

    I moved quickly and grabbed her arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tania,¡± I whispered.

    Her eyes went wide with shock and for a moment, her cold mask slipped. Then I snapped her arm and she screamed in agony. Seyari shattered her legs with disturbingly practiced precision.

    My heart fell with her as she flopped into the ground, teeth gritted from crippling pain. The shouting was even closer now.

    My heavily-injured sister turned to look up at me with conflicted eyes, and spoke with a solid voice despite her grievous injuries. ¡°How could you know?¡±

    ¡°Zarenna, we have to go!¡± Seyari kept her voice just below a shout.

    The guards would be on us in moments. From the corner of my eye, I could see her and Salvador had already started to leave.

    I looked down at Tania and felt the tears start to come. ¡°Because I¡¯m your sister.¡±

    Her eyes went wide. ¡°No. That¡¯s not¡ªyou can¡¯t be.¡±

    I heard crashing of bushes hardly twenty meters down the slope. ¡°I¡ª"

    ¡°Zarenna!¡± Seyari said as loud as she dared.

    I blinked the tears and turned to leave.

    ¡°Meet me at our old spot.¡± Tania¡¯s pain-filled whisper punched a hole into my heart. ¡°Next summer solstice.¡±

    I nodded, then turned and ran. My side burned furiously, and I could feel my magic straining to knit my torn insides back together.

    ¡°If you¡¯re really her¡­¡± Tania¡¯s whispered voice floated after me. I couldn¡¯t be certain of her words, but my heart knew the answer.

    In moments, I¡¯d caught up with Seyari and Salvador. Not waiting for permission, I picked up both of them, two arms around each, and slung them over my shoulders. Salvador grunted in surprise and Seyari protested halfheartedly.

    I ignored the stars that swam across my vision and the pain that made me stumble, only saved from falling by the counterweight of my tail. My ruined side throbbed with agony, but it felt like I¡¯d mostly stopped bleeding. Already, I could feel my regeneration healing me.

    The pain from my wound was nothing compared to the conflict in my heart.

    I¡¯d found Tania in a place I never expected I would. What has she gone through? Will I lose her again?

    Tania had grown so much since I¡¯d seen her last. She was no longer a child, but the hardness in her eyes was more than anyone her age should hold. The nearly nine years since my death must have been tough. I died in AL 1349, was reborn around AL 1355, and now, I¡¯d have to wait until the summer solstice of AL 1359 to get my sister back. The thought pained me, but I took comfort in having a date.

    I looked to Salvador and despite our awkward position, I met his eyes. The man didn¡¯t have a shred of fear in his gaze.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, surprised to find my voice shaking.

    Salvador simply nodded.

    Maybe. Maybe, just this once, everything would work out.

    My thoughts roiled in my head while my clawed feet carried the three of us away into the night.

    *** *** ***

    I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. Footsteps of the man who killed Zach and Abby thundered behind me, getting closer and closer.

    I ran and weaved and ducked through burning buildings. Fire bloomed around me, turning the broken homes red. Shattered windows glared at me with jagged, twisted smiles. The walls leaned in and the flames closed in and the footsteps finally reached me and¡ª

    I woke up with a start.

    My heart raced in my chest and my pulse thundered in my ears. I unclenched my hands which I¡¯d unconsciously balled into fists under the sheets. I hadn¡¯t had that nightmare since my days in the academy. Most days, my nightmares were from the Ordian Civil War.

    The ceiling I stared up at was unfamiliar and I could feel my limbs had mostly been healed, but I was sore to the point of pain all over. I could ignore that. I started to think about the demon who claimed to be my sister. My sister. No one living would make that claim.

    ¡°Good. You¡¯re awake,¡± a deep voice I recognized said from my bedside.

    ¡°High Inquisitor Mordwell.¡± I turned to face the old bastard and kept my face neutral. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you the type to sit by someone¡¯s bedside.¡± I shoved the thoughts of last night down and away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, Paladin Miller.¡± Mordwell allowed himself a small smile.

    Fake. I knew his smile was fake. I had to stay strong, and keep up this charade just a little longer. Just a little longer and years of work would pay off. Finley may have gotten away from me when he ¡®escaped¡¯ the Church¡¯s death conviction. I wouldn¡¯t let the net around Mordwell stay nearly so loose.

    ¡°Shall I give you my report?¡± My thoughts clicked in place like a well-built clock. In the span of a second, I¡¯d regained my composure.

    ¡°You shall,¡± Mordwell answered, staring hard into my eyes. He¡¯d find nothing that way.

    ¡°Very well.¡± I nodded. ¡°Shall I begin when you notified us of Yothariel¡¯s proximity?¡±

    Mordwell nodded back, his eyes not leaving mine. ¡°That would be prudent, Paladin Miller.¡±

    ¡°Understood, High Inquisitor.¡± I nodded again, unable to bow in my current position.

    From the top and with practiced ease, I began my false report.

    END OF VOLUME 1

 Side Story: Collared

    We were three days out from Baetnal and the caravan had decided to take a small detour. Everyone was tired and hot. Well, everyone except Aretan and his mercenaries. I wasn¡¯t either, at least not physically. Mentally, however, I was beyond tire. Nelys tried to act chipper, but I could tell they were flagging too.

    Our detour took us a few hours toward the banks of the River Nav. We found a nice green spot by a bend in the river to cool off. We circled the wagons and the mercs pulled out some food and drink they¡¯d stashed somewhere. Even Florian took a moment to stop by and partake.

    The food went quickly, but the drink tapered off into a long, lazy evening. The sun had almost finished setting in the west, hazy and orange.

    Someone had made a fire and me, Seyari, Nelys, Aretan and a few mercs were seated around it. Other groups sat and talked around the circled wagons further in from the river.

    Buzzing insects were out tonight in force. After some time spent trying to swat at them, I realized they couldn¡¯t get through my skin and sat in smug satisfaction as they all went for Seyari. She eventually had to resort to using wind magic to make a mini-tornado and blow them all away. I could see the cloud watching, waiting for their chance. It was like they knew she couldn¡¯t keep that up forever. I suppressed a shiver.

    Eventually, conversation drifted to our pasts. Seyari talked about life on the Lady of Liseu, Nelys did the same but with many of the details ¡®enhanced¡¯, and Aretan and his friends spoke of their misadventures as a band of mercenaries.

    At the height of the conversation, the questions fell on me.

    ¡°So, Zarenna was it?¡± Someone I barely knew asked. She was one of Aretan¡¯s mercs. ¡°What¡¯s it like being a demon?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what if she doesn¡¯t have a frame of reference for being human?¡± Another piped up.

    ¡°Oh! Is all the being nice stuff just an act? You can tell us, we¡¯re cool!¡± Someone else spoke.

    ¡°She¡¯s definitely really nice for real!¡± Nelys piped up, looking offended on my behalf.

    ¡°How about you let her answer?¡± Aretan intervened, but looked to me with curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

    I looked across at everyone. After a moment to decide, I chose to ham up my demonic side. I put a finger to my lips. ¡°Weeeell, being a demon¡¯s pretty great honestly. I don¡¯t really know about being human, but I know you folks are fragile, so I have to play nice. Speaking of the nice stuff, that¡¯s because I have a great binder and don¡¯t have to be stuck in hell!¡±

    ¡°What about being a demon is great?¡± Aretan asked. So much for being the voice of reason.

    I gave a dramatic four-armed shrug. ¡°What¡¯s not to like? I¡¯m strong, fast, have awesome fire magic¡ª¡± I tossed a ball of fire up into the sky that detonated in a massive, bright silent flash. Other groups looked our way, so I smiled sheepishly. ¡ªand a killer body.¡± I finished with a flourish down my body with my lower arms.

    Once I realized what I¡¯d done, I blushed deeply. Thankfully, I don¡¯t think anyone but Seyari noticed my blush.

    The girl who¡¯d asked me about being a demon spoke up again. ¡°You said Seyari¡¯s a good binder. Why¡¯s that?¡±

    I turned to Seyari. I tried to think of something that wouldn¡¯t break our cover story of my summoning. I brushed a finger by my fancy collar and had an idea. I really did like the collar. The electrum ring felt more like a choker or a piece of jewelry than an instrument of servitude. Especially given that it was just ornamental.

    ¡°Well, Zarenna?¡± Seyari asked me and I jumped a bit. ¡°What makes me such a good binder?¡±

    ¡°I love wearing the pretty collar you got me!¡± I replied reflexively.

    If I was blushing before, now I flushed an entire shade of crimson darker. Seyari¡¯s eyes went wide, and her cheeks went rosy as well.

    I heard at least one ¡®ooooooooh¡¯ from the people with us.

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s like that between you two!¡± One person said.

    ¡°Kinky!¡± Another said, followed by a soft hit. ¡°Ow, hey! What!?¡±

    I tried to fix the damage. ¡°No, uh. Wait! I mean I like the collar and I think it looks nice and it¡¯s really not a big deal to wear it because¡ª¡± Crap! I can¡¯t blow our cover here. ¡°¡ªBecause Seyari¡¯s really nice and she doesn¡¯t make me do anything I don¡¯t want to do already and¡ªuh.¡± My brain shorted for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, just stop now, okay.¡±

    ¡°Zarenna.¡± Seyari¡¯s voice was sickly sweet. ¡°Why don¡¯t you be quiet for a bit, okay? Please?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± I tried to respond.

    ¡°That¡¯s an order, Zarenna.¡±

    My collar glowed. I clamped my mouth shut.

    ¡°Oooh, it even glows!¡± One of the mercs said.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s electrum isn¡¯t it! Her binder sure got her a fancy collar!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Renna¡¯s collar¡¯s really pretty!¡± Oh Nelys, not you too!

    ¡°I wonder what se¡ª"

    ¡°We really should be more respectful of their relationship.¡± I heard Aretan¡¯s voice cut across the gaggle of other mercs. ¡°There is nothing to be ashamed about enjoying a collar.¡±

    I heard you trying not to laugh, Aretan!

    I pouted. Hard.

    My pouting had the opposite effect of what I wanted.

    The laughter increased. My enhanced hearing even picked up a whisper of, ¡°I didn¡¯t think she could be this cute!¡±

    Okay, that lifted my mood a bit. Still pouting though.

    Next to me, Seyari had gone totally red with embarrassment. I felt anger from her, but not nearly as much as I would have thought. My mind whirled with possibilities. I wanted to talk, but Seyari¡¯s order was in effect and I¡¯d already given up my dignity to maintain our cover.

    I did kinda like the collar though. But not like that! A choker or something would be better. Maybe with a bow. Wait, would that be worse?

    I cradled my head in all four hands.

    Seyari tried to speak up, but seemed unwilling or unable to yell. Aretan had lost control of the situation. Other groups had even started to take notice.

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    Oh no.

    Oh nonononono.

    Please no.

    This can¡¯t possibly get any worse!

    I was wrong.

    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we all play a game!¡± An unknown woman in a bright magenta sundress walked into our group. She had warm brown eyes and bright brown hair that complemented her dress perfectly.

    The newcomer was carrying a large box. I could hear pieces rattling around inside.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Aretan, the only person with any composure left, asked the mysterious woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m Lilly! Nice to meet you!¡± She stuck out a hand. ¡°I was with my daughter and husband on our boat. We saw the party from the river and just had to come to say ¡®Hi¡¯.¡± Lilly gestured behind her to a tall spectacled man in well-fitted clothes and a teenage girl in a pastel pink dress that matched Lilly¡¯s.

    ¡°Hello, my name is Isidore,¡± The man gave a small bow.

    Isidore¡¯s teenage daughter looked indignantly away and mumbled something I wasn¡¯t in a state of mind to try to make out. Isidore softly elbowed her.

    ¡°I¡¯m Meri,¡± she curtsied. Then Meri turned her head again and I caught her mumbling. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re doing this.¡±

    Lilly turned to me. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you look strong! Would you be a dear and go get us something to set the game up on?¡± She winked at me.

    I looked over to Seyari who was regarding the newcomer warily. However, I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

    I nodded rapidly at Lilly, jumped up and took off to look for a table. I found one easily enough, but I took my sweet time getting back. I dodged the few questions lobbed my way by pointing to my mouth and then my collar. Everyone seemed to get the message.

    I returned to find Aretan talking excitedly with Isidore. Something about demons. Lilly was bouncing person-to person chatting everyone up like an expert socialite. Meri, to my surprise, wasn¡¯t sulking off to one side and instead had found one of the younger mercs. The two were chatting amiably and the young merc had a blush of his own.

    Seyari, meanwhile had done her best to shrink into the background.

    I walked up and set the table to the side of the fire. Everyone pulled whatever they were sitting on closer.

    With the others distracted, Seyari turned to me. ¡°Why did you say all that!¡± She hissed.

    I tried to answer, but my collar glowed and I kept quiet.

    ¡°You can talk now, Zarenna,¡± Seyari said exhaustedly.

    I tapped one of my horns in thought. ¡°Uh, so I was just thinking about how to say you¡¯re great as my binder but not give away y¡¯know, too much.¡±

    ¡°Well, you sure gave away a whole fucking lot!¡± Seyari glowered, and looked over at the others who were all still distracted.

    Lilly had started to set up the game board. I didn¡¯t recognize the game, but I saw a dragon on the back of one of the included cards.

    I clacked a pair of claws together. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I really like the collar though. I mean, not what it stands for. But also, kinda, but not but yes and I¡ª¡±

    Seyari hit her face with her palm ¡°Can it, Zarenna.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Do you have a weird crush on me or something?¡± Seyari tried to sound angry, but I didn¡¯t feel much anger from her. If anything, it was less than when I came back with the table.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s weird!¡± I defended.

    Seyari¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    Wait. Oh. Ooooohhh. Uh oh.

    To my surprise, instead of berating me, Seyari looked up at me, bit her lip and seemed to think. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the collar thing. And I don¡¯t think we can¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I hung my head. ¡°I won¡¯t think any further on this.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Seyari almost shouted. Aretan and Lilly looked over. Seyari returned her voice to a hushed whisper. ¡°Maybe later. But not now. I-I can¡¯t right now.¡±

    I nodded, remembering our conversation right after I¡¯d woken up from being stung by a titan scorpion. ¡°I can wait.¡± I turned back to the group.

    ¡°Hey, if you want to play, we have room for one more team!¡± Lilly waved us over and patted a spot next to her. ¡°You two can sit next to me and Izzy!¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± I replied as enthusiastically as I could.

    I sat down next to Lilly, and Seyari next to me. Isidore, or Izzy, sat next to Aretan who in turn sat next to Nelys. Meri was with the mercs on the other side and seemed quite the young socialite, especially toward her new friend.

    Lilly fixed me with a warm smile and explained the rules of the board game.

    The game was fun! Complicated, with a lot of pieces and cards, but fun! The theme of the game was about dragons and the fantasy was fun to indulge in. Especially when I could act out the fire breathing on some of the cards (not on the pieces of course).

    Predictably, Lilly and Isidore took the win, though Aretan and Nelys had nearly overtaken them during the final point tally.

    Once the game was over, the group lapsed again into quiet conversation. Up above, the stars shone bright in the clear night, and a sliver of moon peeked out from among them.

    Unfortunately, while the game worked as a distraction, people soon brought up collars again and I was once more the center of attention.

    ¡°You know,¡± Lilly said, ¡°It¡¯s really not that unusual to be interested in collars in the bedroom. It¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, Zarenna!¡± She turned to me with a smile that sent a chill down my spine. ¡°If you want, I could teach you a few things. There¡¯s a lot more than collars if you¡¯re into that. Embrace it!¡±

    I could swear her eyes turned red for a moment.

    ¡°Uhhh,¡± I responded eloquently. ¡°No, uh, thanks but no thanks.¡±

    Lilly pouted and shrugged. ¡°Your loss!¡±

    I heard one of the mercs mumbling something along the lines of how lucky Seyari was and that she¡¯d try the collar thing if she was my binder instead. I pretended really hard I didn¡¯t hear that.

    From behind Lilly, Isidore looked at me with a neutral face before turning to his wife. ¡°Don¡¯t corrupt the wrath demon, dear.¡±

    Lilly giggled in response, and leaned over to plant a kiss on Isidore¡¯s cheek.

    I was surprised how casual the two of them were around me. It must have been because everyone else was so relaxed. Even though I was bound, people in Ivlaet and Ratev had been nervous or downright afraid at first.

    ¡°If you two want any other relationship advice, I¡¯m a bit of an expert on that sort of thing.¡± Lilly turned back to me pointed a thumb at herself.

    ¡°Sure!¡± I replied, then froze. ¡°But, uh, we¡¯re not, uh, a couple or together or anything.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± One of the mercs shouted, then backed down and mumbled, ¡°Sorry¡±.

    Lilly looked me directly in the eyes. ¡°If. You. Say. So!¡± She winked. ¡°But I can tell you right now her type needs a friend first, and you look like you¡¯re doing well at that. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to work on your shared interests. As ¡®friends¡¯ of course. Most importantly¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right here you know!¡± Seyari cut Lilly off. ¡°We are not together!¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re bound together, right?¡± Lilly put a finger to her chin innocently. ¡°Have you never experimented? You know, with the binding?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Seyari replied icily. ¡°Shut. Up.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, fine!¡± Lilly put her hands up in surrender. Then she put them down and added with a smile ¡°I just can¡¯t help it! You two are so cute!¡±

    Seyari looked to me. ¡°Zarenna,¡± she said in a dangerously level voice. ¡°Please remove Lilly from our campsite.¡±

    I felt the command through the binding magic. ¡°Seyari, can we talk about this?¡± My collar got hot.

    Seyari glared at me, flushed with embarrassment. ¡°No. Go.¡±

    I felt all eyes on me. Lilly smiled even wider.

    ¡°I¡¯d really rather not¡ª¡± I tried to protest one last time. Oh no. I felt the magical contract dim and disappear.

    My collar glowed for a moment, then went dark. The sigil burned off my cheek. I tried to turn away, but everyone was already looking at me. I saw surprise, and fear on the expressions of the mercs.

    ¡°Yes, sure thing mistress!¡± I said rapidly, not even caring for my word choice. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I turned to Lilly and whispered. ¡°Please don¡¯t be scared, just let me lead you away.¡±

    Lilly laughed hard, nearly doubling over. She gave me her hand and I ran off with her toward the river. I heard rapid footsteps behind me, but didn¡¯t turn to look at who they were.

    Once we were out of view of the camp, I stopped amongst the greenery by the bank. Out on the river a small ship hurried along through the still night, headed south.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Lilly exclaimed. ¡°I knew you were¡ª¡±

    A blur rushed past me and impacted Lilly. I could hardly believe my eyes as I watched Meri punt Lilly hard enough for the woman, still laughing, to go sailing through the sky across the river.

    To my surprise Meri turned to me and bowed stiffly. ¡°My greatest apologies, Sov¡ª¡±

    She didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence as vicious wind picked her up and flung the teenage girl across the river as well. She splashed down next to Lilly near the far bank. I turned and looked, but, thankfully, the two of them seemed to be alright. I watched a sputtering Lilly bonk Meri on the head.

    I kept watching the river and saw the wind had shredded the sails of the ship. Seyari came to stand next to me and said nothing. I wasn¡¯t sure about turning to face her right then. Together we watched as the ship slowly turned and hit rocks. Before our eyes, the small ship started taking on water in the shallows by the far bank. Even at a distance, we could see and hear an outrageously-dressed man on the deck shouting at the crew.

    Moments later, Isidore stopped by and we pointed him to the developing scene. He sighed, apologized, and walked off.

    ¡°Seyari,¡± I finally asked, still staring out over the water. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Seyari groaned beside me. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know.¡±

    I reached up to feel my collar. ¡°At least the collar¡¯s not broken. We¡ª¡±

    A strong gust of wind sent me tumbling into the river after the others.

 Chapter 66: Stew Sage

    I put another cut of venison into the hot pan and watched it sizzle. Given my relative immunity to fire and heat, I¡¯d volunteered to hold the pan since we didn¡¯t have gear for it. My arm wasn¡¯t getting tired, but I still shifted the pan between my four hands out of some lingering habit.

    Behind me, my half-angel partner Seyari sat on a log and stared into the flames. Across from her, a Cavenish man with messy black hair, Salvador, also stared into the fire.

    I looked up at the smoke that twirled away into the partly-cloudy late afternoon sky. We were far enough from Mordwell¡¯s estate, probably, that a fire would be fine.

    Truthfully, we were lost. I¡¯d run full tilt for hours until Seyari insisted I¡¯d gone far enough and could stop carrying her and Salvador like sacks of potatoes. The other two had managed part of a night¡¯s sleep the night before while I had stayed up to keep watch. We were still in the forest, but the terrain had turned to rolling hills from sharp ridges, and broadleaf trees had begun to mix in with the endless wall of pine.

    This also meant an increase in the undergrowth, and would slow our progress until we found a hunting trail or large animal path. The other result of the undergrowth was that I found out I had an immunity to poison ivy, being a demon and all.

    Seyari cured her own ivy rash with holy magic, while Salvador¡¯s smart choice of clothing had kept him safe. That, and the fact he was the one to recognize and warn us. Seyari may have had a lot of experience with stealth, but Salvador was the trained woodsman among us.

    I¡¯d probably run west. That¡¯s where I¡¯d aimed anyway, but Salvador had warned us that meant little. His Ordian was progressing rapidly, and I relished the chance to improve my Cavenish. The man had taken to my demonic nature quite well. He still fidgeted when I moved faster than I ought to have, or did something inhuman, but was largely interested in peppering me with questions about what it was like to be a demon.

    Salvador reminded me of Aretan in that way, but his questions were all about the social aspects of being a demon, rather than my abilities. I spoke openly with him, leaving out the part of my story with the Sovereign of Lust, but truthfully there wasn¡¯t much I could tell him. I hadn¡¯t had a lot of chances to really interact in society as my demonic self¡ªthe thing that most people would run screaming from or try to kill.

    I learned he had a demon-blooded daughter, and he said I reminded him of her in more ways than one. I felt flattered, and hoped I could meet her someday.

    The conversation changed when Seyari asked what the paladin and I had spoken about.

    ¡°She¡¯s my sister,¡± I replied, offering Seyari the cooked cut of meat.

    She made to spear it with a knife, but stopped midway. ¡°What?¡±

    I resisted the urge to take the venison steak for myself and instead speared a raw one on a claw and stuck my hand into the fire behind me. ¡°My sister from before I became a demon. So, still my sister. Her name is Kartania Miller.¡±

    ¡°That is an astounding coincidence, Zarenna,¡± Salvador said in Cavenish.

    I shrugged. ¡°Yes and no. She was there when Inquisitor Finley had our family killed for some ritual. If my sister wanted revenge and Mordwell was in charge of that cult, then she¡¯d reach him eventually. She was always smarter than I was, and more driven.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re plenty smart!¡± Seyari surprised me by defending me. She finally took the venison steak from the pan.

    ¡°I mean, I guess,¡± I replied and furrowed my brow. ¡°But Tania is really, really smart.¡± I looked over at the partially charred and mostly raw piece of venison in my hand. Good enough. I took it out and started eating. With my other two hands, I put the next cut on for Salvador.

    ¡°Learn to take a compliment!¡± Seyari huffed around a mouthful of food.

    ¡°Maybe I will.¡± I forced a smile.

    Seyari smirked in response. ¡°Why do you think she joined the Church then, Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say. Clearly, she wants to get close to Mordwell and take him down, but I can¡¯t imagine why she¡¯d join up in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps she had nowhere else to go?¡± Salvador replied thoughtfully, then added, ¡°I do not mean to be rude, or to presume.¡±

    I thought back to that night. We had relatives, but few in Linthel, and none we were close to. Who would take her in?

    ¡°What about the civil war?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°Could that have done something.¡±

    For a moment, I imagined the fire again, this time with an army in the streets. Gods, what had Kartania gone through? Her eyes were so cold¡­

    Seyari started. ¡°Sorry if I¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s fine,¡± I lied. ¡°I think you might be right. King Carvalon was the Lord of Linthel at the time and if the civil war started there, then perhaps Kartania had few options.¡± I flipped Salvador¡¯s steak. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask her at the next summer solstice.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°Are you meeting her?¡±

    I forgot I¡¯d not told the others that yet. ¡°Yes. In Linthel. We can go there after Lockmoth.¡±

    ¡°If you do not mind, I would like to join you.¡± Salvador looked from his cooking steak to me. ¡°I had been helping Paladin Miller, your sister, but I do not think it wise for me to try to return there. My goal, as I have said, was to find you anyway.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± I moved the pan over so Salvador could spear his meal. ¡°But, why do you want to find me?¡±

    Salvador met my gaze, and took his cut. ¡°There are things I must learn of the nature of demons and of those who carry their blood. I believe that, by following you, I will find my answers.¡±

    I nodded, then smiled. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you think I might be able to answer right now, go ahead and ask!¡±

    Salvador¡¯s hood hid the ghost of a smile that played across his features. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have significant knowledge of what exactly it means to be demon-blooded?¡±

    I shook my head, resisting the obvious joke. ¡°No, unfortunately. Do you think you¡¯ll learn more about that following Seyari and me?¡±

    Salvador glanced at Seyari and back to me, then shrugged. ¡°I do, yes.¡±

    Seyari hummed thoughtfully. ¡°I can respect your secrets¡ªI¡¯d be a hypocrite if I didn¡¯t. But I do have one question: Why haven¡¯t you asked after my old identity? If you were working with Renna¡¯s sister, then I imagine you know who I was.¡±

    Salvador nodded. ¡°I do. But I trust you are not the same person now. I also know from Paladin Miller that the truth of your past is not so black and white.¡±

    Seyari looked surprised. ¡°Thanks, Salvador. I¡¯d like to have you along.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s agreed!¡± I looked to the ranger.

    Salvador smiled. ¡°Thank you for having me, but there are a few more things you must know.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, curious.

    ¡°What?¡± Seyari asked, suspicious.

    ¡°High Inquisitor Mordwell has some means to track Seyari. I don¡¯t know what means, but it was how he knew to set up the ambush, and how¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Seyari interrupted.

    I frowned. ¡°How what?¡±

    ¡°How Paladin Miller knew you were observing the estate. High Inquisitor Mordwell told her, and the other guards as well.¡± Salvador cut a piece of meat and stared at it intently before popping it into his mouth.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Seyari exclaimed. ¡°Why would Mordwell send one guard, or even all of them, out after us? For that matter, why the ambush? Why not just hole up and wait?¡±

    Salvador shook his head and swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Paladin Miller seemed to, but she wouldn¡¯t tell me her thoughts on the matter. I don¡¯t think she was supposed to go and investigate, I think she might have wanted to talk to Seyari, but didn¡¯t know Renna was with her.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t know how strong I was,¡± I said quietly. ¡°He didn¡¯t think I was really worth considering.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°And now he will.¡± Seyari furrowed her brow, and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. She looked into the fire and then up at me. ¡°But why? He¡¯s always been paranoid¡ªthe Mordwell I know would have played patiently. He wouldn¡¯t have taken a risk with an unknown quantity. Besides, I was almost able to take all of them out myself.¡±

    We were all silent for some time, and then Salvador shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ¡°What if, for some reason, High Inquisitor Mordwell intended the ambush to fail.¡±

    ¡°Why would¡ª¡± I started to ask, then froze when realization hit me like a sword through the heart.

    ¡°FUCK!¡± Seyari shouted, startling both me and Salvador.

    ¡°Do¡ªdo you think I might be correct?¡± Salvador asked hesitantly, unsure what Seyari and I had just realized.

    I turned to Salvador. ¡°He might have meant to create a demon to bind.¡±

    ¡°By Dhias¡­¡± the Cavenish man turned paler than an Edathan.

    Seyari continued to curse in the background.

    Something still seemed off to me. ¡°That would leave his house without the people at the ambush. And the ambush almost succeeded.¡±

    Seyari spat into the fire. ¡°If the guards were all like your sister, and Mordwell could still fight, we¡¯d probably still have lost a frontal assault. And the bastard did all this because he wins either way. He either kills us, or makes a demon. Or both.¡± Seyari looked at me, eyes full of rage and sorrow. ¡°If I died, part of me would make a wrath demon. I¡¯m damn sure of that.¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I cursed, then I thought of Lorelei. Of Lorelei¡¯s last words. The bottom of my stomach dropped out and twisted into a painful knot. I turned quickly and tried to retch on the needle covered ground, one arm still holding the pan over the fire. Nothing came up¡ªmy demonic body refused to make physical the nausea from my mind. My body might not be able to suffer from grief or revulsion, but my mind was enough. It¡¯d have to be.

    ¡°¡°Renna?¡±¡± Seyari and Salvador both jumped up.

    I turned, wiping my mouth with a grimace. ¡°Lorelei. And Markus.¡± My mouth tasted like bile and regret.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Seyari said.

    Salvador¡¯s brow darkened.

    ¡°Should we go back¡­¡± I trailed off, knowing the answer.

    Seyari shook her head and moved over to sit next to me.

    We sat like that for a while, until Salvador spoke up, almost timidly. ¡°Forgive me, but I do not think I have the same idea of what makes a demon.¡±

    Seyari and I shared a look and nodded. Together, we launched into an explanation of the nature of demons, careful to leave out the details of who had told us.

    ***

    ¡°So, we¡¯re off to Lockmoth to meet with Aretan and Nelys, and then Linthel to meet Tania,¡± I observed, putting another cut of meat over the fire for myself. ¡°Do we want to just walk there?¡±

    Salvador shrugged.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°But we need to find out where we are first, and we might want some kind of legitimacy for when Mordwell comes after us again. He can track me, and he¡¯s not the type to let a loose end go free.¡±

    I frowned. Seyari had a good point. ¡°We could join or found a mercenary company, maybe? Like what Aretan had back in Navanaea?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Salvador replied.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Seyari said, touching a finger to her chin. ¡°It¡¯d get complicated if we wanted to reveal that you¡¯re a demon, and we should probably find a big company to join rather than found one or join a small one. More of a backing that way.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± I gave two thumbs up.

    Conversation was light for the rest of the meal, then we packed up and resumed walking. Unfortunately, I had to change into my last set of normal clothes. We all knew wearing my dress, which had repaired itself due to the enchantment on it, would be a mistake. I¡¯d miss the garment, but wearing it too much would make it less special. I also had to admit the dress didn¡¯t fit with what we were doing.

    We needed to find a town for supplies after nearly all of my stuff was lost, so the first order of business was to locate a road.

    ***

    ¡°You can¡¯t go around showing off you¡¯re a demon and ¡®just smile and explain it¡¯.¡± Seyari sighed exasperatedly. ¡°You have to know this. You have to be messing with me.¡±

    I turned to Salvador. ¡°Back me up here?¡± I gave him my best winning smile.

    The ranger shivered involuntarily. ¡°You should stay looking human, Zarenna.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Is it the smile?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Seyari answered sarcastically.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Salvador answered honestly.

    ¡°What if I just dull my teeth?¡± I asked the other two. ¡°Like this?¡±

    I shifted my teeth to human teeth. They felt odd in my mouth, though, so I settled for something more like an in-between. I couldn¡¯t shape my teeth however I wanted, so I hoped they looked okay. Soon, I¡¯d have to transform into my human form, but I needed levity right now. I could tell Seyari did too. I still couldn¡¯t get Lorelei¡¯s death out of my mind.

    I gave another smile.

    Salvador looked quickly away and pulled his hood tighter against the afternoon rain.

    Seyari¡¯s expression twisted. ¡°That¡¯s worse¡­ somehow.¡±

    I pouted and turned my head aside. We¡¯d followed hunting trails for a day and hadn¡¯t yet reached a road. I was risking my true form, borrowing Salvador¡¯s spare cloak to cover myself. I had dulled my horns, but they created two prominent ridges in the hood, running along the sides of my head. Rain pooled in the middle, and I had to tilt my head back to let the water flow out.

    ¡°I see a break in the trees ahead,¡± Salvador announced.

    Seyari turned to me. I put four hands up in mock surrender, then transformed to my human form. The typical fuzz of dulled senses washed over me, like a warm, wet blanket.

    The break in the trees turned out to be a road; moderately-kept and wide enough for two wagons to pass. Salvador was certain he had which way was west figured out, so we started down the muddy track. Soon, we were walking through small farms.

    We confirmed we were headed west at a small hamlet, then crossed a river on an old-looking bridge and camped the night in the woods on the other side. ¡®We¡¯ being Salvador. Seyari and I skirted the town, still paranoid of pursuit. I was not going to traipse about hiding in the woods forever, but I¡¯d compromised with Seyari this one time since we weren¡¯t staying in the town.

    Thankfully, we reached a proper town the next day. This town was larger than Harriston by a margin. The main street was cobbled and lined with several businesses. We purchased replacements for much of the goods we¡¯d lost. Thankfully, since we¡¯d be traveling through a populated region, we could pack lighter and I wouldn¡¯t have to carry two packs any longer. Seyari was also able to find supplies for her continued disguise as well. Even if Yothariel¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t widely known, there were perks to not advertising her half-angel nature wherever we went.

    After shopping and lunch, we needed to pick a place to stay. I picked out the nicest-looking inn, but Seyari and Salvador steered me toward a dive instead.

    ¡°Come on! Can¡¯t we stay at the nice place?¡± I tried to give a pitiful look and failed.

    ¡°We¡¯re running out of money, Zarenna,¡± Seyari replied apologetically.

    ¡°Oh.¡± My shoulders slumped. ¡°Right.¡±

    I turned to Salvador, who nodded.

    I was outvoted.

    We stepped inside. I ducked deeper than I needed to, mindful of horns that weren¡¯t there right now. The first floor of this place was a pub, and the place had a well-worn, homey atmosphere that raised it above its more-than-modest exterior. I smelled ale, food, and a bit of sweat.

    A bard was performing on a small stage in the corner. The kazzel woman layered her pleasant voice over the sound of her lute. The song had a style far different than what Ordian songs I remembered. I couldn¡¯t place it, knowing as little about music as I did.

    The lyrics of the tune, however, were in Ordian, punctuated sharply, and bawdy enough to turn the tips of my transformed ears red.

    The three of us found spots at a long table and ordered food. I had to explain my ¡®ogre heritage¡¯ to a few people, but soon the warm atmosphere wrapped around me like a familiar outfit. From brief conversations, we were able to determine our route for the next few days. The fastest way to Lockmoth wouldn¡¯t take us through any major towns.

    I wasn¡¯t certain if Aretan and Nelys would even be there, but if we wanted to sign on with some sort of group or guild, it¡¯d be appropriate to have their input. I didn¡¯t think either of them would mind.

    I absolutely was not putting off joining some sort of company. Nope. Not at all. Despite what I knew about my transformation and the confidence I had started to gain in myself before the tragedy of recent days, I still wasn¡¯t keen on risking my position. At the same time, I wanted nothing more than to show this whole inn right now that I was a demon and tell them they could all deal with it.

    I didn¡¯t. Causing an incident wouldn¡¯t make me feel better. I was still angry about so much: the deaths of Lorelei, Markus, and Ruston; what happened with those two murderous hunters; how passive I was around Lilly; and even all the way back to the disaster with the vile Third Prince. I just wanted to be home. But now I knew home wasn¡¯t going to be the same.

    This new life I¡¯ve been given comes with its own difficulties. I can¡¯t deny them.

    This whole time I¡¯ve been afraid of losing who I was. But that¡¯s just it. Who I was. Not who I am now. I¡¯ve changed since my death. I¡¯ve changed since two weeks ago. I¡¯ll keep changing.

    But I¡¯ll keep in control of who I am, and who I want to be. I want to be the Sovereign of Wrath. On my own terms, yes, but not as a rejection of the title. I know who I am against, and I will come for their heads. There will be others to come, too, who will face my wrath.

    I stared down into the stew I ordered. I saw flecks of some herb and at least one chunk of meat. The hearty bowl of food smelled great, but my stew wouldn¡¯t be able to appreciate my new outlook.

    I turned to the others. Salvador was eating quietly across from me, nodding gently along to the words of the slightly red-faced man next to him. To my side, Seyari was also staring into her stew as if it held the answer to some great question.

    I put my hand gently on her thigh. She turned to me, and a small smile thawed her cool expression.

    ¡°Are you trying to find answers in your dinner?¡± I asked.

    Seyari¡¯s smile grew. ¡°I suppose, but I didn¡¯t get any useful ones.¡±

    I wished I could see her golden eyes under the black dye. I smiled my own dull-toothed smile. ¡°Ask the potatoes. They don¡¯t know as much as the meat, but they speak freely. Ware the carrots, who lie and misdirect.¡±

    One giggle slipped out of Seyari before she quickly moved a hand over her mouth to hold the others in. ¡°Oh, and what of the broth, oh Stew Sage?¡±

    I let my mouth hang open. ¡°Huh? Broth can¡¯t talk. It¡¯s broth.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s expression shifted rapidly from confusion to anger to the biggest smile I¡¯d seen on her in weeks. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t so hungry, I¡¯d make you wear my dinner.¡±

    ¡°I think the colors would clash.¡±

    Seyari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me.¡±

    I leaned forward and whispered. ¡°What if I want to tempt you?¡±

    Both of us blushed at the same time. I wondered where those words of mine had come from. My newfound spine? A desire to confirm we were both alive? A dark corner of my mind wondered if I just wanted to find some way to feel pleasure after all that had happened.

    With effort, I banished the thought. I had every right to feel happy, even in the wake of tragedy.

    I was still stuck in my thoughts when Seyari¡¯s lips met mine. I wanted to lean into the kiss, but remembered where we were and kept it chaste.

    ¡°You looked like you got stuck.¡± Seyari¡¯s eyes were lidded.

    ¡°You got me unstuck,¡± I replied, touching my lips.

    ¡°Should we head to our room, then?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll eat fast.¡±

    Seyari turned, looked at her full bowl of soup and frowned. Her stomach growled audibly.

    We ate quickly and then excused ourselves, telling Salvador we were headed to our room to turn in early. He smiled softly and told us to have fun. I almost choked on my spit.

    A few others from our table looked our way as we left. My demonic powers did not extend to willing myself out of existence from embarrassment.

    Seyari and I entered our room, a plain worn straw bed in a tiny space with little to no furniture. That night, however, it was the best room I¡¯d ever slept in.

 Chapter 67: Bardic Knife Tricks

    I woke up before Seyari, who was still asleep in my arms. My feet and lower legs were cold; I must have stretched out during the night. I thought back to the previous evening¡¯s activities. I¡¯d learned a lot from the more experienced woman and, honestly, I felt great today.

    The pain of the last few days had dulled, but I knew it would stick around. I wanted some amount of it to stick around.

    I pulled my cold legs back up into the bed and looked toward the window. Still dark from the lines between the shutters. My sight was better in human form than it had been. Still not nearly as sharp as my normal sight, I could make out the room around me well enough.

    Calm and quiet. The patrons must have all left or gone to sleep, and no one was stirring in the predawn hours. I held my breath a moment, expecting and almost daring some catastrophe to break the stillness. Nothing happened. The calm quiet of the end of night carried on.

    I held Seyari close and closed my eyes, enjoying this slow moment of peace. I drifted off again.

    ***

    Seyari woke me up the second time. She stretched and smiled at me. ¡°You were pretty good last night. For a total beginner.¡±

    I blushed, but rolled my eyes. ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t like I was going to get experience before, and even if I did, it wouldn¡¯t have been quite the same.¡±

    ¡°Point taken.¡± Seyari¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Are you doing alright, Renna?¡±

    I nodded slowly. ¡°I¡­ think so, Sey. I might be more alright than I should be. But maybe that¡¯s because I¡¯m, well, y¡¯know¡­¡±

    ¡°Next time, I want to try it with ¡®well y¡¯know¡¯.¡± Seyari grinned lasciviously, avoiding the subject.

    I blushed harder and felt my ears heating up.

    ¡°But I really am glad you¡¯re doing okay.¡± Seyari paused. ¡°Let me know if you need to talk.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    We reunited with Salvador downstairs and had a cold breakfast. The place was blissfully empty so early, and aside from a knowing look from Salvador, I didn¡¯t have any attention on me. We topped off our supplies, finished picking up a few things for the road, left when the sun was high in the sky.

    ***

    We walked the entire first day through rolling farmland. At least the small farms and narrow stands of trees were different from the endless forest. The second day, however, we took a turn off the main road and headed into a marshy, forested area. More trees. Different trees, at least.

    The road skirted the edge of the marsh proper, too timid to try to cut through its dark depths. Moss hung from the trees above the brackish water. The road wound around, sticking to high terrain and weaving between small knolls.

    Soon it was impossible to see more than a few dozen meters down the road. I hadn¡¯t really put any thought toward the risks of the terrain until I realized the sounds of the forest were much quieter.

    Actually, Salvador realized a moment before I did and motioned for us to stop. I scanned the surroundings. My vision and hearing both in and out of human form were sharper than before I had fought the burned demon by Harriston. The one who had challenged my title and lost.

    I didn¡¯t particularly want that one¡¯s soul. Not that having it would change me, anyway. Probably.

    I couldn¡¯t see through dirt, but my ears picked up a faint sound from up ahead. Voices?

    ¡°Voices ahead, I think,¡± I whispered. ¡°Even if they¡¯re unfriendly, I doubt we¡¯d have trouble.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t choose whether they¡¯d make trouble, Renna.¡± Seyari checked for her weapons.

    I checked my spear. ¡°True, but that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    ¡°We could try to go around uphill where it¡¯s dry,¡± Salvador suggested.

    I looked at my last set of fragile clothing. ¡°We can go around.¡± We hadn¡¯t taken the time to get me anything else in the last town, so this plain traveler¡¯s outfit and the dress were all I had. Not that the last town would have had much to offer anyway.

    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Seyari shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll go around.¡±

    Salvador nodded, and the three of us turned and began to trek through the damp woods uphill from the marsh.

    ¡°Can we at least see what the commotion is?¡± I asked, peering through the trees. I could definitely hear voices now. ¡°What if someone¡¯s in trouble?¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s their trouble.¡± Seyari replied.

    Salvador stayed silent, not turning from his position in the lead.

    I didn¡¯t argue. Instead, I waited, staying silent as we crept through the trees and gaps in the underbrush.

    Seyari broke the silence not a minute later. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll go look.¡±

    I smiled.

    Seyari turned to me and frowned. ¡°You knew I¡¯d cave, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I feigned ignorance. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. You decided all on your own.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Seyari smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, thank yourself.¡±

    Salvador interjected with a hand motion. ¡°Stay silent. We¡¯ll approach from downwind just in case.¡±

    Seyari and I nodded. Together, we crept around closer. The voices were heated now. I couldn¡¯t make out words, but there were two main speakers, both sounding feminine.

    The three of us crept closer as fast as we dared. The voices were ahead of us¡ªwe¡¯d gone around behind them. I could just make out several people on the road below: a lone figure faced by a half dozen others. Late Autumn made the underbrush thin, and it was only the sharp-needled gorse and thorny brambles that we were able to use as cover.

    My clothes were going to come out of this with some damage. Salvador¡¯s thick outerwear kept him protected, but Seyari suffered in silence behind us, slipping in the wake of my larger form. I carried my spear, keeping the shining tip down and out of sight.

    Salvador put up his hand to halt so suddenly, that I almost knocked into him. I righted myself, but my boots made a soft crunching noise landing back onto the dried needles. I¡¯d been so eager to hear what was being said that I¡¯d gotten too close behind him.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± A voice from somewhere in the brush ahead of us demanded.

    Shit.

    We remained silent, and I lowered myself into the gorse as best I could.

    The voice called out to us again, unsure. Bushes a dozen meters in front of us shifted. I couldn¡¯t make out the speaker.

    We stayed silent and still. I kept my gaze on the people on the road, although I risked changing my eyes back from human to demonic, so I could get a better look. I made myself ready to move in case I needed to, but I¡¯d need to keep my human transformation even if we came to blows. I felt the spear in my hand. Heavier than I remember.

    ¡°Friends of yours?¡± One of the voices I¡¯d heard earlier drifted up to us. I could just make out the speaker to be the one standing in the center of half circle facing the lone individual. The speaker in the center of the half-circle was armored, but not in plate.

    The figure before her, dressed in bright clothing, replied with a shrug. ¡°Maybe? Look, you could always just let me go. I¡¯m real broke y¡¯know?¡± Something on her head twitched and I realized it was her ears, cat-like and listening for what had happened.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± The armored figure laughed darkly.

    ¡°If I give ya all my stuff, will ya let me go?¡± The kazzel woman asked apprehensively.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The armored woman shifted slightly. I couldn¡¯t see what she did because she was facing almost entirely away. ¡°No. I think you¡¯ll be more fun to keep around.¡± Her voice dripped venom.

    ¡°Shame about that.¡± The kazzel shrugged again. ¡°So, uh, how d¡¯we do this then?¡±

    Another dark laugh, barked out sharply. ¡°Well, first¡ª"

    The armored woman didn¡¯t get to finish. I saw the kazzel move. The arms she¡¯d held casually, demurely, behind her rear brought forth knives, one in a reverse grip. My breath caught. She was too slow.

    The other woman reacted even more slowly. I blinked and realized I¡¯d been thinking outside from the perspective of a demon. The kazzel woman was actually very fast.

    The blades flashed up and a spray of blood erupted from the armored woman¡¯s neck. The kazzel kicked off her opponent into a backflip, sending the armored figure tumbling back into her goons.

    The bushes in front of us shifted. Bows were drawn, and I could make out figures facing mostly away from us. The others on the road pulled out swords.

    I didn¡¯t hesitate.

    I burst out of the undergrowth. The bandit who¡¯d looked our way was already facing me. My form, improved as it was, still restricted my speed. My spear caught him in the shoulder, but the arrow he¡¯d nocked loosed into my chest.

    I felt a sharp pressure, like someone had flicked me, but no pain. My human form had definitely gotten stronger.

    I hoped the human bandit hadn¡¯t seen. I didn¡¯t intend to kill him, at least not yet. I pulled the spear out, twirled it, and caught him in the kneecap. Something shattered and he went down with a scream, clutching his leg with his good arm.

    An arrow flew from behind me, and caught another bandit in the neck. A blade of wind sliced another across the torso, cutting through leathers and bone alike. My companions hadn¡¯t the same compassion I did, but I didn¡¯t mind. They were trying to kill us.

    Four others with bows fired toward the road. I glanced over. Where the kazzel had stood, a cloud of smoke drifted up. The other bandits up with us fired into the smoke. I heard the arrows striking dirt.

    The group on the ground had also lost sight of the kazzel woman. Their leader was on the ground in a growing pool of blood, and the group seemed unsure what to do.

    I reached the archers before Seyari or Salvador fired on them. I slammed my shoulder into one from behind. The force was more than I expected, and the bandit caught air off the top of the bluff and began to tumble down the hill.

    I looked toward a flash of movement at my side. Twin throwing knives planted themselves in another two of the four archers. The last was felled by a blade of wind.

    I turned to the bandits down by the road. One of them shouted and pointed to the hillside. Another shouted back, turning the scene into an argument. A pair broke off, looking torn about whether to flee.

    I jumped back from the blur that ran up to me. The kazzel woman help up empty hands as if surrendering. She glanced at the arguing bandits on the road below, and back to me. She looked panicked, but I didn¡¯t get any anger from her. Her face seemed vaguely familiar.

    The bard from last night!

    ¡°We should leave.¡± Salvador surprised me by speaking up.

    I gave one last look toward the bandits on the road. Two were fleeing back the way we came, and it looked like a fight was brewing between the others. Several glanced up our way.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± I agreed.

    The three of us and the kazzel woman retreated back into the forest and into the underbrush. I finally got a good look at the bard. She was small, coming up only to Seyari¡¯s chin, with light brown hair¡ªfur on her ears and tail. Her eyes cat-like were pale green, and she looked between us appraisingly.

    Once we¡¯d made it well away, Seyari broke the silence. ¡°Are you going to keep following us?¡± She turned to the kazzel bard.

    The bard looked to me, and then the others. ¡°But ya saved me! If you three didn¡¯t come along, the bandits woulda robbed me blind. And worse! What¡¯s a bard without her lute? Or her booze money?¡±

    ¡°Did we?¡± The half-angel narrowed her eyes, black dye barely holding back their glow.

    The kazzel woman scratched an ear and laughed nervously. I noticed her tail was calm. ¡°Yeah, uh, ¡®course you did! They almost had me, then you all swooped in and BAM!¡± She slammed her fist against her open palm.

    Salvador raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You dropped their leader before we even attacked,¡± I said plainly.

    The small, cat-like woman looked up at me, craning her neck. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re tall.¡±

    Seyari coughed.

    The kazzel shook her head and looked at my girlfriend. ¡°Wait, that wasn¡¯t one of your spells? Oh, d¡¯ya think there¡¯s someone else who tried ta save me, too?¡± The woman looked genuinely shocked.

    I sighed. ¡°You can just admit that you killed¡ª"

    ¡°Oh!¡± The bard interrupted me. ¡°My name¡¯s Taava by the way!¡± She took a step toward me, then turned to the others. ¡°Thanks again for savin¡¯ me. Are you folks going to Linthel? If you are, I¡¯d really like a little protection while I¡ª¡±

    Seyari took a step toward Taava. ¡°Why are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªFollowin¡¯ you? Oh, that¡¯s because ya saved me. Oh, wait!¡± Taava clapped her hands and leaned forward, angled slightly toward me. ¡°Is this about money? I don¡¯t have a lot of that, but I¡¯m sure we could work somethin¡¯ out. After all, since you¡¯re gonna be protectin¡¯ me, that¡¯s definitely somethin¡¯ I should pay ya for. Do you guys¡ª"

    I felt my half-angel partner¡¯s anger spike blindingly hot. Seyari moved quickly; faster than a pure human could have. She launched a blade of wind to the side of my head. Taava hissed in pain and her arms moved fast to her sides.

    However, I was faster.

    I grabbed her wrists, one in each hand. I almost dropped my transformation, but I decided to hold it for now. I made sure not to grab her too hard.

    Taava struggled for a moment, but when she realized my grip wouldn¡¯t slip, she stopped and whimpered instead. Her ears lay flat on her head.

    I noticed Salvador had drawn his bow.

    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, letting anger creep into my voice.

    ¡°Ask Taava,¡± Seyari replied icily.

    Salvador lowered his bow, but kept it out and his eyes trained on the kazzel¡¯s backside.

    I realized I smelled blood. I looked behind and saw the that half of Taava¡¯s tail had been sliced clean off.

    ¡°Seyari,¡± I asked. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°She had a knife in her tail, Renna,¡± Seyari answered with a hard face.

    ¡°Salvador?¡± I asked.

    Salvador spoke earnestly. ¡°I didn¡¯t see, but something flashed when Seyari attacked.¡±

    ¡°Taava?¡± I asked the kazzel woman.

    She kept silent, seemingly unbothered by the pain she must have been feeling.

    ¡°Seyari, can you take her?¡± I pushed Taava forward. ¡°I¡¯m going to find the knife. And her tail.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°If she tries anything, I will stop her.¡±

    ¡°Try not to kill her,¡± I pleaded.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Satisfied, I handed my charge to the half-angel and turned to carefully search the area. I shifted my eyes when I looked away. After only a few moments, I found half of a light brown furred kazzel tail, the end clean cut and dripping blood. A meter or so away from the severed limb, was a small knife. There was a dull film on the edge of the blade. Poison?

    What was Taava trying to do?

    I took the knife and tail back to the others. Taava¡¯s face was surprisingly impassive. Her eyes looked to me, then Salvador. I sensed only the smallest hint of anger, escaping like steam from the lid of a boiling pot.

    ¡°Hey Sey, can you reattach this?¡± I gestured to the severed limb I was holding.

    I watched Taava while I spoke. Her gaze regarded me, and it did not waver. Creepy.

    ¡°I can,¡± Seyari replied.

    ¡°Will you?¡± I asked, frustration creeping into my tone.

    ¡°Not with my hands full.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take her back.¡± I turned to Salvador and held out the knife and tail. ¡°Could you hold these?¡±

    Salvador nodded and took the knife easily. He hesitated at the tail, then took it too, careful not to hold too close to the cut.

    Seyari handed Taava to me. ¡°We¡¯re searching her first.¡±

    Seyari took her time searching the kazzel woman, finding knives, vials of something, a small hidden crossbow, and a few other odd things, setting them in a pile on the ground. Satisfied, the half-angel took the tail from Salvador and held it to Taava¡¯s wound.

    She gripped the kazzel¡¯s tail with a bit more force than necessary if the soft, stifled hiss was any indication. Our formerly talkative captive still hadn¡¯t said a word. Taava looked up at me when the healing glow of Seyari¡¯s magic reattached the limb. She studied my face wordlessly.

    My skin prickled at the holy magic so close to me. I kept my face impassive and looked back down to Taava.

    When the tail was reattached, I let Taava go. She took a moment to realize I¡¯d actually let her go. Then, she turned quickly and jumped back from us, eyeing the pile of all her weapons and tools.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start over?¡± I asked with the kindest tone I could muster. ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna, this is Seyari, and this is Salvador.¡± I gestured to each of my companions in turn.

    Taava eyed us. Seyari twisted her hands, showing that she was ready to cast again. Salvador still held his bow, but didn¡¯t bring it up.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not with ¡®em, huh,¡± Taava shook her head and muttered something I couldn¡¯t understand under her breath.

    I relaxed my tense shoulders. ¡°Why would we be? And who¡¯s ¡®them¡¯?¡±

    Taava tensed again, then felt her newly-whole tail with one hand. She kept her eyes on us the whole time. ¡°I¡¯ll just be goin¡¯ then.¡± She took a tentative step forward.

    I didn¡¯t move to stop her, but Seyari did.

    ¡°Answers first,¡± my partner demanded.

    Taava hissed. ¡°I owe money to some people, and I thought you were here to collect.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Seyari glared at her. ¡°Try again.¡±

    Taava¡¯s expression twisted, turning vulnerable and dejected. ¡°I owe more than money, okay? And I really did think ya were here for me.¡±

    ¡°Lie by deflection and omission.¡± Seyari took another step forward. ¡°Last chance, bitch.¡±

    For the first time, I felt anger from the kazzel woman. She didn¡¯t squash it, but kept the emotion tight, like a blade¡¯s edge.

    ¡°Look.¡± I put my hands forward placatingly. ¡°We¡¯ve people after us, too, okay. We¡¯re not with whoever¡¯s after you and we¡¯re not going to hold a grudge. You want to go? Take your stuff and go.¡±

    Seyari turned to glare at me.

    I glared right back. ¡°We don¡¯t need to know anything about Taava, Sey. She can leave and if she comes back after us, I¡¯ll kill her.¡± I turned back to Taava.

    To my surprise, Taava bowed slightly, with her ears lowered. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her tone was completely different than everything she¡¯d said up until that point. Then, she switched right back to her easy and informal speech. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna ask to help me after savin¡¯ me, miss goody-two-shoes?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°You tried to kill me.¡±

    Taava eyed me for a moment, her gaze piercing. ¡°See, thing is I think know where I stand with you lot now. And you¡¯re strong enough not ta be useless, ¡®cept maybe bow guy.¡±

    If Salvador was hurt by the comment, he didn¡¯t show it. Impassive as always.

    ¡°So, you do want our help.¡± I crossed my arms.

    The odd woman purred. ¡°Well, if ya asked, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d say no¡­¡±

    ¡°Damnit, do you want help or not?¡± Seyari exploded next to me. ¡°Because it¡¯s only by Renna¡¯s good graces that you¡¯re not in tiny pieces right now.¡±

    Taava smiled. ¡°Well, when ya put it like that, yeah, I do want help. I got into some debt, but that¡¯s not the issue. The problem¡¯s that I think some much worse people who¡¯re after me got in touch with my creditors and I¡¯m eight kinds a fucked soon as I pop back up somewhere they¡¯ve got eyes.¡±

    ¡°Omitting some shit, but truthful,¡± Seyari grumbled.

    Taava¡¯s eyebrow twitched, but she didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Do you want us to rough them up?¡± I tried to keep on the subject.

    The odd kazzel laughed a hissing laugh. ¡°Fuck no. They gotta die! Trust me, they¡¯re real bad people. After all, who else¡¯d go after an innocent bard like me?¡±

    ¡°Innocent?¡± I asked incredulously. ¡°What about when you took down the bandit leader? Or when you threw knives into the archers¡¯ eyes?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Taava waved a hand casually. ¡°Those were just bardic knife tricks!¡±

    I looked down at the literal pile of killing implements and back up to the "bard." ¡°Bardic knife tricks?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Taava smiled, showing sharp canines. ¡°Bardic knife tricks! Now, just gimme a minute to get all my gear back and I¡¯ll be good to go!¡±

    What is with her?

 Chapter 68: Damsel in Distress

    ¡°Why did you offer to help her?¡± Seyari asked me.

    ¡°¡¯Cause she¡¯s a super great person and I¡¯m a damsel in distress!¡± Taava answered cheerily. She didn¡¯t skip a note of her playing.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you!¡± Seyari snapped.

    In response, Taava started to hum loudly along to the tune.

    The four of us had stopped for the night, just outside the marsh in a sparse forest. All of us were seated on the ground around a fire and our newest ¡®member¡¯ had offered, rather insistently, to play for us. I had to admit she wasn¡¯t bad. Still, I didn¡¯t buy for a moment that she was only a traveling bard.

    I watched Taava¡¯s nimble fingers dance over the strings, then glanced at Seyari. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I replied honestly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have some moralistic reason?¡± Seyari asked with a hint of venom. ¡°You just want to trust her? Go out of our way to help someone who¡¯s clearly lying?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re both headed to Lockmoth, though! That¡¯s not outta the way at all,¡± Taava smiled.

    Seyari threw a rock at the bard¡¯s head, but the nimble kazzel ducked under it.

    ¡°Both of you should settle down,¡± Salvador said. The ranger had been quietly warming our rations over the fire.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Taava said, still continuing her song.

    ¡°Both of you,¡± Salvador continued sternly. ¡°You really should tell us more about these people you want us to kill, Taava. This isn¡¯t the type of job I take.¡±

    ¡°But is it the type of job those two take?¡± Taava pointed her tail at Seyari and me and grinned. ¡°Seyari seems especially murderous.¡±

    I felt Seyari¡¯s anger rise, then deflate as she took a big breath in and out.

    ¡°Do I take jobs to kill people?¡± I mused at Taava. ¡°Depends entirely on who we¡¯re going after. You could say I¡¯m well adapted to excessive violence. Even if it isn¡¯t my first choice.¡±

    ¡°Or your second, miss nice giant!¡± Taava finished her piece with a flourish. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re friends now!¡±

    I expected Seyari to disagree. Instead, the half-angel simply glared at the impetuous kazzel. The latter deflated when she didn¡¯t get the reaction she wanted.

    I uncrossed my legs and stretched. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to before you changed the subject, Taava. Could you tell us any more about who¡¯s after you and why?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Taava put her instrument carefully back into its case and sat back on her elbows.

    ¡°Could you elaborate?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nah! If you¡¯re not up to it, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve got a few bardic tricks that might come in handy.¡± The ¡®bard¡¯ closed her eyes and yawned, showing off pointed canines. ¡°But I¡¯ll probably die. You wouldn¡¯t want that, would ya?¡± She opened a slitted eye at me.

    This is going nowhere fast. What could make her talk?

    I had an idea. I waved a hand dismissively. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯d care all that much about a complete stranger. Sure, it¡¯s one thing if I can see someone being attacked unprovoked. But an argument? That isn¡¯t my business.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re not strangers, Zarenna!¡± Taava smiled. ¡°We¡¯re friends!¡±

    ¡°Not if I don¡¯t know anything about you, we aren¡¯t,¡± I countered. ¡°Besides, you tried to use me as a hostage! Or maybe even worse!¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re helpin¡¯ me!¡± Taava protested. ¡°And friends help friends! Or do you wanna go back on your word, Zarenna?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I never gave you my word, Taava. You just made an assumption when I said I might be willing to help you.¡±

    Taava¡¯s face broke into a pout. I could see tears forming at the corners of her cat-like eyes. She was good at this.

    Honestly, with how good she was at manipulation, I felt less and less like helping her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, Taava!¡± I put on my best conciliatory voice. ¡°Why don¡¯t I tell you something about myself, and you tell me something about yourself. That way we¡¯ll know each other and could be friends. And friends help friends.¡±

    I carefully said ¡®could¡¯ instead of ¡®would¡¯ for our pending friendship. Not like I had to honor such an agreement anyway, but a part of me felt satisfaction at the escape I¡¯d left myself.

    Taava put a finger to her chin. ¡°Hmmm. What happens if ya don¡¯t like the secret?¡±

    ¡°Depends.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Depends on what?¡±

    ¡°Depends on who¡¯s going after you and why. That could be the secret, if you want.¡±

    Taava kept her eyes locked onto mine. ¡°Sure, I guess. But that¡¯s a pretty big secret.¡±

    ¡°I have a bigger one.¡±

    The kazzel looked me up and down. ¡°I¡¯d bet! But I don¡¯t have one, so, well, that¡¯s not real impressive.¡±

    I snapped my fingers. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about dicks, Taava. Keep on subject.¡±

    Taava sighed and cradled her chin in her hands with exaggerated motion. ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re no fun!¡±

    Seyari stirred and looked up at me. ¡°Zarenna?¡±

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    I looked down at her and smiled warmly. ¡°Yeah, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± I glanced over at Salvador.

    Salvador nodded back and took the pot of rations off the fire to cool a bit before portioning.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°If you say so, Renna.¡±

    I turned my attention back to the ¡®bard¡¯ who was waiting with an excited, almost manic look in her eyes.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this ¡®big¡¯ secret of yours, big lady?¡± Taava asked cheekily.

    I decided to drop all drama and pretense. Partly because it was faster, but also because I wanted to fluster Taava as much as she¡¯d been flustering the rest of us. I spoke the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯m a demon.¡±

    Taava and I stared at each other, unblinking. Tension started to rise. I felt no anger from the ¡®bard¡¯.

    Soon, I realized why.

    Taava burst out laughing into the silence.

    I said nothing, leaned back, and crossed my arms, waiting.

    The kazzel ¡®bard¡¯¡¯s laughter faded and she wiped her eyes. Seeing my expression, Taava tilted her head at me and flicked an ear. ¡°You can¡¯t be¡ªwait! I get it! You mean, like, on the battlefield or somethin¡¯, yeah? You know, I really could use a big bruiser. You loud types make great distractions.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean an I¡¯m actual demon. Fire and horns and claws and all that.¡± I stared at her.

    Taava stared back at me, squinting. ¡°Huh, it almost seems like ya really believe that. What, did your grandma lay a demon-blooded and ya got a third nipple hidden under there somewhere? I guess you¡¯re pretty tall. Don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve got horns. Oh, is it an illusion? ¡®Cause it felt pretty real and I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s¡ª¡±

    I reverted my transformation.

    ¡°a¡ªthing¡­¡± Taava¡¯s eyes went wide and she froze. She muttered something in a language I didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°An actual demon,¡± I repeated with a smile, showing twin rows of sharp teeth. ¡°Really though¡ª¡± I snapped my fingers and conjured a ball of white-hot fire. ¡°¡ªI¡¯m not that bad. Honest. But I need to know a bit more about the people after you before I decide I want to go killing a bunch of mortals.¡±

    Taava shivered under my gaze. Her eyes, for the first time I¡¯d met her, seemed frantic. Cat-like green orbs darted over my form and the fire I¡¯d conjured, fear present inside for any to see. She seemed torn between trying to stay or running.

    In the end, she chose to stay.

    ¡°Oh, screw me!¡± Taava huffed, looking between my relaxed, smiling form and Seyari and Salvador who had dished portions already. Saldavor¡¯s food was untouched, but Seyari was calmly eating.

    ¡°You knew,¡± Taava accused, her posture still rigid and tight. ¡°You knew she was a demon! Both of ya! Are ya under her thrall?¡±

    Seyari set her spoon down calmly. ¡°No. Zarenna¡¯s a wrath demon, anyway, so she wouldn¡¯t generally have that sort of power.¡±

    Taava¡¯s tail twitched, and her ears lay flat against her head. ¡°But she might.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t prove to you that I don¡¯t,¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m just completely screwed?¡± For some reason Taava started to relax. ¡°Hah.¡±

    I dismissed my flame. ¡°If I wanted to kill you, I already would¡¯ve. I¡¯m showing you that I¡¯m a demon for another reason. Unless you¡¯re as dumb as you¡¯re playing at being, you know what that reason is.¡±

    Taava sat back up, crossed her legs, and studied me again. She didn¡¯t speak.

    To our side, Salvador finally started to eat his rations. Seyari passed me a bowl. I knew it was meant for me, but I stood up slowly and walked it over to Taava. She flinched when I sat down next to her.

    I offered her the bowl. The ¡®bard¡¯ stared into it, tail twitching and ears flat. I watched the steam waft up into wisps, visible easily against the cold evening air.

    I spoke softly, looking at her looking into her food. ¡°You¡¯re not going to find any answers in there. I never have.¡±

    Taava took the bowl from me, careful not to touch my hands or my claws. ¡°I was formerly an assassin with the Black Claw in Raavia.¡± Her tone was different. Colder. Like when she had bowed and thanked me earlier in the day.

    Raavia? I¡¯m not sure where that is. I can¡¯t just ask Taava that right now¡ªI¡¯ll have to find out later.

    ¡°And you¡¯re not anymore?¡±

    ¡°Black Claws serve until death.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not dead.¡±

    ¡°They want to fix that. I thought I had escaped their notice until recently. Now, I¡¯m certain they¡¯ve found me again.¡±

    ¡°Is any of your story true?¡±

    ¡°Most of it. I¡¯m in debt, and I think they¡¯ve found the people I owe money to.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯ll work together?¡±

    Taava shook her head. ¡°No. The Black Claw will do anything to find me, and then they¡¯ll remove any evidence I was ever alive. That¡¯s it.¡± She looked up at me, eyes hard and dry. ¡°There. Are you happy?¡±

    ¡°I am. Thanks.¡± I looked to Seyari.

    My partner¡¯s brow was creased. ¡°I think you know, but she wasn¡¯t lying. For once.¡±

    ¡°What kind of assassins are the Black Claw?¡± I asked.

    Taava hissed a curt laugh. ¡°What type!? What type do ya think? They¡¯re assassins. Pay them enough and they¡¯ll kill anyone.¡± Her voice had returned to its usual chipper tone. She started to dig into the rations. ¡°This ain¡¯t bad!¡±

    I looked down at the dirt between my feet. I¡¯d poked holes in my boots with my toe claws. After a few moments I looked up

    The former Black Claw assassin smiled cruelly, licking a spoon. She¡¯d gained confidence from somewhere. ¡°What? Did ya think they had some kinda code? Some demon you are! People are shit, Zarenna. You¡¯re gonna learn that someday.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not everyone.¡±

    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re not gonna say I¡¯m not shit?¡± Taava mock pouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± I smiled coldly.

    Taava shivered. ¡°Point taken. So, uh, will ya help me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll need to think about it.¡±

    Taava¡¯s tail twitched and she grabbed at the tip nervously. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of tryin¡¯ to talk ta them, forget it. It¡¯s not that you won¡¯t get anywhere, it¡¯s that¡ªno, wait, that¡¯s exactly it. Seriously, there¡¯ll be more death if ya hesitate.¡±

    My mind flashed back to Ruston. Shit. ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± I started. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for Sey and Salvador, but I¡¯ll at least help you. But I want all the information you can give me so we can find about who these people are.¡±

    Taava nodded, then set her half-empty bowl down carefully. She spoke rapidly, rattling off things on her fingers as she went. ¡°Few of them are casters. The ones who are specialize in targeted strikes and aura concealment. One member per squad¡¯ll have an aura-suppressed enchanted weapon. Oh, and a squad¡¯s five by the way. Usually one mage. Different from the one with the enchanted weapon. The others will all carry poisoned weapons, and usually one of ¡®em has a heavier ranged weapon while the others stick to melee.

    ¡°They prefer to take targets unaware and have a variety of items and tools that can incapacitate and disorient. All are masters of disguise and can take many unassumin¡¯ roles. All members¡¯ll be Kazzel, no members¡¯ll speak, and all members have a way to kill themselves if caught.¡± The former assassin took a breath, then closed her hands, halfway through counting her digits a second time. ¡°I think that¡¯s about it.¡±

    Seyari coughed. ¡°I have to admit, I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡±

    Taava¡¯s canines poked through her smile and she turned her head to Seyari while keeping her eyes on me. ¡°Well, I¡¯m already totally screwed, and I can see the way you and mister professional are starin¡¯ at me like I¡¯m some kinda murderer. I¡¯m a former murderer, I¡¯ll have ya know. I want all of ya helpin¡¯ me.¡± The former assassin never took her eyes off me.

    ¡°Why did you leave?¡± I wondered aloud.

    ¡°Not sayin¡¯.¡± Taava continued on without pausing, ¡°Anyway, whaddya want for helping me? Ya gonna do it outta the kindness of your big demon-ey heart?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually.¡± I replied with a sigh. ¡°And would it kill you to tone it down a bit?¡±

    ¡°Prob¡¯ly!¡± Taava kept smiling, but blissfully stopped speaking in rapid-fire bursts. She didn¡¯t elaborate. Instead, she picked up her food and resumed eating, acting as if she hadn¡¯t a care in the world.

    I stretched all four of my arms and un-kinked my tail. ¡°So, Sey. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s a murderer and you¡¯re crazy to help her.¡± Seyari handed me a bowl since I¡¯d given mine to Taava.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bad habit of mine, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Seyari winced. ¡°Point taken. We¡¯ll help her, but only if she¡¯s spoken the truth.¡±

    I scratched at a horn. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you tell?¡±

    Seyari gave a thin smile in return. ¡°Eat your dinner, Renna. There¡¯s a second portion for you in the pot that¡¯s getting cold.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Can I have it if Renna doesn¡¯t want it?¡± Taava shouted, waving an empty bowl about.

    I took a bland bite and raised an eyebrow at the slim kazzel woman.

    Taava shrugged. ¡°What? Bein¡¯ a bard doesn¡¯t pay well.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll split it,¡± I offered.

    ¡°Deal!¡±

 Chapter 69: Not Nervous

    I took the last watch before morning. Back in human form, I sat up, stitching around the two extra holes I¡¯d made in my last shirt earlier that day. I could probably have shifted and tucked my arms in, but that would have ruined the effect. Ruined it for me, at least.

    I wanted to leave the holes, reasoning that I¡¯d make them again. Seyari had relented, and I¡¯d spent most of my watch making alterations to the battered top. I wondered if there was a time where I would have been nervous to sit on watch alone, sewing, and with only trousers and underclothes on.

    I finished one of the sleeves and shifted my form back to normal to test whether my alteration had worked. Amateurish, but serviceable.

    I stopped to look at the symbol above my sternum. The six-pointed starburst looked like a tattoo, except for the vortex in the center and its interwoven intricacies. In the dark, the center almost had a green tint to it. My symbol hadn¡¯t glowed in a long time. Was this Abby¡¯s influence? Is this green on my symbol all that¡¯s left of her?

    I thought I¡¯d done my mourning. Maybe I¡¯d never really get over her death, despite the promise I¡¯d made her. I brushed my fingers over the symbol. The center was slightly raised, and I felt the intricate facets of my gemstone embedded in the center. Was the red stone greener than before? It could have been a trick of the night shadows.

    I looked over to our tent where Seyari was asleep inside. Salvador had his own egalitarian bedroll nearby and Taava slept leaned up against a tree. She had our blanket, and I watched her ears twitch in her sleep. Her hand clutched her lute tightly.

    She didn¡¯t look like a former assassin when she was like this¡ªnot that she usually did. But right now, she looked especially innocent. I wondered what kind of pain her own past hid. I also wondered whether we might go our separate ways and I¡¯d never learn; I had to be okay with that.

    The sun was rising by the time I finished the other sleeve.

    ***

    ¡°Hey Renna, what¡¯s it like havin¡¯ four arms?¡± Taava asked. She skipped beside me, her palms intertwined behind her head, arms spread to either side.

    Seyari and Salvador walked ahead of us. Seyari spared a glance back at me then returned to watching the road. Now that we knew Taava¡¯s presence would bring us to the bad side of an order of assassins, we were going to stay watchful. That included walking in pairs, and since I was the most likely to react fast enough to block a strike (and to survive it), I walked next to the Taava. That was what we had told the bard, anyway. I knew it was because Seyari didn¡¯t want the woman who was clearly a gossip finding out we were lovers.

    Taava had taken the opportunity to pepper me with questions. While the rest of us were on edge, the former assassin seemed the picture of casual comfort. She¡¯d slid herself into our motley group like she¡¯d always been there. I missed Nelys and Aretan. And Lorelei.

    I realized I should answer Taava¡¯s question. ¡°Honestly? I can¡¯t really imagine not having them¡ª¡±

    ¡°How? You don¡¯t have ¡®em right now!¡±

    ¡°¡ªeven though I don¡¯t while I¡¯m in human form,¡± I finished my sentence with a sigh. ¡°I keep holding something with a couple hands, then trying to use another to grab something else.¡±

    ¡°Weird. Seems useful though, but don¡¯t your claws get in the way?¡± Taava looked at her own neatly trimmed nails.

    I looked at my human-looking hand and shifted it back for a moment, tracing one claw along another. ¡°They do, but I¡¯m used to it. I can also dull their edges with magic so I don¡¯t shred everything.¡±

    ¡°Neat! Do you dull your horns, too? How about your teeth? Do you bite through the bone when ya eat meat? Do ya cook it with fire magic? Do ya cook it at all?¡±

    I turned and gave a pleading look to the short kazzel.

    She stuck her tongue out at me.

    ¡°You know what you¡¯re doing.¡± I didn¡¯t phrase it like a question.

    ¡°I do!¡± Taava answered it like one anyway. She smiled, then frowned. ¡°I wish my teeth were all as sharp as yours¡ªI can¡¯t do a creepy smile anywhere near as creepy.¡± She poked at her pronounced canine with a finger.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked exasperatedly.

    ¡°Because!¡± Taava moved in front of me. ¡°You need ta relax!¡± She smiled wide, turned, and jumped up between Salvador and Seyari, hanging one arm around each of them to support herself. ¡°All of ya do!¡±

    Seyari flinched. ¡°Get. Off.¡±

    Salvador grunted.

    Taava bounced off the pair, knocking their shoulders together. ¡°Really! They¡¯ll be watchin¡¯ for me, I¡¯d bet, and if we all look nervous, it¡¯ll let ¡®em know you know about my past. And that means they¡¯ll know I¡¯ve found allies. Then, they¡¯ll take some time to prepare and spy and try to take all of us out instead!¡±

    Seyari turned and glared at a smiling Taava. ¡°You could have just said that.¡±

    ¡°Yep! But now you¡¯re not actin¡¯ so nervous!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d rather have me be murderous?¡± Seyari raised an eyebrow. She managed, somehow, to both frown mightily and look aloof.

    ¡°The big strong demon¡¯ll protect me!¡± Taava ran over and grabbed my arm.

    ¡°Not from Sey I won¡¯t,¡± I replied candidly.

    Taava looked between us. Seyari turned her glare toward me, anger softly pulsing. My girlfriend¡¯s emotion was a comfortable sort of heat, a kind of controlled frustration that wouldn¡¯t boil over into something dangerous¡ªor so I hoped.

    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Taava¡¯s head shook back and forth. ¡°You¡¯re¡ªYou¡¯re a couple!¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°Do ya make your claws dull not to shred the sheets? And you¡¯re a big, strong demon so how do ya not¡ª¡±

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    ¡°Taava.¡± I warned.

    ¡°When ya¡ª¡±

    ¡°Taava!¡± I shouted.

    Taava snapped her jaw shut. The corners of her lips rose in a smile and her ears quivered all the way to their tips.

    I decided it was best to tell the talkative kazzel. ¡°Yes, we are a couple¡ª¡±

    ¡°Renna.¡± Seyari took the same tone with me that I¡¯d just taken with Taava. That comfortable boiling frustration was getting hotter. Figuratively, because heat for me¡­ well, yeah.

    I looked to Salvador for help. He, in turn, found a most interesting tree to inspect.

    ¡°She was going to find out, Sey! And I want to walk next to you, and hold hands and stuff!¡± I pouted.

    Seyari smiled, then frowned, then marched up to me, yanked my head down, and pulled me into a kiss. With tongue.

    After a short tongue duel (I cheated), Seyari broke the kiss and turned to a beaming Taava. ¡°Happy?¡±

    ¡°Very!¡±

    ¡°Pervert.¡± Seyari smirked.

    ¡°Hiya, Pot! I¡¯m Kettle!¡± Taava tilted her head back and forth, manic smile stretching her cheeks.

    For my part, I contented myself to continue to stand there and blush while the two devolved into a shouting match. Taava really had gotten us to stop being nervous in her own¡­ unique way.

    I looked toward Salvador. Was he laughing?

    The Cavenish man hid his expression once again, and motioned on down the road. Ahead of us, the last vestiges of forest shifted into rolling plains. Small farms dotted the hills, and somewhere ahead was the coast.

    I tugged on Seyari¡¯s shoulder, and she and her partner-in-shouting toned their battle down enough to follow us. I wasn¡¯t too worried it would come to blows since I couldn¡¯t feel much anger from either of them. An odd way to bond, certainly, but if it helped either of them vent their anxiety, who was I to tell them to stop: my ears? Nah, that was a fringe benefit of reduced human form hearing.

    Seyari¡¯s swearing sounded as colorful as ever, while Taava used some metaphors that I was quite certain didn¡¯t make any real sense. Wet behind the ears like a what?

    ***

    We arrived at the coast that evening. Cresting a hill, the water glittered in the late afternoon sun; a thin ribbon stretched under a mottled sky. There was a moderately-sized fishing town hugging a half-moon shaped bay. A rocky quay stretched out into the water like a too-thin limb.

    We approached and entered the town as a group. Whoever was looking for Taava¡ªif they existed and if they would bother with a town like this¡ªwould know we were together. Unless we stayed so far apart as to be useless in a fight. All we had to hope for was that they didn¡¯t suspect us of knowing Taava¡¯s secret, or suspect my or Seyari¡¯s nature.

    Grayport was the town¡¯s name. Eminently forgettable, perhaps unfair for such a charming place. Sure, it stank of fish with a hint of tar, but the people were nice. Some asked after my height, I gave the usual excuse, and they seemed satisfied. Good folk.

    Taava laughed at my ¡°ogre blood¡± excuse.

    Seyari glared at Taava.

    Salvador tried his best to stay impassive, but a smile had crept up on his features by the time we¡¯d settled on a suitable inn for the night.

    We chose one close to the waterfront, and I was, not so silently, thankful to be in a town large enough for there to be a choice. The inside, surprisingly, smelled of pine more than fish. Pleasant for most, but I¡¯d had about enough of pine scent the last month.

    The inn was busy, close to a major road, and should have a lot of witnesses nearby at night. In short, a place where it would be more difficult to ambush us, especially without causing a scene. Seyari seemed to think that meant any pursuers would wait for a better opportunity. Taava disagreed vehemently.

    I, on the other hand, enjoyed a triple portion at dinner¡ªembracing my recent love of fish. The taste, not so much the smell. I looked forward to being home, settling somewhere, and sleeping in a bed every night. Now if only I could figure out how to grow durians in Linthel.

    After eating, we retreated to our room. We¡¯d gotten only one both to save on money (Taava was about broke, and the rest of us were running low) and to keep close. We¡¯d take turns on watch once night fell, and I would be denied my chance to cuddle Seyari.

    Stupid potential assassins ruining my skinship time.

    For now, however, we acted the part of a group of broke friends holed up in an inn room. Salvador had a set of dice and Taava had cards. Soon, we¡¯d settled on a betting card game that also managed to use dice. I¡¯d learned to cheat a bit from Aarsh before his death, and some more from Nelys after, but I¡¯d never managed to get proficient at it. And, Aretan¡¯s mercenaries had been far more interested in winning than teaching me.

    This meant I had to play honestly. I suspected Salvador was playing honestly as well, but he was savvier with his bets. Seyari and Taava were locked in a contest of who could cheat the hardest. I¡¯d swear the kazzel was flaunting her rule breaking.

    ¡°Hey Taava,¡± I asked while the former assassin was dealing for the next round. She hummed in acknowledgement and my sharp eyes caught a shifting of the cards as she altered Salvador¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with Raavia¡ªdo you mind telling me about it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Taava finished dealing and snuck the extra card in her hand faster than a normal eye could catch. ¡°It¡¯s west of Cavenze. There¡¯s a buncha pretty empty plains before ya get there, though. Us kazzel are from there, but we¡ªsome of us¡ªmigrate over, usually by boat.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you come over?¡± I asked, looking at my hand of cards. Solid, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t win. That was probably why Taava had bothered to give me anything good¡ªthe decent cards had to go somewhere and I¡¯d lost the last hands playing them out.

    ¡°Took a boat,¡± Taava replied easily, raising the pot. ¡°I figured there¡¯d be a market for foreign bards over in insular Ordia. Not my smartest choice, but I like the cooler weather.¡±

    I looked at my hand, then the pot. I shrugged and called before the dice rolling phase, which I enjoyed and also didn¡¯t suck at. ¡°I¡¯m surprised I haven¡¯t heard of Raavia if that¡¯s the case. I didn¡¯t hear any talk of the region when I was up north.¡±

    ¡°Their boats suck on the open ocean, so they stick ta the coast. Both Cavenze and the TQC have a history of plunderin¡¯ their vessels,¡± Seyari added, calling the bet.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen their ships in Inolza quite often.¡± Salvador surprised me by speaking up. The fact that he folded, however, did not surprise me. ¡°I don¡¯t think Cavenze has gone after Raavian ships in at least a decade.¡±

    ¡°They definitely didn¡¯t go after my ship.¡± Taava shrugged and started the dice rolling phase. ¡°But the fact Raavia¡¯s been fightin¡¯ itself since before I was born doesn¡¯t help.¡±

    ¡°Wait, is Raavia in a civil war?¡± I frowned, but the frown turned into a smile after I saw the results of my own roll¡ªbetter than Taava¡¯s by a long shot (and she couldn¡¯t cheat with the dice in the open). I could almost hear my pitiful coin pile begging for mercy. It would find no mercy from this demon.

    ¡°Yeah, a long and bloody one, if I recall correctly.¡± Seyari took one look at the two of us smiling and folded. ¡°And I know when I¡¯m beat.¡±

    Taava looked to me and raised. She put just enough coin in that I¡¯d have enough for at least one more round if I lost. How kind. ¡°The war sucks, but I made it out okay, and the fightin¡¯s not across the whole region. At least it wasn¡¯t when I left.¡±

    I looked to the smiling kazzel who looked absolutely nothing like someone talking about their war-ravaged homeland should look. I met her gaze and called, leaving myself with only a scant few coins. I had to hope that she didn¡¯t know my exact cards. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it out, Taava.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Taava looked at my pitiful coin pile. ¡°You wanna just run through the rest of the cards and see who won?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I shrugged, trying and failing not to look nervous.

    Salvador kindly turned the last few cards, eliciting a hiss from Taava. Unfortunately, when we tallied our hands, I lost by a slim margin. Oh well, we weren¡¯t playing for keeps anyway.

    We played another few games, but turned in early. I think all of us were anxious to be up and on the road the next day. Plus, those of us who were on first watch and sleeping later (me included) wanted to start the rotation sooner so we could sleep.

    I recalled that not all demons slept. Honestly, the ones who didn¡¯t were missing out. I had no idea what I¡¯d do with all that time. Would I go crazy if I couldn¡¯t rest my mind? Find some other way to reset myself? I let my thoughts drift, but kept myself from going too deep while I leaned against the foot of the bed, watching the doors and windows both through lidded eyes.

    Salvador had graciously taken the floor with his bedroll. On one of the beds¡ªnot the one I was leaning against¡ªSeyari was drifting to sleep. I wanted to be next to her. Stupid potential assassins.

 Chapter 70: Gone Fishing

    After everyone else had gone to bed, I sat up alone on watch. I really resented having to set a watch at an inn room, but if Taava was right¡ªand I strongly suspected she was¡ªit was a necessary precaution. And, since the beds were tiny and I didn¡¯t need to sleep every night, I ended up staying up, sat at the foot of Taava¡¯s bed like a large, grumpy stuffed animal.

    We¡ªparticularly Taava¡ªhad expected ¡°potential assassins¡± to quickly become ¡°very real assassins who are here now and will fight to the death.¡± I could fault the kazzel bard/assassin for a lot of things, but I was starting to get the feeling that intuition wasn¡¯t going to be one of them.

    To the assassins¡¯ credit, I didn¡¯t notice them until right before they attacked, even though I¡¯d unshifted my ears and eyes under the hood I¡¯d borrowed from Salvador. My spear was resting in the corner¡ªsomeone who suspected an attack wouldn¡¯t leave their weapon so far away. I hated we did that to sell the illusion, but I could manage without my weapon.

    They came through the shuttered window and the door at once. First in the room was some kind of ball that exploded soundlessly into an off-colored cloud of smoke. I shifted before the ball hit the floor.

    I couldn¡¯t make out five intruders yet; Taava had said there would be five. The shutters and door had been thrown open suddenly, but there had been no sound.

    Two blades flashed toward me from the door side and I blocked with my two left arms. The stabs of pain I expected never happened, instead I only felt two small taps.

    With smoke filling the room, I turned on my aura sight and shouted. I heard my voice as though it were underwater, and I could see a thin magic over the room¡ªnot from smoke, but from a mage. I didn¡¯t know magic could do that, but there was a lot I didn¡¯t know about magic. Now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on that thought, however.

    The Black Claw assassins¡ªI counted four of them¡ªrushed into the room, moving to split after different targets. I knew how fast they should have been moving, but they were so slow. I could barely feel their cold anger, distant and detached.

    I spun, using my tail to knock some of the smoke back, and lunged at the person going after Taava¡¯s sleeping form. The cat-eared person, dressed in all black, didn¡¯t even have time to react before my claws caught them.

    Their body was like paper, and I flung the broken, torn thing at the other assassin who had thrown blades at me. I had expected surprise from the assassin I threw the body at, or for them to falter. They didn¡¯t even flinch, but they also weren¡¯t fast enough to move out of the way and the body struck them a glancing hit. The force of my throw was great enough to send the pair into the wall at speed. Even without sound, I could feel the thud the impact made.

    The other two had reached Seyari and Salvador. Even with my speed, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop both of the blades flashing down at unprotected necks. How dare you. Instead, I threw my magic at that cold anger the assassins held, pouring fire and fury fire through the connection. They jerked and blades stopped centimeters from their targets. I willed them to burn and they resisted, but only for a fraction of a moment. Some sort of training? I overwhelmed their defenses, surprised by my own tenacity and fury. Something within their emotion shattered.

    Soundless screams tore from the pair as their bodies spasmed, then ignited into pure crimson fire. The two dying assassins seized, clutching their blades, metal flashing dangerously close to their targets. I dashed forward and threw the burning bodies away from my friends and back into the smoke.

    The moment their burning bodies left my arms, I stumbled, the signature headache of mana exhaustion pounding into me. I wasn¡¯t spent yet, though. And there was at least one Black Claw assassin still alive and well.

    I glanced at the others: Seyari stirred, but Salvador, like Taava was out cold.

    I saw motion in the smoke with just enough time to dive for Taava. This throwing dagger didn¡¯t bounce off, and instead pierced my shoulder. I tore the blade out and tried to return it to the sender out the window, somewhere through the smoke.

    I had strength, but not finesse; the spinning blade flew erratically out the open window and into the night. I looked for an aura, but found nothing. Racing to the window, I shoved my head out into the escaping smoke; a black cloaked figure on the next roof over was tensing to jump.

    I almost climbed out after them, but there was a stirring behind me from the person I¡¯d hit with a body. The runner was too far to manipulate their anger, and I was too tired to pull off whatever horrifying thing I¡¯d done to those other two again. So, did what any pissed off wrath demon would do: I threw a bolt of fire at the fleeing assassin. It struck their leg and lit the cloak they wore on fire; orange flames fringed with crimson. The figure stumbled and fell off the roof. But I couldn¡¯t afford to chase them right now.

    Behind me, I heard Seyari cough violently. The sound suppressing magic was gone.

    The assassin who wasn¡¯t dead stirred again. I dashed over and pulled them up with my two upper arms, out of the pile of guts and meat flaps that was their former partner. Careful not to break them yet, I slammed the Black Claw assassin against the wall, loudly.

    Taava had insisted they wouldn¡¯t talk. I was surprised one of them ran away and, for a moment, considered attempting to simply incapacitate the assassin I held.

    They tried to reach for something subtly and quickly with one hand, and their tail flicked to one side. I slashed their arm with my claws in a spray of blood, nearly severing the limb.

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    Their tail whipped forward, and I blocked it¡ªbarely¡ªwith another hand. Something round and lit dropped to the ground. Panicked, I bent down and tossed the orb out the window, two arms still holding the now-squirming assassin.

    I looked up at them and met cold eyes. Before they could try anything else, I snapped their neck.

    Outside, over the wide street in front of the harbor, the orb¡ªapparently a bomb¡ªdetonated with a thunderous boom like a cannon shot.

    Smoke still filled our room, but Seyari quickly blew it out with her magic.

    ¡°Seyari!¡± I shouted and ran over to her. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    She coughed in response. ¡°P-poison gas.¡±

    Poison gas? My throat had itched a little, but I guess I was immune¡ªit wasn¡¯t magic.

    Then I remembered Taava and Salvador who were still asleep. Oh no. Please no!

    I ran to check on them while Seyari got her breathing under control. Both of them had an erratic pulse.

    ¡°Seyari!¡± I shouted again, not knowing whether I¡¯d been heard by her or others in the inn.

    Not like it¡¯d make a difference after a bomb went off.

    Seyari coughed again and looked at the prone forms of the others. ¡°S-shit. I¡¯m on it, just let me¡ª¡±

    I ran over, picked my girlfriend up and held her out to Salvador, who was closest. She didn¡¯t protest beyond a grunt of air. Seyari¡¯s holy magic flared, and I saw Salvador¡¯s breathing grow easier, then faster as he stirred to wakefulness. Not waiting for him to come to, I dashed her over to Taava. Again, Seyari¡¯s holy magic glowed out.

    In front of us, Taava¡¯s breathing evened. Unlike Salvador, she jolted awake, panic in her wide eyes.

    ***

    Taava felt magic cast on her and her years of ingrained training snapped her out of sleep in an instant. Her arm, already in place, fetched the hidden blade (poisoned of course) and thrust it forward, aiming for the neck her half-awake mind could see.

    Instead of her blade parting flesh, her forearm was stopped by a crimson blur. She fuzzily saw a hand grab around her forearm, long black claws in place of nails.

    Her brain started to catch up and Taava remembered where she was. Still disoriented, her mind tried to process what happened. Had she been drugged? Not the night before, which must mean¡­

    Everything snapped into place. The Black Claw!

    Their sleeping poison would do this¡ªbut she wasn¡¯t dead!

    Taava looked up, panicked, toward the face of the figure whose hand had grabbed her arm. Her eyes moved past a familiar human face with oddly glowing eyes, and whose neck she had tried to slice open.

    Farther up still, she landed on the face of a monster. A gorgeous, humanoid-like monster; one whose eyes and horns showed their true nature. Slitted irises of cold blue floated in a void of black.

    Those eyes widened, instead of narrowed, when Taava twitched her arm.

    Black lips opened and a forked tongue spoke, revealing sharp, predatory teeth. ¡°Taava, are you alright?¡±

    The monster¡¯s voice was smooth, deep, and¡­ kind?

    Taava looked up again at the monster¡¯s eyes, wide with what couldn¡¯t possibly be concern. She looked at the hand grabbing her arm. She still held her blade, and the monster¡¯s grip was loose, gentle. Maybe she could¡ª

    ¡°Taava!¡± the monster said with more urgency. ¡°It¡¯s me, Renna! You¡¯re safe now.¡± Taava tried to pull her hand out, but the grip tightened so fast she didn¡¯t even see the monster¡¯s hand move. ¡°Do you recognize me?¡± the voice continued. ¡°Take deep breaths.¡±

    Taava took a breath, feeling her heat beating frantically. She had trained against this poison, learned how to induce a response that would fight against the lethargy of the toxin¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t feel the toxin.

    ¡°Wha?¡± Taava managed inelegantly, the syllable slipping out in Raavian.

    ¡°Seyari healed you. We¡¯ll explain in a minute, but the poison¡¯s gone and you¡¯ll be okay.¡± That same voice spoke again. Familiar.

    Taava¡¯s heart thundered in her chest. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

    ¡°People are coming, Taava. I¡¯m going to shift back now, but I need you to say you¡¯re okay, okay?¡±

    Taava took another, deeper breath and her heart slowed. The thumping resolved into two sets; one from inside her and another from outside the inn room they were in.

    Inn room.

    More pieces fell back into place: Seyari, Salvador (not Sal¡ªhe hated Sal), and Renna.

    Renna.

    Taava looked up at the face of the demon Renna. She was smiling kindly, almost motherly. The expression looked odd, Taava thought, but not wrong.

    Just unexpected.

    Taava blinked and demon Renna was replaced with human Renna. The hand gripping her forearm lost its claws.

    Seyari fell onto the bed and mumbled a complaint about ¡°giving her some warning,¡± before she sprung up and dashed toward her bags, reaching for clothes.

    Taava processed Seyari in her nightshirt, Renna still dressed, and then her own nudity. Given fuel, the comfortable personality she¡¯d spent so much time crafting slipped over her, safer than any mask.

    ***

    Taava worried me. Her eyes were wide and panicked, but her motions¡ªwhile fast¡ªwere more like a magical construct than a person: very precise. I¡¯d only ever seen one construct once when I was in Ardath and¡ª

    Now isn¡¯t the time for that!

    The footsteps outside the open door were growing louder. Salvador groaned softly elsewhere in the room.

    ¡°People are coming, Taava. I¡¯m going to shift back now, but I need you to say you¡¯re okay, okay?¡± I spoke as kindly as I could, with a soft, no-teeth smile.

    To my immense relief, Taava seemed to finally relax, so I shifted back. I¡¯d worn my semi-modified clothing in anticipation of tonight¡¯s events, thankfully.

    I lost my lower arms when I shifted, which dropped Seyari onto the end of the bed unceremoniously.

    ¡°Give me some warning before you change back!¡± she complained without any real anger, before hopping up to get dressed.

    In front of me, Taava¡¯s odd neutral expression was rapidly replaced by a smirk. Then, she looked down at her bare breasts, back up at me, and slapped me across the cheek. ¡°Pervert!¡±

    I stifled a giggle and threw the blanket back over her, mostly unfazed. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay! Sorry I caught a peek when Seyari was maybe saving your life.¡±

    Taava pouted, and pointed to her bag. ¡°Get my clothes.¡±

    The footsteps got closer. I was reminded of a certain fateful night in Port Princely. The bath in this place sucked compared to that night. Tossing the bag to Taava, I quickly moved over to the viscera on the floor.

    ¡°Should I burn this?¡± I whispered to Seyari.

    She looked at the grievous wounds while taking a position by the door, which she pulled closed. ¡°Not all the way¡ªwe might need their appearance to explain what happened.¡±

    I nodded and sent a small bit of my little remaining magic to burn up the corpse¡¯s abdomen. I wasn¡¯t an expert in wounds, but to me it looked less like this person had been shredded by a weapon no one here had.

    Seyari was helping Salvador up. He coughed reflexively a couple times, but indicated he was okay. Like me, he¡¯d chosen to sleep in his clothes.

    I looked for the other two bodies. They were charred skeletons, held together only by thin remnants of tendons. Surprisingly, their clothes weren¡¯t burned at all.

    ¡°How do I explain this?¡± I whispered.

    Someone banged on the door.

    ¡°Congratulations Miss Master Fire Mage,¡± Seyari responded quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll get the door.¡±

    Seyari walked over to the door and I took a seat at the edge of her bed, looking at the brutalized bodies, and desperately wishing for this night to be over.

    I knew it was far from over.

 Chapter 71: Master Fire Mage

    I took a look across the room. There were two charred skeletons, a burned mass, and another dead body. The wall opposite the beds was cracked, and one shutter was, too. At least it looks like we were attacked.

    ¡°We heard a commotion, miss.¡± A tall human woman wearing a hastily-strapped-on chestpiece addressed Seyari. She looked over Seyari¡¯s shoulder despite how Seyari kept the door mostly closed. ¡°Is everything all¡­¡± she trailed off, eyes wide.

    ¡°We were attacked,¡± Seyari responded plainly, keeping the door mostly closed. ¡°We¡¯ve handled the problem.¡±

    Back on her bed by the window, Taava finished pulling a shirt over her head, flicking her ears as she tried to calm her tangle of hair. Salvador sat quietly on the edge of Seyari¡¯s bed, listening intently.

    ¡°Attacked by what? We heard an explosion!¡± said a light, masculine-sounding voice from behind the tall, partially-armored woman. ¡°Move out of the way, Drin!¡±

    ¡°How about you open the door, miss¡­?¡± The tall woman, Drin seemed to search for Seyari¡¯s name.

    ¡°It¡¯s Seyari,¡± she replied. ¡°And you¡¯ll forgive me for not wanting to open the door after what we¡¯ve just been through.¡±

    ¡°Miss, I can see the bodies. Will¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you town militia?¡± Seyari asked curtly and Drin shook her head. ¡°Ordian guard?¡± Drin shook her head again.

    Seyari pushed the door as if to close it, but it was stuck on Drin¡¯s booted foot.

    ¡°There are bodies?¡± The same high masculine voice called out from somewhere in the hall.

    Drin¡¯s eye¡¯s narrowed, and she spoke to the voice without moving her gaze away from Seyari. ¡°Keep quiet for now, Tren.¡±

    There was a light grumble behind the large woman.

    Before the situation could devolve further, Taava stepped in, tapping Seyari on the shoulder. ¡°Hey, come on Seyari, we can talk ta them, yeah? They¡¯re not guard and they¡¯re not with the assassins.¡± She flashed a winning smile and flicked her ears at Drin. ¡°Right guys?¡± Taava turned to us and winked.

    ¡°Right,¡± Salvador said with a sharp nod.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess¡­¡± I trailed off and rubbed the back of my head.

    Seyari reluctantly opened the door for Drin and the tall woman walked into the room. A thin, robed man glided in behind her, eyes darting around the scene: Tren, presumably.

    Drin moved to a clear spot on the floor and took keen interest in the blackened skeletons, her face briefly showing shock. ¡°You mentioned¡ª"

    ¡°Assassins?¡± Tren interrupted. ¡°What were they after you for? You know, we could maybe get you a contract for protection if you¡¯ve got the money!¡± He looked down, seeming to just notice the charred bones. ¡°If you need it? Who the heck would send someone after someone who could do that!?¡±

    Taava shrugged exaggeratedly. ¡°Idiots?¡±

    Drin gave the man a reproachful glare. ¡°Tren, enough¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is this just about money? We don¡¯t need protection, and we¡¯re not going to be extorted.¡± Seyari interrupted angrily.

    I felt Drin¡¯s anger spike to match what had been burning in Seyari. I spoke up quickly. ¡°Let Drin talk please.¡±

    The partly-armored woman turned to me and nodded gratefully. ¡°As I was trying to say, we simply came over to see if we could help after we heard the sounds of a fight, and then we heard the explosion. Tren and I are with the Gelles Company and in this town on an assignment.¡±

    ¡°While we do provide protection services¡ª¡± Drin looked at the bodies around the room, then scanned across our faces. ¡°We vet our clients first. Now, I may not be with the law in this town, but I want to know what happened here, and I will be reporting this.¡±

    Seyari looked like she¡¯d bitten a lime, but held her tongue. I knew what she¡¯d want to say, but we both knew any further stalling would paint us guiltier and guiltier.

    ¡°Assassins!¡± Taava exclaimed confidently. ¡°They broke in, used some magic ta make things real quiet, and tried ta kill us! Check their outfits and what they¡¯ve got on ¡®em.¡±

    Taava hadn¡¯t been awake because of the lack of sound and the poison gas, but even if she wasn¡¯t formerly one of their members, I could see it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to assume they¡¯d used magic to conceal themselves.

    ¡°There¡¯s also one who got away.¡± I inclined my head toward the window. ¡°I caught their leg with a shot of fire, and I know which alley they fell into, but I¡¯d assume they¡¯re gone by now.¡±

    ¡°And that would prove?¡± Drin cocked an eyebrow.

    Behind her, Tren had moved on to inspecting the other bodies, but he kept glancing back at the two blackened skeletons.

    I rubbed the back of my neck, barely keeping my hand from moving to tap a horn that wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Only that someone was trying to run away over the rooftops¡ªif we can find evidence of their passing, that is.¡±

    ¡°Are you the mage?¡± Tren looked over at me, and his brown eyes glowed before he frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t have much of an aura.¡±

    I glanced at Seyari who nodded her assent to me.

    ¡°Yeah, she is!¡± Taava jumped up right as I was about to demonstrate my fire magic. ¡°Renna¡¯s a really, really strong fire mage! But seriously, let¡¯s just prove these people are assassins so we can stop bein¡¯ all suspicious at each other!¡±

    I shrugged, then lit a flame at the tip of a finger, white-hot and precisely crafted. Tren watched it, mesmerized. I¡¯d taken well to the lessons Seyari had given me back in the mountains above Navanaea. My precision and efficiency with my magic were both still improving, but I tried to show off a little with how hot and precise I made the flame dancing just above my fingertip.

    I hadn¡¯t burned the two assassins to the bone with any magic a human would be capable of. But I needed to exude the confidence that I had done so as a capable human.

    Taava¡¯s deflection had been obvious and clumsy enough to where I took notice of it. But, I thought to myself, that had been the point. She deflects, I show my magic anyway, and now I¡¯ve built some measure of trust between myself and Drin. I¡¯ve shown that the four of us who¡¯d killed these people were not acting out a script.

    And the tension that had been building in the room lost its head of steam. Now wasn¡¯t the place or time for my mind to wander, but, for a moment, I considered whether I¡¯d ever seen the real Taava. Or if there even was a ¡°real¡± Taava.

    Drin and Tren searched the bodies and we made small talk. Tense, at first, but with each hidden blade coated in burned poison and each smoke ball and each lockpick and each throwing dagger, the ice in the room melted.

    Drin¡¯s anger had ebbed after Taava¡¯s little trick, but it drained further as we all talked, simmering low enough to where I couldn¡¯t possibly guess at its origin.

    Outside in the street, a crowd had gathered, chattering, but without any notable damage and no clear evidence of what had happened, few people lingered long. I wasn¡¯t really able to see the street from out our window which Seyari had closed at some point to dull the chatter.

    Taava leaned by the sill, watching for something. Militia, probably. A town this size and far from any border or internal conflict wouldn¡¯t have a dedicated town guard. It was still the middle of the night, but they¡¯d be around¡ªan explosion was hard to ignore.

    I kept my seat at the foot of Taava¡¯s bed by the window. Salvador sat at the foot of the other bed, and Seyari moved around the room, watching.

    ¡°So.¡± Drin tossed the last blade onto the pile of damaged sneaking and killing implements. ¡°A group of assassins attacked you in an inn room off the main street in a sleepy fishing town.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Taava nodded excitedly.

    ¡°And one of you is a master fire mage.¡± Tren looked at me with a mixture of emotions I couldn¡¯t place. No anger, though.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say master fire mage,¡± I replied, trying to wave off some of the formality, ¡°and my name is Zarenna.¡±

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    Tren¡¯s eyes glowed again. ¡°You¡¯re concealing your aura, Miss Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°If you had assassins after you, wouldn¡¯t you do the same?¡± I asked, then after a short paused added, ¡°If you could?¡±

    ¡°I suppose, but there are few mages of your strength in Ordia, and none I know of who match your description.¡± Tren kept his eyes fixed on me with a kind of fascination that spoke of categorical obsession.

    ¡°All this begs the question¡­¡± Drin looked around, eyes lingering on everyone in the group before landing on Salvador. ¡°What is a group like your own doing in a place like this? Why would a master fire mage travel with you lot? And, most importantly, why are there assassins after you?¡±

    Salvador answered. ¡°Zarenna has always chosen to help her friends, regardless of station. She is journeying to her childhood home to seek answers, and I am following because I feel I might find some of my own.¡±

    ¡°And the assassins are after me ¡®cause I helped get a bunch of ¡®em caught a while ago and they want revenge! These three agreed ta protect me, and they did!¡± Taava concluded energetically.

    I saw Seyari cock an eyebrow at Taava¡¯s statement. How truthful was that?

    Obviously not entirely, since Taava clearly wasn¡¯t going to tell the two mercs that she used to belong to the dead assassins¡¯ order.

    Drin narrowed her eyes, seemingly trying to gauge Salvador¡¯s authenticity. She didn¡¯t react to Taava. Ever the consummate professional, Salvador¡¯s face was as unreadable to me as ever.

    I suppose it didn¡¯t hurt he was telling the truth.

    Behind the partially-armored woman, Tren whispered something to Taava¡ªI caught my name. Taava whispered back conspiratorially, and I watched Seyari drift closer by a step to listen in. I turned back and regarded Drin.

    She eventually replied, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ commendable, Mister¡­¡±

    ¡°Salvador, Miss Drin.¡±

    She nodded.

    I heard booted footfalls coming up the stairs again.

    Taava¡¯s ears twitched and she leaned past Tren to speak to Drin. ¡°Are we good now?¡± She turned to the small robed man. ¡°We¡¯re good now, yeah? Just gotta report some dead assassins?¡±

    ¡°We have no problems, right Tren?¡± Drin gave the charred remains one last lingering look.

    ¡°None!¡± Tren smiled. ¡°Oh, and if you¡¯re ever in Lockmoth or another big city, we probably have a branch there. If you folks want to join up, we could use a mage like Zarenna!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I replied honestly.

    ¡°Great!¡± Tren gave a thumbs up right as a knock sounded at our door.

    ¡°Militia. Is everyone alright?¡± a voice from the other side said tiredly, with a hint of boredom.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine!¡± Seyari called back. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a moment!¡±

    Seyari paced quickly over to the door and opened it. The man on the other side wore the expression of someone who would really rather be in bed. He gazed around the room, saw five others in the two-person room, then the bodies.

    Very quickly, the man went from half-asleep to awake and shocked.

    ***

    We spent until dawn bouncing back and forth between the militia headquarters and the inn, getting questioned, and even helping to remove the bodies without causing an uproar.

    Drin and Tren left early on, but I kept their offer in the back of my mind. It wasn¡¯t until we were settling in to sleep at a different inn that I remembered: I hadn¡¯t ever checked where the assassin had fallen off the roof.

    Exhaustion had claimed the others, but I lay awake on my bedroll on the floor of the inn room, staring up at the underside of my empty cot. When the creaking that was keeping me up had been interrupted by a cracking sound, I¡¯d realized I was too heavy and moved to the floor.

    The beds here were narrow and probably nearly as frail, but I still had almost crawled in with Seyari. Not that I would¡¯ve fit.

    Quietly as I could, I slid the blanket off myself and tiptoed over to my clothes which had been thrown in a pile in the corner. I paused, frozen, when I caught motion. One of Taava¡¯s furred triangular ears flicked, the only part of her visible under the blanket nest she¡¯d made.

    I didn¡¯t know if it was reflexive or she¡¯d heard me. But she didn¡¯t move or say anything, so I took my clothes, dressed quickly by the door, and crept out into the early morning, locking the door behind me.

    Salvador had the other key, so I wasn¡¯t worried. I passed a militiaman in the tavern downstairs. He gave me a questioning look and I told him I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I was going out for a walk. His gaze held me in the room long enough to make me realize I was holding my breath before he told me to be careful and assented.

    I breathed out a sigh, thanked him, and stepped out the door into the brisk morning, salt and gull cries crisp on the air. Behind me, I heard ¡°And don¡¯t roast anyone. Call for help instead.¡±

    I winced. I¡¯d gotten an earful for that. Yes, it had been self-defense, but the guards were convinced such fire magic would be a danger to others or to structures. Tren had been the one, in the end, who got them to drop the matter, but I could tell they were antsy around me.

    How much different would their attitude be if they knew what I was?

    I shook my head. Not something I was willing to test¡­ yet.

    I¡¯d made it a block before the warmth of the inn faded and I felt how truly cold the late autumn morning was. The chill was bitter and unrepentant, worsened by a wind in from the water and a clear, nearly sunless sky. Orange and maroon hues from the east heralded the sun¡¯s arrival.

    The town was busy, like I imagined any port would be in the morning. I¡¯d been through two major ports on my journey¡ªthree if you counted the pirates¡¯ hideout in Port Princely¡ªbut I had yet to really experience one during the morning rush; fishing boats dotted the harbor, dispersing out to sea like ants in search of food.

    As I walked toward the main avenue, I heard a catcall from a guy who had the dress of a fisher and it took me a moment to realize he¡¯d aimed it at me. I kept walking, head lower. In the past, my height or Seyari had shielded me. In Navanaea, culturally, unwanted advances were kept more intimate in their proximity. Also, I had openly been a demon, and bound, for most of the trip.

    The guy called again. I walked faster.

    He said he just wanted to talk to me. Called me pretty.

    I kept walking, turning onto the main street probably two blocks from the inn where we¡¯d been attacked. Not that the town had more than six or eight ¡°blocks.¡± I tried to distract myself with the architecture.

    The guy almost had to jog to keep up. Really? How dense can this guy be?

    Now, he was getting angry. Asking me why I wouldn¡¯t talk to him. His voice was sweet, but I felt his anger bubble up, fetid and cloying.

    A dark part of me thought briefly about pumping up his anger just to give me a chance to¡ª

    No. Instead, I pulled and deflated his anger, the mass puddling like melting tar on a hot day.

    Anger turned to pleading. Some few people were watching.

    ¡°Is that man bothering you, miss?¡± I looked toward the voice and saw a rather burly looking guy set an empty barrel down on the cobbles.

    There was a protest from the man who¡¯d been following me. A denial, an ¡°I just want to talk and she¡¯s being rude!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied icily, ¡°he is.¡±

    The man by the barrel called out to the guy to knock it off. The guy protested but stopped walking after me. I kept going at a brisk pace, long legs carrying me away down the main street.

    I caught some of their conversation; a reprimand, a long silence, then a complaint and an angry assent. I didn¡¯t hear the rest of it, and, quite frankly, I didn¡¯t want to. On one hand, I was happy the other guy was willing to step in, but on the other hand, I shouldn¡¯t be happy the major jerk had been brazen enough to follow me across half the damn town.

    What if I wasn¡¯t able to fight someone of his size off and no one like the other guy had been around? Perhaps I could have gotten away with the right sort of attention-acknowledging deflection and a quick tongue, willing to flatter for the sake of my own safety. Perhaps not. Perhaps nothing more beyond a creepy, awkward conversation would have happened. Perhaps not.

    I was still brooding when I reached the alley where the assassin had fallen. There was a scuff down the side of the damp wall of one of the buildings, and a deep scar surrounded by burned scraps in the muddy dirt of the alley where someone had landed. There were footprints in the mud, but when I followed them, they disappeared on the cobbles of the street one row inland from the main harbor avenue.

    I¡¯d hoped, perhaps foolishly, for some kind of clue to have been left behind. The scene had reminded me of one in a book Abby had lent me years ago. In it, the main character was a princess in hiding, and the situation had been similar. She had found the assassin¡¯s crest on a torn scrap of cloth and it was instrumental in her quest to avenge her father¡¯s killer and take her place on the throne. But that was just a story.

    I turned and walked back down the alley, spending time at the end to check the place where the assassin had landed. The burned bits, I guessed, had been part of their clothing. I kicked the mud around, but didn¡¯t find anything.

    Then, when I was about to leave, I looked up. Something metallic caught the rising sun, jammed into the eave of the roof. Maybe the stories do have something right!

    My excitement only lasted a moment before I realized I had no way to get up there. Even if I had my claws, I didn¡¯t trust them to hold me to the wall without ruining it, and I wasn¡¯t about to try my luck getting up to and across using the rooftops.

    I stared up at the object for a while longer; it was a blade¡ªor part of a blade. I almost risked shifting my eyes to see a bit better, but remembered there was at least one person in this town who, astronomical though the coincidence would be, could catch me out.

    Tren wasn¡¯t around, but I did hear footsteps turn into the alley. I looked over, brain trying to come up with an excuse as to why I was standing in a muddy alley looking intently up a blank wall.

    Taava was the person who walked around the corner, wrapped up in probably everyone¡¯s cloaks all at once. She rubbed her eyes blearily and stretched, yawning. ¡°D¡¯ya normally sneak out in the mornin¡¯ ta go stare at walls? ¡®Cause the inn room has four of ¡®em, plus a ceilin¡¯ if you¡¯re lyin¡¯ down.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡ªI mean, no, I normally don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You normally don¡¯t? Somethin¡¯ special about this wall?¡± Taava walked closer to me, and made a show of looking around. ¡°Oh hey, wait a minute! Was this the place with the thing? Nice!¡±

    Despite her irreverent comment, I caught that her cat-eyed gaze had seen the blade stuck up above us. ¡°You think you can climb up there and get it?¡± I asked quietly.

    ¡°Tch. Sure thing,¡± Taava whispered back. ¡°Just keep an eye out by the main road for a sec, will ya? I¡¯ll look toward the back ta see if there¡¯re any real light sleepers in this place. Though, you think they¡¯d¡¯ve woken up with some jerk bangin¡¯ around all over their roof and fallin¡¯ down the side of their house. Eh, oh well.¡± The kazzel saluted and turned toward the wall.

    I stepped back out onto the road, doing my best to pretend the sunrise was interesting without actually getting distracted by the gorgeous scene.

    Not long after, Taava walked up and tapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Done! Let¡¯s get back, though. I¡¯m freezin¡¯ my tail off out here! How can ya stand it? Is it a, y¡¯know, thing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cheating and using my magic.¡± I started walking and Taava followed behind, then to the side, then out in front, orbiting me. I tracked her, watching the bundle of coats with cat ears circle me. ¡°How did you find where I went? Or did you also remember?¡±

    Taava stopped and I almost walked into her. ¡°Huh? Oh, I totally forgot¡ªI just heard ya sneakin¡¯ out and thought I should follow. Then I found some guy complainin¡¯ to some other guy about bein¡¯ a dick to some girl and figured that might¡¯ve been you. Then I remembered the roof person thing and found ya!¡±

    I noticed she was carefully avoiding saying anything incriminating. ¡°How much is real and how much is training?¡± I muttered under my breath.

    ¡°I dunno!¡± Taava pretended to answer the question, smiling brightly. The smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes.

 Chapter 72: Elderberry Jam

    ¡°Ya can see the thing I found in the mornin¡¯!¡± Taava protested with a smile. ¡°Ya dragged me out inta the cold and I wanna go sleep!¡±

    We¡¯d almost made it back to the inn and Taava was steadfastly denying me a look at the assassin¡¯s blade we¡¯d found stuck into the roof of a building by the harbor.

    ¡°We found it!¡± I insisted. ¡°And no one dragged you out into the cold¡ªyou decided to chase after me. Also, it is morning.¡±

    Taava stuck her tongue out. ¡°Pfft! Details! And mornin¡¯s whenever I get up.¡±

    I groaned. ¡°Come on, please?¡±

    ¡°Nah!¡±

    I groaned again. ¡°You¡¯re remarkably comfortable around me knowing what you know, Taava.¡±

    ¡°Sure am! And that¡¯s because I know what I know.¡± The kazzel reached the door to the inn first and tugged it open before I could protest any further.

    I didn¡¯t want to make a scene in front of the militiaman, who was now enjoying a breakfast of salted fish and dense-looking bread topped with a familiar-smelling dark jam. I felt a brief pang of homesickness at the sight of and smell of the jam. The fish was more foreign to me, but I vividly remembered the sweet, tart taste of elderberry jam.

    I wanted to stay downstairs and eat, but I didn¡¯t want to talk to the militiaman. And I probably should sleep.

    I compromised and let Taava go ahead, while I asked for bread with elderberry jam from the innkeeper. The bread was different to what I remembered from back home in Linthel, but the jam was so close that I had to fight back tears.

    Soon. I¡¯ll be home soon.

    And then? Well, I¡¯ll figure it out as I go.

    I licked the jam off my fingers, ducked to make sure the horns I didn¡¯t have wouldn¡¯t hit the doorway, took my still-slightly-muddy boots off, and crawled back into my spot under the cot. Taava had already reintegrated herself with her blanket nest. All our cloaks were tossed in a pile by the foot of it. There was still some warmth left in my sleeping spot from earlier, so I snuggled in and drifted off.

    ***

    In the end, Taava had managed to stall giving me a look at what we¡¯d found until we¡¯d left town and were on the road again, walking a well-graded and wide route that wound along the coast.

    I took the cloth-wrapped blade fragment from her and unwrapped it, letting out a gasp. I recognize that symbol.

    The blade had snapped by the handle. Engraved, and cut through by a sharp, jagged edge, was the same symbol I had on my own chest. There was the edge of some sort of gem in the center. The facets didn¡¯t look like my own, but there was so little left that I couldn¡¯t really get an idea of what it looked like. My hand felt the symbol that lay hidden beneath my shirt and my transformation.

    ¡°D¡¯ya recognize it?¡± Taava shoved her face into my field of view.

    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±

    ¡°What is it, then?¡± Taava asked eagerly.

    I looked to either side. Seyari and Salvador were both looking at me, so I channeled my inner scholar. ¡°It¡¯s a symbol associated with demons and dates back to at least the Lost Era. The six points represent the six Sovereigns, and the gem in the middle indicates it¡¯s the symbol of one of those Sovereigns.¡±

    ¡°What the huh?¡± Taava looked gob smacked.

    ¡°Can I see that?¡± Seyari held out a hand expectantly so I handed the blade and cloth to her. She looked it over and made a frustrated noise. ¡°Looks like a paring knife. Damn, I can¡¯t see much of the gem. I¡¯ll make¡ª"

    ¡°What¡¯s all this mean?¡± Taava interrupted. ¡°I know what the Lost Era is, but what¡¯s a Sovereign and a ¡®gem¡¯? Because if that thing had a gem in it, I sure didn¡¯t see a socket.¡±

    ¡°A Sovereign demon is one who embodies or represents an aspect¡ªthink like wrath or lust, and is basically the demon ¡°in charge¡± of that aspect, vice, emotion, sin or whatever,¡± I answered over Seyari¡¯s grumbles. ¡°Sovereigns have that symbol, which is something that some greater demons have, but with a gem in the center that is unique to the Sovereign.¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯re like the big scary demons in charge? And probably crazy powerful?¡± Taava scratched her chin. ¡°And one of ¡®em¡¯s working with the Black Hand!?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Seyari answered. ¡°The big question is: which one?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what other Sovereigns there are?¡± Salvador asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s Wrath, Lust, Conceit, and Apathy.¡± I listed them off on my fingers. ¡°Greed and Envy are probably the other two.¡±

    ¡°Sounds to me like it¡¯s Wrath or Greed!¡± Taava pointed and smiled.

    ¡°That makes the most sense to me as well,¡± Salvador agreed. ¡°Seyari and Renna, would either of you know anything else about these Sovereign demons? I fear we may have gained the attention of whichever it is the fleeing assassin follows.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Are you a wrath demon, Renna? Do you know anything about the Sovereign of Wrath?¡±

    I looked over at Seyari, she bit her bottom lip, then covered it up by sighing and steepling a hand over her forehead. I let my gaze continue on away from Taava, over Salvador and through the thin, wind-bent trees to the blue strip of ocean just visible. Whitecaps broke over and rolled in below the bluff we were walking along.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Hey, Zarenna, you okay?¡± Taava¡¯s hand waved in front of my vision. I looked down to find her smiling up at me. ¡°They¡¯re gonna come after me again y¡¯know, and Salvador and Seyari too. We¡¯re gonna have to stick together, so you gotta spill what you know!¡±

    ¡°Trouble,¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°What¡¯s trouble?¡±

    ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Taava nodded enthusiastically, then bounced away from me to put an arm around Seyari and Salvador both. ¡°But I¡¯m all of your trouble, now! Unless you want to abandon me to die!¡±

    Manipulative little¡ª

    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Seyari tossed Taava¡¯s arm off her. ¡°She¡¯s a shit, but she¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your shit!¡± Taava corrected, receiving a harsh glare from Seyari. She stuck her tongue out.

    My girlfriend smiled conspiratorially at me and put a hand over Taava¡¯s face. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that you can tell them, Renna.¡± Then her face morphed into an odd expression and she pulled her hand away from Taava¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t lick my hand!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an easy fix for that, Sey! Don¡¯t put your hand on my tongue!¡±

    Salvador quietly and calmly slipped out from under Taava¡¯s arm and met my eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, so long as you are not endangering everyone by staying silent, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    I looked back at everyone and smiled. ¡°Sorry if I seemed serious, but really I was just thinking of the best way to say it, and also a place off the road and out of view to show you. This doesn¡¯t bother me, and it¡¯s probably a good thing for you to know.¡±

    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go find a spot then!¡± Taava bounded over and grabbed my hand.

    We found a secluded spot after only a short minute of searching. The trees here were sparse, but a dense grove out of the wind and down from the road offered the cover we needed.

    I shifted away from my human form, stretching my arms and tail with a yawn. ¡°I can¡¯t say much about Greed except that I have some information that they¡¯re new. As for Wrath, I can tell you right now that it isn¡¯t the Sovereign of Wrath.¡± I wanted so badly to pause for dramatic effect, but I forced myself to keep going. ¡°I¡¯m not sponsoring a group of assassins.¡±

    I unbuttoned the top of my shirt and pulled it open just enough to see my symbol and the red gem in the center. The surface of the stone reflected green in the dim light and I smiled.

    For a moment, I was worried Taava would make the obvious joke, but instead she was staring at me with the sort of calculating, calm gaze she only had when she needed to be serious.

    Salvador stared for a moment before pointedly looking away, then up to the dense branches above us. He muttered something in Cavenish under his breath.

    Seyari watched both of them from her spot against a tree at the edge of the small clearing.

    ¡°If you have any questions, I can try my best to answer them.¡± I brushed some dry needles off a nearby boulder and leaned against it, idly dragging furrows into the ground with my tail tip.

    Salvador nodded, but didn¡¯t speak yet.

    ¡°You¡¯re awfully calm for the ¡®Sovereign of Wrath,¡¯ Zarenna.¡± Taava looked at me with curious eyes and a twitching tail.

    ¡°Am I?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°How many other Sovereigns have you met?¡±

    ¡°How many have you met?¡± Taava shot back.

    ¡°One, not counting myself.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Salvador asked. ¡°If I may, that is.¡±

    ¡°Lust,¡± I replied with a four-shouldered shrug. ¡°And I don¡¯t think this is her doing.¡±

    Salvador hummed a response.

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Taava asked with a slight edge to her voice. ¡°She was a chaste, easily flustered young thing, right?¡±

    ¡°Taava,¡± I answered coldly, ¡°a Sovereign has mastery over their aspect. Would I really best represent mastery over Wrath if I wasn¡¯t in control of my own fury?¡±

    ¡°Do you? Or is this an act? Are you really a Sovereign? If you are, are you really Wrath?¡± Taava spat the questions out. I felt no anger from her, however.

    I narrowed my eyes.

    Taava didn¡¯t have time to react before I had crossed the clearing and hoisted her up, my hand around her neck. She gagged from the force, but I kept my grip light.

    ¡°Does this answer your question, Taava?¡± I laced my words with cold fury and my voice shook with an otherworldly quality. ¡°I have killed people, and I plan to kill at least two more, even if I have to search every single centimeter of Varra to do so. I will help Seyari end High Inquisitor Mordwell, and I will rend Inquisitor Finley¡¯s flesh from his bones and burn those bones to ash.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± I continued, letting her down gently, ¡°I am not a monster who commits indiscriminate violence. I use my anger, and the anger of others. And I know when someone is trying to get a rise out of me.¡± I let Taava go and she scrambled backwards, breath quick and eyes scanning all around her. ¡°My apologies if I bruised your throat. Seyari will heal you if you ask nicely.¡±

    I glanced over at Salvador who looked shaken. ¡°Sorry if I scared you. I¡¯m a demon, Salvador, but I won¡¯t harm without reason. If you don¡¯t feel you can trust me, I understand.¡± I walked back across the clearing and leaned against the same rock. ¡°My offer to answer any questions from any of you is still open.¡±

    Taava coughed and rubbed her throat. ¡°Who are these people you want to kill? Are they from that human Church?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Both of them are from a group that seeks to create and bind demons to their will. To do this, they sacrifice innocents and criminals alike.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re working for another Sovereign?¡± Taava continued, her voice scratchy.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I hope they¡¯re not.¡± I looked to Seyari.

    She shook her head. ¡°I never found any evidence for that much, but I suppose it¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°But the assassins are working for a different Sovereign, and we are all now in danger.¡± Salvador tried to keep his voice even, but I could hear it waver. ¡°Zarenna, for what it¡¯s worth I believe you. I do not agree with your quest for revenge, but I understand the necessity of putting an end to a group that summons demons to bind and gain power. I worked with Paladin Miller, and I will continue to work with you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Salvador,¡± I smiled warmly, hiding my teeth. His Ordian is really coming along.

    ¡°Right,¡± Taava coughed again. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke the Sovereign of Wrath, got it.¡±

    ¡°Are you really going to stop provoking her?¡± Seyari asked, moving over to Taava. She pushed the kazzel¡¯s hands aside to get a look at her bruised neck before her holy magic started to heal the former assassin. ¡°This would have been a bad bruise.¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Taava replied, her voice clearer. ¡°But I won¡¯t question her aspect again, that¡¯s for sure.¡± She shuddered. ¡°Could you not do that again?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises.¡± My smile widened to show teeth. ¡°But I can promise you won¡¯t be on the receiving end.¡±

    ¡°Good enough, boss.¡±

    ¡°Boss?¡± I cocked my head.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re like some kinda demon princess or something, yeah? I see the way Salvador listens to you and even Seyari follows what you say.¡± Taava¡¯s tail twitched excitedly behind her, like a cat who¡¯d found a mouse to ¡°play¡± with.

    I frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to boss anyone around.¡±

    ¡°Kinda too late for that, boss.¡± Taava said impishly.

    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± I hissed.

    ¡°Me? Nah! You¡¯re just a big spiky teddy bear!¡± Taava giggled.

    ¡°Next time, Taava, I¡¯m letting your windpipe stay crushed,¡± Seyari groaned.

    ¡°Taava!¡± I groaned. ¡°Stop taking advantage of my kindness! No one will think I¡¯m scary!¡±

    Taava¡¯s giggle turned into a full-blown laugh. ¡°Pfft. Trust me, one of me isn¡¯t enough to stop you looking scary.¡±

    I pouted. ¡°Fine! But if I¡¯m the boss, then I say we pick up the pace to Lockmoth. I want to sleep in a real bed that I won¡¯t crush.¡±

    That got Salvador to smile. ¡°I agree with that, boss.¡±

    Wait, did he?

    ¡°I can get behind that too, boss.¡± Seyari smirked. ¡°I¡¯d like another bath with you, and I¡¯ve missed my nighttime heater.¡±

    I flushed scarlet. ¡°Hey, what? You can¡¯t all just¡ª¡±

    ¡°We can,¡± Taava¡¯s eyes gleamed with playful menace. ¡°And we did! Now come on everyone! Boss said double time, so let¡¯s get movin¡¯!¡±

    I shifted to human form and followed behind the others, sulking. I had been promoted without getting a say in the matter.

 Chapter 73: Low Tide

    ¡°Dual affinities are really rare, though!¡± Taava whined to Seyari.

    ¡°Yes, they are,¡± Seyari replied exasperatedly, ¡°but for the last time, I am not also a demon. Demons can¡¯t even use holy magic.¡±

    ¡°Are ya an angel, then?¡± Taava squinted at Seyari. ¡°Stupid illusions!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have an¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re approaching the ferry town,¡± Salvador cut Taava¡¯s incessant questioning off. ¡°Be careful what you speak about.¡±

    Taava huffed. ¡°Yeah, yeah, fine!¡±

    I kept silent, thinking about Aretan, Nelys, my sister, and the Gelles Company. Aretan and Nelys should be safe and waiting for us somewhere in the city, or close by if Nelys¡¯ wanderlust had gotten to the two of them. As for the Gelles Company, a big mercenary company that had branches across Ordia and took contracts of all sorts could be a boon or a danger.

    From what we had gathered, mostly from Taava¡¯s knowledge (and a bit from Seyari), the Gelles Company was named after the River Gelles which flowed through Ardath and out by the Empire¡¯s largest port, Formarast (which was somewhere west-southwest of here). They had a branch in Lockmoth, but their main headquarters was probably in either Ardath or Formarast. Both cities I really, really wanted to avoid.

    If they had a branch in Linthel, then maybe we could try to sign on with them. A big company could provide both some anonymity among members of myriad backgrounds, and a significant backer for when I decide to wear my demonic nature publicly.

    I could see the city ahead, set along a crescent-shaped bay seemingly carved out of the muddy river estuary we would have to cross by ferry. Even with the tide out, I could see the color of the river water bleeding into the ocean.

    The smell of low tide, dead fish, and human waste started to sting my nostrils before we even entered the small town that had sprung up around the ferry crossing. Despite the open flatness of the surrounding landscape, I wondered if someone traveling here would be able to smell Lockmoth before they saw it.

    The ferry was cheap, and felt rickety despite its size. The crush of people on the ship gave me a stark reminder of my height, standing a head or more above all but the tallest people in the crowd. I didn¡¯t miss the looks I got. I returned them with a glare or a smile, depending.

    The smell over the water was somehow even worse. I plugged my nose all the way across. Surprisingly, I seemed the only one of our group bothered by the noisome odor, or at least no one else showed their discomfort.

    The four of us hurried to find an inn once we disembarked. Salvador took us to a place where he¡¯d stayed before. I took a deep breath once the door had closed behind us, fighting the urge to gag when I realized I could still almost taste the scent. Gods, how did anyone live in this city. Maybe my sense of smell was also getting better? If this was the type of thing I could expect to enjoy, I would gladly take my sense of smell staying human. Seyari, noticing my discomfort, paid for two rooms quickly, and we dashed upstairs to claim them. Inside, the air was much better and, finally able to breathe properly, I collapsed onto our big, nice bed. Seyari locked the door and walked over.

    The sheets were nice, and the furniture was too. Well-built and clean, this place looked to be one of the better inns I had experienced. And with my seemingly endless journey, I was getting to be quite the expert on inns.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised the smell got to you that much.¡± Seyari plopped down beside me, then rolled on a shoulder to face me.

    I looked over at her and smiled. ¡°Yeah, well maybe I just have a sensitive nose.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like durians?¡± She twisted her nose.

    ¡°Yeah, and? They smell fine once you get used to it.¡± I looked over to the window. ¡°Think you could close that?¡±

    Seyari waved a hand and the curtains drew closed with a gust of air. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the people here are used to this?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? But still, a durian is food while this¡ª¡± I gestured all around us. ¡°¡ªis what food ends up as.¡± I wrapped my tail around us and pulled Seyari in close.

    ¡°Gross.¡± Seyari smiled broadly. ¡°You had to make it gross.¡±

    I leaned over and planted a quick kiss on her lips, careful of the horns I now had. ¡°I guess I did, sorry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not sorry.¡±

    ¡°Guilty as charged.¡±

    Seyari kissed me back, her tongue probing out. I reciprocated, my longer forked muscle bullying her smaller one. I pulled her close with all four arms and when we separated, our faces were hardly a centimeter apart, a thin string of saliva between our lips.

    ¡°How long until we need to go do something?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I dunno, boss.¡± Seyari¡¯s eyes twinkled, dye barely holding back their golden hue. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who gets to make that call.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get dinner late.¡± I leaned forward and our lips met again.

    ***

    Taava checked under the beds and under the mattresses and looked out the window noting nearby rooftops and sight lines. Salvador did the same, albeit silently and without the excessive paranoia that followed the kazzel¡¯s actions.

    Seyari and Zarenna were one room over. Her employer might not know she was back in town, the Black Claw might not know either (or have anyone nearby), and she and Salvador were no slouches in a fight, but it paid to be cautious.

    Taava also doubted a wall would do much to stop Zarenna. She reached up and felt her neck. Completely fine, but her mind whirled back to that moment. She hadn¡¯t even been able to follow Zarenna¡¯s movement, and her voice had promised a bloody death in its tone.

    So that¡¯s what a demon¡ªa Sovereign demon¡ªis like, she thought.

    Despite that, she didn¡¯t really fear Zarenna. At least, not in the same way she thought she would. As dangerous as the game was, Taava had proven the Sovereign of Wrath¡¯s sincerity.

    She slipped herself back into her mask and turned to Salvador who was unpacking; they didn¡¯t know where Zarenna and Seyari¡¯s friends were staying, or if they were even here. Chances were this inn would be home for a while until they were attacked again or finished their business¡ªif she could avoid her employer.

    Taava still needed to clear her debt somehow. One group of murderous thugs chasing her was more than enough, though she¡¯d easily take loan sharks over trained assassins.

    ¡°Hey Salvador,¡± she asked, lying down on one of the beds to stare up at the ceiling. ¡°How long d¡¯ya think until those two start screwin¡¯ in the other room.¡±

    Salvador hid his shock behind a smile. ¡°I would assume they have more sense than to start the moment we get to an inn with a comfortable bed.¡±

    Taava rolled her eyes. ¡°Suuure.¡± She listened carefully, swiveling her ears around. No thumping, yet. Or perhaps just thick walls.

    Salvador¡¯s smile wavered. ¡°If they are¡­ indisposed, I may want to go find dinner sooner rather than later.¡±

    Taava put a hand on her stomach and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m starved, and even if it smells like stewed ass out there, I wanna eat something that ain¡¯t trail rations. Lemme throw a cloak on over my ears and tail and we can go out. Don¡¯t want my ¡®employer¡¯ findin¡¯ me straight away.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Salvador was quiet for a moment before assenting. ¡°I think Zarenna and Seyari will be fine here for a while.¡±

    ***

    We didn¡¯t get around to anything until the next morning. I think we all needed the sleep, food, and¡­ other things. It didn¡¯t take us long in the morning to run into our first problem.

    How were we supposed to find Nelys and Aretan?

    Lockmoth was a big city¡ªthe largest I¡¯d been in since Baetnal, although that wasn¡¯t saying much. Aretan had been clear in his desire to go here when we parted, but we hadn¡¯t exactly had time to form any sort of plan.

    He probably knew about this city from his dealings in Liseu. That meant he and Nelys, presuming they had made it here, and presuming they had come by ship from Liseu officially, would have entered Lockmoth at a certain section of the harbor.

    Hence, we¡¯d spent the morning asking after our friends at every inn in that area. Mercifully, the tide was in all morning.

    There was, of course, the chance they had moved on elsewhere, or had never been in the area at all. If inns failed, we could try asking around for passenger records of Turquoiser ships inbound from Liseu. Unfortunately, asking for ship records from a country hostile to Ordia (in a port known for illicit activity, no less) with an excuse anyone could have made up on the spot, would have given us less luck than trying to pry information out of tight-lipped inn owners.

    And it wasn¡¯t like they weren¡¯t trying to be found! Aretan was nothing if not punctual and organized. You¡¯d think any place they were staying he would have been able to tell them to be on the lookout for people matching our (disguised) description.

    Seyari had set aside some money for bribes and we were burning through it. The fact that Taava was broke and Salvador was close wasn¡¯t helping things.

    The four of us were sitting outside at an area of tables surrounded by food stands of all types, mostly finished meals (or completely finished, in my case) sitting in front of us. We¡¯d chosen a small table tucked away under a group of overgrown trees in old, crumbling planters. The place was nearly empty¡ªtoo early for lunch and too late for the morning rush. Plus, the tide had started to recede, and the lingering smell of food in front of us was the only thing keeping that smell at bay.

    I glanced over to see Seyari glaring tight-lipped into her coinpurse. ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    She groaned. ¡°Depends on how badly you want to eat the next few days.¡±

    ¡°Pretty badly. Pretty sure I need to do that to live,¡± I replied, placing a hand over my stomach. Taava gave me an odd look and I shrugged. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s the plan then? Try to have Taava sweet-talk another innkeeper?¡± I smirked at the unusually quiet kazzel who was holding her ears flat against her head under her hood. She was wearing one of Salvador¡¯s traveling cloaks and looked tiny in the heavy garment.

    She perked up, tail twitching somewhere under a pile of fabric ¡°Hey! Everythin¡¯ was goin¡¯ perfect ¡¯till¡ª¡±

    ¡°Taava,¡± I leaned over the table and cut her off. ¡°Please. I won¡¯t bring it up again if you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Fine! But I¡¯m tellin¡¯ ya it wasn¡¯t my fault. No one coulda predicted¡ª¡±

    ¡°Taava, please,¡± Salvador cut in.

    ¡°I do not need that mental image,¡± Seyari said with finality and Taava pouted. ¡°I hate to say this, but we need money. We¡¯ve already got it out there that Aretan and Nelys have friends looking for them, and our innkeeper knows we¡¯re trying to find them. We need to find something to do to make money.¡±

    Taava raised her hand, her embarrassment seemingly forgotten. ¡°I¡¯d try ta get booked somewhere, but I should lay low.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Yes, you should. Any other ideas?¡±

    ¡°I could see if a tanner or an apothecary needs an assistant,¡± Salvador volunteered, ¡°but I¡¯m a little out of practice.¡±

    I scratched my chin. ¡°What about that mercenary group, the Gelles Company? I¡¯d bet they pay pretty well, and we might be able to have them help look for our friends if we don¡¯t find them soon.¡±

    ¡°That would be alright by me,¡± Salvador replied, nodding.

    ¡°Hey yeah!¡± Taava hit her fist into her palm, tail spiking straight up behind her. ¡°You lot can go do that and I¡¯ll lay low back at the inn, maybe ask around real discreet like for those friends a yours. From whatcha told me, they¡¯re pretty distinct, yeah?¡±

    ¡°You could join the company too, Taava,¡± I offered.

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Taava rubbed at the back of her head and her ears lowered. ¡°They do any diggin¡¯ and I could screw all of us outta gettin¡¯ in their good graces.¡±

    ¡°Taava,¡± I leaned forward and gave my voice an edge, ¡°if it comes up, we¡¯ll let them know what¡¯s really going on. If they drop us, I¡¯m pretty sure it means they weren¡¯t interested anyway, and if that¡¯s the case, screw ¡®em. Plus,¡± I added in a cheerier tone, ¡°you¡¯d get more money toward your debt if you joined up. And we¡¯d be closer to you in case you get attacked again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°About your debt, Taava,¡± Seyari asked, her look forcing the former assassin to sit back down, ¡°if we¡¯re going to fix that situation, we should know how much it is and whether we should try to pay it or seek an alternative solution.¡± Seyari glanced over at me and Taava followed her gaze.

    I looked back at Seyari who shrugged at me. She¡¯s using me for muscle! Not that I mind¡­

    ¡°So, uh, yeah.¡± Taava rubbed the back of her head. ¡°It¡¯s with the Mudrats, in Riverside, the old part of Lockmoth up inland along the river.¡±

    ¡°How much do you owe?¡± Salvador asked.

    ¡°A little¡­¡± Taava trailed off, mumbling a number. I¡¯d caught it the first time, but didn¡¯t register until she repeated it louder under the withering glare of a frustrated Seyari. ¡°Twenty thousand gold pieces. Plus interest.¡±

    My mind spun. How do you even get into that much¡­

    ¡°They know the people who helped me get outta of Raavia, and they bought my debt.¡±

    ¡°And let me guess, they added to it?¡± Seyari spat.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Taava grimaced. ¡°And I was only barely makin¡¯ ¡®interest payments¡¯ workin¡¯ as a bard. They wanted me ta go back ta my old kinda work, but I wasn¡¯t gonna.¡±

    ¡°So, they trap you in debt until you start killing for them?¡± I felt my anger rising alongside the others.

    Taava slouched in her seat, and poked at a wooden skewer idly. ¡°Yep. Prob¡¯ly keep me in debt after, too. Not like I had much of a choice but ta try ta pay it off, since they had ways to contact the Black Claw.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s vile,¡± Salvador said.

    Seyari sighed angrily and leaned back in her chair. ¡°And you weren¡¯t paying fast enough, so they decided to call the Black Claw and get their money back.¡±

    ¡°Prob¡¯ly.¡±

    ¡°Then they have their money back, so why do we care?¡± I argued, angrily taking the last bite of sausage off my own skewer.

    ¡°Not like they¡¯ll see it that way. If the Claw didn¡¯t get me, they¡¯ll still want their ¡®due.¡¯¡± Taava put air quotes around the word.

    Seyari exhaled hard through her nose, eyes narrow. Salvador was staring rigidly at the wood of the table.

    ¡°I figured as much,¡± I huffed, letting a tiny bit of fire lick along my breath, charring the skewer. ¡°I think we should find an alternative payment method.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Taava nodded. ¡°But if we just go find ¡®em, and even if we, y¡¯know, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be in hot water, too. And with people who aren¡¯t thugs,¡± Seyari concluded.

    ¡°Won¡¯t the city guard also want these guys gone?¡± I asked, hopeful.

    ¡°Depends on how much of a kickback they¡¯re getting for ignoring them,¡± Seyari replied, taking the burned skewer from me. ¡°And that could be very¡ª¡± She snapped the twig. ¡°¡ªProblematic for all of us.¡±

    ¡°Crap,¡± I rubbed the base of my braid anxiously. ¡°So who could we go to? Is it worth trying something anyway, or running away?¡±

    Salvador leaned forward and steepled his hand in front of his chin. ¡°If we run, they will only help the Black Claw to find us, yes? Do they have influence outside of Lockmoth?¡±

    Taava shook her head, then cocked it to one side. ¡°The Mudrats definitely have some kinda contacts in other places¡ªlike the ones who got me outta Raavia.¡±

    ¡°What if we got those contacts to turn on the Mudrats?¡± Seyari asked, tossing the bits of burned stick onto the old stones of the square. ¡°If we can get the Black Claw after them too, we could probably slip out of everyone¡¯s reach.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sounds good!¡± Taava smiled, then flattened her ears and hissed softly, smile flipping to a grimace. ¡°But how the heck d¡¯we do that? I¡¯m pretty sure the Rats bribe the guard, any sorta royal army or militia won¡¯t give two fucks, and all the other crime bosses in Lockmoth aren¡¯t people I¡¯m gonna work with.¡±

    I felt an idea click into place in my head. ¡°The Gelles Company.¡± Everyone turned to look at me.

    Salvador nodded.

    Seyari nodded as well. ¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡±

    Hey, that was my revelation!

    I continued before Seyari could. ¡°If they¡¯re a big mercenary group, and as uncorrupted as Drin and Tren seemed to think, we might be able to get them to help and give the whole thing an official stamp, so to speak. The city guard won¡¯t openly support criminals, and I doubt their ¡®allies¡¯ would either.¡±

    Taava pursed her lips thoughtfully. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯d cut and run. S¡¯what I¡¯d do.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Salvador expression shifted almost to a smile. ¡°Plus, there will hopefully be less death that way.¡±

    ¡°Well said, Renna.¡± Seyari smiled at me and leaned over to peck my cheek. I smiled back, I¡¯m a sucker for praise. She continued, ¡°needless to say, I also agree. They might even have some kind of bounty out already, but I doubt they¡¯d let new members take it on. Taava, how long until the Mudrats find you and we get dragged into this mess?¡±

    Taava looked around. I realized now why she¡¯d chosen this spot. Few places to over hear us, and the buildings around let her take advantage of her excellent hearing.

    ¡°Honestly,¡± Taava replied, ¡°It¡¯s kinda lucky they didn¡¯t already find us. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll know of ¡®em by tonight.¡±

    ¡°Then lets sign up with the Company today.¡± I rose from my seat and picked up all our trash.

    Seyari rose as well and glanced around. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt fate like that, Taava. Let¡¯s go before they show up here.¡±

    I chuckled darkly. Taava hissed. Salvador uttered a short, quiet prayer.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you and Salvador get our stuff from our room, Sey?¡± I offered. ¡°I can keep Taava safe if something happens in broad daylight on a main street, and that way we won¡¯t get our stuff stolen and I can maybe get ahead on whatever bureaucratic crap we¡¯ll have to deal with.¡±

    Together, we left the square, and split up. Taava and I headed for Lockmoth¡¯s Gelles Company branch after getting directions from the place where we¡¯d bought our early lunch, while Seyari and Salvador walked quickly back toward the inn we were staying at.

 Chapter 74: Playing Dumb

    We¡¯d hardly left the square when Taava noticed she had a tail; a second tail, that was¡ªand one not attached to her body.

    I was glad Seyari and Salvador had already gone to our inn room to retrieve our stuff. While this tail and whoever they worked for, presumably the Mudrats, probably didn¡¯t know where we were staying, that wouldn¡¯t last. And if things got ugly, I wanted to have our stuff given that we were also nearly broke.

    I stayed close to Taava and watched for our tail. She practically had to point him out to me to get me to notice who he was¡ªa young man in worker¡¯s clothes who looked a little less scruffy than the image I had in my head. He had a dark mop of messy hair and sharp features, easily visible as he wore no hood. He followed us up and into the nicest part of Lockmoth I¡¯d seen yet.

    I could see our destination when the young man approached us. The Gelles Company¡¯s coat of arms was a shield with a sword crossed over a flowing river, nicely painted on the wooden sign below the name in bold font. Taava held out a hand, bidding me to stop. I did, and I turned to the newcomer, whose happy smile hid the anger I could feel in him as he moved closer and out of the crowd.

    The three of us moved to stand at the entrance to a wide alley that smelled strongly of fish guts. I took a position behind Taava and glowered down at the young man. He looked up at me, and his smiling expression twitched. I felt a spike of anger, and I let him have the emotion. I felt the comforting presence of my own wrath, cold and controlled¡ªwaiting to be lit ablaze.

    ¡°Taava!¡± the young man greeted her, his friendly smile straining. His eyes, however, stayed on me. ¡°Long time no see! How was Rochewood? Garvin wants ta know why ya haven¡¯t visited yet.¡±

    ¡°Rochewood was fine, Vink,¡± Taava replied coldly. ¡°I just got back in town¡ªI¡¯ll be by soon.¡± The hair on her tail stood on end.

    ¡°When¡¯s soon?¡± Vink reached for Taava¡¯s arm.

    I blocked the limb casually.

    The young man withdrew his hand, putting up a gesture of surrender. ¡°Who¡¯s your new friend here? In fact, I hear you¡¯ve made a few new friends on your trip.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Vink. She is a friend.¡± Taava¡¯s voice dripped condescension. ¡°Tell Garvin I¡¯ll meet him at our favorite place tonight, ¡®kay?¡±

    Vink glared. ¡°We know you¡¯ve been askin¡¯ ¡®round town for someone, Taava. Don¡¯t play dumb.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Vink, I just wanted ta make sure ya could follow along. Wouldn¡¯t want ya gettin¡¯ confused.¡± Taava smiled sardonically.

    Vink¡¯s anger spiked. Taava wrapped her tail around my leg, right as I was about to drain his anger. I¡¯d told her what I could do, but I was smart enough to take the hint and back down. She can handle this.

    Vink didn¡¯t miss my frown. ¡°Whoah now! Keep your big dumb bodyguard in check, Taav.¡± The young man smiled, but all I could see in his eyes was fury. ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re up to,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°She¡¯s not my bodyguard, Vink.¡± Taava leaned forward and showed him her canines. ¡°And I¡¯ll tell Garvin myself tonight. At our spot.¡±

    Vink threw a punch in response. Not a sloppy one either; the wiry man quickly shifted his posture to throw his weight behind the blow. I could have moved in time, but I played at being slow, stepping forward as if reacting too slowly. If this jerk wanted to underestimate me, that was all the better.

    Taava nimbly ducked under Vink¡¯s punch, then used his own weight against him, tripping him onto the ground. ¡°Charlie!¡± she called out sweetly, ¡°are you alright? I told you to watch out for loose paving stones. I swear, the roads in this city get worse every year.¡± Her accent pitched more formal than her usual speech.

    Vink, or ¡°Charlie¡±, scrambled to his feet, ready to wind up another blow.

    Taava put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in, whispering, ¡°Unless ya wanna make a scene on Drytown¡¯s high street, I suggest ya let this go and run along back ta Garvin.¡±

    I relaxed my posture when Taava spoke up. I hadn¡¯t been nervous¡ªnot truly¡ªalthough my heart had pounded right when the smart-mouthed kazzel had been about to get punched. Now, I tensed up and looked to the street behind us. A wealthy-looking couple had stopped, noticing Vink¡¯s fall. A few other people were glancing our way.

    Grimacing, Vink spat on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Rose,¡± he said loudly enough to be overheard easily. ¡°Thanks for helping me up. I¡¯ll see you tonight, okay?¡± His fa?ade cracked under the extra emphasis he put on the last word.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay,¡± I chimed in, glancing behind me. The couple had started walking again, the others on the busy street also turned away from our alley¡¯s entrance.

    Vink glared at me. I smiled back, dumb as I could make it. He frowned, made a rude gesture, and scurried off back down the busy high street, slipping easily into the crowd and away.

    Taava shushed me when I tried to speak up and hurried us along to the Gelles company building. ¡°Vink wasn¡¯t the only one. Garvin¡¯s got at least one shadow watchin¡¯ us right now¡ªheard ¡®em up on the rooftops. We¡¯ll talk with the others later, got it?¡±

    I nodded.

    Taava hissed softly. ¡°And don¡¯t look around! I like that ya caught on and started playin¡¯ dumb. Keep it up.¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I nodded again, and pushed open the door to the Gelles Company building. Like the building itself, the door was made out of a dark wood, heavily varnished to avoid rotting in the moist seaside air. The inside was different than what I had expected: a small space with a couple benches for waiting and a counter at the back.

    On the counter was a bell and a sign saying to ring it for assistance. I did so, and took a seat on a bench, appreciating how the sturdy thing didn¡¯t mind my weight at all. Taava plopped down next to me, glancing around at the doors in the room, swiveling her ears and generally looking nervous.

    ¡°Something bothering you?¡± I asked.

    Taava shrugged ¡°Kinda, but it¡¯s fine.¡±

    I glanced at her questioningly.

    ¡°No, really it¡¯s fine,¡± she insisted.

    Now it was my turn to shrug.

    We didn¡¯t have to wait much longer before a middle-aged human man walked behind the counter and waved us up. ¡°Do you two have an appointment?¡± He asked incredulously, eyeing our rather modest clothing. He wore thick spectacles and had a dark receding hairline that he¡¯d wisely not tried to cover up.

    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head. ¡°We were hoping to join the Gelles Company.¡±

    He looked at me, then at Taava. ¡°Are you now? I don¡¯t know that we¡¯re hiring at the moment¡­¡± He looked both Taava and myself up and down¡ªmostly me. ¡°But I can go ask. Please wait here a minute.¡± He gestured at the bench where we¡¯d been seated.

    Several minutes later (by the large clock in the corner) one of the side doors opened. An immense, well-dressed man walked out. His hair was a steely sort of gray¡ªthinning, but not bald¡ªand he had a well-trimmed mustache under a gruff-looking face.

    He stepped over to us, looming. ¡°Hmm, well, neither of you are in terrible shape.¡± He stroked his mustache. ¡°What weapons do you use.¡±

    ¡°Knives,¡± Taava replied easily. ¡°Thrown and in-hand. I can also use some longer blades and know my way around a crossbow.¡±

    ¡°Do you now?¡± The large man eyed her.

    Taava tilted her head, lowering one ear. ¡°Uh, yeah? S¡¯what I said, ain¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The man turned to me. ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a fire mage, sir.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow at my honest answer.

    I rubbed the back of my neck and continued. ¡°I also know some unarmed combat, and I¡¯m learning the spear, uh, sir.¡±

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re big doesn¡¯t mean you understand how to fight unarmed.¡± His tone was lecturing, just outside of what I¡¯d consider condescending.

    I thought back to how Taava had used Vink¡¯s momentum against him not half an hour earlier. ¡°Understood, sir.¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± He replied.

    I withered under his gaze.

    Before I or Taava could respond he continued. ¡°Bah. A lobby¡¯s no place to test you. You don¡¯t look like a pair of simpering pissants, so as long as you¡¯ll not be useless in a fight or an ass to our clients, we might have a place for you.¡± He rose and turned, looking over his shoulder at us. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    I rose and took a step after him. ¡°Understood, sir. There are two others who should be here shortly and are with us.¡±

    ¡°Are there?¡± He looked up at me (only slightly, but still), a bit of a surprised look in his eye. ¡°They can wait in the lobby like everyone else. Follow.¡±

    I nodded. Beside me, Taava rose and brushed the bristled fur of her tail back into place as we followed the older man. I had a pretty good idea of how she would react to someone like this man who hadn¡¯t even given us his name yet. Or did I? I shook the thought away, ducked slightly under the old door after the man and followed him down a corridor past some rather plush-looking meeting rooms.

    ¡°My name is Rodrik and I¡¯m the branch manager here in Lockmoth. Dreadfully boring position, except when I can test the new recruits. Like you two. First, we¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ve got ability and skill, then there¡¯ll be a test of the more¡­ social aspects of the job. If you pass muster, of course.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna, sir,¡± I replied. ¡°What if we pass both parts of recruitment?¡±

    ¡°Good question. Obvious, but good.¡± Rodrik turned a corner and we followed him through a nice-looking door into a much more pedestrian-looking hallway. ¡°If you pass both parts, then we¡¯ll let you shadow a crew on a job. Do that, and we¡¯ll get you a contract to join up.¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir.¡± I nodded at the back of his head. I could hear voices up ahead. We turned another corridor and passed by a mess hall. I could see several people seated around the place, chatting loudly. Some turned to watch as we passed. The looks of pity scared me.

    ¡°Any other questions?¡± Rodrik asked as we came to a large, exterior-looking door.

    ¡°None from me,¡± Taava replied. ¡°Name¡¯s Taava, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Will we be provided weapons?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t carry your spear through town, then?¡± Rodrik asked, and I couldn¡¯t decipher if the intimidating man meant it in jest.

    ¡°No, sir. Our friends should have it,¡± I replied, then continued after a moment¡¯s pause, ¡°but I can use a training weapon.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Rodrik pushed open the doors into a large training field, striding in like he owned the place, (which, come to think of it, he probably did). ¡°I don¡¯t test magic, so I¡¯ll need to get our magic instructor. Yusta!¡±

    An individual came running over. Human, with the typical features for the region, they had a slim build and focused eyes behind all their sweat. ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    ¡°Go get Firalex. Tell them there¡¯s a new hopeful recruit who needs magic testing.¡±

    The young person looked at Taava who tilted her head back at him. With another ¡°Yes sir!¡± they ran off.

    Rodrik turned back to us, looking at Taava. ¡°I¡¯ll test Taava here first. We already have targets set up for throwing knives. I¡¯ll get you a training set, and you can show me what you¡¯ve got in a real scrap after you show me you can throw for beans.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha!¡± Taava managed to sound enthusiastic.

    Maybe she was. She did seem to like to show off, although she abandoned the ¡°bard¡± story pretty fast. I hoped she wouldn¡¯t stop playing for fun in the evenings¡ªshe was pretty good.

    Rodrik motioned at a bench, and I took a seat. In front of me, Taava took her place at a line in the sand and started to throw at a series of targets arrayed in front of her. She¡¯s showing off.

    Not that I blamed her. Crap, I have to figure out how to reign in my strength. I knew enough about how to avoid breaking everything I touched, but I didn¡¯t have much practice with amounts of force other than the minimum or the maximum. I looked down at my hands, uncalloused and too clean.

    I would have to explain this somehow and also modulate my strength. If we¡¯d had more time to prepare, I could have thought of something, but today had been a whirlwind of activity. I could fake enhancing myself with magic (I knew some people could do that), but with the magic instructor here, that might not work and would be a disaster. Not to mention the fact that I usually fought with my claws and tail, neither of which I¡¯d have.

    Or, I thought cautiously, I could tell the truth.

    Probably not, though. Even without direct influence from the Church of Dhias, demons were near-universally reviled, and for good reason. I almost didn¡¯t want to risk sandbagging, but my actual strength would be impossible to explain otherwise.

    What do I do?

    Taava finished throwing, and met an excited-looking Rodrik in an earthen ring. The large man had been helped into chain armor and seemed to wear it like a second skin. He explained some sort of ruleset to her, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I had to think of a plan, and I had until Rodrik and Taava finished, or the magic instructor got here, whichever came first.

    And neither would take much more time.

 Chapter 75: Pulling Punches

    Anxious as I was, I hardly watched the spar between Rodrik and Taava. I had expected some kind of structured fight, but what I saw absolutely wasn¡¯t that. Rodrik was fast for his size, and he used his training sword almost as more of a club. Taava darted side to side, literally flipping out of the way of some attacks.

    The whole time I watched, my anxiety grew. How the heck was I supposed to restrain my strength and also not just get laid out on my ass? I hadn¡¯t expected to actually fight today, although I supposed it made sense. I¡¯d expected to just walk through a few drills and show I knew the motions.

    There was a sigh from close by. ¡°I see Rodrik¡¯s having ¡®fun¡¯ with the potential recruits again. Although, for once, it looks like the recruit is enjoying herself as well,¡± a calm voice spoke next to me. ¡°I¡¯m Firalex¡ªFira for short¡ªand I was told you are the mage interested in joining the Company?¡±

    I pulled myself out of my thoughts and looked over and slightly up to find the person I hadn¡¯t notice approach. They were wearing a breezy-looking outfit; pastel blues and a deep v-neck with billowing sleeves. Their light-colored hair was spiked up by some force or another, but their bright blue eyes betrayed the disaffected casual air they tried to project.

    I responded before I was caught staring. ¡°Y-yeah, that¡¯s me. Fire mage. Oh, and my name¡¯s Zarenna.¡± I sheepishly held out a hand for them to shake.

    They took it and shook firmly, a breezy smile crossing their features. ¡°Nice to meet you! Sorry if you¡¯re nervous¡ª¡± They glanced over to where Taava and Rodrik were continuing to go all-out. ¡°I hope Rodrik didn¡¯t give you a bad first impression. There are plenty of people like him at the company, but some of us are a bit more¡­ sane.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± I took my hand back and bit my lower lip. ¡°So how are you going to test me?¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡± They waved an arm over to a different part of the courtyard. ¡°There¡¯s a dirt area behind the targets back there. That way you won¡¯t be lighting anything on fire¡ªif, of course, that is a concern I should have.¡±

    I shook my head and stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t think so; my control is pretty good.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± they beamed, and led me around the ring where Rodrik and Taava¡¯s fight had drawn a small crowd.

    I could see over everyone else, and the two combatants were flagging, circling each other and waiting for an opening. I hoped my fight wouldn¡¯t be that intense. Would I have to tap out? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d get hurt at all from a training weapon¡ªhopefully getting hits landed on me will be enough.

    I sincerely hoped Taava¡¯s competitive side had kept the spar going long past what would be reasonable.

    My staring hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. ¡°Quite the intense fight, don¡¯t you think? Normally Rodrik slaps them around a bit and ends spar. Your friend must be quite good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied absentmindedly, ¡°she is¡ªI think.¡±

    ¡°Be surer of yourself, Zarenna! You don¡¯t need to be so nervous.¡± Fira gave me a reassuring smile.

    I smiled back as warmly as I could. They didn¡¯t know the reason I was nervous.

    Fira led me around to another shooting range with dirt walls and targets against a dirt backstop. I took the time to look around the courtyard. It looked like the Gelles company owned the whole surrounding building¡ªan impressive fa?ade of stone and wood. I was a little surprised this wasn¡¯t their main branch, but the lobby was spartan enough for me to believe it.

    ¡°Impressed?¡± Fira asked. ¡°Our branch here in Lockmoth does a lot of training, and many of our members call this place home.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Shall we begin?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± I beamed.

    ¡°Love the enthusiasm!¡± Fira replied excitedly. ¡°Now show me a controlled flame. I want you to change its size and heat.¡±

    I opened my palm and did as they told me, producing a small flame that hovered above my outstretched hand. I kept the flame higher than I otherwise would, to keep from ¡°burning¡± myself. While they watched, I raised the temperature, the flame turning from crimson to orange to white.

    Still, my signature crimson lined the edge. Focusing on the efficiency methods Seyari had taught me, I increased the flame¡¯s size and decreased it again, feeling the thin trickle of mana the act drew from me.

    Fira watched with an intense gaze, a smile playing across their lips. Their eyes glowed and I snuffed the flame out.

    ¡°Brilliant!¡± Fira beamed. ¡°Your control is solid, and the heat you can reach is impressive.¡± They turned their glowing eyes to me and frowned. ¡°Odd. Your aura doesn¡¯t match your ability. The tint is wrong, too.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Well, uh, I don¡¯t exactly want to go showing my aura around everywhere.¡±

    Fira¡¯s lips turned into a thin line. ¡°A rare ability.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Would you¡ªhmmm, actually, why don¡¯t you show me some basic offensive casting.¡± They swept a hand out across the battered stone targets.

    ¡°Can do!¡± I replied quickly, grateful for the out. I conjured twin balls of fire and tossed them, hitting the targets. I had aimed for the center, but was off on both. Then, I turned my palm out and cast a gout of low-heat flames over a near target before blasting the remaining targets, only missing the smallest few.

    My magic still felt constrained in human form, but only a little, and I wasn¡¯t exactly going to go all out for a simple demonstration of talent.

    Fira examined my handiwork. ¡°Accuracy could use some work, but you either have a lot of mana to work with or your efficiency was well-taught.¡±

    ¡°A bit of both, I suppose,¡± I shrugged. My accuracy really could use some work¡ªuntil recently I¡¯d just dumped power at whatever I fought.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Fira put a hand to their chin and stared up at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go see if Rodrik¡¯s done knocking your poor friend around and ready to give you a thrashing.¡± They turned and started to walk quickly back toward the sparring ring. As the ring came into view, I could see the fight had ended; a miffed looking Taava sat with her arms crossed next to Rodrik who was smiling ear-to-ear.

    ¡°Fira,¡± I started quickly, ¡°if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to only be tested for my magic. I¡¯m not really much of a melee combatant.¡±

    Fira stopped and turned to look up at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re playing at, Zarenna, but you don¡¯t get a figure like that without training.¡±

    I scrambled for an excuse. ¡°Well, uh, it¡¯s my ogre blood that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡± Fira put up a hand. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain half-ogres don¡¯t exist; you look nothing like one and even if¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fira!¡± Rodrik interrupted, standing up to take a step toward us, ¡°are you done with Zarenna? I wish to understand why someone of her stature would waste her time training a magical talent.¡±

    Fira¡¯s head snapped away from mine and they glowered at the large man. ¡°Rodrik!¡±

    ¡°Her friend here is surprisingly competent.¡± He slapped Taava on the back and she stumbled off the bench with a hiss. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what Zarenna can do!¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I raised a finger. ¡°Actually, sir, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Come on, get in the ring!¡± Rodrik steamrolled over what I was trying to say. He gestured at the sandy circle which was scarred from the previous spar/battle. ¡°There should be a practice spear ready for you. The shaft might be a little short, but you did say you could fight unarmed, and I am quite interested in seeing that,¡± Rodrik said without a shred of innuendo.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Fira grumbled, ¡°but you and I need to talk after this, Rodrik!¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡± Rodrik waved dismissively. ¡°Did Zarenna not meet expectations?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t that,¡± Fira replied seriously.

    Rodrik¡¯s face lost its humor for a moment. ¡°Ah. Alright then, if it¡¯s serious we can talk after the match. We need to compare notes and see if we¡¯ll hire these two.¡±

    ¡°Four!¡± I interjected.

    ¡°Four?¡± Fira asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we have two other friends. One of them should have my spear.¡±

    ¡°Are we already watching for them?¡± Fira asked Rodrik.

    He nodded. ¡°We are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting then.¡± Fira gave a last judging look at me, then walked to the sidelines and leaned next to Taava¡¯s bench. They started a conversation, but I couldn¡¯t make out much over the din of the training field and barracks and with the slight fog over my senses from my human guise.

    Trying to look the right kind of nervous, I walked over to the training ring, took one look at the flimsy stick Rodrik had called a training spear, then took a position at the edge, unarmed.

    ¡°No spear?¡± Rodrik said, amused.

    I looked over at the short-for-me stick that¡¯d snap the first time I tried anything with it. ¡°Too short and it¡¯d snap the moment I used it.¡±

    The large company leader chuckled. ¡°I feel the same way, but it should be stronger than it looks. Give it a try anyway.¡±

    I shrugged, sighed, and picked up the toothpick. ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Rodrik smiled, facing me with a training sword that looked a fair bit more well-sized to his frame. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±

    I didn¡¯t leap in straight away. The flimsy stick I had for a ¡°weapon¡± didn¡¯t give me much confidence. For a brief moment, Rodrik and I circled each other.

    I was wondering if he was waiting for me to make the first move when he quickly shifted forward, stepping inside my guard. Quickly, of course, being a relative term. He certainly wasn¡¯t slow for a man of his size and I wasn¡¯t that much faster in human form anyway.

    I tried a tentative strike at his offhand, looking to keep him out of reach. The spear was short, though that wasn¡¯t the reason my thrust was parried. In a moment, he was inside my reach. I sloppily blocked his training sword, the wood of my spear bending.

    I couldn¡¯t, however, block the follow-up. The blunted top of the sword thudded off my abs.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you not to let an opponent with shorter reach than you inside of your guard,¡± Rodrik said in a disappointed tone. ¡°Again.¡±

    I set up and we went at it again. This time, I lasted longer, making the first moves and putting Seyari¡¯s training to good use before I lost again. The third time, I had to resist the urge to move faster. On the fourth time, a desperate strike snapped the training spear across Rodrik¡¯s practice blade.

    He grunted. ¡°Those muscles aren¡¯t just for show. Now your weapon¡¯s broken, Zarenna. Show me what you can do without one.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I nodded; the fight having given me some confidence in modulating my own strength.

    Before we could start, Seyari and Salvador entered, the former carrying my spear and looking pissed, and the latter taking the place in with a calculating gaze. Taava waved to them and I did too.

    In doing so, I barely dodged a wide sweep of Rodrik¡¯s practice sword. ¡°Pay attention! The enemy¡¯s not going to let you get distracted.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I replied apologetically, knowing better than to argue.

    We went at it again. I learned firsthand how unequipped I was to fight human-on-human. I couldn¡¯t grab his weapon directly, I had no claws or tail, I was missing arms, I had no horns, and I wasn¡¯t going to use my magic in a training fight.

    To say it succinctly, I got thrashed. Oh, I had some good grabs here and there, and some punches (that I pulled) that landed. But more often than not, I¡¯d be tapped with a training sword before I could get a hit in without abusing my speed.

    Rodrik caught on to this, and told me to go harder, to the point where I was worried about how much strength I was putting behind my blows. The old guild leader didn¡¯t let up until he was sweating and heaving, having won at least eight out of the last ten or so matches.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he huffed, ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± He walked forward and shook my hand. ¡°You can certainly take a hit, and you¡¯ve got endurance to match. Just don¡¯t try to get in a fight with anyone more than half your size who knows their way around a weapon.¡±

    We walked back to the others. Fira had disappeared sometime during the spar and had yet to return.

    Rodrik regarded the others. ¡°My name¡¯s Rodrik and I¡¯m the branch leader for the Gelles Company here in Lockmoth. Your friends have already been tested. Who are you and how do you fight?¡±

    ¡°Salvador, sir. I primarily use archery,¡± Salvador replied formally, ¡°and I am also familiar with shortblades.¡±

    ¡°Seyari. Wind and holy magic,¡± Seyari replied in a challenging tone. ¡°I¡¯m also a master swordswoman and archer.¡±

    Rodrik raised his bushy eyebrows and frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, girl.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Seyari challenged with a glare.

    ¡°Show me then.¡± Rodrik grumbled, pointing to the ring. ¡°Training weapons are along the wall.¡±

    I already appreciated Seyari, but watching her absolutely wipe the floor with Rodrik left me glowing, and more than a little aroused. The dye disguising her hid some of her beauty, but she couldn¡¯t quite hide the lovely, dangerous glow she gave off as she fought, lip curled into a smirk. No. Now is not the time or the place.

    ¡°Sey seems¡­ angry,¡± I said quietly, tilting my head toward Salvador who was also watching the fight intently.

    ¡°She is,¡± he replied. ¡°Our room had been broken into and ransacked. Seyari and I had to chase down the ruffians who did it. Thankfully they¡¯d not gotten far.¡±

    My stomach twisted. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°We took our things back and roughed them up.¡±

    I looked over at Taava who had been watching the fight with a similar schadenfreude to my own.

    She flicked an ear and glanced up at me. ¡°We¡¯ll worry ¡®bout it later, kay?¡±

    I nodded, not needing her to explain the rest of what she meant.

    After the fight, Salvador and Seyari had to prove their archery skill. Seyari then had to show off her wind magic for a very excited Fira, who had reappeared sometime near the end of Seyari¡¯s fight with Rodrik.

    A Fira who, after inspecting my weapon with seemingly great interest, allowed me to finally show off my spear skills against straw targets. I set up in front of one, dropped into a stance, and immediately realized I was off-balance without my tail.

    So, I corrected for that. And for the arms I didn¡¯t have. The end result was, well, underwhelming. I could hit a standing target, I could decide where I wanted to hit it and roughly how hard, but I felt awkward and my motions felt forced. I was certain this didn¡¯t escape either instructor, but even as Rodrik¡ªin an excellent mood for someone who just got knocked around¡ªchatted about some technique with Seyari, I didn¡¯t miss his or Fira¡¯s eyes glancing at me.

    Something I¡¯d done was grounds for suspicion. Hopefully they¡¯d let us join after the talking part of the process.

    ¡°Are you interested in learning to use a buckler, or maybe even a proper shield?¡± Rodrik asked with a gleam in his eye. ¡°I can see your inexperience, but, frankly, you have enough strength and speed to have potential regardless of talent.¡±

    Ouch. Fair, but ouch.

    ¡°I do wish to learn a shield, sir.¡± I walked over to Seyari and offered an arm. She leaned into the side hug, turning a triumphant smile to Rodrik.

    Wait, is she using me as a¡­ Hey! I wanted to be the one to do that!

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that then¡ªif!¡± he punctuated the sentence sharply, ¡°we decide you¡¯re good enough. Firalex and I will be back shortly. Don¡¯t leave this courtyard, but you may mingle.¡±

    The two people who¡¯d tested us then left us alone for a few minutes, during which Seyari preened herself and radiated smugness. I did little to discourage the behavior. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t have much time to chat, although I did find out that everything aside from some of our food was accounted for when Seyari and Salvador had caught the thieves.

    If they had taken my dress¡­

    Well, I had the excuse of being a wrath demon and they were criminals tied to a gang tied to assassins tied to another sovereign demon whom I am rather certain I will end up opposed to.

    As it stood, however, I had no one to go after, but I was supremely worried about Taava. I didn¡¯t want to just let her go meet this Garvin guy alone tonight. But I couldn¡¯t exactly bring that up here and now, could I?

    Eventually, Fira and Rodrik returned. Fira fixed me with a sharp gaze, the smile I returned barely reciprocated. Rodrik took all our names: Zarenna Miller, Seyari (no surname), Salvador Rozaro, and Taava (no surname).

    I imagined Taava was a taken name, like Seyari¡¯s own. I realized after we¡¯d given ours that I had never learned Salvador¡¯s last name. Or Lorelei¡¯s. Or Markus¡¯s.

    I swept the dark thoughts aside.

    From there, we were each taken to a comfortable office and grilled on a variety of moral and business questions. I responded as best, and as honestly, as I could. I kept in mind that I couldn¡¯t save everyone; that I should think first, but not hesitate when action was demanded; and that there would be people I would have to kill. The parts about contracts and payments were easier¡ªall stuff I had learned as Bourick¡¯s apprentice back in Linthel, or from my own parents.

    After the questions, and with most of the afternoon done, Rodrik and Fira gathered us to say we had passed the initial testing. I noticed Rodrik glanced between Taava and Seyari and Fira looked at me again. I tilted my head and blinked and they looked away. I assumed Salvador had passed without issue.

    I started to worry Fira had noticed something off with my magic. If they did, they said nothing.

    We were told the last thing we¡¯d need to do was shadow and potentially assist a group out on a contract. There was a group leaving the next morning for a contract job to the southwest of Lockmoth. We were to be at a meeting place near the edge of the city one hour after dawn, and Fira would be joining us.

    With that, we left and booked a single room with our paltry remaining cash at a big, nice inn on the square up the road. The smell in our room was downright pleasant, if a little strong. Floral and perfumed with a bit of imported incense¡ªquite different from the sweat and dirt that had permeated the Gelles Company¡¯s courtyard.

    We had some time left before nightfall, and we¡¯d need it to help Taava plan her evening excursion.

 Chapter 76: Meeting in the Night pt. 1

    ¡°Don¡¯t even ask if I¡¯ll blow Garvin off,¡± Taava started as soon as we¡¯d sat down in our closed-off room. She twitched her tail irritably behind her, ears low and eyes focused. ¡°I do that, and he goes ta the guard and I end up wanted¡ªprob¡¯ly not even for shit I¡¯ve actually done.¡±

    I took a breath, but the Kazzel continued, staring at me. ¡°And we can¡¯t just kill ¡®em all either. They¡¯re not all gonna be in one place and ya can bet your big red tail they¡¯ll have a ¡®witness,¡¯ and we¡¯ll end up wanted by half the damn city.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied, tapping my forehead in lieu of a horn. ¡°Why can¡¯t we go with you?¡±

    Taava hissed a sigh. ¡°I get it: you¡¯re wrath, not brains.¡± She glanced over at Seyari and Salvador, sitting next to me around the room¡¯s small table. ¡°One of ya¡ªtell Renna why that¡¯s a stupid question.¡±

    I bristled.

    Salvador looked to Seyari who replied with a thin-lipped frown, ¡°Taava, don¡¯t be a bitch, we¡¯re trying to help you.¡±

    ¡°¡°Hsssss,¡±¡± Taava and I both hissed.

    My lover raised an eyebrow, her lips staying thin.

    ¡°Right, yeah,¡± I grumbled in concession. ¡°We all go and suddenly the guard will get a tip we¡¯re all working with the gang, that¡¯ll get back to the Gelles Company and with how suspicious they already are of us, it¡¯ll slam our door right in our faces.¡± I glared at the pleased-looking Taava. ¡°Is that smart enough for you?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Taava beamed, standing up from her seat and walking to her things. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take the window outta here. You lot sit tight and act pretty¡ªif anyone comes ¡®round askin¡¯, ya don¡¯t know this parta me.¡±

    ¡°If we can¡¯t go with you, can we at least do something to help you not get killed?¡± I glanced to Seyari while Taava had her back to us. She shook her head. ¡°I might be able to do something.¡±

    Not revealing angelic stuff yet, Sey? Can¡¯t say I blame you, I guess.

    ¡°Killed?¡± Taava loaded a small crossbow and stowed it¡­ somewhere. ¡°Garvin¡¯s a drug runner, not an idiot. He¡¯ll wanna get more money outta me an¡¯ the Black Claw. ¡®Course they¡¯re gonna skewer him if they haven¡¯t already. But right now, he thinks I got no power, no backup, and no way out. He doesn¡¯t know what ya are, but he¡¯ll ask ¡®bout the company. I play my cards right, and I get ta know how corrupt the company is, and walk away with mosta my fingers.¡±

    I furrowed my brow. ¡°So there¡¯s nothing we can do to help?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been sayin¡¯, dingus.¡± Taava walked over and poked my forehead. ¡°No demon-ey stuff either. We¡¯re keepin¡¯ that secret ¡®till I need it.¡±

    I felt a flare of rage at being told what to do. ¡°Until we need it, Taava.¡± Even in human form a wisp of flame licked out on my breath.

    Taava faltered. ¡°Yeah, uh, we. Gotcha, boss.¡±

    ¡°Damn.¡± I leaned back in my chair, thankful for its sturdy construction. ¡°Do we just let you go and sit up here alone and hope you come back? And we can¡¯t go after you either, even if you don¡¯t come back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Taava¡¯s tail drooped. ¡°You¡¯re catchin¡¯ on.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain we cannot go to the guards if you don¡¯t return?¡± Salvador asked. ¡°If we¡¯re persistent, our concern may reach someone who will do something.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not back by mornin¡¯, I¡¯m dead, Salvador,¡± Taava replied, ears low against her hair.

    Salvador frowned in thought. ¡°If you do not come back, through the mercenaries or the guard, I¡ªno we¡ªwill find a way to help if we can or get closure if we cannot.¡±

    Salvador¡¯s sudden sincerity struck a chord with me. I wondered where it came from¡ªdid he perhaps see Taava as similar to his daughter? I didn¡¯t dwell on what the reason might have been, I nodded, and even Seyari¡¯s eyes softened.

    Taava, for her part, hid her reaction well, but her breath quickened. ¡°Right, yeah. I¡¯m gonna get outta here before we get all sappy on each other. Chances are I¡¯ll be back ¡®fore ya get up, but I might have ta hole up somewhere. If I ain¡¯t back tomorrow, go without me.¡±

    ¡°Stay safe.¡± Salvador said with finality.

    Taava nodded, then crept to the window, lifted it open, and was gone.

    Seyari got up and closed the window. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hell, I hope she comes back.¡±

    I looked at Salvador¡¯s concerned face and back to Seyari. ¡°We all do.¡±

    ***

    From a nearby rooftop, Taava took one last look at the inn window where her friends were staying. Friends. What was she thinking? Whether she enjoyed their company or not, there was no use attaching labels to that sort of thing.

    Just ends up hurting more later.

    The former assassin flicked an ear to banish her thoughts. She had to be careful tonight; Garvin might want her dead, too, and that¡¯d make things tricky.

    Taava scampered down from the rooftop and started darting through alleys and over fences. She wore no colors¡ªno protection, but would also draw no attention. If, however, she moved well enough.

    Old training applied to more recent instincts, and Taava slowed once she was out of Drytown. The next few blocks she stuck to the shadows, and the tighter, slouching buildings helped her get out of the muck and farther away from unwanted eyes.

    The moon was out tonight, waxing full and heavy in the sky, bathing the rooftops in a glow that¡¯d outline anyone foolish enough to stay up there for long.

    Or anyone coming down from above.

    A shadow fell over her. Taava twisted to one side, dodging a knife aimed for her neck. Her tail reached out and grabbed for the man¡¯s leg, shifting his balance.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Her attacker recovered, grabbing onto a gutter and flipping to land on a fence. Taava crouched lightly on the windowsill, tail hardly brushing the damp-slicked shutter behind her.

    ¡°If it ain¡¯t Garvin¡¯s singin¡¯ rat,¡± the man drawled. ¡°Ya know this ain¡¯t yer turf.¡± He wore dark clothing, and a dirty red strip around his wrist.

    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re lookin¡¯ for a song.¡± Taava hissed softly, checking her surroundings and buying time. One more, on the ground near the alley¡¯s exit: a crossbow aimed her way.

    ¡°Nah, think I¡¯d rather hear ya scream,¡± the man chuckled darkly, blade gleaming in the moonlight.

    How creative.

    Taava jumped just in time for a crossbow bolt to thud into the shutter behind her. The man leapt up after the kazzel, but caught a knife across the face, falling short of the more agile woman.

    He cursed and wiped at the blood, landing on his feet on the muddy ground of the alley. With a shout, he gave chase, several pairs of footsteps following behind.

    Up ahead, Taava¡¯s ears swiveled around, trying to find a way out. Are they a patrol, or a hit squad?

    Her feet carried her out of one alley and swiftly into another. She rolled under a goon that was waiting to grab her, driving a knife up and into his groin on the way by. He stumbled, and it gave enough time for Taava to kick off a wall and up onto a low roof. She headed toward Mudrat territory.

    This doesn¡¯t seem like a coincidence. At least if Garvin wants me dead, he¡¯ll gloat about it first.

    And maybe, just maybe, she could keep him talking long enough to either figure a way out, or let him talk himself into a reason to keep her around. A bolt skittered off a shingle next to her.

    She turned course and headed for the worst place in the city¡ªand her best way out. The old sewers¡ªironically called the Underwash. Back when Lockmoth had just been a fort at the river¡¯s mouth, they¡¯d probably helped clean away filth. Now, broken and sunken, the tunnels filled and drained with the tide, spilling their reeking stench all over Riverside and the nearby parts of the city.

    The smell of filth was enough to make her sensitive nose burn even up on the rooftops, which meant the tide was out, and the Underwash wouldn¡¯t drown her. Probably.

    Taava dodged a few more goons before she found an entrance: an old archway half-buried in a silted-in canal. She gripped the edge and swung in, careful not to put her weight on the mud in the canal. That sucking mess could trap a person until the tide came in.

    A rusted, barnacled spike of iron was Taava¡¯s next handhold, and from there, she twisted the rest of the way inside, landing near the edge of the wall where the mud was shallowest. Immediately, she sank halfway up her shin and stifled a curse.

    Her other foot wobbled on a barnacle-crusted piece of something she didn¡¯t care to know about. With a stretch, she could reach back to the iron spike, which had probably once been part of a grating.

    She was about to try to pull herself out when she heard voices. Her ears turned and she strained to hear, holding her breath to keep silent. She felt her heart beat urgently; no amount of training could truly erase the effects of running for one¡¯s life.

    ¡°¡ªthis way,¡± someone said.

    ¡°¡ªwash?¡± another asked.

    The first replied. ¡°If she¡­ well I ain¡¯t¡ª"

    ¡°¡ªtide comin¡¯ in anyway!¡± the first voice finished with a barking laugh.

    Crap. Taava looked down the dark tunnel. Ahead of her, the floor was full of mud up nearly to the curve of the passage all the way to the edge of her vision. Those idiots might actually have saved me! She waited until the voices left before her breath let out in a soft, shaky hiss.

    Taava wasn¡¯t the type to pray to any gods. But she did wish for the rusted spike to hold as she straightened her ankle and lifted her foot slowly.

    Her foot, and the shoe laced tightly to it, came out slowly with a wet sucking sound. She breathed a sigh of relief, and then the spike snapped.

    Eyes flaring, and with a surge of adrenaline, Taava kicked the wall with her muddy foot, sliding nearly back into the silt. She grabbed for the lip of the tunnel and her sharp-nailed fingers scratched stone before finding purchase in rotted mortar.

    Keeping her momentum, she swung up and over, back out onto the street. Her hearing alerted her before her eyes did, and she dove behind a rotting barrel just in time for another crossbow bolt to smash into it.

    There was a shout of alarm from the direction the bolt had been fired.

    They¡¯re waiting for me!? Something¡¯s up. Red means they¡¯re Bleeders, and Bleeders shouldn¡¯t hate Mudrats this much.

    Unless they¡¯re after me specifically. Garvin¡¯s doing? Maybe.

    Taava was up and out from behind the barrel before the second bolt could take out what remained of her cover. She threw a dagger into the darkness where she¡¯d heard a voice. The shuffle of movement and the ring of metal on stone echoed from the alley.

    No hit¡ªbut the shooter wasn¡¯t aimed up anymore. Taava took off across the open of the street, kicked off a closed stall, and scrabbled onto the rooftop. Subtlety be damned¡ªshe was close to Riverside and Mudrat territory.

    Unless they¡¯re waiting for me there, too. No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. None of this makes sense.

    There was shouting from below and around her. Gangs didn¡¯t usually operate like this, much less pull out so many people for one target. They were losing money tonight to do this.

    And that meant one thing: Whatever they gained by taking her out was better than a whole night¡¯s operation. Probably more, considering the total absence of a night watch in the area.

    Something I should have noticed. I¡¯m slipping. Head¡¯s too far ahead to see what¡¯s right in front¡ª

    Taava ducked and rolled, but not fast enough. Behind the chimney, really? And I didn¡¯t hear him?

    The man grabbed Taava¡¯s shoulder and wasted no time taking a knife toward her throat. His hand gripped her shoulder painfully, but the hold was weak. Taava twisted out and under, bringing a knife up through the man¡¯s jaw before he could take a second swipe.

    He gurgled and Taava reflexively slid the blade down and out, slicing his throat all the way open. His weight fell onto her and she kicked it away. The dying man cracked the shingles where he fell, and he rolled off into the night, his blood mixing with the crimson scarf he wore.

    The thud of his landing came after Taava had already jumped to the next roof. She saw the glint of something metal from a nearby alley. Cursing, she dropped into a slide off the side of the building, grabbed the drainpipe and swung to the next building over. Something flew by where she¡¯d just been.

    It¡¯d better not be too wet for this, she thought as she kicked off the wall.

    For a tense moment, her mud-slicked shoe started to slide, but it caught on the rough wall and Taava bounced onward, kicking forward between walls of the narrow alley. Her legs burned. Too much tavern food and not enough training.

    She made it two blocks before she dropped into a roll and resumed her run. A shout came from the corner behind her; turning her foot, Taava pitched forward into a roll, a crossbow bolt whizzing over her head.

    She came up on the other side and kept running. This time, there wasn¡¯t anyone waiting for her around the corner. Another tense sprint past a row of miserable, slouching buildings, and Taava made it into Mudrat territory.

    Fast as she could, she went for Riverside¡¯s main street down toward the water and her meeting place. That might not stop the Bleeders from chasing her, but it¡¯d make it harder for them. Unless the Mudrats are also after me, she thought grimly.

    Thankfully, she was soon proven at least partially wrong.

    ¡°You¡¯re late, Taava,¡± Vink said, sliding out from the shadows.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Taava replied curtly.

    ¡°No insult?¡± Vink smiled. ¡°Ya must really be nervous tonight.¡±

    He knows something. ¡°I guess.¡± Taava shrugged. ¡°Can we just get this over with?¡±

    ¡°Oh sure, sure. Boss¡¯s real excited ta see ya.¡± Vink¡¯s smile shone far too brightly in the shadow of the alley.

    Taava nodded, then turned and started walking quickly toward the waterfront, not waiting for Vink to follow.

    He jogged quickly to catch up. ¡°You¡¯re alone, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Taava gestured to the wide-open street.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with that new bodyguard a yours?¡±

    Taava¡¯s ears turned toward him. ¡°Ya can ask Garvin later,¡± she hissed.

    ¡°Bitch.¡± Vink took a swing.

    Taava ducked, biting back a retort. Even if Vink couldn¡¯t get her angry, she didn¡¯t need to waste time. ¡°Let¡¯s just go. Ya can sit in if Garvin okays it.¡±

    ¡°Oho, you¡¯re really in trouble, ain¡¯t ya?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to keep poking me, or do you want to find out, Vink?¡± Taava¡¯s voice lost its accent and gained a cold edge.

    Vink shut up.

 Chapter 77: Meeting in the Night pt. 2

    The old warehouse was like Taava remembered it: exactly the same as dozens of others up and down this blighted river. The warehouse wasn¡¯t special. What was under the warehouse was special. The place was on a small rise¡ªthe last bend in the river before the ocean; and the part of the Underwash that ran under it didn¡¯t flood with the tide.

    The Mudrat base here was secure, defensible, and little-known considering the warehouse had been mostly buried before Garvin and his crew dug it up. A collapse a long time ago had sealed it off and no one before the Mudrats had been determined (or stupid) enough to see if there was anything down there.

    The entrance was hidden underneath the old structure, and the inside was surprisingly stench-free. If only the endless damp of the river didn¡¯t seep in through ancient stone walls that wept dark moisture. Oil lanterns hung around the place, casting the stacks of contraband goods in flickering light.

    Soot marred the ceiling, a product of the cheap oil Garvin liked to use. There was one door leading to the exit tunnel, and another leading to other chambers farther in. Rumor had it there was a secret exit into the Underwash somewhere deeper in, but Taava had never found it.

    Mostly for lack of trying. Hopefully she¡¯d be able to walk back out the way she came in, nice and neat.

    Doubtful.

    The two goons with her and Vink were some of the bigger ones in Garvin¡¯s employ. One of them was dumber than a wharf rat, but the other¡¯s small, dark eyes gleamed with malicious cunning. Karrus, Taava recalled his name.

    Her odds of slipping away if things went wrong were looking worse and worse. I just have to make sure things don¡¯t go wrong then, she tried to reassure herself.

    Taava didn¡¯t like uncertainty¡ªdespite the act she put on and the faces she wore. And right now? She wasn¡¯t in control, and it shook her.

    Karrus and the other goon shoved her roughly down into a patchwork chair at a worm-worn table. Vink took a seat next to her, tilting down on the short leg. Karrus glared at the rat-like man. He shrugged in response, a nervous reaction he tried to play off as confidence.

    It didn¡¯t take, and Karrus¡¯ cold glare set Vink squirming in his seat. Taava didn¡¯t have to work very hard to act nervous either. Just not for quite the same reasons, she suspected.

    Garvin made them wait, stewing in the awkwardness and the smell of damp soot that lingered under the incense. Karrus stood in a silent vigil; the dumb one stood awkwardly fidgeting next to the immense man. Perhaps humans couldn¡¯t smell the ever-present soot, but Taava wasn¡¯t so sure. Their senses weren¡¯t always so dull as she¡¯d thought.

    Her mind drifted to the demon Zarenna, even as she tried to steer it away. She knew she should treat the demonic woman as a danger, but the casual air she affected was infectious. However, the hints of her simmering fury, tightly leashed, that shone through at times caused Taava to evaluate her carefully.

    She was surprised Zarenna hadn¡¯t forced her way into this evening. And right now, in the damp cellar and with a situation sliding further out of her control, Taava wished that maybe she would.

    She couldn¡¯t plan for that. Shouldn¡¯t, either. Taava knew it was for the best she¡¯d gone alone. Cold comfort.

    After a frustrating amount of time, the door at the back of the room opened. In stepped a man who, at first glance, might have looked out of place in a damp underground room full of contraband. Garvin had fair features, well-styled shoulder-length brown hair, and was dressed nicely¡ªbut not pretentiously¡ªwith small accents subtly hinting at great wealth.

    Garvin¡¯s expression, however, gave much away. There was no warmth in his eyes, nor his smile that he wore as fraudulently as his gentlemanly attire. A long, wicked scar was just visible under heavy makeup along his neck, its presence threatening to tear the whole illusion asunder.

    Garvin¡¯s been somewhere important tonight. Or, he wants me to think he has, Taava thought.

    ¡°Taava!¡± Garvin exclaimed. ¡°So good of you to visit tonight! And I see you¡¯ve brought my trusty assistant along, too.¡±

    Vink preened.

    Taava schooled her expression into neutrality. ¡°Always a pleasure, Garvin. Whaddya need from me? I¡¯ve got my haul from Rochewood and it¡¯s everythin¡¯ ya wanted.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you didn¡¯t have any trouble getting in?¡± Garvin strode toward the table, around to Taava¡¯s side.

    ¡°No,¡± Taava replied curtly, meeting his gaze with lowered ears.

    Garvin leaned down by her ears. ¡°Were you followed?¡± He gave a distracted-looking Vink a pat on the head as he swept by.

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± Taava said curtly, tracking Garvin with her eyes, but not meeting his gaze.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Garvin circled the table, running a finger along the cracks in the bloated old wood. ¡°I think you¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°Look, I have the goods, alright?¡± Taava snapped, reaching slowly toward the small satchel tied around her torso. ¡°Just be glad you wanted something small and durable. I had a little trouble on the road, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°A little trouble on the road?¡± Garvin took a seat across from her and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Does it have anything to do with those new friends of yours.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Taava replied and her hand stopped mid-way to its goal, ¡°it does. They bailed me out and I helped them look for some friends of theirs. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Garvin¡¯s smile widened, like the cat that got the mouse.

    What does he know?

    ¡°So,¡± Garvin said smoothly, ¡°Let¡¯s see the take.¡±

    Taava hissed quietly and removed the satchel, setting it on the table. ¡°Here.¡± She pulled a small metal object out of the pouch and opened it, setting the pieces on the table face-up. ¡°The last retired copper mold from the imperial mint. Do ya even know how hard it was ta get this? And ta get the fake in its place? They¡¯ve got magic wards all over the damn buildin¡¯.¡±

    Taava¡¯s rant got Vink to look over at the mold. His eyes grew wide as saucers.

    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s why you¡¯re the best in the business.¡± Garvin picked up the two pieces and studied them carefully, but his eyes moved to Taava. ¡°Exquisite, my Raavian rose¡±

    Taava grimaced, showing a calculated amount of displeasure. He knows I hate being called that. And he knows why, too.

    ¡°You know, Taava, I¡¯ve been thinking you really ought to start doing wetwork.¡± Garvin slid the two pieces into his suit pocket.

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    ¡°Are we gonna make gold coins!?¡± Vink interjected excitedly.

    Karrus took a step forward from his place in the corner, silent as a mouse. Garvin put up a hand and he stopped in a moment. ¡°Vink dear, you should really learn not to interrupt. But I suppose this once I¡¯ll entertain you. Those dies were for the last variation of the imperial copper piece¡ªthe ones before the Edathan Civil War.¡±

    ¡°Copper? Why do we wanna make copper pieces?¡± Vink frowned, trying to process why the Mudrats wouldn¡¯t go straight for gold coins.

    Instead of explaining, Garvin turned to Taava. ¡°Why don¡¯t you explain why, Taava?¡± He paused for just a short moment to lean forward. ¡°And then you can tell us all about how many people you had to kill to get these.¡±

    Taava¡¯s well-trained expression broke for a moment into fury before she schooled herself. Karrus twitched, but stayed in his corner. She took a breath to steady herself. ¡°Copper pieces¡¯re the most used currency, makin¡¯ ¡®em difficult ta track. They¡¯re also not faked so much ¡®cause they¡¯re cheaper, and we can get metal for ¡®em easier. Plus, there¡¯s a lotta old old coppers floatin¡¯ around. We make some, let ¡®em grime up in the Underwash, and then we¡¯ve got counterfeit funds no one¡¯s gonna bat an eye at. Just gotta trade ¡®em for things and trade those things for gold and then it¡¯s all legit.¡±

    ¡°Oooh,¡± Vink sighed, then looked to Garvin. ¡°That¡¯s a real smart plan boss.¡±

    Garvin smiled predatorily. ¡°Indeed it is, Vink.¡± He tilted his head toward Taava and kept his smile firmly in place. ¡°But I think she left out one of the parts I asked for.¡±

    Taava frowned.

    ¡°Aww, come on, Taava!¡± Garvin leaned back and shrugged; hands open. ¡°We¡¯ve all had ta kill! And all you have to do to start paying off that debt is to go after some people I need taken care of!¡±

    Taava stayed silent.

    Garvin laughed. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a bounty on your head now! I¡¯m sure you found that out on the way here. How many, Taava? How many for these two lumps of metal, hmm?¡±

    Taava glared at Garvin.

    ¡°Yeah, Taava, how many!¡± Vink jeered. Then, his head snapped back as something cracked against his skull. He fell backward in his chair, crashing onto the ground.

    ¡°Quiet when I¡¯m talking, please.¡± Garvin said with a hint of annoyance, his throwing arm sinking back to rest behind his head.

    Vink groaned on the floor.

    ¡°Get up, and give Karrus my dagger,¡± Garvin said condescendingly. ¡°I don¡¯t want your blood on it. The next time you interrupt, you get the pointy end.¡±

    Vink started to move and struggled upright.

    Taava watched him for a moment, then turned back to Garvin, who was smiling dangerously.

    ¡°Answer me, Taava.¡±

    Karrus took a step forward.

    For a moment Taava gauged her chances. Unless she took out everyone in this room¡ªexcept maybe the slow one¡ªshe¡¯d end up dead. And knowing Garvin, that dumb-looking bastard had orders if that happened. Even so, her odds of killing Garvin when outnumbered were low. He didn¡¯t get to the top in Lockmoth on looks alone. In the moment of silence, Taava heard a sound from deeper in the tunnels. She hoped the twitch of her ears would be misread.

    ¡°Three,¡± she answered quietly, lowering them and listening.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to speak up a little Taava. I don¡¯t think I could hear you over Vink¡¯s groaning.¡±

    The groaning cut out. Vink put a hand on the table and started to struggle to his feet. Karrus took another step forward, but not toward Vink.

    ¡°I killed three innocent people to get those dies,¡± Taava replied, each word hollowing her out.

    ¡°Only three?¡± Garvin replied.

    Taava nodded sharply. She was telling the truth. Another sound from farther in. Closer. She kept her ears still.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit then,¡± Garvin continued, ¡°I am impressed. Now, that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it? And the people I want you to go after deserve to die.¡±

    Not as much as you, Taava thought venomously.

    ¡°In fact, now that we can make our own money, I¡¯m not so sure I need you around anymore.¡± Garvin waved and Karrus changed course to Vink. He took the knife from the man and Vink pulled himself into a standing position hunched over the table, taking out a dirty rag to hold to his bleeding forehead. ¡°But,¡± Garvin¡¯s eyes gleamed maliciously, ¡°if you start doing wetwork, then I think your usefulness will far outstrip the bounty. I¡¯ll have to add the bounty to your debt of course, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll pay it off in no time at all.

    ¡°So, what do you say, Taava? Do you want to continue to be an asset, or become a liability?¡± Garvin smiled.

    Karrus moved silently to stand right behind Taava. The other, dumber guard cracked his knuckles and took a step toward her, too. Another sound, louder. Taava glanced at Garvin, and saw his eyes flick to the door behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Taava said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, you¡ª¡±

    Her Raavian curse was cut off by Garvin¡¯s outstretched palm. ¡°Good, but there¡¯s one more thing I do want to ask about. And answer carefully. What do your new ¡®friends¡¯ know?¡±

    Taava met his cold gaze for a moment. He knows something. He¡¯s asking for more than the answer to this question.

    ¡°They know that I¡¯m a bard who can fight. I got jumped on the road and they jumped in after I started fightin¡¯ my way out. I couldn¡¯t let a buncha bandits get the dies. They don¡¯t know I¡¯m a thief, and they don¡¯t know about my past,¡± Taava lied smoothly.

    Another sound¡ªsomething metal, and close. This time, Karrus heard, his small dark eyes flicked to the back door for a moment.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Garvin rubbed his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t like that answer.¡±

    Taava tried to slide under the table, but Garvin kicked out, stopping her. Karrus grabbed her by her shoulder, thankfully too slow to get her neck. Vink, for his part, knew to stay out of it.

    ¡°Bodden!¡± Garvin hissed quietly at the dumb guard. ¡°Go check that noise. And Karrus? Restrain her, but don¡¯t kill her. Vink, with me.¡± Garvin stood up quickly and turned to leave, giving Taava one last look.

    Karrus¡¯ grip was like iron. Before he could do anything else, Taava let out the breath she was holding by screaming as loudly as she could. If that noise is anything that can help me¡­

    A giant hand clamped over her mouth and nose. She bit down on it, expecting to taste dirt, but only getting the iron of blood as her sharp canines managed to get through Karrus¡¯s thick skin. The man didn¡¯t so much as grunt.

    She saw the dumb one open the rear door. Garvin stayed in the room, looking at her with a carefully neutral expression.

    As if he isn¡¯t happy about this.

    Taava flailed like she was in a panic, which wasn¡¯t far from the truth. Like she¡¯d predicted, Karrus didn¡¯t mind her flailing limbs, but he paid attention to them, holding her out and moving his hand farther down her shoulder to restrain that arm. She¡¯d always shown her right arm to be dominant, but the truth was Taava¡¯s training had largely made that point irrelevant.

    Right now, however, she wasn¡¯t trying to use either hand. Deftly, she gripped a knife in her tail and drove it up between Karrus¡¯ legs. To his credit, the man didn¡¯t flinch even at that. He did, however, slam Taava against the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

    She saw stars and she was barely able to ignore the pain of broken ribs. Blackness started creeping in at the edges of her vision. Air. I need air!

    A huge weight settled on her as Karrus pinned her to the damp stone floor. The blackness crept farther along, her remaining vision getting blurry. This time, she struggled for real. She managed to get a few more cuts in. Poisoned blades, all of them. She had to hope it was enough to slow the man down.

    The poison was supposed to be fast-acting, but it was old, she¡¯d had to mix it herself, and Karrus¡¯ immense bulk would slow it down. When she¡¯d gotten her hits in, Taava tried to still her heart and slow her body, hoping to hang on to her consciousness a little longer. As she felt herself slipping away, she heard a shout of surprise and a hit of metal on metal.

    Her vision swimming and her lungs and muscles burning, Taava held on to consciousness. Above her Karrus grip slackened. His finger slipping off her nose. She exhaled stale air then drew in as big a breath as she could. The blackness started to clear into a starry array of spots, and her ribs burned like fire against the expansion of her lungs. She held the breath, not willing to lose in case Karrus had just slipped up.

    ¡°Karrus!¡± Garvin¡¯s voice was low, but clear. ¡°We¡¯re going. Now.¡±

    The weight on top of her tried to move upright, wobbled, and collapsed back on top of Taava. She tried to roll free, but the hand on her shoulder still had enough of a grip to stop her. The man¡¯s immense bulk crashed down.

    Taava felt something snap, then couldn¡¯t feel her legs at all. Fear overwhelmed her fa?ade and she screamed, raw and primal.

    Garvin cursed, and said something Taava was too out of it to discern. Vink whimpered nearby. Something crashed behind her, and a cool wetness mixed with the warmth of what might have been blood, piss, or both. She smelled the oil soaking into her and Karrus. Then, she smelled burning.

    No! Please!

    Memories played through her mind. She remembered all the horrors she¡¯d visited on others. Maybe, a part of her mind lamented, I deserve this.

    Two sets of footsteps hurried out of the room. The heat grew and Taava felt the burning start at her sides. The pain was intense, searing agony unlike she¡¯d ever experienced. She screamed again, but all that came out was a whimper.

    As the pain and burning consumed her mind, she heard another pair of footsteps, light and fast.

    ¡°Aretan!¡± a small voice shouted urgently and the weight crushing her shifted, but didn¡¯t abate. ¡°Help! I can¡¯t move the big guy!¡± the voice spoke in Turquoiser.

    Another deeper voice replied as the last of Taava¡¯s fight left her and she succumbed to agony and darkness.

 Chapter 78: Freelance Work

    Aretan brought the blunt end of his polearm around, cracking it against the immense man¡¯s head. The thug teetered, then fell to the floor with a groan. Hopefully he would live; knocking someone out without killing them was never a sure thing, but the former mercenary captain didn¡¯t like killing if he could avoid it.

    After they heard a woman¡¯s scream, Nelys had dashed off, leaving Aretan to handle himself. He could, but Nelys¡¯ impulsiveness was a constant source of worry.

    The smell of burning was getting worse, and tendrils of black smoke started to trickle in from up ahead. Nelys¡¯ small voice shouted for him, so Aretan moved forward, stepping around the prone form of the big guard he¡¯d been fighting, and the other two he¡¯d managed to fight off earlier. The man hadn¡¯t cut him, but he¡¯d landed a solid kick to Aretan¡¯s leg, causing the Navanaean man to limp.

    Somewhere behind the two of them was Officer Lorton of the Lockmoth City Guard. He wasn¡¯t lying about the extent of organized crime in the city, and Aretan hoped their lead as to who in the guard was taking bribes wasn¡¯t going up in smoke.

    The next room was a short hallway. Nelys¡¯ voice came again from farther ahead¡ªmore urgently this time. Despite his injury, Aretan picked up the pace and sprinted down the hallway toward his friend.

    Nelys was the one who had the idea to help the guard in the city after their inn room was robbed and no one would help. Honestly, Aretan liked the work as it reminded him of what he¡¯d left behind; it was honest and he was helping the common folk.

    Nelys just needed an outlet for their wanderlust. They coped with the smell in Lockmoth better than Aretan, but were restless staying in the city. This kind of urban exploration had allowed them to feel fulfilled in a way. But it also meant they often ran headlong into danger. I hope they¡¯re alright, Aretan thought as he ran through the pain in his leg.

    The dark smoke poured thickly out of the room where Nelys¡¯s voice came from.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Aretan asked, running into the room. The room was hot, almost unbearably so. Burning stacks of crates with unknown contents lined the walls. The only light was from the fire: flickering, overbright, and erratic.

    Nelys was bent over a burning mass on the floor, face serious and eyes teary. ¡°Help me move the big one! She¡¯s gonna burn!¡±

    Aretan dashed around the burning table and saw the scene more clearly. The gagging, cloying stench of burning flesh hit him like a wall. He nearly stumbled despite his years of experience¡ªthere were some things you just never got used to.

    There was a large man¡ªeither dead or he¡¯d wish he was¡ªhalf-burned on top of a small, comatose woman. The fire had caught her legs and Aretan thought her dead too, until he saw a brown-furred ear twitch. She¡¯s a kazzel, and she¡¯s alive.

    Without hesitation, Aretan shouldered the large dead man off the woman. The corpse rolled off limply, still burning. The woman was hopefully still alive, but her legs were horribly burned.

    Nelys gasped, then coughed on the smoke that drifted down lower and lower.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Aretan said quickly. With a grunt of effort, he lifted the woman over his shoulder. ¡°Can you cover me on the way out?¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°We¡¯re gonna save her right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to try.¡±

    ***

    The raid was a partial success. Officer Lorton filed his report before dawn¡ªno sense in letting those in the pockets of the crooks have a chance to pin something on him. He was certain the captain was working with the gangs, but if Lorton did everything by the books, that afforded him at least some security. Some security that might not do shit after tonight, however. A problem for later, hopefully after some sleep.

    What hadn¡¯t burned in the Mudrat hideout was telling. Imported contraband of all sorts, gray market goods of dubious origins, and several counterfeit items.

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    Honestly, Lorton was glad most of it had burned. The storage room used for evidence might as well have been an apothecary¡¯s shop for how much of its contents were resold then labeled ¡°lost.¡±

    Unfortunately, while they had reached a room that looked like a deranged noble¡¯s office before the place had burned down, the most important documents had been taken. They¡¯d just missed the bastard, too¡ªthe office was a mess and a few things had been left behind in the pulled-out drawers and scattered piles. This included a most unusual correspondence that referenced one of the people they had in custody. Aside from enough information to shut at least a couple fronts down, that document and the woman they had in custody were Lorton¡¯s only leads.

    The officer ran a hand through his short-cropped, thinning hair and took another step toward the door to the holding cell. The woman they¡¯d saved had almost died; Lorton regretted how little he¡¯d been able to do. If the bounty on her head was real, Taava wouldn¡¯t survive a night at any hospital in the city.

    As things were, he¡¯d pulled his last favor with a local Church priestess whom he could trust just to get her stable. According to the priestess, she¡¯d probably never walk again¡ªnot without the kind of magic that few possess.

    And they aren¡¯t exactly the type to go handing that out. Especially since the Church snaps all of them up, so there¡¯s not going to be someone independent who could help.

    Lorton gripped the doorhandle and paused to check his uniform. Rumpled, sweaty, and bearing a bloodstain under the lapel that he¡¯d missed. Good enough. He took a breath, tightened his posture, and strode into the room.

    With her legs broken and burned, Lorton hadn¡¯t seen any point in restraining the woman, instead opting for a cot and a blanket. She was sleeping fitfully, but jerked awake when he stepped in, her ears twitching.

    The kazzel woman looked over at him and hissed softly, her cat-like green eyes narrowing. ¡°What will you do with me?¡± Her tone was formal, oddly-accented, and ice cold.

    ¡°We¡¯ll try to keep you alive, that¡¯s what,¡± Lorton answered, taking a seat on the only chair in the small room. ¡°Now, what can you tell me about Garvin, the Mudrats, the Bleeders, and the Black Claw?¡±

    At the last words, she couldn¡¯t hide an ear twitch. Kazzel weren¡¯t common in Lockmoth, but Lorton wouldn¡¯t have gotten to where he was¡ªthat is, not dead¡ªwithout knowing how to read people.

    ¡°Where are Aretan and the other small one? I have friends who are looking for them. Friends who really, really need to know I¡¯m alive.¡± Despite her injuries the woman met Lorton¡¯s easy gaze.

    ¡°Aretan and Nelys are resting,¡± Lorton started and Taava narrowed her eyes, ¡°and I can take you to them once we¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°Am I not ¡®under arrest,¡¯ Sir Guard?¡± the woman asked derisively, struggling to sit up on her elbows in the cot. Her lower body stayed limp.

    ¡°Knowing the bounty on your head, if I did put you in a normal cell, you¡¯d ¡®escape¡¯ and the guard on duty would end up a whole lot richer. No.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll just let me go?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Lorton stared tiredly at her. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go. If the crooks in this town hate you, that¡¯s good enough for me. Just don¡¯t kill anyone who doesn¡¯t need it.¡±

    Taava hissed.

    I guessed wrong, Lorton thought, or maybe too right.

    ¡°Right, sorry,¡± Lorton rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°Look, let¡¯s just get this over with. You tell me everything you know and I¡¯ll try to shut this whole thing down.¡±

    Taava laughed darkly, trailing off into a hacking cough. ¡°You? You and what army? And how do I know you¡¯re not going to sell me out yourself?¡±

    ¡°If I wanted to sell you out, I¡¯ve already had enough of a chance and you know that.¡± Lorton gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll call on some more favors. I might be able to get a bounty and sic one of the big merc companies on the Mudrats. And maybe, just maybe, I can get a contingent of Ordian Guard out here,¡± he said the last part knowing full well just how likely that would be.

    Taava stared at him, then past him to the wall. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    It didn¡¯t feel like she was talking to him.

    ¡°So,¡± she continued, her voice switching accent and timbre completely, ¡°Whaddya wanna talk about?¡±

    Lorton smiled. ¡°I think we should start with some names.¡±

    Taava smiled conspiratorially back.

    ***

    I can¡¯t believe Renna and Seyari are in town already!¡± Nelys bounced along the street.

    ¡°Nelys, it has been a month,¡± Aretan answered, glancing down every alley they passed. The sun had just come up, and it cast long shadows over the stirring city.

    ¡°Really?¡± Nelys put a finger to their chin. ¡°Huh, yeah, I guess it has. Time sure flies when you¡¯re exploring and helping out the city!¡±

    Aretan nodded, with a soft smile. ¡°I suppose it does.¡±

    ¡°Still, what are the chances that Taava knew Renna and Seyari! I wish we hadn¡¯t been deep in an invest-igation when they were looking around for us!¡±

    Something in Aretan¡¯s mind clicked. ¡°I think you just answered your own thought, Nelys.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°We knew we would have people out for us when we signed up. Zarenna and Seyari did not, and if they asked all over town for us¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ oh no!¡± Nelys¡¯s face twisted into a frown. ¡°Do you think Taava got caught in all this because of us?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Aretan shook his head, and quickened his pace. ¡°But I am worried that Zarenna, Seyari and the other man they are with might have.¡±

    ¡°Salvador!¡± Nelys chirped, picking up the pace alongside Aretan. ¡°His name¡¯s Salvador!¡±

    Together, the two of them ran for the place Taava had said Zarenna and Seyari would be.

 Chapter 79: A Little Late

    Taava wasn¡¯t back by morning. Seyari and Salvador had only just stopped me from going to Riverside and finding her. I had to admit they were right¡ªI had no idea where to look, and ripping through houses wasn¡¯t a good image.

    I cursed myself for letting her go as well. Seyari hadn¡¯t been able to say much to that, but it was Salvador who¡¯d shaken his head and knocked sense into both of us. ¡°Sometimes, you have to let someone you care for take the risks they want to, alone.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say I loved Taava¡ªmaybe platonically one day¡ªbut the sentiment was correct and his words stayed with me all throughout our morning prep. I had to hope she¡¯d show up at the meeting place on the edge of town. It was far from Riverside and every step we took away from where I knew Taava had gone was harder than the last.

    I¡¯m really, really just about done hiding, I assured myself. Our path took us out of the city proper and onto a dirt road lined with dense small farms and clusters of other buildings. The air still smelled faintly of spoiled fish.

    I hadn¡¯t done anything seriously wrong that wasn¡¯t a horrible mistake, right? Even Ned & Jacob had been self-defense¡ªmostly. Okay, there was an argument to be made both ways for that incident. I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath, though! I¡¯m no pacifist and I¡¯m damn well going to use this power for something.

    ¡°Everything alright, Renna?¡± Seyari asked worriedly.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I realized I¡¯d been frowning. ¡°No, not really¡ªActually yes, but not anything that wasn¡¯t already wrong.¡±

    My partner shrugged. ¡°I hate feeling powerless, too.¡±

    ¡°Same, and I also hate hiding myself. How do you do it, Sey?¡±

    ¡°Decades of internalized self-loathing,¡± Seyari responded back with a hint of bitterness. ¡°I don¡¯t recommend going that route.¡±

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll be done hiding, soon.¡± I reached over and squeezed her hand.

    ¡°Done hiding from what?¡± I nearly jumped at Fira¡¯s voice next to us.

    ¡°Done hiding what we¡¯re capable of, Firalex,¡± Salvador addressed them formally. ¡°We want honest work and I know Zarenna personally doesn¡¯t appreciate people trying to take advantage of her talents for their own gain.¡±

    I smiled and nodded. Thanks for the save. Seyari huffed.

    ¡°And I assume that¡¯s why you hide your aura,¡± the company mage asked, quirking their lips up. They were dressed more seriously today¡ªa tunic of leather and chainmail over sturdy-looking trousers and boots.

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I lied as best I could. Though I supposed in a twisted way the truth wasn¡¯t far off.

    Fira stared at me for just a moment before gesturing farther down the road to a small crowd in front of a larger building. ¡°Of course. It looks like the others are already here. Will Taava be joining us?¡±

    I looked ahead to the other group, but didn¡¯t see Taava¡¯s ears or tail. One of the taller figures looked vaguely familiar, however. ¡°I hope so.¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t strike me as the type to get cold feet.¡± Fira started to walk toward the others and waved. The tall figure waved back.

    I spared a glance at Seyari and Salvador.

    Sey spoke up. ¡°She said she¡¯d be here.¡±

    ¡°But you think something might have happened?¡± Fira asked coldly, inclining their head back to look at us with one blue eye.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± I replied. ¡°She¡¯s a local and met us on the road in.¡± I hated to distance myself from Taava, but she¡¯d want us not to blow this chance. If she was taken, or worse, the best resolution for everyone would be to go official rather than vigilante. Everyone except Taava.

    I didn¡¯t hide my frown.

    Thankfully, Fira dropped the topic since we were close enough to catch the Gelles Company members¡¯ conversation. I recognized Tren¡¯s voice immediately, then realized the tall figure was an armor-covered Drin.

    ¡°Alright, Company!¡± Fira ordered and the group stopped talking to look at us. ¡°These three are the new recruits.¡± They gestured to me, Seyari, and Salvador. ¡°Tren and Drin, you two already know them.¡±

    Drin nodded and Tren waved.

    ¡°Now,¡± Fira continued, ¡°this is supposed to be a simple contract, but we all know how that can go. I expect everyone here to contribute and to stay serious. It looks like everyone¡¯s here, so let¡¯s head out.¡± They turned to us. ¡°I¡¯ll explain what this contract¡¯s about once we¡¯re on the road. No sense wasting any more time.¡±

    ¡°What about Taava?¡± I asked, fighting to keep irritation out of my voice.

    Fira looked back down the empty street we¡¯d come up with a frown. ¡°I suppose we should give her until the appointed time.¡±

    I nodded my thanks, and took to watching down the street.

    The pair of people who came jogging down the road not two minutes later were two I had not expected to see. Despite their shorter stride, Nelys bounced around in front of Aretan, and took off into a sprint once they saw me. Aretan continued a measured jog, content to sit back and watch.

    Fira looked at the pair suspiciously. ¡°Friends of yours?¡±

    ¡°Hi Nelys!¡± I shouted past the company leader and Nelys waved back with both arms. ¡°Yeah, I know them. In fact, we¡¯d come to this city to meet up with them.¡±

    Nelys crashed into me like a pillow impacting a stone wall. I met the hug and ruffled their hair. ¡°Nelys, this is Salvador¡ªan old friend.¡± I gestured to the man who gave a polite ¡°Hello¡± that Nelys cheerfully parroted back, accent and all. ¡°Did Taava send you?¡± I asked hopefully, taking a shot in the dark.

    ¡°Yeah, she did.¡± Nelys nodded, a worried look in their dark eyes.

    ¡°Is she okay?¡±

    Nelys shook their head.

    I drew in a sharp breath, careful of my anxiety that was turning rapidly into simmering fury. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t say¡­¡± Nelys mumbled into my stomach.

    ¡°I think it is fine if we speak quietly.¡± Aretan finished his jog up to the group. ¡°Present company,¡± he said with a nod to Fira, ¡°should be aware of the general situation.¡±

    Fira waved to the others in the company who scooted farther along up the road before they spoke. ¡°I¡¯m missing information, and I¡¯d really appreciate it if you all could tell me.¡± They glared at the lot of us.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Seyari interjected curtly. ¡°But we need to know about our friend first. Aretan, Nelys, what happened to Taava and how the flying fuck are you two connected to it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working with Officer Lorton to try to take down the gangs in the city.¡± Nelys somehow managed to shout and whisper at the same time.

    Fira raised both eyebrows. ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Aretan put his hand to his forehead. ¡°¡ªWould not have been so forthcoming, but yes. That is correct. We were waiting in the city for Zarenna and her friends to arrive and took the offer after an incident that forced our involvement.¡±

    ¡°An incident?¡± I asked, concerned.

    Aretan looked to me with a careful expression. ¡°We are fine, Zarenna. Just a robbery¡ªand it was just things. Nelys has their pendant and I my pride.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I hope we can help.¡±

    Fira glanced at me, then back to Aretan and Nelys. ¡°How is Taava involved?¡±

    ¡°She is a victim,¡± Aretan answered.

    Fira¡¯s eyes narrowed. Seyari perked up at what Aretan said, but both of us knew this was a lie. The question was, Why he would lie on her behalf? The company captain sighed. ¡°I cannot in good conscience get involved in this, or let the company get involved in this.¡±

    ¡°¡°Why not!?¡±¡± Seyari and Nelys asked. My partner¡¯s tone was accusatory. Nelys¡¯s was inquisitive.

    ¡°The Gelles Company understands the issues Lockmoth faces, but unless we are involved, or hired, we cannot show an interest. While we do not work with criminal enterprises, it is in the best interests if our operations are not impeded by those in power¡ªon either side of the law.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to stay out of it?¡± I snapped.

    Fira glared at me. ¡°Recruit Zarenna, remember your place. Provided we do not have a contract that we are able to accept on the understanding that further operations will not be disrupted¡ªbeyond an acceptable margin¡ªthen yes, we are going to stay out of it. And you as well if you wish to join the company.¡±

    I wanted to argue, but I held my tongue. Fira was angry, furious even. I couldn¡¯t know the source, but on the chance it wasn¡¯t at me¡­

    Seyari glanced at me, frustration burning in her eyes. I couldn¡¯t offer her a reply.

    ¡°What about Taava?¡± Salvador asked. ¡°Is she okay?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Nelys looked away.

    ¡°She is well enough to speak and in no danger of dying,¡± Aretan replied calmly, inclining his head toward each of us in turn, but a bit more deeply in Seyari¡¯s direction.

    I shared a glance with Seyari.

    Hesitantly, she nodded. ¡°Fira, I¡¯m going to go see what I can do for Taava. My holy magic may not be much, but I¡¯m not going to leave a friend when I could help.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t wait for you,¡± Fira replied simply. ¡°But it¡¯s good you care for your friends.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean Seyari and Taava won¡¯t be able to join?¡± I asked.

    Fira looked at me and Salvador, who wore a hard expression. ¡°Today, yes. Provided Taava is just a victim and you do not seek to drag the company into this mess without good reason, there will be other contracts.¡±

    ¡°That seems fair,¡± Salvador responded evenly.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I sighed, exasperated. ¡°Yeah, I guess it does.¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Fira nodded to us then waved at Seyari, Aretan and Nelys. ¡°Thank you for the information, and good luck healing your friend. Give Officer Lorton my regards¡ªhe should know of me.¡±

    Before the three of them left, I gave Seyari and Nelys another hug and Aretan a firm handshake.

    The Navanaean man surprised me by pulling me into a chaste hug as well. ¡°Be safe, friend. We¡¯ll be here when you return, and we can catch up then.¡±

    I nodded with a smile, then turned to catch up to Fira who was walking purposefully away. I didn¡¯t know what to feel about the enigmatic Company mage. The contract should help with that, I hoped. Firalex took the lead, and we started walking out toward the fields surrounding the city. Salvador walked a few paces behind me, busy with his own thoughts, but watching carefully.

    ¡°Glad to see a fellow mage joining up!¡± Tren greeted me with a smile.

    ¡°Good to see you too, Tren.¡± I tried to smile back, but didn¡¯t quite pull it off.

    The small man walked quickly up beside me, a hint of light armor visible below the collar of his robes. ¡°Sorry about Firalex,¡± he whispered, ¡°they¡¯re really protective about the company, but they¡¯re good people.¡±

    ¡°They treat us well,¡± Drin agreed from my other side. ¡°Is your kazzel friend okay?¡± She looked down automatically, then up. Drin must have been close to two meters in armor, and clearly wasn¡¯t used to looking up at people. Her visor was up, and she wore a pleasant, but neutral expression on her thin lips.

    I shook my head. ¡°No. Taava¡¯s really hurt, and Seyari¡¯s going to go try to help.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to hear that,¡± Drin frowned.

    ¡°That sucks,¡± Tren said with a bit more emotion. ¡°I hope all of you can end up joining up if Taava gets better!¡± He looked at me expectantly, excitement poorly veiled by the long bangs threatening his vision. ¡°So, uh, do you want to talk about magic?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It could, uh, maybe make you feel a little better?¡± Tren offered.

    ¡°Maybe later.¡±

    ¡°Later, okay, yeah!¡± Tren nodded, gaining some confidence with each word.

    ¡°You know,¡± I started, ¡°we didn¡¯t really expect to run into you again so soon, but I guess it makes sense you¡¯re based out of Lockmoth. Did you recommend us or something?¡±

    ¡°Sure did!¡± Tren beamed. ¡°I mean, how could I not? I guess that¡¯s a little morbid, heh. But not so much, and I figured you¡¯d impress with your magic and we could always use more mages and¡ª"

    ¡°Tren,¡± Drin interrupted, ¡°really?¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯m not like, well¡­¡±

    Wait, was Tren¡ª

    ¡°Alright, this is far enough for now!¡± Fira called back to everyone. They stopped at the corner of a fence just past the last building along the road. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the contract and get Renna and Salvador up to speed.¡±

    Tren, Drin, Salvador, myself and the other eight people I saw gathered around Firalex.

    ¡°This is a two-part contract. First part is protection: something¡¯s been killing and taking animals from some of the local farms. We need to set up watches and coordinate an effort to locate and take down whatever beast is doing this. Second: a farmer¡¯s son¡¯s gone missing; a young adult. Now, this isn¡¯t the first time running away for this lad, but with the recent animal killings his family¡¯s understandably worried.

    ¡°This is why we have such a large crew. I¡¯d hoped for more, but if the boy¡¯s in danger, or something worse than a goat gets killed, I don¡¯t want it to be because we stalled. Understood?¡± I nodded along with everyone else. ¡°Good! We¡¯ll be forming three teams. Zarenna and Salvador will go with Drin and Tren, and¡­¡±

    Fira organized the rest of the Company into three groups. Each one of us would be in charge of watching a farm or two and tasked with canvassing the nearby area. They described the community in question as little more than a hamlet, with wooded areas by a stream and lake and grassland and rolling fields beyond.

    ¡°¡­Since I¡¯m to judge the recruits, I¡¯ll be spending most of my time near or with their team. Signal if you run into trouble. Any questions?¡± Firalex finished.

    ¡°I assume I¡¯ll be given orders by Drin or Tren?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Or me,¡± Fira agreed.

    There were a few more questions, and I started to get a feel for how the company worked. Caution, followed by decisive action. We broke into teams and resumed walking. I was seriously thinking about taking Tren up on his magic discussion if I could figure out how to bluff my knowledge when Salvador approached me.

    Drin and Tren were talking animatedly about some mission that went wrong and involved an overabundance of weasels, so we were able to pull back. Not so much that we couldn¡¯t be overheard, but enough to where someone would need to want to listen in.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nervous. Aretan and Nelys are involved in this now¡ªbefore we were apparently¡ªTaava¡¯s hurt, and I¡¯m not there to help Seyari and the others try to deal with things.¡± As I spoke, my nervousness rose. I¡¯d been putting it aside. My fury toward whoever hurt Taava and my nature as a demon made it almost too easy to detach from the anxiety I felt for splitting from Seyari¡ªeven for this short time.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Salvador admitted. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you agreed so easily to go with the company instead of with Seyari. As for me, this reminds me of many years ago, before I moved to Inolza, and that has me nervous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little surprised I agreed, too.¡± I glanced over to find him staring off at the farms in the distance. ¡°What was it like all those years ago? Were you with a mercenary company then, too?¡±

    Salvador shook his head. ¡°Not really, I mostly worked on my own. Sometimes, though I had to band together when something I couldn¡¯t handle came along¡ªor when someone else asked the same of me.¡±

    ¡°Did something bad happen?¡±

    ¡°It often does. We lost people, and people lost limbs¡ªlivelihoods and dreams. It all seemed necessary, and I hope to Dhias that it was, but I can¡¯t help but see parallels today. It¡¯s silly, too. We aren¡¯t a small group of woodsmen banding together to take on a monstrous bear or an aggressive pack of wolves. Our foe is likely a single half-starved animal being taken on by a dozen people armed to the teeth and wearing proper armor.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see, I guess.¡± I rubbed at the back of my neck. ¡°I hope things go well and I think you¡¯re right about all this being necessary. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t really empathize more. The loss I¡¯ve experienced has been¡­ different, but I know what it¡¯s like to lose someone you love.¡±

    Salvador looked up at me and our gazes met. He nodded. ¡°Thank you, Zarenna. Listening to my paranoid concerns is enough. And I¡¯m sorry for your losses as well.¡±

    I managed a thin smile. ¡°Thanks, Salvador. Do you think we made the right choice?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Going with the Company instead of staying, I mean.¡±

    Salvador rubbed his chin, over rough stubble. ¡°I don¡¯t know that it¡¯s right. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong, either. Only Dhias knows the answer, and he¡¯s not going to just give it to us.¡±

    ¡°I wish he would,¡± I joked, mind starting to drift.

    ¡°So do I,¡± Salvador responded.

 Chapter 80: Stakeout

    ¡°I have to admit,¡± I whispered to Drin, ¡°this is boring.¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± she replied with the resigned tone of someone far too used to this kind of stakeout.

    The two of us¡ªfour if you counted Tren and Salvador nearby, and five if you counted Fira somewhere¡ªwere lying along the top edge of a barn roof, covered in hay that I really, really wished was drier. I¡¯d try to dry it out with magic, but I didn¡¯t want to risk a fire. The two of us stayed damp and uncomfortable in the darkness.

    The family of the young man, Erik was his name, had been some help when we¡¯d arrived in the evening. Said he¡¯d been troubled of late, stayed out at odd hours, and ran away several times. A search of the room he shared with his two younger siblings didn¡¯t reveal much of anything. A look around the property, however, revealed big paw prints and some scars in the dirt where there¡¯d been a struggle the winter rain hadn¡¯t yet washed away.

    Speaking of wash, at least it wasn¡¯t raining. We¡¯d be up here all night regardless, and I¡¯d take damp over soaked any day. Ideally, we¡¯d sleep and watch alternately, but the farm was big and the other teams were set up at other farms. The reason for the all-hands-on-watch approach was that in the time since the contract was issued and we¡¯d gotten here, two people had died and another three had been taken. The contract had been accepted swiftly, so the deaths had happened within the past four days. This meant, suddenly, that I was very much a part of the contract instead of observing.

    The problem with animal attacks is that there isn¡¯t a schedule to them, so Fira insisted we all stay up to watch or look the fool if something happened while we were sleeping. I didn¡¯t disagree. We didn¡¯t have anyone good enough to track the culprits through fields, and there was no point trying to search for the boy in the dark.

    Well no point for people who can¡¯t see in the dark, but I can¡¯t reveal that yet. If I had some way to track by scent or aura or something, I probably would have tried to sneak away. What if Erik dies tonight and I could have done something? I need to be able to stop hiding so I can do more¡ªthis isn¡¯t healthy.

    At least I didn¡¯t have to put up with Tren¡¯s incessant questioning about my magic. To no one¡¯s surprise, he was also a fire mage, and so took an immense interest in what I knew. The problem was, Tren knew more than me and I couldn¡¯t very well let him know that. I¡¯d asked Firalex about their own magic, to distract, but also out of curiosity, and they¡¯d told me they had a water affinity. I¡¯d bet wherever they¡¯re staked out is nice and dry, I thought ruefully. Together, the three of us were the only magic-capable people out here.

    I hope Seyari and the others are alright and safe.

    I was both relieved and regretful that I wasn¡¯t tired. Relieved that I could keep my focus if I prevented my mind from wandering, but regretful that my wakefulness kept my perception of time static. Below me, a few goats were scattered about the grass and mud field, sleeping. A chicken coop sat under me to one side, presumably also full of sleeping occupants. The goats had been pulled into the small barn at night since the last attack, but had been let out for tonight and seemed all too eager to roam into late evening while Drin and I kept watch from the rooftop.

    ¡°Are your legs falling asleep too?¡± Drin asked softly.

    ¡°Not really,¡± I replied honestly, ¡°but I¡¯m not exactly comfortable with all this damp hay.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s¡ªhey, look!¡± Drin didn¡¯t point. In fact, she went totally still.

    I looked out farther afield, past the fence and toward the tree line. I felt the semi-familiar shape of my spear lying alongside me, head buried under hay. Out in the far field, I could see a dark shape stalking toward the sleeping goats.

    My vision was sharp, and the even in the darkness of an overcast night I could make out a lupine shape. I wasn¡¯t an expert, but it looked like a large wolf. I tried my aura sight, but I couldn¡¯t see anything at this range. The creature looked a lot more normal than the burned wolves back in Harriston, but it was big.

    I glanced apologetically at the lone goat sleeping near the edge of the field. Since people had not only been killed, but been taken, we were tasked with tracking whatever showed up back to where it laired. A goat¡¯s life for a family¡¯s closure.

    I¡¯d felt their anger earlier in the day; fresh and raw. I¡¯d also felt the anger of the other company members. There was still something about Firalex that put me on edge, but I couldn¡¯t deny they cared.

    The goat didn¡¯t see the wolf coming. I watched with aura sight hoping for a glimpse. I caught something faint in the wolf, but had no time to really analyze it as the immense canine loped off back toward the trees with a screaming goat in its jaws.

    It took it alive. That¡¯s not normal, and neither is the presence of magic. I reached over and gripped my spear. An owl¡¯s hoot came from nearby and was answered from far away. Three dark shapes began moving swiftly in the direction the wolf had gone. Salvador, Tren and Fira.

    I rolled and climbed off the rooftop, helping Drin down after me. Her heavy armor, well-padded, was loud to my ears, but far quieter than I imagined it would have been. With a nod, we took off after the others and the wolf. The goat¡¯s screaming faded away into the trees, but I could still hear it.

    I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll justify my hearing, but I¡¯m not letting this wolf get away.

    ***

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    As it turned out, we hardly had need of my hearing. Between the blood and the damage caused by carrying a struggling animal, the wolf had left a trail so obvious that I could almost follow it. We entered the forest, just the five of us. For the sake of speed and safety, we stuck to together and did not fan out.

    Drin retrieved a hooded lantern from her hip and handed it to me. I lit it with my magic and did my best to keep the beam of light steady on the path ahead.

    The forest here was yet again different from what I was used to. Skeletal broadleaf trees rose above us, a carpet of decaying leaves sponged underfoot, and patches of dense undergrowth were obstacles both we and our quarry skirted around. The previously flat ground sloped downward as we approached the river ahead. For a moment, I felt like a character in a novel, hunting some monstrous beast. The reality of the situation and the recent deaths put a damper on any fantastical musings and I moved tight with the others, holding my spear at the ready.

    As we neared the river, the ground became rockier and more uneven. The goat¡¯s screaming had stopped a while back, so while I had no issues seeing in the dark forest, I had just as little idea where to go as anyone else.

    ¡°The trail ends at the river¡± was the verdict Salvador, Drin, and Fira arrived at. Fira¡¯s order was to search along the bank, to look for any signs of the trail resuming and, failing that, to look for any other clues. We stayed close, checking along the bank, and decided on north after evidence that Salvador found. The river, hardly more than a creek, was slightly swollen from the recent rains and had a narrow, rocky bank.

    I didn¡¯t want to risk the glow of my aura sight, but I only partially tried to hide how I was looking beyond the lantern¡¯s light. Ahead, I could see rapids, flanked by steep rock hillsides. As we drew closer, I caught a harsh voice on the wind.

    ¡°Up ahead,¡± I whispered when the voice sounded again, ¡°I hear something¡ªor someone.¡±

    I heard light footsteps as Fira moved closer to me. ¡°Are you certain?¡± they whispered.

    The voice sounded again. I couldn¡¯t tell what, if anything, was being said. ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± I replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you hear it?¡±

    Fira shook their head. ¡°No. Where do you think it¡¯s coming from?¡±

    I pointed at the area of rapids ahead. ¡°It¡¯s echoing off the rocks up there I think.¡±

    Fira closed their eyes for a moment. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll go on ahead and if I find anything I¡¯ll come back and we¡¯ll either go in or get the others. I won¡¯t be farther than the rocks up there.¡± They gestured ahead to a spot near the edge of our lantern¡¯s light. ¡°If anything happens: Drin, Tren, you know the signal.¡±

    ¡°Yesser,¡± Both of them whispered a curt reply.

    ¡°Good.¡± Fira nodded and was off, moving low and silent ahead of us. They stayed close to the water, and I could barely see the subtle way they used magic to damp the sound of their passing.

    I watched Fira move up to the rocks where they¡¯d indicated, then stop and listen. I heard the voice another time, and this time there was a cadence to it.

    Fira must have heard it to, because they hurried back. ¡°There¡¯s a voice ahead alright. Sounds like chanting or something, so be on guard.¡±

    ¡°Should we signal¡ª¡± a human scream tore through the night, stopping what I was about to say dead. Could that be the farmers¡¯ kid, Erik? Were we already too late?

    ¡°Shit,¡± Fira cursed, ¡°we need to go¡ªnow. The others will have heard the scream.¡±

    I nodded, and the four of us dashed ahead off in the direction of the scream and the chanting voice, any pretense of stealth forgotten. I widened the aperture on the lantern and kept it as steady as I could.

    ***

    We followed the chanting, clearly a single voice, into a cave above the rapids. When we reached the entrance, another scream, primal and horrifying, came from within. For a moment, the chanting was drowned out, and when it returned it was with a fervor that set my companions visibly on edge. In my case, it stoked my fury.

    We hadn¡¯t taken two steps into the damp rocky hole when twin blurs rushed around the corner ahead, a flickering light from within playing across their black, shaggy coats. In a moment, the two immense wolves were on us.

    Reflexively, I took a forward position next to Drin and her shield and held my spear up. The wolves reached us, and I thrust forward, only for the beast to twist nimbly out of the way.

    No you don¡¯t!

    Faster than I should have, I whirled and caught the beast¡¯s shoulder with the flat of the blade. It tumbled off course, and rolled to its feet. Next to me, Drin held the other beast back with her shield. Her strength was something else for a human, and while she slid back on the slick floor under the crushing weight of all the claws and fur, she held firm, stabbing forward with her sword. Her thrust stuck the massive wolf in its shoulder, and it fell back with a pained growl.

    An arrow from Salvador struck the one I¡¯d sent flying back and it yipped. Almost at the same time, a splash of fire impacted the same wolf, singing fur.

    ¡°Focus on downing one!¡± Fira shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold the other one off!¡± Drin grunted.

    The wolves fought like cornered animals, which they likely were. Fira called shots and kept us together. Whenever one of the wolves would attack, a jet of boiling water from Fira would hit a limb, or puddle the ground and slip it up. It wasn¡¯t long before my spear found home in the skull of the first one, singed and stuck with multiple arrows.

    I didn¡¯t bother to hide my superhuman strength and speed; I didn¡¯t care if they noticed. The only reason I didn¡¯t shift out of my human form then and there was a well-founded worry that the seconds saved would be lost explaining myself.

    The wolf on my spear wheezed horribly around the metal stuck in its throat before I pushed out and through, ending its life. The other one was killed by Tren¡¯s fire, succumbing to its burns and charred limbs.

    ¡°Zarenna!¡± Fira shouted. ¡°Use your magic next time¡ªDrin and I can hold them off.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± I replied, cursing myself. I¡¯d been so caught up in protecting Salvador, I hadn¡¯t thought to use my magic. Even if my aura sight had picked up something odd inside them earlier, these weren¡¯t the burned wolves near Harriston. My magic would have been disastrously effective, though probably not much faster.

    A third scream, guttural and sharply cut off, ended any further conversation. Fira didn¡¯t even have to say anything; we all took formation behind Drin and ran around the corner to the inner chamber of the damp cave.

    As Drin turned the corner, the chanting reached its crescendo, and with a scream of a word that tingled my ears, magic washed over us. The feeling was comfortable, a bit like a nice breeze. My companions, however, stumbled, and a feeling of dreadful knowing washed over me.

    Demonic-aspected mana.

    The room we entered looked like a scene from the type of play the Church would try to outlaw. Human and animal bodies littered the room, exsanguinated into a massive ritual circle on the floor, at the ring of which flickered crimson flames.

    Next to the circle, on his knees, eyes wide open and face split into a manic smile that looked almost painfully wide, was a person we¡¯d gotten an exhaustive description of earlier this same day: the missing teenage farmers¡¯ son Erik. In the center of the circle, a shimmering oval that my gaze wanted to slide over was closing behind a very demonic-looking figure with milky-pale skin and unnaturally long limbs.

    Fuck.

 Chapter 81: I Can Explain

    The demon that stepped out of the ritual circle looked like some entity had tried to recreate a human from fragmented memories. The limbs were too long, and the face was devoid of features other than big, solid red eyes and a far-too-wide slit of a mouth. Its skin was almost porcelain-white and covered in shifting gray spots, and its long limbs ended at many-fingered hands and feet, each tipped with small claws.

    With the ritual completed, Erik turned to us. His eyes were focused, intense, and slightly glowing. He wore the simple clothes his parents had described, with the addition of an ornate bracelet around his right wrist.

    ¡°No! You won¡¯t take this chance from me!¡± Erik shouted, showing enlarged canines and slightly sharper-than-normal teeth.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Fira shouted. ¡°Form up! We¡¯ll save the kid if we can, but focus on the demon and the ritual!¡±

    Drin stepped up, shield held ready. I turned my aura sight on, and stepped quickly up alongside Drin as the thrum of magic visibly filled the air. Both Erik and the demon lit up, but the former was like a candle next to a bonfire.

    Fira sent a wash forward across the floor, scattering the remnants of the ritual circle, and pushing away the corpses of the sacrifices. Tren and I threw fire at the demon, which recoiled momentarily. Salvador didn¡¯t shoot¡ªhe was well aware how little a mundane arrow would do to a demon.

    ¡°What a poor welcome!¡± the demon hissed out. Their unnatural voice echoed around the chamber ominously. ¡°You should respect your betters!¡±

    I felt no real anger from the demon, but Erik was an inferno of fury. I threw another, much bigger ball of fire at the demon, striking it in the chest. It screamed this time, burning as it stumbled back. I wanted to do more, but I didn¡¯t want to risk hurting Erik.

    ¡°Erik, snap out of it!¡± I shouted, pulling on his anger slowly.

    ¡°Snap out of it?¡± Erik replied, smiling wickedly. ¡°This is everything I¡¯ve ever wanted. Power, and a chance to be more than a fucking farmer!¡±

    ¡°Something¡¯s messing with your head!¡± I drained more anger, and ignored the satisfying feeling of the act.

    Erik laughed harshly. ¡°Not my head!¡±

    What?

    I risked a quick glance at Drin while the demon was still recovering. She was staring off into space. Shit!

    Erik took another step forward. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re resisting both of us, but it really doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly more tenacious than your friends,¡± the demon said, staggering upright. I felt magic press into me ineffectually and realized my mistake. Immediately, I thought of Astrodach back in Navanaea. This demon must be the same type!

    ¡°I think you should get the honors,¡± the demon told Erik. ¡°Take from them what they have taken from you.¡±

    Erik took a step forward and held out a blood-covered ritual knife. Several howls echoed from the front of the cave.

    I took a step forward and dropped my transformation without hesitation. I wasn¡¯t going to add anyone to my too-long list of dead friends. Carefully, I worked my magic on my companions, granting them fury to hopefully break through their entrancement.

    The demon¡¯s grin fell. Erik¡¯s smile turned to confusion. Behind me, I heard my companions stirring out of their trance. Behind them, more howls and rapid footfalls announced the arrival of more wolves.

    The demon looked at my companions, and then at me, focusing on my sternal symbol. ¡°You can have the others, Sovereign, but this one is mine.¡± They gestured at Erik using an arm with one too many joints.

    ¡°What have you done to him?¡± I growled, letting motes of fire spill out between my razor-sharp teeth. Behind me, Fira shouted an order to the others, and I heard the sounds of a fight starting. I pulled a little of the anger I¡¯d given them back¡ªI¡¯d have to explain a lot of things very quickly soon, and I didn¡¯t want to do that when they were pissed off and focused on me.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± the demon replied with a smile. ¡°He¡¯s under no compulsion of mine.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing? Kill her!¡± Erik shouted at the demon.

    The demon chuckled mirthlessly in response. Erik threw himself at me, pouring meager demonic-tainted magic into his knife. I caught his arm with one lower hand and lifted him up with the upper arm. I held him, arms trapped at his sides, out of reach. He kicked and screamed uselessly. Behind me, I heard two lupine yips get brutally cut off. I drained just a bit more anger.

    ¡°That one¡¯s mine,¡± the demon said with unnatural calm, distressingly tall head inclining toward Erik.

    ¡°Then tell him to stand down,¡± I replied, carefully keeping my voice calm while coiling my anger like an immense spring.

    The demon turned to Erik, and in that moment, I let my coiled anger loose: I dropped Erik and struck at the demon, claws wreathed in the hottest fire I could conjure. The gangly demon didn¡¯t react in time, and two of my flaming clawed hands punched into and shredded their way through my enemy¡¯s torso.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± the demon¡¯s voice rattled around my skull like nails scattering across a floor.

    I stumbled, my resistance just barely shielding me from obeying their command. I shook my head, clearing out the last echoes of the other demon¡¯s awful screeching voice. They tried to pull themselves off my claws, and I barely stopped them, curling my hands and digging my claws into bone.

    With my two free upper arms, I grabbed the sides of their head. They twisted their neck unnaturally, but I held firm. With a grimace, I grabbed what was probably their spine with my lower hands, and holding firmly onto their head, I twisted and pulled with all my strength.

    Their spine cracked under the pressure, and their head tore off in a spray of black blood. I spit and looked away, dropping their body and turning back to the others. The thought of what I must look like scared me.

    ***

    Fira came out of the trance just in time to see Zarenna walk towards the demon, and they were furious at having been put under so easily. As they looked at Zarenna, ready to shout an order to retreat, they froze. The absurdly tall woman had turned red and grown some limbs and bits that humans didn¡¯t have.

    She¡¯s a demon!? Oh, fuck, Fira thought. They¡¯d have noticed an illusory glamour. A demon with a full human transformation, who was able to be kept up for a long time, and who looked decidedly unlike a lust demon, was bad news. Zarenna had been suspicious enough that Fira wanted to watch her, but they¡¯d imagined someone from the University of Ardath come to annoy them, not a godsforsaken demon. Fira may have been furious, but they weren¡¯t suicidal. They needed to get the others out, question Salvador, and file one hell of a report with the company.

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    Still coming around, they heard rapid movement on the rock floor of the cave coming from behind them. ¡°Drin!¡± they shouted. ¡°Cover the rear while Tren and I blast us a path out of here!¡± Dimly, they heard conversation behind them. Zarenna was talking with the other demon.

    The others, still coming out of their dazed state, turned on their order and practically leapt at the wolves. The fight was brutal, and quick. Salvador and Drin took down one with arrow and steel, while Tren and Fira took the other down under a torrent of superheated water and a burst of flames.

    Does Salvador know Zarenna¡¯s a demon? Fira thought during the fight. He can¡¯t be under magic compulsion¡ªI¡¯d have seen it the signs. Right? Right!?

    When the wolves died, Fira regained a bit of clarity, some of their fear and anger turning into determination. ¡°We need to go, now!¡± they said, sternly but without shouting¡ªno need to draw attention.

    After a glance that showed the two demons still conversing, Fira made sure the others got out first. They didn¡¯t want to leave a rescue target behind, and they might be able to sneak Erik out. Hopefully whatever compulsion had led to him committing murder for a summoning ritual¡ªa ritual the knowledge of which was so rare as to be nearly priceless, mind¡ªno longer held sway over his mind.

    They surveyed the scene, backing toward the exit. Demon Zarenna held Erik with her two left arms casually like the young man weighed nothing at all.

    ¡°Then tell him to stand down,¡± Zarenna said to other demon, her voice like plush velvet rubbed the wrong way.

    Fira blinked and Erik was midair, having been dropped. Demon Zarenna¡¯s claws were lit up with white hot fire tinged in crimson, and she¡¯d run her two right hands clean through the other demon¡¯s torso. The other demon¡ªa gangly, nightmarish mockery of a humanoid¡ªdid something magical. Fira felt it wash over them, the demonically-tainted mana making them shiver.

    Zarenna stumbled, and Fira took that chance to make a run for Erik. They grabbed the man roughly by an arm and started to drag him away. He lashed at them with a bloody ritual knife, but Fira knocked it out of his hand with a jet of water hot enough to scald his skin. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± they whispered angrily.

    ¡°Help me, damnit!¡± Erik shouted. Not at Fira, but at the pair of demons.

    Fira noticed his teeth were too sharp and his eyes held a faint glow. He wrenched and pulled himself out of their grip. A demonic pact? This was a huge problem. Now, Fira needed to get this guy out of here to interrogate him. And this was supposed to be an easy job. Did Zarenna set this up?

    Fira knocked Erik toward the door with a jet of water, remembering just in time not to let their magic heat it, and looked back up at the two demons. Zarenna shook her head and caught the other demon as they tried to pull themselves off her claws. With a roar, she grabbed the other demon¡¯s head with two hands, twisted, and ripped it clean off.

    Momentarily stunned, Fira realized too late they were too far from the exit. Their blood ran cold as the demon Zarenna turned to face them. Her eyes were, surprisingly, the same blue as when she pretended to be human, but the slitted pupils and black sclera made it impossible to mistake what she was.

    Somewhere behind them, Erik struggled to his feet, cursed, and started to stagger away.

    Fira stood, frozen. This was it; they were going to die.

    Zarenna the demon, with forked tongue behind twin rows of razor-sharp teeth, spoke. ¡°L-look, I know this looks really, really bad, but I can explain, okay? Wait¡ªshit¡ªsorry, I showed teeth.¡±

    What?

    ***

    I resisted the urge to smile reassuringly at Fira after I already showed too much of my teeth. They stared at me, wide-eyed. The feeling of seeing someone who was always so calm and collected, and whom I knew to be a highly competent mage staring at me, frozen in fear, hurt. All around us, the few still-burning candles dotted the cave with flickering light.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I idly tapped a horn to think. They flinched when I moved my arm and their eyes started to glow faintly. Aura sight. Okay, that¡¯s good they¡¯re reacting. I kept my own off for now¡ªno sense in looking more intimidating.

    The other three were gone, and Erik had only just stumbled out of view. I could chase him down easily when I needed to, so right now I focused on Fira. ¡°I can explain, okay? I¡¯m not like most demons! And not just, like, in a sovereign sort of way¡ªwait did you hear the other demon call me by my title?¡±

    ¡°W-what do you want from me?¡± Fira stammered, voice rapidly gaining confidence. ¡°Did you set this all up?¡±

    ¡°Nothing! No!¡± I replied, waving all my hands in front of myself and then stopping when Fira flinched again. ¡°I had no idea about any of this, I swear! A-and I don¡¯t want anything from you. Well, I guess I¡¯d like it if you didn¡¯t tell the Church of Dhias about me¡­¡± I didn¡¯t ask about joining the Gelles Company. I¡¯d blown my chance at that for sure.

    ¡°What¡¯s your game?¡± Fira asked.

    I decided to tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the man who killed my parents and me. I came back as a demon and I want to kill him, but I also want to stop whatever cult he¡¯s a part of from doing this to other people.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t ¡®come back¡¯ as a demon!¡± Fira shouted.

    ¡°Well, I did.¡± I crossed all four of my arms. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly answer pretty much anything, but can we talk outside this place? I need to go grab Erik before he gets away and we need to get someone out here so the bodies aren¡¯t just left like this.¡± I deliberately wasn¡¯t looking at the people Erik had murdered. I didn¡¯t know if I could handle that right now.

    Fira glared up at me and didn¡¯t respond immediately.

    I turned on my aura sight and got a good look. Their aura was deep orange ringed in equally rich blue. I didn¡¯t try to guess at their magical strength because my perspective was skewed, but it was less than either Seyari¡¯s or my own.

    ¡°What did you mean by sovereign?¡± Fira finally asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a demonic title. There are six of us at any given time. Right now, I¡¯m Wrath,¡± I answered simply and pointed to my symbol. ¡°This symbol is mine, and I want to see if Erik has the symbol of another on that bracelet of his.¡±

    Fira¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Do the sovereigns fight amongst themselves?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Do you humans fight amongst yourselves?¡±

    ¡°Fair point, I guess. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m chatting with a demon¡­¡± Fira trailed off before their eyes went wide. ¡°Wait! You¡¯re just distracting me!¡± As fast as they could, they turned and bolted out of the cave.

    ¡°Fira!¡± I shouted after them.

    I could have stopped them and they had to have known that much. I jogged out of the cave and met a wall of steam in the direction they¡¯d left. My aura sight was muddled by the mist, and I didn¡¯t even attempt to chase them. Instead, I walked quickly to the sound of someone else crunching their way through the late autumn woods.

    Just in case I got seen, I turned back to my human appearance, glad that my clothes were pretty much intact. The alterations I¡¯d made to the shirt worked, and thankfully my tail had pushed my trousers down rather than burst through them.

    I really need to get clothes that work better for me.

    Fira and the others would head back to camp and probably shout up and down that I was a demon, which was going to really suck. Right now, however, I had to find Erik. It was still dark outside, but I could see just fine, and he wasn¡¯t silent in his movements.

    I caught up to him easily, and grabbed him, lifting him up. He looked at me, then started screaming for help. You know what, jerk? Fine. Scream all you want.

    I took his bracelet off, pocketed it for now, and started the walk back to camp, carrying the panicking demon-tainted murderer back to the town. Maybe he could be saved? Maybe something was or still is influencing his mind?

    Either way, killing him was off the table for now. After a minute or so, he calmed down and stopped his hoarse screaming.

    ¡°Who gave you the bracelet?¡± I asked, not really expecting an answer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Erik replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone¡ªI just found it one day with a note.¡±

    ¡°Why are you talking now?¡±

    ¡°Because I can serve you or something! Just give me power!¡±

    ¡°Keep talking, then.¡± I pretended to be interested. No way in literal hell was I going to start running around making pacts with people. I was already about to be in enough trouble, and this little shit really didn¡¯t deserve it.

    ¡°I put it on and there was the rush. Like nothing I¡¯ve ever felt and then I was stronger and could see better.¡± Erik babbled, panicked and excited. ¡°The note told me how to get more and how to do some other magic, like controlling animals. I practiced on some of ours, but it didn¡¯t work so well. Then I started going into the woods, and I got the wolves. They got so much stronger, too! Like me!¡±

    ¡°What about the summoning?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I got another note that told me how to do it.¡±

    I struggled to keep my voice level. ¡°And how do you feel about murdering those innocent people?¡±

    ¡°It was great! A rush!¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± I hissed through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Is that enough? Can you give me more power now?¡± Erik was hyperventilating now.

    ¡°No,¡± I replied.

    It took him a moment to process what I¡¯d said and then the screaming started again.

 Chapter 82: Not an Angel

    Seyari walked quickly with Nelys and Aretan all the way to the city guard headquarters. Next to the barracks, and with the jail under it, the large stone building was tarnished with damp in way that would¡¯ve been poetic to someone with more of an artistic inclination.

    Seyari wasn¡¯t that someone. She scowled next to Aretan and Nelys, then followed a pointed finger deeper inside, letting the other two explain in her wake. Reaching the marked door, she banged on it. A tired-sounding mumble answered from inside and its owner shuffled to the door with no great haste.

    The man who opened it had deep circles under his hard brown eyes and thinning brown hair. ¡°Can I help you, miss?¡± he asked languidly.

    ¡°Seyari,¡± she introduced herself. ¡°Officer Lorton, I presume?¡±

    He stretched and yawned. ¡°Ye-eeah, that¡¯s me. You¡¯re Nelys and Aretan¡¯s friend, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Seyari drew her lips into a thin, pale line, her patience long gone. ¡°Where¡¯s Taava?¡±

    ¡°Got her in an overnight room, s¡¯not really meant for prisoners, so it¡¯s comfortable.¡± He looked up and acknowledged the approaching Nelys and Aretan with a nod. ¡°Gimme a minute and I¡¯ll get the keys.¡± He started to close the door, thought better of it, and left it open.

    While Lorton rummaged around for keys, Seyari tapped her foot and got more details from Aretan and Nelys. Taava had been crippled and burned badly. A healer had already tended to her, so the injuries were pretty much set. Neither spoke of the details, or even said the kazzel¡¯s name. The walls had ears in a place like this.

    When Lorton returned, they followed him down a boring hallway to an equally boring door. He knocked twice, loudly, then turned the key and opened the door.

    Inside, Taava struggled to sit up in bed and gave a weak smile, ears flat against her messy hair. ¡°Sorry, Sey. I kinda messed up.¡±

    ¡°What were you thinking!?¡± Seyari hissed the moment the door closed behind everyone.

    Taava braced for the lecture, closing her eyes.

    Instead of giving a lecture, Seyari crossed the room and threw the blanket off her.

    ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m not gonna get a lecture?¡± Taava asked hopefully.

    Seyari laughed darkly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to get it¡ªjust not from me. When Renna gets back from the Company mission, I¡¯m going to sic her on you.¡± She leaned forward and ran a hand along Taava¡¯s burnt and mangled leg.

    Taava shuddered.

    Seyari¡¯s hand stopped moving. ¡°Was that from the threat of a lecture on morality, or could you feel my hand?¡±

    ¡°The first one.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Seyari finished running her hand along Taava¡¯s leg, and checked the base of her spine with the other hand, fingering a lump of bone.

    Taava shivered again under Seyari¡¯s cold hands. ¡°Why good?¡±

    ¡°Because that makes the next part a whole lot easier.¡± Seyari reached forward and with a quick motion displaying surprising strength, snapped Taava¡¯s mishealed leg bone. The sound was hideous, but Taava hardly flinched.

    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Officer Lorton asked, an edge creeping into his perpetually tired voice.

    ¡°Seyari¡¯s a great healer!¡± Nelys chirped. ¡°She saved Aretan from dying.¡±

    Officer Lorton looked at Aretan and raised an eyebrow. There was another snapping sound from across the room.

    ¡°She did save my life, yes,¡± Aretan nodded.

    Lorton sighed and looked back at Seyari and Taava.

    ¡°I think that one tickled?¡± Taava said. ¡°But I don¡¯t see what ya can do. Unless ya really are an angel and ya lied ta me¡­¡±

    Seyari took a step back and surveyed Taava¡¯s ruined legs. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie. I¡¯m only half-angel.¡± She held her hands out and holy light glowed out of them, bright enough to make Taava and the others look away. ¡°Oh yeah, I think this might hurt if fix things out of order.¡±

    ¡°Wait, whaddya mean ¡®out of order?¡¯¡± Taava asked, suddenly panicked. She watched Seyari¡¯s hair and eyes brighten as the half-angel¡¯s magic poured forth.

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    ¡°I mean that I¡¯m not a healer.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a wha-AAAAAAAAAH!!!¡± Taava¡¯s question turned into a shriek.

    Officer Lorton covered his ears and cracked an eyelid when the glow dulled down. Taava was whimpering, but her legs were twitching, burn marks mostly gone to noticeable scarring. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned. You two,¡± he said to Aretan and Nelys, ¡°have got to tell me how you know a Dhias-blessed half-angel.¡±

    Nelys looked up with a smirk. ¡°Oh that¡¯s a really good story, see there¡¯s this ship called¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not now though, Nelys.¡± Officer Lorton put up a hand. ¡°Give me a minute to go let everyone know why there¡¯s primal screaming coming from this wing.¡± He sighed, nodded at Aretan who nodded back, and left the room quickly.

    On the bed, Taava¡¯s teeth were gritted tightly together, long canines visible, as she fought through the subsiding pain. Her tail stood straight up behind her, brown fur puffed out where it wasn¡¯t burned off, and her ears were flat against her head.

    When the pain ebbed enough, she collapsed back onto the bed and whined. ¡°I think that was worse than them breakin¡¯ was. Back then I was kinda outta it and after somethin¡¯ snapped I just lost all feelin. Ow¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want to tell me what happened?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°Aretan and Nelys already filled me in on what you told them.¡±

    ¡°Can it wait?¡± Taava asked in a still-pained voice. ¡°I¡¯m a little overwhelmed right now and I don¡¯t wanna have ta tell Renna, too.¡±

    Seyari frowned and sighed. Taava was lying about being out of it, but she didn¡¯t have the energy to care. Renna could do that for her, and the fact Seyari found herself truly relying on someone else helped improve her mood immensely. ¡°Fine, I guess. We never should¡¯ve let you go there on your own.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Taava replied, more frustrated than regretful. ¡°I¡¯m gonna get Garvin and I¡¯m gonna sic Renna on him once she¡¯s done talkin¡¯ my ears off for how stupid I was,¡± she muttered. ¡°You, uh, gonna be cool walkin¡¯ outta here with silver hair and glowin¡¯ gold eyes, Sey?¡±

    Seyari reached up, touched her hair, and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to be. Besides, like Renna, I¡¯m getting tired of hiding all the damn time.¡±

    ¡°Can I have all your disguise stuff then?¡± Nelys interjected.

    Seyari paused at the reflexive ¡°No¡± that almost slipped out, and instead nodded. ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m going to teach you how to use it, especially the eye coloration stuff.¡±

    Nelys cocked their head. ¡°Can¡¯t you just heal me if I mess up?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point and you know it.¡±

    Nelys stuck out their tongue.

    Taava laughed.

    Seyari groaned. ¡°Please, please don¡¯t feed off each other. I can only handle so much.¡± Looking up, she met the reliable eyes of Aretan. In them, twinkled a tiny bit of mischief, or so she thought. ¡°Not you too!¡±

    Aretan laughed sharply. ¡°No, not me. I admit Nelys is a good friend and I enjoy most of their antics, but I do not plan to contribute my own. I lack the energy for that sort of thing anyway.¡±

    Seyari sighed in relief, and the group resumed catching up. Taava confirmed she could walk again, but was wobbly on her feet. I hope Renna¡¯s contract with the Gelles Company is going well, she thought.

    ***

    Officer Lorton returned soon after, looking no more tired, but no more awake either. He closed and locked the door behind him and addressed the room. ¡°We should move someplace that¡¯s safe to talk.¡±

    ¡°I can give us that,¡± Seyari replied. With a wave of her hand, she conjured a swirling wind around the edges of the room. Thankfully the walls were bare, but the wind did make it more difficult to hear one another.

    Lorton plopped down in the room¡¯s only chair and cradled his head in his hands. ¡°I guess that works. So, as you know, Lockmoth has just a bit of a corruption problem. I¡¯ve been working to fix that, but my reach is limited and I can¡¯t stick my neck out too far.¡±

    ¡°And Taava wants you to help her?¡± Seyari guessed.

    ¡°Other way ¡®round, he wants me ta help him!¡± Taava proudly proclaimed.

    Officer Lorton made a so-so gesture with one hand and slouched back in his seat, staring up into the swirling mass of air and the dust and small bugs it¡¯d picked up. ¡°A bit of both. Point¡¯s that I haven¡¯t really been able to do much, and it¡¯s getting worse.¡±

    ¡°And now you can do much more, yes?¡± Aretan said with a hopeful smile.

    Lorton groaned. ¡°More like I have to do something big. That bust and Taava¡¯s bounty have put the squeeze on me. I didn¡¯t sleep at all last night and I¡¯m certain there¡¯s a knife ready for me the next time I do.¡±

    ¡°Taava¡¯s bounty?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a big one and a damn good thing the folks here, outside of the few I trust, don¡¯t know she¡¯s here. Aretan and Nelys have been a big help since getting deputized and I like the idea of getting the Gelles Company involved. If we can get them to see how this situation is hurting their bottom line, we might be able to make a real move.¡±

    ¡°So our plan¡¯s the foundation then?¡± Seyari rubbed her temple. ¡°What are we going to hit?¡±

    ¡°Everywhere we can,¡± Lorton said hopelessly. ¡°I know a good few of the locations based on my own work from the bribes we get and where we choose not to look. Taava knows more, too.¡±

    ¡°What do they have for magic?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Not a lot. Most mages can earn an honest living easy enough, and that kind of ability¡¯s bad for a power structure that relies on strength.¡±

    ¡°Enchanted weapons?¡±

    ¡°They smuggle some and I¡¯d bet the bosses and maybe a couple others would have something. Why?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Seyari said, smiling wickedly. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you just yet, though.¡±

    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Lorton yawned. ¡°You can stop the wind now. I need to go eat something and figure out a way to stay awake. Your friend¡¯s group¡¯s supposed to be back late tomorrow night, and I don¡¯t fancy kicking it just yet.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me,¡± Seyari looked around the room. ¡°Do you mind if I stay here with Taava?¡±

    ¡°Be my guest! Makes my life easier.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I want to stay too¡ªwe can play games and make a night of it!¡± Nelys exclaimed.

    ¡°Would you mind?¡± Aretan regarded Lorton. ¡°I could help keep guard over you, if you need.¡±

    Lorton waved his hand. ¡°Play games with your friends. I¡¯ll probably end up sleeping in here tonight anyway.¡± After a long pause, he added, ¡°and I can¡¯t wait until I don¡¯t have to watch my back all the damn time.¡±

 Chapter 83: Definitely a Demon

    Erik had quieted down by the time I¡¯d made it back to the edge of the forest. I¡¯d made myself look totally human again just to be sure, although I left aura sight on. I knew where we were supposed to meet back up¡ªby the well nearest Erik¡¯s family home. I just wasn¡¯t sure how to go about this.

    I didn¡¯t get to make that decision. I only barely noticed the figures hidden up on the roof of the closest building before something magic was fired my way. Barely, I was able to dodge the arrow. If I hadn¡¯t had my aura sight on, I would¡¯ve been hit by it. Or Erik would have.

    Predictably, he started screaming again.

    Oh, screw this!

    I dashed out of the treeline, dropped Erik, and moved a good few paces away. Another few arrows were loosed my way and one tore into my shoulder. I ripped it out, wound already healing. Erik, meanwhile, started shouting about demons and ran toward the town. I heard voices, but couldn¡¯t make out the words at this distance.

    ¡°Can we talk about this?¡± I shouted. ¡°Please?¡±

    I was met with silence. Magic flared around me, the earth turning to mud and pulling me in. I let myself sink to my waist. The tall grass outside of my little mudhole came up to my chin now.

    ¡°Seriously? I haven¡¯t lied to you except for the one thing you¡¯re trying to kill me over. And the only reason I did that was because I wanted to avoid the exact situation I¡¯m in now.¡±

    Fira shouted an order and several more arrows flew at me. I stopped them with a wave of fire, reigning it in to stop the grass from catching. The earth started to pull me in farther, water turning it to mud.

    For a moment, I felt fear. I couldn¡¯t really use my strength in mud like this, and for all I knew I needed to breathe. I didn¡¯t want to find out if that wasn¡¯t true, but I also hadn¡¯t ever heard stories of demons dying by drowning in mud.

    I did what I could and tried to heat it¡ªto burn the water out into dry earth. Fira¡¯s magic fought my own, but was quickly overwhelmed. They shouted another order and the dried mud I was in tightened, as if trying to crush me. It didn¡¯t work, and I started to pull myself free, limbs breaking through magicked dirt more easily than I would have dared hope.

    Then, a massive slab of dirt and rock slammed down toward my exposed body. I lifted up a single hand and blocked it. For the first time in a very long time, my muscles strained, but only for a moment, and then the slab shattered and fell around me. I pulled myself the rest of the way out.

    I took a few steps toward them, swatting more arrows out of the sky. Then, I did the only thing I could think of: I sat down in the middle of the field, cross-legged and frowning.

    ¡°So can we talk now?¡± I shouted. ¡°I¡¯m on your side!¡±

    I waited for a response. Erik reached the group, babbled something, and was tackled to the ground quite satisfyingly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not just trying to get close or something! I don¡¯t need your permission to do that, and if I wanted to fight you all I¡¯d be fighting you all.¡±

    More silence. I could clearly see the hidden figures now, and I spotted Fira back behind the peak of a barn roof. I waved at them, and they stiffened, but didn¡¯t wave back.

    ¡°I¡¯d say I could wait, but I¡¯m covered in mud, mentally drained, and I should probably give a statement about what I saw Erik doing. Really, I just want a bath, a change of clothes, and to not have people trying to kill me. Basic, normal stuff.¡±

    More silence. I was controlling my fury at acquiescing to these mortals, based mostly on my distinct lack of a giant, sensitive, throbbing, ego. But that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t getting tired of this. The attacks had stopped. Whether that was from my display showing them they were mostly pointless, a conservation of their resources, or if they were listening to me, I couldn¡¯t tell at all.

    ¡°Stupid question, I know, but is there anything I can do to prove anything to you? I¡¯m not like most de¡ªof my kind, really. I¡¯m a little more, er, down to earth.¡± I rubbed my forehead for lack of a horn to tap. ¡°Look, this conversation¡¯s really hard to have shouting over a field where everyone can hear, okay? This is private stuff. Some of it is actually private and not just because, uh, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her!¡± someone shouted.

    Fira shouted to be quiet back.

    I waited for a while longer, but I didn¡¯t want to be out here until the sun came up. Casually, I walked toward the group. A few more attacks hit me, but I was able to avoid or rebuff most of them. The ones that did, didn¡¯t do more than superficial damage that healed quickly.

    I climbed up onto Fira¡¯s barn only to find them and the others moving to the next one. I sighed, sat down until they¡¯d gotten to their retreat spot¡ªorganized bunch, they were¡ªand then moved. Now, I¡¯m not as fast as other demons, but I don¡¯t often get a chance to move at full speed.

    Did I drop my transformation? Yes. Did anyone see? A whole bunch of Gelles Company folks, but hopefully no farmers. Could this maybe cause problems later? Yes, but I wanted to fix the problems I had now much, much more.

    Before Fira could move more than two steps, I¡¯d crossed the distance, climbed up onto the protesting shed, and grabbed their shoulder.

    Before they could react to me holding them, I let go. ¡°Gotcha!¡± I said playfully, sticking my forked tongue out and showing my twin rows of beautifully sharp teeth.

    Immediately, Drin attacked me, but Tren hesitated. The heavily armored woman brought her shield up to knock me off balance. I brought one of my upper arms up and let her hit me, hardly moving as her weight crashed into mine. The roof underneath made a cracking sound. She swung her sword down and I caught it in another hand¡ªthe mundane blade not even leaving a scratch.

    ¡°I understand why you¡¯re afraid of me.¡± I said as calmly as I could. ¡°Heck, for the longest time, I was afraid of¡ª¡±

    Drin cut me off by shoving forward again, attempting to unbalance me. Fira scrambled away, and warm water slicked the roof under me. Tren unhelpfully burned my clothes, the fire doing absolutely nothing to hurt me.

    Unfortunately, I lost my balance. Double unfortunately, the roof lost its balance, and Drin, Tren, Fira and I went crashing through it. There were farm implements stored below, pointy ends up. I wouldn¡¯t care, but the lightly armored Tren and Fira certainly would.

    Before we landed, I grabbed the two of them and pulled them into a hug, my other arms shoving Drin to the side of the shed without pointy bits. Metal bent and shafts snapped underneath me as my weight crushed some poor farmer¡¯s perfectly good tools. Said tools also ruined my mostly good shirt and trousers.

    I was so close to keeping this set of clothes.

    There was a moment of silence once we¡¯d all crashed down and I seized the initiative.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± I asked

    Wait, wrong initiative! I wanted to ask if we could talk.

    Drin coughed out a reflexive ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Tren nodded, still held by one of my arms. He stared at me, but didn¡¯t speak. Fira, also held by me, stared at me intently. I withered under their gaze.

    ¡°You¡¯re like her aren¡¯t you?¡± they asked.

    ¡°Her?¡±

    ¡°The demon my former teacher said he loved.¡±

    Well that¡¯s a bombshell.

    ¡°Wha-who?¡± I replied, absolutely elegantly and in no way a mumbled mess.

    ¡°Professor Travend¡ªI studied under him in Ardath before his expulsion and exile. He¡¯d started dating a demon in secret; her name was¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fira, Drin, Tren! Are you alright? Did you get the demon?¡± voices shouted from outside.

    I couldn¡¯t suppress a giggle.

    Fira looked at me oddly. ¡°Maybe!?¡± they shouted back.

    ¡°What do you mean maybe?¡± a voice replied. ¡°Hang on, I¡¯m breaking the door in!¡±

    Drin, who¡¯d been glaring at me this whole time, shifted out of the way just in time for the sad remains of the door to fall inward off its wooden hinges, kicked in by a rather sturdy-looking boot. A face followed the boot, and the man¡¯s eyes widened when he saw me more or less hugging Fira and Tren on top of a bed of sharp bits of steel and wood.

    ¡°Hiya!¡± I waved with my tail because all my arms were full.

    The man froze, fear evident across his face. Outside, there were shouts, footsteps and a cacophony of voices as the rest of the mercs closed in on the shed.

    ¡°Fira?¡± I asked nervously. ¡°A little help here?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t start shouting,¡± Fira said with a forced calm evident from how their voice strained against it. They twisted in my grip and I quickly let them go.

    The man looked from them to me and I wasn¡¯t sure if his continued silence was agreement or fear. I get it, I¡¯m scary. Honestly, I¡¯m not that scary, it¡¯s really just the stigma of demons in general. Sadly, I¡¯ll admit that¡¯s earned. I kept my thoughts to myself. I felt like any sudden speech or movement would break the thin veneer of calm that was holding everything together.

    ¡°You heard Fira,¡± Drin grumbled as she stood up and rolled her shoulders. ¡°Boss?¡± She inclined her head toward Fira.

    They sighed and gestured to me. ¡°Tell the others we need to meet up and talk about the demon.¡± I waved back and smiled sheepishly¡ªlips only. ¡°I think the big barn on the farm north of the town center isn¡¯t in use¡ªget people to meet up there.¡±

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    The man nodded hesitantly and backed out of the shed.

    ¡°Drin?¡± Fira asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go with him.¡± She gave one last look at me still holding Tren. ¡°You alright, Tren?¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± He seemed to snap out of his thoughts. ¡°Uh, yeah, fine¡ªgreat, actually. Just thinking about some stuff.¡±

    Drin glared at me.

    I put my free hands up in surrender. ¡°I did nothing you didn¡¯t see me do. All I can do is mess with people¡¯s anger anyway, and you¡¯d probably know if I did that. I think?¡±

    Drin looked back at Tren who smiled and shrugged. She mumbled, ¡°His love of magic¡¯s gonna kill him someday,¡± and walked out.

    I didn¡¯t think I was meant to hear that last part.

    With Drin gone and the crowd outside moving away (not without grumbles and a shout from Drin), Fira turned back to me. ¡°Could you let him go, too?¡±

    Whoops. ¡°Yeah, sure!¡± I let Tren go.

    He climbed down and I took a moment to pull myself off my bed of broken farming implements and sit cross-legged on the dirt floor of the shed. My tail twitched nervously behind me; I caught Fira¡¯s eyes wandering toward it. Tren, meanwhile, fixed his gaze on the floor.

    ¡°Hey, uh, boss?¡± Surprisingly, it was Tren who spoke. ¡°Can I learn magic theory from Zarenna, or would that mean I was ¡®consorting with demons?¡¯¡±

    Fira put a hand to their forehead. ¡°Tren?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®consorting with demons,¡¯ isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Not now please?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ it might not be?¡±

    ¡°Tren¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± I raised my top right hand. ¡°May I?¡±

    ¡°Sure, Zarenna,¡± Fira replied, sounding tired. ¡°You have my permission to speak. I can¡¯t believe this is how tonight¡¯s gone.¡±

    They whispered that last part. Should I tell them about demon hearing? Probably not right now?

    ¡°Tren,¡± I looked at him and his hope-filled eyes, ¡°I wanted to ask you that same question actually. I don¡¯t know much magical theory at all¡ªmost of what I do is instinctual and, frankly, cheating by human standards.¡±

    Tren slouched. ¡°Really? Well, uh, I¡¯d be happy to teach you! And you can teach me some stuff too! I¡¯d bet there¡¯s a lot you know that you might not think is special but could be revolutionary. But I guess maybe not? I don¡¯t want to get kicked out of the company or anything.¡± He looked hopefully at Fira.

    They shook their head. ¡°All right, that tears it. You!¡± they pointed to me, ¡°are clearly not a normal demon¡ªwhatever normal even means. And you,¡± they glared at Tren, ¡°need to be kept away from anything even resembling forbidden magical knowledge or you¡¯ll try to find a ¡®good use¡¯ for it.¡±

    ¡°Does Zarenna¡¯s magic count as¡ª¡±

    ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Know yet.¡± Steam started to pour off Fira in waves.

    Tren shut up and nodded rapidly.

    ¡°If we¡¯re done here, then I¡¯m taking us over to meet the rest of the group and we¡¯re going to decide what to do about you together. Zarenna?¡±

    I slouched to attention. ¡°Yes, ser?¡±

    ¡°Make yourself look human again and follow me. Make any unexpected moves and I¡¯ll¡­¡± They closed their eyes and shook their head. ¡°Fuck. Just please follow my orders, okay?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, boss!¡± I smiled broadly and the two of them shivered.

    ***

    We made it safely to the barn, although I was hardly dressed for any social occasion. Fira seemed somewhat willing to believe me, which I desperately needed. I¡¯d heard from them that they¡¯d not told the town about any demons because they didn¡¯t want to incite a panic or draw the Church¡¯s eye and all the trouble it¡¯d cause. They had planned to in the morning, however, so it was a good thing I¡¯d not run away. They¡¯d more or less arrested Salvador on suspicion of consorting with a demon, which, technically he was very guilty of. Erik had been tied up and was being questioned as we spoke.

    Once inside, I could see the whole company group gathered in the small space.

    ¡°Yes, I am certain she has not influenced my thoughts,¡± Salvador told someone as I entered with Fira. I waved at him, and he waved back with a smile, continuing, ¡°she¡¯s a friend. A friend whom I trust.¡±

    His conversation partner harrumphed and looked at me with distrusting eyes. I gave him a weak smile. This is going to be an uphill battle, but if I can pull it off¡­

    ¡°Attention everyone!¡± Fira shouted, striding forward to the center of the crowd. They stepped up onto a crate and motioned for Drin to close to doors. ¡°There¡¯s a discussion we need to have as a group. One I didn¡¯t ever think we¡¯d need to have. Now, I know a couple of us aren¡¯t here right now because they¡¯re guarding Erik so he doesn¡¯t hurt himself or others, but we can fill them in later, and they¡¯ll get counted for any votes we do make.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± an armored woman of Ordian complexion whom I barely recognized spoke up and pointed at me. ¡°She¡¯s a demon! Just cut off her head and be done with it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Paula¡ª¡±

    ¡°And why isn¡¯t it?¡± Paula shouted back, hand on the hilt of her sword. ¡°Or did she get her hooks in you too?¡±

    ¡°Paula,¡± Fira said dangerously, ¡°I am the leader of this group. We will do as I say until such time that I am demonstrably compromised, at which point, by rule of supermajority, I may be removed and replaced. Am I understood?¡±

    I hoped Paula would back down. Many others looked nervously from me to her and Fira and back again, shifting uneasily. Drin had her hand on the hilt of her own weapon, but was staring, along with Tren, at Paula. I didn¡¯t know if it was for my sake or Fira¡¯s authority, but either was fine by me.

    I could feel a lot of anger in the room, coming from enough sources that I almost couldn¡¯t keep track. Paula¡¯s anger was the brightest by far. I didn¡¯t want to mess with it yet. I could easily screw everything up by messing with people.

    ¡°How about we have that vote right now?¡± Paula challenged.

    Fira¡¯s piercing blue eyes narrowed. ¡°Fine,¡± they gestured around the room, ¡°we¡¯ll hold a vote. All who think I am unfit to lead by vice of being compromised under demonic corruption, raise your hands.¡±

    Around the group of gathered mercenaries, several hands shot up, and a few more followed timidly. The man Salvador had been talking to shifted his arm, took a long look at me, and kept his hand down. Did Salvador save me? Again?

    My nervousness was showing¡ªit had to be. Firalex counted the hands. Tren and Drin were not among them, and a few more went down as she started counting. In all, just under half of the room voted ¡°aye.¡± Around Salvador was nearly a dead zone for raised hands.

    Fira challenged Paula with another glare, their fiery hair gaining a bit of a sheen of dampness from magic held ready. This time, the armored woman backed down, though not without grumbling.

    ¡°If that¡¯s concluded,¡± Fira started again after coughing loudly, ¡°we can move on to the necessary business. Zarenna, if you would step forward?¡±

    I did so, and Fira motioned for me to stop about eight paces from them (ten for someone of more normal stature). The mercenaries gave me a wide berth. Salvador gave me a serious nod.

    ¡°Show us your true form,¡± Fira ordered.

    ¡°Yes ser,¡± I answered, dropping my human transformation.

    There were gasps around me, and I felt eyes all over my body. Suddenly, my knees felt weak and the tip of my tail shook. All the insecurity I¡¯d thought dealt with started to rush back. I didn¡¯t dare look at Salvador¡ªI couldn¡¯t bear to think what I might find, even as I knew it to be irrational. I just don¡¯t want to put him at risk. What a crap justification.

    Abby would tell me to think about everyone being in their underwear. I tried, but I couldn¡¯t hold the image. I wanted Seyari¡¯s hand to hold. Badly.

    ¡°Now that she¡¯s exposed, she¡¯s afraid of us!¡± Paula said triumphantly.

    My anger flared. How dare you, you insolent little¡ª

    I reined it in just in time, but the temperature around me had noticeably increased. When I exhaled, a jet of fire left my lips. I reached up and felt, though the remains of my shirt, the gem on my symbol. They¡¯re just shocked at seeing a demon in the flesh. This is normal. They¡¯re not trying to demean me¡ªmost of them aren¡¯t anyway. I¡¯m not an imposter. I¡¯m me, Zarenna: Sovereign of Wrath, sometimes human, and always a woman.

    I took another deep breath and stood up straighter. Fira was looking at me with an expression I couldn¡¯t hope to place. Something between pity and fear that ended up looking almost cross-eyed. I felt a laugh bubble up despite my continued anxiety and was only able to contain it to a giggle.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t demons supposed to be dangerous?¡± Paula taunted.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m not ¡®dangerous¡¯ all the time!¡± I shot back before I could stop myself. ¡°Do you think this is easy? Do you think I¡¯m having fun? Do you know what it¡¯s like to have to hide what you are from everyone except a trusted few and put on a face that you don¡¯t want to wear all the time every. Single. Day? Huh¡ªdo you!?¡± My voice was almost a shout at the end. My anger was burning bright, and I didn¡¯t want to force it back down to fester. ¡°Sor¡ªry I¡¯m not ripping your limbs off, I guess.¡± I glared at her and breathed heavily, small flames escaping from each breath.

    Paula looked at me and blinked slowly. I looked around the room. Everyone was staring at me, Salvador with sympathy and the rest in varying shades of confusion.

    ¡°Sorry, Fira,¡± I apologized, looking sheepishly at the group leader. ¡°I, uh, have some anxieties I still need to work out.¡± I took yet another deep breath.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite alright, Zarenna,¡± Fira responded slowly. ¡°Now, if I could bring us back on topic: Zarenna wants us not to turn her in to the Church and wants to help solve what happened here with Erik. Personally, I think that, as a demon, she would be of immense help in determining the nature of¡ª¡±

    ¡°You want us to trust her just like that? She¡¯s a demon too! How do we know she¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    ¡°Paula!¡± Firalex shouted. ¡°One more word out of you and you won¡¯t be Company anymore. Am I understood?¡± Steam poured off her in waves.

    Paula¡¯s anger exploded, bright enough that I had a hard time imaging what it would be like not to feel it. Before she could speak, I acted, pulling from her anger and ignoring how wonderfully filling the emotion was.

    As her fury faded, Paula¡¯s bravado and posture deflated into a slouch. Wordlessly, she nodded and then stepped back into the rest of the crowd. Her eyes met mine; I kept my expression neutral and looked away.

    Fira seemed surprised Paula backed down, but their posture relaxed, steam dispersing. With a cough, they resumed talking. ¡°I understand that trusting a demon is an outlandish prospect, but I propose that we do so for the time being.¡± They held up a hand to stall the budding protests. ¡°Hear me out on this. We lack the firepower to kill her, as demonstrated earlier. I also believe she is easily capable of killing all of us, and has chosen not only not to do so, but not to do so in the face of violence. Lastly, Erik is in one piece, the demonic influence on him cannot be her doing, and she killed the demon that did it without harming the young man.¡±

    ¡°So what do you propose we do after we finish the contract?¡± Drin asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Fira replied tiredly. ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I¡¯ll interview her tonight, and hopefully get the truth out of her. Are there any last questions before we adjourn?¡±

    I looked at Salvador. He flashed me a tired, but happy smile. I smiled softly back. Thanks.

    After a moment, Paula raised her hand. I¡¯d kept a steady pull on her anger to keep it from rising back again¡ªhers and a couple others. She had to have noticed something. I bit my lip and looked at the dirt floor.

    ¡°You may speak,¡± Fira said.

    ¡°That demon did something to me. Just now.¡± Paula spoke calmly¡ªmuch different from before. ¡°How do you know she¡¯s not doing something to all of us?¡±

    Fira noticed Paula¡¯s change in demeanor. ¡°Well, Zarenna? Care to explain?¡±

    I exhaled slowly. Now¡¯s not the time to lie, me. ¡°I drained her anger. She was about to do something instead of backing down, and I didn¡¯t think anyone¡ªher included¡ªwould want that. All I did was make her less angry¡ªnothing else. I can¡¯t do anything else anyway.¡±

    Several people started muttering at this revelation. Salvador started to talk softly again with those around him.

    ¡°Paula?¡± Fira asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Paula frowned and paused for a long time. I let some of her anger build back up, but not much. ¡°True, ser. It¡¯s true. I was about to do something stupid, and suddenly I wasn¡¯t so angry anymore. I thought about what it was and stood down, ser.¡±

    Fira raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t push the issue. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made the right decision, Paula.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ser,¡± Paula said softly. ¡°I still don¡¯t think we should trust her. I say we let the Church deal with her.¡±

    ¡°Will you go against my orders?¡±

    ¡°Depends, I think.¡±

    ¡°On what?¡±

    ¡°Depends on whether you want us to consort with demons and keep it a secret or not. I don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t think I can do that, ser.¡±

    Murmurs of agreement rippled around those assembled. I felt my heart tighten for a moment. On the edge of panic, I realized something: I didn¡¯t either.

    Quickly, I raised my hand, then blurted out anyway. ¡°Ser, if I may!¡±

    Fira nodded at me to continue.

    ¡°I agree with Paula.¡± My pride as a Sovereign would have stung if I hadn¡¯t already made peace with myself for agreeing with someone so opposed to my nature. ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask that of any of you. It isn¡¯t fair.¡±

    ¡°So what do you propose, then?¡± Fira¡¯s bright blue eyes had a dangerous twinkle in them.

    ¡°I want¡­¡± I paused to take a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide anymore. I¡¯m fine if you tell the Church of Dhias. All the times I¡¯ve killed it¡¯s been in self-defense, and as a last resort, or in defense of someone I care deeply about. I¡¯m no more a danger to society than a competent mage or an armed soldier with training and a weapon.

    ¡°If you¡¯d have me, I¡¯d still like to join the Company, even. I¡¯ll give you the whole truth tonight, Fira, and you can decide. I¡¯ll make due with either answer.¡± I finished, and gazed around the room as calmly as I could, my mind racing but my heart unnervingly calm. I met the gaze of everyone I could. Some shied away, others met it defiantly.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Fira said eagerly. ¡°Well, you heard her folks! No need to worry about keeping a demonic secret, and if we need to, we can be rid of her on the morrow. Now, if everyone wants to kindly get the hell out of here, I have an interview to do before the sun comes up.¡±

    After a bit more grumbling, the meeting adjourned. The others left except for myself and Fira. I made sure to thank Salvador on his way out. He just smiled and nodded. I got the distinct and bizarre feeling that he was proud of me.

 Chapter 84: An Agreement

    When Fira stepped off their crate, they stumbled. I darted forward and caught them before quickly letting go and moving a few paces away. Up close, they looked a mess: short red hair mussed and hastily pushed to one side, their clothes dirty, scratched, and stained.

    They took deep, shaky breath. ¡°Thanks. Today¡¯s been a hell of a day.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, tell me about it,¡± I replied drily. ¡°Is there any chance what we say in here will actually be private?¡±

    ¡°Not down here.¡± Fira stuck their thumb over their shoulder at the mostly-empty hay loft above us. ¡°Up there, if we whisper, we should be fine.¡±

    I glanced at the rickety-looking ladder. ¡°You first.¡±

    Fira went up first, taking an oil lantern with them.

    Predictably, the first rung of the latter snapped when I put my full weight on it. I used my claws and all four arms and climbed up the support structure and wall instead. I plopped next to them on the wooden slat floor. It creaked under me, but held firm. I pulled my knees up to my chest with my upper arms, curled my tail around, and stuck my lower arms out to the sides.

    ¡°Why the change of heart?¡± I asked, making sure to keep my voice down. Idly, I played with dry piece of straw, flicking it around with the tip of my tail. I still didn¡¯t really want to meet Fira¡¯s gaze.

    Fira relaxed themselves, laying down on their side. The orange light played across their sharp features, casting emotions I couldn¡¯t be sure of. ¡°I stopped trying to see you as an enemy, I guess. But there¡¯s more to it than that.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I knew Paula was going to cross the line. I was ready for it, but backed down instead. When you said you¡¯d done it, I put something together that I really should have in the first place.¡± They flicked the straw I was playing with and I followed their hand up to their face. ¡°You broke us out of our entrancement back at the cave by making us angry, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± I forced myself not to look away. ¡°And I kept you from getting too angry when we spoke after I killed the other demon, too. I¡¯m sorry for¡ª¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± They shrugged and what might have been a smile flickered among the shadows of their face. ¡°You saved us. And I see the face you¡¯re making. Don¡¯t make excuses. Take the compliment.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded sheepishly. ¡°Is that all you wanted to talk about?¡± I shifted and suddenly felt the shape of Erik¡¯s bracelet pressing into my thigh. I¡¯d forgotten all about it in the chaos. I wanted to bring it up, but I let Fira answer first.

    Fira shook their head and sat up. ¡°I wanted to talk about you. Specifically, your origin. I don¡¯t know if you remember what I said earlier, but I was a student under a man named Isidore Travend about fifteen years ago. Before he was exiled for a variety of reasons I won¡¯t get into, I found out he¡¯d been seeing a demon. I confronted him about it in the lab and he¡¯d told me she was something called a ¡®terrestrial demon.¡¯

    ¡°Professor Travend was obsessed with studying the types of demons, so I know a few things that might interest you. And that might explain why you¡¯re like what you are. Of course, I never took any real stock in that and considered myself lucky to have transferred out from under his tutelage before his expulsion. But now¡­¡±

    ¡°That explains a lot,¡± I nodded, then added with a growing smile, ¡°It matches what Isidore told me himself. Good to know he wasn¡¯t lying, I guess.¡±

    Fira¡¯s jaw dropped open. ¡°What? Where? When? He disappeared fifteen years ago!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he ran off to go live with his demon wife in a secret hidden village.¡± My smile got wider.

    ¡°You¡¯re bullshitting me.¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± I replied and proceeded to give a detailed account of Isidore and what I could remember of the conversations he had with me.

    ¡°You¡¯re actually not lying,¡± Fira whispered slowly. ¡°Could you tell me about his wife? The other terrestrial demon?¡±

    ¡°I can, but I don¡¯t know if I should.¡±

    ¡°You want to know if you can trust the Gelles Company.¡± Fira didn¡¯t phrase it like a question and their eyes met mine, searching.

    ¡°That¡¯s part of it,¡± I met their gaze and nodded, ¡°but I need to know if you or the Gelles Company want to get involved in demon politics.¡±

    ¡°Demon politics?¡±

    ¡°Demon politics.¡±

    ¡°Morning.¡± Fira collapsed back and heaved a sigh. ¡°Let me sleep and think about it. Do you think she¡¯s a good person, at least?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°Yes and no, I think are the correct answers.¡±

    ¡°Sorry I asked.¡±

    ¡°Apology accepted.¡±

    Fira groaned. ¡°Do you do this to everyone, or is it just a coping mechanism?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered.

    Another groan.

    ¡°There is one more thing I wanted to talk about¡ª¡±

    ¡°Mor¡ª¡±

    ¡°In the morning,¡± I finished.

    Fira gave a thumbs up.

    ¡°Still think I¡¯m evil?¡± I teased.

    ¡°If you are, then I can¡¯t tell.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± I nodded sharply.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Do you mind sleeping in the loft here?¡± Fira asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to go back to others and tell them the demon in our ranks has a terrible sense of humor.¡±

    ¡°You know, if you lie like that, they might not trust you.¡± I smiled cheekily.

    I received a jet of warm water to the face in response. Fira got up with the oil lantern, walked to the ladder, and headed down. ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    ¡°Watch the broken first rung,¡± I called to them.

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± they replied. ¡°I¡¯ll come get you some time after I manage to wake up. We can talk then and finish up this whole mess later.¡± They grumbled the rest of the way down the ladder.

    I laid down and stared up at the ceiling. Sleep took me not long after.

    ***

    I woke up to a rooster crowing. For a moment, as my mind stirred into wakefulness, I was back in a cramped room at my uncle¡¯s farm. We were there ahead of harvest so my father and I could help out. Kartania and I had to share a room with my cousins. It was cramped, but we always stayed up late playing games by starlight through the window, or by an oil lamp on colder years.

    I rubbed my eyes and sat up, the memory fading away, but leaving me warm. I sat up and looked around the dark barn that smelled of old hay and dry dirt. Same as the day before.

    I didn¡¯t want to leave before Fira came to get me, so I sat up and took out the bracelet from yesterday. I looked at it with aura sight, my eyes casting a faint blue glow around the loft. There was a faint aura of some kind, but I couldn¡¯t even really make out a color. It was probably drained, and that was probably for the best right now.

    I flipped it over in my claws and inspected the band itself. It was a simple brass band that widened above the wrist, where a familiar symbol was etched. A red stone with a different cut than my own was set in the center. Immediately, I was thankful that its shape was entirely different¡ªlet alone lacking the green sheen mine had. My own gem was a sort of rounded square, while this one was almost triangular. The cuts probably had names, but I didn¡¯t know them.

    At least Fira won¡¯t confuse this symbol for mine, I hoped.

    I thought back to the symbol on the knife we¡¯d found. From what I remembered, the cut of the gem looked like it could match the symbol on this bracelet, but I¡¯d need to see both at once to tell for sure.

    I put the bracelet back into my pocket and watched the ceiling until the door to the barn opened under me. Just in case, I switched to human form and peeked over the edge to confirm it was Fira. It was, so I shifted back and waved. They glanced up at the motion and, to their credit, hardly flinched.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see someone¡¯s feeling chipper this morning,¡± Fira grumbled after reaching the loft. They looked better this morning, but dark circles hung under their eyes and they wore the same clothes¡ªsomewhat cleaned¡ªas last night.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best,¡± I told them back. ¡°So, are you okay to hear about demon politics?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Fira nodded. ¡°I¡¯m as ready as three hours of sleep will get me.¡± They looked me up and down. ¡°Do you need sleep?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t need as much. And before you ask, I eat too.¡± I made myself comfortable and wrapped my tail around my feet. ¡°Isidore¡¯s wife is Lilly, the Sovereign of Lust.¡±

    ¡°Sovereign¡­¡± Fira muttered.

    ¡°Familiar with the term? Did Isidore explain it?¡±

    Fira leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it before, but Professor Travend primarily talked about his theories regarding demonic souls. I don¡¯t know if it was from him, or somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Do you want an explanation of the term?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Great! Sovereign demons are basically the leaders for their aspect, almost always by virtue of being the strongest or the best at it. There¡¯s usually six of them at any given time.¡± I held up six clawed fingers.

    ¡°So they¡¯re the strongest demons?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°They also disagree and plot or fight against each other frequently.¡±

    Fira put a hand to her chin. ¡°And you¡¯ve met the Sovereign of Lust, then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±

    Their eyes narrowed. ¡°Is Isidore under her thrall?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m almost certain he isn¡¯t. She¡¯s a bit like I am, in that we¡¯re both terrestrial demons¡ªat least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told and I think it makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Terrestrial demons are demons that don¡¯t come from hell, right?¡±

    I gave a so-so gesture. ¡°Sorta. I don¡¯t get the finer details, but I know I haven¡¯t been to hell.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Fira replied, then their eyes met mine. ¡°Why were you meeting with the Sovereign of Lust?¡±

    ¡°She saved Seyari and me from wandering around in a desert without enough water.¡± I traced a claw in circles into the wood under me. ¡°But she wanted to ally with me as well.¡±

    ¡°Ally? Do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Wrath,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Fira sighed. ¡°Proof?¡±

    I bristled at the dismissal, but calmed myself before I set something on fire. I opened the top of my shirt. ¡°Here,¡± I said, leaning forward. ¡°This is my symbol and my gem. You might¡¯ve seen variations of the symbol before, but I doubt you¡¯ve ever seen one with this gem.¡± I tapped my crimson gem with a claw, its odd green sheen visible even in the dim light.

    Fira hesitated a moment, then looked across at my chest. Their eyes pointedly did not wander lower. ¡°Let me guess: you¡¯re telling me this because it¡¯s important to know if you continue to associate with us, and it ¡®puts me at risk¡¯ to know.¡±

    I leaned back and covered my symbol again. ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Great. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I fished out the bracelet I took from Erik, handing it to Fira. ¡°Erik had this on his wrist. This is the symbol of another Sovereign. Obviously, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Lust, and I doubt it¡¯s¡ªand hope it isn¡¯t¡ªApathy. I think it¡¯s probably demonically enchanted, but also spent.¡±

    Fira¡¯s eyes glowed in the dim of the barn. ¡°I remember seeing this, but figured it was lost somewhere. Glad I don¡¯t have to search for it. As for whether it¡¯s a demonic artifact? Yeah, it is.¡± They held it gingerly. ¡°I can see the gem is different from yours. I take it you¡¯ll be in conflict with whatever Sovereign this is soon?¡±

    ¡°I think so, yes,¡± I nodded. I didn¡¯t share the bit about the knife yet. I¡¯d shared more than enough for now.

    ¡°And we could be caught up in it.¡±

    I nodded.

    Fira hissed out their breath. ¡°Whether we knew or not, we¡¯d be caught up in it. Damn.¡±

    Both of us were quiet for a long while. I tried not to fidget nervously, but my tail betrayed me. I ended up holding the tip in one of my hands just to get it to stop twitching.

    Eventually, I broke the silence. ¡°So¡­¡±

    Fira steepled their hands in front of their face. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about it. I¡¯ll need to talk to Rodrik, but for now we can at least try to wrap this job up and get back to Lockmoth. Can I ask you a few questions about Erik?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied carefully.

    ¡°Do you think he is under demonic influence?¡±

    ¡°A little, but I think it¡¯s more complicated than that¡­¡± I explained what Erik had told me about finding the bracelet and my own forming theory that he was targeted somehow.

    In the end Fira mostly agreed with me. ¡°We¡¯ve also gotten him to admit to the murders, but he¡¯s claimed relentlessly that it was your influence that did it and you set the entire thing up.¡±

    That little¡­I couldn¡¯t stop a small flame from hissing out of my mouth. ¡°I can assure you he¡¯s full of shit,¡± I rumbled. ¡°Like I said, he wanted me to give him power, I used it to tease more information out of him, and he¡¯s probably not happy about that.¡±

    ¡°I figured. He¡¯s contradicted himself so many times that even the people in the company who still think you¡¯re up to something think he¡¯s lying. Question is what to do with him. His family¡¯s distraught¡ªdidn¡¯t think he could do something like this. Then again, they almost never do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admitted with a frown.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not your business to be sure. I assume either we¡¯ll kill him, or we¡¯ll lock him up somewhere where he¡¯ll be killed later.¡±

    I frowned, but nodded, thinking of how happy he seemed to have murdered those people. ¡°Probably for the best.¡±

    ¡°Glad to see you also hate it. I¡¯d say it gets easier, but it never does. Oh, sure, the in-the-moment fighting and killing is something you can get desensitized to¡ª Rodrik¡¯s more experienced in that area having fought for Ordia during the Edathan Civil War and all¡ªbut a slow decision like this should always weigh heavy. I feel strange telling the Sovereign of Wrath this, but remember that. ¡°

    I shrugged all four shoulders. ¡°Rodrik fought against Edath in the civil war?¡±

    ¡°He did¡­¡± Fira eyed me questioningly.

    ¡°I¡¯m from there. That¡¯s all. Haven¡¯t been there since before the war though.¡±

    Fira nodded. ¡°Hmm, well I don¡¯t think he holds a grudge or anything. From what I gather he considers the whole thing a terrible waste of life, as I¡¯m sure many people do.¡±

    I nodded solemnly.

    ¡°Are you ready to head back to Lockmoth?¡±

    I looked down at my ruined clothes. ¡°Could I get a change from Drin or someone?¡±

    Fira stood up and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

 Chapter 85: Field Camp

    They executed Erik that afternoon, once they¡¯d found the bodies. It was a private sort of affair: no public spectacle, just his softly weeping parents and Drin returning to say it was done. The decision, ultimately, had been left to the people of the town. He would be buried that evening, after we¡¯d already left.

    Only Erik¡¯s family had been against the execution.

    I couldn¡¯t be sure myself whether I was or not. I tried not to think about it too hard and the day flew by in a blur until we made camp for the evening. There were few trees around; the rolling fields were used mostly as grazing land for livestock. As such, our camp was obvious and visible from the road. Everyone had been at least somewhat prepared to spend a night out, but the camp felt sparse for how many people there were.

    I missed Seyari, and Aretan, and Nelys, and a wagon or something as a backdrop. I missed Salvador¡¯s cooking and Taava¡¯s singing. Drin was setting up a perimeter (I hoped just for training and demonstration) and Tren was working to help cook the evening meal. Fira was busy doing administrative work, so I found myself alone.

    I walked to the edge of a small bluff and sat down, hanging my legs over the edge. A few paces down, some other loner was doing the same. I leaned back on two hands and realized I didn¡¯t have the others. Open as we were, I was in human form.

    It looked like it¡¯d be a clear night tonight, and the light breeze was bitterly cold. In lieu of my tail, I used some of my magic to warm myself up and stared off into the rolling hills. After a while, I felt the uncomfortable itch that always accompanies being stared at.

    I looked around and caught the other figure, a woman with tanned skin and dark hair staring at me. A wicked set of scars I hadn¡¯t noticed cut down the side of her face, just under her left eye and all the way to her neck. Paula, I recognized. She narrowed her eyes then turned her head away quickly, almost petulantly. We were too far to whisper¡ªI didn¡¯t exactly plonk down next to someone I didn¡¯t know when I sat down¡ªso I went back to staring out across the fields and thinking about Seyari.

    The night was going to be cold again without her.

    The feeling of being stared at came again. Without turning to look at its source, I waved at Paula to come over to me. I heard nothing, so I looked her way. Paula was staring out over the fields, but I couldn¡¯t make out her expression from the angle at which she was sitting.

    There was no sense in pushing her. After some time, however, I heard her get up and take a step toward me.

    And then Tren called that dinner was ready. Paula turned and walked quickly away. After a last long glance out over the sunset orange fields, I followed after her.

    ***

    ¡°What¡¯re you staring at her for?¡± Tren asked around a mouthful of mystery stew.

    Well, it wasn¡¯t really a mystery¡ªI¡¯m sure someone knew the ingredients, but I didn¡¯t want to ask. The bowl of whatever was¡­ palatable.

    I swallowed first before answering. ¡°Wondering how I should apologize?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she want to cut your head off?¡± Tren gestured a slicing motion with his spoon.

    ¡°Yeah, but I guess I don¡¯t really mind?¡± I fished out a bite with some probably-meat in it.

    Tren¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Can you regrow your head!?¡±

    ¡°Come on, you know that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± I said with an eyeroll before I ate whatever meat the bite probably was.

    ¡°I do, I guess,¡± Tren replied in a disappointed tone. ¡°But seriously, doesn¡¯t it bother you?¡±

    ¡°Bothers me a ton.¡± I downed the rest of the bowl in one go. ¡°But I understand where she¡¯s coming from. And, most of the time, she¡¯d be right.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to force yourself to be okay with it?¡± Tren took another bite.

    I set my plate down next to me and leaned back, putting my palms behind my head, elbows out. ¡°Hell no, but I don¡¯t want her to hate me, and I can¡¯t exactly get her to change her mind by rubbing it in her face how she was ¡®wrong¡¯ this time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s heavy,¡± Tren said after swallowing, ¡°So, uh, want to talk magic theory instead?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I guess,¡± I glanced over at Paula who¡¯d gotten up with her bowl and left completely. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get a chance to talk to her until morning.¡±

    ¡°Great! So how much do you know about the types of affinities?¡±

    ¡°I know there¡¯s fire, water, wind, earth, ice, lightning, force, holy, and mental? And that ¡®demonic¡¯ is more like an alteration that applies to those types?¡± I rattled the items off on my fingers, thankful I had enough digits in human form.

    Tren furrowed his brow. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ observational I guess.¡±

    ¡°Is it wrong?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well, yes and no. Hmm, how do I put this.¡± Tren looked around, his short mop of brown hair flipping into his eyes before he swept it aside. His gaze landed on Fira talking with Drin.

    ¡°Something with Fira?¡± I ventured.

    Tren rubbed his chin. ¡°Wait¡­ yeah! Yeah! Fira¡¯s perfect!¡± He looked over and up at me, eyes bright. ¡°Okay, so you know how they have a water affinity, right?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Well, have you ever noticed that it¡¯s hot?¡±

    ¡°I guess, yeah. They use steam a lot.¡±

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Right! That¡¯s more like their default, and it¡¯s really easy for them to make steam or get water boiling, but it takes some effort to make it colder.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°But it takes more effort to make my fire hotter, and it also takes a lot more non-magical effort to make hotter fire or water too. Why would the opposite be true for Fira?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ more like a matter of efficiency, I think? That¡¯s how they¡¯ve explained it. Like it¡¯s really easy for them to make hotter water compared to other people, but to cool it down takes a lot more mana?¡± Tren leaned forward excitedly.

    ¡°So, like the efficiency of a good spell form?¡± I leaned back a little.

    He took the hint and backed off with a cough. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s kinda like that, but innate. A part of Fira¡¯s natural magic.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°And spell forms are an extension of what mages can do innately?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no. It¡¯s not¡­ really the same. It¡¯s like trying to recreate nature¡ªmore ordered, yet sometimes bafflingly inefficient. I think I have a book you might want to read.¡± Tren opened his small pack and fished around inside.

    ¡°You carry books on magical theory out on jobs?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s comforting, okay. And if I forget something, I can always look it up.¡±

    ¡°Do you ever do that?¡± I asked skeptically.

    ¡°¡­Sometimes,¡± Tren lied.

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± I nodded with a knowing smirk. ¡°Well, whatever works, then.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Tren fished out a thick book and handed it to me. ¡°Read this tonight.¡±

    ¡°The whole thing?¡± I asked, hefting it and flipping through the pages, watching diagrams blur by. I frowned as I realized how dense this book was. It was what I was looking for. I think.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you read the whole night while we¡¯re asleep?¡± Tren asked with a tilt of his head.

    I flipped the book sideways to look at a diagram that spanned both leaves. It made my head spin ¡°Maybe, but I do need some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Wait, really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you have to eat to?¡±

    I looked at Tren¡¯s empty bowl pointedly and he followed my gaze. ¡°Yeah, for better or worse.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I cooked that!¡± Tren pouted.

    ¡°I know. So, uh, did you actually memorize all this stuff?¡± I asked with some very real awe creeping into my voice.

    Predictably, Tren puffed out his chest. ¡°Yep! Well, not all of it, of course. Spell forms are different depending on your affinity, or affinities. And a good mage also makes their own spell forms for their unique situation. Fira, for instance, has made a lot of their own spell forms from scratch or by bashing together fire and water forms. Some people have affinities that sorta defy the main types, too. They either write books on their findings, or keep it a secret, but they pretty much have to make all their own forms.¡±

    ¡°What forms have you made?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, just a couple,¡± Tren replied bashfully. ¡°But they¡¯re fire forms! You could maybe use them!¡±

    ¡°Maybe!¡± I replied, looking at how Tren looked at me. Crap. I¡¯m not trying to lead him on¡ªgotta bring up that I¡¯m taken naturally. ¡°I wonder if Seyari could use any of the wind ones out of here?¡±

    ¡°Maybe!¡± Tren said, then frowned. ¡°So, uh, Drin talked to me a bit the other day. Are you and Seyari¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re a couple,¡± I replied quickly. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t lead you on or anything.¡±

    Tren waved his hands in front of his face. ¡°No no no. Uh, at least nothing that I caught onto, heh.¡± He rubbed the back of his head and whispered, ¡°out of my league anyway.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get down on yourself like that!¡± I replied instinctively. ¡°Uh, sorry, I can hear things I probably shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good to know,¡± Tren said softly. ¡°Oh, and, uh, thanks? But I dunno¡­¡±

    ¡°Have some confidence in yourself! You¡¯re a successful mage and you¡¯re genuine.¡± I smiled back.

    Tren just sighed. ¡°Drin says that all the time. I tell her I never know what to say and then she always gets frustrated.¡±

    Oh. Oooohhh. Wow, he¡¯s denser than I am.

    I clapped the book between my hands. ¡°Maybe you could use Drin as a soundboard for these things! You two seem like good friends, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be on board with the idea.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, totally!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, maybe. I dunno.¡±

    Tren, please!

    ¡°Just give it a try, will you?¡± I wanted to smack myself in the forehead.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Tren said energetically. ¡°How about I try it with you?¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± I shouted, loud enough for several people, including Drin and Fira, to look our way. ¡°Uh, I mean, Drin knows you better and I¡¯m not into guys so I can¡¯t really give good feedback.¡± I glanced over at Drin who was looking at Tren protectively between spurts of glaring at me with suspicion.

    ¡°How do you know she¡¯s into guys?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, just think she is¡ªdemonic intuition.¡± I scrambled to make an excuse.

    ¡°Demonic intuition? That sounds amazing! Could you tell me about it?¡± Tren leaned in toward me and I backed off, keeping my hands firmly where Drin could see me. I met her gaze with a silent cry for help.

    ¡°Uh, listen Tren. I need to start reading if I¡¯m going to learn enough by tomorrow to try some of your spell forms. I think I¡¯ll go do that. Over there.¡± I pointed to my bedroll with my book-holding hand.

    ¡°Oh, well we could sleep next to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Tren!¡± Drin shouted. ¡°Fira wants to talk to you¡ªit¡¯s about magic.¡±

    I took my chance and escaped to my bedroll, moving it slightly closer to where Paula¡¯s group was. The glance I snuck of Fira told me they had no idea they wanted to talk to Tren. Thanks, Drin. And good luck.

    ***

    Truthfully, I did spend the night reading. By the time morning rolled around, I was equal parts tired and vibrating with excitement. I learned a ton about spell forms, and was eager to explore how demonic mana interacted with my fire and my forms and what terrifying spells I could conjure as the Sovereign of Wrath.

    To show off, that is. Like a fireworks display or something. I really, really tried to stay away from the idea of using my knowledge to kill people. I knew I was lying to myself, but it made me feel a little better, though I still felt guilty about getting excited over raising my killing potential.

    How very wrath demon of me. The excited part, not the guilty part.

    I could combine it with training, too. My spear had been nearly forgotten the past couple of days, and I wanted to learn to use a shield with it. And I really wanted to figure out some way to make weapons work with how I fought as a demon. Something for my tail maybe? I guess Tren¡¯s enthusiasm is contagious.

    I was still thinking when a tenuous voice poured water all over my exuberance.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Paula blurted like the word had personally hurt her, ¡°can we talk?¡±

    She stood about four meters away, and I could see the tension in her shoulders through the underpadding she wore. Her boots and greaves were on, but nothing else. Paula looked like she¡¯d barely slept half the night (which was probably true) and her eyes were slightly red.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied carefully, plopping down on my bedroll and patting a spot next to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stand.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Why are you pretending to be nice? What does this get you?¡± her voice was harsh.

    I forced myself to meet her gaze. Her dark eyes searched mine.

    ¡°Acceptance,¡± I answered after a long pause. ¡°I just want to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Save it,¡± Paula cut me off and broke our staring contest.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about manipulating your anger,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Paula replied, but the vitriol had left her voice. ¡°Leave me alone, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said with a soft nod.

    Paula walked away back to her groupmates. I watched her go for a moment, then turned away. Something was eating her, but I couldn¡¯t be the one to help her¡ªat least not directly. I resolved to ask Fira later. Being courteous didn¡¯t mean forgoing resources at my disposal.

    In the grand scheme of things, what Paula thought about me probably didn¡¯t matter, but I¡¯d always try to put out effort to have fewer enemies.

    ***

    The rest of the morning went by quickly, and we were on the road again in no time. I returned Tren¡¯s book. He tried to get me to keep it, saying it was his ¡®field copy,¡¯ but I told him that most of the things I took with me tended to get burned or otherwise destroyed. He shared a couple spell forms with me that I struggled to wrap my head around, and I sent him to go talk to Drin while I tried to figure out how to apply what he¡¯d shown me.

    Fira checked in on me as well, and surprised me with a revelation. If they could convince Rodrik, I¡¯d be able to join the Gelles Company after all.

 Chapter 86: Poking the Demon

    The tension of everyone knowing I was a demon dissipated slightly over the trip. Paula kept away from me, but I caught her sneaking glances and I tried to politely ignore them or gently smile back.

    However helpful or antagonistic she ultimately decided to be wasn¡¯t something I could change¡ªnot without undermining my case that I was a ¡°good¡± demon. Fira would handle anything, hopefully, and I had some solace in the fact I¡¯d done nothing wrong. Hopefully, we¡¯d all be too busy trying to clear out the people making Taava¡¯s life a living hell for any of the company to go gallivanting off to the Church to tattle on the nice demon. The demon who helped them and only brutally killed another demon.

    Fira stayed quiet, but I somewhat understood their silence, considering what they were going through and the fact they really didn¡¯t want to show any favoritism to me. I also think I¡¯m not their favorite, so that probably helps. Drin and Tren spoke to me some on the way back. I had to face a barrage of questions from Drin about why exactly it was that I didn¡¯t spend all my waking hours (and sleeping hours once Tren helped me convince her I did, in fact, sleep) ripping and tearing my way through to countryside. But, once that was all done, she was amenable enough to conversation.

    Tren hadn¡¯t brought up his feelings to Drin yet, and it was almost painful to see. Did Seyari and I ever look like these two? I should ask Aretan. I decided to try to give another push if we became closer as friends. Right now, given the circumstances, I didn¡¯t feel right doing so.

    Mostly, I spent my time talking with Salvador. We opened up a little to each other. I learned that his daughter¡¯s name was Sonia, and her skin was nearly the same shade of crimson as my own, though her horns were pointed up, instead of swept back like mine. When he talked about her, he was almost wistful.

    ¡°Salvador,¡± I asked seriously, ¡°do you want to return home when we get back to the city?¡±

    He hesitated a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ll return home once I¡¯ve done all I can to show the world that you¡¯re not like other demons. That there can be, however rare, demons like you. And that your existence means that demon-blooded shouldn¡¯t be taken from their homes to be raised by the church.¡±

    ¡°That could take years,¡± I responded softly. ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t interested in the revenge I want to take.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. And it will take years. I need to stay long enough for the spark to catch, then I can spread the news as best I can back home or elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your daughter was happy with the church?¡±

    ¡°She is, but there are others who aren¡¯t. My late wife and I were lucky, in that respect. Plus, I know Sonia wants to see more than Inolza. She¡¯s going to petition the church to let her serve abroad, and she¡¯s worked so hard to at least have local support for her going. I think she knows that it won¡¯t be as easy, or go as smoothly, as she wants it to.¡± As he spoke, I could see tension building in his shoulders. A little flash of his anger came and went.

    I smiled softly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll try to light that spark as fast and as bright as I can, so you can see her off as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Zarenna.¡± Salvador relaxed slightly.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Salvador. This is what friends are for, isn¡¯t it? Besides, I¡¯m good at starting fires.¡±

    Salvador smiled back at me and didn¡¯t try to hold in a laugh.

    The expectation I¡¯d placed on myself felt heavy, but a good kind of heavy. I glanced back at Salvador, smiling under his hood. I¡¯d failed with too many friends to know for sure if I¡¯d succeed, but I¡¯d sure as hell try my best.

    ***

    I was pleasantly nonplussed to see Lockmoth looking exactly how we¡¯d left it. Disappointed, if I was being honest about what the city could stand to improve. We¡¯d fix a part of the issues while helping Taava, hopefully.

    My anxiety grew as we walked through the city toward the Gelles Company¡¯s hall. I¡¯d expected Seyari and the others to be waiting for me at the edge of the city, where we¡¯d parted. Instead, once we arrived at the company hall, Fira was pulled aside by an aide and I was left to stew in the lobby while the others of the company, except for Drin, Tren, and Salvador, parted ways. I noted that Paula was one of the ones who went toward the residential area of the hall instead of leaving to a home in the city.

    We all sat and talked about some good places for food in the city, and the large clock in the room ticked by multiple hours before someone came for us. Eventually, I heard a voice call for me and an aide stepped through the side door into the room.

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± the aide said, ¡°and Salvador, please follow me. Firalex and Rodrik are waiting with some friends of yours.¡±

    The way he said ¡°friends¡± gave me pause. I nodded regardless. Salvador and I stood up, waved goodbye to Drin and Tren, and followed the aide down several hallways and up a flight of stairs to a fancy-looking door. The aide knocked, and the voices inside stopped. I caught ¡°a record like that¡± from Rodrik¡¯s booming voice before he cut himself off.

    We were led inside to a meeting room that looked a single small step above functional. The chairs had padding, but they also had solid backs that I¡¯d need to mind if I changed forms while in here, which I strongly suspected I¡¯d do given that all the shutters were closed. The aide left us and closed the door behind him.

    I saw Seyari sitting with an empty space next to her, facing me across the table. I recognized others, but made a beeline for her. My half angel girlfriend wore a conflicted expression paired with yesterday¡¯s clothes. Uncaring what the others thought, I walked quickly in and hugged her, pulling her up and out of her chair.

    ¡°I missed you, Sey,¡± I leaned down to nuzzle against her and she relaxed, reciprocating the hug.

    ¡°Me too, Renna,¡± she replied, tension in her voice and her eyes hard. ¡°We should sit down; there¡¯s a lot to talk about,¡± Seyari glanced pointedly at Rodrik, ¡°and we¡¯ll have time later. I promise.¡±

    I pecked a quick kiss on her nose and sat down next to her. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡±

    The two of us were across from Salvador and Taava. The kazzel fidgeted in her seat, and looked down at the nicely polished table. Aretan sat next to me, and Nelys across from him. Rodrik sat facing us at the end of the table flanked by Firalex and a tired-looking Ordian man in a city guard uniform.

    ¡°Firalex, if you would please,¡± Rodrik inclined his head toward the door.

    Firalex walked over to the door, locked it, and then put a hand in an indent in the nearby wall. Their magic glowed, then lines from the indent flared all around the room. When the glow died, I didn¡¯t notice any change, but Seyari¡¯s expression grew more serious.

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    I frowned. ¡°Hey Sey, what¡ª¡±

    ¡°No talking unless you¡¯re addressed, Miss Miller,¡± Rodrik cut me off. ¡°For now, anyway. Firalex just activated an enchantment around the room that should keep prying ears from listening.¡±

    I shut my mouth and nodded.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get started,¡± Rodrik announced. ¡°We¡¯ll cover Officer Lorton¡¯s petition for aid second, Taava¡¯s criminal history third, and Zarenna Miller¡¯s nature first.¡±

    I took a guess that Officer Lorton was the unknown man in the chair. Seyari¡¯s brow darkened and Taava frowned, while my other friends nearly jumped in surprise. Or, in Nelys¡¯s case, actually jumped in surprise. I met Rodrik¡¯s gaze: his eyes were serious, hard, and cold.

    ¡°Now Miss Miller, if you would be so kind as to revert your transformation.¡±

    I nodded and moved to stand.

    Rodrik put a hand up to stop me. ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re standing up, Miss Miller?¡±

    ¡°M-my tail, sir,¡± I answered, suddenly very aware of all the eyes on me. ¡°T-the chair has a solid back and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Very well. Make no sudden movements.¡±

    I nodded and stood slowly. I shifted the waist of my pants, thankful for the alterations to my top that allowed for my arms. My clothing had been cleaned and roughly stitched back together on the road, but I knew I still looked a mess. Steeling myself, I ended my human transformation. There was a squeak from Officer Lorton¡¯s chair, but Rodrik¡¯s hand on his shoulder kept him in his seat.

    ¡°Firalex,¡± Rodrik glared at the mage, ¡°has assured us that it means no harm.¡±

    It? Hey, what gives? I schooled my anger into shape, but I glared openly at Rodrik. I¡¯ll play along with your games, but only if you respect me.

    ¡°She, Rodrik,¡± Firalex corrected.

    ¡°It is a demon, Firalex. Stand down.¡± Rodrik replied, his gaze never leaving mine.

    I saw Nelys bristle in their seat and felt anger from them, stronger than I¡¯d expected. The others, too were all varying degrees of furious, but the emotion simmered lower in Taava and Seyari.

    I didn¡¯t bother to meet Rodrik¡¯s gaze. If that¡¯s the way you want to play it.

    ¡°What¡¯s your game, demon?¡± Rodrik accused. I could feel his anger growing. I let it, for now.

    ¡°I seek to join the Gelles Company.¡± I dropped the ¡°sir¡± from my statement and crossed my upper arms over my chest. ¡°I do not intend to continue hiding what I am, and I hope you will respect that and respect me. I also wish to help Taava,¡± I gestured at her with one of my lower arms, ¡°get out from under the thumb of Garvin and the Mudrats, as well as assassins they¡¯re working with.¡±

    ¡°You will not join us, demon,¡± Rodrik replied angrily. ¡°And we will not help the thief and murderer, either.¡± He glared at Taava.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t kill people anymore,¡± I replied, an edge in my voice. ¡°Not since she left that life in Raavia.¡±

    ¡°Lies. You¡¯re good¡ªfor a demon¡ªdemon. You may have fooled Firalex, but you won¡¯t fool me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± I asserted.

    Taava squeaked.

    ¡°Taava?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You do not have permission to speak,¡± Rodrik replied.

    ¡°Shut it,¡± I told him.

    I strangled his anger out before it could flare up, and the confused expression on his face gave me enough time to ask my question. Beside him, Firalex looked nervous and Officer Lorton had turned as white as a sheet.

    ¡°Taava, is something wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Uh, nah, not really.¡± The former assassin¡¯s voice shook.

    ¡°Taava,¡± I warned, ¡°did you lie to me about not killing people?¡±

    ¡°Demon, I¡¯m warning you¡­¡± Rodrik ordered.

    Taava hitched on her reply.

    I nodded at her, then turned to Rodrik. ¡°Rodrik, sir,¡± I started. He tried to cut me off, but I spoke over him, voice booming unnaturally against the walls. ¡°I will work with you and under you so long as you give me some small measure of respect. Call me ¡®it¡¯ one more time and see what happens.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think your threats will work on me, demon. The ward Firalex activated on this room will keep you here until we can dispose of you. I know you held back your strength during the spar, but your form is that of an amateur. You¡¯ll lose this fight once we turn your thralls against you.¡±

    ¡°Did Firalex not tell you anything about what I am?¡±

    ¡°Firalex believed your lies. I will not.¡±

    ¡°And if I¡¯m not lying?¡± I narrowed my eyes dangerously.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying, demon.¡± Rodrik spat the words in an almost exaggerated manner. His fury didn¡¯t quite match the timbre of his voice, but I might have been to blame for that much.

    My rage threatened to explode, but I held it in. Killing Rodrik would only prove his point. ¡°Then I apologize. It seems I¡¯ve wasted my time trying to get help from you. I¡¯ll solve this Mudrat problem myself. Taava, you can speak to me later. We¡¯re done here.¡±

    I stood up, and without shifting form back, I walked to the door and unlocked it.

    ¡°Zarenna, that¡¯s enough,¡± Firalex said.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m done here. I¡¯m not going to work with someone who won¡¯t even call me anything more than an ¡®it.¡¯¡±

    I opened the door to an empty hallway. The lines of the enchantment didn¡¯t waver.

    ¡°Rodrik, I told you your plan was terrible!¡± Firalex shouted. ¡°I already went to get myself checked for mental influence. Likewise, Drin and Tren should be going there now. We did encounter a demon regardless of what narrative we¡¯re going to spin. Zarenna didn¡¯t do anything to our heads and we¡¯ve been cleared by the church anyway!¡±

    I took a moment to process what Fira¡¯s words meant. My anger ebbed a little, but stayed firmly lit. So that¡¯s why Salvador and I waited so long.

    ¡°Well, the plan worked, didn¡¯t it!? And I couldn¡¯t be certain of her motives otherwise. Humans are proof enough you don¡¯t need magic to control someone,¡± Rodrik fired back. ¡°She didn¡¯t try to kill us, even when pushed. She passed.¡±

    Fira exhaled shakily. ¡°If she had tried to kill us, we¡¯d all be dead.¡±

    Rodrik gave a dissatisfied grunt, but didn¡¯t push the point further.

    I stood there in the threshold with my hand on the doorhandle. I hoped for all our sake, the enchantment on the room worked with the door open.

    ¡°Miss Miller, you can have a seat again,¡± Rodrik¡¯s voice was a lot kinder than it had been when I entered. ¡°I apologize for the stress I put you through, but you have to understand my position.¡±

    I closed the door slowly. I turned, glared at Rodrik, and returned to my seat, all the while giving him four middle fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®it¡¯ ever again, sir. Not even as a joke. I agree with Fira¡ªyour plan was terrible.¡± I turned the chair sideways and sat back down with a huff. ¡°Do you mind if I ask Taava a couple questions, sir?¡± The last word I spoke dripped sarcasm. I put my fingers away and met Rodrik¡¯s gaze. It was still hard, but less cold.

    ¡°Will you do so anyway even if I tell you to stay quiet?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied simply.

    Rodrik gritted his teeth and glared at me. ¡°Go ahead then.¡±

    I looked at Taava and had only just opened my mouth when she spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lied to all of you,¡± she said, voice losing her usual easygoing accent. Her brown-furred ears lay flat against her head and her eyes were downcast. Somewhere under the table, her tail thwacked wood and went still as her shoulders slumped forward. ¡°I steal things for Garvin. Big things. And sometimes, I kill people to get the job done. I don¡¯t want to keep doing this though, I swear!¡±

    I looked at Taava, then at Seyari. Only now did I realize the significance of her silver hair and golden eyes. The half angel wasn¡¯t disguised. I¡¯d gotten so used to how my Seyari looked that I¡¯d just registered it as normal. That, or my nerves had gotten the better of me.

    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth,¡± the half-angel said. ¡°I can¡¯t always tell with her usual voice, but I can now.¡±

    ¡°Will you stop killing innocent people if we free you from Garvin¡¯s control?¡± I asked, trying to keep frost out of my voice.

    She nodded. ¡°Yes, absolutely.¡±

    Seyari nodded in confirmation of the truth.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about the bosses here,¡± I gestured to the slowly recovering officer and the two Gelles Company higher-ups, ¡°but that¡¯s fine enough for me.¡± I finished with a forced smile. I really didn¡¯t appreciate Rodrik¡¯s ¡°plan¡± and I had to wonder how much of his attitude was acting. He¡¯d been very convincing.

    Taava looked back up from the table in surprise. Her eyes were wet. ¡°Thanks, Renna.¡±

    After only a short moment, Rodrik coughed. ¡°I actually do hate to interrupt this time, but we have business we need to get down to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume you meant nothing of what you said and only acted like you did to try to enrage me?¡± I addressed Rodrik before we began. I didn¡¯t have to imply a threat to get the effect I wanted. A glance at Seyari showed how calm she was¡ªshe might have known.

    ¡°Correct, Miss Miller,¡± Rodrik replied evenly.

    Seyari shrugged and stuck out a thumb pointed mostly up. Interesting.

    ¡°Apologize,¡± I demanded.

    ¡°I already did, miss¡ª¡±

    ¡°For real this time.¡± I glared at him. Next to Rodrik, Firalex wore an ¡°I told you so¡± grin and Officer Lorton was doing his best imitation of a bedsheet.

    ¡°I apologize for tricking you and doubting your sincerity Miss Miller,¡± Rodrik bowed his head lightly. ¡°But I want you to understand that I would do the same again in a heartbeat.¡±

    ¡°Apology accepted,¡± I sighed coldly. ¡°I suppose I understand why, but I don¡¯t like it. Frankly, the whole plan was insulting.¡±

    Rodrik nodded and the meeting commenced. For real, this time.

 Chapter 87: Making a Plan

    I took my seat again, sitting sideways so my tail would have room to curl around by my feet. The floor was pleasantly cold and I focused on the feeling to calm myself down. The atmosphere in the room had calmed significantly, though tension was still obvious in everyone¡¯s postures. Though, I had to admit, the reasons were likely different for my friends and those who weren¡¯t close to the big red demon sitting quietly at attention.

    Rodrik coughed to clear his throat then started. ¡°First, we need to lay out what exactly we plan to do and how each of us are involved. And I can think of no better place to start than with Taava.¡±

    Taava pointed at herself and mouthed ¡°me?¡± but wisely kept quiet.

    ¡°Yes, you.¡± Rodrik frowned. ¡°As you, Officer Lorton, and our own intelligence have confirmed, you, Taava, are responsible for a series of high-profile thefts and killings across Lockmoth and Ordia. Ordinarily, your punishment would be death by hanging. However, in light of the current situation in the city and the fact you may well have done these crimes against your will, Officer Lorton is willing to try to arrange a pardon for your crimes in exchange for your help in this matter, and your allies¡¯ help as well.¡± Rodrik paused and swept his eyes over us.

    All my friends looked to me, Taava nodding emphatically.

    ¡°I am open to the idea of helping,¡± I said, meeting Rodrik¡¯s gaze when it passed over me. ¡°I want to free Taava from those who have a hold over her, but I want to hear details before I accept.¡±

    ¡°Understandable,¡± Rodrik nodded. ¡°Those ¡®people who have a hold over¡¯ Taava are the gang known as the Mudrats, who operate primarily out of Riverside, but have much wider connections. We know from Taava that their next big project is the counterfeiting of pre-war imperial copper pieces. This can lead us to them.

    ¡°Aretan and Nelys have already worked with Officer Lorton and the other four of you are either recent additions to the company, or yet-unproven applicants. I think it is clear to say that the Gelles Company is considering a contract to take down the Mudrats due to both the strategic benefit of new members and a heightened ease of operation within Lockmoth and the surrounding areas.

    ¡°From here, I will let Officer Lorton explain the details of the contract. Please hold your questions until after he is finished,¡± Rodrik concluded with a gesture at the officer, whose face had regained some color.

    Lorton ran a hand through his thinning hair, leaned forward to put his chin on folded hands, and began. ¡°As Branch Leader Rodrik said, the next move the Mudrats make will be to start their counterfeiting operation. What they have is a die. Without the proper minting equipment, it won¡¯t make coins fast enough to be worth their time. So, in addition to copper and alloying metals¡ªbecause let¡¯s face it, if the empire cuts the coins with other metals, the crooks are definitely going to¡ªthe Mudrats will be looking for equipment and a relatively dry place to do the minting.¡±

    He paused to take a breath. ¡°Garvin, their leader, shouldn¡¯t know Taava is alive, but they¡¯ll still be very careful buying up large amounts of copper. The parts to make the mint itself, however? They¡¯ll be less guarded about that. So that¡¯s our target. We find where they¡¯re setting up a mint, gather intel, and strike when we can. Top people in the gang, probably Garvin himself, are going to need to oversee a site like that from time to time. And we know gang activity¡¯s been ramping up: via recruiting or fighting, there¡¯s been more death and disappearance on the streets lately, especially in Mudrat and Bleeder territory.¡± Lorton pulled his head up off his hands and wiped sweat off his brow. He scanned the room, eyes lingering on my face longer than the others. ¡°Any questions?¡±

    I raised a hand. Everyone else did too, so I raised both hands on that same side.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll be going at night, ideally. And we¡¯ll have auxiliary forces hitting other known sites, too,¡± Lorton clarified.

    Everyone except me and Nelys lowered their hands.

    ¡°Yes, Nelys?¡± Lorton called the small figure first, blatantly ignoring my double hand raise.

    ¡°Are we going to kill them?¡± they asked far, far too calmly.

    Officer Lorton took a big breath in and out. ¡°We¡¯re not going to pull our punches. It¡¯s not like everyone who¡¯ll be there deserves to die, but when both of you are trying to kill each other, that¡¯s not the time to try to be the bigger person. Do that, and you¡¯ll end up the deader person real quick.¡±

    ¡°I understand that all too damn well,¡± I muttered under my breath. Seyari reached over and I squeezed her hand with one of the two I wasn¡¯t raising.

    Lorton realized he had to acknowledge me. ¡°Yes, uh, Zarenna was it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me!¡± I replied with a cheery smile.

    Lorton recoiled; I covered my teeth with a hand and mumbled an apology.

    ¡°R-right, well, what¡¯s your question?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Two parts.¡± I held up two fingers. ¡°One: how visible is this going to be? I don¡¯t want to restrict myself to fighting like a human, but I also probably shouldn¡¯t let the whole city know about me just yet. Two: will this operation stop at the Mudrats, or will it include other gangs that I presume are also in the city?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lorton closed his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯ll be terribly visible, and we can always pin a demon on the gang. Keep collateral damage in check though. Kill an innocent and you¡¯ll be neck-deep in shit. And given your height, that¡¯s a lot of shit,¡± he paused and glanced sideways at Rodrik. ¡°Rodrik, Firalex?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I think,¡± Firalex spoke first. ¡°Zarenna doesn¡¯t strike me as the type to cause excessive collateral damage, right?¡± The way they looked at me seemed like more of an accusation than a compliment.

    I nodded quickly. ¡°Right!¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°What about her other question?¡± Seyari interjected. ¡°We¡¯re joining the company to show more people that Renna¡¯s no ordinary demon, but we do want to transfer down south to Linthel. Once Taava¡¯s free and clear, will expect us to stay in the city?¡±

    ¡°That would depend on the contract,¡± Rodrik answered.

    Lorton frowned like he¡¯d bitten a lime. ¡°I¡¯d sure as shit want to include the other gangs. And, to be honest, I can¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t want your power on our side. The company¡¯s necessary, but you lot might just make this something other than a wash and a massive waste of life and infrastructure.¡±

    ¡°Then I suppose we will just have to show how valuable another operation like this one would be to the company,¡± Aretan said, breaking his silence. ¡°Provided we succeed, of course.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Firalex answered for Rodrik.

    Perhaps sensing he was losing control of the meeting, Rodrik coughed loudly. ¡°Ah, yes. Now that our plan¡¯s been discussed, we can talk about what needs to happen leading up to enacting it. Aretan and Nelys, I presume you¡¯ll be working with Officer Lorton?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Nelys replied cheerfully. ¡°There¡¯s a lot that needs doing besides this big business.¡±

    Aretan nodded. ¡°Exactly. Nightly patrols and basic duties must be done properly.¡±

    ¡°You four,¡± Rodrik addressed me, Seyari, Salvador, and Taava, ¡°will stay within the guild compound until we move to act. It¡¯s too dangerous for Taava to go out alone, and I fear we¡¯d have an incident if Zarenna or Seyari left.¡±

    ¡°Sir, what about me?¡± Salvador asked.

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Rozaro. Hmm, I suppose you would be fine to leave, but do not do so unaccompanied and do not stray from the main streets of Drytown during the day. Any attack on us here would be suicidal,¡± Rodrik¡¯s eyes flicked to me and back, ¡°I imagine for several reasons, but we can¡¯t protect you outside the company grounds.¡±

    Salvador nodded. ¡°Understood Sir, thank you.¡±

    I opened my mouth and closed it again.

    ¡°Do you have a question, Zarenna?¡± Fira asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°Uh, no. I¡¯m sad I can¡¯t go out, but I guess Rodrik¡¯s right. I think Garvin thinks I¡¯m dumb muscle, but if he were to put me into certain situations, it¡¯d get loud.¡±

    Seyari crossed her arms. ¡°If I saw him or his goons I¡¯d kill them on sight, so I agree too.¡±

    ¡°Are you not part angel, Seyari?¡± Rodrik asked.

    ¡°Three quarters actually¡ªand don¡¯t ask why I don¡¯t have wings,¡± she huffed. ¡°I fail to see how that has any relevance, besides the fact I¡¯m a good bit tougher than a normal human.¡±

    Rodrik coughed over Fira¡¯s laugh. ¡°Right then. You four will be assigned rooms. Normally, you¡¯d sleep in the barracks, but I¡¯d like to reveal Zarenna¡¯s nature once she¡¯s been here for a while, and not have that happen on accident.¡±

    ¡°And not mine?¡± Seyari interjected.

    Rodrik frowned. Any deeper and I thought it might stick like that. ¡°People aren¡¯t going to start screaming about someone who¡¯s part angel in the building. At least not screams of terror.¡±

    I felt Seyari¡¯s anger pick up. ¡°Hey, whoa, I¡¯m fine with that. I scare me, too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess. Sorry. Sitting quiet during an incredibly stupid plan has put me a bit on edge, you could say.¡± Seyari glared at Rodrik hard. She was still holding my hand and I imagined her white-knuckled grip would¡¯ve caused a problem were I human.

    I stroked her knuckles with a finger and she calmed slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m pissed too, but I wouldn¡¯t be the Sovereign of Wrath if I couldn¡¯t set aside my anger for a better target later.¡±

    Officer Lorton shuddered, but a very excited smile crept across Taava¡¯s face across from me.

    Rodrik coughed again. Was he actually sick, or did he just not know another way to get attention? ¡°As I was saying. Rooms for all of you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am fine to sleep in the barracks,¡± Salvador interrupted, wearing a smile that bordered between apologetic and insincere. ¡°After all, I¡¯ll be going out sometimes and this way I¡¯ll get to know people better.¡±

    Rodrik sighed, but nodded his assent. ¡°Very well. Taava, there¡¯s a single occupant room you can have, and I assume Seyari and Zarenna are fine sharing?¡±

    Seyari and I both nodded.

    Taava pumped a fist at getting her own room. ¡°If I¡¯m next to you, you two¡¯d better keep it down. Can¡¯t imagine the walls are that thick here.¡±

    I flushed a deeper crimson and Seyari blushed as well. ¡°Taava,¡± my girlfriend warned, ¡°we do not need that sort of advice right now, thank you.¡±

    Taava stuck out her tongue.

    Rodrik sighed and seemingly handed the reins to Firalex. Turned out they were more of a ¡°slap a palm on the table to get attention¡± kind of person. I jumped a little, and we all snapped to attention.

    ¡°Very good!¡± they congratulated us like a frustrated teacher corralling unruly kids. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss your pay later, but room and board are both free for now. I¡¯ll take you four on a tour¡ªif that¡¯s all we need to talk about?¡± Fira looked at Rodrik.

    His glower stayed firmly in place. Maybe it was stuck. ¡°I suppose so. Officer Lorton?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good¡± The officer put up his hands defensively. ¡°And I won¡¯t tell anyone about Zarenna being a demon or Seyari being an angel or Taava being alive. I¡¯m no rookie.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Rodrik stood up swiftly with both hands planted on the table. ¡°Meeting adjourned!¡±

    I let go of Seyari¡¯s hand and stood, turning my chair and pushing it back under the table. I walked to the door, but a nudge from Seyari reminded me to change back to human form. Easy enough.

    ***

    ¡°And this,¡± Firalex beamed, ¡°is the mess hall. We try to have decent food here, but there are a lot of days with simple meals. Lucky for all of us, today¡¯s not one of them!¡±

    ¡°Is this why you stopped here last?¡± Salvador asked, sounding tired.

    ¡°Exactly right!¡± Firalex pointed at him. They walked over to the line. ¡°Should be simple enough to understand.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, I¡¯m starved!¡± Taava hopped in line next to them.

    I followed the others. Salvador tried to let Seyari and I go in front of him, but I forced him back in front of us. Guy looked like he really needed a good meal.

    ¡°Can we have multiple servings?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If you pay for them, Fira replied, ¡°you can take as many servings as you want.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say our room and board would be paid for?¡± I laced my voice with faux-innocence.

    Fira reached the front and took a place. ¡°I can always take it out of your first paycheck, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± I beamed back.

    When we all sat down together, I¡¯d taken a triple portion of today¡¯s meal, which happened to be roast chicken with a variety of sides. I¡¯d managed to score an entire bird after explaining how much I wanted. A few other mercs looked my way. I assumed part of it was ¡°new people with Fira,¡± and the rest was ¡°giant lady with a crazy amount of food.¡±

    While we ate, we talked about mundane topics, like hot bath usage times and what was and was not allowed on the training grounds. All of this made me want a place with good food and a hot bath I could call my own. Someday.

    I was thinking about how to make a soft bed I wouldn¡¯t shred with my claws while absentmindedly eating the last of the chicken when Seyari and Taava started laughing. Even Salvador chuckled.

    I finished crunching and swallowed. ¡°Is there something on my face? Did I spill on my blouse?¡± I looked down. Clean.

    ¡°Do you normally eat the bones?¡± Fira asked quietly.

    I looked up and more than a few people were staring. ¡°Huh?¡± I ran a tongue over my teeth, realized I¡¯d shifted them absentmindedly, and quickly turned them back to being dull and human. ¡°Oh, uh sometimes. Part-ogre and all that, you know¡­¡± I loudly stumbled through an excuse.

    Down on my plate, the carcass had clean breaks through the bones. I was pretty full, but I wanted the rest of it.

    ¡°Right, of course. Part-ogre!¡± Fira tried their best to latch onto the excuse. Taava, on the other hand, laughed even harder until Seyari reached across the table and clamped a hand over her mouth. The company mage continued, ¡°a bloodline like that¡¯s rare enough that I must¡¯ve forgotten.¡±

    ¡°You mean I can finish?¡± I glanced up at Fira, eyes full of hope.

    They sighed, hard. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± I picked up the rest of the carcass and merrily crunched away.

 Chapter 88: Some Calm

    No one takes baths during the middle of the day. Well, fewer people do so than at night¡ªespecially at a merc company where people were out and about. Using that knowledge, I booked our hall¡¯s bath for the whole middle of the day today. The last few days had seen Taava get antsy and me get anxious. Seyari was the worst, however; being ¡°in reserve¡± just didn¡¯t sit right with her. We all understood how it made sense for us to lay low for now, but that knowledge really didn¡¯t help much.

    Salvador was a saint, well and truly. He¡¯d gotten nearly everything I¡¯d asked for and not even snickered. He had, however, talked me out of acquiring flower petals to scatter around. Something about personal experience. Probably for the best, especially considering the bathing room was more or less a big closet with a large oval-shaped wooden tub. I¡¯d complained about its size the first time I used it and was informed that before Firalex was promoted, the baths were a stand-in-a-bucket-and-wash-yourself sort of affair. I thanked them later; in person and with no context, of course. We¡¯d talked for a while and one thing led to another and, well, I was excited.

    Excited because tonight this bathroom was going to be the best place in the whole damn compound, maybe the city. I had oils and soaps and a lovely shampoo and all of it was coming out of the first paycheck that I was increasingly worried would instead be a debt slip.

    Most importantly, I had Seyari.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the point of trying to squeeze into that tiny tub together,¡± my girlfriend grumbled as we walked down the hall together.

    I shifted my basket of goodies that I had under one arm. ¡°Oh? I think it¡¯s plenty big enough. And we won¡¯t have to drag up buckets of heated water, either.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, sure. Just don¡¯t boil me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you at least excited for what I¡¯ve got in the basket.¡± I gave her my winningest smile.

    Seyari¡¯s lips turned up at the corners as we reached the bathroom door. ¡°A little. I just know it won¡¯t be as good as the bath back in Sandmeadow.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I tugged on the handle and pulled the door open, ¡°it¡¯ll be better.¡±

    Inside the door, the tub had been upgraded. It¡­ wasn¡¯t nearly as nice as what Lilly and Isidore had, but it was (barely) big enough for me now, and certainly deep enough. I started pumping, and soon enough, water began to flow. The building didn¡¯t have the fancy piping nobility had, but at least I could pump directly into a bath rather than go hiking up and down stairs.

    ¡°This looks bigger than I remember.¡± Seyari traced a finger along the rim of the tub. ¡°Is this your doing?¡±

    ¡°Fira¡¯s, too,¡± I answered. Pumping with one hand was awkward, so I shifted out of my human form and got a second hand on it. My other arms started to unload oils and soaps. The window wasn¡¯t transparent, so there was no risk of being scene, and the bar across the door made doubly sure of that. ¡°Pick the ones you want to use. The first one¡¯s my pick for an oil.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to get a variety,¡± Seyari groused, but walked over and started to look through the bottles and tinctures nonetheless. She opened a few and sniffed, deciding (somewhat to my surprise) on the same bottle I¡¯d picked out.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m hoping we¡¯ll stop losing all our possessions every week starting now. Fira said we can store stuff here and even get it transported between cities. I don¡¯t have to worry about losing my dress!¡± I pumped a little too hard and I heard metal start to bend, so I slowed down.

    Soon, the sweet scent of a lavender-oiled bath filled the room. Along with it, steam. While I pumped, I dipped my tail in and used it like a hot rock, heating the water until steam started to rise. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was too hot, so Seyari cautiously tested it when the tub was mostly full. Her hand healed quickly and the rest of the water from the pump went in cold.

    The newly-constructed shelf was wonderful for holding all our oils and, with clothes on another shelf and towels on the rack, I slipped inside the tub and sank down, letting out a sigh of contentment that turned into a moan of pleasure.

    ¡°And how am I supposed to fit in there?¡± Seyari asked. She stood naked to one side, hands on her hips. I wasn¡¯t sure where to rest my eyes, but the implicit permission she gave when her own gaze drifted lower gave me permission to indulge. Funny that I still had such inhibitions when we were definitely an active couple.

    After a single very long moment, her gaze snapped up to my own and she gestured at the tub with a questioning look and a half-expectant smile. I was more than aware that I took up just about the whole bottom of the tub laying down; my shoulders were out of the water and my clawed toes tapped the other end. I blew her a kiss and patted my lap.

    Seyari blushed lightly, but her smile widened and her golden eyes glowed more brightly. ¡°I like it when you¡¯re forwar¡ªeep!¡±

    My girlfriend squeaked as my tail grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in with a splash.

    ¡°Jerk!¡± She leaned up and kissed me, then snuggled down against my chest, silver hair splaying out into the water.

    My reply rumbled into our deepening kiss, and held her close with all four hands.

    ***

    Out little escapade ended up taking all the time I¡¯d booked the bath for and then some. I nearly forgot to shift back to human form afterward, and I had to make an awkward apology to the person waiting outside. She grumbled at me, but perked up when I said the soaps and oils in there were for everyone¡¯s use.

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    ¡°Renna?¡± Seyari asked as we walked back, her eyes and face bright with fading afterglow.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I fiddled with a still-wet strand of hair, my own cheeks still burning wonderfully.

    We reached our room, but Seyari¡¯s hand paused on the doorhandle. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to talk to Taava about how she ran off on her own and got hurt?¡±

    ¡°I was, yeah.¡± I frowned as the mood took a hit. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bring it up right after she confessed to lying to us. How badly was she hurt?¡± I put my hand on Seyari¡¯s and we opened the door, stepping inside.

    My partner closed the door behind us and sat down on the bed. With a practiced flick her wrist, she formed up a quick wind spell that dried our hair and swirled around the room, muffling our voices. ¡°Her legs were paralyzed,¡± Seyari replied, ¡°and she was covered in barely-healed burns. Someone had saved her life, but probably only just.¡±

    I cursed under my breath and flopped onto the bed next to her. ¡°Next time I¡¯m going with her.¡±

    ¡°Tell her that, not me.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± My thoughts bounced to Paula, then Fira, then my conversation with my now-boss, and finally the bracelet Erik had with another sovereign¡¯s symbol on it. ¡°Does Taava have the broken dagger, or do we?¡± Wow, it felt good to say ¡°we.¡±

    Seyari pushed herself up on her elbows and looked over at me. ¡°We do, why?¡±

    ¡°I found something.¡± With the comforting fuzz of the bath and our activities still around me, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to get out of bed. I glanced at our closed shutters and unfurled my tail, snaking it down the side of the bed until I felt my bag. I wrapped around it and hoisted it up next to me. I used a third hand to reach around inside and pulled out the bracelet. ¡°This,¡± I said, handing it to Seyari, ¡°I think might have the same symbol we saw on that dagger.¡±

    Seyari, suddenly alert, snatched the bracelet, tilting over on one elbow to face me. ¡°Who had this?¡±

    ¡°Erik. The guy who summoned the demon back in, uh, I never actually got the town¡¯s name.¡± I scratched at a horn before I remembered I probably shouldn¡¯t have those right now and shifted back to looking human.

    ¡°Why, though?¡± Seyari, apparently far less incapacitated than myself, hopped up off the bed and darted over to her things. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± she trailed off when she held the blade next to the bracelet. ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°The same?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we should tell Fira and Rodrik?¡±

    Seyari bit her lower lip. ¡°We probably should, yeah. If the assassins had these, Garvin might be tied up in it too.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll try something?¡± I asked, a hint of nervousness in my voice.

    Seyari walked back to the bed and pushed my knees apart. She sat down between them and leaned back against me, closing her eyes in thought. ¡°Didn¡¯t Officer Lorton say something about missing people lately the other day? It was an offhand comment but¡­¡±

    ¡°It could be unrelated, or it could be Garvin or someone else is planning something?¡± I finished her thought and looked down at her looking up at me. The pressure of her weight was comforting. ¡°You think they¡¯d do demon stuff at the same time as the counterfeit job?¡±

    Seyari sighed sharply. ¡°Maybe. From what Fira told me the other day, Erik knew nothing about summoning rituals, right?¡±

    I wrapped my two arms around her and shivered involuntarily at the memory of that night. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then this operation might be a whole lot more dangerous than any of us realize.¡± Seyari wriggled up higher in my arms, relaxing against me.

    ¡°And another Sovereign is planning something big enough to involve themselves in both Ordia and Raavia, unless the assassins received the dagger here in Ordia.¡± I hugged Seyari tighter.

    ¡°Though, they didn¡¯t summon a demon, to the best of our knowledge.¡± Seyari tapped me on the arm. ¡°Looser, please.¡±

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I let up the pressure. ¡°Whatever¡¯s going on is related to a single entity, and it¡¯s a safe bet there¡¯s more than these two incidents.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°But the operation¡¯s not tonight, so I¡¯m going to take a minute to lay here and you¡¯re not allowed to get up until I do. I¡¯ll go talk to Fira about this soon.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Taava and see if I can¡¯t learn more when you let me go. It¡¯ll be your fault if the city burns down.¡±

    Seyari leaned up and kissed me. ¡°Terrible taste for a joke.¡±

    ***

    Taava answered her door quickly when I knocked. ¡°Oh, look who¡¯s positively glowin¡¯. Why the long face? Didn¡¯t¡¯cha have fun?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it was fantastic,¡± I replied with an honest smile that quickly turned into a frown. ¡°But I¡¯m not here to talk about my sex life.¡±

    Taava¡¯s eyes went from bright to terrified and she quickly ushered me in and closed the door. ¡°Uh, this isn¡¯t about me, y¡¯know¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about you running off on your own without even considering letting any of us so much as wait nearby.¡± I sat down in the room¡¯s one chair and heard a nail squeak loose. ¡°I should¡¯ve followed you anyway, but the fault¡¯s not all my own.¡±

    Taava plopped down on her bed. ¡°I¡¯m kinda surprised it¡¯s not about me, y¡¯know,¡± her voice dropped to a whisper, ¡°killing people.¡± The former assassin picked up the volume again and put an arm across her forehead. ¡°I know Seyari said she¡¯d sic ya on me, but I kinda thought¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sic me on you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®cause you¡¯re good at moralizin¡¯ and givin¡¯ lectures.¡± Taava sat up and flicked an ear.

    ¡°I am?¡± I tilted my head in confusion.

    Taava tilted her head right back and leaned over toward me at a perilous angle. ¡°Ya ain¡¯t possibly that dense.¡±

    I blinked slowly and sighed. ¡°I suppose not. I do tend toward long-winded idealism, I guess.¡± I pointed a finger at Taava and she shrunk away. ¡°And you¡¯re not going to distract me from the talk.¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Worth tryin¡¯!¡±

    I sighed loudly. ¡°Before I talk your ear off, though, I did want to ask you about Garvin. Do you think he¡¯d be messed up with the same kind of demon stuff the assassins got into¡ªif that was an option?¡±

    ¡°Could it give him power? Then sure. But Garvin ain¡¯t some stupid kid like that Erik guy. And I¡¯d know ¡®cause Fira told me about him after ya decided not ta turn me in for ya-know-what. Garvin¡¯d do his research, get it right, and make it work for him.¡±

    ¡°What if he got it wrong?¡±

    Taava shook her head, ears flat. ¡°Never seen him get his shit wrong, but I guess it¡¯s possible. More¡¯n likely he¡¯d just avoid it if he wasn¡¯t dead sure.¡±

    I leaned back in the chair and the back snapped clean off. Whoops.

    Taava giggled.

    I flushed red. ¡°Not. A. Word. Chair was cracked or something.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Cracked.¡± She giggled louder.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± I resumed from my newly-promoted stool, ¡°do you have any tip-offs that something like that might be going on?¡±

    Taava closed her eyes and rocked back and forth, kicking her legs off the side of the bed. ¡°Hmmmm. Not really? He was wearin¡¯ a fancy suit¡ªfancier¡¯n usual¡ªlast time, but that¡¯s about it. Coulda been for any number a reasons.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to have the others look into it then.¡± I frowned.

    ¡°Hope my info¡¯s good.¡± Taava smiled. ¡°It was nice talkin¡¯ to ya!¡± She bounced up and offered me a hand off my stool.

    ¡°Hold it!¡± I took her hand in my very unbreakable grip. ¡°I need to talk to you a bit about letting other people help you.¡±

    Taava¡¯s face paled.

 Chapter 89: Before the Storm

    The rest of the week passed in a blur. Fira, Rodrik, Lorton, and the others were informed of the potential demonic threat. Rodrik was furious at the possibility, Fira seemed anxious, and Lorton somehow looked even more tired. Regardless, all of them followed up with our theory, and while they found the number of missing to be higher in Mudrat territory, we never got a clear confirmation of the cause. Naturally, this made all of us even more worried.

    Also, during this time, word got out about my modifications to our bathing facility, and our hall¡¯s bath became much harder to book. I¡¯d also gained a reputation in the dining hall for no reason other than enjoying bones. I blame the time on my island; everyone else is really just missing out. The other mercs took well enough to the excuse that I had ogre blood in me, though not everyone was satisfied. No one from the church came knocking, so I assumed Paula hadn¡¯t run off and told them¡ªor they hadn¡¯t believed her. I had a bad feeling I was wrong and the real answer was worse for me, but I forced those thoughts aside (for the most part) to keep my anxiety down.

    More importantly, I made great progress learning how to use my spear and how to use a shield, but I was increasingly dissatisfied that I was learning to fight as a human. The day couldn¡¯t come too soon for the company announcement of what I was. I was excited, but extremely nervous.

    This was, in a lot of ways, a public debut. The Gelles Company was taking a huge risk by deciding to work with a demon even partially openly. Word would get out, and while it would mostly be taken for rumor, the church would investigate.

    For all I knew, I was still a citizen of Ordia, and I¡¯d broken no laws except in self-defense. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t understand laws, but I would definitely challenge ¡°is a demon¡± as breaking them. Couldn¡¯t help that one. Not that I¡¯d be walking around a city without my human guise on for a while, regardless of what happened. The amount of attention from that would just be¡­ yeah no. Not to mention the headache it¡¯d cause for so many other people.

    Someday.

    When the time came to reveal I was a demon, we were all called into the training range. Seyari and I walked up next to Firalex and Rodrik, and I took a deep, shaky breath. Seyari¡¯s status as a ¡°half¡± angel was going to be revealed first. Then they¡¯d use her to prop up their argument about me.

    I was a little surprised they were going through with this, but the upcoming operation was going to involve a lot of the company folks here in Lockmoth, and I agreed they needed to know before I shifted back to my true form in front of a bunch of allies.

    Seyari revealed what she was to murmuring, some awe, a few utterances of ¡°I knew it,¡± and a barrage of questions about why she wasn¡¯t with the Church of Dhias.

    ¡°Miss Zarenna Miller, would you step forward, please,¡± Rodrik asked, motioning me to step forward.

    I nodded nervously, and did as he asked. Here goes.

    ¡°All of you have gotten to know Miss Miller this past week, and from what I hear, she¡¯s fit in quite well. I¡¯m sure all of you have also noticed Miss Miller¡¯s unusual stature. Well, I apologize that our given explanation was less than truthful. Some of you¡¯ve already deduced this and we¡¯ve spoken in private. For the rest of you, it is important to note that we have visited a nearby church and been cleared of any mental influence. Now, Miss Miller, if you would show them the real reason for your stature?¡±

    I nodded, swept my gaze nervously around the assembled people and undid my human transformation. I forced myself to keep my eyes open to see the reactions. I heard gasps, but no screams. Some people seemed afraid, and I sensed anger building from a few people. I tried to note their faces and pulled a little from the emotion, dulling it. No sense having a riot over a few people.

    When I tried to speak, however, I realized I couldn¡¯t. With everyone staring at me, I froze up completely¡ªno sound or expressions were working. I was back in a dream, in the Linthel market with everyone staring at me. I just stared off into space above the assembled company members, trying to figure out how to make the word sounds I probably should make.

    ¡°Renna!¡± I heard Seyari¡¯s voice somewhere below me. Suddenly, there were two hands over one of mine. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nervous?¡±

    Nervous? I felt a pulse of my own anger. ¡°Of course not!¡± I snapped back, looking down at Seyari¡¯s golden eyes and laughing smile. Just like that, the spell of anxiety that had held me broke. I laid both of my left hands over Seyari¡¯s and looked back up at the crowd. The anger had mostly gone, and a lot of the looks of fear had been replaced with confusion or even stifled laughter. Hey!

    All the while, Fira kept silent, though they seemed oddly focused on Seyari.

    ¡°Right!¡± I announced, clearing my throat. ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna Miller, and I may not exactly look it right now, but I¡¯m a greater demon of wrath.¡± Seyari pushed herself up against my side. ¡°And my girlfriend is being a little overly possessive at a very awkward time.¡± I made no effort to peel her off.

    ¡°I have to show them you have angelic approval,¡± Seyari said with exaggerated emotion. She actually batted her eyes at me.

    ¡°Uh, Sey, are you okay?¡± I asked, suddenly concerned. ¡°This isn¡¯t like you at all¡ªdid someone put you up to this?¡±

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    ¡°Yes.¡± Seyari tossed a glare at Fira. ¡°I would¡¯ve come over to slap some sense into you when you locked up like that, but Firalex wanted me to ¡®show our relationship¡¯ to ¡®help sell your image¡¯ and I couldn¡¯t resist making fun of their terrible ideas.¡±

    I felt a pulse of anger from behind me.

    ¡°They can¡¯t possibly think we act like this¡­¡± I glanced over my shoulder at Firalex, who had raised brows, downturned eyes, and lips drawn into a thin line.

    ¡°Oh, they do,¡± Seyari whispered. ¡°Your bath idea didn¡¯t help.¡±

    I thought of a dozen different things to say to Fira, but embarrassing my new boss in front of my new coworkers was something even I could identify as colossally stupid. So instead, I glared at Firalex. Seyari stuck out her tongue and shoved off me, and the two of us turned back around to answer questions.

    ¡°Uh, any questions?¡± I scratched at a horn and flicked my tail anxiously. A bunch of hands went up. ¡°And we¡¯re not normally that, uh, affectionate. We¡¯re together, but no relationship questions.¡±

    Several of the raised hands went back down. I picked someone I recognized from our hall.

    ¡°So you were the one who pushed for a nicer bath for our hall, weren¡¯t you?¡± they said more than asked.

    I flushed scarlet and coughed. ¡°Uh, yeah, that was me. Next question!¡±

    From there, I had to answer a barrage of questions. Several members even floated weapon ideas, which I was more than happy to indulge in¡ªoffering what insight I could as to what fighting with four arms and a tail was like. Only a few of the company members reacted like Paula had, and none of them that badly. I guessed that the ones living at the company were probably more open to things in general. With some difficulty, Fira seemed to talk down the ones who weren¡¯t.

    ***

    Overall, the reveal went way, way better than I ever could have imagined. Cheesy or not, Seyari¡¯s display and my anxiety probably scored points in my favor. I¡¯d traded any chance of seeming strong and regal for being a well-liked dork, and I was honestly okay with that compromise.

    I spent the next few days training, now that I could train openly on the training range without needing to be in my human form. Seyari also helped instruct and spar with me. Mostly, I focused on physical combat. Magic was all well and good, but I had a better handle on that and Rodrik had been right about my amateurish form.

    After the first day, I learned of another side effect of revealing myself to a company of trained combatants: I now had half a dozen people trying figure out the best places to stick more pointy bits to accentuate my natural pointy bits. Some people wanted me to try four swords at once; that was a disaster. I had no idea how to move my body to wield them and there weren¡¯t any instructors on hand(s) who had experience with four blades at once¡ªfor obvious reasons.

    When I¡¯d tried multiple spears, I didn¡¯t feel like I could put enough power behind a thrust with the other spears in the way, unless I thrust all of them at one. Multiple small shields I seemed to take to rather quickly, however.

    That said, I liked the idea of multiple weapons. For the attack on the Mudrats, we¡¯d be going into a lot of smaller spaces; a spear would work only for thrusting and get in the way otherwise, and with my stature, blades would potentially be unusable. Not to mention I couldn¡¯t train myself in a week.

    For now, I¡¯d take my spear just in case, and have a pair of bucklers strapped to my lower pair of arms. If I went up against enchanted weapons, I¡¯d get good use out of the shields, and they were simple enough to practice with, given they worked with the footwork I already knew for wielding a spear.

    Traditional weapons weren¡¯t the only new tool of destruction I was given, however. My current training was proving one of the most unusual weapon ideas to be a very good one indeed.

    I hit the training dummy with a thrust of my spear, then shoved back and swept my tail around at chest height. The spikes ringing my tail punched into the dummy before my strength snapped it off its base. That¡¯s coming out of my pay. Despite the cost, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Drin and Rodrik had come up with this new weapon, and I had to hand it to them, I was starting to get used to the weight on my tail; it almost felt comforting.

    I moved my tail around in front of me to inspect for any damage to the prototype weapon. No damage, but the target hadn¡¯t been armored. The weapon in question was a set of three metal rings that almost looked like spiked collars. The largest ring was very tight, and the next ones down my tail, which were only slightly looser, were chained together in series. The largest spikes were a good ten centimeters long, and thick around as a normal person¡¯s wrist at the base.

    I¡¯d liked the idea of a tail bracelet so much that I had a set of three plain steel ones made just to wear. They went well with my new armor¡ªa breastplate and light chain getup. The armor was for show, more than anything, but if the armor survived it could be enchanted, and it¡¯d keep me relatively safe from an errant magicked arrow. Plus, it was altered (hastily) for someone with four arms. I had a helmet as well, with two holes cut out of it for my horns. All of which had just been finished today.

    The Gelles Company had their own smith, and I had to say she did good (and fast) work. Seeing all the pieces coming together the last few days was incredible. She had to have worked just for me to even come close to getting this done. I knew some pieces were alterations of existing pieces, but still. The thought kindled a little flame of desire for Bourick¡¯s workshop and my long-abandoned career path. Maybe someday.

    For now, I had to train to fight. The Mudrats shouldn¡¯t have anything that would require me to use more than my own claws, but they were far from the most dangerous people I would go after¡ªor who would come after me.

    With or without a sparring partner, I trained all through the night. Seyari joined me for a while, using the sword we¡¯d found in the mountains. Fira had looked the blade over and gotten it repaired, and despite its flaws, Seyari seemed to have taken to it.

    ***

    The next morning, there were two important pieces of news. The first was that we were ready. A location had been identified, and we were to attack tonight. I was to be part of the team going after Mudrat headquarters, which had been found by tracing back from where they were minting. Taava, Seyari, and Salvador would be with me, and it was anticipated Garvin would be there as well. He¡¯d been spending less and less time going out of late. The disappearances had also slowed down dramatically. I had a very, very bad feeling I knew what to expect.

    The second piece of news made my heart drop. The war between Navanaea and the Formid was official now, and it seemed like it was shaping up to be a bloody one. Aretan took the news about as well as could be expected¡ªhe¡¯d assumed as much had been coming. The former mercenary asserted that he¡¯d remain with us for this mission, but stated his intent to return home as soon as we¡¯d dealt with the Mudrats. I couldn¡¯t help the pit in my stomach that told me part of the blame for the war lay on my shoulders for killing the third prince Malich.

 Chapter 90: The Raid pt. 1

    ¡°Hey, Renna?¡± Taava whispered.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Thanks again for, well, ya know.¡± The former assassin looked down at her feet. Clad all in black, the demure pose she¡¯d adopted looked somehow wrong. ¡°I really meant all the stuff I said, I just couldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    I smiled softly. ¡°I already forgave you Taava; it¡¯s alright.¡±

    She looked up at me and I rubbed her hair before she could say anything else. She recoiled, but didn¡¯t move completely away.

    ¡°If everyone¡¯s ready then?¡± Fira asked the assembled.

    I nodded along with the others.

    Fira smiled grimly. ¡°Good. Zarenna, you¡¯re going first. I¡¯d say don¡¯t hold back, but we want some of the evidence intact. If Garvin¡¯s doing what we think he might be, however, do whatever you can.¡±

    The weight of the task ahead settled back onto me, and I forced myself up out of a slouch, keeping my face as neutral as possible. ¡°Yes Ser.¡± We hadn¡¯t told everyone of the demonic nature of our theory, but they did know the main base was dangerous and my group and I were going in first, with other teams waiting to follow.

    ¡°Good. Split into your assigned groups and let¡¯s go. Remember the tide table.¡± Fira turned and walked out of the dimly-lit building.

    ***

    I hadn¡¯t ever wondered why the Mudrats took their name. Well, maybe a little bit of wonder at why someone thought it¡¯d sound intimidating or strong. But the origin of their name was clear: rats and mud. Riverside had both in abundance, so I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised when I found myself crouched down in a stone tunnel, wading through what I really, really hoped was just mud. Taava had called this place the Underwash. I found myself wishing the ¡°wash¡± part was true: I¡¯d spent the whole walk pinching my nose shut with one hand.

    Even crouched, my horns occasionally scraped something off the ceiling. My spear was tied low on my back and stuck out behind me right alongside my tail. Needless to say, we moved single file: me in front, Taava behind me, Salvador behind her, and Seyari taking up the rear.

    Small furry things skittered about in the darkness all around the four of us. I could see just fine, but the shadows cast from the narrow-beamed oil lantern I held gave the rats an unearthly quality, especially when the light caught a beady-eye or three in the darkness.

    Somewhere, in another convergent tunnel, were Fira and their team. A group led by Officer Lorton that included Aretan and Nelys was going to the mint. Rodrik and his teams were headed for the mint as well, but also other locations all over Riverside and other parts of Lockmoth.

    My tail swished nervously behind me, pulled just up out of the muck. I accidentally batted Taava in the face with the un-spiked tip for the third time and she grabbed the spade. I suppressed a hiss of surprise and she let go. Sorry! Nerves!

    When we finally reached the end, I felt like celebrating.

    The end in question was a bricked off side-passage a few steps up out of the muck. The tunnel we were in continued on, much smaller and mostly full of mud. The brickwork here was newer than the rest; the grime didn¡¯t quite have the same decades-long buildup.

    Our job was dangerous, simple, and terrifying: be loud, distracting, and deadly. I was to play the part, more or less, of a rogue demon loose in the base. I accepted the slightly nauseating sense of excited anticipation a part of me had at the thought of just letting loose.

    I¡¯d indulge, but I wouldn¡¯t go too far. All that I was feeling was me, not some foreign entity or some beast inside I had to control. A part of me¡ªone that I¡¯d accepted these past few weeks¡ªreally did enjoy the more ¡°normal¡± parts of being a wrath demon.

    The difference was in purpose: my wrath was no tool of wanton destruction¡ªit was honed and focused and could tell friend from foe.

    ¡°Are ya gonna break the wall down soon?¡± Taava whispered from behind me, yanking me out of the justifications I was weaving in my head. ¡°¡®Cause it stinks like shit, and I think the rats¡¯re gonna start bitin¡¯ soon.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled, setting the lantern down behind me on the small dry ledge.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ¡®sorry,¡¯ be smash-ey,¡± Taava complained with a hiss. She took a step back into the others.

    This time I didn¡¯t respond. Instead, I drew a two-armed punch back, almost gagged on the smell that flooded my unplugged nose, and barreled my bare fists into the wall.

    I forgot how fragile most things were. Ever since the island, I¡¯d gotten very used to walking on eggshells, so to speak. My fists went through brick the wall with a loud ¡°boom,¡± punching a nearly person-sized hole in the wall. A hole I quickly made bigger by shouldering my way through and standing up to my full height, horns taking out cheap brick and scratching twin lines in the stone ceiling above.

    The room inside was dimly lit by flickering oil lamps. Chairs around a table were kicked swiftly aside as their occupants stood up, reaching for their weapons. Cards flew off the table, scattering into the air. All four men, unwashed and afraid, stared at me wide-eyed. I didn¡¯t need to start killing to get these goons to back down.

    ¡°Your boss,¡± I said, trying a diplomatic tack despite the situation. ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°W-who?¡± one of them stuttered defiantly.

    ¡°Garvin.¡± I took a step forward and activated my aura sight. Mundane, each of them¡ªno more than a sliver of an aura apiece.

    ¡°B-big room at the end of the hall!¡± one of them blurted, pointing at the only intended door to the room.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I responded automatically, then flashed a toothy smile. ¡°You four going to surrender?¡±

    Three nodded and dropped their weapons. A fourth tried to run, so I grabbed him and tossed him to the ground. Something cracked and he started screaming, ¡°Demon! Demon!¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    I heard movement from farther in the base. ¡°You got this?¡± I turned just in time to see my friends subduing the group.

    ¡°Go on ahead,¡± Seyari said, ¡°We¡¯ll catch up.¡±

    I turned again.

    ¡°And Zarenna,¡± Seyari said, using my full name, ¡°don¡¯t try to get people to surrender.¡± She pulled a shank out of her side and slashed it across the ¡°surrendered¡± goon who¡¯d just stuck her with it. ¡°You can¡¯t tell who¡¯s just saying whatever you want out of fear.¡±

    Next to her, Taava blocked a surprise swing from one of the other ¡°surrendered¡± goons. The last guy tried to get up and run again, so I swept him with my tail, spikes crushing into him wetly. Taava got inside her attacker¡¯s guard and slid a blade deep across his throat.

    The last of the four looked at Salvador and the rest of us and put his hands up. ¡°N-no funny business from me! I ain¡¯t dyin¡¯ over this, n-no matter what Garvin says.¡±

    I stopped at the doorway, acutely aware of rushing footsteps on the other side.

    ¡°What did Garvin say?¡± Taava beat me to the question.

    ¡°H-he said something important was happenin¡¯ tonight. That we¡¯d need ta make sure he wasn¡¯t interrupted and anyone caught slackin¡¯d be¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Taava hissed she looked up at me with burning eyes. ¡°Where is he?¡±

    The goon shivered. ¡°Hall, left! D-down the hall to the left¡ªthe big door at the end.¡±

    Taava nodded at me. I turned, and before the nearing footsteps could burst through the door, I went through it myself. Splinters and masonry showered around me as I slid into the hall outside. Immediately, blocked a stab with my buckler. A crossbow bolt bounced off my shoulder.

    Several Mudrat members surrounded me. I slashed out with my claws and spun my tail around. Claw and spike found home and several hurt or dying Mudrats were sent stumbling or flying back. I threw a gout of fire down the right hallway, and in time with the screams, I charged through the Mudrats assembled in the left hallway.

    Bones crunched against me, and another claw swipe took out a pair hiding in a doorway. With one of my lower arms, I blocked the blade of someone who¡¯d gotten out of my way in time, and tore through their torso with the claws of that same side¡¯s upper arm.

    The hallway ahead of me turned a corner. I thundered around it, claws gouging into the metal of my boots and horns just scraping the ceiling. When I rounded the corner, I brought my bucklers up just in time to catch most of a volley of crossbow fire. The bolts pierced deep into the small shields, some going through.

    One hit my in the shoulder and sunk in, finding a lucky gap through my chain shirt. Magic.

    I breathed in, and exhaled a jet of flame down the hallway toward my assailants. White hot, crimson-tinged fire poured forth. My fire met a barrier of force. For a moment, the force magic held, and then my flames shattered it and burned through to the door at the end of the hall, immolating the people who stood in front of it.

    Unlike the other doors, this one was solid stone¡ªand it looked older as well. Not ornate or fancy-looking, but a solid construction nonetheless. I raced toward it, slashing into doorways I passed and sometimes finding flesh inside. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Taava darting behind me, just around the corner.

    I sped up and rammed the stone door, the stone¡¯s faint magic flaring when I bounced off it. I tore the crossbow bolt that¡¯d landed out of me and stared at the now-cracked stone door that dared to defy me.

    I had an urge to headbutt it, but instead I lined up my shoulders again and rammed forward. Another crack resounded through the tunnels. The third time was the charm and I burst into the room.

    The stone chamber had a high ceiling and other arched entranceways, long-since bricked off. There may have been something carved on the ceiling at some point, but it was faded with age and covered in soot from cheap oil. Oil lamps, instead of candles were strewn about, but I saw exsanguinated bodies and a sickening amount of blood. A massive ritual circle lay across the floor, much bigger than the one Erik had made. An intensely bright gathering of magic was coalescing in the center. What? How!?

    A dark figure stood to one side; their focus broken.

    ¡°Garvin!¡± Taava shouted, dashing in next to me.

    A well-dressed man with long, well-styled hair, Garvin I presumed, looked over at me. If he was surprised, he hid it, and the light of the oil lamps played shadows with the long scar that crossed his neck.

    ¡°Taava, my Raavian¡ª¡± Garvin started to speak with a voice that dripped poisoned honey.

    He continued, but I didn¡¯t hear what was said. Without hesitation, I charged into the ritual circle to try to interrupt whatever he was doing. When I passed the edge of the ring, I felt something resist me for a moment.

    Hardly stumbling, I ran into the center of the glyph and with blazing claws, scoured the center from the formation. The result was immediate: the magic gathering in the center rippled, shuddered, and then exploded.

    The circle kept the blast contained, and I was slammed against a wall of force before the power of the blast pushed through and exploded outward, sending me crashing into the nearby stone wall. The magic formations that ringed the room were the only thing that kept me from going farther. I felt several bones break on impact, and my legs didn¡¯t respond immediately when I tried to stand up. The pain should have been immense, but was instead dulled and distant.

    Taava ran back in from the doorway over to Garvin who was stumbling upright while coughing. A shield of force around him protected him from her slashes as he stood up. Taava backed off to avoid a retaliatory strike, and stood defensive to one side.

    In the place where the ritual circle was, the air was warping and twisting, visible even without my arua sight. Overlaid through the air, I could see shadows of a barren landscape veiled in red mist. Oh, fuck.

    ¡°What have you done!¡± Garvin roared, punctuating the statement with a wracking cough. ¡°The containment formation¡¯s gone and the ritual¡¯s destabilized!¡±

    Taava darted at him again, but had to retreat from a barrage of barely-visible spikes of force. The caster, Garvin, held out his hand and breathed heavily, sweat and soot and dried blood staining his brow. The force of the magical detonation had blown the contents of the room everywhere, splashing burned blood over everything. Taava threw something sharp that glinted in the crazed light of hundreds of dying candles, but it bounced off a shield of force that Garvin conjured.

    I tried to move my legs again; they were responding now, but only just. I needed to move¡ªI couldn¡¯t help Taava from where I was. My magic was draining rapidly to fix me and I couldn¡¯t be certain any fire I threw wouldn¡¯t be splashed off Garvin¡¯s shield onto Taava.

    ¡°Kill me now, my Raavian rose, and you won¡¯t be able to close this tear,¡± Garvin said, forcing an admirable amount of calm into his voice.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Taava spat.

    Garvin smiled victoriously. ¡°Good, now do¡ª¡±

    I watched Taava move, again surprised at the speed of the mortal kazzel. Her twin daggers flashed magic. One impacted Garvin¡¯s shield, but the other slid up through his guard, Taava¡¯s arm bending backwards at the elbow, and up into this throat. Magic flared, but Taava¡¯s tail caught the gang boss¡¯s leg and tripped him up.

    That moment of broken concentration was all Taava needed.

    Using Garvin¡¯s flickering shield as leverage, Taava drove the closer blade in hard, through Garvin¡¯s shield of force and into his neck. With a sharp pop, Taava¡¯s elbow bent back, and her blade exited Garvin¡¯s throat, tearing a path right along his old scar, but much, much deeper. Fresh blood sprayed out over the pair, bright crimson against the dull reddish brown of Garvin¡¯s victims.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Garvin gurgled. ¡°I¡­ wasn¡¯t¡­¡± He tried to continue speaking as he shakily collapsed to the ground, hands over his throat and force magic trying to close his wound.

    Taava didn¡¯t give him a chance. She leapt on the dying man, slashing at his hands and his abdomen and his face, brutalizing him until the last of his magic snapped apart and a bloody, disfigured corpse sank to the ground. Shivering, she hissed and kicked the broken body.

    I looked from her to the warping air at the ritual¡¯s center and shakily stood up. That can¡¯t be good. From out in the hallway, I heard the rapid thuds of two pairs of booted feet approaching¡ªSeyari and Salvador I hoped.

    Before they arrived, the air twisted with a loud snap and an acrid burning smell filled the air. Like old cloth ripping, the warped air pushed open. A disfigured limb longer than I was tall, and with far too many fingers, thrust its way into the room. Then another, and another, and another. Something was pulling its way through and it looked like it¡¯d have a tough time standing up in the ten-meter-tall room.

    ¡°Seyari!¡± I shouted, hoping the approaching pair was backup. ¡°Do you know how to close a hell portal? Because we really need to know, right now.¡±

    From just outside the ruined room, Seyari screamed her reply. ¡°FUCK!¡±

 Chapter 91: The Raid pt. 2

    Like an angel of wrath, Seyari tore into the room, steps bolstered by her wind magic. Beams of holy light fired from her hands, burning holes through the immense limbs where they struck.

    An ear-shattering screech tore through the room and back into the halls. Reflexively, I put two hands to my head. Seyari didn¡¯t so much as stumble, circling the opening, trying to burn away the limbs as more and less humanoid-looking ones began to shove through. The scream split into a keening wail of discordant voices that carried on breathlessly and grated against my consciousness.

    Taava, wide-eyed, retreated to the doorway where a grim-faced Salvador had his bow drawn. The tip of his arrow glowed magic, but he surely knew how little it would do against something so massive.

    While they were elsewhere in the base currently, Fira¡¯s team would be arriving soon. We were certainly a distraction, but as I looked at the cracks running through the ancient ceiling, I worried this whole place would come down on top of us.

    I pulled myself out of the rubble and stood on shaky legs, tail behind to balance me. Seyari glanced at me and I nodded, pushing off the rubble I was stuck in and running full force at the twisted limbs protruding from the tear in space.

    Thrusting forward, I drove my spear into the nearest limb with all my strength. The tip bit and sunk in, but I met resistance¡ªmy own strength didn¡¯t have as much weight against something that likely had me beat. I poured white-hot fire from my unoccupied hands and seared the intruding limbs. Not all demons were quite so immune to heat as I was.

    ¡°Focus on the smaller ones!¡± Seyari shouted.

    I yanked my spear out, narrowly evading a questing limb, and thrust it into an insectoid claw-like appendage, shattering chitin and shoving the twitching limb back through the rift. An arrow from Salvador whizzed above me, striking a tentacle and causing it to coil back. A thrown knife impacted another small limb, then another as Taava, circling, drew two other blades out.

    Together, we all did our best to assault the limbs pulling their way through the rift. I thrust and clawed and slammed and tore and burned. The tear wavered, but the more we all hacked, the more appendages were shoved through the rift. It wasn¡¯t long before the shouts and sounds of another group echoed our direction.

    ¡°Enchanted weapons and magic can stay!¡± I heard Fira¡¯s voice from the doorway in. ¡°Everyone else¡ªout!¡±

    A torrent of boiling water surged past and cooked a claw-like limb. Fire from Tren washed past me, and several figures, Drin included, ran forward.

    ¡°Keep at it!¡± Seyari shouted, jumping back out of the fight to the edge of the room. ¡°Stand back when I say!¡± She started to glow, her voice shifting in timbre and regaining its unnatural echo.

    I kept at it with the others, trying my best. My best was only a single demon¡ªa powerful one for sure, but even if I risked burning everyone here, I hadn¡¯t the first clue as to how to close the rift. Without Seyari, we started to be beaten back. The large limbs were almost through to the shoulders, and I could see flashes of what they might be attached to through the mass of roiling magic and flesh.

    Seyari gathered power above herself into a blinding orb of light that the limbs seemed to sense, increasing their pushing to a frenetic pace. The energy bathed me in a caustic, familiar warmth, not unlike an over-spiced Navanaean dish. My girlfriend¡¯s eyes began to glow the same bright gold-white hue, solid and narrowed in focus. Strands of silver hair rose around her, each outlined in burning brightness.

    ¡°Now!¡± Seyari shouted, voice amplified and echoing.

    ¡°Fall back!¡± Fira shouted right after.

    I kicked off a limb and grabbed a company member who¡¯d gotten caught in the tangle on my way out. A quick look showed everyone had gotten clear, and the tear was thrumming, vibrating in the air and seemingly forced open by the demonic horrors of the other side.

    And then, the mass of frenzied flesh was impacted by a sun.

    The flash burned my eyes, blinding me, and setting my fatigued magic to rectify my mistake of looking at my girlfriend¡¯s most powerful spell. At least, I assumed it was her most powerful.

    Could I do something of that magnitude? The thought flitted through my mind for an instant and I latched onto it. Maybe¡ªbut of fire and great risk.

    The keening screaming from beyond the rift reached a crescendo and, with startling suddenness, cut off. Blinking, I cleared spots from my vision as my hearing returned to shouting and chaos. Someone¡ªDrin¡ªwas helping me up. All around us, chunks of the falling ceiling shattered on the cracked floor I could barely make out with my damaged eyes.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± Fira shouted. ¡°Grab Seyari and Zarenna and go. Oh gods it¡¯s coming through!¡±

    Oh no.

    Nononononononono.

    Vision clearing, I pulled myself out of Drin¡¯s grip and stood up. In front of me, the tear had closed around several of the largest limbs, charred nearly to bone. Those charred limbs weren¡¯t still; they were writhing.

    And with their frenzied motions, as flesh and muscle started to regrow, the tear pulled open with a horrifying roar. I threw my magic at the limbs again, burning into them. Stalling them, hoping to see them cut off as the rift finished closing. Fira and the others pulled back further, their last spells and magicked arrows flying into the limbs.

    For a moment, whatever demon was trying to pull through stopped. I held my breath and, for the span of a thought, dared to hoped we¡¯d done it.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    And then time resumed.

    With a roar that shook more of the collapsing ceiling loose, the limbs all surged at once and something massive pulled through. The rift slammed closed soundlessly behind it, crackling the air with dispersing magic.

    The demon looked like two and a half people had grown and fused together, and all of them wanted out of the deal. Complete asymmetry was the only way to describe the demon¡¯s form: one head jutted out where a limb maybe should have been and a third head seemed missing from a torso that sported more than enough limbs for it. Crimson skin, spikes, unnatural joints, and bent digits all flexed as the partially burned monstrosity rose up and through the ceiling. The scale of the demon before me was massive.

    I stood still, frozen in fear until the first chunk of the roof landed on top of me. Stone cracked over my horns, sending my head ringing, and I stumbled. With a hand and my tail I caught myself and stood up, throwing stone and dirt off myself. Above me, the room started to collapse, and the sound was horrifying: a groaning, cracking, roaring slide of earth and stone and brick and wood undercut by a horrifying roar-screech from the screaming, humanoid heads of the demonic monstrosity.

    Its aura looked like a kaleidoscope of all the most aggressive colors¡ªwith a hint of pastel yellow that hurt my brain. Is this thing a reaver?

    I didn¡¯t have time to think further as a chunk of the city above rushed down to meet us below.

    ¡°Out! Run!¡± Fira had shouted, and my brain just now registered.

    I did just that, grabbing the last few stragglers and tossing them back through into the hallway behind a retreating Fira who held an unconscious Seyari. I nodded at them, hopefully slow enough for them to comprehend, and then ran as fast as I could back into the collapsing earth. A last glance at the tunnel showed the others retreating safely¡ªthe old stonework holding blessedly well as the exit we¡¯d just parted at was buried.

    Debris battered my body on all sides, but I pushed forward and clawed my way up through the dirt and stone toward the keening roar of the demon that Garvin¡ªand by extension all of us¡ªhad just unleashed on Lockmoth. Around me, in the compressive darkness of the slide, I heard the first of the human screaming¡ªhardly audible over the crash of a city block collapsing into the hole I was struggling out of. I kicked off stone and brick, clawed through dirt, and used my tail to bat aside crossbeams and chunks of foundation. I headbutted stone aside, ignoring the ringing in my head from my horns breaking through.

    The screaming. I was heading through the morass to the screaming. I didn¡¯t reach the first person in time: they were crushed right before my eyes.

    Fury. Rage. White hot anger. How dare this insane monstrosity, this other demon of wrath!

    My magic surged, and I tore off to the other screams I could hear as the slide started to settle. Somewhere nearby, the awful, massive bulk of the demonic monstrosity was climbing its way out of the hole it had made. I had seconds before it would start a rampage.

    I reached an older man, and pulled him out. Then a young woman, then a child. Those who were conscious, screamed when I grabbed them with hands bereft of claws. I didn¡¯t say a word. I dug up and out, onto the edge of a crumbling street and set them there.

    Then I went back in, sparing a glance at the monstrosity that was still pulling free, writhing and roaring under the starry night above. Lights had flickered on in nearby windows, the quake and the roar waking the city around the crater now in its midst.

    Wordlessly, I pulled a dozen other people from the rubble. Fury was spread across my expression and fire bubbled just below the surface, hot enough to nearly burn those I was trying to save. And then, with a final pained roar, the monstrosity, tall as the nearby buildings, pulled itself free into the middle of the crater. I was out of time. Now or never.

    With a silent prayer to Dhias for the poor souls who may still have been buried alive in the crater, I raced toward the monstrosity in its center. The demon noticed me right as I threw myself, spear first into its flank.

    Hot, black blood poured out of the wound and I leapt on top of my spear, wrenching it free with my tail and clawing my way up into the thing¡¯s bulk. Two hands held on while my tail, spiked rings missing many spikes, carried my spear.

    My other two arms I held in focus, forcing a deep breath in, then out with a jet of flame. I opened my eyes wide, taking in the size of the crater¡ªa little more than a city block¡ªand I pushed my magic into the formation, begging it to work. This was the spell I¡¯d worked on using what Tren had shown me, what Seyari had shown me, and the advice of all the others who¡¯d helped me realize my own potential.

    My formation completed with a thrum of magic. My mana surged out through the formation in a torrent. The burning demonic magic spilled over in places and wasted precious energy, but my wrath went farther than I ever would have been capable of without training. Fire erupted out into a glyph across the crater.

    Green-lined, crimson flames flared to life all around me and all across the monstrosity, boiling its flesh away. Wood turned to ash and stone slagged as the air itself seemed to burn with my fury.

    At the edges, the heat was contained, fire racing to cover myself and the other demon in a dome. The heat reflected and bounced inward, surging again and again, flames filling my vision. Everything burned away in one glorious, horrifying moment; the metal of my breastplate ran down my skin like rivulets of water as my magic incinerated all it touched.

    And then, in a crater of smoking ruins, it was only the other demon, myself, and the partially-melted head of my spear held tenuously in the tip of my tail.

    The other demon was charred and horrifying. Its eyes had boiled away, and its flesh crumbled away, mixing with the still-burning ash underfoot. Black, twisted bones had shattered open from the heat, but the demonic monstrosity¡¯s core was somehow still pulsing with life; red, bloody, and furious.

    Exhaustion hit me hard, and with my waning strength I kicked off the monstrosity, sending it tumbling down into the ruins. My clawed feet, now bare like the rest of me, dug into the soft, half-melted, half-burned floor of what was now an arena. Flickering crimson flames ringed the edge of the crater¡ªa lingering effect of the sheer power of my spell.

    As the rush left me and my wrath cooled into simmering anger, the sounds of the city came back all at once. A moment of silence stretched itself and snapped. Screams once again tore through the night, raw and awful. I forced myself to glance at the people I¡¯d saved, who had been out of my spell¡¯s radius. They were shocked: most collapsed, having stumbled back from the edges of the fire and the echoes of the heat within. I probably killed some of their loved ones. I¡­ can¡¯t dwell on that right now.

    I¡­ felt tired for the first time in recent memory. I was drained, nearing mana exhaustion, and I hadn¡¯t killed my enemy. I¡¯d killed innocent people to try to stop its rampage before it started and I hadn¡¯t killed it. I just had to hope it lacked to power to regenerate from that. As it was, it could barely move its blackened limbs. All I need to do is rush in and finish it off with my bare claws.

    Oh, how wrong I was.

    I had just enough time to dodge partly out of the way before the mass surged at me with speed that beggared belief, flailing ruined limbs and screaming soundlessly with heads burned so completely they resembled warped skulls.

    The weight of the monstrosity slammed into me and I flew backwards, crashing into the edge of the pit and tumbling down. I dug my tail in, losing the spear tip somewhere, and landed in a stumbling half crouch.

    I glared up at the monstrosity and roared out my own, much more audible challenge. I will destroy you.

 Chapter 92: City in Flames

    The earthquake rocked the old warehouse, loose shingles raining down off the roof outside to crash and shatter on the damp boardwalk. Junk rained off decrepit tables and shelves, mixing with the trash on the floor. Lorton was thrown off balance and he watched Aretan and the man he was fighting both stumble. The Navanaean man grimaced, as his opponent¡¯s blade dug into his shoulder. The spry and nimble Nelys, unperturbed by whatever massive problem has just appeared elsewhere, drove their blade up and into Aretan¡¯s attacker¡¯s sternum.

    The man coughed, stumbled, and was kicked to the ground by Aretan, one hand holding his polearm and the other clutching his bleeding shoulder. The few remaining roughnecks looked just as confused as Lorton was in the aftermath of the shaking.

    That¡¯s either good news, or terrible news, thought Lorton grimly as he parried aside a sloppy attack and slashed his own blade across the attacker¡¯s arm. They¡¯d made a solid foothold into the complex where the mint was held, but encountered heavier resistance than he¡¯d expected.

    His group was fighting through the packed buildings¡¯ narrow hallways and cramped, rotting rooms of the densest part of upper Riverside. The mint was here, but the operation extended much further, and not all the people they¡¯d fought were Mudrats. The smell of the tide was soaked into the very timbers of places like this. Familiar and abhorrent in equal measure.

    Should¡¯ve brought more people. Like there were even more people to bring. He continued, fighting next to one of the few guards he could trust, two of whom now lay dying on the floor nearby. Shoulda, coulda, woulda¡­

    They were winning, but if this fight didn¡¯t seriously tip the balance in the city, there wouldn¡¯t be enough survivors to carry on fighting. Lockmoth would be swept away on a tide of corruption. Look at me, Lorton thought, I¡¯m getting poetic in the face of death. He parried again, and his partner landed a finishing blow.

    A glance at the odd duo of recruits showed them to be faring well. Nelys had defended Aretan while the man fashioned a strip of cloth into a rough bandage over his shoulder. Thankfully, the Navanaean man seemed able to move the limb. Losing the former merc captain would be a blow to their morale Lortan wasn¡¯t sure they could afford.

    Aftershocks rattled the building again. A few more shingles dropped; another good guard went down. Their enemies, however, were flagging. Why hadn¡¯t they run? Oh, sure, a few had, but what gave the others this kind of loyalty? What was the threat that kept them fighting?

    Not a minute later, Lorton and Nelys were tying up the last of the surrendered group. Among them was a small, rat-faced man who¡¯d tried to slink off until Nelys had kneecapped them. In between pained blubbering he shouted that ¡°his boss¡± would ¡°see all of you dead once the night was through.¡± Ominous, if it didn¡¯t come across as the ravings of a desperate sycophant.

    Officer Lorton glanced around the room at the dead and dying, jaw set and face hard. Great, another bad memory burned into my mind. Doesn¡¯t get any easier, he thought, but I don¡¯t get why they didn¡¯t surrender. They¡¯d just get sprung later anyway.¡±

    Those thoughts would have to wait. ¡°Nelys!¡± he shouted.

    The small rogue jumped to attention. ¡°Yeah, boss?¡±

    ¡°Go to the nearest church¡ªwe might be able to save some of these people. Tell them whatever you need to that¡¯ll get them down here.¡± Lorton glanced at Aretan whose shoulder wound had soaked the impromptu bandage with blood. The man¡¯s dark complexion looked a little pale in the flickering light.

    Nelys jumped up and started to dart off.

    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Lorton shouted and they stopped on a silver. ¡°Take Aretan with you. He¡¯ll need his shoulder looked at.¡±

    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Aretan started to object, then paused. ¡°I understand. I will be more use healed in case more fighting breaks out. I¡¯d give the same order to one of my own.¡±

    Lorton nodded. Good man. He watched to two of them go, glancing at the dull, rusted metal contraption that¡¯d blown this whole thing wide open. There¡¯s something else going on here, but I can¡¯t say what.

    ***

    Further away, Rodrik¡¯s team had just cleared out an auxiliary Mudrat base when the earthquake hit. There¡¯d been more resistance than he¡¯d thought¡ªsome other people with red accents instead of the usual gray. Good thing the Gelles Company branch master never did anything in half measures.

    As the rumble faded and he walked out into the night, he smelled burning and his eyes went wide. The demon. Shit. Zarenna must¡¯ve played us all!

    The Gelles Company branch leader didn¡¯t know exactly what the demon had planned, but he¡¯d never truly trusted her. She acted nice enough that she¡¯d almost fooled him. And now, he¡¯d have to pay the price for giving her a chance¡ªno, his city would.

    He turned to the smell of smoke and saw, over the buildings, a blinding flash edged green and crimson light up the night sky. That power. If Firalex and Zarenna hadn¡¯t been lying¡­ could he even stop her? Rodrik shook his head. He had to try.

    ¡°Company!¡± he shouted to the assembled mercs. ¡°Head to the fire. Those with magic weapons move first! I want the scouts to split off. Go inform the Church we¡¯ve a demon on the loose, get people awake and to safety, and let someone know the mess here needs cleaning up!¡± Then, under his breath he added, ¡°and may Dhias help us all.¡±

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    One woman with dark hair and a wicked set of scars under her eye, dashed off first. Her dark eyes were hard and wet.

    Rodrik turned and sprinted after her, the rest of his company following suit. The people they¡¯d left behind would probably live. Well, those who weren¡¯t already dead. He¡¯d lost a fair few of his own on this excursion but there¡¯d be even more hell to pay if he¡¯d led his people to death under false pretenses.

    I won¡¯t let her get away with this! Dhias, how could I have been so na?ve?

    ***

    The last of the company members stumbled back into the hallway just as the wave of rubble collapsed into the room where the tear had been. Fira had one of Seyari¡¯s arms around her shoulder and Salvador had the other.

    Their tired, hurt group stumbled and ran down the hallway, over the blackened corpses the demon Zarenna had left behind. Groans and cracks and a crash behind gave rise to a fear that the whole place would collapse and entomb them, but beyond the threshold, the ancient stonework held.

    Fira glanced down at the ¡°half-angel.¡± Silver hair stuck to her sweat-soaked face, her mouth placid in her unconsciousness. To drive oneself past the point of mana exhaustion¡­ Fira¡¯s thoughts drifted around the woman as they retreated farther inside. They suspected Seyari was more than half an angel, and to pull a spell like that off hinted at many years of combat training. Her mastery of several weapons added to the years in Fira¡¯s mind. She has to be older than she appears. Regardless of Seyari¡¯s true origins, now wasn¡¯t the time. Muffled thumps and a rushing sound shook bits of mortar out of the ceiling.

    ¡°Who¡¯s hurt?¡± Fira asked sharply.

    Several people raised their hands. Fire had seen Drin limping, the armored woman among the hands raised¡ªsituation serious enough to where bravado could be deadly. Someone had a clearly broken leg, leaned up against another. No other injuries looked severe at a glance.

    ¡°Healer¡¯s out of commission,¡± Fira shrugged Seyari lightly. More thumps pounded from far above. ¡°We move, then. Evidence can wait. If this place survives, we¡¯ll get it later and if it doesn¡¯t, we¡¯ll dig it out.¡±

    ¡°What of those we¡¯ve tied up down here?¡± Salvador asked from right next to her, still holding Seyari.

    ¡°Too much risk to take. I won¡¯t see anyone shanked, or an escape attempt doom us all. They knew their lot. We¡¯ll be back here later tonight if there¡¯s a ¡®here¡¯ later tonight.¡± Fira¡¯s throat felt dry as they said the words. The confidence didn¡¯t match their inner turmoil. Never gets easier.

    Salvador nodded and muttered a quiet prayer. Some of the others did the same.

    ¡°Alright, now move!¡± Fira shouted and stumbled forward, others falling in line. ¡°The way we came in¡¯s too close to the collapse, so we¡¯ll go out the way Zarenna¡¯s group came in. Keep open wounds out of the muck as best you can, and I¡¯ll make sure a healer looks everyone over as soon as we¡¯re out.¡±

    The room where Zarenna had entered had a Zarenna-shaped hole straight through the bricks, horn marks on the ceiling and all. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s on our side, Fira thought.

    They weren¡¯t the only one thinking about their new demon ally.

    ¡°Do you think she can win against that monster?¡± someone asked when they¡¯d made it into the noisome outer tunnel.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Tren answered, robes pulled up to his waist to keep them out of the muck. ¡°I hope so.¡±

    ¡°What even is she?¡± someone else asked. ¡°I¡¯ve fought a demon, once. Lesser thing still, but are all greater demons like her?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Fira answered. ¡°They really aren¡¯t.¡±

    ***

    Aretan raced through the packed city streets, shoulder throbbing angrily. He¡¯d tied the bloody sash tighter, but it hardly helped do more than staunch the bleeding.

    ¡°City guard!¡± he shouted. ¡°Make room!¡±

    No one listened. The panicked crowd surged away from where fire had lit up the night sky. A few people, far too curious for their own good, were headed toward the epicenter. Aretan had recognized Zarenna¡¯s flames in the sky while they were still fading away and heard a roar that sounded like his demon friend. But why? Surely she had good reason, but what of innocents? What is so dire that she was left with no other choice? Also, just how much stronger is she than the demon whom he saw felled by a single sting from a titan scorpion?

    Questions surged in time to the throbbing of his shoulder. Ahead, Nelys darted through the crowd, sheathed knife in a reverse grip. A poke there, a nudge there, and they helped part the crowd for the injured former merc.

    A smell best described as burning rotted fish (which it may well have been) drifted from where the fire had erupted. There was little heat on the wind with it, thankfully, and no plumes of dark smoke threatened to blot out the stars that peeked through the scattered clouds high above. The moon was half tonight¡ªjust enough light to see by.

    Aretan strode quickly on, drawing ever closer. The crowed thinned as he and Nelys approached. A glance behind saw several figures in red and white robes moving through the crowd in the same direction. The Church of Dhias.

    They were a few blocks back, farther up the hill Aretan and Nelys were now running free down. We have to get there before them and warn Zarenna. And find out what horrible thing has happened.

    Someone from the last of the crowd shouted for Aretan¡¯s attention. He was an elderly man helped along by a younger woman who bore a familial resemblance.

    ¡°Stop!¡± he shouted. ¡°There¡¯s demons fighting ahead! You¡¯ll be killed!¡±

    Aretan shook his head. ¡°I think¡ª¡±

    ¡°We have to help the good one!¡± Nelys interrupted with a sharp nod.

    ¡°The good one? Bo-la-you! There¡¯s no such thing!¡±

    ¡°Father,¡± the woman said, ¡°she saved us.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t save my¡ªmy¡­¡± the old man¡¯s words died in tears.

    ¡°We need to go. I¡¯m sorry,¡± the woman shook her head at Aretan and Nelys. She helped the old man get moving again.

    ¡°Go.¡± Aretan nodded and grabbed for his polearm as a boom shook the street.

    The woman nodded tearfully and moved quickly with the old man down the street and away. Wordlessly, Aretan and Nelys took off again, their speed renewed. What did Zarenna save those two from? The ground shook intermittently as they approached. The heavy-hitting sounds of martial combat echoed around the eerily quiet streets. Everyone who was fleeing had already cleared out of this last block. Aretan and Nelys weren¡¯t the first to arrive, and they pushed through the spectators, revealing a scene of utter destruction.

    Zarenna, visibly injured, was facing down what could only be described as a charred monstrosity of raw flesh and bone. The other demon, for that was all it could be, was still somehow alive and fighting despite looking like the leavings of a butcher shop. Its two heads, one partially smashed, had jaws open in wordless screams.

    Aretan glanced at Nelys and offered a prayer to Aena.

    Nelys hand fiddled with their azure pendant nervously. ¡°We gotta help her!¡±

    That it was suicide to enter the ring whose edge still flickered with green-tinged crimson flames need not have been spoken.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure out a way,¡± Aretan replied, forcing surety into his voice. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have to fight alone.¡±

 Chapter 93: Burnout

    I took a knee, panting. How the hell isn¡¯t this thing dead? I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath! Shouldn¡¯t I be stronger? The kaleidoscopic aura of the demon in front of me was a shuddering, warping mess and its body was ravaged to the point where one could be forgiven for thinking its appearance had once been humanoid.

    Flames licked around me, protecting my modesty and my body both. Try as I might to shout, roar or otherwise scare them off, foolhardy spectators had lined the edges of the deepening pit we fought in. The other demon, thankfully, was wholly engrossed with me. That didn¡¯t stop me from having to save two people who fell in but moments ago.

    My mana was nearly exhausted, and the minor injuries I didn¡¯t heal were quickly adding up. One of my arms was at least partially broken, and one of my horns had snapped off. My own burning blood littered the ash-covered ground and mixed with the charred bits that had sloughed off the other demon, who had thankfully stopped regenerating. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d win this battle of attrition.

    How am I so weak!?

    As my wrath washed out, I brushed against the fury of the spectators. I¡¯d been so focused, I hadn¡¯t noticed, but now their emotion became obvious. The thing I was facing wasn¡¯t aware enough for its anger to be a true coherent thing¡ªit was more a force of nature for all its wrath. The people watching were not all there out of morbid curiosity; many had lost a home or loved one tonight. Right here in this charred arena.

    I drew on their anger as the monstrosity and I clashed again. I was sent flying, but as I drew warm wrath, I felt my mana reserves swell. My broken arm snapped back into place and by the time I¡¯d rolled upright and out of the way of a great crashing limb, my broken horn was tingling as it regrew.

    In a large battle, this would be¡­

    I understood, in a moment, how wrath demons could be particularly feared. With a fresh roar, I twisted to the side of a thrusting, broken limb, batted another away with my tail, and dove toward the demonic monstrosity¡¯s center of mass.

    I clawed and punched, but for all the anger I¡¯d drained, I was still on the verge of mana exhaustion. The fire on my body burned the thing¡¯s red, bloody flesh black, and with a great wrenching twist, I pulled one of the largest limbs off, snapping it at the shoulder. The thing¡¯s roar was still soundless as its main head resembled more a skull than a face, but I could feel the wheezing from whatever sort of lungs it still had working.

    The monstrosity tried to bat me away, but I resisted, claws digging into bone. Muscles straining, I grabbed on with my lower arms and my tail and pulled. The limb tore free with a crackling pop. There¡¯s no way this thing can regrow limbs when it¡¯s so injured, right?¡±

    I threw the limb away, eyes following its arc as it crashed into the side of our sunken arena. My gaze caught a familiar pair of figures on the rim. Aretan? Nelys? They were watching close up. Nelys cheered me on, and after a moment, Aretan did too. A few other people followed suit, but most stayed quiet. I dodged another swipe, missing the opportunity to counterattack for my distraction.

    Then I felt a great fury on the edge of my awareness. I drew on it, and the anger flared and resisted. I was shocked for a moment, then I broke through their defenses and sapped the emotion, strength swelling within me. And they weren¡¯t the only one.

    I glanced up, near Aretan and Nelys, at the source of the fury. A man in white and red robes flanked by a half dozen other men and women in similar garb stood at the edge of the pit. They¡¯re with the Church of Dhias. Uh-oh. Each held anger in themselves, closely guarded.

    ¡°Everyone! Get back from the demons!¡± the man I¡¯d drained first shouted. For a moment, no one moved, except for my opponent. ¡°Do you want to die today?¡± he added, hitting his staff on the ground.

    There was magic in his voice, amplifying it so it echoed around to everyone present. Most of the spectators backed away, and some took off running. Aretan and Nelys took a step back but stayed, their attention now on the church folk.

    I drained a bit more anger from the resisting church mages before their leader raised his hand and swung it down at the pit. Lances of holy magic, blades of wind, bolts of fire and a spike of rock flew toward myself and the other demon.

    Eyes wide, I kicked off the still-smoking rubble and rolled narrowly out of the way of the holy magic¡ªstraight into the wind and fire. The fire magic washed over me, ineffective, but the wind cut down to the bone. Foreign magic fought against my healing, but was thankfully overpowered.

    The demonic monstrosity took the worse hit, holy magic lancing off another limb. And for the first time that night, I lost its undivided attention.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I yelled, scrabbling up the loose side of the pit. I pushed my magic to heal my latest wounds and gained speed as muscles rejoined and my legs started to work properly again. I could only imagine the agony if I felt pain the same way a human did. Really, the injuries just served to make me even more furious.

    The monstrosity reached the rim before me, clawing its way up with broken, burned, mangled limbs. The other demon hissed like the flame in a dying forge, moving air through ruined throats.  One of the church figures from the back stepped forward, sword ready and shield up. What I¡¯d taken for robes turned out to be a tabard over armor.

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    Her sword glowed with holy light, but the sheer bulk of the beast that slammed into her was too much. Her sword slashed out, nearly severing one of the things remaining limbs, but as the bulk crashed into her, she slid back, then fell to one knee.

    The monstrosity rolled over her as I sprinted the last meters. A limb, hardly more than a bone spike, thrust toward her head even as the bulk of the monstrous demon started to roll over her. The others had hardly taken a step back and hastily fired spells hit just as the monstrosity¡¯s flailing limbs threw forward at the fragile humans.

    I reached them before the monstrosity took yet another life tonight. Body still wreathed in fire, I grabbed the thing¡¯s limb, stopping it hardly a centimeter away from the woman¡¯s eye. My three other hands dug claws into the offending limb up and down its length, giving me grip for what I was about to try. Pulling on the fury around me and mixing it with my own, I heaved and roared, jerking the monstrosity back from its soon-to-be victims.

    The limb cracked, but held. Surprised at even my own strength, I whirled, pulling my counterweight tail just up and over the stunned paladin. At the height of momentum, I turned downward toward the pit and threw the other demon as hard as I could at the rubble-covered bottom. The monstrous demon flew through the air and toward the floor of the pit with startling speed. Its body connected with an immense bang punctuated by the cracking of bone.

    For a moment, I met the paladin¡¯s stunned eyes, and then I spun past and down, kicking off the rim and over the remaining licks of flame. I sailed through the air at nearly the same speed as the demon I¡¯d thrown, two fists held forward, arms rigid. Struggling as it was, the other demon took the force of my fists straight on its main skull.

    The monstrosity¡¯s entire head shattered. I grabbed a shoulder with one lower arm as I sailed past, turning the thing with my tail. I gripped it with my other arms and brought it overhead and down onto the charred stone, carrying all the momentum of my charge through and into this next hit.

    Bam!

    I turned, used my tail to counterweight, brought it over my head, and slammed it down again.

    Bam!

    And again. And again.

    Bam! Bam! Bam!

    The church mages, unfortunately, weren¡¯t idle. More magic from the church landed, this time finding home on my body as well as the monstrosity. Holy magic burned through my flesh, but I was lost in the moment. I pulled on any anger, any fury I could find¡ªonly barely aware enough not to damage anyone.

    Each time I slammed the other demon down, my claws dug deeper and my flames charred its body closer and closer to whatever this thing had for a heart. With a cracking, tearing sound, its odd torso opened, and I tore my way inside, ripping and tearing and burning and roaring. Somewhere, I had found the heart, or whatever had kept the thing going. I crushed the organ between my hands.

    The monstrosity died, and its body exploded, chunks of charred flesh and bone sent radiating up and out of the pit. I was sent flying as well, the last of the demonic-tinged mana swirling chaotically, more violent than I could deal with.

    I hit the rim of the pit and tumbled back down. I could feel bits of stone poking into holes where I shouldn¡¯t have holes. More magic was thrown down at me, ravaging my already damaged body. Blackness crept into the edges of my vision.

    No no no! Not now! Not yet!

    ¡°Go Renna! You got it!¡± I heard Nelys¡¯s voice through the haze.

    ¡°She¡¯s on our side!¡± Aretan shouted concernedly.

    I forced myself to move¡ªroll, dodge, anything. Some of the magic missed. Still more hit me. I rolled to the bottom of the pit and splayed out in a pile of charred demon bits. The fire clothing me flickered and faded out, the dregs of my mana using themselves to try to repair my dying body.

    Dying.

    I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m dying.

    I tried to summon more anger to pull to save myself, but I was too damn tired. I was far away at the bottom of the pit¡ªwhen did it get so deep, so dark?

    I heard a shout¡ªno words, just a voice. The familiar voice reverberated around my head, pushing the blackness back. Seyari? I felt her fury. Raw, bright, familiar and so incredibly pure in its vitriol, its scorn.

    I don¡¯t. No¡­

    She was spent, hurt. If she fought, then everything¡ªand I¡ªand we¡­

    One of my limbs twitched, then another and another. I drank of Seyari¡¯s anger and fury, willing her calmer. Just enough to take the edge off. Just enough to maybe help everyone see reason. The pit around me brightened, and the fog started to clear from my thoughts.

    Oh, there¡¯s the pain.

    I could hardly stand for the agony, but I managed to claw my way upright. My one working eye, blurry as it was, showed a standoff at the rim of the pit. I heard Fira and Rodrik shouting too. Why would they¡­? Their anger felt genuine.

    I stumbled toward them, pulling on fury and rage. Up on the rim of the pit, I saw shoulders relax slightly as I took their fury. Vitriol and curses from both sides curbed their intensity while my thoughts started to wage an internal argument of their own.

    Don¡¯t take too much.

    But I¡¯m so damn hungry and tired!

    No! You¡¯re better than that! Have some dang control, Zarenna.

    I¡ªyou¡¯re¡ªI¡¯m right. I have control.

    With just enough functional limbs to move, I ascended the cliffside. The noise of my climbing drew attention. Tension rose again, and with it the arguing.

    ¡°No¡­stop¡­¡± I mumbled hoarsely. ¡°It¡¯s over. We don¡¯t¡­ need to fight.¡±

    All eyes were on me when I reached the rim. The church folk had stepped back from the edge and six pairs of eyes locked onto mine. Fira, Rodrik, and a big, big group of company mercs stood at the ready. Five people reached for me: Seyari took one arm, then Salvador and Aretan, then Taava, and Nelys pulled my limp, broken tail up out of the pit, too.

    My friends all helped me to my feet and Seyari planted a chaste kiss on the side of my cheek. I could feel her lips against my teeth. Her breath tickled and tingled with lingering holy magic, but not unpleasantly. At least, in a relative sense. I was still in too much agony to think straight, but I knew I must have looked quite the sight.

    ¡°Please,¡± I wheezed, ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight.¡± I coughed hard, spitting blood that sizzled when it hit the blackened cobbles. ¡°That thing¡¯s dead.¡±

    Nelys hugged my waist protectively.

    ¡°Stand aside,¡± the church leader spoke curtly, patience long gone. ¡°Don¡¯t let that thing into your heads. We¡¯ll kill it and get all the rest of you cleared tonight.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Seyari stated, drawing (and I presumed not for the first time) the line in the sand. I sagged against her, Salvador and Aretan straining to keep both me and the exhausted half-angel upright.

    ¡°If I may,¡± Fira interrupted, looking to a silent Rodrik who nodded hesitantly. They took a deep breath, letting the pause lengthen. ¡°Zarenna Miller there is an employee of the Gelles Company and a citizen of Ordia. As such, she is under our protection.¡± Into the stunned silence, they added, ¡°What exactly has she done wrong?¡±

    I heard a response, but the words decayed into mush as the last of my magic ran out and I collapsed into my friends¡¯ arms.

 Chapter 94: Total Dork

    Officer Lorton glanced at the pile of paperwork and heaved a rattling sigh. His breath hitched and the sigh turned into chuckles, and then chuckles into a full-blown belly laugh. Too much. It was all just too much. Collapsing back into his chair, he thought back to last night. Well, this current night if the barest hints of morning red outside were any indication. He was still in his dirt-covered clothes and sweat pulled them tight around him in the morning chill.

    Tonight had been all too absurd: tragedy, death and destruction. Demon fighting demon in the streets. Over a dozen people were dead in the pit down in Riverside. The burnt hole had filled with water when the tide came in, silencing any cries to search for those who might have still been alive down there. Lorton knew there was nothing alive down there when the tide came in. Whatever heat that demon Zarenna had magicked up melted the stone.

    Four city blocks¡ªgone. Half the city guard¡ªimplicated for corruption. A quarter of Lockmoth¡¯s nobility¡ªpacking their bags and set to flee.

    The captain of the guard, his boss, had tried to pin the whole thing on anyone and everyone: Zarenna, her friends, the Gelles Company, and Lorton himself. And it didn¡¯t stick! It didn¡¯t stick! Just a few hours ago, Lorton didn¡¯t think he¡¯d live to see the sunrise. He still might not, but he¡¯d be dancing in his grave if he did die.

    Lorton wasn¡¯t privy to all the details of what transpired¡ªhe wasn¡¯t that lucky, or that well connected. But he knew that dozens of eyewitness accounts and a pressured Church of Dhias had rebuffed the former guard captain¡¯s claims. The final nail in the coffin for the former guard captain was the evidence Lorton had squirreled away for years finally coming to light: a huge cache that incriminated the guard captain, much of the city guard, and some of the nobility to boot.

    Lorton patted himself on the back for that one. All the paranoia had been worth it. An awful victory for the lives lost, but this stack of paperwork in front of him would bring the best day of Lorton¡¯s life as far as he was concerned. All the reports and filings and the final touches on sweeping away the worst of the city¡¯s corruption. The Mudrats were about wiped out, too, and the Bleeders had taken a heavy hit. On top of all that, a man high up in the Mudrats, a wiry, rat-like man named Vink, had been captured alive.

    Free from many of the obstructions that had threatened to sink Lockmoth under the tide, today was when the real work began. Lorton started in on the paperwork, wishing only for more comfortable clothes and a cup of tea. As the guard officer worked, his thoughts bounced around and landed on that demon woman, Zarenna.

    Dozens of people had seen Zarenna acting selflessly¡ªor claimed to have been saved by her. Lorton hadn¡¯t been there, but if Nelys was to be believed, that demon woman saved a hundred people and killed a demonic monstrosity as big as a house. The church couldn¡¯t kill her outright after a showing even a tenth as impressive and public as that. Especially with the Gelles Company claiming protection.

    Unless the nobility got involved, things could still turn into a fight¡ªand the church was weak in Lockmoth, a double-edged echo of the city¡¯s corruption. On top of that, Firalex had claimed Zarenna had Ordian citizenship, which would, on paper, prevent the church from certain action against her without imperial approval. That couldn¡¯t possibly be true that Zarenna is a citizen though, could it? Lorton thought. They certainly don¡¯t give demons citizenship, and if it was given in error to a demon¡¯s human guise, it wouldn¡¯t be valid. There had to be a reason, but Lorton supposed that was the least of his concerns right now. Although he did wish her well. As terrifying as she looked, Zarenna hadn¡¯t nearly been so scary in conversation¡ªdownright pleasant, even.

    And she sure knew how to pick friends. Lorton held the quill in the inkpot and, for a moment, debated taking just a few minutes break to freshen up. With a dry chuckle, he shook his head and pulled the quill back out of the inkpot, setting it down against the page. No break just yet; there was a job to finish.

    ***

    ¡°Hey Renna, hold still!¡± Abby pouted. ¡°I¡¯m gonna mess up if you keep twitching!¡± She was young and small. I felt small too, the stool overlarge under me.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± I complained, squirming again and sending the makeup brush across my nose. Seyari was pulling my hair too hard trying to get it set in twin braids.

    Abby huffed and turned to the half angel. ¡°Sey! Be gentler! You¡¯re hurting Renna!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Seyari batted Abby with a white fluffy wing. ¡°Renna¡¯s a tough girl.¡±

    ¡°You two gonna fight?¡± Taava said from somewhere off in the fog. ¡°¡¯Cause my bet¡¯s on Abigail. No goody-two-shoes angel could take a real knight down.¡±

    I looked up again and Abby¡¯s makeup brush shifted into a gleaming sword. Abigail Hunter, my best friend, stood in full, shining armor. Her regal demeanor cracked when she gave me a lopsided smile and a thumbs up.

    I glanced at Seyari and Taava, and found all of us to be standing in a forest¡ªone I recognized from my childhood. The kazzel was dressed in an explosion of colorful frills and posed coquettishly, while Seyari wore a suit of armor similar to Abby¡¯s, except for her massive white wings that stood proud and glowing behind her.

    ¡°Wake up,¡± Abby said.

    I looked at Abby again and watched her form resolve into Kartania. Shadows lengthened, the forest around us now dark and ominous.

    ¡°Wake up,¡± my sister said with a sad smile, her voice sounding foreign.

    The dream faded into fuzz, then the reddish blackness of my eyelids. I opened my eyes, expecting to find my sister, or someone standing over me and telling me to wake up. All I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.

    I could feel that I was in a bed, and a pretty nice one at that. Or, at least, it had been nice. My claws had shredded the sheets and my horns had punctured the pillow. I dulled them reflexively and looked from the unfamiliar ceiling to my sides.

    A head of silver hair lay slumped against the side of the bed near my chest, breathing softly. Seyari. I sat up slowly, and realized my nakedness as the sheet fell away from me. With one of my lower arms, I covered my chest, and then I looked around the room. Through the shutters, the red glow of morning was just starting to seep through the cracks. A change of clothes lay neatly folded on a dresser nearby the bed.

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    Without a sound, I slid out from the sheets and toward the clothes. Despite my best efforts my claws tapped on the wood floor as I walked, and my girlfriend stirred.

    ¡°Renna?¡± she mumbled, still half asleep. ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    ¡°Sleepwalking,¡± I replied cheekily, a soft smile playing across my lips.

    Seyari smiled softly at that, then sat bolt upright, awake in an instant. Gold eyes full of worry looked me up and down. ¡°You look a mess. A hot mess, but a mess.¡±

    I looked down and saw a mass of scars and scabs and bruises across my still-naked body. ¡°I¡¯m still pretty tired, but I think I¡¯m in one piece. Did my horn grow back?¡±

    Seyari¡¯s golden eyes flicked up and she moved her silver hair out of her face. ¡°Yeah. It still looks chipped though. We need to go downstairs¡ªnow. They¡¯ll have heard us talking, so I won¡¯t be able to stall.¡±

    ¡°They?¡± I asked, hurriedly pulling on the too-small clothes that had been set aside for me. Holes had been hastily cut for my arms, and my tail pushed through a similar alteration in the trousers, tearing them only slightly.

    ¡°The Church, the Gelles Company, and a representative from Lockmoth¡¯s nobility,¡± Seyari replied anxiously. ¡°Everyone important in the city knows, or is going to know what you¡ªwe are.¡±

    How much did Mordwell tell the Church of Dhias about us? Did he spread lies or keep silent? I was still alive and unshackled, and Seyari had no apparent issues, so hopefully we were clear. I can¡¯t risk asking about it right now. My anxiety ratcheted up another several notches.

    Trying to keep the rising tension out of my shoulders, I walked over and helped Seyari up from where she¡¯d been kneeling by my bedside. ¡°Thanks for staying up to watch over me, but you could¡¯ve lain on the bed with me.¡±

    Seyari shook her head, frizzed silver hair flowing oddly into place. ¡°Not with your claws still sharp. Besides, even if you didn¡¯t move, I¡¯d have fallen asleep too with how tired I was.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you weren¡¯t asleep a moment ago?¡± I teased, taking a step toward the room¡¯s only door.

    Seyari blushed. ¡°Fine, you win.¡±

    I smiled, then sighed and pulled my face as neutral as I could muster. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s own smile faded and she took one of my hands in hers. ¡°Soon.¡±

    ¡°This conversation¡¯s going to suck, isn¡¯t it?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but think of how many times I¡¯d dreamed of the chance I have now downstairs. But I didn¡¯t want it to be like this. Not with so many dead.

    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± Seyari put her hand on the doorhandle and I stopped her.

    ¡°How many dead?¡± I asked quietly.

    ¡°Thirteen missing, presumed dead. There¡¯s probably more, but the pit filled with the tide, and it¡¯s deep enough that it won¡¯t fully drain.¡± Seyari squeezed my hand tighter, cutting off my protest. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ but I could¡¯ve done more. Maybe saved a few more people, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± she pressed a finger to my lips. ¡°Not. Your. Fault. You did what you could, Renna. And you also taught me this same damn lesson when we were wandering the desert. Don¡¯t make me teach it back to you, you dense demon. You saved so many people last night. What do you think would¡¯ve happened if that thing had gotten loose?¡±

    My brain¡¯s frantic scrabbling stopped dead. ¡°It, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Now stop with the survivor¡¯s guilt and get down there.¡± She pulled open the door before I could voice another protest.

    A woman stumbled forward from the sudden jerk of the door opening out from under her. Reflexively I caught her with my upper arms and she glanced up at me, eyes suddenly afraid.

    ¡°It¡¯s not polite to eavesdrop,¡± Seyari said coldly.

    ¡°You¡¯re the paladin from last night!¡± I interjected, helping the woman up. She had the same light blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, and she was at least as tall as Seyari, even without armor. ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna, but you probably already heard that through the door.

    Seyari glowered at me and I gave her a side-eyed glare right back. No fighting.

    The paladin, in her underpadding, glanced away and coughed. ¡°Yes, right. I¡¯m Inva. As for why I was listening in, we have to make sure there¡¯s no duplicity. The Church of Dhias doesn¡¯t deal with demons, and it¡¯s unprecedented we¡¯d even so much as ignore one¡¯s presence.¡±

    ¡°Understandable,¡± I shrugged, to Inva¡¯s obvious surprise. ¡°I¡¯d have done the same. Which way to the meeting?¡±

    ¡°Right, yes.¡± She stood straight and pointed down the hallway. ¡°This way. Follow me.¡±

    Inva¡¯s voice was formal, and with an accent that suggested she was from the same southeasterly region of Ordia that her complexion hinted at. Seyari and I, still holding hands, followed her down the stairs and through what I quickly realized was someone¡¯s house¡ªand a fairly nice one.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked at the bottom of the stairs.

    ¡°A nearby property owned by Lord Phelian. His representative is here with us now.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about the sheets then,¡± I admitted sheepishly.

    Inva turned around to look up at me. ¡°The sheets?¡±

    I scratched at a horn, claw sticking in the chips along the ridged bone¡¯s length. ¡°Yeah, my claws and horns did a number on them, and I¡¯m pretty sure my blood burned some holes in them, too.¡±

    ¡°Right, sheets, yes,¡± Inva mumbled and continued leading us to a door at the end of a short hall.

    Inside was a sitting room packed with people. The ambient conversation stopped dead when I tried to walk in. I was so caught up in the moment, that I forgot to duck and my horns cracked into the top of the doorframe. I stumbled backward awkwardly, Seyari and Inva catching me.

    ¡°Oh geez, sorry!¡± I winced and reached up to feel the deep dents I¡¯d made in the wood. I didn¡¯t think a silent room could get any more silent, but this one somehow managed. ¡°So,¡± I started, ¡°you all wanted to talk to me?¡±

    ***

    ¡°So,¡± Zarenna looked around nervously, ¡°you all wanted to talk to me?¡±

    She had one hand behind her, feeling the top of the doorframe her horns had just bumped into, another intertwined with Seyari, and the last two fidgeting nervously in front of her. Fira snorted trying to hold back a laugh.

    The paladin, Inva, gawped at her, as did the other church members. If only Rodrik were here, Fira mused (although they were glad he wasn¡¯t). The representative of Lord Phelian was wide-eyed, although the awkwardness of the wrath demon¡¯s entrance had jarred him out of the trance-like state of fear he¡¯d been in. In fact, with a nervous cough, he was the one to break the silence.

    ¡°P-please have a seat, Miss¡­¡± he trailed off and looked to Firalex.

    ¡°Miller,¡± Fira stated. ¡°Zarenna Miller.¡±

    The representative nodded, and gestured to an empty stuffed chair.

    Once again, Fira found themselves hoping against hope Zarenna hadn¡¯t given an alias. It would take time to verify identity and citizenship, but that time was limited. She¡¯d said she¡¯d died and come back as a demon, so everything should be fine, right?

    Zarenna sat down and Seyari stood next to her, their hands finally parting. The chair creaked a little, and Zarenna had to shift forward and to one side to make room to curl her tail around and down by her legs. The tip extended out past her feet, spade twitching nervously on the floor. Any intimidation she could have had achieved was ruined by the way her black and blue slitted eyes danced nervously around the assembled crowd, and how one of her wickedly sharp teeth teased her lower lip.

    Seyari, however, stood cold and stoic next to her partner. Eyeing the crowd with tired eyes that still managed a convincing ¡°I dare you to try something¡± look, the half-angel cut quite the opposite figure. Hot and cold, in a way. A reversal of assumptions in another. Fira already had to field questions about Seyari the half-angel, but the priest had seemed satisfied with their answers. While half-angels were usually with the church, it wasn¡¯t unheard of for one to go unnoticed.

    A quick glance at the priest and his entourage, whom Inva had quietly joined, showed that they were equally confused. They must be trying to figure out what kind of act this is and what greater machination is going on, Fira thought triumphantly.

    If only they knew. If only they knew Zarenna was simply a total dork.

 Chapter 95: Allies/Enemies

    ¡°Describe for us what happened last night,¡± the church leader opened, ¡°from the beginning.¡± He was man of average breadth that spoke of good diet and self-care. Slightly receded dark brown hair gave his severe widow¡¯s peak an exaggerated intensity, and his bushy eyebrows contrasted sharply with his well-trimmed mustache and beard. Dark, intense eyes studied me. His red and white vestments were still, showing a kind of practiced calm in his posture.

    I nodded, trying and failing to hide my nervousness. This wasn¡¯t just people staring at me. This was powerful people staring at me who could, would, and will make decisions that affect my future dramatically. The normal confidence my own strength and abilities gave me didn¡¯t apply right here in this room. There was no taking the wrath demon way out of this one, even if I wanted to. Which I vehemently didn¡¯t.

    Clearing my throat unnecessarily, I began. ¡°The joint operation between the city guard and the Gelles Company had just started and my group was moving through the Underwash toward the Mudrat base their leader Garvin was suspected to be hiding out in. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Earlier,¡± the same man cut me off.

    I glared at him to little effect, but started my story earlier. He had me describe the details of the contract (not last night) and how I came to be employed by the Gelles Company (also not last night).

    ¡°Can you confirm your name, Zarenna Miller, is accurate and will be found in the citizenship records of Ordia?¡± His tone was monotonous, but cold as the Linthel river in winter.

    We haven¡¯t even gotten to last night! What gives?

    ¡°Will you know if I¡¯m lying?¡± I asked, frustration leeching into my tone of voice.

    ¡°Yes,¡± came the curt reply.

    ¡°My name¡­¡± I trailed off and froze. My name wouldn¡¯t be Zarenna Miller. Somewhere in Linthel was a headstone with my old, dead name on it. My head spun and I struggled to keep it together, but I somehow managed.

    ¡°Continue, please,¡± the church leader said, affecting a tone both bored and frustrated.

    I wanted to lash out, but Seyari grabbed one of my hands and held firm. ¡°Her name isn¡¯t the story of last night,¡± she said icily.

    ¡°Correct. And mind your tongue,¡± the church man spoke again. He fixed the half angel with an intense glare, a twitch of his hands and a twist of his mustache the only outward signs of his well-disciplined anger.

    Seyari¡¯s own anger flared, but I kept both of ours in check.

    ¡°Miller was my surname before I died,¡± I confirmed. ¡°There was a huge fire in Linthel nine years ago¡ªyou should know about it. I was killed by a hired hand of an inquisitor named Finley. If my body was found, it would have been by the well on Baker Street.¡±

    The room¡¯s occupants couldn¡¯t hide their surprise. Firalex looked vindicated, but also curious. Inva¡¯s eyes closed in thought, and the leader of her group looked at me with an even harder expression. The acolytes behind him, shifted nervously.

    ¡°The traitor, yes,¡± the man¡¯s voice dripped venom. ¡°He will be found and dealt with. But,¡± his dark eyes met mine, searching, ¡°the demon created that night from that foul, blasphemous, evil ritual has already been dispatched.¡± I opened my mouth, but he continued, ¡°and I need your first name, not just your surname. There are many Millers in Linthel, Miss Miller.¡±

    So Isidore was right! There was another demon created! My surprise at that revelation quickly settled into a pit in my stomach. My first name. The old me. The me whose body was all wrong.

    I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. ¡°My creation as a demon was not an intended part of the ritual. I found an amulet bearing a symbol from before Linthel¡¯s unification with Ordia, and I interrupted the ritual before I died.¡±

    ¡°Why did you interrupt the ritual?¡± Inva asked quickly, then clamped her mouth shut at a glare from her superior.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he repeated, ¡°why did you interrupt? And your name?¡±

    I furrowed my brow, digging up ancient, half-repressed memories. ¡°I had to buy time for my sister to escape. I¡¯d twisted my ankle earlier and I fell and there wasn¡¯t time to run away anymore, so I ran at Finley. I didn¡¯t make it, and when I died, the amulet did something.¡±

    ¡°I see. Name.¡± This time it wasn¡¯t a question.

    ¡°Zacharias,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Zacharias?¡± the man repeated, bushy eyebrows rising in visible surprise. ¡°That¡¯s a man¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°Well, that was my old name. My new name is Zarenna Miller. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t given my name until I¡¯d already died.¡±

    I watched Fira¡¯s eyes widen in understanding. They gripped the edge of their chair, knuckles whitening.

    ¡°So you¡¯re a different person, then,¡± the church leader hadn¡¯t phrased it like a question.

    I shook my head and dug my claws into the plush chair, earning a wince from the noble representative. ¡°No. Same person as always. My best friend gave me this name. I may never have gotten to use it while I was alive as a human, but I¡¯m not going to let her sacrifice be in vain. She gave her soul so that I could have this chance at life that I am living right now.¡±

    ¡°Interesting fantasy.¡± The man leaned forward and steepled his well-manicured hands. ¡°But were you a man before?¡±

    I took a moment to phrase my reply. ¡°My body was male, yes. But I wasn¡¯t.¡±

    His mouth quirked downward. ¡°You¡¯re one of them, then.¡±

    ¡°Them?¡± I quirked an eyebrow and showed teeth.

    Beside me, Seyari¡¯s anger lit a blaze and Fira¡¯s wasn¡¯t far behind it. The representative of Lord Phelian, a rotund man with octagonal spectacles and a surprisingly thick shock of graying blond hair, started to sweat visibly.

    ¡°Priest Herron, enough,¡± Fira demanded, giving a name to the combative man. ¡°You¡¯ve heard enough about her name. How dare you make her bare her life story to a man who hadn¡¯t even so much as given her his own name!¡±

    ¡°She, or he?¡± Herron accused.

    ¡°Sir¡ª¡± Inva started

    ¡°She.¡± Seyari asserted. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be unfamiliar with the concept. Zarenna¡¯s far from the only one in her position. It¡¯s common knowledge not everyone falls into the role of ¡®him¡¯ or ¡®her¡¯ and you don¡¯t seem to have a problem with that.¡±

    The priest¡¯s steepled hands twitched and he scowled. ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not going against¡ª¡±

    ¡°Against what,¡± Fira asserted.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be intimidated,¡± Herron replied, forcing his voice calm. His hands balled into fists, then slowly returned to the arms of the chair, twitching. I could feel his anger too, running higher as he was challenged.

    ¡°Sir, I¡ª¡± Inva tried again. I could feel her anger skyrocketing as well, and I suddenly wanted to know more about the amiable paladin.

    ¡°Not now,¡± Herron brushed her off and she glared at him. He looked at me and spoke with a voice dripping scorn. ¡°So, Zacharias Miller lived and died in Linthel and you¡¯re a demon who is masquerading as an offshoot of who he was. A walking blasphemy to his life.¡±

    My control of my wrath was all that kept me from leaping out of my chair and tearing Herron¡¯s head from his body. I forced a breath in and out, a lick of flame escaping despite my exhausted state. The claws on my feet dug runnels in the floorboards. Next to me, Seyari glowed uncomfortably brightly, her holy warmth both burning and soothingly familiar.

    ¡°Are you saying,¡± Firalex spoke in a dangerous, quiet tone, ¡°that the Church of Dhias does not recognize the legitimacy of the leadership of the Gelles Company?¡±

    ¡°Where did that come from? Of course, the church does.¡± Herron huffed. ¡°Your case is different. Language can¡¯t adequately express¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about myself, Herron,¡± Firalex said with forced calm. I¡¯m talking about Xavien, the leader of the whole of the Gelles Company. He wouldn¡¯t want to work with someone who didn¡¯t recognize who he was.¡±

    Herron¡¯s bravado took a hit, and his voice lost its sharp edge. ¡°Well, this is a different sort of thing. She¡¯s a demon and he¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± Inva blurted out. ¡°What of me?¡±

    ¡°What of you Inva?¡± Herron said, now fully tired and frustrated. ¡°You¡¯ve performed well in line with expectations since your transfer here last year.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the same as she is.¡± Inva pointed to me. ¡°Not a demon, but I used magic and herbs. And if I were in her place, I¡¯d let the rest of the city burn before I poured out my life story and told my dead name to someone as antagonistic as you.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re¡ª¡± Herron started.

    ¡°I¡¯m what?¡± Inva cut him off.

    The two of them glared daggers at each other. Sweat stains were spreading from the armpits of Lord Phelian¡¯s representative and the four acolytes looked desperately like they wanted to merge even farther into the background than they already were.

    A fight here would be bad. I siphoned the anger from the room, feeling my strength surge even as the tension dropped into confusion and standoffishness. My remaining injuries healed over as my mana returned¡ªa bright fiery core lit once again deep inside me.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Inva¡¯s a woman,¡± I answered for Herron. ¡°Same as me. It¡¯s not a hard concept. Yeah, my journey¡¯s a bit different, but we¡¯re both who we are. Look up that old, dead name of mine that I gave you. You¡¯ll find it if the records are still around.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Herron asked, cold fatigue lacing his words, unable to summon more fury.

    I smiled, showing a hint of teeth. ¡°I ate everyone¡¯s anger. Delicious, but no substitute for real food. Though I do have to say I appreciate being able to heal away the last of the night¡¯s aches and pains.¡± I stretched. ¡°Are you going to accept this, or do you want to cause a problem?¡±

    The representative paled, and Herron¡¯s acolytes who¡¯d stayed quiet thus far started to whisper doubts I heard clear as day. Inva stayed resolutely silent, thought I noticed that her gaze slipped over to me.

    Herron hesitated a moment before replying, finding his confidence again. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I replied with an easy shrug. ¡°I would. Really. I want to live in peace, find a place to call home, and not have to hide what I am. But I¡¯m also a demon of wrath¡ªI¡¯m not going to take this sort of thing and just smile and nod.¡± I smiled wider, showing off my many sharp teeth. ¡°Just look up the name, okay? I can give you any memories or details or weird little secrets you might need to make sure I am who I say I am, okay? I¡¯ll cooperate if we can both respect each other.¡±

    ¡°You.¡± Herron looked at Seyari who was wearing a smug, ice-cold expression. ¡°Why would a half-angel fall so far as to consort with a demon?¡±

    ¡°I love Zarenna for who she is,¡± Seyari said unabashedly, and I (along with Fira) savored the shock on everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°What, you didn¡¯t think we were just friends did you? Zarenna showed me real empathy and kindness¡ªnot for what I am but for who I am. The least I could do was reciprocate. It¡¯s not my fault if you¡¯re too stupid to see that.¡±

    She took a half-step and plopped down onto my lap. I wrapped my lower arms around her waist, and she leaned back against me. Herron tried desperately to be furious. It took most of my focus to keep that from happening, and silence reigned in the room.

    ¡°I-if I may,¡± the lord¡¯s representative broke the silence, his voice high and reedy. ¡°It is my lord¡¯s opinion that Miss Zarenna Miller has saved Lockmoth from great disaster. My lord would like to¡ª¡±

    ¡°You.¡± Herron spoke stiffly, interrupting the nervous representative who sat back down and deflated with relief. ¡°What is your plan, demon?¡±

    ¡°I already told you.¡± I sat up straighter and pulled Seyari up with me. ¡°I want to make a home with Seyari, I want to get revenge on Former Inquisitor Finley and any accomplices, and then I want to live quietly without conflict. Didn¡¯t you say you could tell if I was lying?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°Well, can you?¡±

    Another silence stretched out. Herron closed his eyes for a long moment, once again steepling his hands. ¡°Somewhat,¡± he finally answered. ¡°My training is entirely mundane.¡±

    ¡°Well, can you tell if I¡¯m lying?¡± I pushed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re hiding it demon, but I will uncover¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut it!¡± Fira interjected. ¡°Just give her a chance. Do you want to keep pushing her until you force her hand, or will you leave well enough alone? She¡¯s done nothing wrong that I know of, and I think it¡¯s safe to say most normal humans put in her position would have started something or stormed out now with how you¡¯re acting.¡±

    Unable to summon his anger, Herron¡¯s face walked through a variety of expressions before settling on a weary frown that bent his mustache in an inverted v shape. ¡°I have seen firsthand the machinations of the most dangerous demons. Insidious insanity with a veneer of honesty. Were the inquisition not so preoccupied at the moment, I would call for a full investigation.¡± Herron glanced at the noble representative who had failed to shrink himself out of existence. ¡°But I see that I am alone in my faith and in my sanity. I will ensure the records are searched, but I do not believe the demon¡¯s lies and I will follow it intently, waiting for the moment it slips up.¡±

    The inquisition is preoccupied? Seyari and I shared a quick glance that said ¡°we¡¯ll talk later.¡± I didn¡¯t doubt this was Mordwell¡¯s doing. What, exactly it was, I couldn¡¯t say, but it couldn¡¯t be good news.

    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m not an ¡°it¡± then,¡± I replied darkly after a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°Thanks for having enough presence of mind not to kill yourself by my hand.¡±

    Herron pointedly ignored me. ¡°We¡¯re done here. We have wounded to tend to and rats to ferret out of their holes. Come.¡± He stood and beckoned the others after him.

    Some looked apologetic, others just looked relieved as they stood to leave. Except Inva.

    ¡°Sir, if it is permissible, I would like to stay to see the lord¡¯s perspective. There are also some further questions I would ask of the Gelles Company and Zarenna herself.¡± Her tone was formal and the tall blonde woman gave a half bow that looked somewhat ridiculous in her underpadding.

    ¡°You are not one of mine, so I cannot force you to leave. However, if you¡¯re staying, you will report for an examination against mental influence immediately after leaving the premises. Is that understood, Paladin Inva?¡±

    ¡°Clear as ice, Priest Herron,¡± Inva replied evenly.

    Herron nodded and, with a sweep of red and white vestments, left the room with a shaken group of acolytes in tow.

    After the door had shut, Inva sighed heavily and turned friendly eyes to me. ¡°I want to apologize, Miss Miller. I can¡¯t excuse Priest Herron¡¯s actions, but I can confirm he has experienced the deep deceit of a greater demon before. He is only¡­ mostly as bad as his words suggest.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably worse,¡± Seyari groused.

    I tried to act cordial. ¡°Apology accepted, Paladin Inva. I can¡¯t vouch for my girlfriend, but I¡¯ll consider your words and Priest Herron¡¯s experiences and prejudices and try to behave accordingly.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask for more,¡± Inva replied, sitting in the chair Herron had just left. She waved at the noble representative who jumped to attention.

    ¡°Right, yes!¡± he said quickly, small eyes studying me from behind octagonal frames. ¡°For your actions, Lord Phelian wishes to offer you land and a house here in Lockmoth, in Drytown.¡±

    My eyebrows shot up. A whole house? Just like that? ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±

    The representative waved his hands out placatingly. ¡°N-no catch, I assure you. Lord Phelian simply wants to reward your heroism. There aren¡¯t any deals or stipulations for staying in the city or anything like that.¡±

    I thought about it for a moment, but the idea didn¡¯t feel right. Even if I came back later, I wanted to be back in Linthel¡ªmy home wasn¡¯t here. ¡°Thank you, but we¡¯re not really intending to¡ª¡±

    Seyari elbowed me and sat up. ¡°We¡¯ll gladly accept the land and home, sir.¡±

    The representative nodded, but kept his eyes tenuously on me. ¡°Do you agree, Miss Miller?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded. ¡°Thank you and we¡¯ll gladly accept the home and land.¡±

    What are you getting at Seyari?

    ¡°Excellent!¡± The representative clapped his hands with a thud. He gave me the address and handed me a worn, but well-made key. ¡°if there are no further questions, I really must return to my lord with the good news.¡± He excused himself with a half-bow. ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re welcome to stay here the night if need be.¡±

    The representative scooted quickly out of the room, leaving just myself, Seyari, Fira, and Inva. The Gelles Company member spoke next.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you took that offer, Seyari,¡± Fira said, knowing full well I accepted only on her behalf.

    ¡°We can rent it out. And this city¡¯s a big trade hub, so having a place if we come through here would be nice. Plus, it legitimizes Zarenna further and also gives us a fallback option.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± I groused, ¡°but it feels like an obligation.¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°They probably just gave us some run-down vacant house on the bad side of the district in the hopes we¡¯d live there and bring in money to the area.¡±

    ¡°Are you familiar with this sort of thing?¡± Firalex asked my girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.

    Seyari replied cagily, ¡°prior experience in the area, you could say.¡±

    Inquisition experience probably? I¡¯d bet they have a lot of safehouses and secret places in most of the major cities.

    ¡°¡­Right,¡± Fira nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t ask. Anyway, I believe my business here is concluded. I¡¯ve done my part and I can say the company looks forward to continuing to work with you. Taava and Salvador are still staying at the company if you want to stop by later. We also may have some contracts headed down south you could take.¡± With a glance to Inva who seemed lost in thought, the Gelles Company branch official left as well.

    Now it was just me, my half-angel partner, and a dazed-looking Paladin.

    ¡°Everything okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°O-oh,¡± she startled, looking around and seemingly just realizing she was alone with Seyari and I. ¡°Yes. Apologies, but I should be going as well.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I shrugged and Seyari got off my lap to sit in Fira¡¯s chair. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you, but do you have time for a question?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± she replied slowly, posture tense. ¡°But I have a question for you as well if that¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! You can ask first, even.¡±

    Inva shook her head. ¡°You ask first, please.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help change the attitude around demon-blooded for a close friend of mine. Salvador Rozaro, if the name¡¯s come up. Do you think you could help?¡±

    Inva took a seat hesitantly, hands folded in her lap. ¡°The name came up, yes. Mr. Rozaro isn¡¯t demon-blooded, but I presume he has a relative or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Daughter,¡± I answered.

    ¡°Oh, is she¡ª¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s well, I¡¯ve heard. And things weren¡¯t as bad as they could have been, but I take it you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡±

    Inva sighed and ran a hand through her long blonde hair. ¡°Yes, I do. There are similar procedures I went through for my own¡­ transition is I suppose a good word for the process. As a result, I have close friends who are demon-blooded. I already don¡¯t think there¡¯s any rational basis for current church procedure regarding their treatment.¡±

    ¡°Have you read up on the subject?¡± Seyari asked.

    Inva shook her head. ¡°All evidence I have is purely anecdotal. However, I assume you want me to use you as an example? Some sort of parallel using the idea of a demon unbound to her nature to prove that demon-blooded have no inherent predilection toward ¡®demonic¡¯ activities?¡±

    ¡°Exactly that, yeah.¡±

    Inva nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Meeting you has been¡­ motivating is one way to put things. I¡¯ll speak with Mr. Rozaro when I can today.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± I smiled broadly at Inva and she only flinched slightly. ¡°Sorry, uh, my smile¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Inva laughed and smiled, showing her own clean teeth. ¡°Your teeth are pretty, in a dangerous sort of way.¡±

    Seyari sighed.

    I giggled. ¡°So, what¡¯s your question.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I wanted to ask what being a demon is like, mentally and physically. And, if I¡¯m being honest, a bit about biology from the perspective of someone else who was born with boy parts instead of girl parts.¡± Inva¡¯s cheeks flushed.

    I glanced at Seyari.

    She waved my concern off. ¡°Go ahead. Not my place to say one way or another.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll start with the mental stuff then.¡± I leaned forward planting two elbows on my thighs. ¡°I had issues controlling my wrath at first, but they were never severe. I think my case is unusual for details I¡¯m not willing to say right now. What I can say is that, as of right now, I¡¯m not any more of a danger in terms of the health of my mind than anyone else who has anxieties and fears and loves and comforts.¡± I listed the items off on my fingers.

    Inva nodded along, listening intently. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, but does what you cannot say mean you¡¯re unique?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not so far as I¡¯m aware. Maybe in some ways, but I can confirm there are other demons who are more than their malice or their vices. Who though, I won¡¯t say.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating. What about your physicality? My apologies if this is too forward, but are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Biologically female?¡± I cocked me head to one side. ¡°As far as I can tell, yes. Though I don¡¯t have periods and Seyari has complained to no end about how unfair that is during our travels.¡±

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± Seyari warned.

    ¡°Relax,¡± I smiled cheekily, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna go any further.¡±

    ¡°I-I think you¡¯ve gone plenty far enough,¡± Inva said with a red face. ¡°T-thank you but I didn¡¯t need the details.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Sure, fine. Sorry if I overstepped. Anyway, I need to eat and sleep, but not all demons do. Probably something about me being closer to human in form. I¡¯ve also realized how awful lacking a tail for balance or the proper number of arms for holding things can be.¡± I moved my hands independently for emphasis and curled the spaded tip of my tail.

    ¡°Proper number of arms?¡± Inva struggled to hold in a laugh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with two? Don¡¯t the other two get in the way?¡±

    I rolled my shoulders¡ªall of them. ¡°Not really? And what do you mean what¡¯s wrong with two? Haven¡¯t you ever wanted to hold something and just not had enough hands?¡±

    ¡°I have. But why are four arms proper and not six? Or eight?¡±

    ¡°Now those would get in the way!¡±

    Inva leaned forward. ¡°Ah, but what if they didn¡¯t!¡±

    The revelation hit me like a boulder. What if they¡­

    ¡°Inva,¡± Seyari cautioned. ¡°Please don¡¯t give her any ideas. She¡¯s incorrigible at the best of times.¡±

    Inva lost the battle against laughter. My own giggles joined her and then Seyari¡¯s. What a wonder it is how quickly warm company can push away a bad mood. Our questions asked and answered, Inva hung around a few more minutes to chat about topical things before she gathered herself to go. We offered to go with her to the Gelles Company, but she insisted she should stop by the church first and not blow them off. ¡°No sense in ruining this fragile peace¡± she¡¯d said. True words.

    Seyari then mentioned we should check our property after getting something to eat. On the way to my new sort-of home, I thought about all that had happened since I woke up this morning. The church knew I was a demon now. Mordwell must not have told them anything (especially about Seyari), but he was also moving the inquisition to do something and that scared me. Would I be okay, or would the other shoe drop? Only time would tell.

 Interlude: The Horned Priestess

    Sonia Rozaro dashed through the empty church hall, soft shoes making muffled taps on the clean, polished stone. One hand held her robe-like vestments off the floor while the other clenched and unclenched in empty air. Jewelry attached to her horns jangled frantically, the echoing sound following the demon-blooded priestess to her destination.

    Priestess. Dad will be so proud when he gets back. She¡¯d heard a rumor she¡¯d been selected, but she wouldn¡¯t find out until the morning. Well, not unless she ran to Luzio to ask him. The priest usually worked late on nights like this, so Sonia had reason to believe she¡¯d find him awake. Would he tell her? Maybe. And that maybe was enough¡ªeither way she¡¯d be able to sleep knowing she¡¯d done all she could.

    The probable priestess slid softly to a halt in front of the door to Luzio¡¯s chambers. Quickly, she fixed her vestments, frowning slightly as she always did at how the red of the outfit was just off enough from her skin tone to clash. Sonia raised a crimson-skinned hand to the door and rapped three times in quick succession. The taps echoed down the quiet hall.

    She heard movement from inside, and after a short moment the door opened to reveal a tired-looking man with shoulder-length light brown hair, a clean shave, and sharp features. Priest Luzio¡¯s face split into a wide grin upon seeing Sonia, the bags under his eyes brightening for a moment as the widening smile revealed his missing tooth.

    ¡°Sonia!¡± he said, far too loud for the quiet evening hall. Then quieter, he added, ¡°congratulations!¡±

    ¡°So¡­ I was selected?¡± Sonia didn¡¯t have the same sense of quiet, and her voice carried.

    Luzio put a finger up to his mouth. ¡°Shh. Yes, you were. I wish I could tell you more now, but you¡¯ll find out the rest¡ª¡±

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    He cut off as Sonia grabbed both of his hands. ¡°Oh, thank you! I knew it was you!¡±

    ¡°Sonia, you know I can¡¯t say¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand, but¡­¡± The demon-blooded woman¡¯s light brown eyes sparkled.

    ¡°But you¡¯re up too late and you¡¯ll need time to get ready in the morning.¡± Luzio smiled tiredly, leaning on the doorframe. ¡°Am I right?¡± He punctuated the question with a yawn.

    Despite her excitement, Sonia yawned back. ¡°I suppose so. The same goes for you, though.¡±

    Luzio chuckled warmly, pulling himself upright off the doorframe. ¡°I suppose it does.¡±

    The almost-priestess turned to leave, then whirled back around, earrings jangling as they hit against her horns. ¡°One more thing!¡± She leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°Have you had any luck with my request for a pilgrimage tour in Ordia?¡±

    Luzio¡¯s smile thinned and he shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I don¡¯t understand why you want this so quickly either¡ªyou¡¯ll be able to request this sort of thing on your own in just a few weeks. Why not wait?¡±

    Sonia frowned and replied, without condescension, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d understand, Luzio.¡±

    A few breaths passed wordlessly between them, and then Luzio nodded slowly. ¡°Perhaps not. Goodnight, Sonia.¡±

    With a slow nod of her own and a conflicted expression, Sonia turned and walked quickly back down the hall toward her chambers. She knew she should wait for her father to return, but she also knew she couldn¡¯t sit on her hands for another year. Sonia wondered if Luzio had even sent the request¡ªhe¡¯d been against it when she suggested the idea, after all. The pleasant jingling of her horn jewelry couldn¡¯t offset how heavy her horns felt right now. Many demon-blooded were more divergent than she was, but Sonia knew she looked nearly like an actual demon¡ªshe¡¯d heard enough ¡°lust demon¡± comments to know what people who didn¡¯t know her might think.

    Here in Inolza, most of the city knew of her, for better or worse. She wasn¡¯t the only demon-blooded with the church, but she was the most outgoingly prominent among the clergy. Luzio knew that, and they both knew the abuse that might come her way if she ventured abroad.

    Doesn¡¯t he know I know? People who don¡¯t know me will make assumptions? But how can they change if no one¡¯s there to correct them?

 Interlude: A Dark Place

    Like macabre shooting stars, memories and fragments of identity swirled in a maelstrom. The coalescence hardly formed before it was pulled from the space between spaces. A single fragmented mind within the maelstrom rose to the fore, fugue-like and confused as the forming body descended into a barren world whose crimson air pulsed with a bitter semblance of life.

    The prone figure pushed upright, clawed hands sliding through red sand. Within them stirred the raw fury of cast-off, fragmented souls and their mind heaved. They shivered in the heat and fell back down into the sand, twitching. Within them, different shades of wrath fought and clawed and consumed. A thousand small deaths later, a handful rose to the fore.

    Among them, a bright spark of raw, righteous fury burned. But as it devoured the others, something nagged at it. A small flash: a narrow, but brilliant shining ray. A single memory of something other. What am I doing? What¡¯s going on? I was just¡ª

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    The fragment of what once was, larger than the others, stalled and stumbled. In the span of a thought, the multitude that still raged fell upon it. Indescribable agony wracked its incorporeal form. Another fragment, larger than the other small ones, pushed through and towered, triumphant over the fallen one.

    The final blow never came. Instead, the unique shard turned and shielded the largest fragment. Struggling, the largest fragment grabbed onto the blinding thread of that single, fragile memory and lashed out in a desperate bid to save its fated ally.

    For what seemed an age, the battled raged on and on. Seconds in one plane were an eternity in the body that twitched and spasmed, kicking red sand across barren rocks even as the cloying, thrumming air of the plane seeped into its being. In the end, the two allied fragments triumphed, but the smaller of the two began to crumble.

    In the last moments before singularity, they embraced. And then, a single consciousness floated alone: confused, lost, and scared. They clung onto that same ragged memory. As rage and fury threatened to consume all they had been, they clung on.

 Chapter 96: A Future, Brightly

    It was raining today. Not a hard torrent, but a gentle, damp drizzle from a pale gray sky. Light rain wasn¡¯t the most thematic weather for a victory of sorts, but somewhat fitting for all those who lost someone dear today.

    In a way, I¡¯d set a claw on my most pressing goal: become accepted in society without having to hide what I am. I sure didn¡¯t feel better for it. If anything, I felt worse. My mind replayed the last week over and over again. I couldn¡¯t fault us for staying put instead of moving against Garvin sooner¡ªwe had the barest threads of suspicion and everything to lose. Still, I had a hard time pulling my mind from the past: just what could we have done to prevent tragedy?

    Haze-like, I walked alongside Seyari to our new property in Lockmoth. What will we do with it?

    My claws clacked on the bumpy paving stones with each footfall. Some of the few people who saw us startled. Whether it was rumor or the odd normalcy of my clothing (sans shoes) and gait¡ªand the way I no doubt seemed absorbed in my melancholy¡ªno one screamed. No one ran away either, at least no one that I saw with my limited attention. If they noticed Seyari¡¯s silver hair and golden eyes, either my girlfriend¡¯s angelic appearance dissuaded them from more extreme reactions, or they didn¡¯t pay it any mind. I imagined it was difficult to stand out next to the more than two-meter-tall bright crimson demon.

    My thoughts drifted to and fixated on the property. Something about the thought of settling down appealed to me. Not yet, though. Why?

    I listed things off in my mind: I didn¡¯t really have acceptance yet¡ªmore like forced tolerance. Mordwell, Finley, and whatever atrocities their cult was up to were still at large. And then there was Kartania.

    Tania, my younger sister. She was¡­ somewhere. I had to trust she was safe, and I did. The cold gaze she had shown me told me much about her resolve. Tania wouldn¡¯t break¡ªwe both had demons (heh) to chase.

    Seyari tugged on my hand and I stumbled a step, almost pulling her over.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± she said.

    Oh. ¡°Sorry¡ªI¡¯ve been doing this a lot lately.¡± I scratched at a horn. ¡°Thinking too much, that is.¡± I looked at the heavy door in front of us. Up above loomed two more floors of shuttered windows with empty planter boxes. A head-high stone fence to one side suggested a garden out back.

    Seyari gazed at me for a few moments before she shook her head and smiled tiredly. ¡°No. Next time it¡¯s my turn, and you pull me along the street instead.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I smiled back, fighting my way out of the mood I¡¯d fallen into. One clawed hand fished around in the pocket of my hastily improvised tunic and pulled out the key. I unlocked the door and held it open for Seyari. The inside of the old home smelled damp and dusty.

    With a fake sigh, she strode in ahead of me and I followed her in, ducking slightly and closing the door with my tail. There were a few pieces of old furniture, some covered in sheets, in the sitting room we could see to the side. Quietly, we checked all the rooms while I stayed drawn into my thoughts. I imagined Seyari was likewise drawn into her own. Dimly, I recognized the value of this gift I¡¯d been given. The place I now owned was, in reality, a small mansion. The servant¡¯s quarters attested to that, as did the overlarge size. I found myself equal parts impressed and put off.

    I wondered why Lord Phelian hadn¡¯t seen me personally to bestow such value. But it was probably the same reason I didn¡¯t get any petty titles or favors from him: I was a demon. He was taking a risk by associating with me at all. And at the end of the day, what I¡¯d been given was something he could write off as a necessary, impersonal gift if I were to turn coat against him, his city, or Ordia at large. Frustrating, but I¡¯d do the same in his position.

    That last thought struck me. Since when did I think like that? Perhaps I was wearing more of the mantle of a sovereign demon than I had thought.

    The two of us moved to the top floor. Only one bedroom had a bed in it¡ªa four-poster monstrosity lacking a mattress. I pulled the shutters open and sat down on the bed, looking through the dirty window and out over the rooftops of Lockmoth. The sea was hidden by mist, but I could see the edge of the crater where I¡¯d fought the demon. That monstrosity had been a reaver¡ªit had to have been. Its aura had made sense for that sort of being: a bunch of immiscible dots angrily pushing at each other.

    Seyari closed the door and sat down next to me. She huffed, and then popped up onto my lap instead. Out of pure surprise, I let out an ¡°oof¡± followed by a surprised giggle. Seyari responded by grabbing my lower hands and wrapping them about her midsection. She leaned back, head between my breasts. ¡°I was so worried, Renna.¡± Seyari¡¯s voice shook as she spoke. ¡°You were healing so slowly and I couldn¡¯t help at all. I knew you weren¡¯t going to die, but I couldn¡¯t stop thinking you would.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t die.¡± I scrambled for something to assuage her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sey. I¡¯ll try to be more careful.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Seyari gripped my hand tightly. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to apologize for. You did the right thing.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just complaining¡­ fuck.¡± She picked her head up and slammed it back against me¡ªI hardly felt it. ¡°I¡¯m selfish. Now that I have you I¡ªI just can¡¯t lose you.¡±

    I put my other arms over her shoulders and leaned forward to nuzzle her hair with my chin. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have the words I need right now.¡± I hummed and took a deep breath. ¡°But I¡¯ll try. You were the first person in this new life to see me for me. You were the first person to comfort me¡ªthe first shoulder I could cry on. I love you Seyari¡ªand if anyone wants to break us apart I¡¯ll use every ounce of my power and then some to stop them.¡±

    ¡°Renna?¡± The word echoed. Seyari looked up at me and I shifted a leg so she could turn and face me at eye level. Her golden eyes were tearing up.

    ¡°Seyari.¡± I smiled back at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªI don¡¯t know that I can¡ª¡± Seyari¡¯s voice stuttered and echoed around the empty room.

    I stared as deep as I could into the shining depths of her eyes. ¡°Only if you want to.¡±

    For a long, breath-hitching moment, Seyari¡¯s gaze met my own. Then, she broke it, closing her eyes and drawing in a breath of her own. ¡°Fuck. I love you too, Renna. Thirty-four years and you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve told anything to who looked beyond my past. You¡¯re kind and sweet and caring; you¡¯re equally empathic and dense as a rock and I love everything about you¡ªfrom your horns to the tip of your tail.¡±

    I hugged her with all my arms and she hugged back, tears starting to fall. She hiccupped and kept going. ¡°I guess I was still worried I¡¯d wake up and you¡¯d be gone. Until you got so hurt this last time¡ªand I realized finally that you¡¯d never do that. And then, just like I know you do, I got in my head about it: death and endings. How does this all end?¡±

    ¡°One of us dies¡ªor the other.¡±

    Seyari stiffened. ¡°Shit.¡± She laughed and hiccupped again. ¡°That has to be it, right? Dumb as it is.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it has to be any time soon.¡± I leaned forward and rested my forehead on hers. Well, the bases of my horns¡ªbut close enough.

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    Seyari pulled tighter. ¡°I damn well hope it¡¯s a long time from now.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°What about after we kill Mordwell and Finley?¡± Seyari asked suddenly.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking a small farm on the edge of a city. Linthel maybe,¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°Settle down? Just like that?¡± Her breath was warm against my lips.

    ¡°Maybe not. We could always see the world. Not like we have to worry about bandits or pirates.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Seyari nuzzled her nose against mine. ¡°I think I¡¯d like either option.¡±

    ¡°We have some time to decide.¡± I breathed hotter and closer to her lips.

    She pushed forward and her lips met mine. We kissed deeply, until Seyari, having lost the duel of the tongues again (long forked tongues were unfair), pulled back for air.

    My half-angel girlfriend breathed heavily, face flush and glowing eyes wet. ¡°Tell no one I acted like this.¡±

    I smiled cheekily. ¡°I want to¡ªbut okay.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Seyari giggled. ¡°I have an image to maintain.¡±

    I smiled back. ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°Think this bed is going to break?¡±

    Now it was my turn to flush red. ¡°Uh, well it doesn¡¯t have a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t need a mattress.¡±

    I nodded frantically, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to break¡ª¡±

    ¡°That means you¡¯re on the bottom then, Renna.¡± Seyari smiled lasciviously.

    Instead of a response, I tossed both of us onto the bed and rolled over so Seyari was on top. ¡°You get to do all the work then, Sey.¡±

    Seyari smiled back and practically tore my top off me.

    ***

    We were contemplating a third round when a knock at our front door echoed up to the room. We scrambled to get dressed and I stumbled downstairs first. I straightened my hair with my claws and opened the door.

    A young woman I didn¡¯t recognize was on the other side, dressed modestly. She handed me a small package. ¡°A gift, miss.¡± If she cared I was a demon, she gave no reaction.

    Numbly, I took the wrapped parcel. The woman nodded and departed quickly. In my state, I didn¡¯t dare go after her to get a name. Instead, I shut the door and walked back inside, frowning at the package.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Seyari asked from the top of the stairs.

    ¡°A package,¡± I replied, turning the brown-wrapped parcel over. It was tied with string and bore no marks.

    Seyari frowned and took the steps down two at a time to meet me. ¡°Let me see that.¡± She gazed it at with glowing eyes. ¡°Well, the whole thing isn¡¯t enchanted¡ªbut I obviously can¡¯t see inside.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think could have sent it?¡± I asked. ¡°The woman who gave it to me gave no name and there¡¯s nothing written on it.¡±

    Seyari shook it gently. ¡°Beats me. You can open it, I guess. Not like whatever¡¯s in there could do much to you.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even considered it might be dangerous. ¡°Gee, thanks for being so optimistic.¡± I teased. ¡°You want to go stand in a different room or something?¡±

    ¡°You know damn well it could be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Could be. Probably isn¡¯t.¡±

    I looped one finger around the string and pulled it undone. Carefully, I unwrapped a small, simple-looking wooden box. I took the lid off. Inside was a spearhead, polished and nearly new-looking. My spearhead! But how? Below it was a slip of paper with flowing handwriting visible on it.

    I read the slip of paper aloud. ¡°Three parts flour to one part butter. For every part flour, one whole egg.¡±

    Seyari blinked rapidly and shook her head. ¡°What?¡±

    I skipped down and read to the bottom of the slip. ¡°It¡¯s a recipe for tea cakes.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s hanging jaw drew up into a smile. Then a snicker, then a full-blown laugh. I giggled along with her. The two of us surely made quite the sight standing half-dressed and smelling of sex in the empty, dusty front hall of our newly granted estate. When the giggles died down, Seyari was the first to speak.

    ¡°Lilly?¡± she asked, clearly knowing the answer already.

    ¡°It has to be,¡± I frowned. ¡°How did she know I¡¯d meant to get the tea cake recipe from her¡ªnot that I¡¯m complaining. I¡¯m happy to have it and the spearhead back too.¡±

    ¡°How did she know? Do you know how many of those you put away? Really, I¡¯m surprised your abs still had any definition when you left.¡±

    I ran a hand down my abdomen, feeling my dense muscles. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that many, was it?¡±

    ¡°It was.¡±

    I blushed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a big girl!¡±

    ¡°You are.¡±

    ¡°And I cheat because I¡¯m a demon.¡±

    ¡°You do.¡±

    ¡°Can I get out of this?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Will you tell the others?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Salvador to make a batch.¡±

    We stared at each other. Hesitantly, I handed her the recipe. ¡°¡­Acceptable, but be careful; I haven¡¯t memorized this yet.¡±

    Seyari laughed. ¡°You should see your face!¡±

    ¡°I know full well the expression I¡¯m making.¡±

    ¡°Gods forbid the Sovereign of Wrath doesn¡¯t get her tea cakes.¡±

    I placed all four hands on my hips. ¡°Damn right.¡±

    Another round of laughing was punctuated by a grumble from Seyari¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you eaten?¡± I asked.

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°Stayed up all night watching you. How the fuck are you not hungry?¡±

    Now it was my turn to shrug. ¡°I am a little, I guess. I ate all the anger back at the meeting though.¡±

    ¡°You ate it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Tasted great, actually. I usually don¡¯t talk about that because I figure people will find it weird.¡± I wiggled the claws of a couple hands. ¡°Because, y¡¯know, it is weird.¡±

    ¡°Better than you getting off on it,¡± Seyari said with a smirk.

    I furrowed my brows and blushed. ¡°Where did that come from?¡±

    She shrugged, clearly copying my own shrugs, minus some arms. ¡°Coping mechanism.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my line!¡± I pouted. ¡°So, do you want to go to the company for lunch? We need to check in with the others. I really want to talk to Taava and see how she¡¯s doing in particular.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°Before we leave to head south, though, I¡¯m taking you out to a nice dinner.¡±

    ¡°Aww, thanks! I don¡¯t have to look human either, do I?¡±

    Seyari wrapped an arm around my waist and smiled wickedly. ¡°Fuck no¡ªI want to see the looks on their faces.¡±

    I snorted trying to suppress my laughter. After a short bit of cleaning upstairs, Seyari and I locked the doors and left the estate. Together, and in a much brighter mood despite the recent tragedy, Seyari and started to walk through the thinning rain to the Gelles Company branch. No point in staying the night at a house without a proper bed.

    Along the way, a little worry I had in the back of my mind bloomed into being. I looked over and down at Seyari, eyes glancing to the hand she held mine with. ¡°Priest Herron didn¡¯t know about the old you.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°He didn¡¯t. I thought about it a lot while you were asleep.¡± She glanced around, frowning at the people watching us. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a breeze around us that would silence our voices from eavesdroppers. ¡°Mordwell must not have told anyone, but I couldn¡¯t figure out why.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s trying to save face? Didn¡¯t he keep you a secret from most people he worked with, too? When we ran into Lorelei and Markus in Baetnal, only Lorelei seemed to know about your old life.¡± My tail tip twitched nervously as I speculated.

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re right that he didn¡¯t tell people¡ªat least not until the ambush. But he wouldn¡¯t do that to save face. We walked right into whatever plan he had, and Mordwell always has backup plans. Even if he meant for us to die to that ambush and not the other way around, he would have it covered.¡±

    I sidestepped a puddle, noting that the bubble of space my countenance afforded us was shrinking as we neared the company building. ¡°So why keep it a secret still? He could have the whole church after us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what bothers me. Do you remember what was said about the inquisition during your questioning earlier?¡± Seyari steered us to a side street, changing our route to a longer one.

    I rubbed my chin and cocked my head to one side as I thought. ¡°No. That meeting, until the conversation with Inva, is mostly a blur. I was pretty out of it, and scared to boot.¡±

    ¡°Priest Herron said the Inquisition was ¡®occupied.¡¯ I know you noticed because you shot me a glance.¡±

    I stopped walking and smacked my forehead between my horns. ¡°Yeah, I remember now. Today¡¯s just been¡­ a lot.¡±

    Seyari surprised me by pulling me into a side hug. ¡°Yeah, it has. But what I think is going on is that Mordwell is making a move somewhere else.¡±

    A chill washed over me, from my horns to my tail tip. The big limb stood out straight behind me for a moment before I pulled it back to its normal resting shape. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need us anymore. Whatever he¡¯s doing¡ªhe doesn¡¯t need to involve us.¡±

    Seyari swore and the winds whirled wild before calming again. I felt her fury, bright and righteous. ¡°He should be just as obsessed with me as I am with him. Whatever he¡¯s doing must be close to his endgame then, and we don¡¯t even know where he is or what kind of horrible power he¡¯ll try to claim!¡± Her voice rose in volume as she spoke, the noise carrying through her wind even as her words were jumbled.

    Shit. Think. Think! ¡°We should head south like we¡¯ve already planned,¡± I started slowly. ¡°Find my sister early, if we can. She wanted to meet me in Linthel, so she thinks she¡¯ll be headed south on Mordwell¡¯s tail.¡±

    Seyari groaned. ¡°That¡¯s a flimsy reason.¡±

    ¡°Do you have anything better?¡± I said as kindly as I could.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± Seyari slumped. ¡°No¡ªI don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then we stay the course until Linthel, try to find my sister, and find Mordell before he manages to finish whatever he¡¯s planning.¡±

    Seyari nodded, and steered us back toward the company building. We walked in silence for a moment, before she looked up at me. ¡°Sure thing, boss,¡± she said cheekily, forcing some levity into her exhausted voice.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I pouted.

    Seyari barked a short laugh. ¡°Let¡¯s go get lunch.¡±

    My frown flipped back into a smile. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re forgiven. But I¡¯m getting a triple portion this time!¡±

    ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t hungry!¡±

    ¡°I lied,¡± I lied.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± Seyari released her wind as the company building came into view ahead of us.

    She had me there, so I relented. ¡°Okay, maybe just a double portion.¡±

 Chapter 97: The Captain

    As luck would have it, Seyari and I bumped into Salvador and Taava at the company while they were taking a late lunch. Both of them seemed pensive.

    ¡°Hiya Renna! Looks like your magic put ya together again right quick!¡±

    Pensive in a relative sense, that is. Taava¡¯s low-lying ears betrayed what her voice didn¡¯t. I waved and Seyari nodded. The line moved fast, and I got my usual double portion.

    ¡°It did, yeah.¡± I plopped down next to Salvador, who managed to fight out a genuine smile my way. ¡°Did someone from the church come by already to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fira made an announcement a short while ago,¡± Salvador responded. ¡°No robed people though.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the church will make their own announcement?¡± I asked, then tucked in.

    ¡°I think they¡¯ll keep your existence as low profile as they think they can get away with.¡± Seyari pushed her fork around the plate idly. ¡°Your existence contradicts a lot of what they preach.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t respond with a full mouth. Taava likewise had her pie hole stuffed with, in her case, actual pie. For lunch. I didn¡¯t even know that was an option.

    ¡°Her existence doesn¡¯t need to contradict what they preach,¡± Salvador said matter-of-factly. ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken, Zarenna is an exception rather than the rule.¡±

    I swallowed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tiptoe around it, Salvador. While I think demons should be given a chance, we all know how that would be exploited.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± he nodded, ¡°and it¡¯s something I¡¯ve been thinking about since you revealed yourself on our first company mission. There¡¯s no simple answer.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Taava interjected, surprisingly articulate around a full mouth. She jabbed a spoon at all of us in turn. ¡°The way I see it, demons¡¯re just like people, but more. More emotive or whatever. They don¡¯t have the same kinda masks folks wear.¡±

    ¡°I like to think people malevolent less often than demons are, Taava. If what you said was true, then it¡¯d be standing room only in the demonic plane.¡± I pulled the last of the meat off the chicken carcass.

    Taava rolled her eyes, but I didn¡¯t miss the smile that played across her lips and was gone in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°She does have a point, though, Renna. Even if it¡¯s not the one she wanted to make. Few demons are going to be as kindhearted as you are.¡± Seyari looked up at me, and her proud look turned into one of disgust.

    Not my fault she looked up when I had the whole chicken carcass in two hands, fanged mouth open and ready to take a big bite.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    I eyed her pleadingly. Seyari put her face into her hands and groaned.

    Crunch.

    Salvador laughed.

    Taava snickered. ¡°Sovereign of Wrath. Bane of Chickens, more like it.¡±

    Any witty response was blocked by my ill-advised crunchy mouthful.

    When his laughter died down, Salvador spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m not certain how to bring this up, but I wasn¡¯t quite done with what I was saying earlier.¡±

    I nodded for him to continue. Seyari looked pointedly away from my chicken carnage, but she glanced in Salvador¡¯s direction as well.

    ¡°I think that, without help, the church will muffle the impact your presence within the Gelles Company will have. Still, you¡¯ve made a difference¡ªwill make a difference¡ªfor demon-blooded everywhere. I¡­this is hard, sorry. I think I want to return to Inolza. My daughter won¡¯t want her old man around for much longer, and I want to be there to help her help others. I also want to spread what happened here¡ªthat a demon saved humans for no selfish reason.¡±

    Taava¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°What if the church just goes around sayin¡¯ Zarenna¡¯s put a spell on the whole company or somethin¡¯?¡±

    Salvador shook his head. ¡°I sincerely doubt they would, barring certain individuals.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Seyari frowned, ¡°but I disagree. It¡¯s not in their best interests to start a fight over this. If the leadership of the Gelles Company backed Zarenna, things could get ugly because they can¡¯t exactly prove she¡¯s malevolent. They¡¯ll try to spin this, maybe make themselves out to be the ¡®saviors of the reformed demon Zarenna¡¯ or something equally ridiculous.¡±

    Salvador lowered his gaze. ¡°I¡­ do not share the same opinions of the church as a whole that you do, Seyari.¡±

    Seyari sighed and leaned over across the table to Salvador. ¡°Sorry. I spoke without thinking.¡±

    ¡°Is what you said not truly your opinion?¡± The middle-aged hunter looked tiredly across the table at my girlfriend, who looked honestly apologetic.

    Taava and I both shared a glance and kept quiet.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say it isn¡¯t,¡± Seyari admitted. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll have my mind changed.¡±

    Salvador nodded and forced a smile. ¡°And maybe I¡¯ll have my mind changed. Is it safe to say we both hope that won¡¯t be the case?¡±

    Seyari hummed weakly in agreement.

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth Salvador,¡± I added, ¡°I also want to think you¡¯re right. I just don¡¯t know enough to form a good opinion yet.¡±

    ¡°Aww, this is sweet!¡± Taava interjected. ¡°You three all good now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°When do you leave?¡± I started to dig into my second plate.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking the next ship to Inolza. Truthfully, I¡¯ve not had time to go check when that may be. Within a week, safely.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll all celebrate before you leave!¡± I declared, pointing a clawed finger into the sky.

    ¡°Celebrate what?¡± Seyari asked.

    I opened and closed my mouth, then put a hand to my chin and shrugged. ¡°Traveling together? Friendship? Salvador bailing me out back in that town I never got the name of?¡±

    ¡°Works for me!¡± Taava said enthusiastically.

    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Salvador said with a simple, genuine smile.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°I¡¯m in, too.¡±

    ***

    Firalex and Rodrik were both busy on company business¡ªdefinitely something to do with the past night and my status. That meant we had a window of time before we could meet with them, and I knew I needed to talk to Taava. I also needed to talk to Aretan and Nelys, but they were also probably busy¡ªnot to mention halfway across the city.

    I followed the kazzel upstairs after we finished eating and chatting. After a glance back at me, she turned and with nimble purpose, slipped out of an open window and upward toward the roof. I rushed to the window and stuck my head out, careful of my horns. Up above, I saw the kazzel¡¯s legs and tail hanging down from the edge of the roof.

    ¡°Taava!¡± I shouted up. ¡°I just want to talk¡ªand no lectures. I want to see if you¡¯re alright, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Taava kicked her legs. ¡°I dunno.¡±

    ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°I prob¡¯ly won¡¯t run away if ya climb up here.¡±

    I put my hands on the sill then paused. ¡°I can¡¯t fit out this window, Taava!¡±

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Not my fault you¡¯re too big!¡±

    I huffed. ¡°Fine! Wait right there!¡±

    Grumbling, I walked quickly out of the building and climbed up the side, carefully. True to her word (somewhat surprisingly) Taava was sitting on the edge of the building¡¯s mansard roof, hands planted behind her and ears twitching to and fro. Where we sat we could just see the crater from the fight, especially since the afternoon sun had burned away most of the clouds and mist overhead.

    I planted myself carefully down next to her. ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Hey?¡± She looked up at me with a resigned smirk. ¡°That sounds an awful lot like you¡¯re about ta talk serious-like.¡±

    I pulled my tail down to hang next to hers. ¡°I guess? I want to see how you¡¯re doing. Back down in the Mudrat base, it really looked like Garvin¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Taava interrupted, light brown-furred ears flat on her head. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°That all ya wanted ta talk about?¡±

    I took a long while to respond. We both fixed our eyes on the horizon, but weren¡¯t really watching it.

    Eventually, I did. ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    We kept sitting. Before the sun finally emerged victorious from the clouds, they dumped one last rain shower on us. Despite how ill-advised it may have been, I made a shield of fire above us. Instead of a patter-patter of rain, a soft, gentle hiss enveloped the warm space we shared.

    Shortly after the rain stopped, Taava got up. ¡°Talked with Fira and Lorton this mornin¡¯. My debt¡¯s cleared and the city lord pardoned me. So now ya don¡¯t need me ta stick around.¡±

    ¡°But I want you to stick around!¡± I replied before thinking.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Taava half turned, just enough for me to see the corner of a fanged smile. ¡°Sounds good, boss.¡±

    I didn¡¯t move as she dropped down below and into the same window from earlier, unlatching it deftly from the outside. I hadn¡¯t just seen a smile; I¡¯d seen a tear on her cheek.

    After a slow climb down, and in way too emotional of a mindset for a debrief, I sat alone in the room I shared with Seyari and stared at the ceiling, thinking. For as melancholic as things were, I was sad because of the hurt of others, and of the trauma my friends were going through.

    My friends. My friends who were friends with me. A demon. I couldn¡¯t help but smile despite it all.

    My mood had improved drastically by the time I met up with Seyari and Salvador outside the same meeting room from just over a week ago. It seems like both longer and shorter a time¡ªat the same time. Unsurprisingly, Taava was absent.

    When I ducked inside, I found Fira, Lorton, Aretan and Nelys arrayed around the long table. I followed Seyari in, closed the door with my tail and sat down. Immediately, I was reminded that the chairs in this room had solid backs.

    ¡°Do other people with tails just not complain?¡± I muttered, turning the chair to sit sideways. My legs didn¡¯t really fit under the table easily anyway.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Zarenna?¡± Firalex asked, ignoring my half-serious question.

    I cocked my head to one side. ¡°You saw me earlier today though?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡ªI don¡¯t mean physically.¡±

    I looked at the arrayed faces and noted no one had turned the room¡¯s runes on. Someone could eavesdrop, and the way Lorton awkwardly ran a hand through his hair showed that he also knew he was the odd one out among a room of my friends.

    ¡°Better, honestly,¡± I said truthfully. It wasn¡¯t like I had anything to hide. ¡°I¡¯m worried that all this is going to come crashing down. I also can¡¯t stop thinking about last night¡ªmy mind just keeps landing on it whenever I draw it away. I¡¯m sure there were some people alive in the crater when I did my spell.¡±

    I did my best to avoid going on a rant, but my words still flowed out like water from a burst dam. And like a burst dam, water followed¡ªin the form of tears. Despite my earlier happiness, the woes of those around me still affected me as a person. I wiped at my eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m hopeful for the future, I guess.¡±

    Seyari laid a hand on one of mine and Nelys jumped up from their seat and ran around the table to give me a hug, chair and all. Their arms didn¡¯t reach all the way around. Salvador squeezed my shoulder. Lorton and Aretan both looked down at the table, though I imagined for very different reasons.

    Firalex met my gaze when I looked up and they and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a bit more personal than I¡¯d intended, but I guess that¡¯s what I get for asking you such a question. If you¡¯re alright to continue¡ªGuard Captain Lorton and I can go over what we¡¯ve learned.¡±

    Guard Captain? That was a fast promotion¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m not guard captain yet, Firalex,¡± Lorton replied evenly. His voice was fatigued, but his posture had a sort of presence I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°But I can give a quick rundown. Firalex, would you mind?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Fira got up and walked to the door.

    ¡°Did you have the runes off so someone could eavesdrop earlier?¡± Seyari asked, more tired than cold.

    ¡°Yes and no.¡± Fira jerked the door open.

    Inva the church paladin, in plainclothes this time, stumbled before her eyes went wide.

    ¡°Get in here,¡± Fira commanded and they poured magic into the room¡¯s runes.

    Her head down, the paladin obeyed.

    While Inva awkwardly took a seat next to me, Fira continued, ¡°We agreed to let a representative from the church attend this meeting. There¡¯s nothing to be said here they don¡¯t know already.¡±

    I smiled at Inva and she smiled awkwardly back.

    Lorton coughed. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll be brief. After the events of last night, the Mudrats are no more. Anyone we didn¡¯t kill or arrest is either disappearing or moving into one of the other gangs. Rodrik¡¯s crew took out some of the other ambitious leadership. Likewise, what evidence we could recover from the flooding Mudrat base has helped immensely with the corruption among the guard. The nobles who supported the corrupt guards are hurrying to save face and cut their ties. For now, I believe the best course of action is to try to discourage the city¡¯s underground by making it less desirable to join it¡ªand harder to fall into it.¡±

    Fira nodded.

    I raised my hand and spoke. ¡°Am I okay to walk around without my human transformation?¡±

    Lorton sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve already been doing as much. You should see the reports I¡¯ve gotten.¡±

    I winced.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean don¡¯t do it. Just maybe not all the time outside of Lockmoth. Look, I don¡¯t mean to tell you what to do or anything, it¡¯s just¡ª¡±

    ¡°People will see me and run screaming in the other direction.¡± I sighed. ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± Progress doesn¡¯t mean a complete solution, damn it.

    ¡°Right,¡± Lorton said. ¡°Aside from Taava¡¯s pardon, I think that¡¯s all the news I have? I think it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re not in trouble, Zarenna.¡±

    I felt my shoulders relax tension I hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Lorton shrugged.

    ¡°Aretan, was it?¡± Fira gestured to the Navanaean man who sat up ramrod straight. ¡°Officer Lorton said you had something to announce?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Aretan cleared his throat and looked at me with a sad smile. ¡°Zarenna. It was a pleasure traveling and working with you, but I¡¯m afraid I will be returning home to Navanaea to try to help end the war. My family wields considerable influence, and I should be able to at least rejoin my prior company.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± I held out a hand for him to shake and he took it. ¡°Thank you for all you¡¯ve done for me. Be safe on your travels, and I look forward to visiting you someday in the future.¡±

    Aretan nodded sharply, and his gaze fell to Nelys. ¡°Nelys was the one who convinced me to go. And for that, I am thankful.¡±

    Really? Wide-eyed, I looked down at the diminutive former pirate. They were still hugging me.

    ¡°Yep!¡± they answered. ¡°I could tell he wanted to, but he wouldn¡¯t admit it. I¡¯ve already seen Navanaea and I don¡¯t want to go to a war though, so I¡¯ve decided to stick with you for now, Renna. Firalex and Rodrik said I passed the company tests this morning.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Fira admitted before I could look up at them. Their green eyes glittered under orange bangs. ¡°You can take them with you on your next contract, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Am I being promoted?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°Not officially, but outside of branch leaders and administration, the Gelles Company has a very loose hierarchy for our mercenaries. You¡¯re free to take a contract wherever, so long as it goes through the company.¡±

    Oh no. I looked slowly down at Nelys, who was smiling up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, Captain!¡±

    I must¡¯ve paled because Nelys tilted their head in confusion.

    ¡°You alright Captain?¡±

    ¡°Not you too¡­¡± I whispered as quiet as I could make it.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°N-nothing!¡±

    Seyari squeezed my hand reassuringly. ¡°If you have something important to say, Captain, then you should say it.¡±

    Help! I¡¯m getting mixed signals.

    My eyes darted around the room, looking for help. Salvador gave me an encouraging nod. Aretan met my gaze with a stoic ¡°I¡¯m proud of you¡± look mixed with the ¡°not my problem¡± discipline of a career mercenary. Lorton coughed and looked away. Inva blushed, which made everything worse, and Fira smiled and let me stew for what felt like an hour.

    ¡°Are there any other orders of business?¡± the branch leader eventually spoke up.

    Salvador raised his hand, and with a nod from Fira, spoke his piece. ¡°I intend to return to Cavenze, Inolza specifically, at the next opportunity.¡±

    ¡°We have a branch there¡ªthough it is meant to support contracts in the region rather than act as a proper base.¡± Fira rubbed their chin. ¡°If I may ask, why?¡±

    ¡°I have a vested interest in the church rights of demon-blooded, and I wish to work in Inolza for the time being, for family reasons. My daughter, specifically, is demon-blooded and should soon be a priestess of Dhias.¡±

    Fira gave him the ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a family¡± look and Salvador gently smiled it away.

    Without warning, Inva raised her hand. ¡°May I go with you, sir?¡±

    Huh?

    Salvador looked at the paladin with confusion written all over his face.

    ¡°I apologize since we¡¯ve just met, but I was in Lockmoth awaiting travel north anyway. After meeting Zarenna this morning¡ªwell, and last night when she saved my life¡ªI want to help!¡±

    ¡°Why are you going to Cavenze?¡± Seyari butted in.

    ¡°A paladin in a town near Inolza is retiring and I am to be his replacement.¡±

    Seyari frowned, but I got the sense she didn¡¯t see any deceit in the paladin¡¯s words. Not that her ability was infallible, but Inva struck me as a bad liar.

    ¡°I see no reason why not,¡± Salvador assented. ¡°We may even be headed to the same location, at least initially. I believe that¡¯s settled then?¡±

    Fira nodded in agreement. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    I raised two hands, giving me the power to speak without being addressed. ¡°Seyari and I will be headed south along with Taava and Nelys. Are there any contracts we could take that would fit? How would we find them?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s simple enough to explain,¡± Fira replied.

    I disagreed that the explanation was simple, but after a couple minutes of back and forth, I understood how to take contracts for the company and where to go to request them or see what is available. With my question answered, the meeting adjourned. Salvador waved us goodbye for now. I told Inva, Nelys, and Aretan about Taava¡¯s idea for a party before we all parted ways. Aretan, with genuine sadness, declined. His ship was leaving first thing in the morning and he had to get ready and sleep immediately after we finished.

    Seyari and I spent the rest of the afternoon combing through the contracts, and also took some time to set our newly-granted estate up to be rented out. One of the contracts we found stood out¡ªan escort contract to Gedon, a small city in the north of Edath. From there, we¡¯d only have a week¡¯s travel by foot to Linthel¡ªand we could probably hire a carriage for that part.

    Seyari could, anyway. I¡¯d received my first pay since joining the Gelles Company and it amounted to a depressingly small amount after subtractions. Worth it.

 Chapter 98: Tea Cakes

    Our first party guest arrived and knocked with the knocker while I was still setting out snacks. On top of that, I had to finish preparing two of the upstairs rooms, just in case anyone wanted to stay the night, and while the garden was mostly done, one corner was a mess, and¡ª

    ¡°Zarenna!¡± Seyari shouted, jogging past me to the door. ¡°Stop worrying¡ªit¡¯s fine. If anyone needs to use the upstairs rooms, we can get them ready then.

    ¡°How did you know what I was worrying about?¡± I tried to take her advice and draw in a deep breath.

    ¡°The reason was a lucky guess.¡± She reached our front door and put a hand on the handle. ¡°But you¡¯ve crushed the serving tray you¡¯re holding.¡±

    Huh. I looked down at the iron serving tray (like hell were we going to be able to afford silver, Alorian, or dwarvenware) that closely resembled wadded linen. Oops.

    Out in the hall, Seyari opened the door. ¡°Inva, come in!¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± The paladin bowed. ¡°I¡¯m honored to be invited to your party.¡±

    ¡°Cut the formality and come in already!¡± Seyari practically dragged Inva inside.

    I took the chance and, fast as I could without breaking anything, I used all four of my hands to arrange the last of the snacks. I also carefully stashed the ruined tray under the table with my tail.

    ¡°Glad you could make it, Inva!¡± I beamed at her as Seyari led her into our sitting room. ¡°My apologies if the furnishings aren¡¯t excellent¡ªwe¡¯ve had this place hardly a week.¡±

    Instead of flinching, Inva smiled right back and walked over to the snack table. ¡°The furnishings seem fine to me. Austere and practical.¡± She was wearing plain clothes, although the bright blue tunic and black pants seemed tailored to her.

    Instantly, I was glad I¡¯d gone with a similar (albeit black and gray) look for myself instead of my fancy dress. Seyari had talked me out of wearing the wondrous garment. I thought about Inva¡¯s comment while I led her inside the sitting room. Austere? Really?

    ¡°Do you two not have much experience with nobility?¡± Inva asked. She took her plate to a nearby plush chair and low table, sat down, and took a dainty bite. ¡°Oh¡ªthis is really good!¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Seyari laid down on the couch across from Inva. Without time to prepare, she wore a recently-purchased getup herself, gray on white. ¡°Zarenna and I made them this morning. And as for experience with nobility: I¡¯ve worked for some people with money and land, but I¡¯ve never had any.¡±

    I took a plate for myself¡ªnow that a guest was here, I could eat¡ªand sat down next to the other two. ¡°My family had some money and a house back in Linthel, although the house at least is gone now. It was nothing like this place though. I don¡¯t actually know if my parents owned the land or not¡ªI never thought about it. Honestly, they probably didn¡¯t. How about you, Inva?¡±

    Inva swallowed politely. ¡°Well, I suppose my family did have money growing up. But I don¡¯t speak to them much these days. My apologies, but I don¡¯t particularly wish to speak about my family.¡±

    Seyari beat me to my reply. ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to. And you don¡¯t need to apologize.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°No, ¡®that¡¯s my line¡¯ this time?¡± Seyari teased.

    I had to swallow quickly to avoid laughing with a full mouth. ¡°I think we can share.¡±

    Seyari stammered, and Inva covered her mouth with a hand while she giggled. Before I could embarrass my girlfriend any further, someone else knocked at our door, fast and rapid.

    Inva sighed. ¡°Do people never remember to use the knocker?¡±

    I got up to answer the door this time.

    Seyari rolled her eyes. ¡°You did, but no one else does. It was a lifetime ago, when I worked for those wealthy people, but I swear no one used the things then¡ªeveryone just pounded on the door and expected me to¡­¡±

    ¡°Nelys!¡± I yelped as I opened the door and Nelys collided with me at full force. ¡°Were you just going to ambush whoever answered the door?¡±

    ¡°Hi Zarenna! Yep!¡± They ran off into the sitting room where Inva and Seyari were chatting. ¡°Hi Seyari! Hi Inva!¡±

    When I walked back into the sitting room, Nelys had taken my chair. The look they were giving me said they knew as much, too. Instead of moving, I walked over, picked them up, and sat down, setting them on my lap. Two hands held the giggling bundle in place.

    Seyari laughed, but Inva blushed, hard.

    I gave her a reassuring nod. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we shared a cabin when we worked on the same ship. I got to wake up to Nelys jumping on me, and more than once too.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I only did it¡­ four times!¡± Nelys squirmed out from under me, got their plate of food from the nearby table and slid back into place.

    Hey, did they do this to sit on my lap on purpose? Oh well. Their Ordian¡¯s gotten really good though¡ªcome to think of it so has Salvador¡¯s.

    ¡°Did you know Zarenna was¡­¡± Inva stopped speaking mid question, suddenly flushing red. ¡°My apologies, I didn¡¯t mean to imply¡ªI didn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Three!¡± Nelys interjected. ¡°I knew she was a demon three times out of four!¡±

    Seyari stood up and got herself a plate. ¡°You cut yourself on her horn once. I remember having to take you to the ship infirmary.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bad cut!¡± Nelys protested.

    ¡°Forgive me, Miss Seyari, but why didn¡¯t you, well¡­ oh my, I¡¯ve made a mess of this conversation.¡± Inva stared demurely down at her plate of food.

    ¡°I was in hiding, so I couldn¡¯t use my holy magic,¡± Seyari said with a shrug. ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m not going to say what from.¡±

    ¡°Right, yes. Of course.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay, Inva?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Hm? Oh, yes. Fine.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow and met her skittish gaze. Seyari sat back down on the couch instead of laying on it, and gave Inva a concerned look as well. Being in the church, but not completely sold by their dogma really endeared Inva to Sey it seems.

    Inva sighed and lowered her head. ¡°Apologies. It¡¯s just that, well, this reminds me of my youth a little. Fancy parties such as this one, that is. I suppose I¡¯m slipping back into old mannerisms.¡±

    ¡°I hope we haven¡¯t made you feel uncomfortable.¡± I let Nelys go and they bounced into a nearby chair.

    Inva shook her head rapidly, her long blond hair bouncing. ¡°Not at all!¡±

    ¡°We can go play a game!¡± Nelys suggested.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°We have darts in the room across from here and croquet in the garden,¡± Seyari offered.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t think to pick up any games that weren¡¯t already here,¡± I confessed. ¡°It¡¯s been a busy last few days.¡±

    ¡°You can say that again.¡± Inva seemed to relax a little and leaned back into her chair. ¡°Priest Herron doesn¡¯t trust you, and the whole of the church in Lockmoth¡¯s been talking about ¡®the demon that might not be evil¡¯ or ¡®the demon that¡¯s tricked a priest and a paladin.¡¯ Honestly, thank you so much for inviting me, and my apologies that I was early. I wanted to get out of my cramped guest room.¡±

    ¡°Did they approve of you coming here?¡± Seyari asked, suddenly concerned.

    ¡°Some people were mad about it, but I was given the go-ahead. Herron wanted me to find evidence for ¡®whatever nefarious deed you¡¯re planning,¡¯ but I doubt you are, honestly.¡±

    I stuck my forked tongue out. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to show you our secret basement where I plot how to take over the mortal world.¡±

    That finally got Inva to laugh. After a moment, the rest of us joined in, Nelys barely keeping themselves from laughing up the big mouthful of bread they¡¯d taken.

    When we settled down, the atmosphere felt a lot brighter, and Nelys spoke first. ¡°Let¡¯s play darts!¡±

    I nodded emphatically, and the four of us got up and moved into the other room. We¡¯d hardly gotten set up, and I¡¯d only just taken a test throw to make sure I wouldn¡¯t put mine through the wall, when someone else knocked at the door. A moment later, the knocker was used.

    I opened the door with a smile. Drin and Tren stood on the doorstep; the former was holding a bag of dried fruit and the latter a cake. It was my first time seeing Drin totally without armor, and she was hardly any smaller. Her short-cut hair suited her well, as did her relatively tight shirt. Tren wore baggy, but nice, clothes and had his longer hair back in a ponytail. ¡°Welcome!¡± I waved my two right arms for them to come inside. ¡°There are snacks in the sitting room, and we¡¯re about to play darts in the room across from it if you¡¯re interested.¡± I pointed to both.

    ¡°Thanks for having us, Zarenna!¡± Tren beamed.

    ¡°Where should we set these?¡± Drin gestured to the food they brought.

    ¡°Anywhere on the snack table is fine! We can put the cake in the kitchen if you want to save it for later.¡±

    ¡°We should,¡± Drin replied stepping inside.

    I showed the two of them to the sitting room with the snacks. Tren dropped off the bag of dried fruit and left to join the others for darts. I continued on to the kitchen with Drin, both to show her where to set the cake and to get a bowl for the fruit. More importantly, I wanted to ask about Tren.

    ¡°Has he talked to you yet?¡± I gestured to a clean, prominent spot on the counter for the cake.

    Confusion crossed Drin¡¯s face briefly, but then she sighed in recognition and set the cake down to lean against the counter. ¡°Yes and no. He¡¯s talked to me about ¡®a girl he likes,¡¯ but I haven¡¯t been able to get him to admit that it¡¯s me. I want to confess to him, but he needs to tell me first.¡±

    I grabbed a bowl from a cupboard and leaned next to Drin, on one hip so my tail wouldn¡¯t get in the way. ¡°Why¡¯s that, if you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±

    Drin shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± A faint whoop from Tren and a shout from Nelys echoed across the house and Drin smiled. ¡°He¡¯s wonderful and outgoing when it comes to anything he¡¯s interested in. I know he wants to talk to me, but he hasn¡¯t figured out how and it¡¯s so like him to wait until he has something down perfectly before he¡¯ll try it.¡±

    ¡°And the problem is that he can¡¯t figure out everything?¡± I said, shooting a guess.

    ¡°Not quite. I think it¡¯s that it isn¡¯t possible. He can¡¯t know how I¡¯ll react¡ªso there¡¯s always something he can¡¯t account for. Maybe I¡¯m reading too deeply into it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe not. We can get some snacks and talk before we join the others for darts.¡±

    Drin chuckled. ¡°Did you put one through the wall on accident?¡±

    I blushed. ¡°I did earlier, with Sey when we were testing where to set it up. The board¡¯s covering the hole in the wall.¡±

    ¡°Did it go all the way through to outside?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I flicked my tail side to side nervously. ¡°I mean, not all the way.¡±

    ¡°Pfft. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re on our side.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± I surprised Drin with a side hug. ¡°Thanks for accepting me, back on the mission. You and Tren both.¡±

    ¡°He was the one who accepted you. I only did because he looked so sure of himself, when you all were in a pile in the tool shed.¡±

    ¡°Thanks anyway, Drin.¡± I smiled, trying not to tear up a little.

    ¡°You¡¯re one strange demon, Zarenna.¡±

    I gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Let¡¯s go join the others. This strange demon will help any way she can.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but you¡¯ve done more than enough. I think this party might give him the push he needs on his own.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± I nodded emphatically. ¡°Let¡¯s go show the others how to toss a dart. And not through a wall!¡±

    We rejoined the party to find, unsurprisingly, Seyari in the lead. However, Nelys and Inva were holding their own.

    ¡°How is this so different from aiming a spell!¡± Tren complained. ¡°I¡¯m a good shot! Drin, tell them I¡¯m a good shot!¡±

    Drin held up a hand a wavered it side to side.

    ¡°Drin!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. You¡¯re a great shot Tren. Darts are just different from spells.¡±

    ***

    We hadn¡¯t quite finished the first game of darts when the next knock came to our door. Again, whoever it was used the knocker. Either Sey and Inva were wrong, or I had weird friends. I¡¯d give it even odds.

    To my surprise, no one made a joke about me forfeiting by leaving the room. Then again, Taava wasn¡¯t here yet and I wasn¡¯t even winning. Raw power doesn¡¯t equate to winning every game of darts, even if I did start to lean more on my demonic reflexes. Seyari¡¯s aim was terrifying.

    ¡°Coming!¡± I announced, just before pulling the door open.

    Salvador stood on the other side. He had an old, worn-looking wooden box under one arm, a full bag in another, and an apologetic look on his face. He was missing his signature cloak, but wore suitably casual clothes like the rest of us.

    He adjusted the box under one arm. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m a little late. I realized I wanted to find a celesternal set, and I took a moment to do so. I¡¯ve also brought the tea cakes.¡±

    Immediately I perked up. ¡°I¡¯ll go make hot water for tea then! Please, come in¡ªand thank you for bringing another game.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Salvador replied sincerely, ¡°and thank you for having me over.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± I started, darting away toward the kitchen. ¡°You can set the tea cakes on the snack table¡ªthere should be a tray out that has space. We can play the game you brought over tea and Drin brought a cake for later as well.¡±

    Behind me, I heard Seyari greet Salvador warmly, and she closed the door behind the Cavenish man as he came inside and joined the others.

    Meanwhile, in the kitchen, I fetched out a kettle, filled it from the pump, and was about to light the stove when I realized I had a faster way. I held it in one hand, rested another on the bottom and heated it directly. I thankfully avoided going too hot, and the water was soon boiling without the bottom of the kettle going soft on me or discoloring. Oh the little joys of unusual applications for metalsmithing knowledge.

    I hummed absentmindedly while I worked; a little tune I remembered Abby used to hum. I transferred the water from kettle to pot and then brought out the whole tea set on a tray to steep next to the snacks. Seyari and I had found the set in the attic, and we didn¡¯t care that it was chipped. Flower-printed and gorgeous, the porcelain looked like it could have come from Aloria.

    The box Salvador had brought was set on a table by the window, and through said window I noticed Taava approaching the front door with a bounce in her gait. I¡¯d recognize her build, ears, and tail anywhere. I waited in front of the door and threw it open the moment she was about to knock. ¡°Hi Taava!¡±

    Taava hissed and jumped up, the fur on her ears and tail bristling outward. ¡°Renna! What was that for!¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I dunno. Sorry, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Pfft. Some noble demon you are! Scarin¡¯ poor innocent bards like myself.¡±

    And she was dressed like a bard today, complete with a wild green and orange outfit; all frills and stockings and skirts. Honestly, it clashed, but some of that added to its charm. The kazzel invited herself in and had strummed a chord before she¡¯d made it through the doorway.

    With Taava having arrived and all the guests accounted for, the party got started in earnest. I got to enjoy Salvador¡¯s lovely interpretation of Lilly¡¯s tea cakes, and I learned celesternal as well. Salvador wiped the floor with me, but getting to play a game with a demon side, with pieces that depicted actual demons and without feeling like a villain, made me more than happy to get schooled.

    Salvador as well seemed to have a good time. I learned a little more of his daughter, Sonia, and his late wife Cassandra as well. Honestly, I was sad I didn¡¯t have a gift to give Sonia, so while the others were having fun playing croquet in the garden, I sat on the back deck, ignored the smell of the tide going out, and penned a letter to the young demon-blooded acolyte. During the match, Salvador hit things off with Inva, and both of them compared experiences working with the Church of Dhias. Taava meanwhile, played it like it was a zero-sum game, causing Seyari to lose and Tren, who had been the most focused, to eke out a win.

    After croquet, we returned inside and sat around the living room in front of the house where darts were still set up, and across from the sitting room with the remains of our snacks. It was almost dusk and all eight of us were sat around, drinks in hand, trading stories and enjoying Drin¡¯s wonderful cake, when another knock sounded at the front door. This time, whoever it was didn¡¯t use the knocker.

    ¡°Were you expecting anyone else?¡± Salvador asked.

    I shook my head and Seyari bit her bottom lip. Trouble?

    No one seemed to know what was going on, so I got up to answer the door. I didn¡¯t bother taking human form, although I did look outside first. A human woman stood on the doorstep, dressed in a heavy purple dress¡ªrich in color, but light on frills. Something about her face was familiar, but in the initial moment, I couldn¡¯t place it. Still, I didn¡¯t think it would hurt to answer the door, although I did feel myself tensing up.

    I opened the door part-way. ¡°Hello, Miss. Can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Can I help you!?¡± the short woman teased, bright brown eyes shining from behind spectacles. ¡°Is that any way to treat your Aunt Lilly?¡±

 Chapter 99: Demonic Politics

    My thoughts stopped. In that instant, I recognized the Sovereign of Lust¡¯s face. Shift the skin tone to pink, add some horns and a tail, and you¡¯d get Lillith, the Sovereign of Lust, in all her demonic glory. What the heck is she doing here!?

    ¡°It¡¯s awfully cold out here, Zarenna.¡± She smiled with faux-innocence. ¡°Could I come inside, please? I brought your favorite tea cakes!¡± She gestured to a small basket she carried.

    I hesitated for a moment, then pulled the door open. ¡°It¡¯s my Aunt Lilly!¡± I shouted back to the rest of the room. Only Seyari knew what that meant, and I could only imagine the look on her face.

    ¡°Do you have anything to drink, dear? It was a long journey made quickly and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m parched.¡± Lilly wiped off her shoes and strode inside, then leaned in and whispered, ¡°good job last week, by the way. My agents in the city told me what happened.¡±

    I nodded numbly. ¡°I can, uh, fix up another pot of tea for you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be lovely! May I go meet your friends?¡±

    It felt like she was about to lean up and pinch my cheek.

    ¡°Aunt Lillith,¡± Seyari stated coldly from the doorway to the living room. ¡°How kind of you to visit.¡±

    ¡°Seyari, dear! You¡¯re looking lovely.¡±

    Seyari could hardly protest as now, with the others watching, Lilly rushed in and gave her a tight hug. Before I could sneak away, she turned and gave me one as well.

    ¡°Are you going to introduce me, Zarenna?¡± Lilly asked, looking at me with puppy-dog eyes.

    You barely look older than me!

    ¡°Everyone.¡± I cleared my throat to buy time. ¡°This is my, uh, Aunt Lilly. She¡¯s quite nice, but also quite the gossip.¡±

    ¡°Oh you!¡± Lilly waved her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t stop everything on my account. I only came by for a cup of tea and to say hi.¡±

    I spend a moment introducing Lilly to my friends. Salvador and Taava were suspicious, clearly, but everyone else took it in stride. If I stayed, I worried I¡¯d need to field questions about exactly how my completely human aunt from before I died and became a demon showed up to this party unannounced.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the tea started for you Aunt Lilly,¡± I volunteered before anyone could drag me into a conversation I couldn¡¯t explain. Quickly, I left for the kitchen.

    ¡°Oh, let me help!¡± Lilly followed after me. ¡°I know it¡¯s petty, but there¡¯s a very particular way I like my tea.¡±

    Sure there is.

    Seyari shot me a worried look, but I gave her a clear-eyed nod and she turned back to the others with a sigh, starting up another story to help the party resume.

    ¡°You¡¯re not just here for a visit, Lilly,¡± I accused once we were back in the kitchen.

    ¡°Aww, can¡¯t I just visit my favorite demon?¡±

    ¡°What about Mereneth?¡± I grabbed the tea kettle and started to heat it.

    ¡°She¡¯s nice, but you¡¯re special.¡± Lilly leaned against the counter, setting her basket down. ¡°The gift you received earlier was to show you I was watching out for you.¡±

    ¡°Keeping an eye on me, you mean.¡± I resisted the urge to hand her a boiling kettle and instead ducked back into the sitting room with it and a couple tea cakes in hand. The pot was out here, and I wanted another cup myself.

    ¡°May I have a slice of cake?¡± Lilly replied, still back in the kitchen and likely having found the last quarter of Drin¡¯s cake.

    ¡°Was your messenger a demon?¡± I asked quietly as I poured the tea, knowing she could hear me a room away.

    Of course, she pretended she hadn¡¯t heard me. ¡°Is that a yes, dear?¡±

    I gritted my teeth. Lilly had shown me nothing but kindness, and had helped me immensely, but right now she was putting me on edge. Tonight was supposed to be a night with no worries.

    I replied as kindly as I could. ¡°It¡¯s a yes, Aunt Lilly. You can have a big slice if you want.¡± Drin had already given us any leftovers from the cake. A sort of housewarming present, even if Seyari and I wouldn¡¯t be living here.

    Lillith soon returned with a slice of cake on a plate. She helped herself to fixing her tea just right and plopped down onto the couch with a contented sigh. ¡°I¡¯m super happy for you, Zarenna! You¡¯ve done something I thought impossible¡ªpeople are letting you comingle with them openly. I¡¯m not even going to rain on your parade by doubting the longevity of such an arrangement. I think it has a chance to work, if I¡¯m being honest.¡±

    I felt myself relax a little. I knew she had something big to say later, but her words right now felt genuine. Seyari, who had been hovering just around the corner of the door, must have felt so too, because I heard a faint sigh before she retreated and left the two of us alone.

    For a few minutes, we conversed quietly about mundane topics, listening to the murmurs of soft conversation in the other room, and of the ticking of the standing clock in the corner, wound just this morning for the first time in years.

    When Lilly took her plate back into the kitchen, she bade me join her. We paused a moment to chat with Drin and Tren as the former led the latter out to the garden. Drin had challenged Tren to a one versus one croquet game after the victory he narrowly eked out earlier in the day. When they disappeared out into the twilight outside, Lilly set her plate in the sink and smiled warmly at me.

    A slight veil of her magic surrounded us like a bubble. It felt different from Seyari¡¯s, but I could guess the purpose. This must be kept secret.

    ¡°Have you noticed anything odd recently, Zarenna, in terms of demonic activity?¡±

    ¡°Besides me?¡± I joked.

    Lilly giggled and poked my nose. ¡°Yes. Besides you, silly!¡±

    I didn¡¯t have to deliberate long before I decided to tell her. ¡°We noticed another Sovereign¡¯s mark on both a group of Raavian assassins sent after Taava and on a farm kid from a town nearby who was taught how to summon a greater demon. Also, a gang boss¡ª¡±

    ¡°Garvin, yes I know,¡± Lilly interrupted.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°Could you describe the symbol?¡± Lilly asked. ¡°The gem specifically.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°The gem is shaped like a triangle. I have no idea what color it is.¡±

    Lilly frowned. ¡°A trilliant cut then. Are you sure?¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I nodded, then a pang of worry shot through me. ¡°Could, uh, could I see your symbol and gem?¡±

    Lilly jolted out of her thoughts. ¡°Ah, yes. I must look quite suspicious right now. Of course you can.¡± She pulled up her skirt and I couldn¡¯t help but notice the bulge in her stockings, but my eyes were drawn to the symbol hidden under her garter belt right above her underwear.

    The gem was bright pink and very clearly cut into a faceted heart shape. Face now flushed crimson, I averted my gaze and Lilly, business-like, put everything back into place. ¡°As you can see,¡± she said crisply, ¡°it is most definitely not my symbol.¡±

    I almost sagged with relief.

    ¡°But while I did need to, unfortunately, show you that, I also wanted to inform you of what my own agents have found.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Avarice. The Sovereign of Avarice¡¯s symbol was the one Garvin used.¡±

    ¡°Then is Avarice behind all of this? What¡¯s their name?¡±

    ¡°Styrix,¡± Lilly replied.

    ¡°So Styrix is behind all of this?¡±

    Lilly shook her head. ¡°No. His gem is turquoise and round cut. So it can¡¯t be Avarice. And it¡¯s neither of us: your gem is, well, more green than red if I¡¯m being honest, and is a cushion cut. And you¡¯ve seen mine. Even without color, the cut of our culprit is different.¡±

    The gem we¡¯d found certainly wasn¡¯t round, and I believed Lilly since I saw no reason for her to lie. ¡°So whose is it then? Conceit?¡±

    ¡°Nope! Utraxia¡¯s is a marquise cut. Are you certain about what you¡¯ve seen?¡±

    ¡°I can go get it,¡± I volunteered.

    I hadn¡¯t left the room when I bumped into Seyari carrying the dagger and sketch. ¡°I¡¯m joining the conversation,¡± was all she said.

    We returned together and, with a shrug, Lilly resumed, giving a rundown of the stones to Seyari. Looking at the gem we uncovered, the Sovereign of Lust frowned deeply and rubbed her forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t know whose this is. It isn¡¯t Ov, which is good, but that means it must be the sixth Sovereign.¡±

    ¡°Did you say it might be Envy?¡± Seyari asked, surprising me with her memory.

    ¡°I did, yes.¡±

    I thought about the incidents so far. Assassins and envy could make sense. The incident on my first mission with the Gelles Company though? All envy. And Garvin was clearly avarice.

    ¡°Does this mean Envy and Styrix, the Sovereign of Avarice are behind all this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Lilly swore. ¡°I hope they¡¯re not working together¡ªthat¡¯d mean a whole bunch of trouble for us both. Damn, and here I was thinking I had the only alliance.¡±

    ¡°What could they want?¡± Seyari asked.

    Lilly shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s Avarice and maybe Envy. What do you think they¡¯d want?¡±

    Seyari grumbled, but asked again. ¡°Okay, sure, but what are they going to do about it?¡±

    ¡°More of this probably,¡± Lilly replied, seeming actually nervous. ¡°We just have to hope Utraxia stays neutral and this doesn¡¯t escalate. Because she¡¯s not going to side with me. And Ov won¡¯t take a side.¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± I swore. ¡°Okay, if things get bad, how long do we have until we¡¯re in trouble. And are we talking demonic armies?¡±

    Lilly took a moment to think. ¡°Unless I¡¯m wrong, and I hope I¡¯m not, we have a few years. This stuff speaks of testing the waters. Of seeing how the Church of Dhias and other, more noteworthy factions respond.¡±

    ¡°More noteworthy?¡± I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been to Aloria or Daram, dear,¡± Lilly lectured. ¡°Before it fell to civil war, Raavia too was a bastion of knowledge against demonic incursion. The Church of Dhias is fledgling in comparison and crippled by its own bureaucracy and corruption.¡±

    Seyari gave Lilly an approving glance.

    Lillith pulled Seyari into a surprise side hug. ¡°Hate me less now, miss Angel of Wrath?¡±

    Seyari pushed the Sovereign of Lust away. ¡°A little.¡±

    ¡°Angel of Wrath?¡± I asked, almost wanting to ask Seyari for permission to call her that.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Lilly exclaimed. ¡°Angel.¡± She pointed at Seyari. ¡°Of Wrath.¡± She pointed at me. ¡°She¡¯s yours and you¡¯re hers!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± I slapped a fist into my palm. ¡°I get it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Seyari growled.

    My sharp smile only widened. ¡°Is it that bad of a title, or do you only dislike it because Lilly came up with it.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph.¡± Seyari turned her nose up at me.

    So it¡¯s the latter.

    ¡°Is there anything we can do with this information right now?¡± Seyari continued, trying to wrangle to conversation back to the topic it¡¯d been on.

    ¡°Nope!¡± Lilly beamed. ¡°Just keep doing what you¡¯re doing. Gain power and influence and maybe some subordinates in addition to all your friends.¡± She put a finger to her chin. ¡°Oh, you could also give people demonic contracts, but the church probably wouldn¡¯t like that.¡±

    ¡°Demonic contracts?¡± I asked.

    Lilly cocked her head to one side. ¡°Didn¡¯t I explain that to you back on Sandmeadow?¡±

    I shook my head ¡°Did you? I certainly don¡¯t remember it.¡±

    Seyari got herself comfortable leaning on a counter, grabbed a teacake, and started to explain. ¡°Lilly knows more, unfortunately, but you basically give a portion of your power to someone¡ªit could also be temporary, or you could corrupt them with demonic mana and transform them.¡±

    ¡°Like the strange traits Erik had back on the first company mission?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like that. I think I also told you a story from my past where someone was corrupted by an artifact.¡±

    ¡°That sort of thing isn¡¯t really a contract.¡± Lilly interjected. ¡°That¡¯s just demonic corruption. In your case, Zarenna, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am not going to do that.¡± I crossed all four of my arms and leaned next to Seyari wrapping my tail protectively around her. ¡°Ever.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t have benefits and with a guiding hand you might be able to¡­¡± Lilly smiled slyly.

    ¡°Lilly,¡± Seyari warned.

    The Sovereign of Lust put up her hands in mock surrender. ¡°Oh, okay, fine. Anyway, proper contracts use your Name, if you have one. You can do it without, but it¡¯ll be limited. And, verbal contracts are a bit finicky¡ªI¡¯d recommend a ritual to nail down specifics.¡±

    ¡°Why finicky?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Zarenna, you¡¯re not thinking of¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°You are.¡±

    Lilly headed off our argument with an explanation. ¡°Verbal contracts blur the line between what¡¯s literally said and the intent behind it. Rituals are always literal. And if the contract¡¯s broken, you¡¯ll get your power back. Contracts don¡¯t also have to corrupt people¡ªin your case, that is. Since you¡¯re a terrestrial demon, you don¡¯t take in that much demonic mana anyway, so it¡¯s quite possible to avoid doing anything to severe.¡±

    ¡°Would it be reversible?¡±

    ¡°Depends on a lot of factors including if the contract is broken or completed, duration, where you are in the world, et cetera.¡±

    ¡°Why would I ever want to do this, besides giving someone power?¡±

    ¡°Demonic regeneration is a good thing to have for fragile humans.¡± Lilly spoke candidly, and I was certain that, this time, her words were an answer, not a threat.

    ¡°Let me know if I¡¯ve got this right.¡± I cupped a hand under my chin. ¡°So I could make a contract to save someone and they might get a little demon-ey in exchange?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    Immediately my mind flashed back to Lorelei¡¯s death. Would she have accepted? Would it have been a kindness or a cruelty? After all, Markus was already dead and his killer was my lover. And it would go against every ideal Lorelei held dear¡­

    My distress must¡¯ve been visible, because I felt Seyari¡¯s hand wrap around mine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hold onto the past, dear.¡± Lilly leaned in to whisper softly, ¡°It¡¯ll drag you down with it.¡±

    I thought of Seyari and the weight she¡¯d carried. I thought of what Nelys had told me of Aretan¡¯s history not an hour ago. Of Salvador¡¯s difficult position, of Nelys¡¯s mysterious background and of Taava¡¯s deep regret.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°Yeah it will.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Lilly clapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Sorry for being a downer, but we needed to have this talk.¡±

    ¡°How did you even get here so fast?¡± Seyari asked.

    Lilly just laughed. ¡°Dearie, I¡¯m an old, powerful demon who can fly and use magic to remain unseen. How do you think I did it?¡±

    ¡°Oh. That makes sense. Say ¡®hi¡¯ to Isidore when you get home for me, Lilly.¡± I smiled and pulled her into a hug. ¡°You¡¯re sometimes cryptic, always irreverent, but I think I might consider you a friend.¡±

    To my surprise, my comment hit Lilly hard and she stiffened before she hugged me back. When we parted, her eyes were wet.

    ¡°Done having your moment?¡± Seyari¡¯s tone had less bite than before, but she forced herself to frown nonetheless.

    Lilly bopped her on the nose faster than she could react, and then turned calmly to leave while Seyari fumed quietly. I let the Sovereign of Lust back out the front door, and when she left, I felt my shoulders relax.

    ¡°What¡¯d ya talk about?¡± Taava popped in from the darts room. ¡°We all wanna know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± I smiled tiredly. ¡°Let¡¯s just go back to the party.¡±

    The atmosphere took some time (and some alcohol) to get going again. Drin and Tren returned after what must have been a long ¡®croquet match.¡¯ Tren¡¯s hair was mussed up and he wore a big, dopey smile. Drin was blushing, but looked immensely happy. I noted some leaves stuck in interesting places in their clothing and I imagined they had fun in the garden. For the rest of the party, they stuck close together.

    We all drifted between the kitchen, sitting room, and living room where we played games and shared stories until late in the night. The upstairs was even toured, although it was much less furnished than downstairs. I couldn¡¯t get drunk, but I was able to relax around my friends. Seyari likewise stayed mostly sober, but that may have been by choice.

    Eventually, after midnight, we turned in. Everyone was either too lovestruck or too drunk to head home, so Seyari and I prepared beds. I was glad this house had four bedrooms upstairs, and I moved a bed for Nelys into Salvador and Taava¡¯s room so Inva could sleep alone. I was surprised the paladin stayed over, but she was completely sloshed. To our amusement, Drin and Tren were suddenly fine sharing a room. They really must have hit it off to move so quickly.

    Then again, Seyari and I had more pressing matters when we originally got together.

 Chapter 100: Total Bleedin Heart

    The last few days had been a whirlwind of changes. Nearby the company, people were mostly used to seeing a demon walking around (me), and I¡¯d even received thank-you letters from some of the people I¡¯d saved. More surprisingly, I received a letter from Paula. Nothing formally addressed, just a slip shoved under my door one morning.

    ¡°Sorry¡± was all it said¡ªin blocky handwriting with her name under it.

    Still, the gesture brought a smile to my face. This morning I found myself sitting on the end of the bed in Taava¡¯s room at the Gelles Company, lost in thought.

    The church was clearly keeping eyes on me¡ªbut there wasn¡¯t much I could do about that other than be so crushingly unremarkable in my day-to-day activities that they¡¯d eventually give up their surveillance. Probably wasn¡¯t going to happen, but I wasn¡¯t going to give my eavesdroppers any mana against me.

    Though I had to admit, I was rather pissed off that the dinner date Seyari and I had was spied on. Ruined some of the atmosphere of the nice restaurant. With all the staff on edge due to my presence, I couldn¡¯t really act against the watchers a few tables over, even subtly. I¡¯d even ordered something without crunchable bones just so I wouldn¡¯t be tempted.

    While Aretan hadn¡¯t been able to make the party a few days ago, he¡¯d sent a letter, and the event had gone off almost without a hitch. From what I (and Inva) had gathered, the church hadn¡¯t been able to spy on the party. I¡¯d assumed the were going to¡ªnot like we had anything to hide¡ªbut Lilly had certainly been behind blocking them out. The Sovereign of Lust had helped us fill in some of the blanks regarding who was after us, but hearing that it was, potentially, an alliance of two other Sovereigns had done quite the opposite of putting my mind at ease.

    Lilly had to be planning something, and I was cautiously optimistic that I¡¯d be on board with whatever it was. Until then, I was in no shape to go on the offensive¡ªif I¡¯d even had any idea where to start. Perhaps Mordwell was tangled up in this as well?

    No use thinking in circles over that sort of thing. Drin and Tren had been at the party, and had gotten together there as well. It was sweet to see how awkward the budding couple were around each other. Oh, they were still friendly for sure, but with that sort of ¡°I don¡¯t want to offend you now so I¡¯m acting different¡± thing that Seyari and I had briefly gone through ourselves. The party helped them move past some of that¡ªat least if the friendly ribbing increasing with alcohol imbibed was at all a sign of things to come.

    With Drin and Tren, we also found renters for our estate. Lacking any staff to maintain it, we rented the couple the overlarge home for what was probably a steal. They should be moving in today, actually. All in all, our last week in Lockmoth was an odd sort of calm before what would surely be a new storm.

    For us who were leaving for Edath, the future was as dangerous as it was tenuously hopeful. The assassins seeking Taava would find her again, and I wagered soon. I couldn¡¯t stay looking like a demon through every town we passed, and our enemies were still at large, their plans largely undisturbed. On top of that, we¡¯d surely made an enemy out of Avarice and the other Sovereign (potentially Envy) who may be working with them. I had to hope they knew less about me than I did about them.

    For now, the goal was to head south, gain influence, and work as hard as we possibly could to gather evidence and move subtly against Mordell and Finley ahead of the meeting with my sister on the summer solstice, which was half a year away.

    This morning was the morning we¡¯d meet our client and head south. Everything and everyone were ready, except Taava. For some reason, potentially spurred on by her fashion ¡°success¡± at the party earlier in the week, she had me in her room at the company helping her try on clothes while Seyari and Nelys finished packing and paperwork. The kazzel wanted to make the best possible impression with the client, according to her, and she had slipped almost fully back into the same ¡°traveling bard¡± act as when we¡¯d first met.

    Not that I¡¯d complain about her playing or singing. I would, however, complain about how putting together an outfit was going.

    ¡°Taava, you can¡¯t use my horns as a coat rack!¡± I huffed, pushing a shirt out of my eyes.

    ¡°Looks like it works fine ta me!¡± The kazzel said, struggling around a silky-looking top.

    ¡°The only reason you don¡¯t have holes poked through everything is because I¡¯m dulling them.¡±

    She got one arm in a top and then the other shoulder before giving up. ¡°Sounds ta me like you¡¯re okay with it then!¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just trying¡ª¡± I coughed in surprise as another skirt was thrown on top of me. ¡°¡ªTo be patient with you.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re doin¡¯ great so far!¡± Taava replied, shuffling around as she threw together another outfit. ¡°Say, how does this look?¡±

    I moved the latest shirt out of my eyes, hissing. Taava looked, well, a little off. Not quite the flamboyant performer look she wanted. ¡°Your top doesn¡¯t match, and you¡¯ve mixed gold accents with silver,¡± I replied honestly.

    Taava looked herself over and frowned, tail flicking in annoyance. ¡°Crap.¡± Ungracefully, she quickly took her top off.

    I covered my eyes with two hands. ¡°Taava!¡±

    ¡°What? We¡¯re both girls!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s kinda the problem! And I¡¯m taken!¡±

    ¡°Prude.¡± She stuck out an arm holding the discarded top. ¡°Hold this.¡±

    I stuck out a third hand, keeping my upper pair clamped firmly over my face. ¡°Fine. Tell me when you¡¯re decent.¡±

    More shuffling. ¡°I¡¯m better than decent.¡±

    Like a chump, I opened my eyes. ¡°Taava!¡±

    ***

    I was still slightly red-faced when we finally cleared out from the company building and said our goodbyes. Taava had decided on a riot of red and gold that I sincerely doubted was a totally traditional Raavian look, despite her insistence. The sparse outfit looked far, far too insubstantial for an Ordian winter. Just because I¡¯m a walking heater doesn¡¯t mean you should abuse that fact!

    Fira informed us that, given its location near the Edathan border within the empire, the Gelles Company had a small office in Gedon that we could report to once we arrived. Salvador and Inva were in the city for another day or two before their ship was scheduled to leave, and they saw us off with the rest of the company.

    For the first time in a while, I was in my human transformation. I also carried my newly-repaired spear with me while my dress, a small shield, and two sets of tail rings (one spiked and one decorative) were in my bags.

    For this mission, I was the group leader, with Seyari, Taava, and Nelys as the other members. We¡¯d notified the client via letter that I was a demon and apprised her of some of the situation around my current status. She¡¯d responded with a sparse affirmative, and I couldn¡¯t get the slight twist out of my gut that she hadn¡¯t exactly taken everything seriously.

    When we got to the meeting place on the outskirts of Lockmoth, there was quite the gathering up and down the road. I knew we were to be part of a caravan, but I¡¯d imagined something more along the lines of Florian¡¯s caravan through Navanaea. Gathered here, prepping to head out, was a diaspora of various small merchants and other travelers. We weren¡¯t the only guards I could see, though we were the only ones from the Gelles Company that I was aware of.

    Shouting was the order of the day and my sensitive ears were getting pounded with a variety of orders and questions and frustrations, most all of them in Ordian. Head high and focused as best I could, I strode forward to the exact spot detailed for the meeting. I only had the vaguest description of our client, along with a name and papers, so I had to hope they were exacting in their instructions.

    The crowd wasn¡¯t particularly dense given the terrain, but I was glad to be able to see over everyone else nonetheless. I was used to my countenance making space around me, so I had to take a few steps to adjust to weaving and softly shouldering my way through stubborn groups of people. Ironically, I was probably the worst person among my group of four when it came to making my way through a crowd¡ªand that was including my size.

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    Lucky for us, I spotted our client and her wagon in the shade of a crooked plum tree. She was a solo merchant¡ªsome large part Cavenish or Navanaean. Her dark hair was shaved nearly to her head on one side, and long on the other, showing one ear with a very slight point. Her light brown eyes were about the same shade as her skin, and she, like us, was dressed for travel. Next to her, looking wary, was a more typically Ordian-looking young man with sandy blonde hair, a dusting of freckles, and a well-worn brigandine. Her personal guard, I would bet.

    Since she should have our description as well, I approached with a smile and a wave, my friends right behind me. The guard stepped up, but our client put a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed.

    ¡°Myrna, I presume?¡± I inclined my head forward and stuck out my hand. ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna Miller and this is my group. We¡¯re here from the Gelles Company as per our contract.¡±

    Myrna took my hand in a firm grip and smirked. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be taller. Glad you showed up on time!¡±

    It took me a second to realize she said the first part in Navvish. ¡°Any taller and I¡¯d hit my head on all the doors I don¡¯t already,¡± I responded in Navvish, my grasp of the language still somewhat poor. That earned a slight smile from Myrna.

    Behind me, Seyari chuckled and Nelys laughed.

    Taava elbowed Seyari and whispered, ¡°what¡¯d she say?¡±

    Seyari mimed measuring up my height and then smacking her head into an invisible doorframe. Taava snickered.

    Myrna stiffly released my hand after another moment. ¡°Strong grip, too. I get why you¡¯re called a demon¡ªmost people at least wince when I do that.¡±

    Do what?

    ¡°Anyway,¡± the merchant continued in un-accented Ordian, ¡°this is my normal guard, Phol.¡±

    Phol nodded stiffly. ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯m. It¡¯s, uh, nice to meet you.¡±

    Myrna frowned and sighed, rapping the guard¡¯s shoulder rather heavily. ¡°Sorry about him. He¡¯s put out that I¡¯ve hired more protection. Probably a total waste of money, but the rumors have me spooked and we¡¯ll be taking a pretty isolated route to Gedon.¡±

    ¡°Why would a caravan this large not take the main road?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°And I¡¯m Seyari by the way. The annoying kazzel with the lute is Taava, and Nelys there is our sneaking and stabbing expert.¡±

    Nelys smiled ear to ear, bouncing on the balls of their feet. Rather than pouting, Taava smiled and strummed a chord before taking an over-exaggerated bow.

    ¡°Caravan?¡± Myrna barked a laugh, slapping Phol on the back. To his credit, he didn¡¯t stumble. ¡°We¡¯re not going with them. We¡¯re just taking the same road out of the city. You think I¡¯d waste time slowing down for those chumps?¡± She flicked a thumb at the bigger wagons and then at her sleek-looking horses. ¡°We¡¯ll be going fast. One wagon, but we¡¯ll find space to cram in there. I¡¯m hauling quality, not quantity.¡±

    ¡°Hauling what exactly?¡± Seyari asked.

    Myrna leaned forward with a predatory, appraising smile. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you the cold inquisitive one? I thought angels were supposed to be nice¡ªbut this is way better. Anyway, I¡¯m hauling spices from Navanaea and we¡¯ll be picking up rare herbs and some semiprecious stones along the way. Anyway, that¡¯s enough dawdling. Show me the contract and let¡¯s go.¡±

    I took out the papers with their wax-stamped seal and handed them to her.

    She scanned them quickly and handed them off to Phol before jumping up into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Come on! Daylight¡¯s burning!¡±

    The four of us had scarcely scrambled up and put our stuff in the wagon before Myrna took off. She patted the space next to her in the front and I sat down after placing my wrapped spear in the back with the few small crates and sacks already there. We passed the other wagons in the row, and I noticed a few had hired guards¡ªone pair of wagons in particular had several hired swords. I guess there really were rumors of danger.

    ¡°What are the rumors?¡± I asked. ¡°Demons?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Myrna replied. ¡°Most of that¡¯s bullshit, but I can¡¯t deny I had good sources tell me travel is becoming more dangerous of late, for a bunch of different reasons.¡±

    ¡°What are the other reasons? Animal attacks? Bandits?¡±

    Myrna shrugged. ¡°Stuff like that mostly. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nervous?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not for myself, no.¡±

    ¡°You must be pretty fierce in a battle to get called a demon, yeah?¡± She asked without taking her eyes off the road ahead. ¡°You¡¯re built like damn statue, Zarenna.¡±

    I watched the small farms blur by for a second before I sighed. ¡°I thought we were pretty clear in the paperwork, but I guess not.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Something up?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®called¡¯ a demon. I am a demon. I just showed up in my human form because I didn¡¯t want to cause a stir. Didn¡¯t you hear about what happened? Any of the rumors that must be going around about a demon in Lockmoth?¡±

    ¡°That big crater in the city? I stopped by it, but I only got in town a couple days ago. I don¡¯t take stock in rumors like that unless I see profit in them.¡± Myrna turned to look up at me, still clearly not believing me. ¡°You saying you did that crater?¡±

    ¡°No¡ªwell, not really. I killed the thing that made it, but I guess I did burn it into an arena for us to fight in.¡± Under my breath I muttered, ¡°damn it¡ªwhy is this always so awkward.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one heck of a boast, even for a merc.¡±

    ¡°Can I revert my human transformation already?¡± I looked around. We were going fast, and mostly out of the city. Besides, I was technically okay to walk around as a demon¡ªfor now. Who knows how long that¡¯ll last though.

    ¡°Sure, why not.¡± Myrna laughed.

    I couldn¡¯t help a giggle myself. ¡°Just don¡¯t drive us off the road, okay?¡± I reverted my human transformation and stretched. ¡°My tail always gets such a kink in it!¡±

    Myrna froze, and the wagon started to drift before she jolted and yanked us back on course. The horses whinnied, but thankfully didn¡¯t bolt. ¡°Well fuck.¡±

    ¡°Told you!¡± I exclaimed, the last syllable turning into a yawn.

    There was a whimper and a scuffle from behind me.

    ¡°Phol, don¡¯t bother,¡± Myrna snapped. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a demon though!¡± Phol¡¯s voice was muffled.

    ¡°But Renna¡¯s nice! And we told you she was a demon.¡± Nelys grunted, probably while trying to hold the man down.

    ¡°The company knows, too,¡± Seyari clarified. ¡°And I can guarantee you our protection will be well worth the money. The protection of a greater demon is no joke.¡±

    A strummed chord broke the tension. ¡°This¡¯s a song I¡¯ve been workin¡¯ on,¡± Taava said in a singsong voice, speaking over everyone else. ¡°I call it ¡®My Boss is a Demon, but she¡¯s a Total Bleedin¡¯ Heart.¡¯¡±

    As Taava began playing, I sighed. ¡°Every time.¡± I looked down at Myrna with what I hoped was a pleading look. ¡°It¡¯s like this every time, ugh! I really should just not bother with my human form.¡±

    Myrna¡¯s wide eyes softened and she cocked her head back at the singing ¡®bard.¡¯ ¡°Complete with the song, too?¡±

    I flushed deeper scarlet. ¡°No, that¡¯s new.¡±

    Taava continued singing, ¡°And when she saved me from assassins, I saw nothin¡¯ but kindness in her eeeeeeeeyes!¡±

    I buried my face in two palms.

    ¡°Your friend Taava seems like a good singer.¡±

    ¡°That honestly just makes it worse.¡± I chanced a glance back between fingers and saw Phol starting to relax with a melty Nelys across his midsection.

    Seyari was rather successfully stifling the giggles, and Taava managed to somehow belt out more lyrics while wearing a shit eating grin, her tail twitching behind her.

    ¡°She threw herself in the hellportal and tried in vain to drive back the beast withiiiin!¡±

    ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t even rhyme,¡± I mumbled.

    Myrna snorted.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s a work in progreeeeess, ya big red jeeeerk!¡±

    I shrank down into my seat and pulled my legs toward me with my lower arms and tail, keeping my face covered. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to disappear now. Tell me if something¡¯s dumb enough to attack us.¡±

    ¡°I can do that.¡± Myrna said, and I felt a cautious hand on my shoulder. ¡°You have good friends, Zarenna.¡±

    I groaned into my knees. Taava finished the song and started again; Nelys joined her this time.

    ***

    Taava eventually stopped singing, around when we turned off the main road. Unfortunately, I¡¯d gotten to hear her song of our exploits evolve. It was starting to rhyme¡ªand be in meter.

    The terrain folded into rolling hills and light forest pulled in around us as the road narrowed.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make camp for the night on this road, and get to our first stop hopefully tomorrow night or the next morning,¡± Myrna announced.

    All I could do was nod, although I had at least recovered enough to look around for threats. I saw none, and I had to hope my presence was a strong deterrent. At speed or at a distance, I might be mistaken for a tall demon-blooded, but no one would make that mistake up close.

    We continued to ride until close to dusk, then pulled aside to camp, carefully taking the cart through the twilight to a place not visible from the road. There was a tarpaulin that could cover the back of the wagon, but I was intending to stay up on watch with Seyari, and sleep in our own tent.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get firewood,¡± I volunteered. ¡°Do you want me to try to catch anything for dinner?¡±

    ¡°We have plenty of food for ourselves,¡± Myrna answered. ¡°Only if you want something.¡±

    The others shrugged, so I stepped a little into the woods to look for a good tree.

    ***

    Myrna helped the half-angel Seyari get a fire pit started. Truthfully, she was still rattled, even if she didn¡¯t show it. Before becoming a merchant, her past was¡­ rough. The way the four-armed demon, Zarenna, held herself probably looked at ease to most people, but Myrna picked up on the little things. Zarenna moved deliberately, and with a sort of odd languid slowness that suggested she was actively trying to look more normal. To Myrna, it looked uncanny. It didn¡¯t help that the demon seemed to be walking on eggshells with how carefully she did everything: from climbing up on the wagon, to helping put the tarpaulin over the back of it just moments ago.

    The merchant arranged the rocks for the fire pit while Phol dug out the center and Seyari and Nelys moved a log closer for seating. Taava strummed idly on her lute, sitting propped up against a tree. The bard also bothered Myrna. The angel wasn¡¯t hiding a martial history, nor was Nelys, but Taava was different. Obviously, hired mercenaries¡ªexpensive ones, too¡ªwould be competent, but the kazzel was more than she appeared.

    Myrna needed some black tea in lieu of a stiff drink. Zarenna had hardly been a minute out when a sharp crack echoed through the trees. A few muffled snaps and moments later, Zarenna returned. She was carrying a bundle of handsbreadth-wide logs that had clearly been snapped apart.

    She set them in the fire pit and gestured for everyone to stand back. Calmly, she breathed a jet of fire at them, sustaining it until the dense new wood caught of its own and a core of heat built up underneath.

    To complete her intimidation, the demonic woman plopped ungracefully on the ground, yawned and asked, ¡°Hey Sey, what do we want to do for dinner tonight?¡±

    I don¡¯t understand her, Myrna thought, but she doesn¡¯t actually seem that bad¡ªI just hope she¡¯s in control of herself.

 Chapter 101: Nightsbane

    I went to sleep in Seyari¡¯s arms when we traded Nelys and Taava for watch, but I woke up as the big spoon. I shivered a little and turned up the heat. Seyari mumbled and snuggled against me. The air was cold and crisp, and my breath came out as a hot, dense mist.

    When we managed to untangle, dress, and heat up again, the reason for the chill became obvious. A thin layer of white blanketed everything; the first snow of the season. In the lowlands this far north it wasn¡¯t much, but most of Edath, Linthel included, would soon be covered in white (if it wasn¡¯t already).

    Someone else had started the fire, but the flames sputtered in the damp. I reinvigorated them with a quick jet of fire and as Phol and Taava pulled closer, I asked the other two who were setting up, ¡°Anyone cold?¡±

    Nelys rushed over and gave me a hug while I worked as a living heater. Taava joined in, purring lightly. Phol refused, but Seyari blew hot air at him anyway.

    ¡°Myrna?¡± I extended an arm.

    She looked at me as if I¡¯d grown a second head. Nelys continued to hug me.

    ¡°What? Never hugged a demon before?¡± Taava smiled. ¡°Trust me, despite all the pointy bits, she¡¯s a great hugger. Just look at all those arms! And that tail!¡± She spun away from me with a coquettish smile, her boots kicking up powder. ¡°Just ask Seyar-oof!¡± The mouthy kazzel caught a blast of powdered snow right to the face.

    ¡°It¡¯s gusty this morning, Taava; you should be careful,¡± Seyari said coolly, hand still outstretched.

    ¡°Oh, I guess this is awkward, huh.¡± I scratched at a horn¡ªthe chip from my fight in Lockmoth was finally gone. ¡°I can just make a hot breeze with Sey.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Myrna replied with her hand covering her mouth. ¡°Do¡ªsnrk¡ªthat.¡±

    I pointed a clawed finger at her. ¡°You¡¯re trying not to laugh aren¡¯t you!¡±

    The merchant nodded. She was dressed for the weather, with a woolen hat tilted to cover the bare side of her head. I could still see the chill on her nose and cheeks, however. Seyari put a bit more force than necessary into the breeze and I rushed to retrieve Myrna¡¯s hat.

    ***

    The pretty snow of morning turned into slush and then mud. By the afternoon, a cold rain started. Everyone else hid under the tarpaulin while Myrna drove and I kept watch. I assumed she didn¡¯t mind that I radiated heat.

    ¡°Do you mind if I asked you how a demon came to be working as a mercenary for a well-established company?¡± Myrna broke the monotony of hoofbeats on wet dirt.

    ¡°Not really.¡± I stared straight ahead at the misty, winding road. ¡°I just want to live a semi-normal life¡ªthat¡¯s the short of it.¡±

    ¡°And a mercenary company is backing and legitimacy for that, I assume?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Myrna pursed her lips.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Alright, keep your secrets. Do you want me to look like a human in the town?¡±

    Myrna raised an eyebrow ¡°I like the idea of repeat customers, so yes.¡±

    ¡°Darn,¡± I clacked two claws together, my own version of a finger snap. The claws got in the way of snapping my fingers ¡°normally.¡±

    Myrna slowed the wagon down through a deeper mud patch. ¡°Your personality is disarming, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Uh, thanks?¡±

    Myrna leaned back and glanced over at tarpaulin covering everyone else. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have a normal conversation with a demon. I know the world¡¯s a big place, but damn.¡±

    At the merchant¡¯s words, I thought back to my long journey home. I¡¯d been on the road with Seyari for the better part of a year and now, this guard job was the start of the last leg of that journey. This trip might be the last adventure for a while¡ªat least until we meet with Kartania and expose Mordwell.

    Ideally, whatever Sovereigns were behind the recent uptick of demonic incidents won¡¯t do anything drastic. Then all we¡¯ll need to do is gather what evidence we can and put out small fires as they happen. If I had the power to, I¡¯d go after Avarice and Envy myself, but all I¡¯d do at the moment is run around blind painting a massive target on my back.

    I kept to my thoughts while we trundled along, listening to the rain and soft conversation around me.

    Myrna pulled off to make camp earlier in the evening than the day before. We took the same watch schedule. Before I knew it, we were rolling into a small forest town the next day. The clouds had cleared, and blessed us with a relatively dry¡ªbut immensely cold¡ªmorning.

    I leaned back and slung an arm along the top of the wagon¡¯s front bench. Behind us, Taava sang a more traditional song, while Nelys and Phol chatted about sailing. Turns out the kid always wanted to go on a ship and that was part of the reason he signed up with Myrna in the first place. Seyari was quiet as she looked out into the trees around us, but her expression was serene.

    In a way, I supposed, this was our ¡°normal¡± and a chance for us to relax.

    Myrna pulled the wagon straight through and stopped in front of a large apothecary. The building was worn, but well-kept with a peaked roof and a colorful sign. Phol hitched the horses, and Myrna beckoned for me to follow her inside. The others stayed out to guard the wagon with Phol.

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    I ducked after the merchant through the doorway, and was immediately hit with a wall of pungent scents. Tinctures, dried plants of all sorts, and brewing supplies were all stacked neatly on large shelves. A little bell rang above the door¡ªthe sound bringing a sudden rush of childhood memories of stores in Linthel. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the nostalgia.

    A thin, middle-aged Ordian man walked out from behind a shelf. He smiled when he saw Myrna, and the smile reached his dark eyes under his spectacles. ¡°Myrna!¡±

    ¡°Aleric! I¡¯m surprised you remember me.¡±

    ¡°I remember all my good customers.¡± He shook the merchant¡¯s hand, then glanced up at me and the spear on my back. ¡°You must be her new guard?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s with the Gelles Company actually. I did get a new guard, a kid named Phol, but he¡¯s outside with the rest of Zarenna¡¯s group.¡± Myrna sighed. ¡°With all the rumors going around I imagine things have been pretty rough here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been spared the worst of it.¡± Aleric gestured for us to walk with him behind a small counter and into a large back room.

    The smell in here was earthier¡ªslightly less complex, but still just as eye-watering. For all I knew, my sense of smell wasn¡¯t any better than a human¡¯s. Either it¡¯s getting stronger, or I just have a sensitive nose. Or these two are used to it.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for mostly the same stuff as last time, although I¡¯d like some nightsbane as well, if you have it. I have a lot of extra expenses this year, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll need to buy cheaper.¡± Myrna layered her voice with mock sadness.

    So that¡¯s why she brought me in with her.

    Aleric rubbed his chin and sighed. ¡°We can talk price in a bit. Why do you want nightsbane?¡±

    Myrna cocked her head to one side. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard the rumors of demons?¡±

    Aleric shook his head and walked over to a sack on a shelf labeled ¡°nightsbane.¡± ¡°I heard about an incident in one town, yes, but most of what I¡¯ve been hearing about are bandits and wild animal attacks.¡±

    ¡°What does nightsbane do against demons?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Against a full demon?¡± Aleric opened the sack and pulled out a dried sprig topped with a brilliant gold flower, its hue bright despite having been pressed and dried. ¡°Not much. Nightsbane is a magically active plant that gathers trace amount of holy mana; it is useful for warding off or detecting demonic corruption.¡±

    ¡°Detecting?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In the presence of demonic mana, it changes color to black.¡±

    I looked at Myrna like she was crazy. Would me being near it ruin her entire stock? I forced myself not to take a step back.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take what you can spare then, along with the same order as last time.¡±

    Aleric smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll get the books then. We¡¯ll discuss the price¡ªyour guard can come with if she wants to.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I looked at the nightsbane, ¡°but I don¡¯t think I need to be in the room.¡±

    Aleric chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. Haggling with any merchant is difficult and Myrna is one of the more difficult sort.¡±

    Myrna smiled at that, seemingly proud.

    Before we left, I snuck a glance at the sprig of nightsbane Aleric had left sitting on the sack. The gold flower glowed faintly in my aura sight¡ªfaint enough that I may not have noticed it without knowing what to look for. Playing my part of quiet, stoic guard, I followed the pair out and stood outside a room while they deliberated inside.

    Unfortunately, thanks to my hearing, I could make out every word. Myrna drove a hard bargain and used my hiring and the danger as justification to basically get the nightsbane for free, which seemed like quite the deal considering the astronomical price Aleric originally quoted. Apparently, the flower is quite rare and this town is one of only a few in Ordia where it grows.

    When Myrna returned and Aleric left to get her purchase ready, I leaned down and whispered, ¡°is it okay for me to be near the nightsbane? Am I going to ruin it?¡±

    ¡°What, do you think it¡¯s more than an old wives¡¯ tale?¡± Myrna whispered back, eyes on the door to the rear.

    ¡°Yeah¡ªthe aura is faint, but it¡¯s there.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch the stock then. We¡¯ll test a flower when we¡¯re out of here.¡±

    Say it like that and I¡¯ll think we¡¯re robbing the place. Then again, with the deal she got we might as well be.

    Aleric returned with three full-looking sacks and Myrna gestured for me to take two of them. She took the last one¡ªhopefully the nightsbane¡ªherself and we returned to the wagon. Phol hurried to untie the horses and the sacks went in the back to get roped down.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving already?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Time is money,¡± Myrna answered, climbing into the driver¡¯s seat.

    Taava grumbled something about a tavern and pay, and then we were off. The small town rolled by quickly, and soon we were alone in the forest once more.

    ¡°We¡¯ll rejoin the main road tomorrow.¡± Myrna answered the unasked question in a businesslike manner. ¡°Phol, get one of the golden flowers from the smallest bag and pass it up to Zarenna.¡±

    The guard voiced no complaint and did as he was asked. Notably, he didn¡¯t let his hand touch mine and his fingers shook when he drew back.

    ¡°Phol,¡± I tried to sound reassuring. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I know that¡¯s a bad line coming from a literal demon in human guise, but I, uh...¡± I frowned, staring down at the gold flower. It tingled in my hand. Even with my human guise on (that blocked my aura), black veins started to run through the golden petals. ¡°Sorry, that just sounds bad, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss Zarenna,¡± Phol answered with relative calm. ¡°Just a bit of the shakes¡ªI don¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I handed the now-black flower to Myrna after holding it up for the others to see. ¡°Looks to me like they work as advertised.¡±

    She took it and smiled widely. ¡°Now I almost feel bad for the deal I got. Almost.¡±

    I sighed and leaned back. ¡°This means I should stay in human form when I¡¯m close to the cart. I really hope I don¡¯t leak demonic mana.¡±

    ¡°It could be only on contact if you¡¯re not using magic,¡± Seyari mused. ¡°Are you okay to wait until we stop for the evening to confirm this? I assume since it¡¯ll probably only take one more sprig, Myrna will approve.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Myrna looked from the road up to my best puppy-dog expression and winced. ¡°One sprig. Fine. But we¡¯re not stopping until we have to camp.¡±

    I crossed my arms under my chest and huffed. ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Good weather and idle talk got our group through to the campsite in the evening. Despite a tail cramp that went away quickly, I survived the ordeal. I also found out, thankfully, that I did not leak demonic mana and would only corrupt a nightsbane flower either by touching it or by proximity to any active magic I used. Unfortunately, we rejoined the busy main road midafternoon the next day, and I had to ditch the horns. Well, I didn¡¯t have to, but I understood the practicality.

    I was doubly certain of my decision to look human when we passed a contingent of drilling Ordian guard next to a fort by the river. They were mostly on top of a hill above the road, but we got a decent look at their flank and the sheer number of soldiers¡ªhundreds at least. We were told they were recruits by passersby, but seeing that many soldiers from relatively close by made me glad I hadn¡¯t given any cause for someone to make my existence an issue.

    That night, we stopped at a town. The caravan had largely already left, but we still separated our horses from the wagon for the night to be fed and groomed. The mud we¡¯d been through clung to them and wagon both. With a town came an inn and Seyari and I got a real bed¡ªfor some of the night, anyway. Since she had us, Myrna insisted we stand guard over the wagon despite it being in a locked bay for the evening.

    At least we¡¯re earning our keep. Even if that means standing in a freezing cold stable for the back half of the night. Morning couldn¡¯t come fast enough. We¡¯d stopped in too late to get dinner, and the tavern was basically empty the night prior, so I was very ready for breakfast.

 Chapter 102: Most Foul

    My ears picked up shouting before we¡¯d entered the now-crowded tavern below the inn. I felt the image of a big warm breakfast slipping away.

    Please don¡¯t involve us¡­

    ¡°Ya wanna try that again!?¡± I heard Taava shout from outside.

    Dammit.

    Seyari and I picked up the pace, jogging inside and pushing through the forming crowd. Taava, with a feral smile and wide eyes held a knife against one man¡¯s throat, while her tail waved another blade around. Nelys had climbed up on a larger man and was holding their own blade against his throat. Both men were armored, but armor wouldn¡¯t matter much to them right now.

    Phol stood next to Myrna, sword out and guarded. Myrna stared daggers at a large man in armor who stood at the edge of the crowd nearer to me.

    ¡°You kill my men and none of you leave here alive,¡± he threatened, voice deep and gravelly. ¡°I know you did it, Myrna. Never thought you¡¯d stoop to murder though.¡±

    Murder? This was bad. Obviously, we didn¡¯t do it, but if he thought we did that needed to be cleared up. I could feel anger radiating off him. Maybe as a breakfast substitute¡­ no! Bad demon! I should stay looking human to settle this.

    The crowd was a problem. If I showed I was a demon, then there¡¯d be no chance he¡¯d listen to me, so I had to get him to back down on my own. I met Myrna¡¯s cold gaze as I walked forward through the crowd, and the large guy who had just spoken followed her eyes back to me. Surprise flashed across his features when he saw my height. He was thickly built, well-muscled, shining bald, and two hands shorter than me.

    ¡°Zarenna Miller.¡± I stuck my hand out. ¡°I¡¯m with the Gelles Company and we¡¯ve been contracted to guard Miss Myrna. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°The Gelles Company?¡± the man asked, clearly skeptical. He didn¡¯t take my hand.

    Frowning, I pulled my hand back and pointed to the emblem on my cloak. I was wearing a company uniform¡ªmodified of course. The somewhat imposing black and pale blue leather outfit included a cloak with the emblem not only on the front, but the rear. The others didn¡¯t quite have the same iconography, but Fira wanted to use me as advertising. ¡°Yes, the Gelles Company. You¡¯ve heard of them I presume?¡±

    ¡°I thought that company would be better than that,¡± he accused. ¡°Taking out the competition?¡±

    ¡°What proof do you have?¡± Seyari stomped over, no longer content to sit back. ¡°Zarenna and I were guarding Myrna¡¯s wagon since before dawn, and the others should have been asleep.¡±

    The man¡¯s two underlings looked pleadingly at me. Taava kept her blade still, but Nelys twitched.

    ¡°Proof? Myrna¡¯s always tried to take our clients! And now she ditches the caravan and shows up in town just in time to steal my goods and kill one of my men!¡± He stepped forward and jabbed a finger into my abdomen.

    ¡°Your clients go to me because I get better results Hector,¡± Myrna taunted. ¡°Besides, murder is bad for business. You should know I know this.¡±

    I didn¡¯t flinch at being poked and looked down at Hector. ¡°My contract with Myrna doesn¡¯t preclude me from helping others. So long as she¡¯s willing to stay in town, I and my group would be willing to investigate.¡± I looked away from Hector and at Taava and Nelys. ¡°You can let them go. If they start something, I¡¯ll stop it.¡±

    Taava and Nelys lowered their knives and the two men stumbled away from the pair back toward Hector. With uncanny synchronicity, my two friends stuck their tongues out at the retreating men, saw each other, and smiled. Glad to see they¡¯re getting along. I¡¯m not looking forward to the trouble that¡¯ll cause later, though.

    I saw Hector¡¯s fist coming for me out of the corner of my eye. Moving more calmly than I felt, I caught it with a hand. ¡°What an odd handshake, Hector.¡±

    The other two, who¡¯d started toward me, stopped. Hector tried to pull his fist away, but I held him firm. ¡°Myrna?¡± I asked, not looking away from the large man. ¡°Would it be permissible for us to take a day to investigate this crime? The company should cover any additional costs incurred.¡±

    I could feel her smirk. ¡°Sure, why not? I have sales I need to make here today anyway¡ªit wouldn¡¯t hurt to spend a second night.¡±

    ¡°What do you say?¡± Still holding his fist, I extended a hand to Hector.

    This time, he shook it begrudgingly, and I let his other fist go. He pulled back and rubbed at it, anger still glowing like a forbidden snack. So much for breakfast.

    ***

    ¡°I know you did it, and I¡¯ll be watching you,¡± Hector grudgingly said as he walked my company group to the scene.

    When he turned to the stables, I almost stumbled. ¡°The stables?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The stables. You should know,¡± Hector replied through gritted teeth. I could still feel his raw anger.

    The building had two rows of bays back-to-back. Ours was a couple stalls toward the end, facing opposite the bay we were led to. We almost shared a wall! How did I not hear something? If it was on Taava and Nelys¡¯s watch, how did Taava not hear something?

    ¡°Do you want our help or not?¡± Seyari shot back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Hector waved to a pair of militiamen standing outside the bay in question. ¡°Got the murderers right here! They confessed and everything!¡±

    Really? I bristled, and the others did the same. I felt fury spike from Seyari. The others stayed relatively calm¡ªprobably since we didn¡¯t do it.

    The militiamen startled. One of them asked, ¡°is that true?¡±

    Seyari spoke first. ¡°Of course not!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re lying!¡± Hector insisted. ¡°This one!¡± He pointed at me ¡°Uses fire magic, and I know she has enough control to be the one who killed him! One of my men saw her using her magic to warm herself and that other woman when they went into the stables just after midnight. He was coming back from a shift change and she must have killed his replacement not long after.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re with the Gelles Company on contract to the merchant Myrna. Zarenna would never kill someone in cold blood like that,¡± Seyari fumed. ¡°We were on watch in a stall across the dividing wall¡ªwhoever did it was quiet, because we didn¡¯t notice.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± an unfamiliar voice drawled. ¡°You¡¯ll get nowhere bickering.¡±

    My head snapped over to look at the new participant. Slouched, and with his hands the pockets of his red-and-white vestments, the newcomer frowned under a half-lidded gaze. He was thin as a beanpole with loose, long pale brown hair half-tied near the tips.

    Taava hissed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been tailing us!¡±

    What? Why didn¡¯t she tell me?

    The man shrugged and opened one ice-blue eye all the way. ¡°It¡¯s a living.¡±

    ¡°You knew we had a tail, Taava?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Pfft! No! Just a hunch though¡ªya told me ta be lookin¡¯ out for a tail.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes at the church man. If he¡¯d followed us without Taava or myself hearing, he was either really good, or he¡¯s only meeting us at specific points.

    The slouching man frowned and turned out a pair of empty hands from his pockets. ¡°You got me. Might as well get acquainted. I¡¯m Yevon.¡±

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    Taava stuck her tongue out at him. Nelys did too.

    I could feel Hector¡¯s anger boiling. I really didn¡¯t want to explain the whole ¡°demon¡± thing right now though, so I let it boil over.

    ¡°You! Arrest them or something!¡± Hector yelled at the guards. ¡°And you! Why are you here¡ªthis has nothing to do with the church!¡±

    Yevon stuck his hands back in his pockets and casually strolled right into the middle of the group. He leaned forward, uncomfortably close to the red-faced Hector. ¡°It does though.¡±

    Thanks for not elaborating.

    Seyari exhaled loudly. ¡°Can we see the body already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we should figure out who really did it,¡± Nelys assented. ¡°All we¡¯re doing is getting angry at each other right now.¡±

    The militiamen looked at me, back at Hector, and at me again¡ªclearly at a loss. I didn¡¯t get much anger from them, thankfully.

    ¡°Well, boss?¡± Taava looked at me.

    Seyari resumed quietly fuming and watching carefully.

    ¡°Can we go in?¡± I asked the militia. ¡°Myrna and her other guard have work in town anyway, and I think we¡¯d all like to help if we can.¡±

    ¡°O-oh, sure,¡± one guard said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let us stop you.¡± Another gestured to the stable doors.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch the body!¡± Hector growled and jabbed a finger at me again. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. I don¡¯t care what kind of ogre fucked your mom to make you: any funny business and you aren¡¯t leaving the room.¡±

    I had to hand it to him¡ªeven with his two goons absent, he still wanted a fight. Not that I intended to give him one. If he wanted a reaction to his insult, I didn¡¯t give him that, either.

    Yevon slid to the back of the pack and I led the way inside, Hector hot on my heels. The stall wasn¡¯t quite across the wall from ours, but close. I smelled burnt meat more than I smelled blood when I walked in, and the smell only got stronger as I drew closer.

    Inside the stall, the body was lying face-up on the ground. The poor guy¡¯s torso had been cooked to the point where his brigandine had fallen to pieces around him and ribs could be seen under cracked flesh. His face was a pained rictus, eyes still wide open. The large cart next to the body was lightly scorched near where the heat had been, and it was empty save for one mostly-empty sack, lying open near the closer end of the wagon.

    My mind reeled at the gruesome sight, but the only reaction my body gave was ¡°that meat¡¯s overcooked.¡± Sometimes I still scare myself.

    Seyari and Nelys bent down to check the body, while Taava and I canvassed the small bay for any clues. Hector watched us with suspicious eyes and Yevon¡¯s relaxed posture made him seem like he was just bored and not paying attention. I doubt that.

    Taava reached the sack first. ¡°How much other stuff did ya have? The wagon¡¯s empty ¡®cept for this.¡±

    To my surprise, Hector answered, though he looked at Yevon while he spoke. ¡°Just some stuff we picked up in Lockmoth¡ªtrinkets mostly. The rest was what we hadn¡¯t sold in Lockmoth.¡±

    Taava crawled up in the back of the wagon and looked around, including in the sack and whatever herbs it was full of. I checked the walls and ceiling for any marks. Some scorching near the body, but no smoke damage. Definitely magical fire¡ªas if that wasn¡¯t obvious enough already.

    I made the mistake of looking over Seyari and Nelys who were checking the body, and got a good look at the wound. The dreadful, fatal injury was something I could do easily. For a moment I stared down at the dead man¡ªonce again reminded of how fragile humans were. Seyari¡¯s hands twitched near the man¡¯s pockets, but she didn¡¯t touch anything. Hector was watching her intently. She was trying to respect my desire to avoid a fight. I¡¯d be furious and looking for culprits, too, if this happened to one of my friends. Though I¡¯d hope with more tact.

    ¡°Have you checked his pockets?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Hector replied simply.

    Seyari frowned, but didn¡¯t do anything about it. Nelys, however, quickly darted in and out with quick hands, frowning. Nothing there, probably. Focused on Seyari and myself, the quick pickpocket went unnoticed.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this that nightsbane stuff?¡± Taava jumped down from the wagon holding up a dried sprig with a golden flower at the end.

    I looked into the cart again. A few sprigs of nightsbane, all still nice and golden, were spread around near the one remaining sack. Aside from the burn marks and the empty cart, I found nothing else. No signs of a struggle, but twin ruts in the dirt suggested a laden cart was rolled out of here recently. A quick glance with aura sight didn¡¯t turn up anything extra; the magic from the spell that murdered the guard had long since dissipated.

    ¡°Any evidence you didn¡¯t do it?¡± Hector jeered. ¡°Because I¡¯m not seeing any!¡±

    Yevon pulled up off the wall he was leaning against and slowly walked over to Taava. ¡°I am.¡± He tried to pluck the sprig from her fingers, but she twitched out of the way. With a shrug, Yevon reached into the cart and pulled out another sprig.

    Hector frowned. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the only thing they didn¡¯t take¡ªprobably because if we couldn¡¯t sell it in Lockmoth, Myrna knows she can¡¯t sell it anywhere. Even with all the rumors, people still don¡¯t want to buy that stupid stuff. It probably doesn¡¯t even work.¡±

    ¡°Myrna has a large amount of it in her cart, actually. We just bought it two days ago.¡± I offered. ¡°She¡¯s definitely thinking of selling it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and stealing ours would be too much to sell off! I know you did it!¡±

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Seyari stood up and dusted herself off.

    Hector looked like he was about to pop a vein in his forehead and I could feel his anger surging.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kindly ask you two not to fight.¡± Yevon smiled politely, his threat amplified by the casual nature of his words.

    Hector backed down¡ªjust barely. Seyari huffed.

    ¡°This,¡± Yevon held up the sprig, ¡°actually proves Zarenna didn¡¯t commit this murder.¡±

    I didn¡¯t miss the subtle emphasis he placed on this.

    ¡°How?¡± Hector demanded.

    ¡°Catch.¡± Yevon tossed me the sprig and I caught it.

    Way to be obvious and dramatic about it.

    I held up the darkening flower for everyone to see and walked over to the cart for another. Hector¡¯s eyes followed me, face unsure and confused. Taava held up hers with a smug look. I formed a flame on my palm and from almost a meter away, the gold flower slowly turned black.

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Yevon muttered.

    ¡°What?¡± Seyari asked coldly.

    ¡°Oh, nothing important!¡± The strange priest gave another disarming smile.

    ¡°She¡ªshe just burned it!¡± Hector scrambled to make sense of what he¡¯d seen.

    Yevon shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s demonic-aspected mana at work. If she¡¯d killed this person, all the nightsbane flowers would have turned black.¡±

    ¡°T-then she¡¯s corrupted by a demon or something! Why are you so calm?¡± Hector frantically looked between me and Yevon.

    The priest just smiled. ¡°Because I¡¯m here to watch her, not kill her. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t win. And now that we have this settled, I think I¡¯m going to go get a bite to eat. I¡¯m famished and this whole business has made me skip breakfast.¡± Hands still in his pockets, Yevon slouched toward the door, yawning loudly.

    Just who is this guy?

    Hector put up an arm to block him.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Yevon raised a single eyebrow. ¡°Blocking a priest, are we?¡±

    For a tense moment, I thought Hector would try something.

    I spoke up and, once again, tried the diplomatic approach. ¡°We should follow the cart trail out and see if anyone saw anyone leaving town this morning in a hurry and with a cart or wagon that could carry what was stolen.¡±

    Hector put his arm down, but he shouted after the retreating priest. ¡°You¡¯re just going to let this corrupted bitch and her cronies go? Coward!¡±

    ¡°Coward and hungry,¡± Yevon¡¯s distant voice clarified. I could almost imagine him waving over a shoulder back at the fuming Hector.

    The big, bald man wheeled on us, spittle flying. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡±

    ¡°No one but me in our group can use fire magic. And if I did, I¡¯d turn all those golden flowers black. We can¡¯t possibly¡ª¡±

    Hector lunged at me.

    I didn¡¯t even have to defend myself. Nelys slipped under him and tripped the big man. He slammed down onto the dirt floor, and before he could scramble up, Taava and Seyari were on him, restraining him. Taava got his feet, and Seyari¡¯s three-quarters-angelic strength was enough to keep him restrained.

    Hector shouted bloody murder and called me a demon fucker. In a less serious situation, his comments would have had me biting back a ¡°that¡¯s Seyari, actually.¡± Holding my tongue also saved me from being exiled to the floor tonight until Seyari got cold and lonely in bed.

    The militiamen rushed in. Hector screamed at them, said I was guilty, that I¡¯d taunted him about how I wouldn¡¯t be caught, and more besides. To their credit, they took him (barely) from Seyari and pulled him upright without taking his side. I had a sneaking suspicion Yevon had told them something with how they were looking at him.

    ¡°She killed him! She¡¯s a demon or something!¡± Hector shouted.

    I¡¯m beyond tired of this. With a sigh, I pulled out all of Hector¡¯s anger. He went limp in the militiamen¡¯s arms, screaming turning to whimpering and muttering in confusion at his excised fury. Another look at the corpse and his eyes teared up.

    His anger gone, Hector cried in the arms of the militiamen, mourning his dead friend. Damn. Why is nothing ever simple?

    ¡°Uh, miss?¡± one of the guards stared at me wide-eyed.

    ¡°It¡¯s Zarenna. What?¡±

    Frustration must have crept into my voice, because he flinched. ¡°Your eyes¡ªthey¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I waved a hand and returned my eyes to looking human. ¡°Human disguise is slipping, that¡¯s all.¡± Without waiting for them to reply, I marched past the dumbfounded trio and out of the stall. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to go solve this.¡±

    The others followed me out, but I caught Seyari asking the two guards what Yevon had said.

    One guard replied, ¡°all he said was that the big lady wasn¡¯t guilty.¡±

    From the stables, I followed the ruts to the other stables¡ªthe one for only horses. I lost the tracks there in amongst all the other ones. Salvador could have sorted this mess out, I thought glumly. I hope he¡¯s doing well, and I hope his journey home is safe.

    We asked around and found out that there was indeed a group that left town early this morning with a wagon. Just one and headed in the direction we were going. Through the guards, we told Hector what else we¡¯d learned. And from him in return, we¡¯d learned the group who¡¯d ditched town early this morning had been with the caravan we¡¯d seen at Lockmoth¡ªthey were heavily guarded one we¡¯d seen at the start, in fact.

    Something was up, but with Myrna working in town today and our contract in place, we wouldn¡¯t be racing to catch them. Hector didn¡¯t have the same obligation though, and he and his group lighted out of town the moment they got the news. Ready for bed, we all returned to the tavern under the inn for a very late breakfast. On the short walk, I saw a few snowflakes start to fall; in a valley like this, that meant winter would truly be upon us soon.

    When we sat down, the waitress came over to our table with a big smile. ¡°Your priest friend is really nice!¡± she said. ¡°And you folks are good friends to treat him like that!¡±

    Huh?

    She quoted Yevon¡¯s bill to Seyari. My girlfriend grimaced and slammed her head down on the table when the waitress got to the total price.

    Nelys looked between the surprised waitress and the groaning Seyari and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have what he had!¡±

 Chapter 103: Tuck and Roll

    Despite the scene earlier in the morning, the rest of our day was actually quite pleasant. Nelys, Seyari, and I played games at a table while Taava performed, having somehow convinced the inn owner to let her play for tips. Predictably, Seyari and Nelys won most games; I just wasn¡¯t good enough at cheating yet, anyway. And is it really cheating when everyone does the same cheats? At that point, to me, it just becomes part of the game. A part of the game that I could be better at if I wasn¡¯t missing two arms and stuck miming human reaction speed.

    ¡°What¡¯s Edath like?¡± Nelys asked once we¡¯d finished another hand that resulted in their win.

    I took the deck to shuffle and thought for a moment. ¡°Well, it¡¯s cold. Similar to this town actually, but the buildings are a little different, I guess? Mostly just cold.¡±

    ¡°Colder than here?¡± Nelys stealthily switched one of my cards for one of theirs.

    I glanced at the cheat, but didn¡¯t call them out. Are the cards marked¡ªhow do they know that one¡¯s better? ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll be going uphill and into a small mountain range soon¡ªthat¡¯s the northern border. Unless Myrna¡¯s crazy, we¡¯ll go around the mountains to get to Gedon. So, we¡¯re going further south and higher up which means a lot colder.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± They took a look at their hand and scrunched their face up into a frown¡ªprobably a fake frown. ¡°I just can¡¯t really imagine it. Where I¡¯m from, it¡¯s warm and it stays warm.¡±

    ¡°Where are you from?¡± I asked, looking at my own hand and trying not to wince. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±

    ¡°West northwest of where I met you two.¡± Nelys played and passed the turn to Seyari.

    Seyari looked surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were any major islands out that way.¡± She played and it was my go.

    I remembered Nelys¡¯s pendant. I never did tell Seyari; I felt it wasn¡¯t my place to. I played what I could and passed back to Nelys. This round was going to hurt.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess there aren¡¯t.¡± Nelys shrugged and played a card that would probably put me in a bad spot when it came around to me again.

    Seyari frowned and glanced at me. I tried to give an ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± shrug back. As I suspected, she didn¡¯t pry. I¡¯d never told a soul about what I¡¯d seen of Nelys without their pendant in Malich¡¯s estate. Unless they told me otherwise, I wasn¡¯t going to¡ªalthough that didn¡¯t stop my interest in their past.

    ¡°Any fun places to go in Edath?¡± Nelys brushed the issue off effortlessly as Seyari confirmed a play that would probably doom me.

    I played it out anyway and started another round that would probably spiral me into a loss. ¡°There are, yeah. I want to see a lot of the places around Linthel that I remember from my childhood. To see how much has changed¡­¡± I thought about the fire and scrunched my eyes shut to keep from tearing up. ¡°There are a lot of very pretty forests and mountains¡ªa few big waterfalls too. And I really like the food in Linthel, even if it doesn¡¯t really use spices the same way as further north.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯m sorry I brought up bad memories.¡± Nelys¡¯s apology did not stop them from pushing me into a deeper hole in the game.

    Seyari played another good card on her turn. She might have a silent win with how little she¡¯s talking.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I answered quickly, playing my last hope at getting out of my bad situation. ¡°I¡¯m going there to confront my past anyway. I need to think about this stuff.¡±

    ¡°Confront your past? Hmmm¡­¡± Nelys played a card that seemed like a misplay and that would give me a chance.

    Just like that, play passed to Seyari who was now in hot water. She huffed. ¡°Yeah, and mine too, because apparently it¡¯s gotten up and gone halfway across the damn continent.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s Taava¡¯s goal in Edath?¡± Nelys asked.

    I made a thankfully uneventful play and passed to them, still in the game, but only just. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I glanced up at where she was playing. The song that filled the half-empty tavern was a bawdy one, but pretty tame for the kazzel¡¯s standards. She looked happy¡ªin a genuinely good mood. ¡°I think she might just want friends and a place to belong.¡±

    Nelys nodded sagely.

    ¡°Renna?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°Your go.¡±

    I looked down at the game state. With a sigh, I played my next card and confirmed I¡¯d lost the hand. So close, but not really.

    ***

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange they left only the nightsbane?¡± Seyari asked once we¡¯d set out again.

    She sat up front, wedged between me and Myrna. The trader had taken on a few more goods and the back of the wagon was getting pretty full with everyone else sitting in it.

    I stretched, luxuriating in the feeling of having my arms and tail again. The road had traffic, but while moving all we got were some odd looks. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a little strange. Maybe they didn¡¯t think they could sell it?¡±

    ¡°Not quite.¡± Myrna chipped in. ¡°They didn¡¯t take it because it was of no use to them.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Seyari agreed. ¡°And the only reason that would make sense is if they weren¡¯t able to keep the nightsbane intact.¡±

    Oh. Crap. I really should¡¯ve guessed this sooner.

    ¡°So there¡¯s a demon with them?¡± I put my tail around Seyari, shoving it between her and Myrna, who flinched at the sudden limb near her.

    ¡°Or someone who is corrupted. Or a demonic artifact they¡¯re transporting.¡± Seyari grabbed the spade-tipped end of my tail and placed it in her lap.

    Myrna looked over at Seyari playing with my tail and raised an eyebrow. ¡°That a sexual thing?¡±

    I flushed dark crimson. ¡°N-no! Not right now¡ªI mean not at all!¡±

    ¡°Riiight.¡± Myrna rolled her eyes. ¡°So up ahead somewhere there¡¯s a heavily guarded wagon or two and they have something or someone demonic with them. That about sum it up?¡±

    ¡°It does.¡± Seyari nodded.

    I noticed she had a blush of her own, but didn¡¯t remove my tail. Her lap was warm.

    ¡°I know one of Hector¡¯s guys died and all, but that sounds like a whole lot of ¡®not my problem.¡¯ We¡¯ll be taking a side route to Gedon anyway, so we probably won¡¯t see them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it!¡± An eavesdropping Taava hissed from the back of the wagon.

    Nelys and Phol both nodded, the former moving their hands in some kind of ritual.

    ***

    ¡°Exactly how strong are you, Zarenna?¡± Myrna asked as we broke camp the next morning. ¡°If we end up running into something involving demons, how likely is it you¡¯ll be able to win?¡±

    I climbed onto the wagon ahead of her and looked over the coating of snow the night had brought. The air was chill and still, with dark clouds rolling slowly overhead. More snow was on the way.

    I debated telling her about my title as the Sovereign of Wrath. I thought about my Name, Zerix¡¯Arranthariel, an odd mouthful that never sounded anything less than intense. Before Seyari or someone else could call me out for taking too long to think, I made a choice. ¡°If I can¡¯t take it down, then more than just us are going to be in trouble.¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Vague, noncommittal, nonsense.¡± Myrna shrugged and hopped up on the wagon while Phol hitched the horses. ¡°I know more than you think, and I can tell you¡¯re walking on eggshells. I don¡¯t need to see you in action to know you¡¯re far stronger, at least physically, than any human. What I want to know is how you¡¯d stack up against another demon.¡±

    ¡°What type of demon do I look like?¡± I asked with my head askance. ¡°Wrath, right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose. I¡¯m not familiar with the different types of demons.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Seyari interjected. ¡°Some, like wrath and lust are usually coherent, but many others vary wildly.¡±

    ¡°Great. You¡¯re a wrath demon, and presumably not a pushover if the rumors from Lockmoth are to be believed.¡± Myrna glared at both of us. ¡°I know you don¡¯t need to answer, but I want to know. How strong are you, Zarenna?¡±

    While I took another moment to think, the others hopped in the back and we started off toward the road. Anything I showed off here could be observed by Yevon, and therefore the church. What did I want the church to know? Nothing was an option, but it could benefit me more to come across as not worth the trouble and potentially valuable as an ally. Ally? Probably not that far.

    I sighed and pulled my shirt down to show my symbol. ¡°See this? The symbol, or similar, is common amongst greater demons like myself, but do you see this gem?¡± I poked the crimson gem in the center of my symbol and it reflected green in the light. ¡°It means I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath. It¡¯s a title that means I¡¯m basically the demon of wrath.¡±

    Myrna¡¯s eyes dipped to my cleavage for a moment before alighting on the symbol. ¡°I¡­ see.¡± She looked back up at me. ¡°So why are you working as a mercenary?¡±

    ¡°Have you tried living in Ordia as a demon? It¡¯s been hell, pun very much intended, to get this far without a damn army trying to chase me down. Really, I just want to take care of some bloody revenge, then go home to Linthel and settle down with Seyari.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly simple, I suppose. Except for the bloody revenge part, I¡¯d say it¡¯s almost normal.¡±

    ¡°What even is normal?¡± Taava piped up. ¡°¡¯Cause I¡¯ve damn well never found it.¡±

    I chuckled, and forced a hint of a smile out of Myrna. Yeah, that¡¯s true isn¡¯t it.

    ***

    Up to the pass the journey was uneventful. Yevon didn¡¯t show his face again, but he got a few more free meals out of us. For whatever reason, he wanted us to know he was watching. The worst part was, aside from a couple times Taava or Seyari almost caught something, we¡¯d not been able to track him. Myrna, understandably, didn¡¯t like being followed by the church, either.

    On the morning of the first full day on the small side road through the pass, the weather took a dramatic turn for the worse. Snow turned to sleet, and the road ahead became buried in dense slush. To make things even more dangerous, we were moving through switchbacks, with no place to pull off and attempt to set up camp.

    Seyari had to use her magic to keep the worst of it off the wagon and horses. Nelys, Taava, and Phol stayed huddled under the canvas in the rear, while I stayed up with Myrna, acting as both heater and lookout.

    On a particularly wide, but steep turn, we hit something buried in the snow. There was a sharp cracking sound and the wagon jolted. Ice slick beneath hooves, the horses went down and slid with our wagon toward the edge, and a precipitous drop.

    I leapt off the wagon and landed uphill, my hot claws digging through ice and into dirt as they punched through my poor boots. At least that decision gave me grip. I grabbed the wagon with two hands and the horses¡¯ harness with another two. The animals panicked, and one slid out from the reins.

    A strong gale pushed the animal away from the edge, but I knew it¡¯d be a losing battle for Seyari¡¯s magic. I couldn¡¯t risk letting go of the wagon to go after the one horse. Even if I was probably fast enough to grab it and move back, there was no guarantee I¡¯d be able to hold both horses and the wagon back from falling down the steep hillside. It wasn¡¯t an issue of weight; it was an issue of trying to stay stable while holding onto two panicking animals twice my size.

    Seyari seemed to realize this too, and shouting a swear, she leapt up to the front of the damaged wagon, over a Myrna still recovering from shock, and ran to the sliding horse. Holy light flowed out from her, its glow reflecting eerily off the driving snow. Even healed, the animal didn¡¯t calm, so Seyari grabbed a leg.

    For a moment, her strength held the two in place, and then she slipped, and both half angel and animal tumbled off the edge. I had to make a choice between holding the wagon or going after Seyari.

    I chose Seyari.

    ¡°Hold the cart!¡± I shouted to the others and with a shove uphill that I hoped would buy them time, I let go and leapt over the wagon and after my girlfriend.

    The steep hillside quickly faded into snow, so I blasted a jet of fire through it. I aimed up off the ground, but in the direction I saw Sey and the horse fall.

    ¡°Renna!¡± I heard Sey shout, and from close to the top. ¡°I¡¯m okay for now! Get the wagon and the others!¡±

    Behind me, I could hear shouts and the crunching sound of the wagon sliding. The panicking remaining horse had spun it around, despite the front axle clearly being broken, and it was sliding down to me; the others hadn¡¯t even had time to do more than disembark.

    I took a step back onto solid ground, dug in my heels and caught the empty wagon when it slid into me. My claws splintered wood from the force of my grip, and my tail grabbed one of the horse¡¯s legs. Slowly, I took a step forward, then another, back toward the road and the others who were waiting in the slush.

    The ground shook, and I heard a roar from uphill through the snow. It was an avalanche. More of a mudslide I¡¯d bet, but I didn¡¯t have time to get pedantic about it.

    I had a tenuous grip on a horse with my tail and I was half-certain I¡¯d shattered the leg I was holding. I clutched the wagon with all our supplies in my other arms. Five people¡ªone of whom was already somewhere down the hillside were about to be swept away, We had to go¡ªand fast.

    ¡°Avalanche!¡± I shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll get Sey¡ªeveryone back on the wagon!¡±

    I pushed the crippled wagon to a tree next to me, shoved the horse back down the trail, skidding through the sleet on its side, and ran for Seyari.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± she shouted, just visible over the roar of our impending doom. A lance of holy light burned up through the sleet and I followed it back to its source, using my claws and tail to cling to the trees.

    Seyari was hanging from her enchanted sword, the blade stuck deep into the side of the tree. The horse that had fallen with her was nowhere to be seen. I grabber her and pulled her and the blade up and out in one swift motion. She yelped, something cracking from the force, and glowed bright in my arms, healing herself and burning my skin as we ascended. The roaring was deafening now, made worse for the fact I couldn¡¯t see more than fifteen meters up the slope. If I saw the slide, I would be too late.

    When Seyari and I crested back to the buried road, all the others except for Phol were in the wagon. He had just helped Myrna up and in, and in his panic in front of me, he slipped. Not wanting yet another tragic slip, I caught him by his brigandine, more gently than I did with the three-quarters angel whose bones I had definitely broken one or more of.

    I tossed Seyari on top of the wagon, and with a shout of ¡°hang on tight!¡± I grabbed the front and lifted. Using my tail to help hold up the back, I brought the whole wagon above my head, steadying the load by virtue of having four hands spread apart.

    Then, like any demon with a wagon full of friends over their head running from an avalanche would, I ran to the side, back down the road and after the horse that I¡¯d hopefully find alive ahead of us.

    Living in Linthel (or southern Edath in general) meant I¡¯d learned a thing or two about avalanches. Mainly that you wanted to move perpendicular to one¡ªdownhill versus uphill if you have to pick and doubly so if you couldn¡¯t see it. Any extra time could save your life.

    My claws steamed as they punched through slush, kicking up dirt as I ran. I could definitely feel the cart¡¯s weight, but not so much that it slowed me down. Panicking, nearly blind, and in a big, big hurry, I didn¡¯t find the second horse.

    I did, however, see the edge of the avalanche as the slide of slush, mud and whole trees bore down on us. Blessedly, I could also see the leading edge and we were almost to it!

    Heedless of the risk of slipping, I sped up. The slide was ten meters above us, and its leading edge fifteen in front.

    Then ten, then five.

    At the last second, I half-tossed, half-shoved the wagon forward, watching it skid on ice and snow out onto a flatter part of the road and away from the slide. Lost momentum and weight caused me to stumble. That delay, a fraction of a fraction of a second no clock could measure, was enough for me to get caught.

    The root mass of a tree hit my torso and knocked me airborne back into the slide.

    Oh, this is going to hurt.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fi¡ª¡± I shouted before a clod of wet, frozen dirt shoved itself in my mouth. I took a deep breath through my nose, rolled into a ball, and went under.

    ***

    Some parts of being a demon I doubted I¡¯d ever get used to. The crushing pressure was certainly uncomfortable, almost painfully so, but it wasn¡¯t really hurting me. The stones and branches that slammed into me again and again stung for a moment, and any bruises they left felt minor¡ªlike a punch that didn¡¯t quite have someone¡¯s weight behind it.

    Unfortunately, I did still need to breathe. I waited until my lungs burned while the slide slowed. The moment I felt I could move against it without being carried deeper, I uncurled myself. Burning and melting I dug in a direction I hoped was up. I was wrong, but when my makeshift tunnel collapsed behind me, I found the correct direction.

    I sucked in a lungful of cold air as soon as I surfaced. My clothes were shredded to the point of uselessness, and I was incredibly glad my spear was in the wagon. I knew only moments had passed, but it felt like hours. The forest was eerily silent around me, the placid scene only a dozen meters out from the slide a sharp contrast to the chaos I¡¯d been embroiled in only moments before.

    I looked up at the loose mess from the slide. If I followed that up, I should find the others¡ªunless I was carried to the other side. Given my position relative to the hillside, I was almost certain that hadn¡¯t happened. Using my magic to heat myself and uncaring of my relative nudity, I trudged back up the hillside, a bright crimson blot in a sea of white, brown, and deep green.

 Chapter 104: Demon-Powered Wagon

    I didn¡¯t rush up the hillside. The snow was getting even worse, and I wanted every chance to see the road. I heard the others before I found them.

    ¡°¡­She¡¯ll be fine. You heard her,¡± Seyari said angrily. ¡°You and Phol can leave if you want to, but I¡¯m staying around here until she gets back.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what we do, but can it involve gettin¡¯ warm?¡± Taava practically shouted.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Nelys shouted as well. ¡°It¡¯s so cold I can¡¯t think!¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Myrna relented just as I walked into view. ¡°We¡¯ll¡ªZarenna?¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯d be fine.¡± I looked at the group arrayed around a now even more damaged wagon. Seyari and Myrna were facing each other, while Phol looked nervous behind his employer and Taava and Nelys were openly shivering. By some miracle, the canvas covering had held and the cargo was still under it. ¡°Thanks for waiting. But unless you want another avalanche, don¡¯t shout.¡±

    ¡°Screw waitin¡¯!¡± Taava ran over and attached herself to me, heedless of my state of undress. ¡°Heat! Now!¡± Despite her urgency the kazzel kept her voice low.

    A moment later, Nelys hugged me as well. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe,¡± they said, shivering.

    Truthfully, I didn¡¯t mind being a walking heat source. I warmed us up and walked with my attached friends over to Myrna.

    She looked me up and down and groaned, sounding like she was trying to laugh, but too exhausted to manage. ¡°Where should we camp? I want to avoid getting caught in another slide like that.¡±

    ¡°Flat area below a hillside, or a cave if we can find one.¡± I looked up the hill, but lost vision about ten meters out, the snow still getting more intense.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that won¡¯t happen.¡± Seyari walked up and leaned over Taava to give me a peck on the cheek.

    Myrna sighed and shivered. ¡°Let¡¯s just get off the road then. We¡¯ll make do.¡±

    Seyari peeled Taava and Nelys off me, and I picked up the wagon. ¡°Where to, Renna? I have a plan for the campsite, so anywhere flat is good.¡±

    ¡°Is the wagon even heavy for you?¡± Phol asked.

    I almost shrugged but stopped myself. ¡°A little? Not really. It¡¯s unwieldy though.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell if Phol relaxed because of the full-body shiver that passed through him.

    Myrna pointed me in a direction and we walked off into the snowy trees until the road was just out of sight.

    ***

    Seyari¡¯s plan was far from ideal, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything better. For my contribution, the spell worked as I¡¯d hoped, and I didn¡¯t singe anyone in the process. Between Seyari¡¯s magic and my own, we created a small, heated dome around our cart, tents and firepit. I felt a little bad for making Myrna and Phol wince as I broke down a tree for firewood, but I wasn¡¯t about to wander off.

    Outside our tenuous shelter, the winter storm swirled and raged, unnervingly silent across a barrier of heat and wind. Quietly at first, Taava began to play her lute. The melody was vaguely familiar¡ªsomething I¡¯d heard hints of in other songs of hers. But this time, it was different. Whole. A style I knew immediately to be Raavian despite having never heard a note of Raavian music in my life.

    Under the melody, Taava sang. Not her usual belted soprano, but something lower; her voice was more intimate. I didn¡¯t understand the words, but the tone of the song¡ªsomber, yet hopeful¡ªwashed over our huddled group as the fire burned merrily, blissfully unaware of the storm raging just beyond its reach. Taava¡¯s song wasn¡¯t a long one, and the silence it left behind when the last notes faded made my head pound.

    ¡°What now?¡± someone asked.

    It took a moment to realize that someone was me.

    Myrna hummed in thought, her eyes opening languidly to glance at me, then the fire, then the storm. ¡°As a merchant, I¡¯ll want to make sure my goods are safe. I¡¯d still like to get to town, but you¡¯re only here to guard me as per the contract.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask her to climb a mountain carrying the wagon!¡± Phol¡¯s sudden interjection startled me.

    When our eyes met briefly, I could see he¡¯d been crying. Even now, despite the warmth I could feel seeping into my bones, he shook.

    Myrna reached over and ruffled his hair. ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna. We¡¯ll dig ourselves out and head back down the mountain. The main road should be clear and we can flag down help or have Zarenna¡¯s group go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t get you up the pass,¡± Seyari started, her own posture relaxing. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re making a sensible decision.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna give up,¡± Nelys said, looking into the dancing fire.

    ¡°Neither do I,¡± I said. ¡°You didn¡¯t hire normal guards, you hired¡ª¡±

    ¡°Normal guards wouldn¡¯t have been able to save us. It¡¯s a pity about the horses, but Phol and I are alive and I¡¯m not facing financial ruin.¡±

    I shrugged and stretched, feeling the magic flowing from me into the warmth around us. I¡¯d grown so much magically. In terms of combat, I¡¯d yet to really show my skill with spear and shield, but despite the fog in my mind, my body wasn¡¯t tired at all from tonight. And I could keep this spell up all night¡ªwhich was looking necessary.

    ¡°Like I said,¡± I shot Myrna a shark-toothed grin, ¡°you didn¡¯t hire normal guards. You didn¡¯t even hire a normal demon. I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath, and right now I¡¯m pissed at this storm and that snowslide. I¡¯m pretty good at beating whatever pisses me off, too.¡±

    ¡°Are you gonna kill the storm?¡± Nelys asked, clearly doubtful.

    ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± Seyari answered for me. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be thinking of¡ª¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Taava interjected, bouncing up from the edge of the circle to walk, spinning next to the fire. She pointed at me and then the wagon. ¡°The boss can carry all a us no problem. S¡¯long as the storm dies down a bit, she can get us ta town no problem.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking that, yeah.¡± My confident grin turned sheepish. ¡°You all can ride in the wagon.¡±

    ¡°What about the slide area?¡± Myrna questioned. ¡°It¡¯s not safe, and what¡¯s to say a detour would be safe either?¡±

    My confidence deflated. I could survive an avalanche. My fragile friends and fragile client weren¡¯t a guarantee. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s too risky.¡±

    Taava gave me puppy-dog eyes and Nelys copied her. Seyari swatted Taava on the head.

    ¡°Hey what was that for!¡± the kazzel hissed, tail bristling.

    ¡°For encouraging Zarenna to do something stupid.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t ya hit Nelys too?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Nelys protested.

    ¡°They copied your influence so it¡¯s your fault!¡± Seyari said matter-of-factly.

    Nelys stuck out their tongue.

    ¡°They¡¯re an adult!¡± Taava groused.

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Yep!¡±

    The kazzel looked to me for help, but I didn¡¯t give any. I was too busy trying to think of a solution. The best I could come up with was running ahead and blazing a trail, but I¡¯d cause even more damage doing that much. Darn. There goes my hero moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get some sleep, okay?¡± an exhausted looking Myrna pleaded.

    ¡°Eh, fine,¡± Taava relented.

    ¡°What about their magic?¡± Phol asked, looking at me and then Seyari.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be staying up too,¡± Seyari explained. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep tomorrow and Zarenna doesn¡¯t even need to sleep every night.¡±

    ¡°Is that true?¡± Myrna asked, probably thinking about watch schedules.

    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you sleep like a human?¡± Myrna¡¯s asked, curious despite her fatigue.

    I tilted my head and scratched at a horn. ¡°Sleep is comfy. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything deeper than that.¡±

    Myrna seemed to accept the answer and soon the others besides Seyari and myself retreated under whatever they could, falling quickly asleep. Seyari came over and leaned next to me, relaxing as I put my warm tail over both of us. We stayed like that the whole tense night.

    Whenever a tree fell nearby my eyes would catch the motion and I¡¯d tense, ready for something to jump out of the snow and attack us. Each time, Seyari squeezed my hand, her own hand tense, and we relaxed together. A few times we even had to stop each other nodding off.

    ***

    The storm hadn¡¯t relented by sunup. Visibility was better, but the snow outside was getting deep. Worse yet, after carrying the cart with everyone trudging alongside me (despite my insistence they could ride), we came to the site of another, even larger avalanche back down the way we¡¯d come up. We were stuck between two slides.

    What now?

    ¡°Shit,¡± Myrna kicked at the snow, which was now deep enough to be nearly to her knee.

    Before I could reply, Taava tensed. The kazzel heard something, her ears and head snapping to a large tree just uphill from us. Motion caught my eye, and I tensed, too, as a figure in red and white vestments walked out from around the tree.

    Yevon had his hands up, and his breath puffed out a cloud of steam as he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a real problem, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Seyari asked icily.

    Nelys and Taava stayed on alert, quiet but attentive.

    ¡°So cold.¡± Yevon rubbed his hands together and blew into them. ¡°And here I was thinking I¡¯d offer to help you.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Myrna snarled, making me jump. ¡°No one should be out here¡ªleast of all dressed like they belong in an Ordian church!¡±

    ¡°Church of Dhias,¡± Yevon corrected. ¡°Ordia has more faiths than just the church, even if they¡¯re minor.¡±

    Phol put a hand on his weapon and took a protective step closer to Myrna.

    Myrna glowered. ¡°I asked: Who the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°Language!¡± Yevon took a step back when Myrna drew a crossbow from her belt and aimed it at him. His hands went up again and he straightened slightly from his slouch, lidded eyes widening a little. ¡°I¡¯m Yevon Styon, High Priest of Dhias.¡±

    ¡°High priest,¡± Seyari muttered under her breath. ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s a high priest doing out in the middle of heck-all nowhere?¡± Myrna asked.

    Yevon gave a wry smile and pointed at me. ¡°Observing her.¡±

    Myrna swore under her breath. ¡°Fine. You Gelles Company folks take this conversation then. So long as you don¡¯t break our contract and you get me and Phol somewhere safe, I¡¯m fine with any plan.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± I acknowledged Myrna before addressing Yevon. ¡°Why would you want to help us?¡± I asked, bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m a demon, you know.¡± I almost gestured with the wagon I was still holding above my head, but refrained from doing more than a light tilt.

    ¡°Because I want to.¡± Yevon shrugged and then continued, ¡°Is that heavy? Because it looks heavy.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t. Are you going to help or not?¡±

    ¡°Could you try asking nicely?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Seyari replied for me. ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    ¡°Rude!¡± Yevon gasped, putting a hand over his heart. ¡°But you¡¯re lucky I asked Zarenna and not you. So,¡± he met my gaze with seemingly dull light brown eyes, ¡°what¡¯ll it be?¡±

    I took a moment to look at Yevon with aura sight. His aura was odd: almost clear, but with a prismatic sheen like a soap bubble. It was a lot smaller and dimmer than I would expect¡ªwas he hiding his aura? The man was suspicious, yes, but I wasn¡¯t about to tell him to go sit alone in a snowstorm. Plus, if he could really help, we could really use it.

    ¡°High Priest Yevon,¡± I said grouchily, ¡°Could you please help us get to either the next town up this pass or back to the main road?¡± Admittedly, I wanted to see what sort of help he could offer. Sizing up potential threats and all that.

    ¡°Of course I can!¡± Yevon¡¯s expression flipped instantly to one of jovial casualness. ¡°I want a warm bed and a hot meal too, y¡¯know!¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Seyari said, clearly unhappy. ¡°What can you do?¡±

    ¡°Magic.¡± Yevon waved a hand. ¡°I can keep whatever way you choose to go from collapsing.¡±

    Seyari jabbed a finger at him. ¡°And how can I trust you won¡¯t just bury us?¡±

    ¡°All that would do is kill everyone except Zarenna,¡± Yevon said with a shrug. ¡°Never mind that I don¡¯t actually mean you any harm, that would get me in a lot of trouble.¡±

    Taava shot a hand up, then spoke immediately. ¡°What kinda magic d¡¯ya have?¡±

    Yevon twirled his fingers and a thin trail of snow rose up to wrap around his hand. ¡°Ice.¡±

    Seyari narrowed her eyes and Taava¡¯s ears lowered. Ice magic in a strong ice storm was suspicious, but I had to doubt he caused this huge mess to indirectly inconvenience us. Or that he even could.

    ¡°You can make it so the snow is stable?¡± I guessed.

    Yevon smiled. ¡°Yep! Got it in one.¡±

    I looked to the others, and then Myrna and Phol. Seyari didn¡¯t respond, Taava and Nelys shrugged, and Myrna nodded with some hesitation.

    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll accept your help.¡± I shifted the weight of the wagon I still had lifted over my head. ¡°I¡¯d shake on it, but, well¡­¡±

    The high priest chuckled. ¡°I understand. Now: up the hill or down it?¡±

    ¡°Up the hill,¡± I answered for everyone else.

    ¡°Can do.¡± Yevon gave a thumbs-up.

    ***

    We made excellent progress the rest of the day. True to his word, Yevon kept the slide area stable under us long enough for us to cross, and by evening we were at elevation along a flatter stretch of road. The high priest kept his distance while he worked, and I couldn¡¯t get a read on him. Seyari as well was flummoxed¡ªher ability to tell lies wasn''t infallible and she couldn¡¯t read much from Yevon.

    Snow continued throughout the day, but the storm itself had already done its worst and was more manageable. We hadn¡¯t reached the warm town yet, but Myrna told us there was a cave a little way off the road that was frequented by travelers. When I finally set the damaged wagon down and pushed it into the cave, I almost toppled over¡ªmy balance took a moment to adjust.

    Still standing outside in the evening twilight, Yevon excused himself once the rest of us had gotten inside. ¡°Try not to get in trouble, Zarenna,¡± the slouching man said with an air of detached amusement. ¡°And don¡¯t try to follow me.¡± With a tilt of his head, he turned and walked off into the snow.

    I made no attempt to stop Seyari and Taava from trying to follow him. The two of them came back shortly, rimed in frost and shivering. Taava held her ears flat against her head and Seyari wore one of her typical scowls.

    ¡°You two alright?¡± I asked while warming them up.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Seyari grumbled. ¡°He made it very clear we¡¯d either fight him or leave.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for not fighting him.¡±

    Taava shrugged, teeth chattering as she grabbed one of my arms. ¡°No sense in blowin¡¯ what we¡¯ve got now. Don¡¯t wanna give the church any more ammo against ya¡ªeven if that guy makes all the hair on my tail stand up. Now, can we get a fire goin¡¯ and tents set up?¡±

 Chapter 105: Cold Welcome

    The snow didn¡¯t relent. Heavy clouds hung low above the eerily still landscape I trudged through. By morning the snow was up to my knees on the road, and every step caused a cold dampness to crawl up my leg. I almost wished for boots, but I didn¡¯t dare give up any grip on the treacherous, winding road. The others had taken to riding on top of the wagon as I carried it. In brighter circumstances, I would have loved to laugh at how comical we looked.

    In reality, I wanted nothing more than a warm room, warm food and a dry bed to sleep in. Magic kept us all in relative comfort, but the constant cycle of wet-dry-wet had ground our patience down to nothing. When Seyari and Myrna sighted the smoke of the upcoming town I wanted to sprint for it. I kept the wagon steady, but picked up the pace.

    ¡°Could we take a less conspicuous method of entry?¡± Myrna asked nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to explain all this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not dragging the wagon,¡± Seyari replied.

    ¡°Who cares?¡± Taava said flippantly. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna get any colder.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine with us when we show them we just want food and a bed!¡± Nelys added. ¡°And that we have coin to pay.¡±

    ¡°Zarenna?¡± Myrna asked, hopefully. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t want to cause a scene?¡±

    I shrugged and the wagon dipped. ¡°I don¡¯t, but I agree with Sey and the others. It¡¯d be no less suspicious to carry this wagon looking human. And if we all dragged it into town, that¡¯d be suspicious as heck given the storm.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to walk into town like this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. I¡¯ll set us by a stable or the inn and then I¡¯m going inside for a warm meal,¡± I paused. ¡°There is a warm inn with warm food here, right Myrna?¡±

    Myrna groaned. ¡°Fine. I want to get indoors too.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Phol mumbled.

    ¡°And yes, Zarenna, there is an inn in the town.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank fuck,¡± Seyari answered for me.

    ***

    We¡¯d passed the first sleeping home on the outskirts of the town with no incident, but the moment someone outside saw us, a shout of ¡°Demon!¡± went up. Lights winked out in windows as we drew closer to the center of town, making the place seem deserted, although there was plenty of evidence of the townsfolk quickly hiding.

    When I reached the town center, near where Myrna said the inn was, a ragtag host that must have been the town militia stood in my path. They didn¡¯t attack immediately, thankfully. I probably had the absurdity of our situation to thank for that fact. Behind them, the steep-roofed log buildings of the town looked like something out of a fairytale: fresh snow puffed up from their roofs, curls of smoke drifted lazily from their chimneys, and icicles dangled over the warm glow of windows in the evening light.

    I drew in a breath to speak, but Nelys beat me to it.

    ¡°Hiya! Can we get a few inn rooms and some hot food?¡± I felt something above me shift as Nelys moved around, but couldn¡¯t see what they were doing. ¡°Oh, and a place for Renna to set the wagon! She says it isn¡¯t heavy, but I don¡¯t believe her and she¡¯s been carrying us for like three days since the avalanche.¡±

    I smiled despite myself. Well done again, Nelys.

    ¡°Gods, my back is killin¡¯ me!¡± Taava dropped into the snow next to me with a poof of powder. She stretched and yawned. ¡°Big Red there¡¯s not here ta hurt ya, so scram.¡±

    The man in the lead found his composure. He wore his dark hair short, had a hard, square jaw and wore a chain shirt over casual wear. ¡°Scram!? We¡¯re going to defend our town!¡±

    Next to me, a gust of wind sent Taava into the snow face-first. Or it would have, had the kazzel not been expecting reprisal from my girlfriend. She ducked into a roll, instead, and she came up holding her lute. The chord she strummed was out of tune.

    ¡°Stupid cold!¡± she cursed.

    Seyari took the opportunity and distraction to address those assembled. ¡°What we¡¯re saying is that we mean no harm. We¡¯re with the Gelles Company, in fact, and Zarenna, the demon carrying our wagon, is our leader.¡±

    She paused, and I realized I was meant to speak. ¡°Right. Hi, I¡¯m Zarenna Miller with the Gelles Company. With me are Nelys, Taava, and Seyari.¡± I tilted my head at each of them. ¡°We¡¯re escorting the merchant Myrna and her personal guard Phol on their route to Gedon, and providing protection as well. And, uh, I¡¯m just going to set this down, okay?¡± I hefted the wagon to one side and set it in the snow next to me.

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± the square-jawed man yelled. ¡°Do you think I was born yesterday?¡±

    ¡°No, Kent,¡± Myrna answered, climbing off the wagon, ¡°I think you were born thirty-eight years ago.¡±

    Kent, apparently, narrowed his eyes. ¡°Thirty-seven years ago. How¡¯d a cold heart like you get enthralled?¡±

    Myrna climbed down off the wagon and stood in front of the cart. ¡°Fine. Thirty-seven. I¡¯m only basing it on what you said last time I was through here three years ago. Winter birthday then?¡±

    Kent was silent, although his cold gaze slid from Myrna back to me. I met it, tired and frustrated.

    ¡°The answer¡¯s still no by the way,¡± Myrna continued, the rest of the assembled, shivering militia now giving her their attention. ¡°And like I told you last time: it¡¯s not you, I just don¡¯t really like anyone like that.¡±

    ¡°Look, do I look like a demon who could enthrall someone?¡± I stood up a little straighter, trying to show off my build.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to confuse us, demon!¡± Kent yelled.

    ¡°Welp, this is all nice and fun I¡¯m sure, but I¡¯m just not sittin¡¯ out in this cold any longer.¡± Taava started walking toward the only inn visible in the snow-covered town center. ¡°Good luck ta ya!¡±

    ¡°Stop her!¡± Kent pointed his sword at the sauntering, shivering kazzel.

    ¡°Kent!¡± Myrna yelled.

    ¡°Whoah, hey!¡± Taava ducked and rolled under a swipe from the nearest militiaman. ¡°Ya could hurt someone with that. I¡¯m no demon and I¡¯d take myself out ¡®fore I get under anyone¡¯s thrall.¡±

    That gave the already conflicted ragtag group pause.

    Kent stepped toward Taava and tried to rally the others. ¡°Lies! We won¡¯t fall for a demon¡¯s lies! We¡¯ve enough trouble as it is!¡±

    Enough trouble? Could Hector or the people he¡¯s chasing have done something? The timing should be right for them to be here in town, riding out the snowstorm. I could feel Kent¡¯s fury bubble up through the gentle current of the militia¡¯s anger.

    Kent¡¯s words seemed to stoke the fire, and Taava¡¯s eyes went wide as she was rushed. She ducked, rolled, and was caught by a gust of wind that brought her, a cloud of snow, and some of the most forward of the militia back to us. Taava scrambled back, cursing, and Nelys covered her retreat. The militia members likewise scrambled away, their eyes on me.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°That was me, by the way,¡± Seyari announced, briefly shifting some eyes off me. Her voice had that odd echo she usually suppressed¡ªintentionally I realized. Through the snow and dim light her eyes and hair shone.

    ¡°A half-angel?¡± someone murmured.

    ¡°With a demon?¡± another asked.

    ¡°Is she corrupted?¡±

    ¡°Did the demon get her?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Kent barked. ¡°We¡¯re¡ª¡±

    Taava strummed an atonal chord on her lute, interrupting Kent. I pulled a little anger out of the man, just for good measure. I didn¡¯t like it, but this was close to becoming a fight. Nelys had weapons at the ready, and Phol leapt off the wagon to cover Myrna who¡¯d backed up, fuming.

    ¡°I got a way ta prove it!¡± Taava announced. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a few nightsbane flowers she must¡¯ve pinched earlier. ¡°Ya boneheads¡¯ attacked me ¡®fore I could do this all dramatic-like.¡± She held a sprig between two sharp nails. ¡°Ya know what this is?¡±

    ¡°No?¡± one of the militia members reflexively answered, earning a shush and a commotion from those near them.

    ¡°Right, well, see it¡¯s a thing called¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nightsbane,¡± Myrna answered. ¡°It turns black around demonic magic, and demons.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Taava stamped a foot and pouted. ¡°Quit ruinin¡¯ my already ruined moment, will ya?¡±

    Someone else snickered. I caught myself smiling a little.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Taava continued, ¡°this stuff turns black around demons, and their magic, so here!¡± She held one in her own hand, golden in the dim light.

    While I was thinking of what to say, the kazzel reached up under my horns and stuck the nightsbane flower behind my pointed ear. I didn¡¯t have to look to know it turned black. She held up her own, then passed more to everyone in the group while Kent and the militia eyed us nervously. I had a hunch the only reason Taava had enough time to hand out the nightsbane was that the militia knew they¡¯d not be able to win a fight against a demon.

    ¡°If she¡¯d got us with a spell, this¡¯d turn black, too,¡± Taava concluded with a flourish. ¡°So we¡¯re no threat, we¡¯ve got money, and I can sing us all a lovely song over at that warm lookin¡¯ inn right there if ya just¡ª"

    ¡°I won¡¯t be fooled,¡± Kent said sternly, his jaw hard and tense.

    ¡°Kent,¡± Myrna asked, ¡°Please. Look at us, look at my wagon, and look at Zarenna, who¡¯s been carrying it and us for days. Even now, she¡¯s been nothing but patient through getting stopped in the street before she¡¯d even set my wagon down. Go home, get sleep, and let us trade and spend our coin already.¡±

    ¡°¡­No,¡± Kent replied. ¡°I can¡¯t. Not again.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by again?¡± Nelys asked.

    My thoughts exactly.

    Kent regarded the small person beside me. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Now go. You can¡¯t stay here, but we won¡¯t chase you.¡±

    ¡°Kent!¡± someone else complained. ¡°Look at them! They¡¯ll die out in the snow!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve survived this far,¡± Kent barked.

    ¡°We can camp outside if you really want us to,¡± I relented. ¡°We have magic that can keep us going, at least until I need to sleep. But our client, Myrna has business in town, and needs her wagon repaired. Can she and her guard Phol at least stay here? We¡¯ll wait on ahead, or leave entirely if Myrna signs off on it.¡±

    Kent sighed. ¡°No more tricks. Leave, now. All of you. Even Myrna.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Myrna shook her head and stepped right to Kent, leaning in hardly ten centimeters from his face. She jabbed a finger into his armor, the rest of the ragtag group now far too unsure to act. ¡°You¡¯re being completely unreasonable, and now I see what Zarenna was complaining about. I¡¯d probably have had the same reaction as you if she didn¡¯t come from the Gelles Company and with a contract saying she was a demon. This contract, in fact!¡± She shoved a crumpled, folded stack of papers at Kent. ¡°Sorry, but it got a little damaged in the avalanche Zarenna saved us from.¡±

    Kent stuttered.

    ¡°Read it or don¡¯t. I don¡¯t care, but I¡¯ll need it back.¡± Myrna turned back to the rest of us with a weary smile and waved us forward into the town center. ¡°We¡¯re all going to the inn. I¡¯ll trade tomorrow, and we¡¯ll be out of here as soon as we can get the wagon fixed and get new horses.¡±

    Thanks Myrna.

    Kent kept his brow furrowed as I picked up the wagon, walked past him and the unsure militia, and continued into town.

    ***

    Dinner was¡­ tense. Our wagon sat, sad and broken, in the stables next to the inn. Surprisingly, Phol volunteered to take the first shift guarding it. I wished we could trust everyone here, but, well, while Myrna had gotten us into an inn and rooms, we didn¡¯t get any hospitality. We all sat huddled around a too-small corner table, and the other patrons, many of them from the militia and still armed, watched us warily. Taava, in particular, grumbled at being barred from playing for the crowd.

    Thankfully, aside from a lot of questions about whether I ate, and what I ate (not humans, I assured them), no one messed with my vegetable stew. A little jerky tossed in and it was perfect.

    ¡°So Myrna,¡± I started, trying to break the tension. ¡°What¡¯s the plan here? We¡¯ve a broken wagon, no horses, and a snowstorm.¡±

    Myrna tipped up her bowl and downed the last bit of her stew, swallowing before answering. ¡°We get the wagon set for repairs, I make my trades¡ª¡± She side-eyed the wary crowd. ¡°¡ªif I can. We find horses, and we leave when the snow stops.¡±

    ¡°And what if we can¡¯t find horses?¡± Seyari asked.

    Myrna groaned. ¡°I was trying not to think about that.¡±

    Seyari laid a hand on mine. ¡°I know this is a bad question, but: Renna, would you be okay to pull the cart to the next town?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Pull? Yes. Carry? No.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take Phol and do what I can tomorrow,¡± Myrna said dejectedly. No one¡¯s going to take a look at our wagon at night during a snowstorm. I don¡¯t want to ask you to pull the wagon, but we might not have a choice.¡±

    Conversation after that stayed muted. The hostility we felt didn¡¯t really lessen, but I could breathe better when fewer people were at the inn to glare at us. Seyari and I traded a grateful and cold Phol for the next watch. No one bothered us out in the cold stables, and we spent the hours staring at the flickering lights of the village around us, most of them winking out by the time we left for Taava and Nelys¡¯s turn.

    When we re-entered the tavern under the inn, it was almost empty, save one surprisingly young man who probably didn¡¯t have anywhere else to be. He was slumped over the counter using his arms as a pillow, and breathing deeply. The oil lamps were all put out, save one on the counter. I didn¡¯t need the light from it to see the person waiting around the corner of the stairs. They¡¯d moved into deeper cover when we¡¯d walked in. I could feel fury from him, sharp and fresh. Likewise, the sleeping man held active anger. A dream? Or is he even asleep?

    I could clearly make out their piecemeal ¡°armor,¡± and the worn, but well-kept sword the kid in the back held in a shaking hand. I glanced at Seyari, keenly aware of the dim blue glow of my eyes in the darkness. Her own softly glowing golden eyes looked back at me. Sparing a glance for the snoozing man, we walked to the stairs but stopped near the middle of the room.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t attack us,¡± I whispered. ¡°We just want to go to bed.¡±

    ***

    Wick was nervous. He and his brother Lloyd had watched Kent let that monster into their town without a fight. The old man had said they couldn¡¯t fight it, and he¡¯d been soft because of that trader woman who¡¯d come with the demon. Didn¡¯t Kent know demons could control people? Everyone knew that! First those assholes and the assholes chasing after them and now a demon. The last suspicious people they¡¯d let stay in town had stolen enough already, and Wick wasn¡¯t about to let a literal demon add lives to the list.

    Demons were strong, he¡¯d been told¡ªand he¡¯d seen this one carrying a wagon above its head. Wick didn¡¯t believe they could only be hurt by magic, though, and his brother didn¡¯t either. A good sharp blade and a strong swing would surely do the trick.

    So they¡¯d made a plan. They watched the group pretend to act normal in the inn, and hidden when the tavern closed up for the night. Lloyd feigned sleep by the bar while Wick waited by the stairs. They¡¯d jump the demon from two angles and take it out when it came back inside.

    At least, that had been the plan.

    The demon and the corrupted angel-blooded walked in together, and the way the demon¡¯s slitted eyes glowed in the dark sent a shiver down Wick¡¯s spine. They shone in the darkness like a predator¡¯s, making every muscle in his body scream ¡°run away.¡± He pulled back around the corner into the shadows and waited.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t attack us,¡± the monster mocked him.

    ¡°We just want to go to bed,¡± it lied.

    Wick¡¯s blood turned to ice. The demon¡¯s voice seemed affable, and was warm like coals in a hearth, but something about the way it rang out in the silent tavern was just wrong.

    It was now or never. With a cry he didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d let loose, Wick charged out from under the stairs and at the demon, blade raised. Lloyd jumped up as well, drawing the shortsword he¡¯d hidden under himself.

    Wick¡¯s charge never reached the demon. He barely tracked the demon¡¯s movement as two hands grabbed his arms and another two his brother¡¯s arms, stopping them both short and pulling them painfully aloft. Wick managed to keep his sword in a white-knuckled, panicked grip, his forearms free. Somehow, he managed to swing the old blade loosely at the demon¡¯s neck; it slid off, leaving not so much as a mark.

    ¡°Please,¡± the demon said. ¡°Just go home.¡±

    The vice-like hands that had gripped Wick let go with a shove, sending him stumbling back. Wick wanted to scream. He wanted to move, to do anything; he knew he was being toyed with. His brother, similarly sent stumbling back, kept his hands on his blade and looked around the room, wide-eyed, like he would bolt any moment. Fear froze Wick in place. The woman next to the demon, only now remembered by the pair, sighed¡ªmocking his failure even more.

    Wick¡¯s fury swelled. And then it evaporated. Lloyd, too, calmed, though he still twitched in fear.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you. When I was your age, I¡¯d have done the same, so no hard feelings.¡± The demon spoke again in that same faux-caring tone and strode past the terrified pair toward the stairs. The angel-blooded woman pulled a step ahead of the demon before darting up the steps.

    Stopping at the base of the stairs, the demon woman turned around. She started to say something else, but the pair of brothers found their courage and bolted out the inn door and into the snow before she could say anything, leaving the door hanging open behind them.

    Back in the empty tavern, a rush of cold wind put the last lit lantern out.

 Chapter 106: Snowed In

    After that incident the first night, nothing drastic happened in town over next day or night. I was studiously avoided, and the few people from the church in town¡ªa small, quaint building¡ªtook one look at me and decided I was not something they could deal with.

    I¡¯d much rather they decided I wasn¡¯t someone they should deal with, but I wasn¡¯t in a position to choose.

    Yevon hadn¡¯t shown up either, and on the morning of the second day the only thing we still needed was to get Myrna¡¯s wagon repaired. We were told the repairs would take a few more days. I had to wonder if this was longer or shorter than normal; did they want to inconvenience us, or did they want us gone sooner? Needless to say, I hadn¡¯t asked, but I had run out of things to do in the town.

    The snow had stopped sometime the previous night, but it was cold enough that it wasn¡¯t melting. Myrna spent her time checking inventory against what was lost in the avalanche and bemoaning her lost profits from my demon-ness. She tried not to direct her comments at me, but it didn¡¯t really work.

    Taava spent all day in her room with Nelys¡ªshe said she was composing another few songs. Nelys, meanwhile, seemed almost immune to the repellent of being associated with me, and had made a few friendly acquaintances around town.

    Currently, Seyari was out checking the road for lack of anything else to do, while I sat in our nice warm room watching the silent, snowy village through the frosted panes of the window. It could be worse¡ªI could have an uncomfortable room. Perhaps it was the only one available, perhaps the innkeeper didn¡¯t want to piss off the demon, or perhaps he just wasn¡¯t a jerk, but Seyari and I had a cozy, small room that was probably the most comfortable accommodation I¡¯d had since Lockmoth. The atmosphere was certainly better than the rotten fish smell of the port, but all the social anxiety more than balanced out the positives.

    Everyone in our group had also been taking watches at night, just in case, which meant Seyari and I hadn¡¯t gotten to break in the too-short bed. Shame, that.

    All this meant that when Nelys knocked on my door and told me they heard something important, I was torn between cozy laziness and a burning desire to do anything. They bounced into the room at my hand wave and hopped up on the bed, facing the window.

    I shifted around and sat down next to them. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°You know those two guys who were waiting for you in the tavern the other night?¡±

    I nodded, but frowned. Seyari and I hadn¡¯t told anyone else about that incident.

    Nelys pumped their fists. ¡°Guess what?¡±

    I waited a moment for them to continue, but they didn¡¯t. Now realizing what I was in for, I laid back down on the bed, tilted to one side for my tail, and got comfortable before I replied, ¡°Okay, what?¡±

    My overly excitable friend smiled wide. ¡°They attacked you ¡®cause the last people who came into town just before the storm were real jerks. Stole some stuff, and even got their friend to go with ¡®em when they left.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even glance outside, I just pointed in the direction of the window with my tail¡¯s spaded tip. ¡°They left into that?¡±

    While it was true I hadn¡¯t seen Hector or another traveling group in town, I simply assumed they avoided the town somehow, or were staying where we hadn¡¯t gone. This place was no city, but for a remote mining town it was pretty big. And with the cold welcome I¡¯d gotten, I hadn¡¯t seen fit to go poking my horns where they weren¡¯t wanted without good reason.

    After a long glance out the window at the snow-buried road leading away from the inn, Nelys sat back down. ¡°I guess it is weird, huh. See, Wick said that he and his brother¡¯s friend Byrt said he was going with the people who stole to find a really powerful artifact or something.¡±

    Oh no. I propped myself up on two elbows and worried my other two hands in my lap. ¡°Did either Wick or his brother say where they thought Byrt was going?¡±

    Nelys shook their head. ¡°Nuh uh.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they know?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    I tried to think what could be around here for them to go to. ¡°Do you think they could¡¯ve gone to an old mine near here?¡±

    Nelys¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°That¡¯d be neat! Probably bad still, though.¡±

    ¡°Might also be too easy of a guess. And there¡¯s probably a bunch and they¡¯re all buried in snow right now.¡± I sighed. ¡°What about Hector¡¯s group¡ªthe ones chasing the other group?¡±

    ¡°Those guys were really mean.¡± Nelys shrugged. ¡°They didn¡¯t take anything, but they acted like jerks, so Wick and Lloyd didn¡¯t pay much attention to them.¡±

    ¡°Are they still in town?¡± I asked, a little confused. ¡°And who¡¯s Lloyd?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not in town, and Lloyd is Wick¡¯s brother.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so the missing one is Byrt, and Lloyd and Wick wanted to prevent me from doing something worse than luring their friend away from town to leave with a bunch of suspicious thieves.¡± I counted the two in town on one hand, the missing on the another, and I crossed out the missing with a finger from a third hand. ¡°Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°So why attack me?¡± I groaned. ¡°I get they wouldn¡¯t ask me for help, but what would attacking me do?¡±

    ¡°They thought you were gonna kill everyone for ¡®knowing too much¡¯ or somethin¡¯. Like a demonic enforcer.¡±

    ¡°Why did they think I¡¯d know about that?¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°And why would I look like a demonic enforcer¡ªI was carrying a wagon! Shoeless!¡±

    ¡°Have you seen how awesome¡ªI mean professional¡ªI mean actually awesome¡ªyour black scary company outfit looks? Y¡¯know, like the actual definition or awesome? I¡¯m still learnin¡¯ a lot of Ordian words, and I keep finding out people don¡¯t say them like what they actually mean, but I guess that¡¯s not so different from other languages,¡± Nelys said fast enough that I could barely keep up.

    I looked down at what I was wearing, a thick wool shirt over a thin nightshirt, and then to the open closet with my company outfit. Maybe I should go everywhere in a nightshirt? ¡°Oookay, I get that. But that doesn¡¯t explain why they thought I was some kind of demonic thug?¡±

    Nelys gave a shifty-eyed look around and leaned in to whisper, ¡°Because Wick said he and Byrt saw one of the caravan people with their human suit off.¡±

    ¡°Human suit?¡± A shiver ran down my spine. A glamour? Or something more?

    Nelys giggled. ¡°S¡¯what they said!¡±

    ¡°Is that why they didn¡¯t take the nightsbane from Hector¡¯s group?¡± I whispered. ¡°And why steal at all then? Why not keep a lower profile?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯m not sure,¡± Nelys replied, leaning back away from me, and turning to flop onto the bed face first. ¡°But the reason I came here is that I think you should help. Because I don¡¯t think anyone else is going to. And Wick and Lloyd are really nice, actually.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they were mean!¡± I asserted. ¡°I might¡¯ve been a little rough with them, but they ambushed me and Sey, you know.¡±

    ¡°Mmmniknow,¡± Nelys said into the bed.

    I looked down at my claws and traced along the edge of one. ¡°I¡¯ll help them.¡±

    ¡°Thnnks.¡±

    With reluctance at the thought of leaving my nice warm room, I got up and walked to the closet, putting a hand on the company outfit. When I touched the leather, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. The company symbol and the outfit I had with it were proof that, even if it wasn¡¯t permanent, I had legitimacy and a place to belong in a professional sense. ¡°Look at me now, Abby,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Just thinking of an old friend,¡± I replied. ¡°Could you give me a minute to change? We¡¯ll grab some supplies and head out straight away.¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ***

    ¡°It¡¯s too cold!¡± Taava complained from under her bundle of several mismatched coats. ¡°This whole country¡¯s too cold!¡±

    ¡°Even Lockmoth?¡± I asked, genuinely curious. The city wasn¡¯t the northernmost in the country, but it certainly wasn¡¯t the frigid south.

    ¡°Honestly, yeah.¡± Taava kicked a snow pile and yelped when her foot found a buried stump. ¡°Why¡¯re we out here anyway, boss?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re helping Wick and Lloyd!¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t we meetin¡¯ Wick an¡¯ Lloyd?¡±

    ¡°¡®Cause they¡¯re real scared of Renna!¡± Nelys explained as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

    I shrugged sheepishly. ¡°If we need any more information, we can find them. I want to go find Myrna first and see if she has any insight as to where they could¡¯ve gone or if there¡¯s anyone in the town who won¡¯t give me the cold shoulder. And in the meantime we¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cold shoulder? Really? In this weather?¡± Taava interrupted, darting through the snow of the square to stop in front of me. ¡°Ya coulda left me in my nice warm room and gone yourself!¡±

    I looked around the square at the buildings sitting quiet in the snow, midday activities only evidenced by lit windows and the few people moving outside¡ªall of whom were staring at me, including a certain familiar trader and her bodyguard I could see headed our way. Myrna carried a small, but sturdy-looking box.

    ¡°Point taken,¡± I replied. ¡°I was trying to say that we can¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m goin¡¯ back inside!¡± Taava announced.

    I grabbed her shoulder gently, but very firmly.

    ¡°What were you trying to say, Renna?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Myrna¡¯s here,¡± I announced, pointing at the approaching merchant with one hand and spinning a grumbling Taava around with another couple. ¡°Oh, and I was trying to say it might give some time for Seyari to get back into town from checking the road, but I guess we¡¯ll have to go find her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you out of your room,¡± Myrna remarked. She glanced at me and Nelys in company uniform and then at Taava¡¯s coat rack impression. ¡°Something come up?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Nelys replied. ¡°We¡¯re investigating some trouble, and we want to know if you¡¯ve seen or heard anything that could help.¡±

    The well-practiced ease of Nelys¡¯s question caught me off guard. I¡¯d known they and Aretan had spent some time working with the guard in Lockmoth, but seeing the typically informal Nelys so professional made me oddly¡­ proud? Not my place, I suppose, but we are all technically professionals. Even Taava.

    The merchant frowned, shoulder slumping. ¡°Probably not. Trading¡¯s been a mess. Me and Phol have to convince everyone we¡¯re not some sort of demon cultists. Most people don¡¯t believe the nightsbane thing, but at least we¡¯re not using up any more of my stock if Zarenna¡¯s not near them.¡± She shot a glare at Taava.

    ¡°It was one sprig! One!¡± Taava protested, breath coming out in a puff. Her ears twitched irritably under her hat, but her tail was pinned down somewhere in the mess of fabric.

    ¡°And in the inn?¡±

    ¡°¡­Two.¡±

    ¡°And for getting meals the past day?¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine it was a¡­ an amount. But you¡¯ve got a whole bag!¡±

    ¡°Yes. A whole bag to sell.¡± Myrna took a step toward the inn. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re talking somewhere warm. And private.¡±

    ¡°So you found something then,¡± Nelys asked.

    Myrna looked over her shoulder but kept walking. ¡°Yeah. Not out here though.¡±

    ***

    ¡°We just left!¡± Taava complained, stripping down to her normal outfit once we were all in Myrna¡¯s room, save Phol, who was out in the hall on lookout.

    ¡°Do you want to be outside?¡± I asked, sitting carefully on a too-small chair.

    Taava paused, and her ears perked up. ¡°Yeah, alright fine. Good point, I guess.¡±

    ¡°What did you find?¡± Nelys asked Myrna.

    ¡°An item that was sold here and blackened a sprig of nightsbane.¡± Myrna picked up the sturdy-looking box on the bed and handed it to me with a grimace. ¡°From what Phol and I can tell, the magic doesn¡¯t come through this box, which I -also had to buy.¡±

    I took the box in two hands, unsure of what do to. Oh, sure, I could see auras. Recognize ones I knew even, but I had little knowledge of how to tell a demonic aura apart from a non-demonic one. Nelys stayed uncharacteristically silent, while Taava quickly made her way to the opposite side of the room from the box.

    I must have been staring, because Myrna spoke up next. ¡°Should we leave the room when you open it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°Sey¡¯s the expert on these sorts of things, but she¡¯s checking the road out of town right now.¡±

    ¡°Is it leaking any magic?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± I perked up. ¡°Yeah I can check that.¡± The check revealed nothing, so I shook my head and continued, ¡°We wanted to ask if you know which way the last groups out of town might have left, Myrna. They should be Hector¡¯s and the group Hector is chasing.¡±

    ¡°Even if it seems like an unimportant detail, anything could help!¡± Nelys chipped in.

    Myrna put a hand to her chin. ¡°Let me think.¡±

    While we waited for Myrna to think of anything that might help, Taava perked up, her ears swiveling. ¡°Someone¡¯s comin¡¯.¡± She frowned. ¡°A lotta someones.¡±

    Out in the hall, I could now hear a pair of bootsteps coming swiftly up the stairs¡ªand they weren¡¯t alone.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Phol asked outside the door, voice muffled.

    ¡°Just business,¡± a voice I recognized as Kent said coldly. ¡°Stand aside.¡±

    ¡°Myrna!¡± Phol shouted. ¡°They look ang¡ªoomph.¡±

    The wall shook from a solid thud and I leapt to my feet. Taava and Nelys drew blades. With a swear, Myrna drew a knife as well¡ªthough she moved to a corner of the room.

    ¡°Shackle him!¡± Kent shouted. ¡°We¡¯ll decide what to do with him once the demon¡¯s dead.¡±

    I tensed and ran to the door. This was bad¡ªreally bad. Why now? Just as my hand touched the knob, a heavy boot kicked it in, and I barely kept my balance with my tail. Two hands on the door, I pushed into the hallway to shouts of surprise.

    I tossed the door down the empty hallway, and glared at the half-dozen people, two of whom were subduing Phol, who¡¯d not managed to draw his weapon. I narrowed my eyes and met Kent¡¯s furious gaze.

    ¡°What.¡± A lick of flame escaped as I spoke, casting a brief light in the dim hallway.

    ¡°I knew you were evil,¡± Kent replied, and he thrust with his shortblade.

    I didn¡¯t stop his attack, but when the blade bit into my flesh, I realized my mistake. Overconfidence. He caught me in the midsection with the enchanted dagger, and drove it to the hilt. Grunting in pain, I grabbed his wrist, shattering it, and wrenched his arm and blade away from me.

    Kent screamed as more bones broke. ¡°Kill her!¡± he shouted, falling to the ground.

    Before the others could act, I devoured their rage, and the fervor in the hallway snuffed out. Confusion and fear replaced it, and I stepped forward. The bleeding wound deep into my gut burned and sizzled, the flow of blood thinning as it started to heal despite the injury. Behind me, Taava bounced out of the room, Nelys likely staying back to guard Myrna.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®I¡¯m evil?¡¯¡± I growled, a drop of my burning blood hitting the floor between my feet.

    ¡°Kent!¡± Someone shouted.

    ¡°We killin¡¯ em boss?¡± Taava asked, her form tight and ears alert.

    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head and took a step toward the militia, stepping over the downed Kent. ¡°What. Did. I. Do?¡± I hissed each word out, claws tensing with each syllable. I kept alert now¡ªa magical attack to the right area could end everything. I caught a whimper and my eyes snapped to the target.

    He was one of the brothers who attacked Seyari and I the other night. ¡°Y-you monster!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°What did this ¡®monster¡¯ do?¡± I asked again, my patience quickly running thin.

    Another, braver soul spoke up. ¡°You tried to corrupt us!¡±

    ¡°How!?¡± I roared. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing since I got here but sit in my inn room and come downstairs for stew!¡±

    ¡°You attacked us!¡± another cried.

    ¡°You attacked first! What else was I supposed to do when I got stabbed? I didn¡¯t even attack when you kicked the door I was about to open right into my face!¡±

    ¡°Your thralls!¡± the same young man, either Wick or Lloyd said. ¡°You had your thralls ahead of you! You sold tainted goods and corrupted Byrt!¡±

    Shit. What a misunderstanding!

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m corrupted, Wick?¡± Nelys shouted from the other room.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve tricked us into spilling what we knew!¡± the same man, Wick I now knew, shouted back.

    ¡°What!?¡± Nelys shouted. ¡°Hey that¡¯s not it at all¡ªI was just trying to help. Renna and I are gonna go find Byrt and try to rescue him!¡±

    Kent groaned on the floor.

    ¡°Does anyone know how to set a splint?¡± I asked, the sudden question throwing the others off-guard in the tense atmosphere. ¡°We can talk when Kent¡¯s been seen to.¡±

    ¡°Why do you care, demon!¡± Wick accused, bravery gaining momentum, even if I disallowed him rage.

    I strode forward, shoving the other militia members aside until I stood right in front of Wick. Next to him, Lloyd took a defensive stance. I leaned down to eye level, met Wick¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°Because maybe I¡¯m not as evil as you think I am.¡±

    Wick stuttered.

    I continued, ¡°Why would Nelys need to trick you to get you to tell them about Byrt, if I orchestrated it? Why would Myrna buy back a tainted item and then take it right to where I was staying in the middle of broad daylight if I sold it to you in the first place?¡±

    Kent coughed. ¡°Because¡­ you¡¯re playing us all for fools.¡±

    I wanted to tear my hair out. ¡°I am going to find,¡± I growled low, standing up and hissing flames, ¡°whatever demons are giving me this kind of reputation, and I am going to rip their spines out.¡±

    Around me, the militia shrank away in fear, the last of the fight leaving them. Kent coughed again, struggling away on the ground.

    ¡°Hey, uh, boss,¡± Taava interjected. ¡°Might wanna tone that whole ¡®Sovereign a Wrath¡¯ thing down a bit if ya want ta get along with folks.¡±

    I tossed aside the sting of Taava¡¯s words and took a deep breath. She¡¯s right. ¡°Fine. But the next person who tries to stab me is leaving here through the wall.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do to us?¡± Lloyd asked, his voice a lot softer than his brother¡¯s.

    I hissed a sigh. ¡°Nothing. Make sure Kent is okay until Seyari gets back. She¡¯ll heal him, and then I¡¯m going to go after the assholes who sold you tainted goods and conned your friend into leaving with them. And none of you are going to try this shit again, got it?¡±

    I actually got a couple nods, but mostly received fearful stares.

    ¡°Hey, boss?¡±

    ¡°What, Taava?¡±

    ¡°What about the contract?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Myrna coughed to clear her shaking voice and continued to shout into the hallway. ¡°It¡¯s fine by me. The wagon¡¯s still getting fixed anyway, unless you lot saw fit to sabotage it. Oh¡ªand I¡¯m not paying for the damage to the inn.¡±

    Phol, having stayed quiet and still this whole time, took his chance and broke out of the hold he was in. He strode past everyone and back into the room. I imagined he would have slammed the door had it still been on its hinges.

    ***

    Unfortunately, Seyari wasn¡¯t back by sundown. Double unfortunately, the town was afraid of me now. At least I probably won¡¯t be attacked again.

    Myrna knew little else that could help, so I held onto the box with the artifact in it, sent Taava and Nelys to search for any more around town, and watched out my window for Seyari to get back.

    Just as the twilight was fading into night, and Taava and Nelys returned with one more item wrapped in about a dozen sacks, Seyari came walking up the road toward the inn.

    I looked at the sacks, the box in my hands, and Seyari trudging through the snow alone at this late hour and wondered, Why can¡¯t it ever be something simple and easy?

 Chapter 107: Cold Night

    Seyari shut the two demonically-enchanted items back into the sturdy box. They were a small knife and a small cup, and both, even without aura sight, had an odd air about them.

    ¡°Do they have to do with cutting yourself and putting the blood in the cup?¡± Nelys asked.

    I nodded. Nelys and I had made a bet with Taava, who¡¯d called the idea ¡°way too obvious, even for whatever idiots we¡¯re chasin¡¯.¡±

    Seyari shook her head, and the smug kazzel immediately sidled up to me. I sighed and slipped her a few silver pieces; Nelys did the same.

    ¡°Really?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Well it seemed so obvious¡­¡± I replied sheepishly.

    ¡°And you bet on it?¡±

    I stared down at the bed and nodded. Desiring privacy, all of us had crammed into mine and Seyari¡¯s room, using our bed as a table.

    Seyari groaned. ¡°Well it¡¯s nothing like that, so far as I can tell. I¡¯m more than a little rusty at identifying enchanted items, but they appear to be entrancements or compulsions of some sort, and definitely demonic.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Nelys started, hopeful. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that work for what me and Zarenna thought?¡±

    ¡°It would, except the items were sold to separate people.¡±

    Next to me, Taava purred. ¡°Told ya!¡±

    Seyari shot her a look and continued. ¡°They¡¯re both objects a person would be in close contact with for an extended period of time. Who¡ªor what¡ªever did this was certainly no master enchanter. The work¡¯s shoddy, and it wouldn¡¯t last longer than a week or so. Perhaps a rush job, but that doesn¡¯t make sense either. The people ahead of us had days to prepare something like this.¡±

    ¡°So what do you think they do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they just get found if they got entranced?¡± Nelys added.

    ¡°Entrancing can do a lot of things besides incapacitate someone. Compulsions are an option. As for what they do? I haven¡¯t the faintest, but I agree with Nelys that they aren¡¯t going to simply knock someone out.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ve no way to test what they do unless we use one,¡± I concluded. ¡°And since they¡¯re demonic¡­¡±

    ¡°They carry only a small risk of corruption.¡± Seyari finished. ¡°I could potentially burn it out, but that might do more harm than good. They¡¯re not powerful enough to cause a physical change.¡±

    Surely Sey¡¯s not suggesting we test the items?

    Taava¡¯s hand shot up. ¡°Not it!¡±

    Nelys looked unsure, and stayed silent.

    I answered for them. ¡°We¡¯re not using the artifacts on anyone. We know the people who sold these here left town, and they didn¡¯t go the way we did. Did you find anything on the road ahead, Sey?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°There were some damaged trees¡ªsome scarred from fire. Snow covered much of the scene, but I blew away what I could and discovered at least one set of wheel ruts and some footprints going west, up higher into the mountains.¡±

    ¡°I assume you were late because you followed them?¡± I ventured.

    ¡°Yeah. At least for a bit. I turned around when they reached a large path, or an old road¡ªI couldn¡¯t tell. I¡¯m better in cities than the wilderness.¡±

    That goes for me and Taava, too, I thought glumly. I hope Salvador¡¯s doing okay¡ªhe¡¯d have us nipping at their heels in no time flat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Nelys jumped up, glowing with excitement.

    ¡°We¡¯ll tell Myrna first,¡± I cautioned, ¡°But I agree that we should go now.¡±

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± Seyari said while looking out the window. ¡°It¡¯s night now. Do you really want to go at night?¡±

    Taava walked over to the window, looking up and out while I thought. ¡°Looks like a clear night ta me.¡±

    ¡°Nelys?¡± I asked. ¡°How well can you see in the dark?¡±

    Nelys smiled. ¡°Good enough. Moonlight will help. Cap¡¯n Torrez put me on watch in the crow¡¯s nest a lotta nights, and if we need it, you two can make plenty of light.¡±

    ¡°What if our light tips them off¡­ no.¡± Seyari shook her head and stood up. ¡°They won¡¯t be camped outside in weather like this, unless they haven¡¯t reached where they¡¯re going yet. And with their head start and us stuck trying to follow their trail¡­¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be catching them until daybreak anyway,¡± I finished.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°¡°Then let¡¯s go already!¡±¡± Nelys and Taava said at almost the same time.

    ***

    Guided by moonlight and through cooperative effort, we followed the tracks deep into the mountainous forest. Twin valleys in the snow across the thin strip of the old road were all we had to go on. They could have had two carts or one, and we wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell at all. Were it not for the assurances of the others and my own vision, I¡¯d have doubted anyone passed through here at all.

    In the dark of our room at night, my sight was one thing, but trudging through a starlit forest, I really came to appreciate my vision. Colors were washed out, giving the still trees and drifted snow an almost ethereal quality, but I could see otherwise as clear as bright daylight.

    In a way, I was now the thing that went bump in the night.

    Didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t on edge, however. We all were.

    The road narrowed and steepened, twisting back and forth up into rougher, rockier terrain. Shortly after, we finally reached the first snow-covered cart. Ahead, skeletons of dilapidated buildings sat outside a yawning black mine entrance. I could see down the tunnel; the wooden braces looked like giant ribs of some ancient monster in the dim stillness.

    Around the cart, the freshly-fallen snow showed echoes of uneven terrain where there should be only flat, cleared land.

    I overtook Nelys and crept silently toward the cart. Visible under it¡¯s cap of snow were gouges and a dark spatter along one side. The top¡¯s tarpaulin was pulled shut, so I dared a careful peek, thawing it with my magic.

    Inside was cargo. Some damaged, and the rest sitting ready for transport. I exhaled, and moved to return to the group when my newly-repaired boot bumped something under the snow. I froze in place and a shiver ran down my body from horns to tail-tip.

    Seyari watched, hard-eyed as I brushed half a meter of powder away from whatever I¡¯d hit. Nelys and Taava kept watch, the latter¡¯s ears up on full alert. I felt leather, and then a seam. The next swipe revealed an arm¡ªfrozen and dead.

    I nearly screamed for the sight. Oh, sure, I¡¯d torn people in two and seen more than a human¡¯s share of dead bodies, but this macabre surprise made me choke and sputter. The still of the night suddenly felt less like a painting and more like a grave. Slowly, I glanced around. More lumps under the snow¡ªmaybe half a dozen¡ªlittered the area. One of the buildings was scorched along one corner¡ªand recently if the lighter snow around it was any indication.

    There¡¯d been a fight here¡ªand one side hadn¡¯t shown any mercy. In all likelihood, Hector was one of these lumps: maybe even the one by my feet.

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    I held a hand over my mouth to keep silent and padded back to our group. My eyes felt wet, but my heart rate, despite my best efforts, stayed calm.

    The others looked at me, Seyari the only one who¡¯d maybe seen what I had.

    ¡°Bodies,¡± I croaked. ¡°The lumps are all bodies.¡±

    Nelys¡¯s eyes went wide. Seyari and Taava narrowed theirs, my girlfriend looking at the mine entrance forlornly. In an instant, I was reminded of the story she¡¯d told me, all those months ago in the Navanaean desert. Yothariel and the Inquisition against the demon cult, set up in a small-town mine.

    Seyari was the first to move, brushing past me to stride between the bodies. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± she whispered back.

    I started after her, and Nelys and Taava caught up to flank me.

    ¡°What¡¯s her problem?¡± Taava hissed.

    ¡°She¡¯s been to a scene like this before¡ªmaybe more than one,¡± I replied softly, watching my steps across the body-strewn clearing.

    Nelys stepped carefully and quickly beside me, far more silent than my own crunching steps. ¡°How close to like this?¡±

    ¡°A massacre out¡ªand in¡ªside an abandoned mine in the forest near a small mountain town where a demon-worshipping cult was holed up. It was a different part of her life long ago, so I don¡¯t know how much I should say.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s real specific,¡± Taava whispered.

    I waited for the punchline, but the kazzel stayed uncharacteristically quiet.

    Nelys broke the silence as we caught up to Seyari next to the mine entrance. ¡°Did she save anyone?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Seyari whispered, having overheard at least part of our whispered conversation. ¡°She killed everyone.¡±

    ¡°Not this time, though, Sey.¡± I reached a hand toward hers.

    Seyari hesitated, staring past me at the where bodies lay frozen under snow. Closing her eyes, she took my hand and let out a shaky breath. ¡°Yeah. Not this time, Zarenna.¡±

    I lurched forward as she pulled me unexpectedly into a hug. Her breath was warm under my chin, and I hugged her back. For a long moment we embraced in the shadow of the mine entrance. Nelys and Taava both stayed quiet, but I didn¡¯t see what either was doing.

    When we broke the embrace, they¡¯d taken quiet positions next to the entrance. I looked down the blackness until the tunnel forked perhaps twenty meters in.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Seyari whispered, her voice strong despite everything. ¡°Zarenna, you take point. Nelys and Taava, you take the sides. I¡¯ll cover our rear.¡±

    ¡°Boss?¡± Taava cocked her head to one side.

    ¡°We do as Sey says.¡± I slipped my hand regretfully out of hers and walked quietly inside.

    The others slipped in behind me and we made our way down the tunnel. Heavy ruts had frozen into the mud under our feet, and the rough floor gave some traction despite the ice. Immediately, I wished I hadn¡¯t shoved my claws in boots. Maybe one day I¡¯ll ditch shoes altogether.

    It¡¯s strange how the most unrelated, least helpful thoughts are the ones that stick around when you¡¯re nervous and don¡¯t have anywhere to look. Rock and timbers at even intervals were all we saw, aside from scratched markings I couldn¡¯t make head or tail of.

    I almost had to duck under the beams to keep the spear on my back from hitting them. As we walked, I unstrapped my shield from my back and put it on one of my lower arms. I didn¡¯t have my tail rings with me¡ªcold iron on bare skin wasn¡¯t something I wanted any part of.

    The first fork was easy; we followed the ruts. By now, the light from outside was gone, and both Taava and Nelys seemed affected, clinging close enough to me to touch. I didn¡¯t dare bring out a flame, even as the tunnel narrowed. I wondered why they¡¯d bother cramming a small wagon down here as the walls closed in. I didn¡¯t have to wonder much longer; as we were coming up on another fork, Taava¡¯s ears twitched and she gave the signal for us to stop.

    The signal in this case was grabbing my lower right arm and yanking it. I stopped abruptly and listened: with us stopped, I could hear the rustle of fabric or leather up ahead around the bend. The ruts pointed in the same direction, so I held up a hand. I gestured for Nelys to move forward, but they didn¡¯t see it and I realized either myself or Seyari would have to be the one to go. Her glowing gold eyes met mine and she nodded, slipping ahead of the group. Nelys and Taava got the idea once Seyari moved past us, and I waited while she approached the bend.

    Crouching low, she tiptoed around the gentle curve until she left my sight entirely and my heart clenched. Agonizing moments later, she returned and bade us move further back up the tunnel. Once we got close enough to the first fork for light to return, we stopped and Seyari conjured a soft rush of wind that enveloped us.

    ¡°They¡¯d have heard if I was closer,¡± Seyari started with a whisper. ¡°There¡¯s a chamber up there¡ªtwo guards and the wagon are inside.¡±

    ¡°How can they see?¡± Taava asked. ¡°I¡¯m blind down there.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Nelys agreed. ¡°I need some light to fight.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s lips drew into a thin line. ¡°There are a couple ways. Light magic¡ªbut that¡¯s rare¡ªor demonic or angelic influence. Their auras are faint and I didn¡¯t risk them catching sight of my eyes so I couldn¡¯t tell if the auras were subtly demonic. They aren¡¯t overtly at any rate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not angels,¡± I said drily.

    ¡°Do their eyes glow?¡± Taava asked suddenly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Seyari replied.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Taava stayed surprisingly quiet.

    ¡°Do you know something?¡± Nelys asked, slipping back into investigator mode.

    ¡°Just thinkin¡¯s all.¡±

    Seyari took the chance to continue, ¡°As I was saying, there are a couple ways. Demonic influence could be from demonic magic, or it could be from a contract. Or they could be demons with glamours I can¡¯t see through who are hiding their auras.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I protested. ¡°I feel targeted.¡±

    Seyari gave me a chastising look.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s demonic magic,¡± Nelys concluded. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about contracts. Demonic or not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± I reassured them.

    ¡°Not now though,¡± Seyari cut in. ¡°Contracts would mean they¡¯re working directly with a demon who may or may not be with them. And unless the demon¡¯s somehow hidden themselves in the cargo, they have a way to pass as human if they¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± I asked.

    ¡°First off, no lights. I can take one out with an arrow, but we¡¯ll need to take the other person out at the same time, or they¡¯ll shout an alarm and this gets messy.¡±

    ¡°Not it! I can¡¯t see, remember?¡± Taava piped up.

    Nelys shook their head. ¡°Can¡¯t be me, either.¡±

    All eyes fell to me. I thought back to the Black Claw assassins I¡¯d incinerated. Without a seed of fury to start with, I couldn¡¯t pull a trick like that off fast enough. And my normal fire magic wasn¡¯t the fastest or quietest killer. Echoing screams would be¡ªwait. I don¡¯t necessarily want to kill them.

    ¡°Could we take them out quietly without killing them?¡± I asked Seyari.

    She opened her mouth and snapped it shut. ¡°Sorry¡ªI just¡­¡±

    ¡°They prob¡¯ly deserve it,¡± Taava shrugged.

    Nelys looked between all of us, frowning. ¡°I also don¡¯t want to kill them if we don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Seyari sighed. ¡°That makes this a lot harder.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled.

    Seyari reached up and punched my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I can try to whip up a spell that¡¯ll keep too much sound from leaving the room, but if it¡¯s loud enough, it¡¯ll get through.¡±

    ¡°I can make a light and go in first. The three of us should be able to subdue them, right?¡±

    ¡°For sure, boss!¡± Nelys gave me a thumbs-up.

    ¡°Bo-ring,¡± Taava said with a wide smile. ¡°Boss is just a big softie, ain¡¯tcha.¡±

    I blushed despite the situation. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s smile was strained, but her eyes were soft. ¡°Kindness isn¡¯t weakness, Renna. Let¡¯s go: when I start casting, Renna runs in and we¡¯ll go from there.¡±

    Nelys and Taava looked at me expectantly.

    I crossed my top two arms. ¡°Just listen to Sey, okay?¡±

    I got two nods to the affirmative and we all went back down the tunnel to make our move. I crept around the bend like Seyari had, my tail out behind me for balance. Staying low, I got a look at them before they noticed my eyes glowing in the darkness.

    The moment I saw their eyes drift toward mine, I jumped up and sprinted at the pair. Twin orbs of fire lit at the tips of my horns, the familiar spell a simple feat to cast. Crimson light cast their faces in deep shadow: two human men who, aside from a slight glow to their eyes and a faint aura about them, had no discernibly demonic traits.

    They reacted faster than I had expected, reaching for blades at their hips. I caught one with both of my right forearms and flung him bodily into the second. The thump of the hit was muffled by the muted roar of wind kicking up around the room.

    The pair fell into a heap, and I leapt at the first one who disentangled himself. His shouts of alarm were scattered by the wind. The man had just enough time to adopt a fighting stance, and I blocked his swift strike with my shield, giving off a muffled clang. Another hand of mine grabbed his sword wrist.

    While I pinned the first guy, Nelys and Taava made it to the second. A hiss, rapid footfalls of padded feet, and a sharper clang of blade on blade, and they took him down in tandem. I had no problem pinning the man I¡¯d grabbed; my tail wrapped up his legs, two of my arms pinned both of his, and a third hand muffled his shouting.

    Under a stable wind, Seyari approached and, with a quick search of the wagon in the chamber, produced a length of rope. My three friends bound and gagged the other man whiled I kept a hold on mine.

    Once we got him tied up, Seyari held the strip of cloth back and loomed over his prone form. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked over the wind, her voice as cold as ice. ¡°I¡¯m only going to ask once.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you! You¡¯ll¡ª¡± the man¡¯s reply was cut off by Seyari¡¯s boot to his jaw.

    True to her word, she only asked once.

    ¡°Can you at least heal him before we move on?¡± I asked, looking at the man¡¯s clearly shattered jaw.

    ¡°I planned to,¡± Seyari replied, leaning forward and placing a glowing hand over the man¡¯s face.

    He grimaced, and while the bone snapped back before my eyes, I could see wisps of smoke lick off Seyari¡¯s fingers. He struggled against the rope, screaming into her hand, and the three-quarters angel left a visible bright red handprint when she pulled away. Taava tied a gag around him, and we set him across the room from his partner. Nelys searched them and came up with little besides a couple knives and small effects.

    Both of the men stared at our group with eyes full of rage as we searched the wagon. I let them have the emotion¡ªclouded thoughts were better than thinking of a clever way to escape our impromptu bindings.

    The wagon was only a little over half full, and a cursory search revealed only mundane materials and trade goods¡ªat least as far as we all could tell. Without the demonic influence over the two men on watch and the massacre outside, the only thing out of the ordinary would be their choice of campsite.

    After Sey stopped the wind and I stopped my fire, we moved on, further into the mine. Nelys gave us a whispered refresher of Byrt¡¯s appearance: a dark-haired beanpole of guy in his late teens, with a big gap between his front teeth. So armed, and continually anxious, we crept along in total darkness.

 Chapter 108: Donéˆ¥æª› Underestimate Mortals

    ¡°This¡¯ll last for about an hour, less if you stab something.¡± Seyari returned the last knife to its sheathe and handed it to Nelys. As the blade slid into place, the holy glow she¡¯d placed on it died down. ¡°I¡¯m no enchanter, but if there¡¯s a demon up ahead¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have a fightin¡¯ chance.¡± Taava finished for her, a wide smile on her face, despite the pitch blackness of the passageway.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Nelys nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the plan again, Zarenna?¡±

    I checked the wind before replying, ¡°They¡¯ll have Byrt down there¡ªand I¡¯m going to assume he at least isn¡¯t willing to do what this group¡¯s got planned.¡±

    ¡°Byrt¡¯d never kill someone. Wick told me he was too soft anyway,¡± Nelys confirmed.

    ¡°So our job¡¯s to go around and slip out with him while the boss¡¯n Seyari make a big entrance, yeah?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it, yeah.¡± I replied. ¡°But you know how to fight, and you can also stop it turning into a bloodbath if you get a shot at their leader.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Nelys said seriously, curls bobbing with as they nodded. ¡°But what if the room¡¯s too small and there¡¯s no cover?¡±

    ¡°Then you wait until the fight starts,¡± Seyari said confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll try to stop anyone who doesn¡¯t need to die from dying, but we might not be able to.¡±

    ¡°So keep yourselves safe,¡± I finished.

    ¡°Aww, I¡¯m just yer favorite kazzel ain¡¯t I?¡± Taava crooned.

    ¡°Despite your attitude, yes you are,¡± I shot back with a smile.

    Taava faltered. ¡°I¡ªuh. Right then. Let¡¯s not waste time.¡±

    ¡°Behind me then,¡± I walked past the others and took a position at the front.

    I lit a tiny flame to hover over the bottom of my spear so Nelys and Taava could see their footing, and we resumed our walk deeper into the mine. Without wagon tracks, we were going blind, but the thaw in the frozen mud left a visible trail of footprints to follow.

    We wound down along the biggest tunnel through several intersections until we turned off into a side passage. I had to duck to avoid my horns catching. The reinforcing timbers were long gone and we were now surrounded only by rough, glistening rock.

    Soon after taking the side passage, we came to an area of fresh activity¡ªa debris pile in a small chamber. I signed for us to slow down and Seyari went ahead alone.

    She returned a minute later, clearly anxious. ¡°There¡¯s a new tunnel dug¡ªlooks like by magic or powder. I heard voices echoing. The tunnel is short, but it¡¯s dug into a room.¡±

    ¡°Like a big chamber?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, like walls and a floor of cut stone.¡±

    Oh wow.

    ¡°Like a Lost Era ruin?¡±

    ¡°Exactly like one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s gotta be what they¡¯re looking for!¡± Nelys whispered excitedly.

    ¡°How¡¯d they know it was here?¡± Taava cocked her head to one side in the near-blackness.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± I replied. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find out. Sey, did you see anyone inside?¡±

    She shook her head ¡°No. I heard voices coming from the next room over, but I didn¡¯t risk the doorway. The room sounded big though.¡±

    ¡°Could you make out anything they were saying?¡± Nelys asked.

    Seyari shrugged ¡°All I heard was talk of how to strip the place. But there¡¯s no way they¡¯re simple looters.¡±

    Nelys shifted on their feet. ¡°They must be after somethin¡¯ specific.¡±

    I scratched at one of my horns. ¡°They have to be, right?¡±

    ¡°Sittin¡¯ around speculatin¡¯s not gonna tell us, though,¡± Taava groused. ¡°Let¡¯s go, yeah?¡±

    I nodded in assent. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go in first, and try to give a chance for you and Nelys to slip around.¡±

    Once again, we resumed our walk down the narrowing tunnel. The recent excavation was perhaps only a meter or so away from the wall of the old tunnel, but the break into the room beyond looked like it wasn¡¯t the first attempt they made.

    I ducked through the new passage, quiet as I could. The room beyond had tall ceilings and plain-well-fitted stone walls. Time had shifted the earth around it, however, and one wall buckled, while moisture leaking through the roof had formed stalactites as long as my arm. The place certainly looked old enough to be from the Lost Era. To think the original miners had so narrowly missed this place.

    True to Seyari¡¯s word, I could hear voices beyond the doorway. Flickering light accompanied them¡ªtorches or lanterns I¡¯d bet. One feminine voice barked orders, and others called in reply. After the others had entered behind me, I strode forward into the larger room.

    The room was large, with squat, heavy-looking columns supporting a roof that had mostly turned into a cave. I couldn¡¯t begin to guess what the room was used for, but several artifacts lay piled neatly by the missing supplies from the wagon. And unlike the other room, this one was covered in carvings, although they¡¯d mostly been destroyed by age.

    A pair of men were on a ladder stripping gold off from around the top of one of the columns while a woman in nice traveling clothes watched them. Another woman and two more men were prying tiles up from around pile of what might have once been a statue. Each looked central Ordian in complexion, and they were all wearing plain clothes. I counted six people¡ªat least in this room. Preoccupied as they were, no one noticed me.

    Nelys and Taava slipped behind me and disappeared into the deeper shadows amongst the rubble of the room, and I lit my horns with twin balls of crimson fire. That got their attention.

    ¡°A-a demon!?¡± one of the men prying shouted, nearly toppling the ladder.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said I was the guardian of these ruins?¡± I asked with what I hoped was a haughty and intimidating voice.

    I had to bet Byrt was the young one pulling tiles, and I needed to give Nelys and Taava a chance to get in position.

    Aside from the woman in charge, my trick worked almost too well. One man actually fell off the ladder with a pained ¡°oof,¡± and the tile pullers cowered.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± the woman in charge replied, taking a step toward me. ¡°These ruins don¡¯t belong to one of your lineage, Wrath.¡±

    As she drew closer, I got a better look at the woman. She looked central Ordian, and a little Edathan: black-brown, shoulder length hair, lighter brown eyes, and a build that desperately wanted to make me envious. She wore dark brown and red traveling clothes of fine make, with a high collar and knee-high boots. I also saw her with aura sight, and the brownish-gold aura she had wasn¡¯t exactly weak.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she continued, managing to look relaxed as she stood between two columns. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve stepped on your toes, have I?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a demon wearing a glamour,¡± Seyari said from behind me. ¡°That aura isn¡¯t human.¡±

    ¡°A pet angel?¡± the demon woman¡¯s eyes glowed dark gold for a moment. ¡°And she doesn¡¯t even seem to be corrupted. Remarkable. But there¡¯s a more important question, Wrath: Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I want to know what you¡¯re after in this ruin,¡± I stated as calmly as I could manage.

    ¡°Does the Sovereign of Wrath want in on our little game, then? You¡¯ll owe me for the servants you killed to get in here, but I think we could work something out.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s no Sovereign,¡± Seyari hissed.

    ¡°Astute!¡± The demonic woman smiled. ¡°I¡¯m simply a loyal servant to my own.¡±

    ¡°And who would that be?¡± I asked, probably too directly.

    ¡°Someone you will become acquainted with should you prove yourself.¡±

    ¡°Prove myself?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll relay your intentions and we¡¯ll find you later. You can go now¡ªyou¡¯ve already disturbed my evening more than enough.¡±

    I growled.

    ¡°Unless you have further questions, of course.¡± She gave a shallow bow, and my ears didn¡¯t miss how she barely kept her voice from wavering. She¡¯s afraid of me.

    ¡°Are you responsible for what happened in Lockmoth?¡±

    ¡°A lot happens in Lockmoth, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cut it,¡± I growled. ¡°You know damn well what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. Summoning something like that wasn¡¯t part of the bargain. Mortals are ever so greedy. aren¡¯t they? I suppose us demons have that in common, at least.¡±

    ¡°Avarice,¡± Seyari said softly. ¡°You work for Avarice.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The demon woman caught my eyes and her playful grin disappeared. ¡°Yes, I work for Avarice. You¡¯re no fun.¡± She turned her lips into the fakest frown I¡¯d ever seen.

    ¡°Was Avarice responsible for what happened in a small town near Lockmoth, with the farmer¡¯s kid Erik?¡± I really, really wished I¡¯d learned the name of that town.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°That¡¯s more than a little vague. Erik? I don¡¯t keep track of human names unless they¡¯re of use to me.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I hissed. ¡°Then what does Avarice want with these ruins?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Same as any demon. Power.¡±

    ¡°The old Sovereign of Avarice hid all their wealth and power away from prying eyes, didn¡¯t they.¡± Seyari concluded.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he? Unfortunately, this place didn¡¯t have what I¡¯m looking for. Shame about that.¡±

    ¡°Is she lying?¡± I asked Seyari.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell, but I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± the greater demon of avarice cut Seyari off. ¡°Now, if that¡¯s everything, please do leave now. We¡¯ll be in touch, but I really don¡¯t like having my operation barged into and my men killed.¡±

    Instead of leaving, I gave her more questions. ¡°What did those demonic items you sold do? And why did you kill Hector and his men?¡±

    She sighed in annoyance, but another growl from me hastened an answer. ¡°Did you have plans for that backwater town, then? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s already been claimed and those items are part of that,¡± she answered. ¡°As for that Hector person¡­ do you mean the humans who had the things I wanted? Yes, I killed them. Why would that be a problem?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t have killed them just for their goods,¡± I growled, taking a step forward.

    ¡°Why not?¡± She waved a hand flippantly. ¡°They¡¯re just humans and they had something I wanted.¡±

    At her words, the only one of ¡°her¡± people who reacted was Byrt, although he stayed quiet. So the others know then.

    ¡°Just humans?¡± I hissed. ¡°You were human, once.¡±

    ¡°And now I¡¯m so much more. Besides, I treat them well enough when they do what I want. I¡¯m surprised Wrath pretends to care.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What are you really after?¡±

    By now all work had stopped. The three tile pullers hid, along with one of the men near the ladder, while the other stood defensive near the demon woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m after the people responsible for murder and corruption in and around the town this mine belonged to.¡±

    ¡°On whose behest, I wonder? Who does Wrath owe enough to be treated like an errand girl? If I were in your position, I¡¯d rip them apart for trying to shackle me.¡±

    I forced myself to remain calm. Years of practice were paying off, and I bit back a retort that no one controlled me. Instead, I stayed calm. ¡°My reasons why are not so simple. Empathy, or respect perhaps are the reasons beyond my own desires.¡±

    ¡°Pfft,¡± the other demon snorted. ¡°Respect? Don¡¯t tell me you rely on humans.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes and took a single step toward her. From my position, I could see Nelys and Taava, hiding almost within striking range of the demon woman.

    ¡°Oh, you do rely on mortals, don¡¯t you!¡± Her posture eased, like a weight had been lifted. ¡°You¡¯re just as weak as they say you are then. I do wonder what help you had beating that monstrosity in Lockmoth. Was it you at all?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that was me,¡± I said to buy time. I couldn¡¯t tell Nelys and Taava to get away without risking them. I had to hope they¡¯d stay safe, or somehow come out on top.

    ¡°Really?¡± The demon cocked her head to one side. ¡°Then why give yourself such a liability? I know wrath demons aren¡¯t usually intelligent, but I expected more. Trusting humans makes you weak.¡±

    The only warning the demon woman got was a shifting of shadows where Nelys and Taava were hiding. Unfortunately, she was far from human.

    Despite how little warning she had, she leapt away from Taava and Nelys as their enchanted blades flashed. The man who seemed the least afraid also moved with surprising alacrity and grabbed Nelys. Their pendant almost flew over their head, and the blue coral caught the light.

    The demon¡¯s glamour melted off, revealing a humanoid figure with skin like tarnished gold. She had no hair, small horns, reddish-gold eyes that burned with fury. Fury that I swiftly took from her, despite a heavy resistance.

    Taava slashed, the demon ducked, and the kazzel was tripped into a grab faster than she could move. I jumped in right as the avarice demon got her claws around Taava¡¯s throat. Likewise, the demonically-enhanced man had a blade to Nelys¡¯s throat.

    Shit.

    ¡°Oh, you really do care, don¡¯t you?¡± She tightened her claws around Taava¡¯s neck, although the kazzel seemed oddly calm. Training maybe? ¡°Do you see how much of a weakness this gives you? A half-angel is one thing, but pure mortals are so, fragile.¡±

    ¡°Hurt either of them and you die.¡± My threat came out with fire.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you leave us, Wrath, and keep out of our business? She reached for Taava¡¯s cheap jewelry. ¡°We¡¯ll just take fair compensation for our trouble first.¡±

    I watched with mounting horror as the man grabbed Nelys¡¯s pendant and yanked. The thread snapped with an oddly magical sound, and Nelys¡¯s human appearance changed to what I¡¯d seen in Malich¡¯s estate.

    The enchantment breaking drew the golden demon¡¯s attention for but a moment, and unfortunately it had also drawn mine.

    Not Taava though. And not Nelys.

    I watched one of Nelys¡¯s tentacles, blade grasped firmly, lash out in a thrust at the demon¡¯s side. Several others shot up at the man¡¯s knife arm, wrenching the limb away from their neck. Taava, her tail free, flicked a glinting knife at the demon¡¯s chest and kicked it in, driving it to the hilt. The golden demon screamed as Nelys and Taava¡¯s blades, laced with holy magic strong enough to make them glow, drove into her like twin hot pokers. She loosened her grip on Taava and the kazzel dropped free. From behind me, I felt a surge of Seyari¡¯s magic.

    The demon-enhanced man stumbled and Nelys rolled free toward me. I caught them, sent the man flying into a column with my tail and retreated back just in time to see a wide-eyed Taava scramble away on all fours with agility that would be surprising had I not seen such before.

    In the middle of all the chaos, the woman from the group who¡¯d been stripping tiles in the back, ducked out from cover and hurled ball of fire at Taava, right from her blind spot. I shot out an arm and threw my own gout of fire past the kazzel. Before they collided, and while still holding Nelys, I drew my spear from my back and threw it at the mage.

    The tip caught her just inside the shoulder and the force of my throw threw her back. She hit the wall, spear pinning her to the stone. Then our fire collided. For a moment, the room flashed as bright as daylight with the deep colors of a sunset.

    The demon, clutching at the knives in her, stumbled back and screamed. Magical fire outlined her, giving an air of menace to the scene. ¡°You! You¡¯ll pay¡ª¡± she cut off with a gagging, choking sound. Her flesh and clothing around where the knives had embedded into her began to burn and smoke. Hissing, she grabbed at the handle of the knife that was now glowing with holy light. In an instant her fingers charred to the bone.

    ¡°No!¡± she shouted. ¡°We can work¡ªhnnnn¡ªsomething out, you don¡¯t need to¡ª¡±

    I watched the demonic man stumble up from the cracked column, moving almost drunkenly. The three non-combatants, Byrt included, had retreated somewhere behind cover.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong about mortals,¡± I said with as much venom as I could muster.

    She glared at me with glowing eyes; fury I didn¡¯t bother to suppress boiling over inside her.

    ¡°You¡¯re weak for underestimating them,¡± I finished.

    And Seyari released her spell. Columns of holy light shot from the demon¡¯s wounds. One grazed my arm, sizzling the skin before I ducked out of the way. The demon screamed, an agonizing, horrible screech that almost forced me to look away.

    One of my hands covered Nelys¡¯s face and they hid behind the limb. Another moved to my own face and, through my fingers, I watched the avarice demon¡¯s body bubble and contort before holy light shot from her mouth, then her eyes as she burned to death from the inside out.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I whispered, pun completely lost on me in the moment.

    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Taava agreed.

    Unfortunately, the fight wasn¡¯t quite over yet.  The fire mage¡¯s struggles had pulled my spear from the wall and she ripped it out, sending it clattering away across the ground. The demonically-changed man struggled up from my kick, somehow very much alive despite cracking the stone wall behind him. From farther inside, two pairs of footsteps ran in our direction.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, surrender!¡± I shouted. ¡°You all saw how your leader was afraid of me¡ªI don¡¯t want to, but I can and will kill anyone who makes me.¡±

    The fire mage faltered. Her face was pale even in the dim light, and she was bleeding heavily. However, the changed man didn¡¯t surrender, and neither did the two others, a man and a woman, who¡¯d come running from the back room.

    The injured man charged Taava, who threw a blade at his leg before darting out of the way. Without setting Nelys down, I threw a bolt of condensed fire at him. It met with Seyari¡¯s wind, and the man disintegrated. Seyari took care of the other two in short order, and the room fell silent, except for muffled whimpering coming from Byrt and Nelys. The room reeked of blood and burned flesh.

    It took some time for us to come to our senses. I recovered Nelys¡¯s pendant, but the magic in it was faint¡ªeither broken or damaged. Seyari glanced at Nelys curiously, but kept quiet as she moved further in to round up the four who¡¯d surrendered. She also fixed up the fire mage, at least enough so she wouldn¡¯t bleed out. She¡¯s probably the person who killed one of Hector¡¯s men. Scratch that¡ªshe has to be. Still, she surrendered for now.

    With Seyari off on the other side of the massive room, that left me, a shaking Nelys, and a shaken Taava more or less alone.

    ¡°So, uh¡­¡± Taava trailed off. ¡°What¡¯s goin¡¯ on?¡± she waved a hand around Nelys.

    They looked up at me and took a deep breath, the shaking subsiding a little as they moved to stand. Nelys stood a little taller as a cecaelia, although the eight tentacles they had instead of legs splayed out a bit unevenly on the ground. Their blue rings actually glowed faintly in the darkness, and their gold skin was actually vaguely similar to the demon they, Taava, and Seyari had just killed. Their nervousness showed in their tendril hair, which was curling at the tips and shivering.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± they started; their voice startlingly unchanged. ¡°This is me, I guess. The me I have to be.¡± They addressed both me and Taava.

    Whoah, hold on there.

    ¡°Nelys,¡± I moved closer to them, and they let me take a knee to hug them at their level. Current situation be damned, I was not going to leave a thought like that unaddressed. ¡°You are whatever feels right, okay? You don¡¯t have to be anything you don¡¯t want to be.¡±

    Nelys sniffled, only just holding back tears.

    ¡°You can cry if you want to. I cry all the time.¡±

    ¡°M¡¯not a kid,¡± Nelys mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not crying ¡®cause it¡¯s dangerous here.¡±

    ¡°If you insist,¡± I replied, squeezing a little, then letting them out of the hug. ¡°But I¡¯m the scariest thing in this ruin and anyone who wants to hurt either of you has to go through me.¡± I smiled reassuringly (and sharply) at Nelys, then at Taava who was uncharacteristically quiet.

    She met my gaze with cold eyes and quickly looked away. ¡°Whatever ya want, huh¡­¡± she mumbled.

    We waited for a few minutes in silence while Seyari bound the hands of three out of the four who¡¯d surrendered, barking a sharp warning at the pale, shaking fire mage. After a few quick questions to each, she pulled Byrt aside and I caught snippets of their conversation. Thanks, Sey. Nelys was clearly mortified at the idea of anyone seeing them like this, so I was glad to be able to stay with them.

    And it was Nelys who eventually broke the silence, once they¡¯d composed themselves a bit. ¡°What about you, Renna?¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡°Was being a demon right for you?¡±

    I thought about it for a long while. ¡°Yeah, I guess it was. I just wish the circumstances could have been better.¡±

    ¡°Ya must¡¯ve been real tall for a human, though,¡± Taava cut in, voice hushed against the quiet of the ruin.

    This time, I only felt the briefest jolt of panic. ¡°No, uh, well not really. When I was a human, I¡ªI was born in a man¡¯s body. A-and I was shorter.¡±

    Nelys looked up at me with wide, curious eyes.

    Taava snorted, some of her usual flippancy bubbling up once again. ¡°You? A guy? Pfft, no way.¡±

    ¡°Yes way, Taava.¡± I tried to force annoyance into my voice. What a compliment!

    ¡°Really?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Yes really,¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°And it sucked, even if there were a few small things I liked, like my eye color and being tall¡ªer, relatively tall. I guess I¡¯m lucky that I got to keep both those things, honestly.¡±

    ¡°Keep what you like¡­¡± Nelys mused. ¡°Uh, can Sey repair my pendant?¡±

    I glanced over at Seyari who looked to be finishing up her own conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll go ask her. Maybe she can? My aunt Lilly can for sure.¡± The words just slipped out. Is it safe to introduce the two? Well it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be seeing Lilly before Nelys needs a solution. I hope.

    Nelys brightened just a little bit. ¡°Good! I, uh, I need to think about some stuff. And I want to talk more later, okay? Someplace cozy.¡±

    I nodded with a broad smile. ¡°We¡¯ll find the coziest spot, and maybe even get warm cider. How about you, Taava?¡±

    She startled. ¡°Me? Oh, uh. Yeah, sure, maybe.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t listening!¡± Nelys accused.

    ¡°Was too!¡± Taava retorted.

    I left them to their argument and joined Sey while she was finishing talking to Byrt. His eyes went wide when he saw me and he took a step back.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I put all four hands out in a placating gesture. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. Sey?¡±

    ¡°You want to know if I can fix something?¡± she half-asked, half-stated.

    I looked around at all the others who were listening in while bound up. ¡°Yeah, could you take a look?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. No promises. Byrt seems clean¡ªjust got suckered in when the demon played on his desires to leave the village and make a name for himself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s blunt,¡± I replied while looking at Byrt who¡¯d regained some small measure of his composure.

    He nodded numbly.

    With a shrug, Seyari walked off toward where Taava and Nelys were. ¡°Alright,¡± I told Byrt. ¡°We¡¯re going to get you home safe.¡± I smiled carefully, only showing my teeth to the other three who¡¯d surrendered. ¡°As for the rest of you? We¡¯ll try to get this whole thing sorted when we get back to town. We¡¯ve plenty of light and know the way back, plus the half-angel and I keep us all warm.

    ¡°And just to let you know: I can see in the dark and fire magic can¡¯t hurt me, so don¡¯t try running, and don¡¯t try escaping. You all surrendered once, but I¡¯m not going to give you a third chance, got it?¡±

    I got a few nods and a few more glares.

    Jeez, this is awkward.

 Chapter 109: Should or Will

    If anyone could shrug off being stabbed in the back, it would be me. As such, I was the first person to exit the mine, and therefore the first person to see High Priest Yevon Styon leaning against the cart and staring up at the moon.

    Next to the cart, the bodies of Hector and the others from his group had been dug out of the snow and laid in repose. Blue with chill and rimed in frost, they nevertheless looked like bodies prepared for burial.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I blurted out.

    Yevon looked away from the moon slowly, his gaze sliding over the bodies before landing on me.

    I glanced at the bodies and then at his unreadable, infuriatingly casual expression. ¡°You have to know I didn¡¯t kill those people!¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I know. And you know why I¡¯m out here tonight.¡±

    ¡°Point taken.¡± I stepped forward to allow the others to exit around me.

    ¡°You,¡± Seyari hissed.

    ¡°Me,¡± Yevon replied, pointing at himself. He straightened up from leaning against the cart and slouched over to our group. ¡°Prisoners? Hmm, I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t expect as much.¡± His eyes glowed. ¡°A few are corrupted, though.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your angle?¡± Seyari asked coldly.

    Yevon just shrugged and ignored her. I let Sey have her anger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move the prisoners out here, into the moonlight,¡± Yevon asked.

    Cramped as we were in the mine entrance, we spread out, but Nelys and Taava stayed in front of Byrt and kept hands on knives. Not counting Byrt, we had six prisoners since we¡¯d picked up the two guards we¡¯d tied up earlier.

    ¡°What are you going to do to them?¡± I demanded once we¡¯d fanned out into the clearing.

    The high priest shook his head. ¡°No, Zarenna. What are you going to do with them?¡±

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean: What should their punishment be?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my place to decide.¡±

    ¡°Alright then.¡± He walked down the row of prisoners and gave each of them a cursory glance. Byrt stayed with us and out of the lineup, and although it earned him a glance from Yevon, the high priest paid him no mind.

    Likewise, he paid no mind to the regular-looking Nelys. Their pendant was something Seyari could fix, although as she put it, her patch job was temporary. Whoever had made the original was a skilled enchanter, and not someone Nelys had wanted to tell us about.

    Yevon stopped at the end, walked right up to me, and stared, hardly ten centimeters away. ¡°What will their punishment be then, Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t know that,¡± I snapped.

    Yevon put a hand to his forehead and took a deep breath before backing off, hands in the pockets of his vestments. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll cut out the cryptic nonsense. Two of these¡ª¡± he drew out a hand and pointed to the two former guards in turn ¡°¡ªare demon-corrupted. And that one¡ª¡± he pointed to the fire mage ¡°¡ªis a murderer. Unless you have proof of entrancement magic, and unless whoever¡¯s handing down a ruling is willing to trust the word of a demon, what do you think will happen to them?¡±

    A pit formed in my stomach. ¡°They¡¯ll be put to death.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Yevon smiled thinly.

    ¡°Can we get rid of the demonic mana in them, or whatever is corrupting them?¡± I asked, meeting the gaze of the fire mage, who looked away.

    Yevon shrugged and pointed at Seyari. ¡°She can do it. I know she¡¯s more than powerful enough.¡±

    ¡°Can you?¡±

    Seyari stiffened. ¡°It could kill them, or cause permanent damage no holy magic can fix.¡±

    ¡°And the alternative is¡­¡± Yevon let the unfinished sentence hang.

    Death, of course.

    ¡°How do you know I have that kind of power,¡± Seyari asked with narrowed eyes. ¡°That sort of precision isn¡¯t common, even among half-angels.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know for sure.¡± Yevon smirked. ¡°You just looked like someone I met a long time ago, I guess.¡±

    Seyari hissed and I tensed. He knows. He knows who she used to be.

    Yevon put his hands up. ¡°Whoa, hey. Let¡¯s not be hasty.¡± He tapped his forehead with a finger. ¡°That little fact will stay locked up nice and tight. And I¡¯ve no intention of hounding someone just because they bear a striking resemblance to someone who¡¯s long gone. But we should change the subject, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°We should,¡± Seyari agreed for me.

    Yevon gestured for her to attend to the prisoners.

    ¡°No,¡± Seyari said, her voice echoing. ¡°I will not attempt to burn out their demonic influence.¡±

    Yevon raised an eyebrow. ¡°And how do you feel about that, Miss Miller?¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s her decision, not mine.¡±

    ¡°Very well. You¡ª¡± he pointed to the fire mage again ¡°¡ªDid you murder one of Hector¡¯s men at the stable in Borsten?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she answered after a moment¡¯s pause.

    ¡°Well, is she lying?¡± Yevon asked Seyari.

    The three-quarters angel shrugged. ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°Funny, I thought you might have that sort of training.¡± Yevon gave a shallow bow. ¡°My apologies for putting you on the spot again.¡± He walked casually over to the woman whose hands were bound and leaned closer. ¡°It¡¯s not a smart idea to lie to a high priest of Dhias, you know. You¡¯re not corrupted, so don¡¯t you want a chance at living?¡±

    They stared at each other for at least a minute before the mage woman broke first. ¡°Fine, I did it. Boss told me what to steal, and he was in my way.¡±

    ¡°And do you always burn things that get in your way?¡± Yevon asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Have you killed others? Do you regret killing that man? Remember, don¡¯t lie.¡± Yevon spoke louder for what he said next. ¡°And remember that assaulting a high priest is a bad idea. Any goodwill you have would be erased as well.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to read the subtext: don¡¯t try to stop what I¡¯m about to do. I had to clench my fists, and I heard Seyari¡¯s teeth clack together audibly.

    ¡°Yeah, I have. I regret it, but I do what I need to.¡±

    ¡°Need to? Hmm. Well then, I think I¡¯ve heard enough.¡± Yevon drew a hand out of his vestments and regarded Seyari and me. ¡°Is this one not beyond redemption?¡± He gestured to the fire mage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you believe in second chances?¡± I spat.

    ¡°Yes, I do. But I don¡¯t believe in third chances. How many chances do you believe in, Zarenna?¡±

    I bit back a swear and glared at Yevon instead of replying.

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m on your side¡ªin a way. And all I¡¯m going to do is save her a bit of pain.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the woman said, suddenly worried. ¡°But you said¡ª¡±

    ¡°I said ¡®might.¡¯¡± Yevon put a hand on her forehead and she flinched away. Frowning, he used both hands to grab her head. Cold frost wicked from his fingers into her and she groaned before falling silent. A moment later, her lips turned blue and she slumped to the cold ground, dead.

    ¡°How could you?¡± I shouted.

    ¡°How could I kill an unrepentant murderer painlessly?¡± Yevon asked joylessly. ¡°Do you think she¡¯d get the headsman¡¯s axe, or the stockade first?¡±

    I actually bit my tongue to stop my next words, boiling blood filling my mouth and forcing me to swallow before my tongue healed itself.

    Seyari looked at the dead woman and then Yevon. ¡°So you¡¯re like that, then¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what ¡®that¡¯ is. But maybe?¡± Yevon answered Seyari with a glance, though he still faced me. ¡°You¡¯re still na?ve, Zarenna. In your case, I suppose that¡¯s a virtue. Good luck on the road to Gedon. And I mean that¡ªI don¡¯t have anything planned for you.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll finally screw off?¡± Taava asked, breaking her silence.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Yevon smiled brightly. ¡°I have a report to make and some other high priests to annoy.¡±

    ¡°Annoy how?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop my question in time.

    ¡°Annoy with a report detailing how a powerful wrath demon is an idealistic young woman with heroic delusions.¡± Yevon started to walk off, but turned at the edge of the clearing. ¡°Oh, and some of the other high priests would have burned the lot of them for consorting with a demon at all, even that one.¡± He pointed at Byrt, then turned the same finger in a wave and started back down the road, hands in his pockets.

    ¡°Fuck that holier-than-thou guy and fuck this whole mess,¡± Seyari said what we were probably all thinking.

    ***

    In the end, the town¡¯s tiny jail ended up overfilled. The other people we¡¯d captured who had demonic influence weren¡¯t unusually strong, and had no auras indicating significant magic to speak of, so we felt comfortable enough leaving them to the town. I had to stomach that probably meant death for most of them, but Byrt was more than willing to tell how at least one of them wasn¡¯t so bad.

    Did we make the right decision? I couldn¡¯t say.

    I could, however, say that the warm cider was delicious. The wagon got fixed, a single horse was acquired that would just be enough to pull us, and we were leaving tomorrow after a few well-earned days of rest.

    Right now, Taava and Seyari were downstairs enjoying the moderately-less-hostile attitude of the townsfolk, while Nelys and I sat up in the inn room I shared with Seyari, drinking cider, playing games, and watching the snow fall outside.

    Nelys was unnaturally good at cheating when it came to card games, and dice games, but I was getting better. Mostly, I cheated at cheating by exploiting my demonic reflexes.

    They fiddled with their pendant and a glance with my aura sight told me the magic was fading.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get that fixed good as new as soon as we can,¡± I assured them, setting the deck aside for now.

    ¡°Mhmm. Sey asked Myrna and she said someone in Gedon should be able to do that.¡±

    ¡°And Linthel will definitely have a master enchanter if that fails. Until then, Sey can keep it charged.¡± I wasn¡¯t about to risk charging it myself.

    Nelys wrapped a hand around the blue coral almost reverently. ¡°You can ask about me, you know. The secret stuff.¡±

    ¡°I could,¡± I nodded, pointedly not asking.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested, Renna?¡±

    ¡°I am, but I don¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable.¡±

    Nelys shook their head. ¡°It won¡¯t make me uncomfortable. And it¡¯s all pretty simple. I grew up learning about humans, and the world above water. My big sister liked the stories, even if our parents didn¡¯t like humans very much.

    ¡°I wanted to give it a try¡ªto explore. My sister made me this pendant, and I had a ton of fun going with her around on islands and visiting the ships that¡¯d pass by.¡± They stopped to look down at the pendant, a pained expression on their face. ¡°We got in trouble for it¡ªbig trouble. My sister took the blame, and they were gonna take my pendant away, too.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked, already guessing at the answer.

    ¡°I ran away. Big sis was already of age, and my ceremony was that summer solstice, so I figured I could do fine on my own. I almost got caught up in some real bad stuff, but Cap¡¯n Torrez found me. I know I can¡¯t go back yet, so I want to see the world. For my sister, at least.¡±

    Suddenly, I feared the worst. ¡°Is she¡­¡±

    Nelys shook their head vigorously. ¡°She¡¯s not dead or anything¡ªat least I hope not. It¡¯s just that she probably can¡¯t go out exploring anymore. I want to go everywhere and then go back and tell her everything! Say I¡¯m sorry, too. I know she¡¯s gonna be mad. And worried.¡±

    I mussed their hair and they fidgeted under my hand. ¡°I know she¡¯ll forgive you.¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Maybe. But I¡¯ve got a lot to see still, so I¡¯m not going home just yet!¡± They looked up at me, bright smile contrasting wet, teary eyes.

    ¡°What about being human?¡± I asked. ¡°You should be whatever you want.¡±

    Nelys took the pendant by the string and looked at it in the light. ¡°I think¡­ I think I want to be a little of both. Maybe either, maybe somethin¡¯ in between. I don¡¯t know yet.¡±

    I leaned over and gave them a side hug. ¡°And you don¡¯t need to rush into it. You¡¯ll know when you know. And who knows? Maybe it¡¯ll change.¡±

    Nelys hugged me back. ¡°Maybe! Thanks, Renna.¡±

    I pulled away from their hug and turned them to face me. ¡°Just so you know, it isn¡¯t betrayal or anything, but I¡¯m going to deliver you to your sister once you¡¯re ready, okay? And no making excuses about seeing everything. You¡¯ve been gone for at least a year now, right?¡±

    Nelys grumbled, but nodded.

    ¡°She must be worried sick about you! But!¡± I pointed a finger at their nose. ¡°She¡¯ll forgive you. So we¡¯ll see some sights, and make sure you¡¯ve figured out the right you before I figure out a way to get my big red fiery butt underwater.¡±

    ***

    On the other side of the door to Zarenna and Seyari¡¯s room, Taava the eavesdropper removed her ear from against the wood. ¡°¡¯Figured out the right ¡®you,¡¯ huh,¡± she muttered as she snuck quietly away down the hall.

 Chapter 110: Gedon

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m disappointed that I sold half my stock of nightsbane after that whole mess,¡± Myrna said dryly as we pulled slowly into Gedon.

    The city sat in a rather square-bottomed valley on the banks of the Linthel river only a few kilometers upstream from its terminus into the River Gelles. The border city, Myrna had told us, saw a lot of fighting in the civil war but was bouncing back quickly.

    Quickly didn¡¯t extend to the thoroughly destroyed road entering it from the Ordian side, however.

    The ¡°bridge¡± under us was little more than cobbles and planks thrown onto the mud and trampled into a reasonably flat line across the floodplain. Ahead of us, the actual bridge across the river¡¯s main channel was a mess of scaffold and stone that stuck out of the snow and ice like an overlarge splinter.

    It all made me wonder what Linthel would be like. Would I recognize it? Already, the city of Gedon (that I¡¯d only ever briefly been through) looked familiar to me the same way sherds of pottery could resemble a beloved teapot.

    I missed whoever replied to Myrna, but her huff drew me out of my mud-gazing. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely saddened by the tragedy of what happened in that town, but I gave them enough to test the prisoners for free. It¡¯s certainly not my fault if they choose to purchase more than that.¡±

    Seyari grumbled, but kept quiet. Thanks. No good to piss off the client when your boss is daydreaming and the end goal is a short, miserable march away. Miserable for the horse this time, not me.

    The snowed-in town hadn¡¯t had two horses to spare, so we ended up with one. Since we were going mostly downhill, it worked out, although until we¡¯d hit the main road the snow had been too deep for her to pull the wagon. Instead, I¡¯d pulled the wagon while our cold, but pampered horse walked easily alongside us.

    Now, I was back in human form, the lot of us were back to petty jabs and snide remarks, and the next leg of our journey seemed to be a short, simple hop from Gedon to Linthel. A week on the road: just me, Sey, Nelys and Taava.

    Something¡¯s going to go terribly wrong, isn¡¯t it?

    Home felt closer than ever now, but also just a little¡­ less. Traveling had been my life since the island, and a warm tent and good company was starting to feel more and more like home. Not that I intended to forget where I grew up, but I thought of Nelys and their wanderlust. Do I feel similar?

    Right now, following a line of carts trundling along swampy, half-frozen mud-flats, I wanted nothing than a warm room with all my friends and a cozy bed with Seyari for later. Where that room was mattered a lot less to me now than I¡¯d realized.

    All that said, I was going to Linthel for much-needed closure. And more importantly, to meet up with my sister. A pang of worry struck me. Will Tania be there on the solstice? Is she okay?

    I looked back at my friends splayed out across the tired wagon. Taava had started belting out lyrics to some inane song while Nelys hummed along and giggled. Seyari, my melting ice queen of a girlfriend, sat reclined across from the pair, watching with a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. Phol, Myrna¡¯s guard, rested his hand on his chin in the corner of the wagon, his half-closed eyes looking out across the floodplain.

    And up here with me, Myrna kept her eyes on the road ahead, knuckles white and posture tired.

    ¡°I¡¯d take over for a bit if I knew how,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re tired, and the road¡¯s not that bad.¡± I pointed to her knuckles.

    She relaxed her hands some, shifting the reins in her grip. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m just anxious is all. I want to be done with this trip already.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± I nodded. ¡°Sorry about all the chaos. I, uh, I guess I tend to invite it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you do.¡± Myrna exhaled, long and slow. ¡°But you also bailed me and Phol out of it, so thanks for that. You did the Gelles Company and your own reputation good, and I¡¯ll be sure to tell them as much.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Myrna.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± She forced herself to lean back from her hunched posture and I heard her back crack. ¡°All that¡¯s left is reporting in, then I¡¯ll stay in town a while, find another horse, and probably stay far, far away from backroads for a while. Seems like something¡¯s brewing, and I want no part of that nasty business.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Me neither,¡± I confessed with a hard sigh.

    ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯ll be stuck in it, Zarenna.¡±

    I smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯m sure I will, Myrna. I think I might¡ªno, do need to be one of the people who¡¯ll solve it.¡±

    ¡°Good luck to you then.¡± She gestured a hand across the horizon, to the city huddled ahead. ¡°In the meantime, enjoy the terrible road and the awful view¡ªlooks like it¡¯ll be the better part of an hour to the city at this rate.¡±

    ***

    Myrna¡¯s guess of an hour hadn¡¯t been too far off the mark. Once we¡¯d arrived, we squared up with her, and she even went with us to the Gelles Company branch in Gedon to give an in-person review of our performance. My thoughts were consumed by warm food and warmer beds, but my stupid, sensitive hearing couldn¡¯t help but pick out some of the conversation the other guild members around me were having.

    The small lobby room was only separated by a doorway from an attached tavern and inn the company owned, and people constantly flowed in and out. There were, of course, the usual ¡°Is she even human?¡± and similar comments bouncing off the walls. But I also heard talk of ¡°more victims¡± and ¡°murders.¡± Not my business, unless it was related to demons. If it turned out to be demons? Then It¡¯d be my business¡ªand I had a bad, bad feeling I¡¯d be seeing an uptick in ¡°my business.¡±

    Myrna exited with a smile and I stood up to say goodbye.

    ¡°Gave a glowing review,¡± Myrna pointed a thumb over her shoulder. ¡°You did me and Phol good, but for my own health, please don¡¯t let me hire you again.¡± With the smile she gave, I couldn¡¯t tell if the merchant was being sarcastic or not.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to,¡± I smirked. ¡°Good luck on your travels, Myrna, and thank you for the company¡ªand the acceptance.¡±

    Myrna¡¯s smile turned wry. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Zarenna. Good luck out there, and goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Myrna.¡± I shook her hand. ¡°Sorry if I see you around later.¡±

    She laughed, openly.

    ¡°Bye Myrna!¡± Nelys added.

    Seyari and Taava waved Myrna off, and I waved a goodbye to Phol who stuck his head in from outside. Together the two of them left the guildhall¡ªhopefully to a less-dangerous journey.

    I sat back down and waited. Seyari gave me a side hug, but neither of us spoke. The parting wasn¡¯t sad, certainly, but it was just one more reminder of how close I was. We still had to get paid, so I waited for our group to be called.

    Predictably, I was called in next. Alone.

    I walked into the small office, looked at the rickety chair that was available for me to sit on, and decided to stand. Behind a desk was an Ordian man of solid build, and he didn¡¯t seem happy. He wore a smart, simple outfit, and his company insignia showed him to be above me, but below either Firalex or Rodrik.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Take a seat, Miss Miller,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Sir, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sit.¡±

    Okay, fine.

    I sat down as gently as I could and winced as the chair cracked underneath me. The old thing held, but only just.

    ¡°What¡¯s this business with the contract saying you¡¯re a ¡®demon?¡¯ Just what did you pull?¡±

    ¡°Sir, I am a demon. The contract¡¯s correct. Rodrik and Firalex both signed off on it, and they¡¯re aware of the risk of keeping me on despite what I am. Didn¡¯t they send a runner?¡±

    The guild man narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Was I supposed to believe that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually. I imagine the runner also had a company seal.¡±

    The man sighed. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Really?¡±

    I blinked. At least he¡¯s not fuming. ¡°Give me a moment, sir.¡±

    I undid my lower sleeves and made sure my tail wasn¡¯t going to pop out in the wrong place. Honestly, I really needed more outfits like this one the company had given me back in Lockmoth. Even if it was black leather and intimidating.

    I released my human transformation and crossed all of my arms. My newly-freed tail thumped against the floor loudly. ¡°See? Demon. Were there any problems with my performance on this last job?¡±

    The man took a moment to pick his jaw up off the desk. He coughed, then again louder. ¡°Ah. I¡ªI see. I thought you were a little¡­¡±

    ¡°Unusually tall?¡± I offered, quirking one eyebrow upward.

    ¡°Ahem, yes. Unusually tall. I suppose this explains it.¡± He looked from me to the contract and back again nervously.

    I relaxed all my arms and rubbed the back of my neck, folding my lower pair of hands in my lap. ¡°I get it, I guess. The suspicion, that is. I¡¯m just, well, y¡¯know it¡¯s tough to¡­¡± I trailed off, not able to find quite the right words.

    Frowning, then man finished my thought in a questioning tone. ¡°Tough to always explain yourself everywhere?¡±

    I snapped my claws. ¡°Yeah! That.¡±

    The man smiled thinly, which surprised me. ¡°We get a lot of people coming here from both Ordia and Edath. A lot of people who¡¯d had a stake in the war and need somewhere to go since it¡¯s done. They don¡¯t always have the best documentation¡ªand a fair few more than I¡¯d like want to have some sort of special restrictions on who they work with or where. It¡¯s not quite the same, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yikes,¡± I murmured.

    ¡°Yeah, yikes. Sorry for the poor welcome. I¡¯d just assumed¡ªyou know what, never mind. If you need anything, Miss Miller, the company¡¯s here for you. Myrna gave a glowing review, and I can¡¯t find a shred of a sign these documents have been messed with. Can¡¯t say I know why Rodrik would hire a demon on, but if he thinks I can trust you, then I¡¯ll trust you.¡±

    ¡°Do I have to go back to looking human when I leave this office?¡± I asked, half-hoping and half-joking.

    The company boss choked a little and sputtered. ¡°W-well. I, uh, I don¡¯t want to¡ªbut you see¡ª¡±

    ¡°I get it.¡± I shifted back. ¡°Human Zarenna for now. We¡¯re aiming to leave town in the morning anyway, but we might stay for a few days to unwind. I assume there¡¯s a Gelles Company branch in Linthel?¡±

    The man sighed in relief. ¡°There is. I¡¯ll write ahead for you. The hall isn¡¯t as big as the ones in Lockmoth, Ardath, or Rochewood, but they¡¯ll be able to put you up if you need it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± He nodded curtly. ¡°Your pay should be ready for you on the way out.¡±

    I saw myself out, grabbed a sack of coin from the receptionist, and returned to the others with two thumbs up. ¡°Let¡¯s go get a couple inn rooms and some hot food!¡±

 Chapter 111: Cheeky Kazzel

    I closed the door to our inn room softly behind me, making sure to lock it. Sleep wasn¡¯t going to take me, so I padded down the hall and out into the crisp night air. My mind whirled. Just a few days ago, everything had still been so simple: get to the next place and keep going.

    But now, my feet tread on Edathan soil. Home, while still far away in a technical sense, was a relative stone¡¯s throw. And with that knowledge came memories. Clarity helped me sleep most nights these days, and without it I couldn¡¯t help but feel how I just wasn¡¯t tired.

    Really, I didn¡¯t need to sleep tonight at all. That little reminder of my inhumanity had come at the wrong moment: right as I tried to quash visions of fire and death, and memories of loneliness on a verdant rock in a vast ocean.

    I thought I¡¯d put all this behind me.

    I frowned and kept walking, head low. In the cold, few people were out at this late, late hour. The city of Gedon slept around me and I let the chill night air bite rather than warm myself with my magic.

    I found myself walking toward the river and I kept on course, boots crunching days-old snow. If anyone eyed me up as a target for any late-night viciousness, I didn¡¯t notice and they didn¡¯t act. I hardly even noticed someone slip down from a rooftop to walk beside me until she spoke.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep either?¡± Taava whispered.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied slowly.

    The kazzel hummed an acknowledgement but kept otherwise silent. I glanced over at her and saw she was wearing dark clothes¡ªnot quite a thief¡¯s outfit, but close. Aside from her head and its twitchy brown-furred ears, she blended into the shadows under a cloudy sky.

    The two of us walked together until we reached the riverfront. The docks here looked new, and I could see piles of mud across from where fresh channels had been dug into the silt of the river.

    We turned and kept walking, out of the harbor, and into a ruined neighborhood. Much had been rebuilt: fresh mortar and plaster contrasted brightly against stained and scorched walls.

    This city really did see a lot of fighting in the war.

    I stopped for a moment to stare at a collapsed building that had yet to be cleared. From a distance, it looked almost like a lumpy, undeveloped lot. But as soon as I got close, I could see scorched and cracked stone where grass and small shrubs had started to take over. Magic in wars was a terrible thing.

    I looked down at my hands. I could have done this easily. What does that say about me?

    Taava stopped next to me. She didn¡¯t say a word.

    I wouldn¡¯t, though. Having power¡¯s not the issue¡ªmisusing it is. I¡¯m no one¡¯s weapon, not now, not ever.

    Eventually, I tore myself away and unclenched my fists. At some point my claws came out, and they left little pinpricks of pain in my palms until my natural healing smoothed them over.

    I looked at my human-seeming hands again while we resumed our walk. Not a single blemish. Not even a callus. In a lot of ways, I could argue I was a monster. That I had no business comingling with mortals. Bullshit. A talented mage could do much of what I can¡ªso what if they¡¯re easier to stop?

    I glanced down at Taava and saw she was looking straight ahead, face downcast. I have friends. And sleeping soundly across town I have my best friend: my lover, my Seyari.

    I¡¯m no monster.

    I felt a little better just confirming that again.

    Still can¡¯t sleep though.

    I kept walking and the two of us left the recovering neighborhood and came upon a stone and wrought iron fence. Taava glanced at it, and without much hesitation kicked up and flipped over it, silent as a ghost. She took a few steps on the other side, then stopped and turned.

    I tested my weight on the old iron, and braced myself against a stone pillar. A careful heave and I was over without breaking anything. I landed hard enough to leave two deep boot prints in the frozen ground and we kept walking.

    Ahead of us was a sparse forest, slightly overgrown past the fence. When we passed the first headstone, I realized we were in a graveyard. Taava seemed to realize it as well, so she turned and headed down toward the river.

    The graves stopped well before the water, and when we reached the bank, Taava hopped up into a nearby tree to sit on a branch. By my best guess, the tree was an old oak, and it looked a little skeletal in the night.

    I didn¡¯t dare try my weight, so I walked over to the tree and leaned against its base instead. I could see a few more trees on the far bank, and no buildings, so I reverted my transformation and pulled my tail over myself for warmth, allowing a little heat to build from my magic. The warmth was enough that the icy, hard snow around me melted, leaving me with an unpleasantly wet butt. Silence abounded, save the low susurration of the Linthel river.

    I rested my head in two hands and crossed the others over my knees, pulling my legs close. For a few minutes, I scratched little circles in the frosty dirt with my tail tip before I decided to break the silence.

    ¡°Anything you want to talk about?¡± My voice pierced into the stillness and faded just as quickly.

    Taava waited to respond and I heard her shift her weight above me, dangling her booted legs to kick slowly in the air.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Eventually, however, she did speak. ¡°Just thinkin¡¯, I guess.¡±

    ¡°What about?¡±

    ¡°People bein¡¯ two things.¡±

    ¡°Like my human transformation?¡±

    ¡°Kinda. Not somethin¡¯ quite like that¡­ Y¡¯know?¡±

    I shook my head, then realized she couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°So what I mean is, I guess that¡¯s one if ya look at it right. But I¡¯m more talkin¡¯ about human you and then demon you. Two lives, but¡­ not. That make sense?¡±

    I responded with a hum and thought long and hard on what Taava said. Two lives but not. I could see it, honestly. It¡¯s not like demon me is a totally different person in terms of who I am. All the memories of old me¡ªeven the bad ones¡ªare a part of new me. But new me isn¡¯t old me, even if some things are.

    It made my head hurt a little to try to pin down exactly what she was getting at.

    ¡°Gives ya a bit of a headache ta try¡¯n figure out, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ but at the same time I think I get it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Not quite sure I do, I guess. And you¡¯ve all got it.¡±

    ¡°The two but not two thing?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Sey¡¯s got this whole past life thing you¡¯re the only one who knows all about. Not like, past life as in died or anythin¡¯, but she¡¯s not who she was then, yeah?¡±

    A puzzle piece clicked in my head and I started to see a pattern emerge. ¡°Yeah. And Nelys has a similar thing they¡¯re figuring out with who and what they¡¯re meant to be.¡±

    ¡°Got it in one!¡± Taava¡¯s legs sped up.

    ¡°And you too, right? Assassin Taava and witty, irreverent bard Taava?¡±

    The legs stopped and Taava¡¯s breath hitched.

    Did I mess up?

    ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Taava¡¯s voice changed. ¡°There is only one; the other is a fa?ade. A result of training.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So I do not understand. I don¡¯t think I can understand.¡± Her ¡°real¡± voice wavered.

    ¡°You want to be like your fabricated personality, but you know it¡¯s all a lie and you can¡¯t¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    I stood up and took a step so I could look up and meet Taava¡¯s gaze. She looked down at me coldly¡ªnot a shred of emotion showed on her face. Her eyes were dry and focused. But she couldn¡¯t hide her anger from me. And I had a darn good idea she was directing it inward. I had to target the source.

    ¡°Bullshit. The worst fucking lie I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± I swore like Seyari, but a big dumb smile grew across my face as I did so.

    Taava¡¯s eyes widened for a fleeting moment before she regained control. ¡°What.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what Seyari told me. Not quite like that, but I got the swears right.¡±

    Taava narrowed her eyes. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°She said that when I told her how I ¡®couldn¡¯t be a woman¡¯ and how I was ¡®just an imposter.¡¯¡±

    ¡°That makes little sense.¡±

    ¡°Sey, or me?¡±

    ¡°You, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Right now, or in my anecdote?¡±

    ¡°In your anecdote, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Just checking. So do you get it now?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Shit. Okay, look. You!¡± I pointed to Taava. ¡°Are whatever feels right to you. Whatever makes you comfortable¡ªwhoever makes you comfortable. Right now, I can literally feel that you¡¯re beating yourself up inside, furious that you¡¯re stuck being an emotionless killer.¡±

    ¡°Incorrect.¡±

    I pulled my collar down to reveal my symbol, but the tight outfit didn¡¯t reach. Instead, I pointed between my breasts. ¡°You know my symbol, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath.¡±

    ¡°I do not see the relevance.¡±

    I smiled again, showing sharp teeth. ¡°Do you really not? I can see your anger, Taava. I can see your anger when you beat yourself up for not being the person you want to be. No amount of training can hide wrath from the Sovereign of Wrath.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I pointed at myself with all four hands. ¡°Me. Zarenna. Former human, current demon. Former male body, current kickass female demon body. Always a woman. Always Zarenna. Does that about cover it?¡±

    Taava stared down at me, and while there were no outward signs, I could feel her shell cracking, her anger losing cohesion.

    Now, I pointed at Taava, four index fingers aimed her way. ¡°You. Taava. Former cold assassin, current fun, cheeky, socially adept, musically talented friend and professional good person. Always well-intended. Always Taava.¡±

    ¡°N-no¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not always well-intended.¡±

    I put my lower hands on my hips. ¡°Do you feel any regret for what you¡¯ve done in the past?¡±

    Taava closed her eyes, thinking. I listened to the low tone of the river and felt her tumultuous fury for a while before she finally replied, ¡°Not all of it.¡±

    ¡°But some of it?¡± I pressed.

    Taava nodded.

    I shrugged. ¡°Then I think that¡¯s fine! I think that means you¡¯re a good person. Maybe I was a little wrong and you¡¯ve grown a conscience since the old you, but you definitely have one now. I¡¯ve seen it¡ªheck, I¡¯ve felt it. I¡¯m feeling it right now.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow and her mask cracked a little more. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes really. And¡ª¡± I moved, claws carrying me up the tree faster than even Taava could react. She tried to twist away, but I grabbed her in a side hug and brought her back down to the base of the tree. ¡°And we¡¯re going to stay like this until you realize that the ¡®you¡¯ you want to be isn¡¯t some fabricated person.¡±

    That last push did it. Eyes wide, and heartbeat slowly coming down, Taava stared intensely out over the nighttime river. Her mask held a moment longer, and then it shattered as the biggest, dumbest grin I¡¯d ever seen split her face side-to-side.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret makin¡¯ a cheeky kazzel outta me, Renna.¡±

    I placed a hand over my heart, faux-wounded. ¡°I tell you that you can be whoever you really are, and you give me a walking snark delivery service?¡±

    ¡°Ya bet I do, ya big red heater.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I pouted.

    ¡°Get ta makin¡¯ the heat! I¡¯m freezing my tail off out here and I¡¯m tired a actin¡¯ like I don¡¯t give a toss.¡±

    I bopped Taava on the head, but obliged, warming the two of us against the nighttime chill.

    We sat and chatted until snow started to fall and the deep purplish orange of an impending sunrise lit the edge of the horizon. I learned about Raavia, about the war and an orphan who was made to do things no child should have to endure. Taava learned about Linthel, and a fair bit more about my own dysphoria than anyone other than Seyari knew. She also learned about Abby and Tania, and about my impending meeting and fears for my sister¡¯s safety.

    ¡°That Abby girl sounds like a good friend.¡± Taava nodded, yawning. ¡°Knowin¡¯ you I¡¯m surprised there¡¯s not a smokin¡¯ crater where Mordwell is.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Tania told me to wait until our meeting.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d ya listen?¡±

    ¡°Trust.¡±

    ¡°Huh, funny thing that.¡±

    I glanced at Taava, a little worried. She tilted her head my way, wearing a sarcastic smile. I returned a genuine one of my own.

    ¡°Seyari¡¯s gonna kill ya. Ya know that right?¡±

    A creeping chill washed over me. Suddenly, the sunrise seemed more ominous than welcome.

    I stood quickly, pulling Taava up with me. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t want Sey ta find out about your secret tryst?¡±

    ¡°Taava,¡± I warned with a growl.

    ¡°Hey, just jokin¡¯! I¡¯m not really inta that sex stuff anyway, even if ya weren¡¯t taken.¡± She stuck her tongue out and flattened her ears against her head.

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°What about some of your songs?¡±

    Taava shrugged and started walking back through the trees. ¡°Sex sells. Besides, you¡¯re real fun ta tease.¡±

    ¡°Taava!¡± I jogged to catch up.

    Taava played keep away until we reached headstones again. ¡°Forgettin¡¯ somethin¡¯?¡± she teased.

    What could I be? Oh. Shit.

    I skidded to a halt and transformed into my human form. My extra sleeves were loose, so I took a moment to fix them, losing the kazzel ahead of me in the snowy predawn dimness.

    ¡°Y-you¡­¡± a voice I didn¡¯t recognize whispered.

    My head snapped to the sound and a woman in dark clothes flinched under my gaze. She stood next to a clean-looking headstone and a small bundle of winter flowers had fallen to the ground between her feet.

    Crap.

 Chapter 112: Scars of War

    The well-dressed woman and I stared at each other for an uncomfortably long moment. She had lightish-brown hair that stuck out from under a woolen cap, and gray-blue eyes flanked by crow¡¯s feet that bored into my own.

    Neither of us dared reach for the bundle of dropped flowers. She didn¡¯t want to risk looking away, and I wasn¡¯t about to close the four or so meters of space between us. I also wasn¡¯t about to let this turn into another awkward situation with a lot of yelling and me acting overtly non-confrontational to the point of harm.

    So, I did what any self-respecting demon should do in the situation: I bowed my head and apologized for intruding.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding and for startling you,¡± I stated plainly, head still bowed. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I should really catch up to my friend before she twists my absence into insincerity.¡±

    I raised my head, avoided catching the woman¡¯s eyes, and turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait,¡± the woman asked, in a voice I found oddly soft.

    I stopped, but didn¡¯t turn.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not here for me then?¡±

    Here for her? I glanced over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am, but I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    The woman stepped over the flowers, leaving them in the snow behind her. She looked me over. ¡°You¡¯re not here for revenge?¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°The war,¡± she cut me off. ¡°Did you fight in the war? The you who used to be?¡±

    Who used to be?

    I turned around fully and shook my head. ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t¡­ here then. If you know what I mean.¡±

    The woman stared at me again before her shoulders slumped. ¡°I thought you¡¯d come for me, too.¡±

    ¡°You too?¡± I asked, the words slipping out before my mind caught up.

    The woman walked, with a limp I noticed, back over to the flowers. She bent down and gently picked them up off the snow. ¡°Yes. Me too.¡±

    ¡°Were they¡­¡± I gestured at the headstone she stood next to.

    ¡°My husband, yes. We both fought, but I was injured early on and had to hear about the worst of the fighting from criers.¡± She brushed snow off the top of the headstone and set the flowers at the base.

    I felt a chill roll down my spine as I remembered what I¡¯d overheard back at the Gelles company office. Murder. More victims. My fear that I¡¯d get dragged into all this started to seem more and more real.

    ¡°And you think a demon did it?¡± I asked, stepping around the words ¡°killed¡± and ¡°husband.¡±

    The woman¡¯s posture stiffened again and she set her gaze back on me as if she¡¯d just remembered what I was. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that was the case.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°The murders. How many others have there been? Were the wounds blade or claw?¡±

    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why the sudden interest?¡±

    ¡°With all due honesty ma¡¯am, if it¡¯s a demon killing people, then it¡¯s my business to find and stop them.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    As the Sovereign of Wrath, it¡¯s my job to make sure other wrath demons play by my rules.

    I exhaled quickly through my nose. ¡°They might be a wrath demon. And, as an, uh, important you could say, wrath demon myself, I have an obligation of sorts to bring them to heel.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯ve come for me here?¡±

    Quickly, I waved my hands in front of me. ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it at all. It¡¯s a total coincidence, but it wouldn¡¯t be right for me to look the other way.¡±

    The woman looked back down at the headstone, up at the moon, and then at back at me. She stepped forward, and thrust an accusing finger my way. ¡°Why would you care about humans?¡±

    ¡°Because I was one once,¡± I shrugged. ¡°A lot of the people I love are human, or otherwise mortal, too. And I¡¯d also like to live in human society¡ªso there are rules I need to abide by. There¡¯s also the fact that I believe myself to be empathic toward others, but I can¡¯t exactly prove that to you. Plus, I work for the Gelles Company, and they know what I am. I could take a contract to track the killer down.¡±

    The woman looked at the company symbol near my shoulder, seeming to recognize it near-immediately. ¡°You¡¯re an odd sort, demon,¡± she said without any venom. ¡°But I¡¯ve told you what I know and I¡¯ve no interest in pursuing the matter. Dead is dead, and I don¡¯t want to go cutting open the scars of the past. Go talk to the city guard or something.¡±

    I felt a little pulse of anger from her that told me she might not be quite so convicted as she looked. But either way, she was right.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I lowered my head. ¡°I¡¯ll go do that then. Oh¡ªone more question, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cold tonight¡ªwhat is it?¡±

    ¡°What side of the war did you and your husband fight on?¡±

    ¡°We fought for Edath, but I can also tell you veterans from both sides have been killed here in Gedon. Now go¡ªleave me to my mourning.¡±

    I bit back yet another apology and turned away, leaving in a walk that soon turned into a sprint.

    Taava was waiting on the fence, kicking her legs and pointing her ears at me. Her strained expression perked up the moment I skidded into view.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you heard all that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I got voices, but no words.¡± The kazzel shrugged. ¡°No screamin¡¯ either, so I guess it all worked out?¡±

    ¡°Sort¡¯ve?¡±

    ¡°Did she think ya were a ghost or somethin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head and started to vault the fence.

    Taval swiveled to face me. ¡°Ya musta laid the charm on real thick then, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I pulled myself wordlessly over the fence and dropped to the other side.

    Taava frowned. ¡°It¡¯s real weird hearin¡¯ someone your size do that all quiet-like.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Real weird. Yeah, I know,¡± Taava replied flippantly. ¡°You agreed to go do somethin¡¯ didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡±

    Taava smiled, showing sharp canines. ¡°Ya think all my dumb trainin¡¯ was for nothin¡¯? I¡¯ve been around ya long enough ta read ya like a book, Zarenna. And I can read real well, ya know.¡± She hopped down next to me, bouncing on the heels of her feet.

    ¡°Fine, I agreed to look into something, yes.¡± I started walking back toward the inn.

    ¡°By ¡®I¡¯ ya mean ¡®we¡¯ dontcha?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Yeah, I guess I do.¡±

    Taava slapped me on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry boss! I¡¯m here for ya¡ªand those other people probably are too.¡±

    I frowned at her calling Seyari and Nelys ¡°other people,¡± but let it go. ¡°I¡¯ll bring this up with everyone in the morning.¡±

    Taava giggled and pointed at the sun cresting the horizon as we passed between two buildings. ¡°Hate ta break it to ya, but you¡¯re a little late already.¡±

    I groaned. ¡°Seyari¡¯s gonna kill me. And worse yet, I¡¯ll deserve it too!¡±

    ***

    Luckily, I survived Seyari¡¯s wrath. If anyone were to see the two of us, however, they probably would have assumed our roles reversed. Since I stayed up tonight, I¡¯d be sleeping on the floor tomorrow night. When I¡¯d brought up how Seyari would also be punishing herself by tossing her heater out, she was less than pleased. Tonight, I¡¯d get to sleep face down on the floor, with my poor boobs smushed under me and my poor tail dragged up into Seyari¡¯s bed to heat it.

    Thankfully, along with Nelys and Taava, she¡¯d agreed with my suggestion to look into the murders. Personally, I assume she wanted more time off the road and a chance at actually sharing a proper bed at some point before we left Gedon. Can¡¯t say I disagreed.

    Besides, as tantalizingly close as Linthel was, not following up on a potential murdering wrath demon would eat away at me. There was also a chance this was a scheme by Avarice, Envy, or both of them, but I doubted it. That could change if the victims were robbed, or I could just be wrong.

    Which was why all four of us had arranged to speak to the captain of the guard about the matter. There was a bounty out for the killer which wasn¡¯t hard to find, and our credentials as Gelles Company mercenaries helped get us a meeting with the captain of the guard.

    The only thing that hadn¡¯t gone according to plan was the very loud, very heated argument we could clearly hear through the thin door to the captain¡¯s office. The four of us stood outside next to an increasingly anxious looking guard who¡¯d escorted us.

    ¡°For the last time,¡± said an exasperated voice, ¡°I am not going to mobilize the guard on to hunt for a demon that probably doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to let it keep killing then, are you?¡± the other voice replied, feminine like the first, but deeper in pitch. ¡°How could you? And you won¡¯t lend a single person to help me¡ªwhat kind of a bounty even is this?¡±

    ¡°A bounty for information. We don¡¯t even know what killings could be tied together. I¡¯ve reports from all across the county, and we know some people haven¡¯t let go of the war.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re just going to let them keep killing? Maybe you haven¡¯t let go of the war!¡±

    I heard the scrape of a chair. ¡°We are doing what we can. I¡¯ll not tolerate baseless accusations against me, my guards, or any former soldiers until we have proof. So unless you have any real leads beyond ¡®a demon somewhere,¡¯ I need you to: Get. Out.¡±

    Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t leave immediately, and we all bore witness to a litany of curses until a final threat from the voice I presumed to be the guard captain ended the argument. Taava and I had just enough time to step back from the door before it burst open and a woman dressed in dark hunting leathers stormed out, fuming. She was a little taller than Taava, armed to the teeth with all sorts of blades and a large crossbow, and had short-cut brown hair done in two braids tucked into her tall collar.

    The well-armed woman clipped me, mumbled ¡°watch it¡±, and strode away with hardly a second glance. I could feel fury radiating off her in waves. The sensation made me both hungry and wary.

    ¡°Uh, Captain?¡± the guard we were with started. ¡°A group from the Gelles Company is here to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Send them in! Why the fuck not?¡± the captain roared, much louder with the door open.

    We all heard more mumbled cursing as the four of us filed into the office. Behind a desk, and surrounded by strewn objects and papers, was a fairly short woman of South Ordian complexion. A little redder due to her very tangible fury, but pale underneath it.

    I picked up a downed chair and sat very carefully on it. ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna Miller, with the Gelles Company.¡±

    Seyari took the seat next to me, Nelys took the remaining chair, and Taava took Seyari¡¯s lap. My girlfriend was too dumbfounded to shove her off immediately. She did, however, give the kazzel a death glare and Taava obliged her, moving off to lean above the back of the half-angel¡¯s chair.

    With a sigh that was more growl than an actual sigh, the guard captain pulled her own chair upright and took a seat in it. ¡°I¡¯m Kerra, guard captain here in Gedon. Sorry you had to hear all that. What do you want?¡±

    Professional enough to be direct, and furious enough to layer in cold terseness. I really felt I was starting to get a feel for these kinds of authority figures¡ªprobably meant I knew just enough to make assumptions that would bite me in my big red ass later.

    ¡°We¡¯re here about the bounty,¡± I started, then hurriedly clarified, ¡°but we¡¯re hoping to investigate any leads you might have. My group¡¯s headed to Linthel, but it¡¯s not urgent, so we wouldn¡¯t mind turning over a few stones here in Gedon or on the way south.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say we have any leads right now, sorry.¡± The guard captain hissed air through her teeth. ¡°In fact, leads are what we¡¯re looking for.¡±

    ¡°Could you at least describe how some of the victims died?¡± Nelys asked. ¡°Are there any patterns?¡±

    Kerra shook her head. ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t think all the killings are one person anyway. Too different, and even if most of the people being murdered here in Gedon are former veterans, that¡¯s not that unusual. A lot of people here fought in the war, and the dead are from both sides.¡±

    ¡°So you think they¡¯re killing each other?¡± Seyari asked.

    That got a wince from the guard captain. ¡°We do, yes. But there is a trend insofar as some of the killings are much more brutal¡ªand the dead are all veterans. Again, from both sides.¡±

    ¡°Are there any that were recent here in the city?¡± Nelys asked, picking up speed even as their hand curled around their chin. ¡°Any relatives we could talk to?¡±

    ¡°What Nelys is asking,¡± I jumped in to clarify, ¡°is that we¡¯d like to help with the investigation if you¡¯ll have us. They have experience in the area¡ªin fact everyone in our group does besides myself.¡±

    Kerra leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. I felt a slow-burning, controlled anger from her now that the wave of stoked fury had subsided.

    It didn¡¯t take long for her to reply. ¡°What¡¯s your goal? What do you want out of this?¡±

    ¡°We want to save people!¡± Nelys answered ahead of me.

    Guard Captain Kerra raised both eyebrows, then looked at me, cocking her head to one side as if daring me to confirm what Nelys said.

    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s the biggest reason, yes. I¡¯m from Linthel myself, although I¡¯ve not lived in Edath since before the war. I feel I have a stake in this.¡±

    Really, the stake I have in this is a lot more than I can tell you right now. Especially with that other person poking around who is looking for a demon to blame.

    ¡°And you¡¯ll pay us!¡± Taava finished loudly. ¡°We get money, you catch a murderer or several, and some people stay alive that¡¯d otherwise be dead. Sound good?¡±

    Kerra narrowed her eyes. ¡°If you weren¡¯t from the Gelles Company, I wouldn¡¯t take you up on your offer.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll let us help?¡± an excited Nelys beamed a smile at the guard captain. Surprisingly, she seemed unaffected. Years of training, most likely.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kerra answered. ¡°Someone was murdered last week who fits with the other more brutal killings. The area they were killed in is a majorly Edathan part of the city¡ªand as a result I¡¯ve had an even harder time than usual finding guards who I can send there and expect real answers.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Seyari said, ¡°you¡¯re Ordian and most of the guard is too, so the Edathan population doesn¡¯t trust you. Therefore, we have a better chance of getting somewhere so long as we don¡¯t advertise that we¡¯re working for the guard.¡±

    ¡°Exactly right. I¡¯ll send you to a relative of another one of the deceased, though it will take a day or so to set up a meeting. They¡¯re already working with more or less secretly, and we¡¯ll have you go investigate on their behalf. We¡¯ll talk reward money if you uncover anything. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Give us the details, and we¡¯ll get out of here.¡±

    Guard Captain Kerra nodded, and began to fill us in. We learned names, places, and that we¡¯d know more later. She sent us on our way shortly after, filled with more questions than answers.

    ***

    The next day passed uneventfully, despite a strong urge to go investigate that all of us except Taava had to fight. My awful floor-night passed, and the next night was a much more intimate time with Seyari that brightened my mood considerably ahead of the meeting with our ¡°client.¡± The relatively wealthy man Guard Captain Kerra sent us to gave us a few new details before we left to question those closest to the latest victim.

    The more details we got, the surer I was something demonic was going on. The strength required to pull someone apart like what was described, and the primal nature of the killings, were both things I was intimately familiar with.

    Not everything added up, however. I couldn¡¯t fit a pattern to the victims. Wrath demons, myself included, were creatures of singular focus. Without the help I¡¯d received, and my additional extraordinary circumstances, I¡¯d have gone straight after Finley without any time to stop and think. There had to be either a single thread tying all the murdered together, or we only knew a small part of what was going on.

    We needed to know more, and with any luck we soon would.

 Chapter 113: Part-Time

    I grumbled as we walked away from the latest person who¡¯d closed the door in our face. Around us the roughly cobbled street was half-full of passersby, and the buildings around here sagged with age, many showing signs of repair on their old stone walls.

    We¡¯d been at it all day, plying markets and taverns on the hunt for information about the murders. In our desperation, we¡¯d even tried going door to door the last hour or so. While we weren¡¯t met with any outright hostility, everyone we met seemed guarded. In short, we had no answers and a lot of wasted time. Well, three of us did. Nelys was off somewhere on their own, and given the proclivity of the murderer¡ªor murderers¡ªI felt safe enough letting them act alone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry boss!¡± Taava teased. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just scared a ya!¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks,¡± I answered glumly.

    ¡°No problem! I know just the song ta cheer¡ª¡±

    ¡°Taava,¡± Seyari warned. ¡°We¡¯re already drawing too much attention. Pipe down.¡±

    Taava hissed, then whispered, ¡°No-fun angels¡­¡± under her breath.

    I looked around and we were indeed drawing a lot of attention. A quick glance at my outfit and I had a good idea why. ¡°I think we¡¯re overdressed.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Taava started, then snapped her mouth shut to avoid reprisal.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Seyari said. ¡°Not to mention we¡¯re an odd group. I¡¯m clearly not Edathan, and that¡¯s before my hair and eyes. Taava sticks out even worse.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Cuz I¡¯m a cute kazzel?¡± Taava asked, sing-song voice thick with faux-saccharinity.

    Seyari wasn¡¯t having any of it. ¡°No, because you¡¯re a blaringly loud nuisance.¡±

    ¡°Aww, thanks, Sey!¡± Taava replied with enough sarcasm to give me a headache.

    I stopped walking and turned back to see the pair glaring daggers at each other, the shorter kazzel up on tiptoes to try to meet eye to eye with Seyari.

    Seyari stared right back at Taava. ¡°And now we¡¯re making a scene. Nelys had it right when they said we should split up.¡±

    ¡°S¡¯that why they¡¯re gone?¡± Taava spoke out of the side of her mouth, unwilling to lose the staring contest.

    I honestly didn¡¯t know who would win, but the increasing stares of passersby and the few people forced to walk around us on the road gave me the impression I shouldn¡¯t find out. I passed a hand between them, and then again before they broke off. Seyari gave me a glare that tried to imply this disagreement was my fault and Taava turned up her chin at the half-angel, tail twitching irritably behind her.

    Anger spilled out from both of them, played up but also very real.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I chose not to acknowledge either of them. ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re gone. Constant rejection has clearly made us all frustrated. Let¡¯s go swing by the inn, grab a drink, change, and split up. We can also see if our contact has any ¡®ins¡¯ we can use to maybe ingratiate ourselves a little more. If it takes a week, that¡¯s fine by me.¡±

    Taava scoffed. ¡°Fine, but ya can¡¯t make me happy about it!¡±

    I rolled my eyes and consumed her anger.

    Her smile drooped. ¡°¡­Fine. You can¡¯t make me happy though!¡±

    I crossed my arms and stared down at the sometimes-bard. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for the drinks.¡±

    ¡°Three cheers for the boss!¡± Taava, threw up her arms, spun on a heel, and skipped away back down the street.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into her?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°We had a talk.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°On that night?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that night. Look, I¡¯m sorry I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just tell me next time, okay. I was worried when I woke up.¡±

    Guilt hit me¡­ again. ¡°Right,¡± I rubbed the back of my head. ¡°Right, yeah. I will¡ªI promise.¡±

    Seyari started to walk after Taava and I followed. ¡°What did you two talk about that night anyway?¡±

    I looked up, scanning the gray sky for my answer before I replied. ¡°Her. Who she wants to be.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s chosen to be like that?¡± Seyari giggled.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s still figuring it out.¡± I looked back down at my girlfriend and took Seyari¡¯s hand in my own as we walked.

    ¡°Either that or she¡¯s messing with us.¡± Seyari squeezed gently, and I reveled in her warmth.

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s the former,¡± I admitted. ¡°In a way, she¡¯s a little like you. Maybe. Or me, or Nelys.¡±

    ¡°Or not,¡± Seyari was quick to remind me. ¡°How do you know what she showed you that night wasn¡¯t just another fa?ade?¡±

    ¡°I can read her anger¡ªI think it was real, at least some of it was.¡± Still, I frowned. ¡°What reason would she have to fake it anyway?¡±

    I¡¯m a sucker for sympathy is one thing. For now, I¡¯ll just choose to believe she¡¯s sincere. If she is and I doubt her, I¡¯d hurt her more than anything I could imagine.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just pessimistic.¡± Seyari softened her tone, probably sensing my discomfort.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I disagree,¡± I said honestly, forcing a lopsided smile that quickly turned very real.

    Seyari pouted. The expression looked¡­ off on her.

    Her pout turned into a thin-lipped frown. ¡°I didn¡¯t get it right, did I?¡± she asked.

    I shook my head and giggled. ¡°No. No you didn¡¯t.¡±

    Seyari looked up at me, frown hopelessly losing the battle to stay dour. ¡°I have no idea how you make that face pout. Shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±

    ¡°Probably a demon thing,¡± I shrugged, dropping my voice to a whisper. ¡°Why do you want to learn to pout anyway?¡±

    ¡°I need to learn my own weaknesses and exploit yours where I can,¡± Seyari said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

    I took a minute to process her reply, running my mind back through the last couple of days. ¡°Dominance thing?¡± I asked, tilting my head. ¡°Because if this is about the make-up sex then I can totally¡ª¡±

    Seyari slapped a hand over my mouth. ¡°Not. Another Word. It was great¡ªyou did great. I¡¯m just figuring some things out is all.¡±

    I smiled wider. ¡°Oou ont ike eeng ottm,¡± I said through Seyari¡¯s fingers.

    She huffed and removed one hand, dragging me by the other back to the tavern. ¡°The sooner we split up to go chase leads the better!¡±

    I stumbled along after Seyari, a big dumb grin plastered all across my face. Murderer on the loose or not, we all needed moments of levity.

    ***

    Fed and watered, I took one last look at myself in our inn room¡¯s small, dim mirror. I was wearing a simple light blouse and dark trousers, but they were tight enough to show off my arms and thighs. Not by choice, but because the clothes I could get on short notice were too small. Another quick modification job was what the ensemble was, and with my hair in a braid, I looked mostly the part of a tomboyish city girl. A big one. Hopefully nothing would require me to break my human transformation; this outfit wouldn¡¯t take that well.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Regrettably, I was going to leave my spear behind, though I did take a cloth insignia of the Gelles Company with me¡ªjust in case. Nelys was probably still casing the streets, while Taava had volunteered the nicer taverns and street corners to ply her trade as a wandering bard and see what she could hear. Seyari took the opportunity to go door-to-door.

    To my immense surprise, the half-angel¡¯s idea was to offer to heal the sick. Not to pretend to be with the Church, but a simple wandering half-angel. A kind gesture to be sure, but one she¡¯d been adamantly against in the past. Maybe she¡¯s changing even more.

    Really, we all were. This outfit showed off more than I would have dared¡ªincluding copious cleavage¡ªa month or so ago. And I was happy in it; confident too.

    My job was to go to the more hard-up taverns. Our contact Guard Captain Kerra set me up to spend part of the night as a waitress at one, then I¡¯d finish the night at the ¡°worst¡± of the lot. Even if anyone was crazy enough to try something despite my size and¡­ obvious musculature, I wouldn¡¯t have a problem subduing them. Unless they were a demon. Actually, even then¡­

    Anyway, that was the plan. Right now, thinking about all of this again, my confidence started to rapidly fade.

    The hell did I sign on for?

    Well, the more things change¡­

    Before I could ruin my own moment, I grabbed a knife (for show), checked my tighter-than-usual braid, and strode out of the inn confidently. Few people were about in the pale, cold light of the winter afternoon. I ignored any looks or unwanted comments aimed my way and focused on my goals as I walked.

    There were one or more murderers on the loose and some people thought a demon might be among them. The victims were all veterans of the civil war¡ªfrom both sides¡ªbut I didn¡¯t have great information beyond that. I needed information on victims: anything that anyone might know or have seen.

    In a local tavern, I was going to stick out. As ¡°new waitstaff,¡± I might be able to slip into the background enough to over hear something. Anything I learn there, I can potentially use as an ¡°in¡± at my last stop. I hoped nothing untoward would happen, but I was unfortunately ready for things to go sideways, running through scenarios in my head up until the moment I knocked on the back door of the tavern.

    An older woman opened the door, then stared up from chest to my face. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked. She wore an apron that looked washed, but had stains that clearly wouldn¡¯t come off. Her face had lines of age, although the severe expression she sported under her dark eyes smoothed them out somewhat.

    ¡°Renna,¡± I replied simply. ¡°I¡¯m here for waitstaff work.¡±

    The woman narrowed her eyes, so I quickly produced the slip of paper our contact had given me. She looked it over, frowned, then waved me inside.

    ¡°You have any experience?¡± she asked.

    I shook my head.

    The woman swore. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll have Hannah show you the ropes. Don¡¯t expect any pay.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t. Anyone I should try to talk or pay attention to? I really do want to get to the bottom of all this.¡±

    The woman sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­ well, there is one regular: Jenz. Big beard, eyepatch, and usually sits at one of the corner tables. I think he¡¯s here tonight as well, but he¡¯s not a talker. Lost his partner who was in the war recently, but I don¡¯t know anything more.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to catch on that the woman wasn¡¯t pleased with our arrangement. ¡°I promise to do my best,¡± I offered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to just half-ass it.¡±

    My appeal didn¡¯t work and the woman rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever. At least what you¡¯re wearing is fine. I¡¯ll go get Hannah. Wait here.¡±

    I did as I was told, looking around the bare hallway. An ajar door led to the kitchen, from which came the semi-pleasant aroma of under-seasoned stew. A narrow staircase led upstairs, likely to private quarters. The door at the end of the hall swung shut, shutting off the sound of the patrons in the bar.

    Despite this, I did catch the woman I had just spoken to¡ªpresumably the owner¡ªyell out to Hannah. Moments later, a harried young woman jogged into the hallway. She was slim, and small.

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡± she said, then stopped when she saw how tall I was. ¡°The hell are you so big?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Hell if I know.¡±

    Hannah shook her head, sending some of her light brown hair flying before patting it back in place. ¡°Look, we¡¯re slammed right now, so get in there, okay!¡±

    She grabbed my hand and started to drag me down the hallway. ¡°I, uh, don¡¯t have any experience. I¡¯m Renna by the way.¡±

    Hannah stopped. ¡°Hannah. And what the hell¡¯d you get hired for? I don¡¯t have time to teach you!¡±

    I started to have the feeling I might be in over my head. ¡°I, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, it doesn¡¯t matter. I guess some guys¡¯ll like a girl that¡¯s taller than them. But you gotta do more than be eye candy, okay?¡±

    I nodded, feeling a strange mix of pride and resentment at Hannah¡¯s comment. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. What do you need?¡±

    Hannah frowned. ¡°A godsdamned doppelganger¡ªI don¡¯t have enough hands!¡±

    I wanted to make the joke so, so badly.

    ¡°Do you want me to take orders? Bring out food and drinks?¡±

    Hannah thought a moment, wincing at a shout from out in the tavern. ¡°Both. You take the left side of the room¡ªI¡¯ll take the right. If a table¡¯s in the middle¡ªI¡¯ll take it. If I need anything else I¡¯ll yell. Got it?¡±

    I thought about trying to remember orders and gulped. ¡°Yeah, uh, got it.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Hannah dragged me out toward the front and just as we passed through the doors my demonic hearing caught her whispering ¡°this¡¯s gonna be a disaster¡± under her breath.

    Once we got into the tavern, a lot of looks were sent Hannah¡¯s way, but several of them stopped on me. The waitress handed me two mugs and pointed to a table on the left. Take these to those two. Then look around for any orders. Bring them back to the bar, and the kitchen for food.

    I recalled where I saw the kitchen earlier and nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Good. Go.¡±

    I went. One of the two men at the table I dropped the drinks off at immediately took his, gulping it down.

    The other man wrapped a hand around his and asked, ¡°Are you new?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, uh, I am,¡± I replied.

    ¡°The hell¡¯re you from? Didn¡¯t know they made girls that big.¡±

    ¡°Linthel,¡± I answered.

    The other man finished with a sigh and set the mug down on the table harder than necessary. ¡°What¡¯d yer parents feed ya?¡±

    Please don¡¯t let this be how tonight goes. Already, I was getting a little overwhelmed trying to listen in on other conversations and talk to these two. I caught Hannah¡¯s eye and she pointed to another table. Thanks.

    ¡°Lots of meat and exercise,¡± I replied quickly. ¡°I have another order I need to go take.¡± I turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait!¡± one of them shouted.

    I turned, annoyed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the stew¡ªextra meat!¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± I said perhaps a little coldly, taking a quick few steps to the next table.

    The group here looked for all the world like a party just in from the wildlands. Leather, worn traveling clothes, and weapons at hips. All human, and from what I could tell two guys and two girls.

    ¡°What can I get you,¡± I asked, trying to keep the stew with extra meat in my mind.

    Thankfully, the group ordered easily, and the only comment I got was ¡°nice muscles¡± from one of the girls.

    Soon enough, and to my surprise, I slipped into a rhythm. I made a few mistakes, and learned that ¡°extra meat¡± wasn¡¯t available for the stew. That guy had backed down after standing and realizing just how large I was.

    Really, the place wasn¡¯t so rough. Unfortunately, the most I overheard about the murders were the same rumors I already knew. The regular I was watching, Jenz, kept to himself, alone at his table even in the crowded tavern.

    It wasn¡¯t until the crowd thinned that he flagged me over.

    ¡°Can I get you anything?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re watchin¡¯ me,¡± he replied in a gravelly voice. ¡°I want to know why.¡±

    His tone implied all the threat it needed to. The fact I was unbothered didn¡¯t pass unnoticed, either: Jenz narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to solve the murders,¡± I said in a hushed tone. ¡°Figured I could get information here¡ªfrom you or someone else.¡±

    Jenz grunted approval. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect a straight answer. I¡¯ll have a mug of ale¡ªand they should know not to water it down for me.¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡± I started. ¡°But what about¡ª¡±

    ¡°A mug of ale,¡± Jenz replied with a glare.

    I snapped my mouth shut and straightened up. We locked eyes for a moment, but I relented, and walked quickly off to get him a mug.

    Hannah met me by the bar, and after delivering her own order, she stopped me. ¡°Talking to Jenz? I¡¯m surprised he spoke more than two words to you.¡±

    I glanced back his way. He didn¡¯t look like he was watching. I also didn¡¯t get any flashes of anger. ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I said noncommittally.

    Hannah shot me an inquisitive look, but didn¡¯t say anything. She grabbed her mug and I took mine, noting the darker color of the liquid. I guess they really did water down ale in cheap taverns. And whoever Jenz was, he was good or threatening enough to be exempt.

    I walked it back to Jenz, waving to the ragtag mercenary group on their way out. The place was really starting to die down, and the chill wind from the door the party left through gave me a good idea why. Homes, and warm beds.

    ¡°Set it here,¡± Jenz said, annoyed.

    I realized I¡¯d drifted off a little; I felt tired¡ªnot physically though. I set the mug down and turned, but Jenz¡¯s voice stopped me.

    ¡°Sit,¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t a question.

    I glanced at Hannah who gave me a surprised look back before hurrying to cover what was left of my side of the room. I pulled out the chair across from Jenz and sat down, the old wood creaking in protest.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Jenz asked, leaning closer.

    ¡°Zarenna Miller,¡± I replied with as much surety as I could muster.

    ¡°Hmm. Who sent you?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No one. Guard Captain Kerra directed me to a contact who directed me here. Then the owner mentioned you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I want to solve the murders. Edath is my home¡ªand I want to help.¡±

    ¡°Who do you work for?¡±

    ¡°The Gelles Company, although this is personal.¡± I handed him the cloth insignia.

    Jenz took it and examined it, his hard face impossible for me to read. At last, he ran a hand through his beard and handed it back.

    ¡°You mentioned the murders?¡± Jenz asked rhetorically. ¡°I know a few things, but I won¡¯t tell ya here. Get a room and meet me upstairs. You¡¯re too straight-laced for your own good, but I have a feelin¡¯ you¡¯re not lyin¡¯.¡±

    I nodded and stood.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be up when I finish,¡± Jenz said, taking a slow sip of his ale.

    I returned to the counter and Hannah accosted me.

    ¡°What¡¯d he say? I¡¯ve never heard Jenz talk to anyone before!¡±

    ¡°Nothing much,¡± I shrugged.

    The waitress heaved a sigh. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t hired here.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized honestly. ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it, but I do hope you get someone else to help out soon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be nice,¡± Hannah agreed, turning away. ¡°To be honest, you were a pretty shit waitress.¡±

    Hey!

    Wearing a frown, I ordered a room and headed upstairs. Jenz wasn¡¯t even halfway through his mug when I left, so I¡¯d have some time to think before he joined me. I hoped for his sake, I wasn¡¯t walking into an ambush. I¡¯d been yanked around enough the past few days already¡ªmy ability to be the ¡°overly nice wrath demon¡± was running perilously thin.

 Chapter 114: Pale Ale

    When Jenz knocked on the door, I let him in. He walked with a notable limp and sat heavily down in the room¡¯s single chair, leaving the end of the bed for me.

    ¡°You waited,¡± he said.

    I waited some more, expecting him to continue. He didn¡¯t.

    ¡°What do you know about the murders?¡± I asked as politely as I could, although a little venom leaked out.

    Jenz chuckled. ¡°Not a hothead. Good. Listen carefully: There¡¯s more¡¯n one murderer. For some people, the war never really ended. Not too many people who can walk away from getting stabbed in the back. Not too many people who¡¯ll let it all go back to the way it was before.¡±

    I frowned, and leaned forward on the bed, resting my elbows on my knees. ¡°What about you? Are you willing to let things lie?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± Jenz answered slowly. ¡°Not at first. I got injured early¡ªdidn¡¯t see as much of the fighting. My partner though, he¡­ he couldn¡¯t let it go. And I¡¯ll not say more.¡±

    ¡°I find it hard to believe everyone¡¯s still killing each other.¡±

    Jenz shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe it. Thing is, there¡¯s some of them who hunt the hunters.¡±

    ¡°Hunt the hunters? Like kill the people who are basically keeping the war going?¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know?¡±

    ¡°They got Ayron. They got my partner.¡±

    I thought for a moment. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re only going after killers?¡±

    Jenz shrugged. ¡°Who knows. All I know is whatever got Ayron wasn¡¯t a normal human. My partner was the best of the best¡ªan elite soldier, even going gray. He wouldn¡¯t have let his guard down, but there was hardly a fight. And his body¡­ Dhias, his body.¡±

    ¡°How long ago did¡ª¡±

    ¡°Long enough,¡± Jenz answered quickly, cutting me off. ¡°There¡¯s nothing there now. Nothing but pain.¡±

    I hummed in thought.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I have. Someone or something dangerous is in this. And it¡¯s killed from here in Gedon all the way as far as a week south, from the rumors I¡¯ve heard.¡± Jenz stood up with a groan and made to leave.

    ¡°Do you have any idea who it could target next?¡± I pleaded.

    The veteran shook his head. ¡°No. This isn¡¯t my fight anymore.¡±

    ¡°Well, uh, thanks.¡±

    Jenz grunted. I watched him go; he closed the door softly and soon booted steps were thumping away down the hall. With a sigh, I flopped back onto the bed. Given how late I¡¯d be at the other place and the fact the information gathering had hit some success, I took a minute to reflect before going to my last stop for the night.

    The overheard rumors hadn¡¯t told me anything I didn¡¯t already know. There might very well be merit to a demon contributing to the slaughter, and if there was, it was a safe bet they were a wrath demon. Provided I wasn¡¯t a lot weaker than I thought I was, I should be able to stop them.

    But given my status as the Sovereign of Wrath, and given the fact they were picking targets, then I might be able to do something more. I thought about contracts, what Seyari and Lilly had both told me. I hadn¡¯t ever really learned how they worked with demons, but I had to assume it was a similar sort of power or protection in exchange for service type of deal.

    Contracts were also corruptive to humans. Were they corruptive to demons? I remembered ¡°can¡¯t corrupt the corrupter,¡± but I had to wonder if more than just demonic mana influenced a contract. Could terms influence it? Could a Sovereign themselves influence it?

    The lust demons under Lilly, Mereneth included, definitely seemed to take after her. Was like drawn to like, or was there something more forceful? Certainly, Lilly had magic that I didn¡¯t.

    I also wasn¡¯t keen on forcibly altering someone¡¯s thoughts. The idea seemed, well, frankly horrifying. But if what I knew of demons was true, then many weren¡¯t entirely sane. Whoever a greater demon was could be a single individual hounded by the other soul fragments fused into their being. Echoes of other invasive memories and feelings, but not enough to form a distinct identity. Lilly had almost said as much, though she was also a terrestrial demon, and a mostly binary case at that. I wished I could talk to her.

    Were there any demons who had multiple fragments such that multiple people existed inside a shared body? Would it always be a situation where one fought for total control? I couldn¡¯t fathom what that might be like.

    Without sitting up, I turned my head to stare at the shuttered window and then the door. There were no soft footsteps, and no convenient entrance of the Sovereign of Lust. Or Seyari. Or anyone who knew about this stuff¡ªI¡¯d even have taken Yevon quietly sliding into the room with a bowl of stew I¡¯d have to pay for.

    It was all so complicated. Rules with exceptions and vague trends that I didn¡¯t know the beginning or end to.

    None of this thinking was getting me any closer to my goal, however. I had a tavern to visit, and I needed serious information. Very private, very illegal information.

    A realization hit me: I¡¯d have the best luck if I found my way into the good graces of someone committing murder under the guise of a ¡°war.¡± Jenz had shown me that much, even if indirectly.

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    For a moment, I imagined running into Taava at that sort of clandestine meeting. I hoped her own search was going well¡ªand safe. The others, too, for that matter.

    I didn¡¯t feel particularly threatened by much these days¡ªnot in a physical sense. With regard to clandestine meetings, it wasn¡¯t like I was above duplicity, or vigilante justice myself. I was a demon, after all.

    My mind made up, I popped up off the bed and sauntered downstairs. I flipped a silver piece to Hannah for helping me out and walked off into the chill night, headed straight for what I had been told was the worst part of town.

    ***

    I could certainly see more damage around here, from the rutted road to the sagging roofs, much of which wasn¡¯t from the war. At the same time, I also didn¡¯t have any unusual encounters. Perhaps it was the chill, perhaps it was some other factor, or perhaps certain people in the guard had confused ¡°downtrodden¡± with ¡°dangerous.¡± I didn¡¯t have enough information to be certain.

    The fact I was thinking about that at all, however, meant that I was still in my head. I took a moment to shake myself out of it, staring up at the half moon before I walked forward and into the door of the tavern where I¡¯d be spending the next few hours.

    Gods I wanted to spend the next few hours in a bed instead.

    When I ducked inside, I was met with the smell of alcohol mixed with something acrid. I wrinkled my nose and walked forward around mismatched tables and toward the single, sagging counter at the back. The patrons were almost entirely older men, and I didn¡¯t miss the stares directed my way. Many of them were open, and I winced at the whistles I got. Screw off.

    I took a seat at the bar and ordered an ale from whom I presumed was the tavern keeper: a thin, older man with a drooping mustache. If other people were drinking the stuff, a demon certainly wouldn¡¯t be hurt by it.

    Conversation didn¡¯t wait until I had my ale to change course from the banter I¡¯d heard walking in. Most of the new topics were about me, or rather parts of me, but some things weren¡¯t. I didn¡¯t hear any open plans, but I heard plenty of talk about ¡°the Ordians¡± in a harsh tone. I got my ale and sipped it, listening and watching the stained wood in front of me with great feigned interest.

    Truthfully, the ale wasn¡¯t too bad. It didn¡¯t taste particularly strong, though, which was admittedly fine by me. I caught wind of a particular group of patrons whose rhetoric was particularly vitriolic and tried to listen in more. They¡¯d just mentioned the killings when someone approached me.

    ¡°Sweetheart, you¡¯ve got enough leg to give a man rough ride. I bet you buck harder than a bull,¡± the man said, taking the seat next to me and bringing his drink along.

    I couldn¡¯t possibly have a reply to that. I took another sip of ale and ignored him, but he¡¯d leaned in close. I smelled the alcohol on his breath, but it wasn¡¯t even strong. Unfortunately, thanks to this asshole doing something I¡¯d dreaded (but expected), I missed whatever that group I was listening in on had said next. Unfortunately, my annoyance wasn¡¯t enough to dissuade him.

    ¡°Hey girl, I¡¯m talkin¡¯ to you! What¡¯d your parents feed you to make those legs?¡± He leaned in closer, putting a hand on my shoulder.

    Again, I missed what the group said, although I caught ¡°plan¡± and ¡°revenge.¡± Damn it.

    I downed the last of my ale. On any other night, I¡¯d have more patience. More than he deserved. I¡¯d push the asshole¡¯s hand off, and ask him to knock it off. Really, if I wanted to hear more about the group¡¯s plans, I probably should have. Problem was I¡¯d have to hear more of him.

    He started again, taking my contemplation over how best to put him through a wall without causing excessive property damage as a different sort of thinking.

    ¡°The strong silent type?¡± he leered. ¡°Strong girls are the best when you¡ª¡±

    I cut him off with my mug, breaking it across his face. He crashed to the floor and conversation immediately stopped. Setting the broken handle back down on the counter, I looked at the half-stunned bartender who was quickly recovering his composure. I had to guess what I¡¯d done wasn¡¯t terribly uncommon, but no one had expected it from me. I didn¡¯t even bother looking at the guy, but I heard him struggling back up and coughing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take another ale,¡± I said as firmly as I could. ¡°And I¡¯ll pay for the broken mug too.¡±

    ¡°The fuck you think you¡¯re doing, bitch,¡± the man I¡¯d hit coughed out, standing.

    His face was bleeding in places where shards of the ceramic mug had cut him, and I could taste his rage.

    So I did.

    He didn¡¯t offer much resistance. Anger consumed, he stood there, confused for a moment, all eyes on him. Still, despite not feeling any anger, I couldn¡¯t remove his attitude.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve said something,¡± he snarked.

    ¡°Was ignoring you not enough?¡± I asked, my own fury building.

    ¡°All I did was compliment you, and you threw a fit,¡± he said matter-of-factly. ¡°A bitch like you¡¯ll never get a good guy.¡±

    I stood up next to him and glared down at him. ¡°Good thing I¡¯m not into guys.¡±

    ¡°Hah. You just haven¡¯t found a good one yet. You get a good dick in you and you¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    I sucker punched him. Lightly. No more Miss Nice Demon. He collapsed into the floor coughing, and I sat back down again. ¡°My ale?¡± I asked the bartender, unable to keep my voice level.

    Unfortunately, this guy didn¡¯t know when to quit. I felt his anger rising again, and even after ripping it out, he tried to touch me again. I¡¯d barely gotten my second ale, too. This time, I didn¡¯t have to do anything. One of the other patrons, someone from the group I was listening to, grabbed his shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± the newcomer said. He had a severe widow¡¯s peak and the kind of body that suggested not all the muscle of his youth had gone to fat. He was also a head shorter than the man who accosted me, but he seemed larger.

    The asshole grumbled, but complied, moving down to the other end of the bar, where he took a rag to wipe the worst of the blood off his face. I¡¯d hoped he would leave, but good enough. More importantly, it gave me the chance to get an in with the group I was watching.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, taking a sip of ale.

    The man chuckled. ¡°I wanted to see you knock his lights out. A man should know when he¡¯s outmatched.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but read negatively into the meaning of what this guy was saying, but for the sake of the investigation (and to a lesser extent fairness) I kept the smile on my face. ¡°I¡¯m sure the tavern keeper¡¯s happy you intervened.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I do want to know what a pretty young woman is doing in a place like this, though.¡±

    Stay polite Zarenna, I reminded myself. He might not be hitting on you, just awkward. Remember your mission.

    ¡°I¡¯m new in town, up from Linthel,¡± I replied, hoping my accent carried me. ¡°Looking for work and staying nearby for lack of coin. Stupid civil war and stupid Ordians cost my family everything.¡±

    I slipped a big lie in at the end, hoping context would smoothly carry my awful ability to lie.

    The man, somewhat predictably, looked at my arms and the corded muscle I was more or less purposefully showing off. ¡°Linthel, you say,¡± he replied. ¡°I might have some work for you, if you don¡¯t mind the dirtier stuff.¡±

    I tensed, but tried to hide it by tilting my head toward the man at the end of the bar. ¡°Well, that guy¡¯s still breathing because of you, so I¡¯d say I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± The man smiled darkly. ¡°Name¡¯s Richter. Finish your ale and we¡¯ll head out.¡±

    I picked up the mug and stared at the pale contents, dark only because of dim light and brown container. Whatever I was going into would be unpleasant, and a fair bit further in than I¡¯d told the others I was going. Seyari would understand. Probably.

    My decision made, I picked up the mug and downed it in one go. I set it back on the table, threw just enough coins down to pay for the ale, and turned back to Richter. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 115: Dark Earth

    If I were human, what I was doing would¡¯ve terrified me. Alone, I followed Richter and his group of potentially-murderous acquaintances to the edge of Gedon. Here, small farms began to break up the sprawl, resulting in clusters of old, squat buildings. Many of them were stone and some of them probably predated Ordian rule.

    As the city crumbled into countryside, I took a last, longing look at the star-studded horizon over fallow fields, and followed the group down into a basement. Instead of damp earth, the smell of soot and sweat hung in the air. I had to walk hunched over. Had I not been in my human form, my horns would¡¯ve dug tracks into the earth and stone above.

    This was no complex tunnel network like back in Lockmoth. Though situated mostly on a mild rise, Gedon sat on a floodplain, and any sewers it did have surely didn¡¯t extend out this way. The short passage and room at the end were freshly dug and, I suspected, a recent development.

    ¡°Why the secrecy?¡± I asked as I inched forward, pulling my shoulders away from the dirt walls in a vain attempt to keep my blouse clean.

    ¡°Why d¡¯ya think? You aren¡¯t that dull, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I take it the guard won¡¯t help then,¡± I said dryly. Truthfully, I was disappointed the city guard wasn¡¯t doing more, but Officer Lorton back in Lockmoth was a rare sort of man, and at least the whole organization wasn¡¯t corrupt here in Gedon.

    Or as corrupt at any rate. I didn¡¯t see the guard as villains, but I definitely would need to paint them in the worst light to get on the good side of this group. Unfortunately, I was also realizing that, depending on what I saw, I may have to take some decidedly unpleasant action. I really wish I could have let someone know I was here.

    ¡°Got some new blood!¡± Richter announced as we entered the room at the end of the hallway.

    The space was small, with a ceiling still too low for me to stand. Two candles dimly lit the space, casting the man at the far end of a rickety old table in shadows. The effect would have been ominous if I couldn¡¯t see his face with near-perfect clarity. He was human: Edathan-looking with dark hair and relatively pale skin. Hard blue eyes stared at me, judging.

    I stared back at him, surprising myself with just how unafraid I was. Always walking on eggshells, I¡¯d become so used to making a good impression and showing everyone how kind I could be, that it felt nice to just let that go¡ªeven if only for a short while. I wasn¡¯t afraid of this man. I wasn¡¯t afraid of the people he had with him. Despite not feeling anywhere near drunk, it was sobering to realize I could probably kill everyone here before they got a chance to do anything.

    Evidently, the outward display of my inner monologue combined with my naturally cold blue eyes won their leader over.

    He shook his head, saying ¡°Damn Richter. Where¡¯d you find this one.¡±

    ¡°At Lefty¡¯s. She suckered punched Byron and dropped him for hitting on her.¡±

    ¡°Crazy bastard,¡± the boss mumbled. ¡°And why do you think she¡¯s got a stake in this? She doesn¡¯t look old enough to¡¯ve fought.¡±

    ¡°Never said I fought,¡± I growled.

    ¡°Is she even human?¡± someone else piped up.

    From the glare the unexpected speaker received, I had to guess no one else was supposed to speak. Still, the boss looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Ogre blood,¡± I responded with a shrug that knocked pieces of dirt down onto the floor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about that. Why do you care if you didn¡¯t fight?¡± He pounded his fist against the table, shaking it wildly.

    This time, my words got caught in my throat. I couldn¡¯t answer that¡ªthere was no way I could lie convincingly. I was nervous, yeah, but the fury I¡¯d had against that asshole in the tavern had faded.

    Wait? Wrath? That¡¯s easy.

    I willed my mana into myself, steaming just a little as I felt my controlled, but tense fury rise to the fore. Just as I was about to try to think of something to say, the boss nodded.

    ¡°Good enough. I take it you¡¯re not the talking type. Makes sense someone your size isn¡¯t the best with words. But we don¡¯t need words¡ªjust send that anger at those Ordian bastards and not us and you¡¯ll fit in just fine.¡± He smiled darkly and turned to my guide. ¡°Richter?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Keep her on a leash. The guard¡¯s stupid, but they¡¯re not blind.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get started already.¡± He pointed to me. ¡°And you can take a seat on the floor.¡±

    I did as I was told and sat cross-legged to one side of the closed door as the meeting commenced. Very quickly, I realized my fears were right. This group of people hadn¡¯t let go of the war. To them, Ordians were the enemy. This was despite still technically being Ordians themselves¡ªif I understood the current political state of the Kingdom of Edath correctly.

    And, as the enemy, they aimed to kill Ordian veterans of the war still living in Edath. They didn¡¯t target the injured or those who hadn¡¯t fought like that was some kind of badge of honor. Specific murder. With criteria. Yeah, that¡¯s not the ¡®honorable¡¯ thing you think it is.

    On the docket tonight were two things: one was to investigate their cut-off contact to the south, and the other was a plan to go murder some people. The blame for the cut contact was quickly given to ¡°the Ordians,¡± and I had to wonder if there wasn¡¯t another group in another basement somewhere in this very city plotting against ¡°the Edathans.¡±

    Needless to say, I didn¡¯t approve of plotting murder, and started to formulate how I could incapacitate them and turn them in to the guard. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find a way to do that that seemed realistic. The more I thought, the more disappointed I felt with the idea in the first place and I tried to put a claw on why that might be.

    As I sat and pondered, I heard them take responsibility for at least one murder and make plans to retaliate for another of their own who was murdered. Or, so they claimed. Still, based on what I was hearing, I had more than enough information to try to bring them to the guard.

    Or I could just solve the problem and kill them.

    Self-defense or the heat of a battle would be one thing. But here and now, I had to weigh carefully what I would do. Moreover, I had to do it quickly while they were all still down here. A check with aura sight during a rare moment when no one was looking at me confirmed there was little to no magic among the assembled. I doubted they could hide any magic, either.

    Still, despite all my progress in decisiveness, I stalled. I realized I didn¡¯t want to take them in. Yevon¡¯s words stayed stuck in my mind: ¡°What will their punishment be then, Zarenna?¡±

    Death, probably. And a public one that would strain the guard¡¯s already thin relation with this part of Gedon. The people here were all openly guilty, and they intended to get me involved tonight. They want me to murder someone tonight. How has the city guard not caught these people yet?

    I¡¯m still stalling.

    A commotion out in the hall acted before I did. In a way, it was almost a relief to hear shouts and the soft twang of a crossbow firing off. Someone might be coming to solve my problem¡ªbut I didn¡¯t know anyone with a crossbow.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Despite my status as a ¡°new recruit,¡± I was shoved out first with Richter to meet whoever was barging their way in. Whoever it was, we were probably on the same side. With how I looked right now, however, I braced for a misunderstanding and fervently hoped they didn¡¯t have magic and they didn¡¯t hate demons.

    ***

    Vivian the mercenary was furious, more so than usual. She was already ticked off that the guard wouldn¡¯t give her the resources she needed to take down whatever demon was killing war veterans, and now someone had put a twist on tonight¡¯s plans. The plan had been simple, too: find a group of thugs posing as soldiers from a war that was done and dusted, wring some information out of them, and then dispose of them.

    Then they¡¯d left the dive they were drinking at with one person extra: the giant of a woman Vivian had run into outside the guard captain¡¯s office not half a week earlier. Truth was she hadn¡¯t expected that damn woman to be getting into bed with those murderers. Did that mean that bitch of a guard captain was part of this stupid ¡°war,¡± too?

    Tonight had just gotten a lot more complicated¡ªand this wasn¡¯t even her final stop of the night. Whoever¡ªor whatever¡ªthis woman was, she hadn¡¯t flinched when Vivian had run into her the other day.

    The unusually tall woman¡¯s lack of a reaction was a small sign, but small signs were worth paying attention to when one was hunting a demon. The bastard Inquisition had been even more absent of late, and Vivian could unfortunately say the extra work wasn¡¯t welcome. If this woman was in league with the demon¡ªgranted power perhaps¡ªthen Vivian needed to track this new lead down immediately.

    Immediately had meant going in swinging. Good thing Vivian was always prepared.

    The door guards hadn¡¯t seen her coming and had gone down silently. Unfortunately, the one person on watch in the basement hadn¡¯t been a clean kill and his shouting alerted the rest of them.

    Quickly, Vivian moved to the wall by the shoddily-dug tunnel, uncaring of the grime staining her leathers. She expertly loaded another enchanted bolt into her crossbow and aimed down the basement hall at the ramshackle door at the end. There¡¯d be more thugs inside, and she only needed one to talk¡ªpreferably whoever was in charge. If the thugs had a rear exit, she hadn¡¯t seen it when she cased the place, and they certainly seemed stupid enough to trap themselves in a hole in the ground.

    A surprised looking man ran out of the door first, an old sword still halfway out of its scabbard when Vivian¡¯s bolt sunk between his eyes. He dropped just as the giant woman was shoved out after him. Vivian cursed and reloaded quickly, thankful that the woman had stumbled over the still-twitching body. She was so tall that she had to duck to fit in the small, cramped tunnel.

    Vivian held her finger on the trigger and aimed in.

    The woman, surprisingly, raised her hands in surrender and started talking quickly. ¡°Hi. So, uh, I¡¯m not with these guys. Just trying to investigate them.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Vivian asked, expression stony. This woman isn¡¯t afraid, she thought. Her posture was tense, but her gaze was calm and level. Could she just be investigating? The chances weren¡¯t bad that was the case, Vivian thought, and I need information from her anyway.

    The woman kept talking as if that might make the situation better. ¡°And I¡¯d like it if you leave at least one alive. They might have information we could both use.¡± She frowned when Vivian didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°Move,¡± the mercenary said, giving her only warning.

    The woman moved¡ªquickly for her size¡ªpressing up to the side of the wall and shuffling down and out, past Vivian who tracked her the whole way, the enchanted bolt loaded in her crossbow glowing with holy light.

    The woman looked like she wanted to say something, but Vivian moved past her swiftly, into the tunnel. Now wasn¡¯t the time for words. The mercenary would have cover if she was attacked from behind by the clearly-unarmed woman, and she had enough firepower to take out most demons, let alone whatever that woman was.

    Once she got inside the back room, the fight was swift and brutal. While the group may have been seasoned fighters, this was an ambush in tight quarters. Moreover, Vivian was armed to the teeth and used to fighting far scarier opponents.

    The tall woman was still in the basement when Vivian left; unwilling or unable to watch the proceedings, but too curious to leave. Unfortunately, the thugs¡¯ leader didn¡¯t have any good information beyond details of their cut communications, and that lead could be for any number of reasons. Given the strange woman¡¯s involvement, however, Vivian decided to give the potential lead more consideration than it was probably due.

    The mercenary kept her crossbow drawn as she approached the large woman who¡¯d sat down against the wall, facing away from the tunnel.

    ¡°Learn anything?¡± the large and annoying woman asked Vivian in a tone that was far too conversational. She didn¡¯t seem to mind the enchanted crossbow pointed at her face.

    Vivian¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna by the way.¡± Zarenna stuck out a hand.

    Vivian stared at it.

    ¡°Not enough hands then, I guess,¡± Zarenna chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m with the Gelles Company.¡±

    That got Vivian¡¯s attention. The company wasn¡¯t elite per se, but they had standards and were very influential. ¡°Prove it.¡±

    The woman produced a slip of cloth with the company insignia on it. It certainly looked legitimate. All the more reason to doubt her. Vivian turned to leave the basement, still training the crossbow on Zarenna.

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave?¡± Zarenna asked, standing up and dusting off her backside. Even in the basement proper, her head almost touched the ceiling.

    This woman can¡¯t be fully human, Vivian thought. Perhaps it¡¯s better to keep her close.

    ¡°I¡¯ve a lead to chase,¡± Vivian answered simply, her curiosity getting the better of her common sense as she fished for information.

    ¡°Do you still think it¡¯s a demon?¡± Zarenna asked.

    Vivian narrowed her eyes.

    Zarenna continued, ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t not hear that conversation the other day. Personally, I also think there¡¯s a demon tied up in this. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re playing both sides, killing indiscriminately, or somewhere in between, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Vivian kept her lips tight and her response minimal.

    Zarenna frowned. ¡°Right, yeah? Me too. Eyes and all that.¡±

    Vivian didn¡¯t let her emotions show, her training keeping them tightly controlled, just in case. ¡°Do not mock me.¡±

    ¡°How about a little courtesy then?¡±

    ¡°Do you not see the bodies?¡± Vivian hissed, not even bothering to gesture to the cooling body in the same room as them. ¡°What makes you think I won¡¯t add one more?¡±

    ¡°What makes you think you could?¡± Zarenna growled suddenly.

    Vivian steeled herself. Something in Zarenna¡¯s tone did something vanishingly rare¡ªit unnerved her. ¡°Have you ever killed a demon, Zarenna?¡±

    Zarenna took a moment to respond, then held up a few fingers. ¡°Three.¡±

    Vivian had the distinct, unfortunate impression the unusual woman wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Three minor demons is no real feat.¡±

    ¡°Greater demons, all of them. One reaver.¡± Zarenna¡¯s smile looked a little¡­ sharp.

    A very, very uncomfortable feeling started to bubble up through Vivian¡¯s thoughts. ¡°How?¡±

    Zarenna¡¯s smile stayed fixed in place. ¡°First things first, I think we should work together, mystery woman.¡±

    ¡°Vivian,¡± Vivian answered simply. It wasn¡¯t her real name, anyway.

    ¡°Vivian. I think we should work together. If this is a demon, particularly if they¡¯re a wrath demon like I think we both think they might be, then this is my business. My responsibility.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s aim had slipped. Now, she raised the crossbow again. Something was very wrong. ¡°Not one step closer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still against the back wall. Door¡¯s right behind you,¡± Zarenna said deferentially.

    Vivian tightened her finger on the trigger¡ªthe mechanism a hairsbreadth away from firing. ¡°What will you do if I say no?¡±

    Zarenna shrugged, the casual expression at odds with her cold glare and the large crossbow aimed directly at her. ¡°Follow you anyway¡ªbut probably in the morning. I¡¯m fresh out of patience and, quite frankly, if subtlety gets people killed then I don¡¯t care to be subtle anymore.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Vivian asked again, taking a single step back toward the stairs out of the basement. Her shoulder bumped the door. The hinge was well-oiled and would open smoothly. In a pinch, she could shoulder her way out of here backwards.

    ¡°How what?¡± Zarenna cocked her head to one side, disturbingly unconcerned.

    ¡°How did you kill those demons?¡± Vivian asked, half in a whisper.

    ¡°With my bare claws,¡± Zarenna responded easily.

    And then she transformed, skin flushing crimson. Large horns curled upward from her head, two arms became four, and a massive tail snaked out from behind her.

    Expecting as much, Vivian¡¯s finger twitched, sending an enchanted bolt straight for the demon Zarenna¡¯s heart. The mercenary jumped backwards through the basement doors after firing, her movements a fluid single motion. She¡¯d hardly hit the dirt on the other side when an impossibly strong hand gripped her shoulder. Shit. Vivian looked up to see the demon Zarenna pull the crossbow bolt out of her breast and wince.

    ¡°Enchanted,¡± she said simply. ¡°Ouch. If I¡¯d been slower, you probably would have gotten me.¡±

    Something glowed above the demon¡¯s breasts, visible due to the low cut of her now-ruined shirt.  Vivian had seen that vortex-like symbol with the six-pointed starburst before. She hadn¡¯t, however, seen one with a gem in the center. Two more hands pinned her arms, a thick tail bound her legs, and Vivian realized she¡¯d lost. Her last chance had been to use her magic to break free, and that had passed while she was staring at a stupid symbol.

    Even if she used her limited magic, she¡¯d not be fast enough now. Her only chance was to create distance, something that seemed highly unlikely.

    Vivian hated to admit it, but she knew this would happen eventually. Hunting demons was a precarious, fickle profession. One that required preparedness and caution. Vivian had slipped up tonight and she¡¯d soon pay the price.

    Still, she had to wonder: What the hell kind of demon is Zarenna? Vivian would have seen through a mere glamour, and a transformation like this didn¡¯t match with Zarenna¡¯s form. She could possibly be a demon of lust, but not like any Vivian had ever read about. And Vivian had done plenty of reading.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Vivian spat.

    ¡°Have you heard of the demonic Sovereigns?¡±

    Vivian took another long look at the glowing gem embedded in the demon¡¯s sternum. Memories of dusty tomes and a strict ex-inquisitor instructor made clear the meaning of Zarenna¡¯s words.

    Oh fuck. Oh unholy fuck.

 Chapter 116: Big Questions

    I found myself pinning Vivian the mercenary down into the hard, icy snow outside the clandestine meeting spot of a group of murderous ex-soldiers. Her crossbow lay in the snow next to us, and the painful hole where an enchanted bolt had fire into me leaked blood that bubbled and melted the snow beside her head.

    Vivian¡¯s expression told me all I needed to know: I¡¯d succeeded for now. Honestly, draining her anger slowly had been a chore. She had resistances much, much higher than I¡¯d expected. I¡¯d actually scared myself a little with how well I pulled off the ¡°scary demon¡± reveal. I supposed that when I was out of patience, I perhaps acted a little more demonic.

    Something to keep in mind.

    From the looks of things, she hadn¡¯t noticed what I¡¯d done. I probably hadn¡¯t drained enough, but I didn¡¯t dare touch what little Vivian had left.

    Truthfully, I¡¯d been more scared than I¡¯d let on. Not wincing when I pulled the crossbow bolt out had been a difficult thing. The projectile was tipped to dig in and tore more flesh going out than it had going in. And it had gone in deep, piercing bone.

    A little down and between the ribs and I¡¯d have gotten to find out whether I could take a magicked crossbow bolt the thickness of an index finger straight to my heart. Frighteningly, I had a feeling the answer was ¡°yes.¡±

    Gods above, just what kind of monster am I? In a technical, scholarly sense, of course. I didn¡¯t act like a monster; I didn¡¯t walk in there and kill everyone. I hadn¡¯t even helped. And I wasn¡¯t killing the vigilante I had pinned under me.

    My hearing picked up a commotion from inside the house we¡¯d been under, and I transformed back before this situation became an uncountable number of times worse.

    Vivian, for her part, recovered quickly once I got off her and retrieved her weapon from the snow.

    ¡°Attack me again and I¡¯ll kill you,¡± I said, keeping my gaze firmly on the mercenary. My demonic pride wanted to check the status of my destroyed tunic and feign disinterest, but I reined it in.

    The still-bleeding hole in my chest made a very good argument that I shouldn¡¯t be so impractical.

    Vivian didn¡¯t say anything. Nor did she try to run. ¡°I shout ¡®demon¡¯ and you lose your fa?ade of humanity.¡±

    A dark part of me wanted to laugh. Don¡¯t be the villain! ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d suck¡ªfor tonight. The Gelles Company knows what I am. I believe they have me on file correctly as a ¡®wrath demon.¡¯¡±

    Vivian stared, and reloaded her crossbow.

    ¡°We¡¯re after the same thing, Vivian. And, quite frankly, I might need someone with me who¡¯ll shoot first and talk later. I have a bad habit of talking first, and then also talking more later.¡± I started to walk off, toward what I hoped was a suitably dark alley.

    Vivian aimed at me.

    I turned halfway, put a finger to my chin coquettishly, and smiled sharply, letting go of my human-looking teeth in the dim light. ¡°Kinda like I¡¯m doing right now, actually!¡±

    I may have channeled Lilly in my attempt at intimidation. Whether I liked it or not, the Sovereign of Lust was the only role model of another Sovereign I had, except maybe the previous Wrath whose, uh, lingering force or something had gifted me my title. He or they¡¯d seemed like a swell enough person according to the carvings on Korzon Island.

    At the least, my intimidation caught her off-guard. ¡°I can¡¯t just let you go,¡± Vivian said coldly, moving herself away from the scene of the massacre.

    I continued at a sauntering pace away from what was about to become a very loud scene when the bodies were discovered. Vivian followed me, wary.

    ¡°Actually, you can,¡± I pointed down the alley. ¡°It¡¯s really, really easy too.¡±

    Vivian tightened her finger on the trigger. ¡°Who knows what damage you¡¯ll cause.¡±

    ¡°The only damage I¡¯m causing is to the food supply of the inn I¡¯m staying at.¡± Vivian frowned, but I continued. ¡°And I am paying for it, thank you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your game demon?¡±

    ¡°Cards. I¡¯m pretty bad at cheating, but I¡¯m getting better.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you. Answer me.¡±

    Perhaps toying with her was cruel, but I was beyond done with people incessantly asking what my real goals were. And that was before having a mentally draining, exhausting, morally difficult night. My last thread of my frankly unreasonable amount of measured patience spun apart.

    So, like any reasonable wrath demon, I went off on her. Verbally.

    ¡°Where the hell do you get off asking me that like I had some ulterior motive? I¡¯ve already told you what I want¡ªliterally! I am so damn tired of having to explain myself over and over again to people; to keep insisting that ¡®no, I don¡¯t want to rampage indiscriminately.¡¯ I¡¯m done with throwing myself on the sword over and over again just to prove that I can be ¡®reasonable.¡¯ That¡¯s not reasonable¡ªthat¡¯s insane!

    ¡°Do you really think that any sane person would let themselves be nearly killed, then let their assaulter go and ask to work together? Are you trying to get yourself killed? What kind of bullshit hoops do I need to go through to maybe get people to give me a mote of trust?! You probably think I faked that Gelles Company insignia! I know I had to prove it to the head company person just last week, despite a letter from my superiors explaining for me ahead of time.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Would you like me to go back on my word of ¡®try something and I¡¯ll kill you?¡¯ Do you think that that lie would make me more trustworthy? Do you want me to just lie down here and you can kick me for a while until you decide I¡¯m a ¡®good enough¡¯ demon? Do you want to test me by flinging insults and treating me as subhuman just to see if I¡¯ll get the ¡®right¡¯ amount of angry?!

    ¡°Does it ever occur to anyone that Sovereign of Wrath might mean a Sovereign over Wrath, not fucking controlled by it? Do you maybe think that a wrath demon on the loose is my responsibility because I want to stop them from losing themselves to wrath?¡±

    I huffed and panted, little licks of fire escaping between my clenched teeth. At some point, I¡¯d dropped my transformation, and I had sixteen claw-holes in my palms where I¡¯d clenched my hands into fists. For a moment, despite my command over my fury, I debated just cutting loose.

    I didn¡¯t.

    I reined it in, and I stared at Vivian, hard.

    She stared back, crossbow only slightly lowered while her jaw hung open.

    ¡°You can think I¡¯m crazy. Go ahead. Some random demon just offloading years of pent-up issues on some random stranger sure sounds crazy. Maybe I am. But just because I play therapist for my friends doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have my own issues. Maybe just like them I¡¯ve been putting mine off¡ªbut why would you care?

    ¡°Sorry. No, I¡¯m not sorry¡ªI needed this. Think of me what you will. I¡¯m going to go back to my inn room, eat too much, and cry into my bed until my girlfriend gets back.¡±

    I turned my back to Vivian and walked down the alleyway, shifting back into my human form. My already too-small blouse was ruined, and with the blood and puncture at chest level, I certainly looked the part of someone who¡¯d been assaulted.

    ***

    I got some odd stares on the way back to the inn, but with my head down, my steps steady, and my countenance hard, I didn¡¯t get approached. Good thing, probably. I wasn¡¯t particularly in a mood to talk to anyone.

    My confidence lasted until I¡¯d closed the door¡ªperhaps too hard¡ªto the room I shared with Seyari. To my relief she wasn¡¯t asleep, and was instead writing with a quill and ink at the room¡¯s small, slightly off-kilter table.

    She looked up when she saw me, and I delighted in the fury she felt toward whoever had hurt me. Suddenly, my eyes were wet.

    Seyari dried the ink with a gust of wind and jumped up, catching me in a hug. I embraced her back, all four arms and a tail included. Her warmth was better than my own.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.

    ¡°A lot. That merc who was yelling at the guard captain the other day knows about me. Oh, and I saw her kill half a dozen people.¡± My words may have been muffled by talking into the top of Seyari¡¯s head. Her silver hair was soft, tingling just a touch with magic I was weak to.

    Seyari¡¯s lips drew into a thin line. I couldn¡¯t see them¡ªI just knew. ¡°Did you kill her?¡±

    I shook my head, ruffling Sey¡¯s hair. ¡°No. And I think¡­ I think if she hadn¡¯t killed the people she killed, I would¡¯ve.¡±

    Sey was silent for a while, and after another long moment, we broke off the embrace and lay down on the bed next to each other.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m going to sound callous, Renna,¡± Sey started, ¡°but you¡¯ve killed before.¡±

    I stretched, pulling the ruined blouse up and over with my lower arms. I tossed it at the corner of the room before rolling onto my side to face Seyari. She faced the ceiling, arms behind her head, but she gave me a sideways look.

    ¡°This was different,¡± I said simply.

    ¡°Different how?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°All the other times, I¡¯ve either struck second, or it¡¯s been an impersonal thing. This time, the people around me, the murderers, were¡­ well nice is a stretch, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Sey hummed.

    ¡°Mhmm? That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t have an answer. Sometimes you have to¡ªsometimes it sucks but it¡¯s probably the right thing to do. Or, a right enough thing to do. You already know it never stops hurting.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like an answer to me¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡°I thought about what Yevon said, too. Outside the mine when he killed that mage.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put any faith in what Yevon says,¡± Seyari said bluntly, turning her gaze back to the ceiling above.

    I frowned. I caught my tail twitching, so I brought it around and held it on front of me. ¡°Does he remind you of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Church of Dhias is full of people like him. People who justify their actions to the point where they see everything in absolutes.¡± She paused. ¡°I was like that¡ªyou remember what I told you.¡±

    I pulled my tail closer to me. ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m not going to be like him, but I did have to think: What would happen to those murderers if I turned them in to the guard? What about their families? Would it be worse for them to be burdened by that legacy, or is it worse not knowing why they died?¡±

    ¡°Think about that and you¡¯ll never sleep at night again,¡± Seyari replied simply. ¡°What about their victims? Their future victims? Could they change their ways? Is it worth it to try?¡±

    All this made my head hurt. ¡°You sound like me,¡± I said, a little hurt.

    ¡°Do I? You¡¯re a lot more decisive these days, boss. I honestly think you moralize too much, Renna, but I like that about you. I¡¯d always just brushed questions like those aside¡ªassured in the fact I was a rotten person.¡±

    ¡°And now you don¡¯t?¡± I reached out and took one of Sey¡¯s hands, giving it a squeeze. I didn¡¯t need to say she wasn¡¯t a rotten person to say as much.

    ¡°Not as often.¡± Seyari flipped onto her side to face me. ¡°But what I have to tell you is that as much as you don¡¯t want to end up someone like Yevon, you know you¡¯re in a position to make a decision. And I think you¡¯re a damn good woman to be put in that position. It¡¯s not fair¡ªand it probably isn¡¯t the moral high ground, but you¡¯re going to have to kill in cold blood sometimes. We¡¯re involved in too much dark business not to be.¡±

    I felt the dream of a quaint countryside house being dragged away. I hadn¡¯t ever truly seen it in my future. The idyll was the sort of future you dream about, but never really think will come to pass.

    Seyari, however, continued, ¡°Maybe my role is to help with that sort of business. To be there for you when you have to make an awful decision.¡±

    To be there for me. ¡°Hey¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Unsure if I could say what I wanted to say next.

    Seyari waited patiently for me, and we stared into each other¡¯s eyes. Not a single, unbroken, mesmerized sort of look, but a searching one¡ªgazes meeting fleetingly as we looked around, trying to go deeper.

    Or I was just reading too much into it and Sey saw something on my face. The impish thought helped me find my focus.

    ¡°Hey Sey¡­ when we¡¯re all done with this, will you, uh,¡± I swallowed. ¡°Will you marry me?¡±

    Sey¡¯s roaming eyes stopped. Her gaze met mine, and she broke into a weary smile, punctuated by bright laughter. ¡°I was waiting for one of us to say that, Zarenna. I was going to wait until we met your sister¡ªI¡¯m surprised you beat me to it.¡±

    ¡°You mean?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Zarenna Miller. Yes I want to marry you¡ªgods above how could you think elsewise?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve only been together for¡ª¡±

    ¡°For long enough. With all the shit we¡¯ve been through, we¡¯d be idiots to keep waiting.¡± Seyari reached forward and tousled my hair. ¡°Dork.¡±

    I smiled and pulled her into a hug. ¡°Ice queen.¡±

    ¡°Sovereign of Puns.¡± Sey traced a finger along my chin.

    ¡°You know it!¡± I beamed.

    Sey leaned forward, and just as our lips met my stomach growled audibly. We pulled apart, our eyes drifting below necklines.

    ¡°Food later,¡± Sey said.

    ¡°Yeah, later,¡± I agreed.

 Chapter 117: Small Answers

    I ate ravenously, listening to the others talk tactics over breakfast. Seyari and I hadn¡¯t exactly taken time to get food the previous night, preoccupied as we were with¡­ other things. Before we slept, she¡¯d shared some of what she¡¯d heard in her own investigation and her anger had taken the edge off my hunger.

    Emotions, however, were no substitute for real food. I guess in a technical sense they were, but what my body considered adequate was far different than what my mind needed. And my mind needed four bowls of porridge¡ªsoon to be five. Winter may have reduced the available food, but porridge, honey, and dried fruit was almost a good substitute for meat and something fresh.

    Almost.

    ¡°Ya eatin¡¯ for all of us, Renna?¡± Taava asked, interrupting Seyari¡¯s explanation of a potential pattern to the killings.

    Instead of a response, I stared at the bard and watched her cheeky smile drop as I tipped the bowl up and emptied it.

    ¡°Uh, boss?¡±

    I set the bowl on the table and smiled at Taava, letting my sharp teeth show through the transformation.

    While Taava blanched, Seyari smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve got something in your teeth.¡±

    Immediately, the intimidating effect was lost. I boxed the giggling kazzel on the ears and quickly closed my mouth, catching a glimpse of Nelys laughing before I turned away.

    ¡°As I was saying,¡± Seyari cleared her throat and continued, ¡°there¡¯s a pattern to the killings¡ªalmost like a trail.¡±

    ¡°Two trails!¡± Nelys chirped.

    ¡°Two?¡± I asked, keeping my lips over my teeth and running my tongue along them.

    ¡°Yeah! One of them¡ªthe less messy killings¡ªdoesn¡¯t have too much of a pattern. It¡¯s just clusters.¡± Nelys pulled my porridge bowl over and made some indents with my spoon in the film left in it. ¡°Like these.¡±

    ¡°The second trail overlays the first?¡± Seyari asked, leaning down toward the bowl.

    Taava reached over quickly and stuck her finger in bowl, sharp nail tracing through the film from one of Nelys¡¯s indents to an errant berry. ¡°What¡¯s the berry then?¡±

    Nelys pouted and met Taava¡¯s shit-eating grin. Deliberately, they moved the berry to one edge of the bowl. ¡°The berry¡¯s Gedon. And this¡ª¡± they took a spoon and made a line through most of the spots from the first trail, connecting them ¡°¡ªis the second trail. The nasty one.¡±

    ¡°One trail follows the other?¡± I asked.

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Yep! There¡¯s a delay¡ªthe killings stop and then start again in any given spot.¡±

    I was starting to form a picture. ¡°Are there any killings from the second trail off the first?¡±

    Nelys frowned, then nodded, curls bouncing. ¡°A few, yeah. And the second trail doesn¡¯t really follow the same order. The same time order¡ªwhatever the word for that is in Ordian.¡±

    ¡°Chronological order,¡± I said in my best teacher voice. ¡°So it¡¯s not chronological? How could we track it then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m stuck on!¡±

    For a few moments we all stared into the empty porridge bowl.

    Surprisingly, it was Taava who spoke up. ¡°What about places? A thief¡¯s not gonna hit the same place twice, and I¡¯d bet a murderer¡¯s not gonna do that either.¡±

    Seyari raised an eyebrow. ¡°It must be different for contracted killings then. I know from experience that demons and murderers who kill in passion or for pleasure often either return to the scene or kill in an area.¡±

    Now, it was my turn to frown. ¡°What do you think¡¯s going on here? Nelys?¡±

    Nelys rubbed their chin. ¡°I think it might be both? Maybe? Taava¡¯s more right in this case, I guess. It¡¯s clusters and then it moves. But it doesn¡¯t come back unless other deaths happen, and that¡¯s only been a couple places.¡±

    I leaned down to look in the bowl. The line in the porridge jumped all over the place, and I couldn¡¯t know how much was Nelys¡¯s artistic liberty and how much was what actually happened. I tried to trace along it. ¡°Does it end in Gedon?¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Yep. But it¡¯s been in and out¡ªhere and south.¡±

    ¡°That matches up with what I found. Something¡¯s happened in the south recently, and there was something being planned by those thugs. I can¡¯t be sure if it was in retaliation or not though.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Nelys hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think whatever or whoever¡¯s doing the brutal killings knows what happens before other people do. They don¡¯t kill for a while¡ªdays to weeks.¡±

    ¡°And that means, without any fresh murders, there won¡¯t be another potentially-demonic killing?¡± Seyari concluded.

    ¡°So we¡¯re screwed?¡± Taava sked. ¡°¡¯Cause unless Renna¡¯s gone strange, we¡¯re not gonna kill someone for bait.¡±

    I glared harshly at Taava.

    To my surprise, she deflated, ears drooping, and she rubbed the back of her head with one hand nervously. ¡°Uh, sorry boss. That was in bad taste¡ªeven for me.¡±

    I could swear Seyari¡¯s jaw hit the table. Taava apologizing?! I gave my girlfr¡ªfianc¨¦e¡ªa small smile and a nod.

    Nelys groaned. ¡°We might be stuck, though. All I¡¯ve got is that the trail ends somewhere between south Gedon and next closest farming town about two days away.¡±

    ¡°When was the last death that fits our description?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Weeks ago¡ªin a hamlet to the south,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°I met the relatives when I was searching in town.¡±

    ¡°What about the last, y¡¯know ¡®normal¡¯ killing?¡± Taava asked earnestly.

    ¡°Just a few days ago, near where we were searching,¡± Nelys replied. ¡°But I don¡¯t know who did it¡ªjust that it was a group.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Ordian or Edathan dead?¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Ordian.¡±

    I winced. ¡°I might know.¡±

    I took a few minutes to, with some exceptions, detail what I learned. ¡°I plan to go to the guard and report it later today.¡±

    ¡°You should,¡± Seyari nodded. ¡°But for now, we should check the area where those people met, find out who they knew, and look near the area of the last death.¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡± Nelys chirped, standing up from their seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡± Taava interjected, half-standing before sitting back down. ¡°I might know somethin¡¯.¡±

    Nelys sat back down and our eyes all fell on the kazzel.

    ¡°There was this guy¡ªunreliable sort, people told me not ta trust him. He told me he saw a demon¡ªhis words¡ªlike a demon-blooded, but more. Red, horns, spikes, a little misshapen. Y¡¯know, the works.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier?¡± Seyari asked, clearly annoyed.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Nelys insisted. ¡°I guess you just didn¡¯t trust the information?¡±

    Taava nodded. ¡°Yeah. He said a lotta other things too. Bullshit, mostly¡ªta try ta get in my pants.¡±

    I thought of the other wrath demons I¡¯d met. Verrux, the demon contracted by Malich whom I¡¯d killed in Baetnal, leapt to mind. ¡°I think that¡¯s a good lead. Where did he see them?¡±

    Taava shrugged. ¡°In the woods, campin¡¯ for the night on the way back up north. Prob¡¯ly a week or so ago. Saw it walkin¡¯ on through the trees. I guess it stuck out ta me ¡®cause it wasn¡¯t something big or fancy like everythin¡¯ else he said.¡±

    I shivered a little bit. ¡°That¡¯d certainly leave an impression though. I¡¯d be scared too.¡±

    ¡°Would ya?¡± Taava chuckled. ¡°¡¯Cause ya don¡¯t got the spikes, but you¡¯re big and red and pointy all the same. Ya scared Myrna and Phol half ta death a few times.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Uh, sorry, I guess¡ªtoo late to say that now.¡±

    ¡°I talked with Myrna about it early on,¡± Seyari said calmly. ¡°Really, you weren¡¯t that scary, and it certainly sounds like whatever this was wasn¡¯t either.¡±

    Nelys, who¡¯d been thinking, spoke up. ¡°That fits with our culprit. If they didn¡¯t think they were seen, they probably wouldn¡¯t attack¡ªthey¡¯re going after specific targets mostly anyway.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Any other rumors or sightings, anyone?¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°A few, and I guess they could be similar. Big hulking figure to some, a demon to others. I only heard a few people mention things, and none of them leapt out to me as really important.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Nelys asked.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°I guess I just assumed them to be the usual empty rumors.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said easily. ¡°Is that all then?¡±

    Taava and Seyari nodded.

    Nelys jumped out of their chair again. ¡°Let¡¯s go then! This time for real!

    I stared down at the empty porridge bowl for a longing moment, then determined I was full enough, got up, and picked up my spear and shield from where I¡¯d set them leaning against the table. ¡°Nelys is right¡ªlet¡¯s get paid up and get going.¡±

    Seyari and Taava stood too, the half angel taking my hand in hers. We should tell the others soon. Taava, meanwhile looked at me and then the bowl and asked, ¡°Ya want some ta go?¡±

    ¡°Taava!¡±

    ***

    We didn¡¯t make it very far from the inn before I noticed a familiar figure with two short brown braids walking toward us. Vivian was armed even more so than usual, and the magic I got off her equipment made me wonder what sort of connections she had to acquire all that in a single night. Like the last times I¡¯d seen her, she was wearing hunting leathers, though this time with the bulk of armor underneath.

    Seyari and Taava tensed next to me, and I felt my own shoulders tightening. Around us, the city was busy with the hum of late morning, a clear sky melting snow only where the sun touched. Vivian continued to walk with purpose and head low, so I waved to her. Surely she wasn¡¯t going to try to attack me in the middle of all these people?

    ¡°Vivian!¡± I called out. ¡°Fancy running into you here! Did you report what happened last night?¡±

    The lone mercenary walked closer before replying. ¡°I did. Pity they attacked first.¡±

    So that¡¯s your angle. I decided to play along for now. ¡°A pity, but they¡¯d shown more than enough for their guilt. Why meet us here?¡±

    ¡°Your offer,¡± the mercenary added, studying the faces of my comrades¡ªonly Nelys smiled and offered their name. ¡°I intend to take it.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± I nodded. ¡°The strange one is Taava and the dour one is Seyari.¡±

    To my surprise neither voiced complaint at my introduction. Safe to say they trust Vivian less than I even do, then.

    ¡°Have you found anything?¡± Vivian asked, turning to walk in the direction we¡¯d been headed.

    I followed her, the others behind me. ¡°I have. Someone or some thing is killing the killers so to speak. They don¡¯t seem to have any unusual awareness of the deaths, and they move between here and the smaller towns to the south.¡±

    ¡°Are they here now?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Maybe¡ªthey were here last.¡±

    ¡°Then I may know where to look. Do you believe the hunter is a demon?¡±

    I thought for a moment before replying. ¡°I do, yes. The behavior is unusual for a lesser wrath demon, so I believe them to be a greater wrath demon¡ªor potentially a demon of another kind.¡±

    ¡°Can wrath demons have human guises?¡± Vivian asked in the tone of someone who already knew the answer.

    ¡°Rarely,¡± I answered vaguely.

    Vivian nodded. ¡°Then it would match with sightings I¡¯ve heard talk of: a hulking, near human monstrosity with red skin and big claws. A demon, to most.¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear of sightings like that?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°The best I could get were vague rumors and secondhand accounts.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you weren¡¯t persuasive enough¡ªor you didn¡¯t check the right places,¡± Vivian said smugly.

    Seyari seethed.

    The lack of sightings was starting to make more sense the more I thought about it¡ªparticularly if the demon was near enough to human shape to move about semi-unnoticed. The dead were, in general, found in isolated locations, so there were few witnesses. Perhaps the victims were lured. Still, someone had to have seen something, so I didn¡¯t doubt Vivian¡¯s information. Concern over her methods however? I had plenty of that.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to work together, we should at least be passingly courteous,¡± I said to no one in particular, myself included. ¡°Do you have any leads, Vivian?¡±

    ¡°I do. One dead last night. Apparently, while we were having a chat, someone else was being ripped apart. Lucky for you, that means I know you didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Lucky me,¡± I replied with obviously fake enthusiasm. ¡°Where did it happen?¡±

    ¡°An old church in the south of Gedon. Mostly abandoned from what I gathered, but I¡¯ve not been over there yet myself since I didn¡¯t hear about it until I visited the guard.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Nelys asserted.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Seyari agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Vivian relented. ¡°You all can come along. I suppose Zarenna¡¯s friends count toward taking her up on the offer of working together.¡± She turned and started to walk away, clearly intending us to follow. So I did.

    I wasn¡¯t quite certain whether to expect a trap or an actual lead, but given the solo mercenary¡¯s zealousness and the potential that my tirade last night had an effect, I tried to stay cautiously optimistic.

    Unfortunately, the newcomer¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t well-received by my friends and the walk through the city was tense. Seyari knew all that happened last night, but Taava and Nelys didn¡¯t know everything, and I felt bad for cutting them out of the loop, even accidentally.

    While we walked, I tried to get more information out of Vivian. ¡°So, any idea where the culprit might be?¡±

    ¡°It has to lair somewhere in the city to avoid being found out. And given the location of the killing, and the lack of sightings, I¡¯d bet it didn¡¯t go far.¡±

    ¡°And you think you might know where it¡¯s hiding in a dense part of the city?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°How?¡±

    Vivian shrugged, weapons rattling. Without turning around, she answered the half-angel. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly where, but I know the neighborhood, and I have a lot of experience with this sort of thing.¡±

    Seyari clicked her tongue. ¡°Fair enough¡­ I suppose.¡± I felt a little sympathy with how she forced her tone to stay cordial.

    For all she¡¯d disowned her previous life, Seyari always had a sore spot when it came to people implying her inexperience. Given she was half-angel (more, actually, but saying three-quarters-angel would both raise eyebrows and take too long), most people assumed correctly she was older than she looked.

    Vivian seemingly ignored the angel part of her. I was honestly a little surprised the mercenary hadn¡¯t asked why a demon was traveling with a half-angel.

    Right now, however, wasn¡¯t the time to ask. Dressed, armed, and in a group as we were, we drew plenty of stares. Vivian walked with a purpose, glaring at anyone who looked at us too long. Seyari did the same, and I had the unfortunate feeling I was alone with Nelys in trying to mollify the people who hurried away from our group around corners or into buildings.

    Really, I imagined Nelys was the only one who managed to look pleasant. Seyari had told me my resting expression was¡­ stern I think would be the best word. Honestly, she¡¯d called my face a lot of things last night. And the rest of me. And I¡¯d done the same to her.

    With some sadness, I wrangled my thoughts back in place just in time for Vivian to announce we were getting close to the area. We turned off the main street and onto a dirt side street where the buildings quickly grew smaller and more densely clustered.

    Hopefully we¡¯d get to the bottom of at least one part of this whole massive mess today.

 Chapter 118: Forlorn Isolation

    ¡°How do you plan to find the culprit?¡± I asked Vivian as she walked forward, scanning the jumble of buildings.

    ¡°Have you been through here, demon?¡± she asked, now apparently comfortable enough with our surroundings to call me a demon openly.

    The question caught me off guard. ¡°I haven¡¯t been through this exact area, no. Why would that matter?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re using nightsbane, aren¡¯t you?¡± Seyari asked confidently.

    ¡°I am. We¡¯ll see what we can find where the killing happened and go from there¡ªtalk to a few people. I¡¯ll need some space, demon, unless you want to give a false signal.¡±

    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. ¡°Unless I use my magic or touch it, I¡¯m not going to turn nightsbane black.¡±

    Vivian turned and raised an eyebrow. I chose not to elaborate.

    As if to test me, she held up a sprig of nightsbane, frowning when the golden flower didn¡¯t blacken. After giving me a glare, she resumed walking. ¡°That makes this easier. The simplest way then is to test this at several locations around where the remains were found. I¡¯d advise against moving too far apart as we don¡¯t know what the demon we¡¯re up against is capable of.¡±

    ¡°And because ya want ta keep an eye on us!¡± Taava spoke up cheerily.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Vivian replied simply, tying a sprig of nightsbane around her wrist. She passed out sprigs to everyone except me. ¡°Stay close,¡± she said, taking the lead. ¡°See that church at the end of the street? That¡¯s the place.¡±

    Seyari grumbled, but didn¡¯t seem to find anything she needed to comment on. Nelys looked to be deep in thought, observing our surroundings and glancing surreptitiously at Vivian.

    I followed Vivian¡¯s finger to the only notable building in the area, an old church. Despite the rough state of the surrounding buildings, the church wore its age and wear with a sort of quiet dignity, even fading into decay. From here, a lichen-covered statue and symbol of Dhias were visible, each capped with snow.

    Such a stark image made me wonder whether the church was declining in Edath. After all, until Ordia¡¯s original conquest of the region, Dhias had been at best a minor faith. Some parts, the south particularly, held onto old ways, at least in part, revering demons. I doubted they did so in the same way someone would revere Dhias, but still.

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said with a nod, once I realized everyone was looking at me.

    ¡°Wondering if you¡¯ll burn in the church, demon?¡± Vivian taunted acerbically.

    I shrugged. ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t think Dhias himself has anything against me personally. Also, if a demon killed someone inside of the place, I doubt it would set me on fire.¡±

    Vivian scowled, and without a word, she started to walk toward the disused church. ¡°Do you have any abilities that could help us search?¡±

    ¡°Aura sight.¡± I activated the ability, and the mercenary glanced my way. ¡°But I¡¯m not the best at recognizing an aura as specifically demonic.¡±

    Vivian looked at my eyes, clearly noticing the fact they no longer looked human. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone we might talk to see you like that.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m that oblivious?¡±

    Vivian didn¡¯t answer and instead resumed walking. The few people out and about avoided us, but I didn¡¯t see any unusual magic, or catch anyone running somewhere in a hurry.

    ¡°So,¡± I started softly. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize for my rant last night, but I¡¯d like to know what got you into tracking down demons without being a part of the Church of Dhias. If you don¡¯t mind that is.¡±

    Vivian shrugged, glancing once again down at the golden sprig of nightsbane. ¡°Simple. Demon did me wrong. Church did me wrong.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if I ask what¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes. I do mind.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Fair enough. Do you often kill people like last night?¡±

    ¡°Not if I don¡¯t have to. I¡¯d been after that lot for a couple weeks, hoping to lure out something nastier. No luck, and when I saw them with you, I figured something was about to go down. From what you said, I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you weren¡¯t,¡± I said quietly.

    I didn¡¯t try any more small-talk.

    As we drew closer to the building, I took a moment to appreciate the old stones of its construction.

    Iconography made it clear the church was for Dhias, but I didn¡¯t feel much of a¡­ pressure? coming from the building. While Vivian checked the door, and Seyari and Nelys checked the large windows, some panes of which were missing or destroyed, Taava kept watch.

    I laid my hand on the cold stone of the church¡¯s wall and thought about the shrine in the woods where Seyari and I had spent the night. Even abandoned, the shrine had held a sort of presence that this building lacked. So, it wasn¡¯t an absence of worshippers that could remove the feeling of a holy place, but something else. This church wasn¡¯t destroyed, but it certainly looked ignored.

    Perhaps that was it¡ªdisinterest decayed what absence couldn¡¯t.

    Satisfied with something, Vivian moved from the door to me. ¡°You go in first, demon. If I have your cooperation, I¡¯m not going to hesitate to use you to shield myself.¡±

    I nodded silently. I didn¡¯t mention feeling no presence to Vivian, but I did open the door and walk inside. As I expected, I felt nothing, but I definitely saw something.

    Inside the church, beyond a small entrance under the tower, the nave was in ruins. Pews, scattered, shattered, and burned, were strewn across the floor. In sharp contrast, the pulpit stood undamaged over the wreckage. Two small, closed doors sat at the back, clearly leading to more rooms. Whoever died here had gone down fighting, and it also probably explained why the killing had been found so quickly¡ªand why Vivian knew about it.

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    As I walked in deeper, my footprints in the dust followed the sole recent pair that moved beyond the entranceway. Cold winter light streamed in through windows far above my head, unconcerned by breaks in the glass.

    I kept my wits about me, even in the silence, as I strode forward into the ruined nave. Behind me, I could hear the others entering quietly.

    Here and there my eyes caught dark dots of blood spatter. A dark pool, still not quite dry in the cold afternoon, sat in the center of a cleared area, the stone floor under it cracked and scorched.

    I inclined my head toward the place, then kept walking, taking the steps up to the raised area around the pulpit. Behind it sat a statue of Dhias, surprisingly intact. I turned around and looked out over the ruins. What a sight to preside over¡­

    Vivian reached the body and we both saw the nightsbane blacken. At this point, I wasn¡¯t surprised. Seyari¡¯s eyes glowed as well, as she glanced about the scene before closing them and sighing heavily. She motioned for me to come closer, so I did.

    ¡°Demon. Wrath would be my guess,¡± Seyari whispered.

    Vivian frowned, glancing at me. ¡°As I suspected.¡±

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t have done this,¡± I hissed.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    Taava joined us, her eyes the kind of hard serious that usually accompanied a sharp change in accent. This time, however, they didn¡¯t. ¡°No one¡¯s gone through the windows. Breaks¡¯re all old¡ªno blood either.¡±

    To one side, Nelys was still investigating the nave.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± I asked Seyari, then turned to Vivian. ¡°Do you have more nightsbane? Would it have turned?¡±

    ¡°I do, and it should be safe¡ªlingering magic is rarely strong. We should check the other rooms, then the exterior¡ªfind out when and how the demon escaped.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t out the front door unless it flew,¡± Nelys said, joining the group. ¡°There¡¯s only one set of footprints in the dust that goes all the way in and isn¡¯t ours. There are two sets from one of the back doors, though, and they look the same. They also don¡¯t have shoes.¡±

    ¡°No shoes?¡± I asked. ¡°Claws?¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Yeah, like yours but a little less human-shaped a little. Big¡ª¡± they held up a finger¡¯s width ¡°¡ªclaws.¡±

    Vivian raised an eyebrow. ¡°Show me.¡±

    I could tell the lack of confidence rankled Nelys, but they smiled anyway and showed us all the prints in the dust. I couldn¡¯t really make out the features Nelys had mentioned, but Vivian seemed satisfied.

    She inclined her head up at me. ¡°You first.¡±

    ¡°You know, I¡¯d be a lot happier if you¡¯d just point or stay silent. I¡¯d volunteer on my own, you know.¡±

    Vivian responded by pointing silently at the door the footprints led to.

    I sighed. Walked into that one¡ªthough I can¡¯t say she did it for the joke. I doubted Vivian had any real capacity for humor. Sad as that may have been, it also wasn¡¯t my business.

    I opened the door to reveal a small room. Another door, open, led to a back hall. A pair of spare pews sat along one wall, backs against the floor. The dust in here was very heavily disturbed, and also a lot thinner.

    I motioned toward the hallway.

    Seyari nodded, so I walked slowly down the small hall. Aside from another couple empty rooms that looked untouched, there was a door that led outside. I opened it slowly to find a narrow side street, cramped with buildings. Slushy mud by the entrance shone stark brown against the off-white of old snow.

    I closed the door and returned to the others. ¡°Empty. But there¡¯s tracks leading outside onto a narrow street. Some of the buildings looked empty¡ªa lot of them actually, and it¡¯s dense.¡±

    Vivian cursed softly. ¡°That¡¯ll take time to search.¡±

    ¡°Why are the buildings here empty?¡± Nelys asked.

    Vivian looked curiously at the small human before responding surprisingly candidly. ¡°The war. Gedon was right on the frontline, and the Edathan population in particular suffered from the war. This is a poor Edathan area of the city. You can figure the rest out.¡±

    Nelys¡¯s expression darkened and they nodded slowly. Taava had a faraway look that she hid by glancing away, while Seyari¡¯s expression remained hard.

    ¡°The demon¡¯s somewhere out there?¡± I asked.

    Vivian took one last look around the room and frowned. ¡°Well it¡¯s not in here.¡±

    Nelys glanced around, particularly at the floor, seemingly unsatisfied. ¡°I think we¡¯re missing something.¡±

    ¡°And I think we¡¯re wasting daylight,¡± Vivian snapped. ¡°Are you lot with me or not?¡±

    I ignored her. ¡°What are you thinking we missed, Nelys?¡±

    They shrugged. ¡°I dunno. Maybe I¡¯m just wrong.¡±

    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t waste any more time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Vivian stalked toward the rear door.

    I gave Nelys a questioning look, but they brushed it off with a forced smile and followed Vivian out and into the dense back alleys and decaying buildings.

    ***

    The sun was starting to dip low when we left the latest house. Aside from someone sharing another sighting of a ¡°demonic¡± figure, we¡¯d had no luck. Worse yet, I knew Nelys was still thinking about the church. I was too. Something about all the traffic in the back room versus the nave itself.

    But the room was empty. Empty save for the pews on the floor. On the floor. Why were they laid with their backs facing down? That would take up so much more space¡­

    ¡°Nelys?¡± I asked excitedly. ¡°What about the pews on the floor in that back room?¡±

    Nelys looked at me, confused for a moment, and then their eyes went wide. ¡°They could be covering something up! We have to go back!¡±

    I nodded, and looked to Vivian, expecting her to argue.

    Instead, she cursed. ¡°Damn. You might be right¡ªand we¡¯re finding fuck all out here anyway.¡±

    For once in agreement, the five of us legged it back to the church. The inside was much darker now without as much natural light, lending the whole place in a sinister air. Once inside the room, I lifted up one of the pews. Sure enough, underneath the old church bench was a trapdoor.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think a city like Gedon would have basements,¡± Seyari said, surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t they flood?¡±

    ¡°Not this far up from the river¡ªat least not as often,¡± Vivian answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± I volunteered, beating Vivian to the punch.

    Lifting the wooden trapdoor was easy, and I found myself moving down a surprisingly sturdy ladder into complete darkness. I could see just fine, but that didn¡¯t stop a small thrill of fear at just what I might be climbing down into.

    The answer turned out to be both a huge lead and massively disappointing. The stone-walled cellar was damp and nearly empty. Rotting racks may have once held wine, and the few crates down here were probably broken before this place fell into abandonment.

    There was, however, a dry area in the corner that held a pew from upstairs, now covered in rags and fabrics, torn in places. A bed. Someone¡¯s¡ªsome demon¡¯s, more likely¡ªbed.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe,¡± I called up to the others. ¡°Someone¡¯s been sleeping down here¡ªand there may be more clues I didn¡¯t see.¡±

    One by one they descended the ladder. I lit an orb of fire above my hand just as Vivian lit a hooded lantern and drew it open.

    ¡°Cut the fire,¡± the mercenary said. ¡°We don¡¯t want smoke or burning.¡±

    Begrudgingly, and in the face of another source of light, I did as she asked. The five of us, Taava included, searched the small cellar.

    ¡°Sure is a sad place ta be livin¡¯, but I¡¯ve seen worse. Warm¡ªmostly dry. Private.¡± The kazzel fished her arm out from under the bench. ¡°No nasties under here.¡±

    ¡°This may just be a place to sleep,¡± Seyari answered. ¡°But there¡¯s no food.¡±

    ¡°I also noticed that,¡± Vivian agreed. ¡°No food, and I doubt it¡¯s because whoever¡¯s staying down here is particularly neat.¡±

    ¡°More than that,¡± Nelys interjected, ¡°there¡¯s gouges on the bench as well¡ªdeep ones, too.¡±

    Vivian glanced around the room again, then frowned. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is how a wrath demon could stay like this. It¡¯s too clean¡ªsomething¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°Vivian, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Taava interrupted with a hiss. Hear ears swiveled around. ¡°There¡¯s someone up there.¡±

    We all tensed. A small room like this could become a deathtrap for most of the people here. Everyone but me and Sey, really¡ªunless Vivian was hiding even more than I assumed she was. In the stillness, I heard someone walking upstairs, a clacking sound following each footstep. The trapdoor was open¡ªthey had to know.

    And then a door opened and closed. Everyone exhaled. Into the quiet, I drew in a breath to speak, but was interrupted by shouting coming from inside the main room.

    I couldn¡¯t make out words, but shouts quickly turned into the sounds of a fight.

    Vivian was the first to react while I was thinking whether to go quiet or loud. ¡°Up. Now,¡± she hissed. ¡°Demon, you first.¡±

    She didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I nodded, reverted my transformation, then dashed past her toward the ladder. As I thundered up it, I heard Seyari behind me.

    ¡°Stay safe,¡± she said to Taava and Nelys. ¡°Stay hidden and wait for an opening!¡±

    With Seyari behind me and my pulse pounding, I ran from the back room toward a murder-in-progress.

 Chapter 119: Shoot First

    I tore into the nave, claws clacking against the floor. Ahead of me, another wrath demon¡ªfor that¡¯s all they could be¡ªwas standing up from a pile of gore they¡¯d been tearing into.

    They stood, surprisingly, taller than I did. Or, they would have had they the posture to stand up straight. Their shoulders and back rose up, immense and covered in short, fat black spikes. Their arms were unnaturally long and thick, each finger tipped with claws as long as kitchen knives. Their powerful legs tightened and claws gouged as they dashed toward me, tail swinging behind for balance.

    What caught my eye the most and gave me pause, however, was that, despite multiple sets of horns and tusk-like fangs, their red demonic eyes were crying.

    They were fast, in the way that only demons seemed capable of. I hardly had enough time to widen my stance and face their charge. Arms out, I caught them, wincing at the claws that tore into my arms and the spiked tail that wrangled with my own spaded one.

    ¡°Why?!¡± they growled in a low discordant tone, seeming to choke on the word.

    With the wind knocked out of me, I couldn¡¯t respond.

    The force of the impact sent me skidding back on the stones. I heard Seyari shout from the doorway, but I knew she didn¡¯t have a clear line of sight. I roared and tossed the other demon away from me, their claws getting last hits in on the way out.

    My opponent flew across the nave and into the stone wall, impacting it with a cracking sound. Bits of mortar fell down from the ceiling. Seyari fired a lance of holy light at them, burning through a leg as they tried to stand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill!¡± I shouted¡ªroared mostly.

    The next bolt from Sey went for the demon¡¯s other leg, charring muscle in a grazing hit. I pulled out my spear and shield and leapt across the nave in only a few bounds, crashing and splintering through already ruined pews. I didn¡¯t glance at the pile of viscera that was their latest victim, but its presence burned in my mind.

    Why indeed.

    My opponent recovered before I could reach them. Stumbling onto all fours, their long arms gave them the momentum they needed to roll out of the way of my spear. I brought my tail around, rotating the momentum of my thrust, caught them under the chin, toppling them.

    We wrestled back and forth for another few blows. They smashed my unenchanted shield in half with a swipe of their claws, and I put a few spear-holes in them when they weren¡¯t fast enough on crippled legs. In the background, I heard a shout from Seyari, but the only attention I could give her was a glance as she ran back toward the church¡¯s basement, form glowing with fury.

    The distraction cost me, and I lost the use of one of my lower arms, flesh shredded by half a dozen-knife-like talons.

    ¡°Why?!¡± the other demon roared again. ¡°Why won¡¯t they stop?!¡±

    They?

    I blocked another attack, stronger than ever with manic fury. For a moment, we were evenly matched. My eyes bored into theirs, searching. Their aura, a sputtering, brownish-crimson halo, ringed their form and only highlighted the pain in their eyes.

    Mad or not¡ªI have to know. Are you like me?

    For a brief moment, the fighting stilled, and my opponent hesitated. They know they¡¯re far more hurt than I am. Seizing the moment, I rushed forward and overpowered the weakened demon, sending them crashing through more shattered wood and into the wall below a window. The relief of Dhias standing over a wounded man shattered into a million pieces, cascading down over both of us in a piercing rain.

    My opponent, as determined as any wrath demon would be, didn¡¯t stay down long, despite the grievous injuries they now sported. With a hiss they stumbled upright, dark fire gathering at the tips of their claws. With a roar, they threw their arms forward, throwing a wall of demonic fire at me. I let the fire wash over me, let the flames wash away yet another set of clothes I really liked, destroying the top of my uniform and singeing my trousers.

    I didn¡¯t linger on how glad I was Fira had requisitioned a godsdamned trunk of spare sets.

    Instead, I lunged through the fire, tipping my spearpoint up from the other demon¡¯s heart to catch their shoulder. Lilly¡¯s enchanted spearhead dug easily into the stone wall behind them, pinning them under the shattered window.

    All around us, splintered wood burned and smoldered, the smoke rising up to meet the starry night outside. Blood pooled underneath them as their demonic healing started to fail. My own blood dripped down my sides as my magically-inflicted wounds started to slowly stop their bleeding.

    ¡°Why?¡± the demon asked again, softer this time.

    I let them continue, taking a step forward, but lowering my weapon.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we let go of the war?¡±

    I stopped.

    ¡°I just wanted¡­ it to end.¡±

    Suddenly it all made sense. Every pattern, every anecdote. Every single death with only a handful of exceptions.

    An immense cracking bang rang out in the empty church, drowning out the crackling of fire and the quiet sobs of the dying demon.

    Pain, as intense as when I¡¯d taken a holy lance form Seyari tore through my back. My legs collapsed, unfeeling and I toppled over in shock.

    What?

    ¡°Move,¡± the other demon said in a pained whisper. Their tone was deferential, and something about it resonated with me.

    I moved, rolling. A crossbow bolt, glowing so hard it hurt to look at, landed where my head had been a moment before.

    Across the nave, up by the pulpit, Vivian swore.

    Vivian.

    I remembered Seyari running back and my stomach flipped. My fianc¨¦e was nowhere to be seen. Did Vivian hurt her¡­ or worse?

    I rolled again, and another bolt caught my tail, burning like the fire I¡¯d never normally feel.

    You¡¯ve made your choice, Vivian.

    I let my rage explode, barely remembering to toss my spear free. Fire erupted around me, my magic surging out, burning away at the holy magic eating me. Legs still unresponsive, I used my lower arms and my tail to drag myself half upright.

    Vivian stood up at the pulpit, expression hard and crossbow drawn. She was injured, blood running in rivulets down from gashes across her face. Her eyes lit gold¡ªangel blooded, if only just. Almost emotionless, I could barely feel her fury, an impenetrable wall between me and it.

    Even dragging myself, I wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun her and get in close. So, I drew up my own magic, what was left that wasn¡¯t desperately trying to fix my legs.

    The mercenary fired again, the gleaming bolt far faster than it should have been. Even rolling, it caught my horn, shattering it and sending a shockwave of pain throughout my body.

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    Teeth gritted and eyes barely open through searing agony, I threw my fire at Vivian, willing it to follow when she rolled out of the way. Her eyes went wide, and then hellfire engulfed her. For a moment, I hoped it was over.

    And then a glow burned through the green-tinged crimson of my flames, scattering them before shattering. Vivian ripped off a smoking amulet and tossed it to one side, grimacing.

    I opened my eyes wide. My legs were almost healed, but I didn¡¯t know if I had time. Even so, if she had other defenses¡­ I probably couldn¡¯t take another hit.

    Vivian seemed to figure that out too. She didn¡¯t gloat, didn¡¯t taunt, didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, she reloaded and fired.

    I rolled out of the way, furious for once at my own weakness. Not mental weakness, not emotional or social weakness¡ªphysical weakness. Was the Sovereign of Wrath really this weak? Was Zerix¡¯Arranthariel really this weak?

    I brought my fury against Vivian¡¯s emotional wall like a battering ram. The mental construct broke apart the force of my assault, scattering it like leaves in autumn. All the reaction I managed to get out of Vivian was a single eye twitch.

    ¡°You won¡¯t have my mind, demon,¡± Vivian growled, speaking for the first time in our fight.

    I wanted to make it the last.

    She fired again, and I barely dodged again. My magic had managed to stem the damage from the holy bolts¡¯ magic, but I was flagging and whether or not I healed would be a close thing¡ªand not a fast thing.

    I almost reached for the dying demon, their emotions mollified by their approaching end, but I couldn¡¯t. If I live, they might live, too. A contract would save them, I seemed to know instinctually.

    My own remaining magic would have to be enough.

    Another bolt¡ªanother narrow miss. If Vivian was frustrated, she didn¡¯t show it. She simply loaded yet another bolt and ran her hand across it, lacing it with enough magic to put me down.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I coughed some blood and tried again, forcing magic into both my words and my fury. ¡°I am Zerix¡¯Arranthariel, the Sovereign of Wrath. BURN!¡± My voice rose in crescendo to a shout. The melodramatic words fed my magic like kindling to an infant fire, and the next barrage I sent at Vivian¡¯s wall wiped the neutral look off her face.

    She screamed. Agony, fear, anxiety¡ªwrath. Her ¡°impenetrable wall¡± shattered and my fury poured in like water from a collapsing dam. The mercenary stumbled, still managing to hold onto her crossbow and its glowing, loaded bolt. Something enchanted around her wrist caught fire¡ªthe green and blue of burning copper.

    She screamed again. ¡°No! I¡¯ll avenge¡ªI won¡¯t let¡ª¡± Her remaining words trailed off into an anguished scream as the white-hot fury of her emotion began to burn¡ªliterally. Her eyes glowed brighter gold, this time ringed with crimson as her own magic fought mine to the last. Locked in a battle of wills, we stared at each other through the smoke of burning pews, me prone on the floor and Vivian leaning against the pulpit like a deranged preacher, unable to raise her crossbow and end this.

    My magic set free and my fury burning bright, all I could do was watch. ¡°Why?¡± I hissed, the word burning. ¡°Why?!¡±

    ¡°You have¡­ to die.¡± Vivian spat, forcing the words out syllable by syllable. ¡°No good¡­ demons. No matter the¡ª¡±

    Vivian¡¯s eyes went wide. The golden glow they held sputtered out and crimson flooded in. Like a flame burning out of control, Vivian¡¯s anger began to consume her from the inside out. Crimson flames sputtered to life from her mouth, and then her eyes. The crossbow clattered to the ground, bumping its trigger and sending the final bolt into the ceiling.

    Behind a sheet of mortar, Vivian¡¯s form erupted into flames. In seconds, her entire body was engulfed, a black shadow, silent save for the crackling of flames. Frozen like a statue, the fire consumed it, and what had once been Vivian collapsed into a smoldering pile of bones and ash.

    If you killed any of my friends, I will find your soul and burn that too!

    My head pounded, mana exhaustion creeping black tendrils across my vision. Why hadn¡¯t I seen this coming? Why had I let a human of all things get the drop on me?

    Stupid. I¡¯d been colossally stupid.

    I collapsed against the cold stone floor, relieved. Remembering Lockmoth, and remembering that my fianc¨¦e might be dying only a room away, I fought through and stood up. My legs barely responded, my tail acting more to keep me up than they did, as I stumbled toward the back room.

    ¡°Seyari!¡± I shouted, voice hoarse. ¡°If you¡¯re still alive, it¡¯s over!¡±

    For a moment, I heard no response, and my heart seized. No. No, she can¡¯t have¡­ Seyari wouldn¡¯t lose to Vivian, right?

    Neither would I.

    From next to me, the other demon, still clinging to life, wheezed, ¡°Please¡­¡±

    In a horrifying moment, I realized I had to make another choice. One that couldn¡¯t really be a choice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡°Zarenna!¡±¡± Taava and Nelys shouted, voices echoing from the back room.

    My heart surged. They¡¯re alive!

    ¡°Seyari, she¡¯s¡ª¡± Nelys started.

    ¡°Alive! Real fucked up, but alive,¡± Taava interrupted.

    I stumbled from the whiplash of emotions. She¡¯s alive! Now I turned to look at the demon, their chest rising and falling shallowly as their eyes drifted closed.

    Not this time. Their words and their tears burned themselves into my memory. Are they really to blame, or just another victim?

    I limped over to them as fast as I could. ¡°Name?¡± I asked, thoughts of what to do snapping into place from instincts I barely understood.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Their head rolled lazily around to face me, eyes losing focus.

    ¡°Your name from before works. Pick one¡ªpick something.¡±

    ¡°Joisse...¡± they gasped.

    ¡°Then I, Zerix¡¯Arranthariel shall form a contract with Joisse, upon Joisse¡¯s acceptance. The terms are as such: Joisse shall not harm without reason. In exchange, I offer Joisse one one-hundredth of my power, or more for a time determined by me and if given freely by myself. If Joisse breaks this contract, their soul is forfeit unto me¡ªat my discretion.¡±

    Joisse looked at me blankly, eyes dimming.

    No. No!

    ¡°Do you accept?¡±

    Without hesitation, they hissed a very quiet, ¡°Yessss¡­¡± before their eyes closed.

    Did¡­ did it work?

    I heard two pairs of light footsteps run into the nave from the back room. They stopped dead the moment they entered¡ªdoubtless due to the carnage before them, and the sorry state of the two demons in the room. I stared at the demon in front of me, willing them to live¡ªfor the contract to work.

    After a heart-wrenching moment, I felt a small tug on my mana, insistent as though it had a right to what was mine. I gave not only what was asked, but a surge of extra from my nearly depleted reserves, hoping the feeling was what my mind told me it was. My heart stayed clenched, not yet ready to believe.

    Footsteps, now slower, walked toward me. I couldn¡¯t tear my gaze away, but I heard soft whispers that assured me the pair were Taava and Nelys.

    I watched the demon¡¯s chest rise again, then fall. Their eyes didn¡¯t flutter open, but as I crouched in front of them, their breathing evened out. I didn¡¯t stop giving them more of my magic until threads of blackness crept in at the edges of my vision.

    I failed Ruston, Lorelei, and Markus. I almost failed Seyari, Nelys, and Taava, too. Either way, I wouldn¡¯t fail Joisse: as another wrath demon, I could save them. Will I regret this? Who knows.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Seyari?¡± I asked my friends, finally getting a good look at them. While their clothing was torn, and they had scarring and dried blood in places, they looked mercifully unhurt. Or recently healed.

    ¡°Downstairs,¡± Nelys answered.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t wanna try ta get her up the ladder.¡±

    ¡°How bad is it?¡± I asked, afraid of the answer. Should I burn Vivian¡¯s bones, too?

    ¡°Seyari¡¯s in one piece,¡± Taava replied seriously. ¡°And breathin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Watch Joisse,¡± I told them both, looking at Nelys in particular. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±

    I gestured at the unconscious red demon, all spikes and unnatural limbs heaped into a pile that looked more dead than alive.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the backstabber?¡± Nelys asked, looking at Joisse, but ignoring them for now.

    I thrust a finger at the pile of bones and ash, a gleaming crossbow sitting untouched not even a meter away. ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±

    Taava glanced over at the pile of ash and smiled, showing sharp canines. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t see this coming. I could¡¯ve¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Nelys said, pulling me into a hug despite the blood and ash that covered me. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re too nice sometimes, but I think we all like that. Even Taava.¡±

    ¡°Yep! You¡¯re too damn nice, but it¡¯s fun ta watch ya learn when ta make with the fire.¡± Taava glanced down at the demon, eyes lingering on their wicked claws. ¡°Speakin¡¯ of¡­ Ya said to watch that one. They¡¯re not gonna¡­ ya know?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°They won¡¯t. If people come to check out what happened, stall them.¡±

    Nelys nodded, smiling faintly. ¡°Yes, boss.¡±

    ¡°Sure, boss,¡± Taava saluted, ears at attention.

    ***

    I gave up on the ladder after the first rung, and after checking that the darkness below was clear, I dropped, wincing a little from landing on bad legs.

    The room was a mess of cut furniture and oddly-contained scorch marks¡ªholy magic no doubt. Seyari sat on the pew, on top of the now-bloody rags. From here, I could see she was breathing slowly, and she opened one golden eye to glance my way when I came down.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, coughing. ¡°Hope you didn¡¯t think it was¡ª¡± she paused to cough ¡°¡ªtoo bad.¡±

    ¡°I was worried. When Vivian came out after you ran back¡ªI thought that¡­¡± I walked closer, noticing the burns across her body, and the broken arm that lay across her chest. Her lovely silver hair was scorched entirely off one side of her head. I ran my hand across it the surface and she winced.

    ¡°Shhh. I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s just hair, and by tomorrow I¡¯ll have something that looks intentional.¡± She looked up at me. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good yourself.¡± She pointed to my missing horn. ¡°Did you win?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Vivian¡¯s dead. Burned her to ash, and I only got shot twice.¡± I looked up, trying in vain to see my missing horn. ¡°That¡¯ll grow back again¡ªprobably. Are you okay to be moved?¡±

    She looked down at my legs, supported by my tail. ¡°Are you okay to move me?¡±

    I reflexively tried to answer yes, but shook my head instead. ¡°Probably not right now. Not enough working limbs.¡±

    Seyari frowned, then smiled suddenly enough to surprise me. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll guess we¡¯ll just wait here until your spine un-breaks.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it, despite everything. Despite all the pain and chaos and mistakes, I laughed.

 Chapter 120: Talk Later

    Reports of a ¡°mage duel¡± in the old church on the city¡¯s south end made their way to Guard Captain Kerra before sunset. By the time the sun had dipped under the horizon, she was on horseback tearing through the streets toward the church, half a guard contingent behind her. Given that, even abandoned, the church had become a battleground, at least one priest would be on the way as well.

    Could this be a false alarm? Maybe, but Kerra wasn¡¯t going to let this go. Not after the massacre the previous night. If she didn¡¯t take this seriously, there was a chance that parts of south Gedon would revolt against her guard¡¯s rule. As the Lord of Gedon was, perhaps fittingly, half-Ordian and half-Edathan, siding with the guards could lose him what little favor he had with the Edathan majority of the city.

    Really, the whole situation was a powder keg and there was a real chance that tonight could provide a spark.

    Dark smoke wisped up out of the side of the church as Kerra approached. Piles of slush had slid off the now-bare roof, and the front door was wide open to a dark interior lit by flickering firelight of a color that made Kerra¡¯s gut twist. A small, cautious crowd had gathered, but from the shuttered windows in nearby buildings it seemed most people had taken to hiding.

    ¡°Make way!¡± Kerra shouted to those in front of the doors.

    Startled, perhaps surprised at seeing the guard out here in such force, the crowd nevertheless moved aside and Kerra pulled up to the front door along with her guards. She couldn¡¯t see enough inside to make out anyone, nor did she hear sounds of fighting.

    The fires burning, however, had an unnatural crimson glow. Shit, maybe that crazy mercenary was onto something.

    ¡°Stay behind me, but at the ready!¡± Kerra shouted. ¡°There could still be someone¡ªor something¡ªinside.¡±

    The others formed up behind her, one asking ¡°Or something?¡±

    ¡°A demon¡ªand it¡¯s a good thing the Church is on its way,¡± Kerra said loud enough to be sure the crowd heard. ¡°Those fires are not the result of human magic.¡±

    Her words had the intended effect, and most of the spectators quickly made themselves scarce. With guard presence and Church in the wings, the chance of a panic was low enough to take the gamble to ensure civilians stayed away.

    Her guards stood tensely, the seriousness of their situation suddenly clear.

    ¡°Follow.¡± Kerra drew her sword. ¡°Watch all angles and be prepared to fight.¡±

    With those final words, the guards formed up and followed Kerra into the now-ruined church. Immediately, she noticed two figures standing in front of the slumped body of what could only be a greater demon. The pair¡¯s clothes were torn and bloody, but aside from a few tender-looking areas, they looked unhurt. The guard captain recognized them straight away as Gelles Company mercenaries, but she didn¡¯t allow herself to relax just yet.

    ¡°Hiya!¡± the cat-eared one called out. ¡°You¡¯re Guard Captain Kerra, yeah? Remember us?¡±

    Kerra stopped short, her sword hand tensing. ¡°I do, but not your name.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m Taava!¡± the cat beastfolk gave a bow that ended in a flourish. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve been real hard at work tryin ta catch the culprits!¡±

    Around Kerra, her guards moved into formation, wary. ¡°And you¡¯ve had luck?¡± the guard captain asked.

    Behind her, one of her guards tried to direct a civilian away, to no luck. The chatter added an extra layer of anxiety to an already tense situation.

    ¡°We have!¡± the smaller person said excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m Nelys if you don¡¯t remember. Anyway, we found out that the culprit behind the brutal murders was going after people who¡¯d already killed people!¡±

    Guard Captain Kerra had a good idea Taava and the other person¡ªNel-something?¡ªwere trustworthy as they were members of the Gelles Company. She also remembered they had a half-angel with them. That would explain the healing¡ªbut it wouldn¡¯t explain where said half angel or their freakishly tall leader, Zarenna, went.

    ¡°Really?¡± Kerra asked, still anxious. This had the potential to be a big lead¡ªa pattern could be used to predict and get ahead of a killer. ¡°And how do you know this?¡±

    ¡°We asked around!¡± Nelys replied. ¡°Your contact helped us with our investigation, remember?¡±

    Kerra nodded, relieved. They seem to be who they say they are, and not possessed. ¡°Yes, I do. My apologies, but you can never be too sure when dealing with demons.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I totally get that!¡± Taava said. ¡°Some demons are real jerks!¡±

    Some demons?

    ¡°Where¡¯s your leader and your half-angel friend?¡± Kerra asked.

    ¡°Seyari,¡± Nelys replied. ¡°Seyari¡¯s our fourth and she¡¯s with Zarenna right now¡ªboth of them were hurt pretty badly.¡±

    Kerra glanced at the slumped demon once again. Immediately, her eyes went wide and she dropped into a fighting stance. Its chest rose and fell with a slow breath. By Dhias, it was still alive! ¡°Why is the demon still alive?¡± she asked icily, ready to cut the two in front of her down if they¡¯d been corrupted.

    ¡°Boss saved ¡®em,¡± Taava replied, similarly tensing as her hands twitched by the handles of her twin daggers. ¡°They think the demon was just tryin¡¯ ta stop the killin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Demons don¡¯t act like that,¡± Kerra hissed. ¡°Stand aside. We¡¯ll finish the job and you two can come quietly. The Church will be here shortly and they can sort out what sort of thing¡¯s got a hold on your minds.¡±

    ¡°Wrath demons don¡¯t do that!¡± Nelys protested, still in a casual stance despite tight-looking shoulders. They held a hand over a pendant under their shirt and continued, ¡°Wrath demons mess with anger, not anything else¡ªand Zarenna and Seyari would know.¡±

    ¡°Why would they know?¡± Kerra motioned for the guard to circle the pair. ¡°And we can have this discussion when the demon¡¯s dead. No more stalling. Move aside.¡±

    ¡°Aw, shit,¡± Taava swore, then whispered. ¡°We tried. Sorry, boss.¡± To Kerra¡¯s surprise, the beastfolk pulled the sheath strings and let her daggers fall to the floor. ¡°I know when I¡¯m beat.¡±

    Nelys stared at them with a look of betrayal. They looked at the assembled guards and slowly surrendered. Footsteps from further in the church split Kerra¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Secure them!¡± she motioned to two guards, then turned to Nelys and Taava. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªwe¡¯ll get you out of this. You three!¡± She pointed to three guards. ¡°Go check on that noise. The other two should cooperate as well, but retreat if they don¡¯t.¡±

    As the only one in the guard with an enchanted blade, Kerra was the one who stepped forward to finish the demon off. She raised the blade, ignoring shouts from the pulpit. Footsteps thundered toward her and she tuned out their urgency, bringing the blade down on the wounded demon.

    A hand caught her wrist mid-swing, and a rush of air accompanied a figure standing beside her. Her remaining guards all hesitated, and she realized why when she looked up.

    Zarenna of the Gelles Company, her face slightly battered and her eyes tired, looked down at Kerra almost apologetically. The Guard Captain wrenched her wrist and blade loose, taking a quick step back and bringing the blade up in a defensive stance.

    ¡°There¡¯s been a misunderstanding, I think,¡± Zarenna started. ¡°I can explain, if you¡¯ll let me.¡±

    ***

    It was a gamble to let go of Guard Captain Kerra¡¯s hand. She eyed me warily, understandably given the still-living demon behind me and two non-demons trying to cover for it.

    I must have looked a mess in a rag-made chest covering and charred trousers. Truthfully, my legs had only just healed and without the anger of someone by the door, I wouldn¡¯t have made it in time. That same someone interrupted the silence.

    ¡°You!¡± Jenz shouted, taking the chance in the confusion to come forward. ¡°Did¡­ did you get them?¡±

    I didn¡¯t dare take my eyes off the weapons in front of me to check Joisse. I was hurt and drained enough that a single magicked blade could end my life if I wasn¡¯t careful. ¡°They won¡¯t be killing anyone else without good reason,¡± I answered truthfully.

    Jenz¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Did you kill them?¡±

    Kerra glanced between us, unsure whether she should intervene. Back by the pulpit, I heard Seyari talking to the other guards. Nelys and Taava stood by Kerra and her guards, clearly having surrendered, if Taava¡¯s sheathed daggers by my feet were any indication. It¡¯s not like she doesn¡¯t have half a dozen knives on her still.

    I looked Jenz in the eyes. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked pointedly.

    ¡°Yes, Zarenna, why not?¡± Kerra added. ¡°Why would you choose a demon over a human.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°And moreover,¡± the guard captain continued, ¡°how did you pull that trick just now? I¡¯m not aware that a half-angel could give someone that kind of speed or strength.¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°I chose the person who attacked the front of me rather than the person who attacked my back.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Kerra snapped.

    ¡°Vivan, the mercenary you were having a shouting match with before we met you,¡± I clarified. ¡°She ambushed me right as I incapacitated Joisse.¡±

    Kerra dared to glance around the room. ¡°What did you do to her?¡±

    ¡°Fought back so I wouldn¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s her body, then?¡± Kerra asked.

    ¡°Right there.¡± I paused to keep my voice level, and pointed at the pulpit. ¡°It¡¯s that pile of bones and ash¡ªsee her crossbow next to it?¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Guard Captain Kerra glanced at Vivian¡¯s remains, then the crossbow, and she tensed. I felt her anger rising, but I left it for now.

    I heard a sharp intake of breath from Seyari. She marched forward, flanked by guards that seemed unsure if they should arrest her or protect her. Her gaze was steely and she walked right in between me and Kerra, jabbing a finger into my chest. ¡°You saved the demon?!¡±

    I winced. ¡°They¡­ They said they just wanted to stop the killing, and I really think they meant it.¡±

    I saw Seyari¡¯s hand approach my face faster than my tired reflexes could stop, and far faster than a human¡¯s. My cheek burned, her glowing hand leaving a scorching imprint on my face.

    The slap that rang out through the church silenced everyone.

    ¡°How could you?!¡± Seyari shouted, eyes narrow. ¡°You could¡¯ve died! If Vivian didn¡¯t kill you, what¡¯s to say the demon wouldn¡¯t finish the job? What about the future?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I stammered.

    ¡°You!¡± Seyari repeated, jabbing a finger right onto my gem, pushing it in. ¡°Are the most optimistic, na?ve person on Varra! You want to redeem a wrath demon that we know has been killing people? Are you ready for the consequences if things don¡¯t turn out the way you hope?¡±

    ¡°Sey, I¡­¡± the room around us, from the guards watching to Taava and Nelys seemed to shrink away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I just¡­¡± I had a feeling. I knew as the Sovereign of Wrath that I had a chance, but I couldn¡¯t say that in front of everyone. When I blinked, I felt tears.

    I¡¯m not the one who should be crying right now. The thought didn¡¯t stop me from crying, though.

    Seyari¡¯s gaze softened, turning into a frown. She seemed to war with herself for a minute before she heaved a sigh and surprised me by pulling me into a hug. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have you any other way,¡± she said softly and I felt her own tears start into the rags covering my chest. ¡°Well, maybe a little less reckless¡­¡±

    Hesitantly at first, I gave her a two-armed hug back.

    ¡°You¡¯re too damn nice for this world, Zarenna. Demon or not. At least you know when to draw a line, but you¡¯d better be ready for what comes next.¡± Seyari said, looking up at me with wet gold eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try¡ªI will.¡± I pecked Sey on the cheek, uncaring of our audience.

    To that, Seyari smiled wickedly. ¡°Good. Make sure you keep protecting your friends, Renna.¡±

    ¡°Is that an order?¡± I joked.

    ¡°Is it, boss?¡± Seyari asked jokingly.

    I shrugged. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t try to redeem the next mindless demonic mass I meet.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s retort was interrupted by a polite, but insistent cough from Guard Captain Kerra. I only now noticed the whole group was staring at us, including some decidedly non-guard witnesses hovering just outside the church entrance.

    Seyari whirled and gave the guard captain a death glare. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you two¡­¡± Kerra trailed off under the half-angel¡¯s withering gaze.

    ¡°We¡¯re done now,¡± Seyari replied icily. ¡°So: what?¡±

    ¡°What happened between you and Vivian?¡± the guard captain asked.

    Seyari answered, concisely. ¡°I was barely able to save Nelys and Taava, and I had to pull a trick to get her to think she¡¯d killed us.¡±

    ¡°And she shot me in the back while I was fighting the demon. She gave me no choice but to kill her.¡±

    ¡°And with magic like that,¡± Kerra whispered, then continued, louder. ¡°Why would Vivian attack you? I hold no sympathy for the woman, but you two were hunting the same target and she didn¡¯t seem like the type to care much about more than making sure they were dead. Was it because you spared the demon?¡±

    I answered honestly. ¡°No. That was after. Vivian tried to kill me because I¡¯m also a demon¡ªand before you try to kill me too, you should know that the Gelles Company also knows, and I¡¯m in their records as a demon. The only reason I¡¯ve kept a human transformation active this long is because you¡¯d have killed Joisse, or maybe all of us, if I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Joisse?¡± Kerra asked.

    I raised my eyebrows¡ªthat was not the first question I¡¯d expected. Is she okay that I¡¯m a demon? I continued my explanation, ¡°The demon of wrath behind me, who Seyari just chewed me out for saving. They wanted to end the fighting¡ªalthough I think we can both agree their methods were barbaric and may have made things worse.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it wanted something like that?¡± Kerra snapped.

    ¡°They told me. I didn¡¯t understand at first, but I let them talk. I guess more accurately, I could listen because they weren¡¯t able to kill me.¡±

    ¡°You said you¡¯re a demon. How can I believe what you say?¡± Kerra snapped.

    I heard approaching hoofbeats and glanced out at the street. ¡°Check with Gelles Company records. You¡¯ve heard what I have to say and I¡¯m tired of playing degrading games to get people to maybe trust me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Jenz¡¯s whisper would have been lost were it not for the silence that lingered tensely after my last statement. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, done is done. I talked to Zarenna last night and she seemed an honest sort¡ªdemon or no. This damn war keeps taking from us even after¡­¡± he choked up for a moment, all eyes on him. ¡°Even after so long. I just want to be done with it, damn the consequences.¡±

    Guards motioned for the man to back up and he did so, head hanging after shooting me one last, complex look. I watched him walk away. I hope he finds peace.

    ¡°Do you think this is ¡®done with it?¡¯¡± Kerra gestured around the ruined church, her hand landing with a finger pointing at Joisse.

    ¡°They¡¯re under my contract now. They won¡¯t harm anyone without reason.¡±

    ¡°Without reason?¡± Kerra¡¯s voice cracked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a demon of wrath, not a pacifist.¡±

    ¡°How can I tell you¡¯re not bluffing?¡±

    I ended my human transformation, my symbol clearly visible above my hastily-done chest binding. ¡°I can prove this, but I already said I¡¯m not jumping through hoops for you. Believe me or don¡¯t¡ªyou have every bit of evidence I¡¯m not lying.¡±

    The guards all took a step back. Now that my nature was visually open, I¡¯d bet the situation just got a lot more real for them. Unfortunately, that was when the church arrived.

    ¡°Demon!¡± someone shouted, a blinding light forming in the doorway. ¡°Everyone! Move!¡±

    Do you really think you can shout that and I won¡¯t listen?

    I moved quickly, grabbing Joisse and rolling to one side. Sure enough, a lance of holy magic speared where I just was a moment ago. I came up to swords drawn from the guards. Nelys had slipped free and Taava was also in the process of breaking the hold on her, if the knee she had in her grappler¡¯s groin was any indication.

    Seyari, meanwhile, had pulled her sword out and was clashing defensively with Guard Captain Kerra.

    Injured and drained as I was, and with an unconscious demon to keep safe, I didn¡¯t like my odds. The people fighting me weren¡¯t truly angry either, confused and frightened¡ªmaybe even determined¡ªbut they held little fury. Moreover, if I fought the Church and the Gedon city guard here, I could lose everything I¡¯d worked so hard for.

    Not to mention the fact the guard really just wanted the same thing I did. Not everyone was going to shoot me in the back after feigning cooperation like Vivian had. Even if it did feel like that sometimes. Did she plan some of this?

    ¡°Zarenna Miller!¡± I shouted instead of trying to fight. ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna Miller of the Gelles Company! You should have been informed I was in the city, either by the company or by High Priest Yevon Styon!¡±

    Someone from the church raised their hand to cease fire. ¡°I¡¯m surprised High Priest Styon would say to ignore a demon¡ªeven with the unusual circumstances.¡± His eyes slid over to Seyari and Kerra.

    ¡°Why?!¡± I half roared.

    The man looked taken aback, his eyes widening.

    ¡°Well?¡± I shouted the question. ¡°I fought this demon¡±¡ªI hefted Joisse for emphasis¡ª"to a standstill. Sure, I killed a human mercenary, but she shot me in the back under the guise of cooperation and nearly killed my friends¡ªplus she¡¯d been going around killing people already. All I did wrong was break a window.¡±

    The church leader stammered, and the guard closed toward me. I called their bluff and stood my ground. They stopped short. Taava and Nelys, meanwhile, stopped wrestling with the guards holding them and watched too. Seyari stood a few paces behind me, hefting Vivian¡¯s crossbow just in case.

    ¡°I¡¯m a demon. I get that. But I have proof of my sincerity and you damn well know it.¡± I jabbed a claw the priest¡¯s way for emphasis.

    ¡°W-what of the other demon, then?¡±

    ¡°I placed them under a demonic contract not to hurt anyone without reason. And before you find a way to fault me for that¡ªwe are both demons.¡±

    ¡°What if that thing breaks the contract?¡± the church leader, a priest most likely, asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them myself. But I don¡¯t think they can¡ªor will. They only wanted an end to the killing, though their desires became twisted.¡±

    ¡°But what if they kill someone¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stop them. If I fail, then I¡¯ll kill them myself.¡±

    ¡°What if¡ª¡±

    ¡°The contract of a sovereign demon isn¡¯t so easily broken.¡±

    The priest froze. Everyone else just seemed confused by my words, while I watched the older man¡¯s eyes drift to my symbol and widen upon seeing the gemstone. ¡°Sovereign¡­¡± his voice trailed off.

    Kerra sensed the mood of the room and drew her guard back. They lowered their weapons, but didn¡¯t sheathe them.

    ¡°Wrath,¡± I stated simply. ¡°Sorry about the church¡ªI have nothing against Dhias himself. If you¡¯ll excuse me, we all need rest, Joisse more than most.¡±

    The priest and his followers looked around the ruined church. ¡°Desecration,¡± he said simply.

    ¡°I felt no presence when I arrived here,¡± I explained honestly, barely resisting the urge to shrug and ruin my regal image. ¡°Whether that was Joisse¡¯s fault, the fault of whoever led their victim here, or if the place was simply abandoned, I can¡¯t say. I¡¯m sorry it happened¡ªI¡¯ll try not to get ambushed in another church to Dhias.¡±

    The priest glared at me and held a hand up as if waiting to give a signal.

    I tensed, watching and flexing the claws of my hands not holding Joisse. I don¡¯t know if I can win a fight right now, let alone while keeping Joisse safe.

    ¡°Will the demon show its true colors?¡± the priest asked aloud. Not in a particularly haughty tone like I¡¯d expected, but rather a challenging one¡ªlike he was actually looking for an answer.

    ¡°Do you mean ¡®will the demon defend herself?¡¯¡± I hissed. ¡°Because if you think I¡¯m going to just stand here and let you strike me down, you must think people and posts are the same thing.¡±

    The priest glared at me, but his hand stayed upright. Kerra and Seyari still stood squared off and everyone else also tensed, waiting for the fight to resume. The few remaining civilians scattered.

    ¡°Well?¡± I broke the silence, putting my all into faking bravado I didn¡¯t have. ¡°Are you gonna try to put some new holes in me or not? If you give the order to attack, there¡¯s a good chance I can get to you before you take me down. And my friends aren¡¯t nearly so hurt as I am.¡±

    ¡°If I give the order to attack?¡± the priest asked, and his legitimate surprise, well, surprised me.

    ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± my harsh-toned bravado puttered out and I imagined my voice to sound meeker than it probably did. ¡°You attack me¡ªI defend myself. It¡¯s pretty damn simple.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± the priest dared to take his eyes off me to look over the crowd of various people.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked, forcing my voice down to a low shout. ¡°Hmm?! Don¡¯t ¡®hmm¡¯ me!¡±

    Even some of the priest¡¯s subordinates started to look unsure. The few who weren¡¯t fixated on me with looks of pure hatred, contempt, or both that was.

    ¡°You¡¯d actually wait until we attacked, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± the priest asked.

    ¡°Yes. Now can you make a damn decision?¡±

    The priest thought a moment, his eyes staring into mine as if my eyeballs held deep wisdom. ¡°I can.¡±

    Slowly, he lowered his hand. I heard shouts of complaint from the priest and surprise from the guards. I relaxed, but only slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to thank you for not attacking me a second time, you know,¡± I spat.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to, demon,¡± the priest replied acerbically.

    ¡°So what now?¡±

    The priest looked from me to his subordinates, a few of whom looked quite obviously conflicted. ¡°Based on Yevon¡¯s judgment and your display here, I believe we may be able to acquiesce in this instance, but as Guard Captain Kerra and her men were here first, I want to hear what they observed.¡±

    I know Yevon is a high priest, but just how much influence does this guy have? Don¡¯t tell me that weirdo bailed me out of this!

    At the priest¡¯s words, I dared to turn away from him and his underlings and locked eyes with Kerra, blue staring into blue.

    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Kerra said carefully. ¡°She¡¯s shown no signs of aggression despite being antagonized far beyond what I would expect I would be able to tolerate.¡±

    I thought back to the shouting match she¡¯d had with Vivian right before we first met. Accurate.

    ¡°Then, in this instance, I believe you may carry on with your investigation,¡± the priest replied. ¡°We will have much work to do at this church to ensure its future sanctity, and I would much prefer it if Miss Miller were to leave the premises.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Fine, but I slept at an active shrine to Dhias and by morning I had the distinct feeling we¡¯d reached an understanding. Mostly because my skin stopped itching like the air was trying to burn me.¡±

    Several Church members openly gawked or glared at me. I didn¡¯t risk any further ¡°blasphemy¡± and transformed into my human form before I walked outside carrying Joisse. I really wanted to stay in my natural form, but since I didn¡¯t want to cause a panic, so given the recent demon sightings carrying Joisse around as anything other than human would be a bad idea.

    To my surprise, relief, confusion, and potentially even fear at what this might mean about High Priest Yevon, the Church folks just let me go. I¡¯m too tired to process this right now.

    Seyari walked up by my side the moment I made it through the ring of guards. ¡°I¡¯d have paid to see looks like those on any one of my old teachers¡¯ faces,¡± she teased, her tone not quite cordial. ¡°Sorry about not jumping in back there after we had our moment. You looked like you had it handled, and I was already getting enough dirty looks from the priest and his cronies.¡±

    Taava quickly grabbed her daggers and dashed out after Nelys, who stuck their tongue out at the assembled crowd of guards and church folks. Taava did a much more appropriate profane gesture instead.

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± Kerra started before I got too far for normal conversation, her (forced) polite tone giving me enough reason to turn and look her way. ¡°Could you come by my office tomorrow and bring¡­ Joisse? I have some questions to ask both of you.¡±

    ¡°Related to the investigation?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I waved a hand her way. ¡°I¡¯ll stop by tomorrow morning.¡±

 Chapter 121: Contracted

    No amount of assurances would get us back into the inn without a conflict. Carrying an unconscious wrath demon was too much.

    The Gelles Company, however, proved slightly more accommodating. They didn¡¯t have any rooms in the small office officially, but an angry, tired greater wrath demon helped grease the axle, so to speak. We ended up in a room I had to guess was a part-time office and part-time place for higher ups who might be traveling through. There was a bed to lay Joisse on, a desk, and a variety of stacked furniture.

    While we all waited anxiously for Joisse, I finally got a chance to sit down and the others got their chance to rake me over the coals as to why I saved the demon who¡¯d been murdering people.

    ¡°And you could¡¯ve been killed¡ªactually killed,¡± Seyari concluded, her expression serious. The serious expression matched her confident new haircut well: she¡¯d healed the burned patch and gotten my help to trim it into something at least semi-intentional: shaved close on one side, and long silver braids on the other. The style reminded me of Myrna a little.

    I realized I was staring again and started to reply. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were¡ª"

    ¡°Proud?¡± In a sense, yes. But I also could¡¯ve lost you and I can¡¯t accept that.¡±

    I lowered my head.

    ¡°Not ta pile on ya or anythin¡¯,¡± Taava added, ¡°but Sey¡¯s got a point.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to sound stupid, but I had this instinctual feeling I could help them with a contract. And before you call bullshit, I really do get those from whatever force made me the Sovereign of Wrath.¡± I awkwardly scratched at one of my horns, only to realize that one was still broken off.

    Seyari sighed, while Taava huffed and rolled her eyes.

    Nelys, breaking their long silence and having waited for me to finish, answered me. ¡°A lot of people do bad things for good reasons. Or because someone hurt them,¡± they said softly. ¡°Aretan told me that¡ªand Officer¡ªer, Guard Captain Lorton showed me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah but¡ª¡±

    Nelys shook their head slowly, curls only barely shifting. ¡°I¡¯m not done. Good reasons don¡¯t excuse bad things. You need to really become a better person for that, and not everyone can do that like Seyari has. If your instincts are wrong sometime, then¡­¡± they trailed off, but looked up and stared at me, eyes wet.

    I moved to hug them and they debated for a moment before leaning into it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. Then I said louder, to everyone, ¡°But I think I made the right call here. I killed the traitor and saved someone who was lost.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better be right!¡± Taava hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t try ta stop us if ya can¡¯t help that demon.¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t, right?¡± Seyari smiled sadly at me.

    I opened my mouth to answer when Joisse stirred on the bed. The greater wrath demon looked a mess. A person in their condition would make more sense being a corpse than alive, all torn up and battered. The bed was comically small under them; their legs hung down to the floor, digitigrade feet touching worn planks.

    I broke off the hug with Nelys, and they retreated to the far corner of the room with Taava. Seyari positioned herself between Joisse and the pair, and I must say I didn¡¯t mind the caution.

    Meanwhile, I sat down on the edge of the bed. With how Joisse had behaved even during our fight, I felt the chances of them attacking right as they woke up were slim. Slim, but not none, and I kept myself tense.

    For the past few hours, I¡¯d let them have the larger share of my own mana, mostly because they looked like they needed it. Even still, they looked far more injured up close than I¡¯d expected given what I¡¯d put into them and what had disappeared under my aura sight. Their aura had changed¡ªslightly. A little tinge of crimson worked its way through the brown, and the ring shape of it seemed fuller on the inside.

    Joisse didn¡¯t rouse immediately. Instead, they mumbled incoherently and writhed on the bed. I¡¯d certainly had enough bad dreams as a demon to know that could very well be what was happening, but the power Joisse was drawing from me made me think otherwise. I tossed a querying look Seyari¡¯s way and she returned it with a shake of her head. She didn¡¯t know quite what was going on either.

    Fearing the consequences, I didn¡¯t cut off my flow of additional mana to them. Only when the draw slowed did they actually start to wake up. Their injuries were hardly healed, and I had to wonder what else our contract had been doing.

    I didn¡¯t make a mistake, did I?

    When they finally opened their red eyes and looked at me, their first words weren¡¯t what I expected to hear. ¡°I¡­¡± their voice was softer than the night before when they¡¯d growled or screamed out every word. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a dream?¡±

    My eyes went wide and I shook my head. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t we¡ª¡±

    Joisse¡¯s gaze met mine, and their pupils dilated suddenly. I felt a wave of raw fury crash through them so strong and sudden that it caught me off guard.

    ¡°What did you do to me?!¡± they roared, leaping up off the bed for my throat.

    I barely caught them in time, taking a set of long claws through my abdomen for my trouble. As we grappled each other, crashing to the floor, I didn¡¯t feel our contract straining¡ªat least compared to what I felt when I strained or broke Seyari¡¯s binding of me in Navanaea. Was I too vague with my wording of the contract in the heat of the moment? I didn¡¯t want to trap them, but¡­

    Behind me, I saw the edge of the bright glow of Seyari¡¯s magic. She hadn¡¯t fired yet, but I knew I only had moments to make a decision as Joisse and I continued to struggle.

    I pulled on Joisse¡¯s fury and it seemed eager to rush into me. The emotion was so intense, I had to suppress a roar of my own¡ªone that would certainly have gotten the attention of everyone else in the building.

    Joisse snarled and pressed down, but I was stronger. I pushed them up, held them with four arms, and slammed them back down onto the bed, thankful the frame was somehow sturdy enough not to break.

    ¡°I made a contract with you,¡± my voice snarled more than I would have liked.

    Joisse¡¯s eyes lit up¡ªand they went wide as soon as they got a look at my aura. ¡°You¡ªbut there¡¯s isn¡¯t a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sovereign of Wrath,¡± I finished. ¡°There is and I¡¯m it. Didn¡¯t you tell me you just wanted to stop the killing?¡±

    Joisse¡¯s struggles ceased. Their anger unspooled, some taken by me, some of their own volition.

    ¡°I¡­¡± they answered, seemingly surprised. ¡°The fury, it¡ªI can feel it, but it¡¯s not¡­ not at the front.¡±

    That got me to raise both eyebrows. What had my contract done?

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± I asked honestly, switching from shouting to a conversational tone. ¡°Did you have a bad dream?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡± Joisse snapped, then answered anyway. ¡°I, uh, I had a familiar nightmare. But this time, things were different. Clearer.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Clearer in a good way?¡±

    Joisse looked down and away. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe? Just¡­ clearer. Just that, I think. I remember things¡ªor I remember not remembering things.¡±

    ¡°My contract may have done something then. How do you feel right now¡ªin this room?¡±

    Joisse, still pinned by me to the bed, craned their long, hunched neck to see around, recoiling at the sight of the glowing Seyari. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± they hissed.

    It didn¡¯t take much to figure out they were talking about Seyari. ¡°She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e,¡± I said truthfully, earning a sudden gasp from Nelys and a hiss of indrawn breath from Taava.

    ¡°Your¡­¡±

    ¡°Fianc¨¦e. We¡¯re getting married¡ªno idea when though.¡± I took a chance and looked back and Taava and Nelys. ¡°Sey and I wanted to tell you sooner, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Life got in the way,¡± Seyari finished. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± It was an empty threat. The smile on Seya¡¯s face said enough.

    I felt blood from the wound in my midsection dripping down my legs in the awkward silence that followed.

    ¡°I think I had¡­¡± Joisse trailed off. ¡°What¡ªare they all friends?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°A demon?¡±

    Joisse nodded.

    ¡°The Sovereign of Wrath. The big scary demon typically known for violence and destruction?¡±

    Joisse nodded again.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, Joisse,¡± Seyari interrupted, ¡°How do you know about the sovereigns?¡±

    Joisse¡¯s face twisted, tusks moving out of alignment. ¡°A bad place. A bad place I don¡¯t really remember, but it felt like I was there for a long time.¡±

    ¡°How did you get here?¡± Nelys asked without a shred of fear in their voice.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I was wandering and then I recognized places. Things. Someone screamed and the rest¡­¡± They looked away quickly.

    ¡°Hey. Let¡¯s talk about the contract,¡± I said, trying to change the subject. ¡°Do you have any questions? Do you remember what it was?¡±

    A pit was forming in my gut that they wouldn¡¯t remember the contract.

    To my relief, Joisse nodded. ¡°I do. Really, really clearly. You¡­ you didn¡¯t kill me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Sovereign over Wrath. Not controlled by it.¡±

    ¡°But I was¡­¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m not. And you told me yourself you didn¡¯t want the killings to continue.¡±

    Joisse looked at the deep wound in my stomach, now slowly healing. ¡°But I tried to kill you, just now.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°You thought I¡¯d done something unspeakable to you. That¡¯s a reason.¡±

    ¡°B-but if someone looks at me wrong or something that could be a reason!¡± Joisse stuttered. The expression, and their voice, didn¡¯t fit their appearance, and I couldn¡¯t have been the only one to notice the mismatch.

    ¡°That part¡¯s up to you. Once you have a handle on your wrath, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Have a handle on it?! But just now you had to take it from me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Part of it,¡± I cut in truthfully. ¡°Only part of it. The rest went away on its own.¡±

    ¡°That was just because I was confused!¡±

    ¡°Would confusion have ended your fury before the contract?¡± I asked, trying to affect a tone as though I knew the answer. I didn¡¯t¡ªI had a guess but I wanted to know for sure. Joisse can find out later they¡¯re my first contract.

    After a moment of thought, they shook their head. ¡°No.¡±

    I smiled wide. Joisse shuddered at the sight of my teeth.

    ¡°Really?¡± I groaned. ¡°Yours are even worse you know!¡±

    Joisse balked, then their eyes lowered and their mouth twisted into an ugly frown. ¡°I know how I look. How I look now¡¯s always made me angry¡ªeven if I couldn¡¯t figure out why.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know now,¡± they answered. ¡°It¡¯s obvious now. A lot of things are more obvious. Like my name. I remembered it vaguely, but now I know it clearly. There were others before. Still are, I guess, but they¡¯re not really the same as then.¡±

    I took a minute to parse what Joisse said.

    Nelys took the initiative in the silence. ¡°What would you feel would be right?¡±

    I felt another rush of fury from Joisse. Again, I had to take part of the emotion, restraining them on the bed. Nelys leapt backward, but took a step back forward once Joisse had calmed. They were still far away from the bed.

    ¡°¡­Human again,¡± Joisse said eventually. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like this. I don¡¯t really remember before, but I know there was a before, and I remember pieces of it, some of the pieces maybe from other befores. A lot actually.¡± They frowned.

    I debated giving them the answer according to Isidore, but I worried that would be too much, so instead I deflected. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. And different for most every demon.¡±

    Joisse turned from Nelys, traced my arms pinning them, and met my gaze. ¡°You too.¡±

    I thought of the snippets of memory I still carried from my parents and from Abby¡¯s nan. From Abby herself, I had nothing but feelings. A lot of feelings. My face must have betrayed my answer, because Joisse looked away.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I asked,¡± they said.

    I shook my head. ¡°No¡ªit¡¯s fine. I¡¯m much the same.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s no hope then: I¡¯m stuck like this¡­ I¡¯m a monster anyway, so what does it matter?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only a monster if you choose to be,¡± Seyari said firmly, marching up to the edge of the bed, glowing faintly.

    Joisse shifted away from the half-angel¡¯s burning magic. ¡°But I killed¡­¡±

    ¡°Who you were doesn¡¯t define who you are. Own what you did, but try to be better going forward. Pay back all the hurt you caused in any way you can.¡± Seyari¡¯s eyes grew wet despite the harsh tone of her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve killed a lot of innocent people in my past, too.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it, I reached out with my tail and pulled my fianc¨¦e close even as she startled.

    Joisse mulled over the words and I glanced around the room. Both Nelys and Taava were staring at Seyari, the latter really, really looking like she wanted to say something. But she held her tongue for now.

    I let Joisse go, and they looked up at me in surprise.

    I crossed my arms and grinned down at them. ¡°You won¡¯t catch me off guard. If you get angry again, I¡¯ll handle it.¡±

    Joissed looked around at all the others and exhaled a rattling sigh. ¡°What if this is just a good moment? What if I lose myself again?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you will.¡±

    Fury surged through Joisse. I tried to let them handle it, but I quickly realized I had to step in. This time, they didn¡¯t make it off the bed before I restrained them.

    ¡°Like that,¡± they said glumly. ¡°Anything sets me off.¡±

    This could be a real problem. But I know something¡¯s changed.

    ¡°Keep working on it then. If I need to, I can stick around until we¡¯ve ended this pseudo ¡®war¡¯ and you¡¯re in full control.¡±

    More fury. Another brief struggle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Joisse heaved, ¡°want that. I just want to be done¡ªto put the war behind me. I didn¡¯t even want to fight¡ªmy hamlet was caught up in the fighting and I got dragged into it. Most of me, anyway.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re headin¡¯ ta Linthel,¡± Taava said suddenly, as if her need to speak finally broke through. ¡°I¡¯m sure the boss won¡¯t mind if ya come along.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t mind,¡± I confirmed before there could be any grousing. ¡°I didn¡¯t make a contract with you just to leave you somewhere and hope for the best. If you want to move on and get your wrath under control, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make it happen.¡±

    ¡°Why? Why me?¡±

    ¡°Because you needed help, I was there, and I could.¡±

    ¡°But why me?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Right place and the right time. I can¡¯t help everyone, I know that. But for whatever reason the gods decreed, I could¡ªand can¡ªhelp you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± They looked down at themselves and winced. ¡°But how will we do it? How will we travel? People scream when they see me¡ªand even if you look more human, you still look like a demon.¡±

    I nodded, suddenly awkward. They want more than anything to be human. The truth is best here. ¡°I have a human transformation.¡±

    Their eyes went wide. ¡°But wrath demons don¡¯t¡ªoh, sovereign.¡± They deflated, looking so downcast I wanted to hug them despite the spikes.

    Screw it.

    I hugged Joisse. They stiffened in my four-armed embrace.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises,¡± I said carefully, ¡°but since you share my power and you¡¯ve already started to gain some control over your fury, you might.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get my hopes up!¡± Joisse snapped. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t¡ªit¡¯ll make me angry.¡±

    ¡°It might. And then I¡¯ll get you back under control.¡±

    Joisse glared at me, and I had to leech their fury. None of what I was taking was healing me either, at least not much. Wrath from a wrath demon was cheap, I supposed.

    ¡°What about all the other times, all the other things that set me off?¡±

    I adopted my best lecturing tone. ¡°You can¡¯t just go avoiding sources of anger. This isn¡¯t going to happen in one evening, and you should know that, Joisse. You said you want me to help, and I agreed. This is about managing your fury, your wrath. Use it, but don¡¯t lose yourself in it. You¡¯d never succeed if you tried to avoid your fury¡ªif you feared it.¡±

    My last comment hit the nail on the head. This time, I was ready. It took everything my still-recovering magic had, but I kept Joisse¡¯s anger from so much as surfacing.

    They looked at me in shock and I smiled, wide and sharp. ¡°Like that. Give it some time and you¡¯ll be just like that.¡±

    ¡°How did you learn, Wrath?¡±

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± I introduced quickly. ¡°Some people call me Renna. I should¡¯ve introduced myself sooner. My half-angel fianc¨¦e is Seyari, Taava is the kazzel, and the human is Nelys.¡±

    Nelys beamed at being introduced as ¡°the human.¡± I probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed if I didn¡¯t know them so well.

    Joisse glared at me.

    Oh, right!

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I chuckled nervously. ¡°I had help, too. In fact, without my friend who taught me, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be here today. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d have ever gotten myself under full control. Or become the Sovereign of Wrath, to be honest.¡±

    Thanks, Abby¡ªfor everything.

    ¡°Are they¡­?¡± Joisse let the question hang.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said solemnly. ¡°So, do you want to try to see if you can make a glamour, or even a transformation?¡±

    Joisse nodded slowly. ¡°How do I do that?¡±

    ¡°Think of yourself as a human. Try to remember any feelings, desires, or emotions that connect you to being human.¡±

    Joisse looked at me askance. ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s vague.¡±

    ¡°It is, but I learned instinctually, so I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know more.¡±

    The other wrath demon¡¯s face fell. ¡°What if I¡­¡±

    ¡°I know someone who can help if you¡¯re struggling. If you can learn at all, she¡¯ll be able to teach you. But I don¡¯t know where she is right now, so we¡¯ll have to try on our own, okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child,¡± Joisse said with less venom than earlier. ¡°I was sixteen when I died.¡±

    ¡°Focus on that,¡± Seyari interjected. ¡°What you were like. What it would be like to be the human you once were¡ª¡±

    ¡°Or should have been!¡± I interjected quickly.

    Seyari blushed faintly. ¡°Or that.¡±

    Joisse¡¯s mouth twisted in concentration. ¡°My name was¡ªis Joisse. I¡¯m sixteen, and I¡¯d just confessed to the guy I had a crush on. He said he wasn¡¯t interested¡ªespecially because I¡¯d asked a girl the year before and he wasn¡¯t into girls who liked other girls. I didn¡¯t understand why because it wasn¡¯t like that made me like him any less¡­¡± Joisse¡¯s words faded into mumbling.

    I watched their¡ªno her¡ªform carefully. I should have been watching my magic instead, as a big spike in usage caught me off guard. I let Joisse have it¡ªmore than the wrath demon needed.

    Nelys gasped, and I realized I had my eyes closed. When I opened them and looked down, there was a girl who looked to be in her mid-to-late teens laying on the bed. She had dark brown hair that was a mixture of Edathan and Ordian in color, skin with a solid tan from working in a field, unusual red eyes, and a wiry build that couldn¡¯t have come up past my chest. She was also stark naked and Seyari was rushing to cover her with what was left of the sheet she¡¯d been laying on.

    ¡°Is she alright?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°I¡ªI think so,¡± Joisse started, and then startled at her own voice. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m like I remembered.¡± She pinched her arm. ¡°It feels so real¡­ but it¡¯s not, right?¡± She looked up at me, worry and hope both warring in her eyes. Human eyes, except their color.

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s close, but you¡¯re right¡ªalthough I¡¯d say that¡¯s a proper transformation and no mere glamour.¡±

    Joisse¡¯s lower lip trembled, and she pulled the sheet up tighter around her. I felt her anger come, but it also went¡ªa much smaller pulse.

    The transformed wrath demon seemed to notice as well. ¡°Was¡ªwas that me?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t do what?¡± Taava asked. ¡°Anger stuff?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Anger stuff. Anyone want to go get Joisse some clothes?¡± I can stay here with her and fill her in on what I can of demons and transformations and the giant mess we¡¯re all in.¡±

    ¡°Giant mess?¡± Joisse asked.

    ¡°Giant mess,¡± Seyari confirmed, following Taava to the door. ¡°I¡¯m going with Taava so Joisse doesn¡¯t look like the circus is in town because of someone¡¯s terrible sense of style.¡± She glanced at the demon. ¡°Feminine clothes?¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°Yeah. Uh, a dress would be nice¡ªif that¡¯s not too much. I always wanted a nice dress.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll getcha one better¡± Taava said, pulling the door open. ¡°And my style¡¯s just too advanced for ya, Sey!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t promise much without fitting,¡± Seyari corrected, ignoring the kazzel¡¯s teasing. ¡°But I¡¯ll see what I can find for used garments.¡±

    Joisse nodded and Seyari left with Taava, closing the door behind her.

    ¡°Can I stay here?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡± I answered.

    ¡°Great!¡± Nelys beamed. ¡°Because I think we should play cards!¡±

    ¡°Cards?¡± Joisse asked, confused.

    ¡°Yeah cards! Renna gets real mad when she loses, which is most of the time.¡±

    Hey!

    Nelys continued, whispering at Joisse conspiratorially, ¡°Even if she¡¯s good at hiding it. You can tell because her tail twitches, or she¡¯ll scratch her right horn. She sometimes does the horn thing when she¡¯s thinking or confused though.¡±

    I decided to lean into it. ¡°Betrayal!¡± I said jauntily. ¡°Not two minutes into making a new friend and one of my very best friends is already betraying my darkest secrets!¡±

    Joisse laughed. Hesitant at first, her giggles turned into something bigger. I couldn¡¯t help but join in, my deeper chuckles matching Nelys¡¯s high-pitched laughter.

    I helped get Joisse into a too-big shirt and a pair of Seyari¡¯s trousers tied with rope, while Nelys dealt out a hand. For how awful it started, today was shaping up to be a fine day after all.

    Even as dawn had come through the windows on a sleepless night and a meeting with the guard captain loomed. Even as we needed more answers and were headed quickly into what might be both an Inquisition conspiracy and a burgeoning demonic war. Even with a wedding to plan and a long-lost younger sister to meet (and coddle) in my hopefully-near future, this morning was a bright spot.

 Chapter 122: Speaking Candidly

    Ardath, Empire of Ordia

    ¡°Paladin Miller, have a seat.¡± High Priest Yevon Styon gestured for Kartania Miller to sit down.

    She did so despite still being armored.

    The High Priest¡¯s Office was a tornado of scrolls and books and notes. Half-empty shelves advertised that the other half of their contents were anywhere but their proper place, and what was in place had a coating of dust. In fact, dust hung in the air, lending an almost beam-like quality to the light streaming in from half-closed shutters behind the high priest¡¯s desk.

    The high priest himself wore large, loose robes of white and red. His pale brown hair hung down behind him, tied loosely somewhere near the tips. Lidded eyes watched Kartania, unnervingly distant. Despite his position, he sat low in his chair, his posture loose and slouching.

    ¡°You wanted to see me, High Priest Styon?¡± Kartania said like clockwork.

    ¡°I did!¡± Yevon clapped his hands, startling the paladin. She¡¯d heard of his eccentricity, but had a very different image of what it entailed.

    ¡°Sorry for asking you to come in while you were passing through the city, but there are two things I wanted to talk to you about. One of them is very important¡ªand actual good news as well. I¡¯ve read your file and I think some good news is long overdue, if you don¡¯t mind me saying.¡± Yevon smiled widely.

    Kartania did mind, but she kept her emotions in check and chose to shrug. Normally, such a gesture of impudence in the presence of a High Priest would see her reprimanded, but she¡¯d guessed right and Yevon didn¡¯t seem to give a toss.

    The strange high priest did, however, continue, ¡°But before we get to that, we need to cover the first thing: Why would someone of your outstanding talent and skill decide to take a position as one of High Inquisitor Theodric Mordwell¡¯s personal guard? And don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because you have no holy magic¡ªif what I¡¯ve read and heard about your prowess with both a blade and ice magic are anything to go on, you could easily take a leadership position, or even hunt demons solo.¡±

    Kartania, of course, had a response ready. My investigation won¡¯t be thwarted so easily. ¡°Theodric Mordwell is an invaluable asset in the fight against demonic incursion into the mortal plane of Varra,¡± she said with practiced ease. Despite her rehearsal, Kartania felt her bile rising at the praise she was heaping on the lying, wicked, murdering filth that was High Inquisitor Mordwell. ¡°My talents are of great use to ensure he is able to maintain the full might of the Inquisition. I may also be deployed as a hidden advantage should the unexpected happen or great need arise.¡±

    Yevon chuckled and clapped daintily. ¡°Bravo. Well rehearsed.¡± Yevon sat up straight and leaned forward. ¡°Is that the real reason?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yevon frowned. ¡°I get that I¡¯m shady. People tell me that all the time. You¡¯d think being a high priest would change that, but oh well. You can speak candidly here Paladin Miller. I¡¯m no proponent of blind faith. And no one¡¯s listening through these walls¡ªI know you felt the wards when you entered.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s thoughts were thrown into disarray. She sat up straighter, tried to slip past Yevon¡¯s gaze and failed, and weighed a difficult choice. If he believes me¡­ She thought of how Mordwell had dismissed his guard when he took the Inquisition to the wild lands south of Linthel. Right now, she was still digging up evidence, but if she didn¡¯t find enough on her own, then he¡¯d be untouchable. She probably wouldn¡¯t even find him down south.

    Yevon meanwhile, patiently let Kartania think.

    Then there was the matter of that demon Kartania met at Mordwell¡¯s estate. Was she really what was left of her sister? Was she her sister? Did she know something¡ªcould she be an asset?

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    If not, and if High Priest Styon didn¡¯t believe her, she would lose her chance at Mordwell forever. And depending on how deep the corruption went, she could lose her life as well. The life Zach gave her.

    Eventually, Kartania made up her mind. ¡°Yes, Sir, that¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Yevon seemed surprised. He frowned, then sighed. ¡°Oh well. That¡¯s all I have to ask of you then, Paladin Miller. You can go now.¡±

    Kartania nodded, stood up, and walked toward the door. Something about the High Priest¡¯s reaction¡ªhis attitude¡ªbothered her. She hesitated, then looked over her shoulder. Then it clicked into place.

    ¡°You know more than my file says,¡± Kartania stated¡ªit wasn¡¯t a question.

    Yevon smiled and gestured to the chair again. ¡°A good deal more. It shouldn¡¯t surprise you that I have resources.¡±

    ¡°Then you know my family died in the Great Linthel Fire.¡± Kartania walked back across the office and sat back down.

    Yevon nodded, still slouched in his chair.

    ¡°And you know¡­ you know why I might want to be near Mordwell.¡± The moment the words left her mouth, anxiety slammed into Kartania like an avalanche. This is it. If I¡¯m wrong here, I¡¯ll die.

    ¡°I do,¡± Yevon answered anticlimactically. ¡°Really, I commend your discipline. If I were in your position, I¡¯d have already taken a shot at old Theo.¡±

    Kartania stared at the high priest in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re okay with the fact that I want to kill High Inquisitor Mordwell?¡±

    Yevon chuckled, then smiled thinly. ¡°Okay? I hoped that would be the case, Paladin Miller.¡±

    He hoped¡­ Kartania lost control of her anger.

    ¡°You knew!¡± The paladin shouted; decorum forgotten.

    Yevon put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. ¡°I knew, yes. You don¡¯t need to shout.¡±

    Kartania ground her teeth together and forced herself to keep silent. Quickly, she ran through her emotions and put them back in order. If Yevon had been a demon¡­ Kartania didn¡¯t pursue that line of thought. Such weakness would have killed her, as simply as that.

    Instead, she forced herself to speak evenly, her next word ground out and harsh. ¡°Why.¡±

    Yevon raised an eyebrow and Kartania had to resist the urge to drive a gauntleted fist through his face.

    ¡°Why have you done nothing then, High Priest Styon?¡±

    Yevon¡¯s face turned serious. He leaned across the paper-strewn desk toward Kartania and said in an almost conspiratorial whisper, ¡°There are two reasons. Hear out the second before you take a swing at me.¡±

    Kartania recoiled and forced out the most difficult nod of her life. Her neck strained and she felt vertebrae pop as she bobbed her head.

    ¡°Great!¡± Yevon clapped his hands, retreating back to his side of the desk, still leaning forward on thin elbows. ¡°First: Theodric Mordwell and his following haven¡¯t messed with my business within the church directly, and to bring about such an accusation, even from a High Priest such as myself, would be a big ask.¡±

    Kartania strained to keep herself from punching the high priest. Anger in the box, she thought, and calmed herself with a deep breath.

    Yevon continued like he hadn¡¯t noticed a thing. ¡°Second reason is that I had this thought. This deeply scary thought: Who¡¯s pulling Theo¡¯s strings?¡±

    Kartania froze, then blanched.

    The High Priest kept going, ¡°If he just wanted a bound demon for personal power, he could have done that already. I know Theo¡¯s an ambitious man, but he¡¯s no fool. To go to such lengths as creating a cult exclave in the south under the guise of a demonic incursion, well¡­¡± Yevon opened his palms and let the statement hang.

    ¡°There has to be more going on¡­ by the gods,¡± Kartania finished, her heart racing.

    ¡°I prefer ¡®by Dhias¡¯ personally,¡± Yevon said with a shrug.

    ¡°What are you doing about this?¡± Kartania demanded.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking into it, that¡¯s what. Following the trail as closely as I can. I thought I had a lead up north, but it turned out I was entirely wrong.¡± Yevon sighed. ¡°Not unusual, unfortunately. We¡¯re all pretty ignorant if you really stop and think about how big the world is. Anyway, I¡¯ve been looking into the Inquisition¡¯s history. I tracked down some artifacts related to a man by the name of Vinzent Norten.¡±

    ¡°The leader of the old, corrupt inquisition that Mordwell claims to have killed,¡± Kartania answered like clockwork.

    ¡°Yep! You really are too-low ranking for your capabilities, Paladin Miller. Even if you¡¯re doing it for a personal vendetta.¡±

    ¡°Did you find something or not?¡± Kartania snapped.

    Yevon rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Can¡¯t take a¡­ nevermind. Yeah, I¡¯ve found something. Not much, but it led me to more and more things over these past few years. And recently, I think I¡¯ve put it all together. There¡¯s a sovereign demon pulling the strings. Thing is, I can¡¯t work out if it¡¯s Avarice or Envy.¡±

    Kartania drew her lips into a thin line. ¡°One of the six strongest demons. What¡¯s your next step? Does it involve me? With all respect, High Priest Styon, I only care about Mordwell and the disgraced former inquisitor Finley.¡±

    A wide smile split Yevon¡¯s face. ¡°And that¡¯s the second thing I wanted to tell you, Paladin Miller.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Kartania asked warily.

    ¡°You might not be involved beyond High Inquisitor Mordwell, Paladin Miller, but your sister is.¡±

 Chapter 123: Demon over Wrath

    ¡°So I¡¯m not going to get in trouble for killing Vivian?¡± I asked Guard Captain Kerra.

    She nodded tiredly. ¡°You¡¯re not. At least not if I have a say in it. There¡¯s significant evidence Vivian killed a lot of people under questionable circumstances. It¡¯s your word versus hers, and even though you¡¯re, well, a demon, your reputation is better.¡±

    I almost stood up out of my chair and shouted for joy. My reputation as a demon was better than some human murderer! When my thoughts put it like that though, I calmed down fast. Baby steps, I guess.

    ¡°Gelles Company?¡±

    Kerra nodded. ¡°And the fact there¡¯s someone on your side high up in the Church. Honestly, the only reason I¡¯m as together as I am right now with you sitting there in all your frankly terrifying glory is because everyone else has just been so damn calm.¡± She pounded her desk to end the statement, then coughed a swift apology.

    I smiled, careful not to show teeth. ¡°Yeah. I get that a lot. I guess we can move on to what happened last night then?¡±

    ¡°We can, but first: who¡¯s your new friend?¡± Guard Captain Kerra asked in a tone that suggested she had a good idea who Joisse was already. ¡°And why are her eyes red? Demon-blooded?¡±

    From the bags under Kerra¡¯s eyes, I seriously doubted she¡¯d slept, but she¡¯d snapped at me when I asked about it earlier.

    ¡°This is Joisse,¡± I gestured to the wrath demon in her human transformation.

    Joisse nodded meekly and mumbled an agreement. I imagined she felt bad that I¡¯d sat her in the only other chair in the captain¡¯s office, leaving Seyari, Taava, and Nelys to stand.

    ¡°Joisse?¡± Kerra asked sharply, staring the transformed demon down. ¡°That name seems familiar¡­¡±

    ¡°Uhm,¡± Joisse bit her lip. ¡°Well, Miss Guard Captain, it¡¯s because¡­¡± she trailed off.

    I kept a close watch on Joisse¡¯s wrath. Her fury seemed almost alive at times, fluctuating and roiling in a way where I didn¡¯t know sometimes whether she was influencing it, or it was the other way around. Ever since we¡¯d gotten breakfast with her this morning and helped her into one of Taava¡¯s least eye-catching outfits, she¡¯d taken on a demure persona.

    In short, she seemed detached.

    I guess you do get less angry if you withdraw into yourself, but that can¡¯t be healthy.

    And so, when Joisse looked to me for an out, I just crossed my top pair of arms, tapped a finger on my knee, and waited. An undisguised demon (two, really) in her office bothered Kerra, but she¡¯d get used to it.

    Joisse looked between myself and Kerra, hoping for an out she wouldn¡¯t get. Eventually she hung her head and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m the demon.¡±

    Kerra¡¯s eyes narrowed, darting between me and Joisse. She leaned forward across her desk, moving up and out of her chair. ¡°The demon?¡±

    ¡°You told me to bring her,¡± I answered evenly.

    I knew Kerra knew what Joisse meant. Joisse probably knew that too, if the way I had to put a lid on her anger was any indication.

    Joisse pursed her lips and nodded, sinking down into the chair. ¡°I-I just wanted the killing to stop, the war to be over and¡ª¡±

    ¡°And you killed more people?¡± Kerra asked dangerously. She stood up and marched around her desk to stand over Joisse¡¯s human form¡ªsuddenly far larger than the demon. ¡°You killed innocents, Joisse. Do you have any idea the hurt you¡¯ve caused? And not just for the innocents either¡ªthere¡¯s a process for these things.¡±

    Not like that process was really working, I thought, but didn¡¯t say.

    Joisse¡¯s anger threatened to overflow, even as she sank deeper into her chair until she was looking almost straight up at the furious guard captain. I could tell I wasn¡¯t the only one fighting her fury, either. The wide-eyed look of fear on Joisse¡¯s face wasn¡¯t from Kerra.

    It was from what she knew would happen if she just let go.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Joisse stammered.

    ¡°You what?¡± Kerra cut in.

    I glanced at the others. Seyari wore a hard expression aimed at me, Taava the same aimed at Joisse, and Nelys an anxious, nervous look like they wanted to jump in and broker peace but didn¡¯t dare risk escalation.

    I was about to interrupt when Joisse spoke up. Softly, shakily; each word was forced out with great effort.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I-I lost control, but I get that¡¯s no good as an excuse. I want to make up for the hurt I caused¡ªdo more good than bad¡­ make something of this almost-life that I have.¡±

    Kerra narrowed her eyes and leaned forward over the wrath demon. ¡°We should see you hang, Joisse. You know that.¡±

    Joisse nodded.

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t fully herself,¡± I cut in, finally breaking my silence.

    Kerra jumped at my voice. ¡°You heard her¡ªthat¡¯s no excuse.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Yes and no. Nothing¡¯s going to bring back the lives she ended¡ªinnocent or not. But I believe Joisse didn¡¯t want to kill them. I believe the other fractured pieces of her amalgam soul forced aside her reason, and forced her claws.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, demon?¡± The guard captain took a step toward me, then thought better of it and leaned against the front of her desk instead.

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± Seyari corrected before I could.

    Guard Captain Kerra sighed. ¡°Zarenna. Sorry¡ªyou¡¯re not the one guilty of murder here. Well, you are, but self-defense and¡­¡±

    I waved a hand casually, resting my lower pair of arms on my knees and my chin on my knuckles. ¡°Apology accepted. And I¡¯m talking about the way demonic souls are formed.¡±

    ¡°Do you have firsthand experience?¡± Kerra¡¯s tone pitched somewhere between inquisitive and accusatory. I gave her the benefit of the doubt.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded. ¡°And I¡¯ve had an expert explain things to me: Isidore Travend, if you¡¯ve heard of the former professor at Ardath University.¡±

    Kerra shook her head.

    I shrugged and continued, sparing a look at poor Joisse who was still pale, although sliding back up into a proper sitting position at a rate of about a hairsbreadth per breath. ¡°I¡¯m fortunate enough that I¡¯m essentially the same as I was prior to my death, with a few extra pieces and memories thrown in¡ªmostly from people I was close to who died around the same time I did.

    ¡°I can go into the details later if you¡¯d like, but a greater demon¡¯s soul¡ªtypically¡ªhas a single sort of core formed out of a large chunk of a mortal soul. A whole bunch of other, smaller fragments¡ªthat are little more than a few memories and lingering desires¡ªget fused to it, and eventually merge into a single soul. These fragments can throw out a whole bunch of mixed emotions and desires, which can be difficult or impossible to control. And even then, that¡¯s assuming the primary soul has more to it than, say, all-consuming wrath.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Kerra looked at Joisse again, who turned her head to avoid the guard captain¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Oookay,¡± Kerra said slowly. ¡°So how do you fix it?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Time¡ªalthough not always¡ªis one way. And I don¡¯t entirely know that it¡¯s ¡°fixing¡± it so much as it¡¯s getting all the pieces in harmony, but every demon¡¯s different.¡± Kerra glared at me, so I hurried my explanation along. ¡°In Joisse¡¯s case, she¡¯s made a contract with a much stronger demon of the same general type.¡± I pointed to myself. ¡°And through our contract, she¡¯ll be influenced by me in terms of both the powers she¡¯ll have access to, like human transformation, and also how her wrath¡ªand control over it¡ªmanifests itself. There¡¯s a lot more nuances, but I get the feeling I¡¯m already going into far too much detail.¡±

    Kerra sighed. ¡°Yes, you are. But I think I get it. Joisse was insane and you¡¯re helping her to be more sane, right?¡±

    I nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yep! That¡¯s pretty much it!¡±

    ¡°And does that mean you¡¯ll be taking her into your care?¡±

    I glanced at Joisse, then Seyari. Seyari shrugged, but Joisse nodded firmly.

    ¡°It does. I can help Joisse learn to better control her own wrath, which I think at this point is necessary.¡±

    A big surge of fury from Joisse took most of my concentration¡ªand hers¡ªto suppress. This is going to be a long, serious commitment. Thankfully, Kerra let us have our moment.

    Eventually, however, she cleared her throat and resumed, looking between the two demons in the room. ¡°Speaking of contracts, I¡¯d really like to know what you mean by ¡®more powerful demon.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I meant what I said. A stronger demon,¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Stronger among greater demons? How much of a difference is there?¡±

    ¡°Orders of magnitude,¡± I responded, ¡°Though in our case it¡¯s probably not that much yet.¡±

    ¡°Yet?¡±

    Oops. In for a copper¡­ ¡°Well, I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath, so I¡¯m really only going to get stronger. At least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told, and what I¡¯ve experienced.¡±

    ¡°The what of wrath?¡±

    ¡°Zarenna¡­¡± Seyari warned.

    ¡°Oh come on, it¡¯s basically an open secret!¡± I groused, turning around in my seat to look at her. My tail twitched nervously, and I had to grab it to still the shakes.

    ¡°And that¡¯s ¡®cause ya can¡¯t keep your trap shut!¡± Taava chipped in.

    Nelys stayed quiet, but they did nod in agreement. Not you too¡­

    I rotated back around and sank into the chair, almost as low as Joisse.

    Kerra¡¯s expression had grown an amused half-smile in the moments I¡¯d spent looking away.

    ¡°Sovereign of Wrath,¡± I repeated. ¡°The sovereign of wrath demons.¡±

    Kerra¡¯s smile vanished and her face lost some color. ¡°So¡­¡±

    ¡°The strongest wrath demon,¡± I answered. ¡°Maybe, anyway. It¡¯s a long story I¡¯m not going to tell.¡±

    ¡°¡­And you¡¯re working as a mercenary?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yep. Good way to have backing, and I get to help people, some of whom have problems that need to be solved by violence. Not that I like violence, but I¡¯m unfortunately good at it.¡±

    Kerra stared at me, then Joisse. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I want a nice house in the countryside¡ªclose enough to a city to walk. I think I¡¯d like pastel blue for the kitchen and pink for the bedroom. A garden out back, with enough space to get lost in, and a warm hearth for the winter in the main room. River rock, probably¡ªI like how smooth it looks.

    ¡°Oh, and I¡¯d like to try my hand out at blacksmithing again¡ªI was an apprentice once you know. A hobby could be good for me.¡±

    Kerra¡¯s jaw flopped open. ¡°Huh?¡±

    Next to me Joisse perked up, sitting the rest of the way up and looking at me in surprise.

    I smiled at Joisse, not showing teeth, and then at Kerra. ¡°Besides wanting revenge on my murderer¡ªand to be honest, who wouldn¡¯t¡ªI just want a nice, normal life. I won¡¯t get it probably, but I¡¯ll take what I can. And working as a mercenary gets me there, because I get to have cordial conversations like this in nice closed offices instead of shouting matches on a muddy battlefield. Besides, I control wrath, not the other way around.¡±

    Kerra sighed, groaned, and flopped back don on her desk, kicking her legs idly. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be simple!¡±

    ¡°Would you rather I burned this city down?¡± I asked with what was hopefully enough sarcasm.

    ¡°No, of course not.¡±

    ¡°Would you rather Joisse dies instead of maybe getting a chance to redeem herself?¡±

    That question took Kerra longer. ¡°Fuck¡­ I guess not. Fine. You win¡ªI¡¯ll let the murderous demon go into your care, Zarenna. But you¡¯d better see that she doesn¡¯t go on another murder spree.¡±

    ¡°If she does,¡± I replied, meeting Joisse¡¯s eyes, ¡°I think she¡¯d want me to kill her.¡±

    Joisse nodded rapidly. ¡°Yes! I don¡¯t want to be a monster. Or, uhm, well, more of a monster I guess¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only a monster if you act like one!¡± Nelys blurted, speaking for the first time since we¡¯d entered the guard captain¡¯s office. All eyes turned to them. ¡°And I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a monster, Joisse!¡±

    Joisse¡¯s red eyes went wide. And then they filled with tears.

    Kerra let us stay in the office a little while longer to take care of all the paperwork, and to let Joisse have her moment. When we left, it was late afternoon, the sun dipping behind the horizon even as thick pale clouds drew in. More snow looked to be on the way, just in time for us to hit the road again. This time, our journey would end in Linthel.

    Home.

    ***

    We left the next morning in the snow, renting a wagon and two horses for the journey. This time, there was no contract. No other mission. No distractions. Just the five of us on a well-traveled road, even if there was little travel this time of year.

    So why do I feel so anxious?

    Vivian had deserved to die, but a part of me really wished I could have said or done something to help her turn things around. She¡¯d been hurt, and her desire for revenge had eaten away at her. Had there been anything left? It was no use to wonder: between her and my friends I¡¯d made the right choice, that much was clear. Letting her go would¡¯ve gone against everything I held dear.

    I guess I wondered if she¡¯d become the primary shard for a greater demon. If she did, would she distinguish her violence as Joisse did? Would she still have her combat skills? How dangerous could she be for Gedon and the surrounding region if that came to pass?

    As the Sovereign of Wrath, it would be my responsibility to take care of her in that situation. Probably by killing her¡­ again. But even that was clear¡ªa black-and-white morality where the only hard part was swallowing my feelings to do what I knew was right.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out a real reason for this gnawing feeling of anxiety by the time the sun showed its vague location through the snow clouds, high in the sky. I had a short list, but all things pointed to Linthel.

    The city I¡¯d grown up in.

    The city I died in.

    The city that had survived a fire, a war, and the elevation of its lord to a king.

    The city where I had no clue what was in store for me. What we¡¯d even do to pass the months until the summer solstice when I would meet my sister.

    Perhaps I¡¯m just anxious because I wonder if I¡¯ll even recognize my home city. Or if it¡¯ll recognize me.

    I turned to Seyari driving and checked the back of the wagon for answers. Joisse and Nelys were playing a card game with Taava. The ¡°bard¡± spent the time between her turns plucking strings on her lute and cards from Joisse¡¯s deck both. The poor girl wasn¡¯t even aware enough of the cheating for her anger to spiral out of control.

    I had to pick targets to ask. Joisse had, for all intents and purposes, died in the war and had come from a small town near the border. Nelys had lived a continent away. So, I had two very different options

    ¡°Hey Seyari¡ªor Taava. What¡¯s happened in Linthel since I died nine years ago?¡±

    Taava giggled. ¡°That¡¯s a weird question, boss. Just outta nowhere like that.¡±

    Seyari glared at the kazzel.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Taava protested. ¡°What¡¯d I do?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ did find Taava¡¯s comment funny, Sey,¡± I added.

    Seyari sighed. ¡°Whatever. I was in Liseu during the war, so everything I got was secondhand. Though I can say the general Turquioser sentiment was ¡®good riddance to the empire.¡¯ I know King Carvalon was lauded as a brilliant tactician whose surprise tactics led to a lot of early Edathan victories and ensured the war wouldn¡¯t end swiftly in favor of Ordia.¡±

    ¡°Carvalon?¡± I snorted. ¡°Brilliant? When I lived in Linthel, everyone knew ¡®Lord¡¯ Carvalon as an empty-headed fop whose only positive trait was his looks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Joisse jumped into the conversation, slamming her hand of cards down for Taava to pick through. I had to fight her anger, although I made sure to let at least some through. ¡°King Carvalon himself spoke to my regiment once, after I joined up. His tactics won us the battle¡ªa-and I didn¡¯t die then because of it. If we¡¯d stayed in the valley, then¡­¡± she trailed off.

    I furrowed my brows and frowned. I tapped at a horn that wasn¡¯t there and tried to cross arms I didn¡¯t have before settling on just twitching my tai¡ªnever mind. ¡°I¡­ find that hard to believe. What if someone or something was puppeting him behind the scenes? What if they still are?¡±

    ¡°Maybe!¡± Taava shook her head and finished stacking her deck with cards from the distracted Joisse¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve never really been keen on the details, but I¡¯ve heard from travelin¡¯ around that Carvalon was playin¡¯ everybody for fools. Coulda been a demon or somethin¡¯ pullin¡¯ the strings, I guess, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Great. Just great. So Carvalon is either a not-so-secret genius, or someone¡¯s pulling his strings. I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s Envy,¡± Seyari pondered. ¡°Could that make sense?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it could.¡±

    Well shit.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Seyari leaned back in her seat, gazing up at the thick gray-white clouds visible through the trees. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to assume Avarice or Envy are involved then, won¡¯t we.¡±

    ¡°I think we should try to find out more when we get to Linthel,¡± Nelys added, trying to make head or tail of Taava¡¯s impossible last play. ¡°None of us were there in the city, right? It¡¯s suspicious, but Joisse has the only firsthand account and she says he¡¯s smart on his own.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. But I¡¯m still going to be paranoid about it.¡±

    Nelys frowned. ¡°Sorry, Renna.¡±

    Now it was my turn to look up at the clouds. ¡°Thanks, Nelys.¡±

    Great. Now I¡¯m even more anxious.

 Chapter 124: Stones of the Past pt. 1

    We settled in for the night at a campsite far enough from the road we wouldn¡¯t be seen. Camping like this served two purposes: one was that we wouldn¡¯t be visible from the road in case anyone wanted to try their hand at a little opportunistic nighttime thievery, and the other was that I could stretch out all my arms without risking an incident.

    We were only a day and out of town, but already we¡¯d climbed into forested foothills dressed in snow and smelling of cold pine. It all felt familiar. Pleasant, despite the nighttime chill.

    I didn¡¯t mind at all taking watch with Joisse for the whole night as she poked at her dinner. She was still getting used to the concept of eating again, having spent most of her time feeding on anger and ambient magic. The young wrath demon also couldn¡¯t sleep well¡ªI figured at least part of the reason was how she reverted her transformation when she slept. Sleeping hadn¡¯t really been something she¡¯d done much of before her contract with me.

    ¡°Your human transformation is a lot better than mine was after the same amount of practice.¡± I poked the embers of our fire with my tail tip. ¡°It was more than two years before I could do anything other than a fragile glamour.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Joisse picked her head up from staring into the fire, her red eyes glowing a little in the dim light.

    Nailed it. ¡°Yeah, really.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± She lowered her head again. ¡°Thanks. I guess. F-for everything else too¡ªnot just the compliment.¡±

    Maybe not. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± I asked directly.

    Joisse bit her lip in thought and looked over our campsite. We had nice, new tents for everyone, and the horses slept next to the wagon under a covering tied between two trees.

    ¡°All this,¡± Joisse finally said. ¡°I just¡ªI feel like I don¡¯t deserve it. I¡¯m just some demon you found. I tried to kill you, Zarenna. And I killed a lot of other people.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Joisse snapped, barely restraining her sudden anger. ¡°Just an ¡®I know?¡¯¡±

    I shrugged all four shoulders, rolling them a little. ¡°What do you want me to say? Is there a magic phrase that would make you feel better in an instant? If there was, would you even believe it if I said it right now?¡±

    Joisse kicked at the fire, scattering embers and bits of wood off into the snow. ¡°Why are you like this!¡±

    ¡°I dunno, really,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°I blame a good friend of mine who helped me out the same way.¡±

    ¡°Seyari?¡± Joisse grumbled.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, not Seyari. She helped me immensely, but it was my best friend for all my childhood¡ªmy only friend in all honesty¡ªwho saved me.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Joisse asked, suddenly curious.

    ¡°A wonderful girl named Abigail Hunter.¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself, and I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Joisse asked, her anger suddenly vanishing.

    I sniffed. ¡°A lot, really. She gave her soul for me¡ªdied forever to give me this life I now have.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Joisse cast her gaze back down at the scattered embers.

    I breathed a little life into them with my magic and we watched the glow. ¡°But it¡¯s not all doom and gloom, really. I have a lot of happy memories with her growing up.¡±

    ¡°D-did you love her?¡± Joisse asked, glancing at Seyari¡¯s tent.

    ¡°I did.¡± I nodded. ¡°Some of her last words to me were: ¡®Don¡¯t forget me, but don¡¯t you dare get stuck on me either.¡¯¡± I imitated her voice as best I could.

    ¡°I wish I could have met her,¡± Joisse said softly.

    ¡°I could tell you about her¡ªif you¡¯d like. I don¡¯t want to make this about me though¡ªit¡¯s you I¡¯m trying to help.¡±

    Joisse laughed softly¡ªnot quite a giggle. ¡°I think I¡¯d like that. It¡¯s a long way until morning.¡±

    ¡°I will then¡ªbut before I do, there was one thing I wanted to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Joisse kept her eyes on the embers.

    ¡°What do you want to do once you¡¯ve mastered your fury? You don¡¯t need to answer now or ever¡ªand it doesn¡¯t need to involve me. I¡¯m just curious is all.¡±

    ¡°My future, huh¡­¡± she lifted her eyes and looked up into the void-black darkness of the clouded night sky. ¡°I¡­ I guess I can give it some thought.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I nodded and picked my tail up out of the snow, resting it around both of us to be closer to the lingering warmth of the fire.

    To my surprise, Joisse pulled my tail over her legs.

    I snorted trying to hold in a laugh.

    She glared at me. ¡°What? Your tail¡¯s warm.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry. It¡¯s fine. Really.¡±

    Joisse pouted.

    ¡°I can start with how Abby and I met if you¡¯d like?¡± I offered, trying to move things along.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Joisse smiled¡ªa fragile-looking expression on her. ¡°She came up to you didn¡¯t she.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah she did,¡± I giggled. ¡°But there¡¯s even more to it than that¡­¡±

    Late in the night, until the first rays of dawn poked through, I shared stories with Joisse. By morning, I¡¯d heard of her own life before the war¡ªand her idiot brother whom she loved dearly. She reminded me of, well, myself when I was younger: a teenager and an adult technically, but someone who was forced to grow up too fast.

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    I also learned of Joisse¡¯s relative illiteracy¡ªsomething I knew I needed to address as soon as possible.

    Seyari monopolized me as her personal heater during breakfast. Without me, she said, the tent was unbearably cold. It wasn¡¯t until we were almost finished breaking camp that she brought up Joisse.

    ¡°You know, Renna,¡± she said, glancing at the demon who was currently winning a snowball fight against Nelys and Taava. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d adopt so soon.¡±

    I flushed dark crimson. ¡°S-she¡¯s nearly an adult though¡ªand that¡¯s not counting the years since the war! She¡¯s her own person¡ª¡±

    Seyari quirked one eyebrow. ¡°And?¡±

    Joisse didn¡¯t understand why I was flustered the rest of the day.

    ***

    On the third day of travel, after ascending a well-settled valley, we entered another hilly, remote stretch of the main road. What struck me was how small and sparse the trees were. Half-walls and piles of stone emerged out of the snow like gravestones. The ruins didn¡¯t look like a village.

    Joisse saw me looking and tapped my shoulder. ¡°Forts. Early on, Ordia pushed pretty far in places, and it was in spots like this where they got stopped. Lured in, I was told.¡± She gave a sad, furtive glance to the remains of a hastily-built tower. ¡°It¡¯s all so awful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I agreed. My eyes caught a tree growing up through the stones. ¡°Nature moves on, though.¡±

    ¡°I wish people did¡­¡± mumbled Joisse.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Seyari said knowingly, surprising both of us. ¡°Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t hear you two whispering.¡± She looked out over the ruined fort, not speaking.

    We stayed quiet until deeper in the woods, past the old stones, where we came upon a covered wagon with a broken wheel. A man was bent over the clearly broken wheel, worrying away at it while a bored-looking driver sat at the front. The horses looked bored too, oddly.

    ¡°Do you need any help?¡± I shouted, almost reflexively.

    The man looked up and smiled.

    Seyari, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes and urged the horses to pass the downed wagon faster, drifting closer to the side of the road opposite the wagon, where a steep, tree-lined hill rose up into the lightly falling snow.

    ¡°What gives?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Did you see that wheel?¡± my fianc¨¦e hissed. ¡°This is a well graded road! There¡¯s no way¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look out!¡± Joisse shouted, the second word turning into a roar.

    A mass of furious wrath demon shoved Seyari off the wagon just before a rain of pyrite-colored wind blades blew through the front of the wagon. Even with my own reaction time, I was scarcely able to move Joisse herself¡ªin full demon form¡ªout of the way in time.

    Our horses were slaughtered in an instant, reduced to a red mist and a rain of viscera. Scores of cuts burst open along my two right arms and my back, although the magic didn¡¯t score as deeply as I would have imagined. Instead, the sharp stinging pain was accompanied by a vaguely familiar warmth.

    Demonic-aspected mana.

    I hit the ground with Seyari and Joisse and we rolled through bloody snow until we bounced off a tree, my spear and shield flying free. Behind us, our wagon jerked into a half flip, spilling our belongings everywhere and tossing Taava and Nelys free.

    I leapt to my feet and dashed for them. I need to protect the others.

    I made it to Nelys before they hit the ground. Even in surprise, they had half-corrected their fall into a roll and they landed in my arms with a ¡°whoomph¡± of air. Nearby, off the road in deeper snow, Taava landed with a curse in a plume of powdered snow.

    ¡°Where?!¡± Seyari shouted behind me, feet crunching snow as she stood up.

    ¡°The hill!¡± Joisse growled in response, dashing away before Seyari could get a word in.

    I saw Taava staggering upright right as a crossbow bolt from the wagon¡¯s driver¡ªher eyes glowing, but dull¡ªflew through the air straight for the kazzel.

    Snarling, I spun, slapping the projectile out of the air with my tail. Nelys grunted in my arms, the speed of my spin too much for them. I set them down and they stumbled up, turning to run just as I felt the tingle of a powerful spell wash over the area.

    A voice rang out in my mind.

    ¡°How dare you defy your master! Cease this struggle at once!¡±

    The magic crashed over me like a wave, then dragged me under like a riptide.

    I fought back against the compulsion, the way I knew best.

    Familiar, comfortable wrath boiled up and over, my magic searing away the invader¡¯s pathetic attempt at control. Around me, more easily than ever before, I sensed my friends.

    My fianc¨¦e and my¡­ new friend (absolutely not my adopted daughter¡ªno way) were in a fight with a group on the hill, the half-angel and the raging wrath demon already pressuring the one who¡¯d killed our horses. A few dozen meters away, all I could catch through the trees were flashes of red, green, white, and gold: Joisse¡¯s scarlet skin and the others¡¯ magic.

    The other wrath demon¡¯s anger was a simple matter to stoke¡ªher fury was already strong enough that with the thread linking us it only took a simple nudge to shake her free.

    Seyari¡¯s anger, cold, hard, and old flared up steadily, burning this cretin¡¯s control away moments later.

    Taava was more distant. More difficult. Her unsure fury took coaxing to stoke. For now, she remained under, off in the powder snow.

    Nelys, however, Nelys had no fury¡ªnot yet. My power scrabbled and clawed for purchase, but slid off.

    To my mounting horror, Nelys turned toward the cart, and from it emerged a vaguely familiar kind of demon.

    Like Astrodach and the demon Erik summoned, she was a stretched clay doll emulating a human shape¡ªalthough she had three long, sharp tails behind her. She had violet hair, pale white skin, and a wardrobe that spoke of wealth. Her violet eyes were squarely on me.

    ¡°My,¡± the voice rang in my head, ¡°to think you would be so weak. Why is it that you of all demons were granted a sovereign title?¡±

    I took a step toward her, bright flames hissing from my mouth. Somewhere behind me, my ears barely caught Taava rushing off for cover as the spell on her broke. Another bolt fired at her over my shoulder, magicked tip missing me by centimeters, and Taava by not much more.

    ¡°I have her now,¡± the demon said into my thoughts. ¡°Attack me and she¡¯ll never wake up.¡±

    She?

    My confusion must have shown, and the demon smiled cruelly, sighing melodramatically. ¡°What it would be to be oneself, unfettered. What it would be to escape the crushing weights of expectation and obligation.¡±

    I felt it. A seed of anger in Nelys. A simple, casual thing put up in response to the demon violating their self. I stoked that seed, and like a pinecone in a forest fire, it burst open¡ªshowering the fertile soil with fury.

    Nelys screamed, so unlike themselves, and in an impressive display of speed threw a knife at the demonic woman¡¯s head. For a moment when the spell broke, she was stunned, and the knife caught her squarely, sending her stumbling back from surprise.

    It didn¡¯t matter whether the thrown blade hurt her or not. Her spell was broken and I leapt at her.

    ¡°Run, Nelys!¡± I shouted before I dove in.

    I hoped Nelys would heed my warning, but I couldn¡¯t afford to even look to check.

    The gangly demon twisted away, calling on some magic or another. Eyes glowing, my fire burned through her magic, incinerating whatever spell she¡¯d tried. The snow in a wagon-sized radius around where we¡¯d landed sublimated, heat radiating in waves off the newly-dry rocks.

    The demon screamed as my fire seared into her. I grabbed her with all four arms, fully prepared to see how many pieces she¡¯d tear into.

    ¡°Wait!¡± she hissed into my head. ¡°If you kill me, then all those under my thrall will die. New demons for the upcoming war, Wrath. Hundreds of souls fractured on your conscience.¡±

    I felt a magicked bolt hit me in the shoulder, but I didn¡¯t care. Several pairs of footsteps ran toward me. More attackers¡ªhuman this time.

    ¡°Will you die, or will you kill?¡±

    I could call her bluff. From what I could hear Seyari and Joisse were still fighting on the hillside across the road. Taava and Nelys were away¡ªI couldn¡¯t hear fighting where they¡¯d been.

    I could call her bluff, and I might never even know whether she was telling the truth or not.

    Magicked blades cut into me. Not particularly deeply as the swings were only human in strength, but I felt them. The demon under me gathered her magic again and I knew I had to make a decision¡ªright now.

 Chapter 125: Stones of the Past pt. 2

    I hesitated. Like I always did, I hesitated. I didn¡¯t know if the demon I had pinned was bluffing or not and rather than commit to a course of action, I let my mind wander.

    This time, it was only for a moment; a fraction of a fraction of a second. But for the greater demon under me, that was all the time she needed.

    Her three tails, whiplike lengths ending in half-meter long blades, struck out at me. I pulled, hearing tendons tearing on her arms, but her blades struck me to the bone and my arms on one side went slack, releasing her.

    We both hissed in pain, and I drew on my magic to burn her right as she hit me with a raw, messy command spell. I stumbled barely long enough for her to cast something far more practiced. This time, she disappeared.

    Either by luck or practice I remembered what Lilly had told me in Sandmeadow, after our spar: ¡°it¡¯s a lot harder to use magic and get away with it if you have to hide your own aura while doing it.¡±

    Her goons¡ªcontracted, corrupted, mind controlled or whatever¡ªsurrounded me, menacing with their magicked weapons, but I ignored them. My eyes, glowing with aura sight, searched for my real opponent.

    I saw her aura move: a black mass studded with pale blue stars and ringed with rich violet, running at incredible speed around me. Not toward Taava or Nelys, but toward Seyari and Joisse.

    If she tips that fight in her favor¡­

    I didn¡¯t want to think about it. Didn¡¯t have time to.

    The people surrounding me could have been innocent, but I was in no place to care about them over my friends. The cuts in my arm, viciously deep, but fine almost like papercuts, were already healing. Not fast enough.

    I blocked a sword slash with an arm on my good side, numb to the pain as it bit into me, and spun, sweeping with my tail. The nearly two-meter-long limb caught three people and sent them flying with a heavy crunch of breaking bone. The swordsman, sword still in hand and his expression far, far too calm, stood in my path. He was still recovering from his last swing.

    I leaned down, bent my legs, and headbutted him, horns first. Even with how my horn tips pointed backward, the thick demonic bone dented his armor and bowled him to one side. Opening created, I dashed through, taking one last person down on my way out with a clumsy fist from my last good arm.

    My feet pounded through bloody mud, past our ruined wagon and up the snowy hillside toward Seyari and Joisse. I followed the trail Joisse had torn into the forest, following the bouncing aura of the invisible demon who managed to stay just out of claws reach.

    Not twenty meters off the road, we joined the other fight, and I saw the aura dash for Seyari.

    ¡°Sey! Behind you!¡± I shouted a warning to my fianc¨¦e.

    Caught in the middle of calling forth yet another lance of holy light, she didn¡¯t hesitate, whirling and rolling to one side.

    She was too slow¡ªbut only just.

    One of the invisible demon¡¯s tails caught her, blade biting deep into her side. She gasped, and I tried to sprint the last few meters even faster, readying a stream of fire.

    Behind her, another demon: a horned, bat-winged, hooved man with skin the color of tarnished silver and eyes like burning pyrite, readied his own spell. He was closer¡ªand he just might have beat me to the punch.

    But he was distracted. And he¡¯d forgotten about Joisse.

    Our newest ally, probably half again as tall as the one I presumed to be a demon of avarice, slammed into the silver demon¡¯s side, shoulder first. Joisse¡¯s long, thick spikes dug into him and he screamed in pain and fury.

    I didn¡¯t see how hurt Joisse was, because my own spell was ready. I threw my good hand forward and a stream of crimson fire burst forth, bathing the forest in unnatural light. The still-invisible demon realized where I was aiming and dove to one side.

    She got out, but the tail that had struck Seyari wasn¡¯t so lucky. Caught by my fire, hot enough to push me toward exhaustion, the bladed tail incinerated, leaving nothing more than a glowing stump. The rest of my fire went wide, roaring past Joisse and the avarice demon, through the trunk of a tree, and up into the midday sky like a flare.

    The now two-tailed demon screeched, calling upon her magic again, aura flaring even as her invisibility flickered off. Between us and the other demons, the tree I¡¯d burned through started to fall.

    Seyari staggered up from her roll, cursing as blood flowed freely from her side, a holy glow starting. I saw Joisse fly off the avarice demon, trailing dark blood as the sharp, brownish-gold wind tore into her. I felt her pain, her desperation through the contract, and I willed my power into her even as I grabbed for the tailed demon with my good hand.

    I think I can feel all my fingers again.

    I reached the demon just as she blurred and warped, bending out of my reach at an impossible angle. Faster than I could even register, she had moved behind Seyari. The tree between the twin fights fell, shaking the ground and dusting all of us with snow that glittered in the daylight.

    Even injured and potentially mana-exhausted, the three-quarters angel was far from helpless. Seyari twisted away from the blades aimed at her neck just in time, one sliding up and grazing the shaved side of her head. I dashed forward through branches and falling snow, watching in my periphery as Joisse, her energy and fury renewed, leapt again on the avarice demon, mangled limbs tearing into him.

    I reached the tailed demon just in time for her to blur away again, sliding around Seyari¡¯s side. I barely managed to interpose myself between the two and knock her tails aside with my own.

    ¡°Hundreds dead, on your mind,¡± she cast her thoughts at me again.

    Just up the hill, I felt Joisse get thrown away again by wind magic, she was getting weaker¡ªand fast. But for now, the silver demon had to focus its full attention on her.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± I hissed at the three-tailed demon.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, Wrath?¡± she spoke aloud, her voice like a thousand candles sputtering out¡ªall at once. ¡°We want you to die!¡±

    Instead of a response, I leapt at her. If she isn¡¯t lying, to those about to die, I¡¯m sorry. Pouring all my magic into speed, claws growing white-hot, I threw myself forward, and she had just enough time to realize I¡¯d regained the use of all my arms before I reached her.

    My fire and my fury struggled against her magic, a shield of shimmering force. For a moment, the shield held against my assault and I felt myself slipping. Right as I broke through, she blurred, moving away at an impossible speed.

    She couldn¡¯t dodge all of my arms.

    I caught her with a single clawed hand, but it was enough. Pushing with magic and muscle, I tore through her, cutting or breaking bone and burning whatever organs she had. I felt her spine, grabbed her arm with another hand, wrapped my tail around a leg, catching her second knee, and pulled.

    The demonic woman tore in two, halves already nearly cauterized, even as her arm I held started to blacken. Her final defense was a scream in my mind, painful enough to make me stumble. Behind me, I heard Seyari scream and collapse.

    I roared and slammed the pieces of demon together, crushing and mangling until the scream cut off. When she died, her black, starry aura burst outward, slamming into me. An instinctual part of me understood¡ªshe¡¯d challenged my title and lost. Now I¡¯d get my due. My gem pulsed, crimson, green, black, blue, purple.

    I stumbled, falling forward, pushing away the memories that weren¡¯t mine; the fragments of soul that weren¡¯t me. Golden, warm fields, buildings of a style I¡¯d never seen, an opportunity lost, and a family name tarnished: the final straw that would beget a civil war.

    The people I saw wore unfamiliar high-class clothing and walked halls and gardens of wealth. They all had familiar furred ears and tails. Kazzel. Raavia.

    Taava.

    The Black Claw.

    From back in the direction of the others, I heard a cry for help.

    ¡°Sey!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°On it!¡± my fianc¨¦e replied, dashing after the trail of carnage that Joisse and her opponent had tunneled into the snow-covered forest.

    Sparing a thought for Joisse and a hope that her new life wouldn¡¯t end here. I sprinted down the hill and passed over the road where I¡¯d first fought the three-tailed demon. My feet practically flew across the ground. I felt good. Not mentally¡ªI was barely holding it together there.

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    No, physically. Whoever that demon was, by intention or not, they¡¯d gone against me in a way that lost them their soul when they¡¯d died. And I¡¯d gotten that soul, maybe entirely. That¡¯s something to ask Sey or even Lilly later.

    Right now, I needed to move. I could still hear fighting, and Seyari was somewhere behind me, still alive and hopefully not mana exhausted. Lorelei¡¯s death reared fresh in my mind.

    I heard another scream as my boots hit the churned snow by the far side of the road. Behind me, I only counted three bodies¡ªone still moving. And they were human. Who knows how many Black Claw were waiting in the wagon. Damnit.

    I need to be faster!

    Tracks in the snow led me deeper into the forest, and I saw motion ahead through the trees. A half-dozen people, perhaps¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t make out Taava or Nelys.

    I heard another pained shout, this time clearly from Taava. A memory of a dark winter wood hit me: a cave, lit by candles, and a person we failed to reach in time.

    Not again.

    My magic shifted, new power surging. I almost hesitated, almost didn¡¯t want to risk manifesting some echo of the dead demon, some power that wasn¡¯t like me. Or worse, that wasn¡¯t mine.

    I didn¡¯t though¡ªI encouraged it instead.

    Heat formed behind and below my lower set of shoulders. I half expected a new limb to push out, but what I got instead were twin jets of fire. The spell felt complex, powerful, and old. But it also felt familiar in a way¡ªstructured almost like Seyari had taught me, bits of how I¡¯d design something filling in the cracks.

    The fire spread, drawing out into wings of flame. I couldn¡¯t see their appearance, but I felt their heat on my back: warm, but their true heat isolated¡ªmy coat safe save for twin holes burned clean through it.

    I flapped, a wash of heat melting snow behind me, and I shot forward. I didn¡¯t even think about going up. The speed was so great, in fact, that I couldn¡¯t avoid the first tree.

    I slammed into it, shoulder first. The crack of wood was nothing compared to the burning hiss of my flame wing as my new pseudo-limb, with some resistance, cleaved through the trunk.

    New limb. Fire or not, I could almost feel the spell-created wings of fire¡ªmy wings. I didn¡¯t have time to think about them, or what they might mean. I made them with my magic, somehow or another, because I needed to be faster. Right now, that speed was all that mattered.

    Racing ahead of the falling tree, I didn¡¯t enter a clearing, rather I entered a steep, rocky gap with a half-frozen creek at the bottom. A mixed group of armored thugs and white-and-brown cloaked assassins had surrounded a rocky hill on the other side.

    Several thugs were down for the count, laid out on the ground like broken dolls. Their wounds were many, and fresh. If I had to make a guess, the same people I was chasing did them in.

    I reached the first of the Black Claw assassins just in time for them to notice me; she must have turned when I hit the tree. Her eyes widened, just in time for my clawed hand to catch her in the torso.

    Her flesh searing, I flung the assassin against the rocks, even as I pulled up clumsily to the other side of the ditch. She hit hard, and I didn¡¯t bother to check if she was still alive. Something flew toward me, and I drew in my wings around myself, stumbling from my boots¡¯ lack of grip on the icy rocks. Crimson fire surrounded me, shape so defined as to look like my own pair of demonic wings, only warmer, and far more deadly. Whatever it was that hit me disintegrated against my wings.

    Even riding the high of gaining whatever power I¡¯d gotten, I could feel the new spell draining away at my reserves. Not quickly, but enough to matter.

    I heard motion. Flicking my wings open, I threw what almost looked like a whip of fire at the aggressor. It clipped them, and they tumbled down in the snow, out of view behind more rocks.

    I didn¡¯t linger, instead rounding the corner to where I¡¯d heard Taava and Nelys shouting. The moment the scene came into view, my heart sank and my fury surged.

    Nelys lay on the ground, bleeding. Taava stood over them, blood dripping from one shut eye, a slash across her chest, and a small arrow in her thigh. She held three throwing daggers, one in her dominant hand, one in a reverse grip, and another in her tail.

    Surrounding her were three assassins: each holding a shortsword.

    Five.

    One full group, but with better weapons. My aura sight was still on, and each Black Claw glowed faintly with magic, stronger at their weapons.

    Light from my wings bathed the area crimson, and Taava¡¯s eyes flicked up to me. When they did, the Black Claw assassins struck as one.

    I launched myself at them, fire burning and claws outstretched. Barely, just barely I reached them before they reached Taava.

    I grabbed the rearmost, my searing claws catching only cloth, and spun. One wing clipped another Black Claw, sending them stumbling and burning. My tail caught the last one full-on, throwing them over and past Nelys to crash against the rock.

    The small boulder groaned, and started to give way, falling back toward the creek below. Taava kicked off it at the same time, straight at the one I¡¯d grabbed.

    Searing claws have great purchase in flesh, but scissor straight through cloth. Set free, but caught off guard, the man barely had time to block Taava¡¯s first two strikes, but her tail-held blade shot forward and straight through his cheek.

    My momentum carried me past Taava and into the falling boulder. I kicked through the dying assassin and off the rock, sending it careening off down into the ditch, landing with a splash just as I turned to stand protectively over Nelys.

    In a proper duel, the injured Taava looked like she could hold her own. So, I focused on the other remaining assassin, who was standing up with their cloak now on fire. Our eyes met, and to my surprise both of us threw magic forward. Their lightning met my fire in a small explosion that tossed Taava and her opponent to the side. I shielded myself and Nelys with my wings, but the last assassin had no such luck and was caught in the blast.

    They flew backwards into a tree, smoking. A mound of snow rolled off the branches above and buried them. Taava rolled upright first, and I ran to her aid, not wanting to risk my wings in such tight quarters.

    I moved to flank, and the distraction gave Taava what she needed¡ªan opening. Small as it was, she took it, dipping under the assassin¡¯s guard to drive a small dagger into his chest, just to the left of the middle. The assassin gasped, arm straining to deflect one of my clawed hands.

    Another of my hands, balled into a fist, found the handle of Taava¡¯s blade and punched it the rest of the way in. The Black Claw assassin stumbled over and crashed into the snow, blood pouring from the wound.

    Taava hissed. ¡°Across the river?¡±

    ¡°One left,¡± I replied, turning. ¡°Is Nelys alive?¡±

    Taava shrugged; she looked pale and I could see her shaking. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe¡ªbut not for long.¡±.

    I looked over at where Nelys lay. The snow around them was stained with blood¡ªenough to make my stomach twist. A contract? No¡ªnot with Nelys. I know they wouldn¡¯t want it.

    Seyari then. I have to go back to her and Joisse

    I flapped again and took off back across the river, more a long jump than true flight. My eyes looked for an aura in the snow, and I found the last assassin. They barely had time to react before I flew over them. From my hands, I washed them with crimson fire, and a cut-off scream let me know I¡¯d hit.

    But I didn¡¯t have time to check. Across the road and into the forest, I flew, burning my way through the denser foliage. At the site of the battle, the bright tan of pine splinters and rich green of needles littered the ground. There¡¯d been a dense stand of trees here only moments ago. I saw Seyari struggling toward me, shouldering Joisse. The other wrath demon looked bad, but she limped along.

    From under a log, I could see a twisted silver leg. An arm lay a few meters away, and between them a thick smear of dark blood had boiled away the snow. I wanted to congratulate them on the kill¡ªto ask Joisse if she was okay. But I didn¡¯t have time, and I shouted as soon as I drew close.

    ¡°Sey! Nelys! Dying!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Sey looked up, eyes widening at my wings of fire. ¡°Renna, what¡ª¡±

    ¡°No time!¡± I reached out my two right hands. I can¡¯t carry them both.

    ¡°Go!¡± Joisse wheezed. I¡¯ll¡ª¡± She coughed up some blood. ¡°¡ªlive.¡±

    I¡¯ll be right back, Joisse. Wishing I had time for a response, I pulled Seyari close when she took my hands, using the weight of my tail to turn and my legs to kick off for a flying leap back toward Nelys and Taava.

    The kazzel was on one knee when we got back, her breath ragged. She looked at us. ¡°Poison. Do¡ªdo Nelys first.¡±

    Seyari nodded and leapt out of my arms, running to Nelys¡¯s side. Holy magic suffused the former pirate¡¯s small form, and Seyari swore. More magic poured from her; more light glowed around Nelys.

    Next to me, Taava shuddered and collapsed. I grabbed her and carried her over next to Seyari. The half-angel exhaled, pale, sweaty and shaking.

    ¡°I¡ªI think they¡¯ll live, but they might need more than I can give right now.¡±

    My heart clenched. ¡°What about Taava?¡±

    Seyari turned around and swore. The half-angel looked up at me and sighed, before doing something I didn¡¯t expect. She smiled. ¡°Be a little gentler when you carry me out of here, okay? Oh, and you might want to stand back.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I stuttered, even as I set Taava down and did as I was asked. Acutely, I felt the drain of my wings on my mana, and I dismissed the spell, the crimson glow fading as I felt the odd, but very familiar sensation of losing two limbs.

    In front of me, Seyari put her hands on both Nelys and Taava and began to glow. Her silver, braided hair lifted and her eyes poured out a bright gold light. Even though it burned to look at, and made some part of me twist with discomfort, I didn¡¯t look away.

    I watched as color returned to Taava¡¯s cheeks, and as Nelys twitched and muttered. All too soon, it was over. Seyari collapsed forward, face-first into the snow.

    Shocked as I was, I didn¡¯t quite catch her in time. But I¡¯ll tell her I did.

    I scooped all three of them up after checking their breathing. Even and regular, thank Dhias.

    Taava and Seyari went over my shoulders, leaving my lower arms to princess-carry Nelys. Even if the danger appeared to be past, I walked back to the road slowly and carefully. I could still feel Joisse distantly through our contract¡ªand she wasn¡¯t any worse than she had been. But that didn¡¯t mean she could walk.

    If she was out of it too¡­ Well I should have enough arms for everyone, and I can pull a wagon.

    I didn¡¯t want to risk Nelys, Taava or Seyari by leaving them unattended, so I trudged across the road carrying all three and made my way warily back up the hill. Joisse sat against a tree, breathing heavily. The ground under her¡ªbare dirt mostly¡ªwas mixed with dark blood.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zarenna.¡± She coughed. ¡°I¡¯m not very strong¡ªI didn¡¯t want to just give in. I was worried I¡¯d hurt someone on our side.¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± I set the others down carefully and knelt beside her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, everyone lived¡ªthey¡¯re just out for a little while.¡±

    Joisse looked over at me and smiled a tusked smile, her eyes unfocused. ¡°¡°I¡­ my fury. All the different parts of me wanted different things. I think¡­ I think I just wanted the war to end, but¡­ everything was so foggy¡­ Now I know what I want, but I don¡¯t know if I can have it.¡±

    I reached out and took her hand, willing a bit more of my nearly-gone mana into our contract. ¡°You can. You will.¡±

    ¡°You should just kill me.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I shouted loud enough that we both jumped. ¡°No way. I meant everything I said earlier Joisse, and I know you did too. You literally just said you wanted to live¡ªthat you had things you wanted to do.¡±

    Joisse perked up a little as the mana took hold. ¡°Mhm. I can think a lot straighter now. I like it, but it¡¯s also harder. In a good way, I think. Could¡­ we talk about something nice for a while?¡±

    I looked down at the others out cold on the ground, and thought of the carnage left on the road and the path here. I had every reason to insist we try to move now, but I found I didn¡¯t care to. ¡°Sure, Joisse.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°How about I tell you the time Abigail dragged me and Tania to the backstage of a play by convincing us she had permission to be back there.¡± I traced my tail through the dirt while warming the soil enough that my friends wouldn¡¯t freeze.

    Joisse giggled, coughing a little. ¡°Really?¡±

    I smiled sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, really. We were young, and honestly a little na?ve. Tania was always smarter than me, but she was pretty sheltered. We both were, I guess. I just had Abby for a good-bad influence.¡±

    Joisse smiled, and I launched into my story in earnest.

 Chapter 126: Miss Goody-Four-Arms

    I have fire wings now. Intrusive, persistent, but not unwelcome, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the fact that I might be able to fly now. While we trundled along in our appropriated wagon with its scavenged wheel, I thought about soaring through the skies and probably scaring the living heck out of anyone who saw me. Seyari and the others were tucked safely in the covered back along with all our belongings and a few new supplies, courtesy of those demonic assholes who¡¯d nearly killed us all.

    ¡°Hey Boss!¡± Taava said, interrupting my thoughts. ¡°I thought up a new nickname for ya!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± I groaned, gripping the reins a little tighter. I wasn¡¯t the best wagon driver, but I¡¯d learned more about it than I ever though I would these past months.

    ¡°It¡¯s a real good one though!¡± The kazzel insisted from her bedroll in the back of the wagon. My bedroll actually. Despite all the claw holes, it was fluffy and nice and sized for two people.

    She, Nelys and Seyari were still resting, and Nelys in particular was in a deep sleep. Joisse and I had managed to get the wagon going again after we got lucky and found their horses tied to a tree not far away from the battle. The animals had been absolutely terrified of us until we donned our glamours, and even still the battle had spooked them good.

    Thankfully, Joisse had spent a lot of time growing up around animals, and she was able to get them to calm with some effort. The two of us, clothed and human-looking were up front, driving the horses away from the scene of the battle and toward Linthel with as much speed as we dared.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to still be nearly dead?¡± I asked back, when Taava decided not to elaborate.

    ¡°Nearly dead is partially alive. ¡®Sides, I¡¯m like the only one here ¡®cept maybe Nelys who hasn¡¯t died, yeah? Sey counts!¡±

    I groaned. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re feeling better.¡±

    ¡°Not at all! I still need your extra-comfy bedroll, and you¡¯re gonna have ta do all my chores.¡±

    ¡°Taava¡­¡± I growled.

    Next to me, Joisse giggled. It was as effective at melting my anger as my own concentration.

    ¡°So I thought the least I could do was sing ya a song ta make up for it.¡±

    ¡°Taava, the others are trying to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Not now a course! Later. When everyone can enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Joisse said. ¡°That sounds nice, actually.¡±

    Traitor!

    I glared down at her, but she smiled back up and me and whispered. ¡°She¡¯s a good singer, and I think we all need a little positivity.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ have a point, I guess,¡± I was forced to concede. I was barely holding my human form together, nervous about another attack or that Seyari or Nelys might suffer permanent harm. Or never wake up.

    ¡°Great!¡± Taava chirped. ¡°It¡¯s called Miss-Goody-Four-Arms, and it¡¯s got the new nickname right in the title!¡±

    ¡°I hate it already¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll learn ta love it!¡±

    I groaned, but I also caught myself smiling. Damn if Taava wasn¡¯t magical when it came to lifting my mood. I wasn¡¯t sure how being an eternal, buzzing nuisance could manage that, but she did and I was grateful. ¡°Thanks, Taava.¡±

    Inside the wagon, Taava sputtered.

    And I have my own weapons back, you know.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a cute nickname, Zarenna,¡± Joisse whispered. ¡°It¡¯s very ¡®you¡¯.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh.. sure.¡± Crap. Now I can¡¯t hate it.

    ***

    At camp that night, I fielded questions about my new wings of fire, mostly from Nelys who hadn¡¯t seen them. They and Seyari were up and about, albeit exhausted. I was still thanking Dhias and whoever else might be listening over and over again in my head as I cherished just how alive we all were.

    ¡°So you can fly?¡± Nelys asked, wonder in their voice.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    I nodded. ¡°I think so¡ªmaybe. I¡¯ve not tried since the fight, and even then, what I did was more or less a series of long leaps.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try now?¡± Seyari asked, a wistful smile on her face. ¡°We¡¯re not next to a village, and I¡¯d bet the view is great in these hills.¡±

    Immediately, I thought about her own wings, lost to time. What I wouldn¡¯t give¡­

    I rolled my shoulders. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll need to get another shirt first.¡±

    Seyari hummed, and I noticed her eyes drifted skyward.

    I changed quickly and returned with my mostly-ruined, but still modest company outfit from the fight. After taking a deep breath, I walked over past the center of our camp¡¯s clearing to where Seyari sat by the fire.

    I bent down and offered her a hand. ¡°Want to come with me?¡±

    Seyari closed her eyes, then scrunched them up, letting her breath out slowly. She ran her fingers through her silver hair¡ªthe side that was long, anyway. ¡°Don¡¯t drop me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    Once Seyari stood up with me, I faced the awkward reality of how exactly we were going to do this.

    ¡°You have four arms, so it should be easy. I¡¯ve had to do this a few times in the past, but I was never the one being carried.¡± The half-angel spoke quickly, anxiously. ¡°Hold my waist with two of your arms, and hold my shoulders with the others.¡±

    I did as she asked.

    Sey reached up and pecked a kiss on my chin. ¡°Face me the other way, love. I want to see the ground, not you.¡±

    ¡°Not me?¡±

    ¡°I see plenty of you, Renna.¡±

    Smiling, I spun Seyari around. Her feet rested just above mine, off the ground. Willing my magic to act, and focusing on the spell I felt earlier that same day, a heat started to glow around my lower shoulder blades.

    With an eruption of heat and light, twin crimson wings of flame burst from my back. I flexed them as though they were real limbs. Dimly, I knew it was the spell moving, but they felt so real in the moment. They were also draining my barely-recovered mana quickly.

    ¡°Can I touch them?¡± Seyari asked in a whisper.

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The last thing to touch them was a tree, and I think my wing cut through it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± Seyari clenched her hands into fists. ¡°Although I guess they don¡¯t have feathers, so it¡¯s not too much of a shame.¡±

    Not knowing how to respond, I changed the subject. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    I ran a few steps forward, bent my legs and kicked off the ground. As a wrath demon, I didn¡¯t spend a lot of time jumping. As such, I was surprised when my jump alone cleared more than my own height into the air.

    With only a few powerful flaps, hot air thrust downward and I lifted skyward, spell working even harder. Really, the spell did most of the work¡ªsmall movements and techniques I couldn¡¯t possibly have grasped so quickly. Neither of us spoke as I climbed, my focus entirely on staying aloft and steady. Seyari¡¯s focus, meanwhile, was on the ground below.

    When I reached the height of the nearest hill, I stopped and leveled out, turning to face the road we were headed down.

    I sucked in a gasp of air.

    Spread out below me, quiet in the evening twilight, were the rolling, forested hills of the Edathan countryside. Smoke curled up from the chimneys of a nearby hamlet, and snow painted the landscape around the gray curls and dark roofs white. Above us, stars shone bright and big through a gap in the clouds.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I whispered.

    Only then did I hear the soft sound of Seyari crying.

    ¡°Sey¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure what to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Renna,¡± the half angel choked. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have¡ªcan¡­ can we go down now? I can¡¯t do this.¡±

    ¡°Sey, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    I¡¯ll get you your wings back, I wanted to say. Next time we¡¯ll go flying together, my heart ached to tell her.

    Empty promises, both of them. Words that would only cause more hurt. I shouldn¡¯t have done this.

    I descended as fast as I dared, and came to a landing so suddenly that the others asked if we were alright. Seyari spun herself back to facing me, her head buried in my chest.

    ¡°It was cold up there,¡± I lied unconvincingly. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    My wings sputtered out and with the renewed darkness, Seyari pulled away and left for our tent, her head down. I tried my best to pretend nothing was wrong and walked back over to the others. Moments later, Seyari returned, wrapped in a blanket.

    My heart surged when she sat next to me and leaned against my side. I put my tail around both of us.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m still sorry,¡± I replied.

    ***

    We waited until the next morning to talk again, and even then, we didn¡¯t go deeper than the road conditions, the weather, and food.

    Aside from a somber mood and an awkward trade for new horses, the last of our journey to Linthel was almost anticlimactically uneventful. The few days passed with little more than a single morning of moderate snow to disturb our trip. Even then, the look of the landscape wearing its white winter blanket brought back the nostalgia of days by the fire, and Tania beating Abby and me at board games.

    After that first night and flight, I filled everyone in on what happened during the fight, getting confirmation on a few things from Nelys and Seyari. The assassins were indeed hidden in the wagon, and the demon I¡¯d thought was an avarice demon was indeed an avarice demon. In hindsight, it was also pretty obvious that the other demon was of envy.

    Which meant Astrodach, one of Third Prince Malich¡¯s bound demons, was an envy demon. They¡¯d escaped, and were now somewhere in Navanea, probably in Baetnal rubbing shoulders with royals. A direct line to the Navanaean throne, and the power of a nation. A pit formed in my stomach when we worked that out.

    Aretan, please be safe.

    From the three-tailed demon¡¯s memories and Taava¡¯s own anecdotes, I had a good idea that Envy had a hand in the civil war in Raavia. And they more than likely had a hand in the current war in Navanaea. And they were also working to create the rising unrest and demon problems in Ordia.

    Something big is coming. And I have only just enough information to be truly afraid of it.

    When we rounded a bend and saw Linthel, however, my thoughts all shifted to a single word: home.

    The city looked different, like a new painting in an old frame; some elements matched my memory, but I could hardly be sure which. The walls around the old town were in the same place, at least. Lord¡ªKing, now¡ªCarvalon¡¯s castle loomed as it always had above the city. Somewhere in Linthel I¡¯d find answers, and hopefully closure too.

 Chapter 127: A View From A Grave

    While we didn¡¯t need to go through the walls into the old town to visit where I used to live, we were still stopped by the city guard, and I verified our company affiliation.

    Once we got inside, Nelys and Taava split off. We needed to report the attack on the road here to both the town guard and the Gelles Company as soon as possible.

    I couldn¡¯t go with them. Not when I was so close to my memories.

    Nelys and Taava were on their way to the Gelles Company branch in Linthel, while Seyari and Joisse joined me in walking to where I once lived.

    I stopped on a bridge over the Linthel river. The old stone span was the same bridge Abby and I had run across the night we¡¯d died¡ªalthough I hardly recognized it. Most of the buildings around here were different. Newer¡ªespecially on the nearer side¡ªaway from the fire.

    Underneath, the early winter flow of the river murmured quietly, and icicles were starting to form on the snow-topped rocks at the water¡¯s edge.

    Will the river freeze over this year? If it does, I¡¯d bet we could¡­

    My ¡°we¡± had included Abby, and my sister. And our parents standing on the banks watching in case we slipped.

    Seyari laid a hand on my shoulder, and I realized I was crying.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡ªwhat are you thinking about?¡± the half angel ventured, her words unsure.

    ¡°Just¡­ memories.¡± I pushed my emotions aside for just a little longer. ¡°The river sometimes freezes over in winter, and the kids play out on the ice if it gets thick enough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± my fianc¨¦e said quietly.

    I sniffled. ¡°The river was just like this the night when¡­ when¡­¡± I hiccupped.

    I felt Seyari¡¯s arms wrap around me at the waist, and her head push in between my shoulder blades. I reached back and hugged her as well, awkward for the angle but uncaring in the face of compassion.

    ¡°Thanks, Sey.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, I think.¡±

    ¡°I know you will,¡± Sey responded with a hum, ¡°You need to face this.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Right. I do. We¡­ we should go.¡±

    I said one thing and did another, looking out and up the river, at the snow-and-ice covered banks lined with zigzagging rows of buildings that traced upriver toward the walls of the old town. King Carvalon¡¯s castle was up that way.

    Did he suffer at all for this? Is it fair to think he should have?

    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty view,¡± Joisse said softly, walking up beside me to lean on the stone half-wall I was too tall for. ¡°I think I¡¯d have gone out on the ice too, when I was a kid. It looks like a nice open place for a snowball fight in a crowded city.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°It was¡ªis, actually. I¡¯m sure people still come here. Still have fun. Move on.¡±

    Joisse nodded and bit her lip, before following my gaze upriver. For a long while, we stared¡ªas the morning rush of people behind us slowed to a trickle, and the chill wind through the river channel slowed with the approach of the noonday sun toward its zenith.

    Eventually, when my heart stilled and I felt more clearly the chill air through my company uniform, I turned. ¡°I¡¯m ready. I think.¡±

    Both Seyari and Joisse nodded, the latter with a smile. I returned it as best I could, and the three of us set off toward where my old neighborhood had been before the fire. With Seyari¡¯s hand in mine and Joisse darting around us, taking in the sights of the rebuilt square across the river, I had to ignore a feeling that we looked an awful lot like a family.

    A very unusual family, indeed.

    Whatever we were to each other helped more than I ever could have hoped to ease the pain of the old hole in my heart I was slowly tearing open again.

    The square distracted me. I could see where new paving stones had replaced old. I could see the chips in the old, toward the edges, where debris or heat had cracked them. Few of the original buildings stood on this side of the river.

    Just how bad did the fire get?

    When Abby and I had vaulted the barricade and passed the bucket brigade, they¡¯d seemed to be holding the line well before what I saw as new construction. It wasn¡¯t by chance that I picked the same street to go down as the one from that night.

    The clarity of my memories was a welcome surprise. I really am me, huh Abby? What I remembered wasn¡¯t just of that evening, but countless other days, happy in one way and desperately sad in another, spent walking or running through these streets.

    It almost hurt to think that, in a way, I was happier now. More than anything for the fact that I was allowing myself to have happiness, not holding it back until some undetermined date I knew would never come.

    We passed shops and homes and crowds of people. Here in what was now the capital of a semi-autonomous kingdom within the empire, the scars of war were almost invisible.

    Almost.

    An old foundation co-opted with new under a recently-built building. The rare empty patch of slightly-overgrown garden showing a place where there was no-one to come back and rebuild. More damaged paving stones. All told a story.

    One that I knew I would never forget.

    As we drew near, Joisse could sense my anxiety just as well as Seyari. Our mood became somber, even as the happy sounds of city life in a nice neighborhood scattered about in the winter air.

    I should try to focus on the happier parts of my life before I became a demon. Despite everything, the sheer absurdity of that thought almost brought a smile to my face. Almost.

    I didn¡¯t know what to expect as we turned a corner I¡¯d nearly missed, for lack of landmarks, onto the dead-end street where our well was. Really, the street was nothing special, but almost failing to remember it hurt all the same.

    I recognized only a single thing.

    The old well. Same is at had always been, even its slightly off-level roof. I recognized the arrangement of mortared rocks, vague bulbous shapes that had stuck in my memory despite all logic.

    But the well was the only thing I recognized. A house stood where Abby¡¯s had been, the door on the wrong side of the front. Another was built where mine had been, their door in the right spot, but the wrong color.

    The small details jumped out at me. Even in the face of the fact the buildings looked completely different, the small details got to me and I stopped right in the middle of the nearly empty street.

    Gone.

    It¡¯s like I never even existed. Like my life never even¡­

    I watched Joisse wander near the well, detached. Seyari tried to comfort me, but I couldn¡¯t hear her words. I almost doubted I had ever had a human life. Was there ever a confused girl named Zacharias who always got in trouble because her best friend couldn¡¯t stay out of it? Whose younger sister looked to be a prodigy at whatever she did, and her family couldn¡¯t have been prouder.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I can¡¯t just go knock on a door. What will I say? ¡°Hi, I¡¯m the demon made up of the souls of the people who died in the fire here. Your door¡¯s the wrong color.¡±

    ¡°-renna, there¡¯s a cast sign on the well!¡± I heard Joisse calling out to me.

    A what?

    After a moment I found my tongue and then my words. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°A metal sign with names on it! And a date!¡±

    I glanced down at Seyari and her wet eyes met mine. I forced a smile and walked toward Joisse and the well she was pointing at.

    Two steps in, I stopped.

    Right where Joisse was standing.

    That exact spot.

    That was where I¡¯d died. Where my old life had ended in fire and fury.

    ¡°Joisse¡­¡± I choked.

    The other wrath demon cocked her head to one side, confused.

    I forced another step, then another, fighting a phantom pain in my ankle. Instinctively, I looked in the direction Tania had fled, a garden wall there now. I half expected her to step out from behind the open garden gate, the exact same as that night: ash and tear-stained, tired, and terrified.

    She didn¡¯t. The circle of paving stones, tufts of grass, and piles of half-melted snow were quiet and empty save for us three.

    I felt a wetness down my cheeks and blinked my eyes clear. ¡°I¡­ let¡¯s just see that plaque.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay Zarenna?¡± Joisse asked. ¡°Really, after all you¡¯ve done for me if there¡¯s anything I can do to help, you just need to say it.¡±

    ¡°¡­died,¡± I mumbled. ¡°You¡¯re standing¡­ right where I died. Right there.¡±

    Joisse paled, her red eyes going wide. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡ªI didn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not your fault.¡± I answered before her emotions or mine spun out of control. I couldn¡¯t say it was okay. I couldn¡¯t lie to her like that.

    She moved quickly away to the other side of the well, past where Inquisitor Finley had stood. Once she was away, I took a deep breath. In. And out. ¡°Where¡¯s the plaque?¡±

    Joisse pointed to the spot where she¡¯d been standing. Where I¡¯d died. ¡°It¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s on that side.¡±

    Of course it is. How poetic.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go read it,¡± Seyari volunteered.

    ¡°No!¡± I shouted, grabbing her arm. ¡°I mean, we can both go. I¡­ I don¡¯t want any of us to stand there alone.¡±

    Sey smiled, twisting her arm in mine, wordlessly healing the bruise my sudden grip had caused. She bent up onto the tips of her toes and I bent forward. Our lips met: a quick, chaste kiss.

    And one that I needed desperately.

    With wordless thanks, I followed her to the spot, my ankle nearly giving out on the last step.

    ¡°Zarenna?¡± Sey caught me.

    ¡°Ankle,¡± I replied. ¡°It was hurt and¡­ it gave out. Twice, actually¡ªI made it a few more steps. Enough time for Tania to¡­ to escape.¡±

    That¡¯s right. She did make it out. Someone else from here is alive. What once was here has not been forgotten. Perhaps even some of the people living here now remember what it was like before.

    Seyari squeezed my hand and pulled me closer to her, to face the well. ¡°That was brave, Zarenna. It was brave the first time you told me that night in the desert, and it¡¯s even braver now, standing here.¡±

    I nodded, too numb for words. Joisse walked around the well, pausing nearby before sidling up next to Seyari and me.

    Seyari looked up at me, smiling sadly. ¡°I can read it.¡±

    I nodded, eyes too blurry to focus.

    Seyari cleared her throat and read in a clear, somber voice: ¡°In remembrance of the Great Linthel Fire of AL 1349. One hundred and three people lost their lives, and a third of the city burned. Amongst the ashes, near the center of the fire, this well alone still stood.¡±

    I sniffed. No mention of my body found here, but why would they focus on the macabre? Instead, they could use this well, an unfortunate fixture of my nightmares, as a symbol of hope and survival.

    I was mad, but I didn¡¯t have a reason to be. Slowly, I let my anger go, vaguely aware of another, smaller presence in my mind, helping as best it could. Along with it, someone held me close. Thanks, Joisse. Thanks, Sey. Even with the anger gone, melancholy still chased me doggedly.

    ***

    Before we¡¯d left, and after I¡¯d had a chance to compose myself and thank the others, I took a closer look at the sign. I traced the words with one finger, mouthing them out.

    I¡¯d also noticed the sign was carved not cast. Joisse had giggled when I corrected her, and Seyari had taken it as a sign that I was feeling myself again.

    She was right. I felt one burden lifted. Whatever I¡¯d been carrying wasn¡¯t gone, just different.

    Still, I had graves to visit. I already saw the more symbolic of places, but I wanted to place flowers anyway. Or I would have, had there been any of a reasonable size to place at this time of the year. Once we arrived at the graveyard, I almost picked a couple small winter-flowering wildflowers, but I decided against it.

    I figured this was the right place: Linthel¡¯s closest large graveyard. If my parents¡ªand I¡ªweren¡¯t buried here, we¡¯d be closer to extended relatives away from Linthel proper. Relatives I didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t really want to try to meet now.

    First, however, I stopped by the gravekeeper¡¯s house to ask for directions. This place was immense, and I doubted I was in a good enough mental state to be wandering a graveyard all day.

    ¡°Miller,¡± I told the gravekeeper after he¡¯d asked. ¡°Should be a family plot¡ªthree graves.¡±

    ¡°Miller¡¯s a common name,¡± he replied, rubbing his chin.

    ¡°Uh, Zacharias is one of the names,¡± I clarified hesitantly. ¡°Zacharias Miller.¡±

    At least both of the people with me knew exactly why that name was significant.

    The gravekeeper, an older man with thin, gray hair closed his eyes before nodding. ¡°He¡¯s here. Up the hill, in the middle of the section reserved for victims of the fire.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I bowed my head solemnly and turned to go.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my business to pry,¡± the gravekeeper said softly, ¡°but are you family?¡±

    ¡°Cousin,¡± I answered using the idea I¡¯d already prepared. ¡°Distant¡ªonly met he¡ªhim once.¡±

    ¡°Oh, never mind then. It¡¯s just that his sister visits yearly. Flowers and everything. Apparently, he saved her life¡ªdied a hero in my eyes.¡±

    I blinked, feeling wetness forming again in my eyes. ¡°T-thanks¡ªfor letting me know.¡±

    The gravekeeper nodded and waved me off. I turned and rejoined the others, walking hurriedly away. I can¡¯t think about this right now.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Sey asked as we walked up the tree-dotted hill toward my¡­ grave.

    ¡°Tania visits here every year and places flowers on my grave,¡± I responded quietly.

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll accept who¡ªand what¡ªyou are now?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ do you?¡± I threw the question back at Seyari.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my question to answer. But I believe she will. If Lorelei could give you the chance she gave you at the very end, anyone can.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Sey. I¡­ I know now that my sister knew about me being a woman without me ever telling her. I just hope she realizes that I¡¯m still her sister, just red and with extra bits tacked on.¡±

    ¡°And wings too, now,¡± Sey added softly. ¡°Wings of fire.¡±

    I winced. ¡°Sey, I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª"

    Sey reached up and put a finger over my lips. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, not yours. I¡¯m still thinking about things, love. Someday I¡¯d like to go¡­ flying with you again, but I don¡¯t know when that¡¯ll be.¡±

    Once she removed her finger, I opened my mouth again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Sey commanded. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when. Until then just¡­ not around me okay? I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s selfish.¡±

    I closed my mouth and nodded. ¡°It is selfish, but I understand.¡±

    One corner of Seyari¡¯s mouth turned upward and she spun around to keep walking, taking two steps before she remembered where we were and let me take the lead.

    If there¡¯s a single way in the world to let her fly again, I¡¯ll do it.

    As we walked, Joisse looked at the different headstones we passed, silently glancing at names. I really need to teach her to read. Soon.

    My anxiety grew as we reached the section where I knew my and my parents¡¯ graves would be. The three headstones were part of a nice, neat row, all looking to be of similar age. Carved stone monuments standing silent vigil; simple dark gray slabs topped with white.

    Behind and below us, I could see rooftops through the sparse trees, some capped in white and others melted off: a quiet backdrop of the unseen side of a city, or perhaps a watchful resting place from those who¡¯d departed.

    Bending down in front of the graves, I read aloud the names of my parents, stopping before each to pay my respects.

    ¡°Hi Mom; Hi Dad,¡± I stared down at the cold headstones. ¡°I have so much to tell you.¡±

    The process was solemn, respectful: more what I¡¯d expected, instead of what I¡¯d found by my old childhood home. I poured the highlights of what had happened to me in a voice barely above a whisper: from the island to meeting Seyari, from the deserts of Navanaea to the streets of Lockmoth.

    All the while Seyari and Joisse stood next to me, silent.

    When I came to my own gravestone, however, the mood changed. Anxiety. Guilt.

    ¡°Zacharias Miller. AL 1329-1349. Died in the Great Linthel Fire.¡±

    I worried at the collar of my coat, silent for a long while in the face of the real, permanent reminder of who¡ªwhat¡ªI once was, and the divide between then and now. Under the soil where I stood, my own bones lay in quiet repose. Died in the fire? Was my body moved? The well didn¡¯t burn¡­

    Underneath the gravestone, there was a mound covered by a layer of the previous night¡¯s snow. I dusted it off; it was my grave after all. Beneath the snow was a bundle of snowdrops, the small white flowers still fresh and vibrant in the winter cold.

    I held the bundle in my hand, my arm shaking. Who else but Tania would¡­

    The snow under the flowers was disturbed, so I dusted a little deeper, crystallized snow harsh to the touch. There, in the glittering white, was a waxy piece of folded parchment.

    Tania. This has to be from her.

    I lifted the parchment up, giving a look over my shoulder to make sure we were alone. Seyari wore an anxious expression, her lips drawn into a thin line. Beside her, Joisse tilted her head, confusion dawning into an excited smile.

    I opened the folded slip. Inside was a simple message:

    ¡°Just as the solstice turns the seasons, we too must change our times.¡±

    Our? Not ¡°at?¡±

    It dawned on me a moment later. Plans had changed, and I could only hope the freshness of the flowers meant I was not too late.

    A tear fell on the note before I wiped my eyes and folded it again, slipping it into a pocket.

    ¡°Good words?¡± Seyari asked hopefully.

    I nodded, sniffing again. ¡°I hope so. There¡¯s another trip we need to take, come evening.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He¡¯s made his move then.¡±

    Mordwell.

    ¡°Now, or soon.¡± I bit my lip in lieu of a horn to scratch.

    We turned to leave quickly.

    Joisse jogged after us. ¡°Renna! Sey! What¡¯s going on? Is it something dangerous?¡±

    Most definitely, Joisse.

 Interlude: A Journey Begins

    Somewhere in the Central Sea

    Salvador leaned against the ship¡¯s railing, feeling the warmth of the old wood against his arms. The winter sun warmed the deck enough to be comfortable, and the atmosphere was lax; a calm ocean ahead and the cries of birds above a nearby shoal were background against the silent lapping of water on wood.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about both of them, aren¡¯t you?¡± a familiar voice asked, footsteps coming up beside him.

    ¡°I am,¡± Salvador admitted, sighing. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ve made the right choice. Does Zarenna still need my help? Does my daughter even want me to see her?¡±

    Inva leaned on the railing next to him, her thick blond hair falling to one side, tips blowing in the breeze. ¡°You are helping, though. Already, I¡¯ve seen some of the others on this ship talking about demon-blooded¡ªgood things, too.¡±

    Salvador hummed, his shoulders slumping. ¡°The next time Zarenna needs a bolt from the blue¡ªa flare in the dark or an arrow at just the right time from an unknown ally¡­ will she get it?¡±

    ¡°I like to think so,¡± Inva replied brightly, taking a deep breath of the salty air. ¡°She¡¯s good at making friends. Like me, I guess. If I could call her a friend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certain you can.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Inva hummed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t your daughter worry when you go off like this, Salvador? Won¡¯t she be ecstatic to see you home?¡±

    Salvador thought about Inva¡¯s words. Am I really just worrying for no reason? The last time he¡¯d come home, Sonia had chastised him, but she¡¯d also seen him off again. He had no real reason to believe she¡¯d be anything other than happy to see him home so soon.

    Next to Salvador, Inva sighed, used to the man¡¯s silence after weeks at sea. She took to practicing Cavenish under her breath; she wanted to be able to at least say a few things when they got to Inolza.

    Specifically to Salvador¡¯s daughter. From what he¡¯d said, Sonia was only a few years younger than Inva, and a demon-blooded. Regardless of the fact that Sonia was also part of the Church, Inva wanted to make the best possible first impression, and to show that she was just as dedicated as Sonia¡¯s father to the cause.

    Demon-blooded ought to be free of stigma, she thought. Zarenna had shown her that there was much more to demons, and if someone burdened by an actual predisposition toward a vice could move beyond that, that should be more than enough evidence to quiet even the most ardent believers in the idea that demon-blooded had any inherent evil in them.

    As a paladin of Dhias, Inva was well-qualified to act as an influence, and as someone who¡¯d experienced her early life much as Zarenna had¡ªonly with herbs as her solution rather than a violent end¡ªshe wanted to. Inva had wanted for acceptance as well in the past, and now it was time to fight, in a nonliteral sense ideally, for others.

    Again, the paladin of Dhias looked out over the water toward their destination, and wondered of the future.

    ***

    Inolza, Cavenze

    ¡°Sonia!¡± Luzio shouted through her door. ¡°Hurry up! You¡¯re going to be late to your own ceremony!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Sonia shouted back. She made a quick decision between two pairs of earrings, sliding the more modest silver pair into the well-polished holes in her horns.

    One last quick check in the mirror, she thought.

    Sonia smiled, and her reflection smiled back. Her crimson skin nearly matched the color of her robes this time¡ªa slight alteration she felt to be appropriate. The bags under her light brown eyes were expertly hidden with makeup¡ªa kind she had to pay out the nose for due to its coloration.

    Above her hair she¡¯d left long and loose over one shoulder, her black horns practically gleamed, each one reaching skyward and slightly back, more than a handspan in length.

    Sonia exhaled again, practicing her smile, not quite happy with the way her slightly-too-pointed canines looked.

    ¡°Sonia!¡± Luzio called again, exasperated.

    ¡°Coming!¡± Sonia replied, gathering the last of her things and dashing for the door.

    ¡°How do I look?¡± she asked the priest, soon to be the other priest. ¡°My eyes especially?¡±

    Luzio smiled, showing his missing tooth. ¡°You look fine, Sonia. It¡¯s a simple ceremony, really. I think you¡¯re the first person I know of who has spent so much time preparing.¡±

    Sonia huffed. ¡°You can see dark circles can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What? No, not at all.¡±

    Hmmm¡­

    Luzio laid a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Relax, Sonia. Everything is going to be fine.¡±

    Sonia took a deep breath, forcing a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, Luzio.¡± She felt her shakes going away, and her stride quickened.

    ¡°There¡¯s the Sonia I know,¡± Luzio said brightly.

    ¡°Hurry up then!¡± Sonia complained. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we were late?¡±

    Luzio laughed and quickened his pace.

    ***

    The ceremony felt like it was over before it even began. All that happened was a dry reading, some vows, a few words from others stating Sonia¡¯s accomplishments, and a prayer.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    During the prayer, Sonia had felt something. Dhias¡¯s presence, perhaps. Or perhaps a small, warm room filled with too many old people. She chose to believe the former, especially with how she¡¯d lost track of time during her prayer, something she hadn¡¯t done for a long time.

    Something about the sun felt brighter, though, when she exited into the courtyard after everything concluded. Luzio congratulated her, then left, perhaps sensing she wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

    Dad.

    She hoped he was well. Wished he could have been there for her ceremony. But if everything, every incredible thing he¡¯d said was true, then he was off changing the world.

    And Sonia wanted to, too. Her pilgrimage request from before she¡¯d become a Priestess was denied, but she was certain the one she¡¯d just made would be approved. She only had to wait a few more weeks.

    Just a few more weeks.

    ¡°Sonia!¡± Luzio¡¯s voice caught her off guard and she startled, jumping up from her seat.

    He sounds excited. ¡°What?¡±

    Luzio jogged up, then put his hands on his knees, panting. ¡°Your request¡ªthe one you had me send early¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ approved. Someone higher up overrode the earlier decision. You¡¯ve been approved¡ªand they¡¯re sending you to Linthel.¡±

    ¡°Linthel¡­¡± Sonia repeated. Isn¡¯t that in Edath? Wasn¡¯t Dad¡¯s demon friend from Edath?

    ¡°Who approved it?¡±

    Luzio shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªit doesn¡¯t say, but it¡¯s official¡ªhere!¡±

    He shoved a half-crumpled missive into Sonia¡¯s hands. The wax seal on it, slightly cracked, showed it to be real. An approval, not just to Linthel, but carte blanche. I can go anywhere¡ªwith the Church¡¯s blessing! Sonia blinked, then her face lit up.

    She shouted in joy before she even realized it, clamping a hand over her mouth hastily.

    ¡°I doubt you¡¯d get in trouble for a single shout,¡± Luzio chuckled. ¡°Really though, I never imagined¡ª¡±

    He cut off a Sonia hugged him. ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡±

    ¡°B-but I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter! Someone did, so I need to thank someone and you¡¯re the closest!¡±

    Luzio held in a sigh to conserve air and nodded.

    I can¡¯t wait to tell Dad! Maybe I¡¯ll even meet him on the road¡ªwouldn¡¯t that be wild?

    ***

    I don¡¯t have too many personal things, but this feels like a lot to carry. I guess I don¡¯t have to take all my earrings, though. Makeup will be no good on the road, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going anywhere that won¡¯t have these things.

    I definitely need the Cavenish to Ordian translation book¡ªI¡¯ve had too little time to practice, let alone to speak. Should I take some paper to practice with? No, I need to practice speaking, not writing. Or do I? Could I even read an inn sign¡ªwait, won¡¯t they have to make it clear for people in Ordia who don¡¯t read anyway?

    Just the book then. I definitely need a spare set of vestments just in case, but two should be enough and then I can carry my clothes. I¡¯m pretty strong for my size, so I could always get a bigger pack.

    Oh! I haven¡¯t even thought about a tent or a bedroll. If only Dad were here, he¡¯d know how to pack for something like this.

    Can I remember what he packed before he left this last time¡­?

    Eventually, Sonia¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. ¡°Priestess Sonia!¡± an acolyte on the other side said cheerily. ¡°Your father¡¯s here to see you!¡±

    ¡°Dad?¡± Sonia yelped, jerking up from trying to see how tight she could fold robes. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡±

    Priestess Sonia. I wonder if I¡¯ll ever get used to that.

    Sonia dashed out of her room and down the hall. Just outside the main chapel¡¯s nave, her father was waiting with a tall blond woman in¡­ paladin armor? Whoah!

    The demon-blooded priestess paused just long enough for her father to notice her first.

    ¡°Sonia!¡± he called out. ¡°I heard you¡¯re a priestess now!¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Sonia replied, shaking her head. ¡°I wanted to tell you as soon as I could. but¡­¡±

    Her father nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re back and safe,¡± Sonia said, smiling broadly.

    The pair hugged, and the paladin tried her best not to look awkward.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me who this is?¡± Sonia asked.

    ¡°Inva,¡± Salvador replied, and the woman waved upon hearing her name. ¡°She¡¯s going to be joining the church here in Inolza, from Ordia.¡±

    ¡°Why is she with you?¡± Sonia asked. ¡°And does she speak any Cavenish?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s learning, Sonia. And she wants to help demon-blooded, too.¡±

    Sonia nodded, walking over to the paladin with her hand outstretched. ¡°I¡¯m Sonia Rozaro,¡± she said as well as she could in Ordian.

    ¡°My name is Inva Lien,¡± Inva responded in¡­ passable Cavenish.

    They broke off the handshake, the priestess looking up and the paladin looking down, both studying each other.

    Quickly, Salvador realized he needed to play the role of translator. ¡°Are you free, Sonia?¡±

    His daughter turned to face him. ¡°I¡¯ll make time!¡±

    ¡°Can we all get lunch then?¡± Salvador asked, repeating the question in Ordian for Inva.

    Both women smiled and nodded, and the trio left the church, stepping out into the pale warmth of the sun.

    Lunch went well, and over the meal Sonia¡¯s dad caught her up on what exactly had happened since he¡¯d last left: from his intervention at Mordwell¡¯s estate all the way to Zarenna¡¯s fight in the middle of Lockmoth.

    By the end, Sonia¡¯s eyes were practically glowing and Salvador realized he may have made a mistake.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to Ordia to chase after Zarenna?!¡± Salvador practically shouted, startling even himself. ¡°That¡¯s far, far too dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Dad! Just because I don¡¯t have magic doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t take care of myself!¡±

    ¡°Even if you had magic, Sonia, I would worry just the same. This isn¡¯t about magic.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to be happy?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do.¡± Salvador said placatingly.

    Sonia huffed. ¡°Then you know I¡¯m old enough to make this decision!¡±

    Inva watched the pair with wide eyes, head flipping back and forth as they spoke in rapid Cavenish.

    Salvador sighed and furrowed his brow. He must be thinking about mom, Sonia thought. He only took a moment to respond. ¡°Alright, Sonia. But be careful.¡±

    ¡°And you can¡¯t go with¡ªhuh?¡± Sonia stopped, stunned. ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re okay with this?¡±

    Salvador nodded slowly. ¡°I am, yes. Were I to try to stop you, it would be hypocritical of me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to try to come with to protect me?¡±

    ¡°Would you want that?¡± Salvador asked, already knowing the answer.

    Sonia shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that I love you any less, but it¡¯s just that¡­ I want to do this on my own.¡±

    Salvador simply nodded. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you make me say it!¡± Sonia hissed.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m not the best with words.¡±

    Sonia huffed. ¡°True. But I love you anyway, Dad.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Sonia.¡±

    Seeing the two hug each other across their small table, and the eyes of the other diners moving back to their own meals, Inva let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Oh! Sorry, Inva!¡± Sonia apologized quickly. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to see that.¡±

    Inva paused as if to register what was said and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she answered in Ordian looking to Salvador to translate. ¡°I can see you two clearly care deeply for each other. But I do want to know what is going on.¡±

    With a nod from Sonia, Salvador explained everything to Inva.

    The paladin took a long moment to think.

    What Sonia couldn¡¯t know was that Inva was thinking back to when Zarenna saved her. That moment where, a fraction of a second later, she¡¯d have been killed. Inva knew the sheer difference in ability was staggering to consider. Knowing that Zarenna would be in more fights, and that Sonia wanted to get involved¡­

    ¡°Sonia,¡± Inva started eventually. ¡°Are you able to requisition the services of a paladin for your journey?¡± She looked at Sonia with hope and determination in her eyes.

    Salvador translated.

    Sonia half-smiled. ¡°I am.¡±

    Inva gulped. ¡°Then, if I may, could I travel with you? I understand I just got here, but I want to help demon-blooded too, and maybe work with Zarenna in the future, if I could be of any help. I could also translate Ordian¡ªand I know my way around a blade and holy magic.¡±

    When Salvador translated, he did so hesitantly, as if he feared his daughter¡¯s pride would cause her to reject Inva¡¯s offer. Instead, she seemed to think it over, and he relaxed his shoulders and let out a sigh.

    ¡°May I consider your offer overnight, Paladin Inva?¡± Sonia asked politely.

    ¡°You may,¡± came the translated reply, with a lot of hope from Inva.

    I might need the help translating, Sonia thought. And Inva seems at the very least earnest¡ªperhaps the company wouldn¡¯t be so bad?

 Chapter 128: Friends & Family

    Not ten steps into running out of the graveyard, I stopped suddenly. ¡°There¡¯s one more grave I need to see.¡±

    Seyari pulled up beside me and took my hand, her expression conflicted.

    ¡°Abby?¡± Joisse asked, standing close.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Tania can wait a few more minutes. We¡¯re looking for Abigail Hunter.¡±

    Finding her didn¡¯t take long; her grave was next to her parents and her nan. Her whole family was there: all in a line, all dead in the ground. I took the flowers I was still holding and placed them on the snow in front of the headstone.

    I read Abby¡¯s birthday¡ªexactly two months and a day apart from mine. When I got to her cause of death, I stopped.

    ¡°Murdered by blade on the night of the Great Linthel Fire.¡±

    I was listed as simply having been lost in the fire. I checked the headstones next to Abby. Her parents were the same death as mine, but her nan was also listed as murdered.

    Seyari scooted closer to me and put her head against the side of my shoulder. ¡°We know that Finley was caught¡ªperhaps Abby¡¯s death and the others he killed helped take him down.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I nodded. ¡°One last victory for her.¡± I paused and took a deep breath. ¡°Thanks, Abby. Thank you for everything, and I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry everything turned out the way it did for you.¡±

    Seyari squeezed my hand. I looked down at her with blurred vision, and then over at Joisse who wore a hard expression.

    ¡°Really, though, I owe you,¡± I continued, staring down at the cold rock and dirt above my best friend¡¯s bones. ¡°You gave me this second chance, and you made damn sure I wouldn¡¯t waste it stuck on the past. But¡­ but letting go isn¡¯t that easy, you know?!¡± My voice pitched up at the end, almost cracking.

    Only wind responded, even though I half expected to hear Abby¡¯s voice saying ¡°Duh, dingus!¡± or something similar. Despite a strong protest from my frown, my lips quirked into a half-smile.

    ¡°Like you asked, I didn¡¯t forget. I¡¯ll get some flowers tonight, and I¡¯ll stop by again before I leave the city. I¡¯d take longer, and introduce you to Seyari and Joisse, but I think, in a way¡­¡± I placed a hand over my symbol and took a deep breath. ¡°In a way, I think you already know them.¡±

    I turned away and looked up, out and over the city, then back again to the southern mountains and their forested slopes. ¡°Let¡¯s go now, for real. Tania probably isn¡¯t waiting there right now, but she¡¯ll have a clue¡ªsomeone I can contact or some lead I can chase.¡±

    ¡°What about Taava and Nelys?¡± Joisse asked.

    I glanced down at the sprawl of Linthel, knowing the Gelles Company building was on the wrong side of town. ¡°They¡­ we should go get them.¡±

    I remembered their near-death experience only days prior. I remembered the heat of my wings and of Seyari¡¯s magic as we both pushed ourselves to the brink, only barely saving everyone. ¡°We¡¯re not going to leave anyone behind.¡±

    ***

    Unfortunately, the ¡°short¡± detour became a lot less short the moment I walked into the company headquarters.

    Like back in Lockmoth, the Gelles Company in Linthel had a barracks and training field in addition to an administrative office. They also had a leader, their own Rodrik, who really wanted to see me.

    I went up to see him while I left Seyari and Joisse to explain things to Taava and Nelys. Joisse was worried about losing control of her anger, but I could still feel through our connection. If she needed power, I could give it. Otherwise, Seyari knew what to do.

    Arden was the leader¡¯s name, and like Rodrik, he had a fancy office with an intimidating door. I¡¯ll admit to assuming the ¡°fancy¡± part.

    Bureaucracy: the true enemy of a demon trying to have a semi-normal status in a human society. A bunch of big fish in small ponds each thinking they knew more than each other.

    Perspective? Lilly had given me perspective. The incidents with Malich, Mordwell, and in Lockmoth had given me perspective. I had things to do that were more important than this man¡¯s career, and while I wasn¡¯t about to tell him that, I was also very annoyed I¡¯d been forced to wait the better part of an hour to say to someone¡¯s face what someone else they should have respected and trusted had already told them.

    In short, I was mad. Not wrath demon mad, but frustrated, tired, and a little emotionally vulnerable having just returned from visiting not just the graves of my friends and family, but my own damn grave, too.

    I knocked, maybe a little harder than necessary. ¡°Zarenna Miller reporting, sir.¡±

    ¡°Enter,¡± a deep voice said tersely.

    I obliged, slipping inside and closing the door behind me. I made sure to have my uniform ready in case I needed to show exactly what ¡°Greater Demon¡± meant in my file.

    The room inside was neatly kept and full of large, heavy furniture made with dark wood. Partial shutters let in some evening light and cast a light/dark pattern across both the big desk and the man sitting behind it in a high-backed chair.

    I¡¯m really tired of desks and offices.

    Arden was a large man¡ªnot so large as Rodrik¡ªwho looked to have kept most of his muscle, and his hair, despite his age. His gray mustache twitched when I straightened up from ducking through the door.

    ¡°Miss Miller, have a seat,¡± Arden gestured.

    ¡°Is it alright if I stand? I have someone I need to meet tonight.¡± I tried to keep my voice polite.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Arden narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sit.¡±

    I sat. No use arguing and making this whole process longer. I still needed the Gelles Company, and by and large they¡¯d treated me right. Firalex had treated me right, to be honest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate jokes in bad taste, Miss Miller,¡± Arden said seriously. ¡°I cannot fathom how you managed to create a fraudulent file, nor how it has¡ª¡±

    I ended my human transformation, cutting Arden off. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie. Word was sent ahead for a reason. My record is spotless. Can I go now?¡±

    Arden stared at me, shocked at first, then seeming to run through a long list of emotions. I held my gaze against his, unblinking.

    ¡°If you ask me to complete any sort of test to ¡®prove I¡¯m not evil¡¯¡­¡± I made air quotes with all four of my hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you I¡¯m not evil by injuring no one when I make a new door through your wall and out of here.¡±

    Eventually, Arden blinked and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned.¡±

    I quirked an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ll be damned? Do you have any idea what kind of hoops I have to jump through? How annoying every little detail is unless I stay looking like a human and keep my head down?¡±

    Arden closed his eyes and leaned forward on one hand, elbow planted against the desk. ¡°No, I suppose I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then can I go? I can give you a few additional details about the incident Nelys and Taava already reported if you¡¯d like, but I really do have somewhere to be.¡± I jerked a thumb back toward the office door.

    ¡°You can go¡ªI need time to reevaluate the details your two friends gave me anyway.¡±

    I stood up to leave.

    ¡°If¡­ if you don¡¯t mind me asking: why the Gelles Company? Why try for this sort of thing?¡±

    I turned back, one hand on the door even as my claws retracted and my skin shifted back to a human tone. ¡°Because, Arden, I want the life I never had a chance to have when I was human. Or something similar, at least. Thanks for not pushing me.¡±

    Arden didn¡¯t respond, and I closed the door behind me without so much as a glance back at the Linthel branch head of the Gelles Company. No one stopped me on my way out, and I¡¯d just buttoned my extra set of sleeves back into place by the time I reached the lobby.

    My friends were all standing around chatting, although Joisse looked visibly nervous. I need to get her out on her own more¡ªas soon as she¡¯s stable.

    ¡°How¡¯d things go?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I responded in a level tone. ¡°I think I got my point across.¡±

    ¡°Any scorch marks left up there?¡± Taava sprung up on the balls of her feet. ¡°Any soiled trousers?¡±

    ¡°No. A simple conversation and a quick fix to the misunderstanding. Although, I am getting very frustrated at repeating the same mantra over and over again. As soon as I can, I want to set things up so I don¡¯t have to hide here in Linthel. For now, let¡¯s just go. I want to get back into the city and find an inn before dark.¡±

    ¡°Why not find an inn first?¡± Joisse asked.

    ¡°Because we might not be staying in one tonight, I think,¡± Nelys responded quietly.

    I nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±

    We left quickly, and walked down the main street across town, through side streets, past the walls, and up into the hills beyond the city. Out here, little had changed.

    As if by pure luck, I spotted the farm where Abby and I had first seen Linthel burning on that fated night. The field lay blanketed in snow, the nearby barn¡¯s roof sagging a little more with age. A new fence had been put up recently, in the same spot as the old.

    The others caught me looking.

    ¡°Hey Renna?¡± Nelys asked. ¡°Is everything okay? Did you get enough time earlier?¡±

    ¡°I did, I think.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°How much did you tell them, Sey?¡±

    ¡°As much as I could in a public space with eyes and ears everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, Nelys. Really. We¡¯re just tracing back where I went on my last night alive. Funny how I thought meeting Tania out this way would be a good idea.¡±

    Sey gave me a quick hug from one side. ¡°You had to make a fast choice, Renna.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°If I had all the time in the world, I¡¯d make the same choice.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Sey said with unusual quietness. ¡°This may not be a good time, but have you really¡­?¡±

    I stiffened. ¡°I have, Sey. Just not¡­ all the way. All the other ways. Abby and I were a lot more than our first kiss.¡±

    ¡°Renna, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Abby told me, remember? How could I not move on?¡± I shouted, surprising myself. I choked back a sob. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ please, Sey. Please don¡¯t do this; don¡¯t make me¡ª¡±

    Seyari reached a hand out and up toward my face, gently. I paused, watching her pale fingers. For a moment, we hung like that, frozen. Then she started moving her hand again and I let it rest against my cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zarenna. I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you. It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t want what we have to end, but I also don¡¯t want there to be something other about our relationship.¡±

    I swallowed, then placed my own hand against hers. ¡°I love you Sey. Totally and completely. Abby and I ended our relationship before she gave her soul for me. While it¡¯s still hard to accept she¡¯s gone, as I stand here right now, I¡¯m mourning her as a childhood friend and as the person who helped me find me. As the person who gave me my name, Seyari. That¡¯s who I¡¯m mourning.¡±

    Seyari winced as if she¡¯d been struck. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything. I guess I don¡¯t have an excuse¡ªI¡¯m just¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just worried.¡± I pulled her into a hug and she went from stiff to limp. ¡°You¡¯re worried I¡¯ll never be as close to you as you need. Well, I hope that¡¯s wrong. I am going to be closer to you than anyone else¡ªas close as I possibly can be. I¡¯m not going to leave you, Sey. And I¡¯m not going to put you second in my heart. But I¡¯m also not going to forget my best friend, Abigail Hunter. Can you accept that?¡±

    Seyari hiccupped, then pulled tighter against me, her head buried between my breasts. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I want to, but I¡¯m not sure I can. I thought I could, but I¡¯m just so worried we won¡¯t be right for each other.¡±

    She has no one else, I realized. I thought back to the Lady of Liseu: crewmates, acquaintances, but no true friends. Likewise, she had no close relationship with Salvador, or any living family to turn to.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Sey. And I¡¯m not going to give you anything less than my everything. But more than that, you¡¯re not alone. You have Nelys, Taava, Salvador, Joisse, and half a dozen people from Lockmoth whom you can consider as friends. Confidants. And¡­¡± I looked at Joisse who was looking nervously at her feet. ¡°Even potentially family.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Seyari hiccupped again and looked over at our other three friends.

    Joisse and Nelys were both tearing up, but looking at both of us with an expression of absolute sincerity. Taava was rubbing the back of her neck and kicking at the snow, eyes up toward the clouds, but flicking down occasionally.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Seyari said sadly. ¡°It¡¯s hard, you know. After all these years.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said confidently, ¡°But I¡¯m trying my best to learn¡ªwe all are.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Nelys chirped. ¡°Like it or not, I¡¯m your friend, Sey, and that¡¯s not gonna change!¡±

    Taava coughed and looked away.

    Joisse fidgeted, glancing up with big red eyes. ¡°Uhm, if you¡¯ll have me, S-Seyari, I¡¯ll be your friend, too. You seem nice and, well, if Zarenna approves then I do.¡±

    Seyari smiled a tear-stained smile. ¡°Thank you. I¡­ I still need time though. All of this¡ªI guess if I wanted to be deep like Zarenna, I¡¯d say it¡¯s all hitting me right now how real all of this is.¡±

    I gave Sey a light squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m very real. Your heater wouldn¡¯t lie to you.¡±

    Seyari looked back up at me and smiled. ¡°Sorry, Renna, but I¡¯m too anxious to laugh right now.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s go get an inn room then, whatever message my sister has can wait another night.¡±

    My fianc¨¦e shook her head. ¡°No. Give me a minute and I¡¯ll be good to keep going. Just because I don¡¯t have family doesn¡¯t mean I should stop you from reconnecting with yours.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Sey.¡± I let her out of the hug. ¡°And you do have family, even if not by blood.¡±

    For a fleeting moment, a faint smile played across Seyari¡¯s features. The half angel stepped away and gestured to the dark, dense trees in the distance.

    A quick glance up showed the forest ahead in deepening shadow. Another newer farm had pushed the tree line back, but I could see where we needed to go.

    I resumed walking, and the others fell in line behind me. Honestly, it felt awkward to so clearly be the leader of our little band. ¡°Onward, then,¡± I said, mostly to myself.

 Chapter 129: Token of a Bygone Life

    ¡°Look, I know I haven¡¯t met your sister, but ya gotta know she¡¯s not gonna be freezin¡¯ her tail off out here every night waitin¡¯. Especially since you¡¯re months early,¡± Taava complained through chattering teeth.

    I exhaled through my nose and glanced up at the snow-laden branches framing the narrow trail we walked. ¡°I know. But she¡¯ll have left something. Some sign or clue or instruction.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re just gonna follow it?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my sister, Taava. Of course I am.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Taava replied, ears drooping. ¡°Sorry, boss.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine. It¡¯s been a hard day for all of us. Sey and I will make sure we get a nice inn for tonight.¡±

    Seyari hummed in acknowledgement and nodded. ¡°I hope I just need a warm meal and a warm bed.¡±

    I pulled my half-angel fianc¨¦e into a surprise hug, fast enough that she skipped a step. She squeaked.

    ¡°Renna!¡± she protested. ¡°I get it! I get it!¡±

    Taava leaned forward and mussed the half-angel¡¯s silver hair, flipping some over to the shaved side of her head.

    Seyari blew the hairs out of her mouth and glowered, earning a smile from Joisse that the wrath demon quickly hid.

    ¡°I¡¯m just showin¡¯ ya affection, Sey!¡± Taava said cheekily. ¡°I¡¯m no good at all that sappy Zarenna nonsense, but I know a good time!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Seyari huffed and pushed out of my hug, dusting herself off. ¡°Thanks, I guess. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re sincere Taava, if I¡¯m being honest, but if you are: thank you.¡±

    Taava replied with a lopsided smile. ¡°So, uh, it¡¯ll be a warm inn, yeah? Edathan winter¡¯s¡¯re crazy cold, and I think Nelys is frozen solid.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Nelys protested, pulling their new-looking woolen hat down lower over their ears. ¡°Okay, maybe a little. Mostly, I¡¯m just thinking.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡± Joisse asked.

    ¡°Friends, family, the world. Big heavy stuff, I guess.¡± Nelys shrugged. ¡°But I think I¡¯m okay¡ªand I have ideas of what I want to do next.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± I chimed in with a thumbs-up. ¡°What were you¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± Nelys smiled. ¡°For now, anyway.¡±

    ¡°More than fine.¡± I glanced at the shivering Taava and held out a hand which she took gratefully. ¡°Have some heat for now. We¡¯ll get you something heavier for when the real winter sets in.¡±

    ¡°The real winter?¡± Taava chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s a heck of a joke, boss.¡±

    I stared at her and shook my head.

    ¡°Boss¡­?¡± Her tail drooped, and she started to whisper to herself, ¡°I¡¯m gonna freeze inta a block a ice. I¡¯m gonna be a bardsicle.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I get it. You need me as a heater. If we make enough money, you can always get something enchanted.¡±

    Taava perked back up. ¡°Great! Doesn¡¯t help me right now though!¡±

    Joisse giggled.

    ¡°You¡¯re impossible,¡± Sey said with a hint of a smile.

    ¡°I do my best,¡± Taava replied with a bow. ¡°I¡¯d give you a song, but the weather¡¯s got me all outta tune. And my lute, too.¡±

    I snorted. Seyari tried to hold in a giggle, but couldn¡¯t, and together with Joisse and Nelys, we all spent the next minute or so walking through the evening forest to the sound of stifled laughter.

    That laughter stopped, however, when we reached a break in the trees. Just like a decade prior, the ruins of the old fort were an indistinct mass of rubble and jumbled walls, all dusted in snow. The evening sunlight penetrated just into the entrance, casting the stone floor in hues of orange and red.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t from the war,¡± Seyari said softly.

    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s from long before, when Edath wasn¡¯t part of the empire. South of here, there used to be a pass across the mountains; we had territories out that way in the wildlands and some agreements with the lupael who lived there. I guess ¡°wild¡± lands doesn¡¯t really make sense.¡±

    ¡°What about these days?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Last I remembered learning, the pass south of here was covered in a huge landslide during the war with the empire. There¡¯s another one, but it¡¯s a ways off and isn¡¯t passable once winter really sets in. I think some people still live out that way?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go there,¡± Nelys declared. ¡°I wanna see the mountains, and what¡¯s over them.¡±

    I glanced up at where the mountains were, hidden by snow-laden trees. ¡°I¡¯d like that too.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Joisse said softly. ¡°I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s beautiful up there.¡±

    ¡°Well count me out!¡± Taava swept her gloved hands in a slicing motion. ¡°If it¡¯s this cold down the mountain, I am not going up it.¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Seyari started. ¡°I wonder if Mordwell¡¯s come this way. If he¡¯s gone across that pass.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°If he has, we don¡¯t have much time before it snows over.¡±

    Seyari bit her lip. ¡°What else could Tania¡¯s note about moving our plans up mean¡ªand Yevon¡¯s offhanded comment about Mordwell?¡±

    ¡°Well, shit,¡± I sighed.

    Taava glanced where I was looking and hissed. ¡°Darn. Guess I¡¯m gonna be a bardsicle after all. We¡¯re buying a heatin¡¯ stone or somethin¡¯ before we go.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I agreed. ¡°Just because I can heat myself with my magic doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t feel the cold. And speaking of cold, we should get moving. It¡¯s not far now.¡±

    ¡°Lemme guess? Bottom of the deepest dungeon?¡±

    I missed a step and stumbled.

    ¡°Boss?¡±

    ¡°Renna?¡± Sey asked.

    I recovered and swallowed. ¡°No¡ªit¡¯s not down there. But, the night I died, that was where Abby and I had our first kiss, and found the amulet that made me¡­ me.¡±

    ¡°A demonic amulet in an Edathan ruin?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Edath used to worship some demons, if I recall my teachings,¡± Seyari explained, glancing at me. ¡°Though my tutors liked to use the words ¡®cult,¡¯ ¡®idol,¡¯ and ¡®heathens.¡¯¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ wrong,¡± I replied, taking a step toward the ruins. ¡°But, it¡¯s less like worshipping Dhias. People knew they weren¡¯t gods, at least I think so. There was a sort of reverence, but not necessarily approval. If I knew who to ask, I¡¯d ask.¡±

    Sey stepped up beside me and took my hand in hers: a familiar, warm gesture. ¡°You should be able to find someone, Renna. I haven¡¯t noticed as much of a Church of Dhias presence here in Linthel.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t?¡± I hadn¡¯t been paying much attention, had I.

    ¡°Nelys mentioned it,¡± Seyari said offhandedly, ¡°and I thought to look on our way out of the city.¡±

    I smiled wide at her words and squeezed her hand, leaning over to stare at the half-angel. ¡°Friends, Sey. People who love and care about you.¡±

    Seyari blushed. ¡°Stop, Zarenna. I still need time.¡±

    I backed off. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I also need a good hard shove sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes?¡±

    ¡°Renna,¡± Sey warned.

    I put my hands up in surrender. ¡°I¡¯m done. Promise.¡±

    I didn¡¯t let the awkward silence fester, and set off for the ruins of the old fort at a brisk pace. This time, there was no Abby running in front of me to turn around and egg me on. I was leading our party of five, and I had an idea I knew just where to look.

    The courtyard.

    While my strongest memories of this place were what was forever burned into my memory from my last night as a human, the courtyard held many softer memories. Times of younger years, where despite all my issues, I could have fun with my sister and best friend.

    The gatehouse was almost as I remembered it, although nature had crept further inside. Beyond it, I turned from the looming, slumping stone fort and toward a field dotted with short trees and spiked with a few larger ones.

    One of those trees was our destination¡ªan old oak tree with branches we used to play in. If my hunch was right¡­

    To my relief, the old tree didn¡¯t take long to find. Like Taava predicted, there was no one waiting by its base, just a fresh layer of unmarred snow. Reverently, I laid a hand on the gnarled trunk; the massive oak hadn¡¯t changed at all from my memory. Well, except in one way: it was smaller, in a relative sense.

    The first branch I used to have to jump to get to was low enough for me to reach out and grab, and a few brown leaves stuck stubbornly to the end. I glanced down at Seyari and remembered ducking into Arden¡¯s office earlier the same day, and how tight my clothes had been.

    ¡°Sey, this is gonna sound stupid, but am I taller?¡±

    Seyari propped herself up on the tips of her toes. ¡°Maybe a little?¡±

    I glanced down at my hand, still human looking. ¡°I¡¯d better not get much bigger¡ªI want to fit in my dress and my house both.¡±

    ¡°Your wings of fire, right?¡± Seyari guessed. ¡°You got power from that demon you killed, I¡¯d bet.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I think whatever play they¡¯d made against me put their soul on the line.¡±

    ¡°Did ya eat someone¡¯s soul, boss?¡± Taava asked.

    ¡°Not on purpose,¡± I answered, then hissed air through my teeth. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d say something like that, though.¡±

    ¡°Are you mad you took her power?¡± Seyari challenged.

    I shook my head and clenched my outstretched hand into a fist. ¡°No. I need to get stronger¡ªand to better learn to use what strength I have, if we¡¯re going to stop Avarice and Envy from killing all of us.¡±

    I looked back at our ragtag group. Nelys was smiling, but the look in their eyes was faraway, worried. Joisse had a small smile and I could tell she was working hard at controlling her fury¡ªshe¡¯d been getting better at it very quickly.

    Taava wore a big dumb smile. ¡°Glad ya said ¡®we¡¯re¡¯ and ¡®us,¡¯ boss.¡±

    ¡°I hate to say this, but I agree with Taava.¡± Seyari turned away from the kazzel so she didn¡¯t see the smug face the former assassin made. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of powerful people try to take everything on themselves, myself included. You¡¯re not going to do that, right Renna?¡±

    ¡°The thought crossed my mind, but I think we each protect each other, right? Even if it¡¯s a little lopsided sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Seyari nodded. ¡°That, more than anything, lifts my mood. Now where in the tree do you think this message is?¡±

    ¡°I was going to get it!¡± I retorted.

    Seyari poked me in the chest. ¡°Not unless you want to break the first branch you put your red muscled butt on. I don¡¯t want to spend tonight dealing with a blubbery sad demon who broke her childhood memory tree in half.¡±

    I side-eyed the branch. It looked strong. There might be more to this than a broken branch. ¡°Alright. There are a few hollows at the bases of branches. I don¡¯t remember exactly where they all are, but there¡¯s a big one pretty high up. That¡¯s probably where it is.¡±

    Seyari looked up the tree. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    ¡°Ya know,¡± Taava started. ¡°I¡¯m real good at climbin¡¯¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut it, Taava,¡± Seyari snapped. ¡°This is mine.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay! Yikes!¡±

    I walked over next to the others and watched Seyari climb the same oak Abby, Tania, and I used to play on. Joisse reached her hand out to mine and I took it, warding off the chill from her fingers. Nelys gave my hips a side hug. Taava¡­ jumped on my back.

    She huffed when I didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°Careful now,¡± I whispered as softly as I could. ¡°You¡¯ll be labeled as ¡®one of the kids¡¯ by Seyari.¡±

    The former assassin leapt off my back and stood next to me. She pulled out a small knife and twirled it expertly around in her fingers. Yeah, I figured.

    As we watched, snow started to fall, lightly. The sun seemed to finally make up its mind about setting by the time Seyari came back. In her hand was a knife blade¡ªno handle attached.

    ¡°This is all I found.¡± She handed it to me

    I took the blade and looked it over with aura sight. No magic. Moreover, it looked practically new¡ªno sign of a wooden handle that had worn away.

    ¡°Does this mean anything to you?¡± Seyari asked.

    The knife blade had no marks on it, but something about the shape was familiar. I looked closer at the tang¡ªit had a slight bend to it. Immediately a memory of Bourick¡¯s workshop burst into my mind.

    He had a bad habit of bending his tangs a little, but he¡¯d just designed handles around them when it came to basic knives.

    I held it up by the blade, tang out so everyone could see. ¡°This is one of Bourick Gadson¡¯s knives. He sometimes bends tangs like this.¡±

    Everyone nodded expectantly.

    I opened my mouth to explain what a ¡°tang¡± was, but closed it. While I was a little surprised Nelys knew the Ordian word for it, it made plenty of sense the others would know.

    So, I kept going, ¡°As you may know, I was Bourick¡¯s apprentice before I died.¡±

    ¡°Our next stop is Bourick¡¯s shop then!¡± Nelys exclaimed.

    ¡°If it¡¯s still there and he¡¯s still around,¡± I added.

    ¡°Inn first,¡± Seyari replied with a look at the rapidly darkening sky. ¡°We all need rest and I can¡¯t imagine he¡¯s open right now.¡±

    I looked for a place to slip the knife blade into, and decided just to hold it for now. ¡°I also don¡¯t know if his shop has moved. From what I remember and from what I¡¯ve seen of the city, the fire shouldn¡¯t have reached it.¡±

    ¡°First thing in the morning?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Yep!¡± I replied. ¡°Bright and early.¡±

    Taava groaned. ¡°You don¡¯t need to sleep though!¡±

    ¡°Yes, and?¡±

    Taava made a rude gesture.

    I took one last longing look at the oak tree before we left. I am so tempted to try climbing it. Seyari pushed my shoulder gently before I could see if it would hold my weight, and we headed back onto the trail.

    I lit an orb of fire above my palm along the way, bright crimson light casting strange shadows about the forest. This close to town, nothing jumped out at us despite my childhood fear of wolves (a very healthy fear at the time) creeping back into my mind.

    This time, there was no orange glow on the horizon, just a slumbering city beneath a castle, surrounded by an arc of tall, snowcapped mountains. We made it to an inn easily enough¡ªone far nicer than I¡¯d usually stay at¡ªand got four rooms. Joisse insisted she was okay by herself, although I knew part of that was our connection via contract that should give me enough time to stop any spirals of fury she might go down.

    My worry turned out to be unfounded, as I didn¡¯t remember anything after my head hit the pillow, and morning came quickly after a peaceful night.

 Chapter 130: Tent Stakes

    After asking around about Bourick and his smithy, and after delivering a bouquet of winter flowers to Abby¡¯s grave, I found myself walking down an uncanny street with my friends. Nelys had taken the lead, while I watched the buildings as we passed. This part of Linthel was dense¡ªshops and homes built right up next to each other in places. Some buildings were familiar and some weren¡¯t. The effect was similar to missing teeth, and unnerving to my once-solid memories.

    Eventually, as the buildings started to thin, I saw a familiar rise of smoke over an unfamiliar roof. Has he still not cleaned that furnace? Or is the smoke black from new buildup.

    I smiled at the memory of how miserable I¡¯d felt while cleaning the furnace, but how happy Bourick had been when he¡¯d found out I¡¯d cleaned it. Sure, I¡¯d done the chore to escape from some social event, but I really did enjoy apprenticing there, short as it had been.

    We turned slightly past the new building and I caught a glimpse of a familiar storefront. New paint clung to old wood, and the whole place had a cramped sort of feeling that hadn¡¯t been there years ago. Two tall, thin windows laced with wire let light inside, and they let me catch a view of a familiar long counter and a sign flipped to ¡°open.¡±

    ¡°This is the place?¡± Taava asked, cocking her head.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said slowly. It looks just like I remembered it. ¡°Can I¡­ go in alone?¡±

    ¡°You can,¡± Seyari replied, then turned to Taava and snapped, ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you think it looks run down?¡± Seyari snapped.

    ¡°Huh? No! I think it¡¯s nice actually¡ªI¡¯d buy a blade here¡­ maybe.¡±

    ¡°Would you steal one?¡± Nelys asked cheekily.

    I didn¡¯t hear Taava¡¯s retort. Leaving the others, I walked up and pulled open the door. The handle was new, but the wood was exactly the same. I ducked just in case and stepped inside. Immediately, the smell of coal and iron hit me, and I smiled. Above the door, a bell tinkled.

    ¡°Be with you in a minute!¡± a familiar, masculine voice shouted from the back.

    Bourick.

    I didn¡¯t hear a sound of metal striking metal, which made sense. Without someone to man the front of the shop, Bourick would never work with hot metal during open hours. I almost strode back there, behind a new-looking counter, but I stopped myself.

    No way he¡¯d recognize me.

    Instead, I let the door close behind me and walked over to inspect Bourick¡¯s wares. He was never much for weapons, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice a couple daggers placed surreptitiously in the corner. Like he wanted them unseen.

    Once again, I was surrounded by the fruits of one man¡¯s practical craftsmanship. Nothing was ornate, nothing was terribly well-organized, but it was all good quality at reasonable prices. In the end, I suppose that¡¯s all it really takes¡ªthat and perseverance.

    Well, we definitely needed new tent stakes, and I was certain Seyari could use a new whetstone. While browsing the wares stacked behind the counter, I heard footsteps from the back, followed by Bourick¡¯s voice.

    I forced myself not to look. It wouldn¡¯t do for a stranger to get emotional. A glance outside told me the others were still waiting; Seyari and Taava looked to be having a heated discussion while Nelys and Joisse looked on awkwardly.

    ¡°Alright! How¡­ can I help you?¡± Bourick paused, probably when he got a good look at me. ¡°Human¡± me, even if only a centimeter or two taller than before, tended to have that effect.

    I steeled myself and turned around. Bourick stood there, his big arms on the counter and an easy smile on his face. His red hair had streaks of gray and was cut shorter around a more severe widow¡¯s peak than I remembered. A scar zigzagged under one eye, but it missed the bright blue orb that looked up at me.

    I caught myself staring and coughed, hoping fervently my mask didn¡¯t slip, that my voice didn¡¯t crack. ¡°Hi! I¡¯d like four large tent stakes, and to take a look at your whetstones.¡± I almost said his name.

    ¡°Sure!¡± Bourick laughed, and nostalgia washed over me.

    Here¡¯s someone from my old life who¡¯s not dead. He¡¯s not gone, and he¡¯s hardly changed.

    ¡°Was a little worried you¡¯d come in looking for a weapon. Might¡¯ve done a stint during the war, but I¡¯m no swordsmith despite what people seem to say.¡± Bourick chuckled. ¡°Course or fine whetstone?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stop a small smile. Hasn¡¯t changed at all. ¡°A course one and a semi-fine one, please. The semi-fine one will see more use.¡±

    Bourick nodded. ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    I thought more about Seyari¡¯s ancient sword. ¡°Oh, the course one will be used on a magicked blade.¡±

    The smith took another look over my uniform. ¡°A rough encounter then? Not much that¡¯ll damage a magicked blade.¡±

    ¡°You could say that.¡± I tried to lean against the counter, but found it awkwardly low.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll go see what I have. Pick out any tent stakes you¡¯d like in the meantime.¡± Bourick waved as he retreated around the wall to his smithy.

    He used to be so tall. Barely even comes up to my shoulder now¡­

    I looked over what he had and figured out what I wanted. When he returned with two whetstones and set them behind the counter, I pointed at the stakes in question.

    ¡°How many?¡± Bourick turned around.

    ¡°Four,¡± I replied, then carefully slipped the knife blade out and set it on the counter.

    When Bourick turned back, stakes in hand, he saw the knife and froze. Slowly he looked up and met my eyes.

    ¡°I found this in a special place. Figured I should take it back to its maker. If it¡¯s all the same, I¡¯d like to get a handle fitted.¡± I slid the blade, tang first, over to the smith.

    He rested a single callused finger on it, not taking his gaze off my face. His eyes were searching, and there was something under the surface: a question of sorts.

    My composure broke and I looked away sheepishly. ¡°I, uh, recognized your work. You bend a lot of tangs when you work fast, but you never hide mistakes so you had me make curved handles. They sold well and you started doing it on purpose. Looks like you¡¯ve kept it up even after all these years.¡±

    Bourick was quiet, and I risked glancing back in his direction. His eyes were wet.

    My soft smile spread across my entire face even as I felt tears forming. ¡°Hi Bourick. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    The now-old smith¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°By Dhias¡­¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I swallowed around the lump in my throat. ¡°D-did my sister say anything?¡±

    ¡°How¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°A friend, perhaps from the academy¡­ I didn¡¯t think¡ªit can¡¯t¡­¡±

    I glanced back at the door to Bourick¡¯s shop. I made my decision quickly. ¡°I want to tell you everything if that¡¯s okay. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t, but I don¡¯t care.¡±

    Bourick stopped mumbling, looking up at me. ¡°I can take my lunch now.¡±

    I nodded, and watched him move to the door. Through the tall window opposite the open sign, Seyari caught my eyes. I let her see my smile and she nodded discreetly before turning back to the others. I knew where to meet later.

    Let¡¯s hope this goes well¡­ What I wouldn¡¯t give to see Tania today.

    Bourick flipped the open sign to ¡°closed¡± and turned back to me after locking the door. He met my eyes for a moment before closing his and turning toward his smithy in the back. ¡°We can talk in the smithy. No prying ears there.¡±

    I followed meekly, glancing at the knife blade, whetstones and tent stakes still on the counter. ¡°I do still want the whetstones and tent stakes: they¡¯re really things we need.¡±

    ¡°We?¡± Bourick asked.

    I winced. ¡°Yeah. My¡­¡± I paused. Employees? Coworkers? Friends? ¡°My friends and I in the company need them.¡±

    ¡°The Gelles Company, huh?¡± Bourick said softly. ¡°Never took you for the type¡­ if it¡¯s really you.¡±

    I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly and followed him around the corner. ¡°Yeah, well, things¡ª¡±

    I cut off as soon as I saw the room. Bourick¡¯s shop had changed. Bourick had changed¡ªa little. This room hadn¡¯t. Everything from the tools on neat pins on the wall to the forge to one side looked exactly like I¡¯d just walked out after a day¡¯s work and come back the next morning.

    In fact, it looked a lot like my last memory when I¡¯d died. The one where¡­ where Abby told me goodbye. I took a deep breath and leaned one shoulder against the end of the wall.

    I took a deep breath. I¡¯ve made my peace.

    Haven¡¯t I?

    I wiped at my eyes. This room was supposed to be happy, bittersweet at worst. I found myself here¡ªthe real me¡ªwithout really even knowing. Abby taught me to see who I was on the very bricks of this floor, right by the shutters that opened for air flow when the forge was in use.

    And we said our farewells here, in a way.

    Funny how this room I haven¡¯t thought about in years is almost more important than the home I lived at for all my life. I didn¡¯t have to hide here, or at the fort, or in the woods.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Bourick asked, sitting down on the edge of a table.

    I nodded and took another deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Just¡­ memories. That¡¯s all.¡± I stepped forward and sat at the table across from him. My feet could almost touch the ground.

    The smith frowned. ¡°If you say so.¡± He shifted his posture straighter and regarded me carefully. ¡°What¡¯s going on miss¡­¡±

    ¡°Miller,¡± I replied. ¡°Zarenna Miller.¡±

    Bourick sucked in breath between his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Miller¡­¡±

    ¡°I nodded. Kartania Miller is my sister. It¡¯s¡­ a long story.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall her having a sister.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall her having a brother.¡±

    Both of Bourick¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean that I had a lot to process when I was growing up. A lot of things I pushed down and away. Abby showed me myself¡ªhere actually. She was visiting with Miss Meissner, looking for metal buttons and came back here while you talked to a customer in the front.¡±

    Bourick shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s familiar, but I can¡¯t say I remember the exact day.¡±

    ¡°Why would you?¡± I snapped, then continued in a softer tone. ¡°Sorry, just¡­ that day was really important to me.¡±

    Bourick gave me another look. ¡°Your hair and eyes match, but that¡¯s not uncommon. Your height though, I didn¡¯t know magic could do that.¡± He spoke in a tone that I took to mean more or less that he suspected something.

    Well he¡¯s not totally wrong.

    ¡°Before we continue, could you tell me if my sister Tania left a message for me with you? I found the blade in a hollow in the tree we used to climb with Abby as kids.¡±

    Bourick closed his eyes and drew his lips into a line. ¡°I¡¯m not cut out for all this intrigue crap.¡±

    ¡°So¡­?¡± I leaned forward.

    ¡°No. Not until I know what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say something like ¡®tell this to the person who brings the blade back¡¯ or something?¡±

    I felt a flare of anger from Bourick, steady like a glowing forge. I resisted probing the emotion.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Is it because I told you who I am?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I gritted my teeth and sighed. ¡°Fine, sure. It¡¯s not a secret anymore anyway¡ªthe Gelles Company knows.¡±

    I waited for his reaction. He didn¡¯t give me one.

    ¡°I visited my grave yesterday. The one that reads ¡®Zacharias Miller.¡¯ My parents, too. And Abigail Hunter¡¯s. Human Zarenna died in the Great Linthel Fire, but I didn¡¯t die in the fire. Like Abby, I was murdered.¡±

    Bourick¡¯s fury stoked itself. ¡°Liar! I saw the body. Burned to a crisp, he was.¡±

    ¡°The last thing I felt after a sword went through me was a burning sensation, so that makes sense.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Makes sense?¡±

    ¡°Abby and I were running out that late because we¡¯d snuck off to go to the old fort ruins. You have to remember that you saw us in the square by the river.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± the old smith heaved a shuddering sigh. ¡°Not chasing Zach and Abby down¡¯s been my biggest regret this past decade. Who do you think buried the pair?¡±

    Bourick¡¯s words put a lance through my heart. ¡°Y-you buried me?¡±

    ¡°If you were him, then yes, I did. No living next of kin, so I was the closest who was capable.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ thanks, Bourick.¡±

    My former tutor¡¯s face softened for a moment. ¡°Keep going.¡±

    I nodded once. ¡°We got to our houses and found that Abby¡¯s nan had been murdered and her parents were burned¡ªperhaps after they died. In my house, we found Tania hiding¡ªor, rather, she found us. She told us my parents had died fighting.¡±

    ¡°In the back¡­¡± I continued and took a shaking breath, forcing myself to relive that night yet again. We¡¯ve said our goodbyes. ¡°In the back, Abby got grabbed and killed, and then Tania and I ran. I¡¯d twisted my ankle jumping the barricade earlier and it gave out in the plaza by the well. Finley was there in dark robes.

    ¡°I told Tania to run and ran at Finley screaming bloody murder to try to give her time. I didn¡¯t make it to him and the guy who killed Abby killed me. I don¡¯t even remember his face very well¡­¡±

    ¡°What about burning?¡±

    I placed a hand over my sternum and toyed with the buttons there.

    ¡°Miss?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything indecent.¡± I pulled the top of my shirt open just enough to show my symbol. My green tinged crimson gem shone even in the dim light of the room, almost glowing. Is it brighter than before?

    ¡°What is that? Is that gem buried in your skin?¡±

    ¡°The symbol around the gem is what¡¯s most important here, Bourick. Abby and I found a necklace in the old fort, and she gave it to me before I died. I was wearing it, and I think my death with the amulet messed with whatever ritual Finley was doing.¡±

    ¡°I do remember Carvalon¡¯s guard went on a hunt for him and his cronies right after the fire.¡±

    Right after the fire?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Oh, I said that out loud.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Bourick shrugged. ¡°He had evidence Finley was responsible. There were witnesses, too.¡±

    That¡¯s awfully convenient, isn¡¯t it.

    ¡°I¡­ thanks for telling me that.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because, while it¡¯s no longer my top priority, I¡¯m chasing after Finley.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s wrong?¡± I tilted my head. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him, you know.¡±

    Bourick gave a harsh smirk. ¡°Wrong? He deserves it. I don¡¯t care who you actually are, but if you kill him, then good riddance I say!¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t explain why you¡¯re here if you died, what you meant by interrupting the ritual, or why you¡¯re as tall as my shop¡¯s door.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a single answer to all three: I became a demon of wrath, hellbent on getting revenge. I¡¯m mostly past the ¡®hellbent¡¯ part now, though.¡±

    Bourick chuckled, though I could have sworn it seemed nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t joke about that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I unbuttoned the extra sleeves of my uniform. ¡°These aren¡¯t decorations. I have four arms and was tired of destroying all my clothes. This hasn¡¯t fixed the problem, but it¡¯s a lot better now.¡±

    The smith stared at the sleeve I was holding up.

    ¡°Dhias¡­¡± I covered my face with one hand. ¡°Why is this always the same awkward crap every time I have to do this? I wish it wouldn¡¯t cause so many problems if I just didn¡¯t use my human transformation, but nooooo.¡±

    Bourick chuckled. ¡°That sounded familiar.¡±

    ¡°Wait, do you believe me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s either you or someone Kartania trusts enough to tell everything to.¡± He seemed to relax a little. ¡°It¡¯s Zarenna now, right?¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ it can¡¯t be this easy.¡± I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°It never goes this well. Don¡¯t I need to show you my true form?¡±

    ¡°If it won¡¯t damage my shop, then go ahead.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Tania told you more than you let on.¡±

    The old smith grunted in acknowledgement. ¡°She did. Said I should have a magic weapon in case a demon came knocking.¡±

    I activated my aura sight. Sure enough, Bourick had a faint glow of magic weapon around the edges of his back. ¡°So why put me through all this?¡±

    ¡°Personal reasons: I wanted to know. To be honest, I also didn¡¯t entirely believe Kartania¡¯s claim.¡±

    ¡°Do you now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    I ended my human transformation and smiled. ¡°How about now?¡±

    To his credit, Bourick only flinched a little. ¡°Y-yeah. I believe you now.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± I clapped all four hands together. ¡°Can I get Tania¡¯s message now?¡±

    Bourick took a moment to calm himself down again. ¡°Not just that, but I have something for you. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯ve held onto it for so long, but Abby¡¯s nan gave it to me the night of the fire to give to you the next day.¡±

    ¡°Bourick¡­¡± I whispered, feeling tears start again.

    The old smith stood up and walked to a shelf behind me. He clapped me on the shoulder on the way by. ¡°Glad you¡¯re alive and back in Linthel, even if you¡¯re just passing through.¡±

    I smiled at the warmth of his touch. ¡°Me too.¡±

 Chapter 131: Beginners Guide to Magic

    For a short, wonderful, moment, I was an apprentice smith again. I could imagine a younger version of myself, still a demon, working the forge and finishing off tent stakes like the kind I was buying here today.

    I¡¯d never made a blade, let alone a sword. The few guided-hands lessons Bourick had given me years ago were hardly something worth considering. The things I made were simple: tent stakes and the like. Forgiving things. A rushed cooling process wouldn¡¯t embrittle a tent stake enough to matter. A bent stake could still potentially be sold, or reheated and bent back. Surface finish didn¡¯t really matter¡ªin fact, rough was good to a certain extent. And weight balance? Forget about it.

    Still smiling, I watched as Bourick reached up on his tip-toes to the top shelf and felt around with a grunt. What could Abby¡¯s nan have meant to give me all those years ago? It wasn¡¯t terribly like her to give physical presents. Knowledge or stories, I¡¯d understand.

    I giggled. ¡°Need help with that?¡±

    The red-haired smith drew his hand back and landed on his heels with a sigh. ¡°Could you? I thought I could get it without a step stool, but I really must be getting older.¡±

    ¡°Did you use a step-stool to put it up there?¡± I asked, walking over to the rather deep shelf.

    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Oh, and it¡¯s a wooden box about twenty centimeters on a side and half as tall.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡± I wasn¡¯t quite tall enough to see up on the shelf, so I stuck both my right hands up there and started to feel around.

    ¡°Try not to scratch it if you can.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Oh, I¡¯m dulling my claws¡ªand you really do get used to them after a while.¡± I felt my top right hand bump something. ¡°Oh! I think I got it.¡± I pushed it toward my other right hand pulled the box down.¡±

    It was a box of old, burled wood, polished to a shine once, but now faded under a layer of dust. The hinges were simple, but well-made, and the latch on the front was neatly closed.

    Something about this is familiar.

    ¡°Go ahead, open it.¡±

    ¡°O-okay.¡± I held my breath and flicked the latch up with a claw. Carefully I opened the lid with one hand, holding the box almost reverently with another two.

    Inside the box were some unusual trinkets of metal and wood and a small, leather-bound book. Handwritten on the front cover were the words ¡°Beginner¡¯s Guide to Magic.¡± A memory bubbled to the surface of my mind. Not my memory, but another¡¯s, from the night of the fire.

    ¡°Abby¡¯s nan,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Gertrude?¡± Bourick asked.

    ¡°¡­Yeah,¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡­ I remember her closing the lid to this box.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Bourick? Do you know how demons are formed?¡±

    The smith shook his head.

    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°If I say no, will you tell me anyway?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t always do that!¡± I stamped my foot lightly. ¡°So is that a ¡®no?¡¯¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®no.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± I looked back down into the box and ran the back of one finger reverently down the cover of the book. ¡°I got this memory when I died, I guess. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say. Thank you for saving this.¡± Carefully, I took the book out and closed the lid on the box. ¡°But if you don¡¯t mind, could you hold onto it a little while longer? I¡¯ll bring the book back in a day or two. I¡¯d rather this all doesn¡¯t get damaged and I don¡¯t have a safe place right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve held onto it this long already, I suppose more time won¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I set the box back up on the shelf where I¡¯d found it, clutching the book protectively in one hand. ¡°Now, about my sister?¡±

    Bourick nodded. ¡°She¡¯s left instructions to contact her. They¡¯re a little unusual, but I can get a message to her tonight. Where could I send a runner to you with an answer?¡±

    I gave him the name of our inn.

    ¡°Fancy. Didn¡¯t know mercs made that much.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re splurging a bit, to be honest, but a few days won¡¯t make us broke. Seyari likes the bath, and I do too.¡±

    ¡°Seyari?¡±

    ¡°My fianc¨¦e. She knows about the whole ¡®demon¡¯ thing. I think she and the others are waiting outside if you¡¯d like to meet them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news!¡± Bourick smiled tiredly. ¡°I¡¯d love to meet them, but I have a lot of work to do today and I think I¡¯m about out of stamina for this sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide how crestfallen I was. Bourick never was the social type.

    ¡°If you¡¯re around four days from now, I¡¯m taking that time off, so you could stop by here, I could meet your friends and fianc¨¦e and we could really catch up. Maybe I could even see if you¡¯ve been keeping up with what I¡¯ve taught you?¡±

    Instantly, I perked up. ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s do that¡ªdo you still live where you used to?¡±

    Bourick shook his head and laughed. ¡°I moved closer to the smithy, so I¡¯m right across the street now. Sleeping in¡¯s spoiled me rotten.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d do the same if I could! I¡­ I guess I should be going now? I need to tell my friends what you¡¯ve told me, and I suppose we should head back to our inn until we receive a response.¡±

    Bourick nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your stakes and whetstone.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. How much for everything?¡±

    ***

    Once we arrived back at the inn, I went straight to the room I shared with Seyari and set the small, handwritten book from Abby¡¯s nan, Gertrude, on our room¡¯s table. My tail complained about a lack of space in the plush chair, but I ignored it for now, even as I was forced onto the edge of my seat.

    Metaphorically, I was already there from anticipation.

    The others had split today. Taava ran off somewhere to ¡°spread her songs,¡± and I was still working to shove down the distinctly unpleasant thought that there was a kazzel bouncing around between taverns and market squares singing about me.

    Nelys, meanwhile, wanted to see some of the city¡¯s sights I was too stuck in my own head to want to visit. That, and they needed to get their amulet¡¯s magic fixed. The primary issue with doing so was that whoever they took it to would need to know the nature of the enchantment, something Nelys was distinctly discomforted by.

    And so, Seyari volunteered to go with them. Originally, I had volunteered, but I was glad she¡¯d seen my head was elsewhere and stepped in. The candid smile my fianc¨¦e had given when she said she had other reasons both worried and excited me.

    Finally working up the courage, I looked down at the book, tracing the writing on the cover with a single dull black claw.

    ¡°Beginner¡¯s Guide to Magic, huh,¡± I whispered reverently. ¡°Thanks, Nan.¡±

    Carefully, I opened it and began to read. What a wonder this would have been when I was human! Flowing handwriting explained basic magic concepts to me, and I found myself reading it alternately in Gertrude¡¯s voice and Seyari¡¯s voice.

    Much of what she said was repeated here in different terms. The text was clearly aimed to work with my pitiful prior potential. Still, I hadn¡¯t quite realized how special even having as much as I had was. And it was abundantly clear Nan had thought the same. Wrapped in with the magic lessons and very basic spell forms were notes on the history of Linthel, and Edath as a whole, much of which I only had faint ideas about.

    There were no major revelations, except for one: Lord, or King I supposed, Carvalon¡¯s family had held land in the area as nobility back long before Ordia invaded and conquered Edath. Moreover, there was a single line here she lamented that the ¡°brilliant young man¡± had become ¡°vapid and indulgent.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Brilliant young man?

    More and more, I wanted to know what exactly was going on with King Carvalon. If need be¡­ I relaxed my hold on the edge of the table before my fingers left marks. If need be, I might have the power to set right certain wrongs.

    But this situation was complex. Smashing it with a hammer would only force others to pick up the pieces. No, as usual, what I wanted to know was not something my physical or magical power could grant me.

    What side is King Carvalon on?

    I tried to distract myself by performing some of the spell patterns from the book. Simple party tricks, but fun nonetheless, and a good way to demonstrate control¡ªor mess with Taava. Both were very important applications.

    I gave my thanks once again to the final gift from one of my greatest role models and closed the book, placing one hand reverently atop its still-new-looking cover. In another life, Nan Gertrude and Bourick would both have taught me.

    In that same life, I would never have met Seyari. Or Nelys. And probably not Taava. Aretan and I would never have met, nor Salvador or Lorelei or Markus or Lilly or Isidore. Perhaps I would have encountered Firalex or Rodrick, but under different circumstances. Drin and Tren too¡­ and even Officer Lorton and Paula. Heck, I could throw Ruston into that group as well¡ªI still felt a pit of sadness when I thought about his death. And Vivian¡­ I pushed that thought away.

    I kept thinking of more and more people I¡¯d met on my travels. I was just thinking about when Elnie the jerk elf from Torrez¡¯s ship, the Lady of Liseu, had cut my ear off, when I heard a key in the door to our room.

    Seyari!

    I got up quickly and practically threw the door open. Thankfully, Seyari was on the other side, rather than some unfortunate hotel staff member. I did, however, spot someone walking in the hallway over Seyari¡¯s shoulder.

    They froze after their eyes had passed over me. When they did a double take, I was wearing my human form. I waved and gave them a smile as Seyari brushed past me and into the room.

    I noticed then that she was holding a book¡ªone a good bit thicker than ¡°A Beginner¡¯s Guide to Magic¡± by Gertrude Hunter. After closing the door, I sat back down at the table, and Seyari sat right next to me.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.

    Seyari put both of her pale hands over the cover. ¡°A book.¡±

    ¡°Wait, really?¡± I leaned over and tried to get a look. ¡°Huh, so that¡¯s what one of those looks like. Weird.¡±

    Seyari chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re impossible.¡±

    ¡°Statistically speaking, yes!¡± I beamed.

    ¡°What¡¯s got you in a good mood, Renna?¡±

    ¡°Nerves, mostly. Things have gone¡­ really well so far. All according to plan, and I¡¯ve had some nice peaceful time to work things through. I¡¯ve probably gone and ruined it by saying it out loud.¡± I pried at one of Seyari¡¯s fingers, but a gust of wind batted my hand away. ¡°I¡¯m not going to get distracted though¡ªI want to know what that is!¡±

    Seyari stuck her tongue out. ¡°I already told you.¡±

    I groaned and covered my face with two hands. ¡°I¡­ walked right into that one.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a novel,¡± Seyari replied seriously, lifting her hands from the cover.

    I took a look at the book. The dark blue cover had the words ¡°Voyage of the Crimson Petrel¡± written in a slightly curvy font pressed into the leather.

    ¡°¡¯The Voyage of the Crimson Petrel,¡¯ I repeated the name. What¡¯s it about? A ship¡¯s journey, I presume, but¡­¡±

    Seyari stood the book up and stared at the title. ¡°The librarian said it was an account of great adventure in the north, told from the perspective of a group of privateers who break their contract for noble reasons and sail for lands unknown. According to the author, it is a recounting by one of the former crew, though the librarian thought it was ¡®mostly fantasy.¡¯¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Seyari leaned back and swept her one-sided hair over her shoulder. ¡°I have no idea! That¡¯s why I want to read it. I¡¯ve never heard of the ship, but apparently, the story is a century or so old, and comes from Cavenze originally.¡±

    ¡°If they get my island wrong, let me know!¡±

    ¡°Your island?¡± Seyari laughed.

    I crossed my lower pair of arms. ¡°Yes, my island! I was the queen of that island¡­ especially after the last demonic beast there died.¡±

    Seyari covered her mouth as she continued laughing. ¡°Of course! Sure, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± She glanced again at the book in her hands. ¡°Mostly, I want to see what it takes to write something like this. I doubt there¡¯s any real information about the Lost Era in here, but it¡¯ll be interesting to see how actual ship¡ªand pirate¡ªlife is portrayed. I¡­¡± Seyari trailed off, shaking her head.

    ¡°You what?¡± I pressed. ¡°You know you can tell me anything!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that your horns look dumb.¡±

    I gasped, grasping at my horns with my top two hands. ¡°What¡ªbut¡ªhow could you possibly¡ª¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t, by the way. They¡¯re magnificent. Very you, Renna.¡±

    ¡°Aw!¡± I melted instantly. ¡°Thanks, Sey.¡±

    ¡°We should get ready for bed, though,¡± Seyari announced suddenly.

    ¡°Is it that late?¡±

    ¡°No, but it will be.¡± Seyari gave me a salacious smile.

    I flashed her one right back. ¡°Seriously though, what were you going to say?¡±

    Seyari stood up and huffed. ¡°Nothing.¡± She started to walk toward the bathroom.

    ¡°Actually nothing? If it¡¯s serious, I can drop it.¡± I followed her up and took a step after her.

    She stopped. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ don¡¯t laugh, okay?¡±

    I almost cracked a joke, but the edge in Seyari¡¯s voice was¡­ testing. Vulnerable. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I promised.

    ¡°I think I want to be an author. Tell my story¡ªthe abbey, the Inquisition, my life in Liseu, my failed relationships, our journey together. All of it.¡±

    I cocked my head to one side. ¡°Why would I laugh?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Seyari clenched her fists at her sides, the pose totally unlike her.

    I walked over and embraced my fianc¨¦e. ¡°I think that¡¯s a wonderful Idea! I don¡¯t know that I can really help, but I¡¯ll let you bounce ideas off me.¡±

    ¡°Even the parts about us?¡±

    ¡°Especially those parts.¡±

    Seyari sighed. ¡°Why did I ever think you¡¯d get mad at this like you get mad at Taava¡¯s songs?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± I almost let go in shock. ¡°I also have no idea why you¡¯d think that. Taava¡¯s just doing it to get a rise out of me.¡±

    ¡°Is she?¡±

    ¡°Is she?¡± I repeated, suddenly worried. I¡¯ll never know what they talked about, will I?

    Seyari, for her part, only smiled candidly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too hard. Do you think we can afford to break the bed?¡± She leaned up and kissed me.

    I pulled back just long enough to take a breath. ¡°No, I know we can¡¯t.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s smile took on a wicked edge. ¡°Sucks for us, then.¡±

    ***

    Seyari woke up first, something that hadn¡¯t happened of late. Not only had she been getting better sleep, but Renna usually woke up early. Even if she says she needs sleep, it¡¯s probably just psychosomatic.

    The three-quarters angel glanced over at the whetstone on the table and smiled. Behind it, stacked next to each other were two small books: one dark blue and another rust orange. I need to trust Zarenna more¡ªfully even. I just¡­ I haven¡¯t done that since I trusted Mordwell.

    Comfortable and warm, if a little sore, Seyari still had a need to get up and move. In her dreams she¡¯d been flying, and that same floating sensation she¡¯d felt so acutely when she¡¯d made the mistake of flying with Zarenna lingered. She felt light in the bed, and more than a bit nauseous.

    Unfortunately, like any morning she woke up first, she couldn¡¯t leave. For all her lack of overt physical affection in public, Zarenna was clingy in the sheets. Seyari currently had four arms wrapped loosely around her torso and a thick tail twining her legs together.

    If Seyari moved, there was a chance Zarenna would let go in her sleep and she¡¯d get out. There was an equal chance she¡¯d get pulled closer. A swift elbow to the boob or pressure to her tail tip usually roused Zarenna, but Seyari wanted to let her sleep today.

    She¡¯s been through a lot reliving all this. And I haven¡¯t exactly helped¡ªalthough last night went a long way.

    So, instead of getting in a few practice swings with her soon-to-be-sharp sword, or a morning run, Seyari turned as best she could in Zarenna¡¯s grip and stared up at the nature scene embroidered into the roof of the four-poster bed they shared.

    At least it¡¯s not a view from up high. After a while the floating sensation dissipated and Seyari closed her eyes again. I can feel her heartbeat. Just a few more minutes sleep.

    ***

    I woke up to Seyari staring at me.

    ¡°Morning, Zarenna,¡± she said with a genuine smile.

    ¡°Morning, Seyari,¡± I replied. ¡°Did I trap you again?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°It isn¡¯t trapping me if I want to stay here.¡±

    Now it was my turn to smile. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Seyari chuckled. ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, though, nature is calling me.¡±

    ¡°Pity, that.¡± I released her. I almost said something else, but I bit my tongue and just enjoyed the moment.

    I also enjoyed Seyari¡¯s backside as she sauntered over to the in-suite bathroom.

    ***

    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Taava groused. ¡°But I guess ya had fun!¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± I raised an eyebrow innocently. If she won¡¯t tell me what she did last night, I am certainly not going to tell her.

    Taava stuck her tongue out, then pulled it back before Seyari¡¯s hand chopped down in front of her. ¡°We were actually just talking this morning, thank you,¡± the half angel huffed.

    ¡°Mostly,¡± I added cheekily, though a glance at Joisse stopped me from going further.

    It¡¯s not like she doesn¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.

    ¡°I think you two are cute together,¡± the other wrath demon mumbled.

    I felt my cheeks heating up. I looked to Nelys for help, but they just giggled and pointed themselves back at their porridge.

    Thankfully, Seyari changed the subject. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t be surprised we received a reply so quickly.¡± She placed the small, folded note on the table. ¡°I assume you know where to go, Renna?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I do, yeah.¡± Of course she¡¯d want to go to the depths of the old fort. How much does she know? How did she find out?

    ¡°Where should we be, boss?¡± Taava asked.

    ¡°The note said to come alone,¡± I replied slowly.

    ¡°Yeah, and?¡±

    Seyari grabbed my hand roughly under the table. ¡°You cannot possibly mean to truly go alone.¡±

    ¡°I do though.¡±

    Seyari looked at the others. Joisse looked away, unsure. Taava hissed.

    Nelys, meanwhile looked up from their bowl. ¡°Sey, I think Renna should go. It¡¯s her sister, and she can take of herself.¡±

    Seyari exhaled. ¡°I will wait for you in the forest. Even if you tell me to stay, I will go that far. From what I saw that night by Mordwell¡¯s estate, your sister is a hard woman, Zarenna. Whether or not you want to admit that, you must realize she could kill you.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I answered. ¡°But she won¡¯t. Not as a first option.¡±

    ¡°What if she has the church with her?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I doubt she will, and if she does, I doubt all of them could hide both their auras and their anger from me.¡±

    ¡°What if¡­¡± the next question died on Seyari¡¯s lips. Instead of finishing it, she pulled me down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. ¡°If your sister kills you, I¡¯m going to hunt her down to the ends of the world.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Seyari teared up. ¡°You massive, reckless idiot.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know.¡±

    I glanced up just in time to see a wide-eyed Joisse look away quickly. Nelys had turned back to their bowl unconvincingly, and even Taava was sneaking glances.

    I reached over and tugged Seyari toward me. The half-angel let out a surprised squeak and tumbled into my lap. I hugged her there, uncaring that we were in a semi-public space.

    ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be safe, but I can promise I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make that true.¡± I whispered, my face close to hers.

    Seyari hiccupped once, then forced down a mouthful of air. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do until the meeting at noon?¡±

    I smiled honestly. ¡°I thought I¡¯d spend the morning with my friends. Show you all the city I grew up in.¡±

    Seyari gave me another quick kiss. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±

 Chapter 132: Personal Demon(s)

    Past the threshold and into the weeping dark stone of the old fort, I crept along. Doubtless, I should have had no fear, but childhood memories hold strong sway¡ªeven ones made into young adulthood. This time, there was no Abigail to crack jokes and break the tension by jumping me around corners. Seyari was waiting somewhere outside, just beyond the gatehouse.

    And so, the tension mounted, boiling and sizzling away in the corners of my mind and vision. Outside carried the bright, glinting light of late afternoon, angled just up and over the mountains, but once inside the old stones, darkness reigned. Shadows seemed to move and twist, and I had to take deep breaths to remain calm.

    Get ahold of yourself, Zarenna! You¡¯re the Sovereign of Wrath. You¡¯re probably the scariest thing in the whole of Linthel.

    That thought mollified the worst of my fear, but I crept along slowly in the dark, just in case. The shadows seemed less deep when I was in the thick of them. And even in my human form, I had no trouble seeing in complete darkness, although the faint blue glow of my eyes was something I noticed, reflected faintly by the tip of my nose and off damp stones I passed close to.

    Why meet me here? I suppose it¡¯s away from prying eyes.

    I took another step and the sound echoed down the empty hall. Tania would hear if I brought more than one person. Plus, there are probably secret tunnels out of here¡ªif she knew them.

    Or perhaps this old fort was just a symbolic place for both of us, though Abby and I never took Kartania down into the dungeon the few times we were able to sneak in further than the courtyard.

    I pinched my cheek to try to knock my mind out of its downward spiral. The slight pain I felt was over in a heartbeat. Right. I¡¯d need a lot more than a pinch to truly feel physical pain.

    I didn¡¯t fancy bleeding everywhere, so I tried to cope as best I could and kept walking, listening to the echo of my footsteps and watching the white puffs of my breath. Should I show up in human or demon form?

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯d run into anyone else here, but wow would that be a terrible fright to give some unfortunate kid traipsing around out here. The place didn¡¯t even have the occasional guard posted that it used to.

    Who am I kidding? Kartania already knows I¡¯m a demon, and I¡¯d probably feel less scared if I showed it. I stopped and readied my uniform, then let my human transformation end. Immediately, I felt some of my confidence return.

    Whatever goes bump in the night has nothing on me.

    I even lit two small crimson fires at the tips of my horns. I liked the look, to be honest, and the light would let Kartania know where I was coming from if my footsteps somehow failed to. My claws did feel tight in my boots, though.

    It wasn¡¯t long before I reached the door to the dungeon. It was open more than last time¡ªpulled all the way to the wall, with a rock serving as a doorstop.

    A decade ago, I¡¯d been so incredibly afraid of what might lurk down there. In a way, I still was, though in a more metaphysical sense. Like last time as well, anticipation thrummed through my core. Tania.

    As I took the first step on the stairs, a thought flashed across my mind: what if this is a trap?

    Well, if it is, whoever perpetrated it is going to find out precisely what a furious wrath demon can do. I hissed a little flame and kept walking, the sound of my boots heavy on each icy stone step. Cold as it was, no water dripped and the air was deathly still.

    However, when I reached the bottom, I saw the flickering yellow-orange light of a lantern around the corner. I stopped on the last step.

    ¡°Tania?¡± I called out into the darkness. My demonic hearing caught a single sharp intake of breath.

    ¡°You came,¡± my sister replied tersely.

    ¡°Of course I did,¡± I walked around the corner in a semi-slouched nonthreatening pose, two hands in my pockets.

    Standing up from behind a crumbling stone counter topped with a single, small lantern was my sister. Ice blue eyes and sharp-cut, straight black hair married with severe features into a familiar look. In the past, a smile and childhood roundness had softened her.

    Now, Kartania Miller was all hard edges.

    And she had another edge too. In shining armor, tabard emblazoned with the symbol of the Church of Dhias, she held a sword in a firm grip, pointed squarely at me. Ice crystals were growing on the tip and I smelled frost in the air. I felt no anger from her, however.

    ¡°Explain yourself, demon,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Now.¡±

    For a moment, I stood there frozen, watching the light from competing flames cast shadows upon a face that was both achingly familiar and heartbreakingly strange. No eloquent answer was going to happen, and as my sister tensed, I knew I had to say something quickly.

    ¡°Uh, hi Tania,¡± I answered Tania lamely.

    She continued to point her sword at me. ¡°You have her memories, Sister. Enough to know something no one living knew. How?¡±

    I could feel her anger now. The emotion was distant, almost¡­ caged.

    I kept all four hands raised placatingly. ¡°I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re familiar with how demons form?¡±

    Kartania nodded without taking her eyes off me.

    ¡°The answer is the necklace Abby gave to me the night of the fire¡ªthe one we¡¯d found in this dungeon.¡±

    My sister narrowed her eyes. ¡°Describe it.¡±

    ¡°A six-pointed starburst of woven metal with a vortex in the center.¡± I smiled sadly at the memory. ¡°You said your birthday present was nicer, but that I¡¯d have to wait to find out what it was.¡±

    For a moment, Kartania¡¯s expression faltered. I caught a glimpse at a roiling maelstrom of fury so deep and raw that I stumbled.

    Immediately, I had a blade at my neck. Well, immediately in human terms. Still, I let the cold tip poke into my neck.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Move,¡± my sister hissed.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I replied seriously.

    ¡°What was that just then?¡±

    ¡°I felt your anger.¡±

    Kartania hissed.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so, so sorry sister. I wasn¡¯t there. I left you all alone¡­¡± I blinked and my vision blurred as tears rolled down my cheeks.

    For a while Kartania was silent. Her emotions betrayed nothing. Eventually she spoke, but her voice was raw. ¡°What did the amulet do?¡±

    ¡°Instead of some of my soul, it took the whole thing to make a demon. That¡¯s why there were two demons created that night: one from whatever ritual the corrupt Inquisition was doing, and¡­ me.¡±

    She withdrew the blade from poking into my neck, but held it ready. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you might still be the same person.¡±

    ¡°Abigail Hunter did that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She gave her soul for me, to me.¡± Under my collar my symbol started to heat up.

    Kartania¡¯s eyes flicked downward to my symbol that glowed faintly even through my company uniform. When she looked back up, she flinched and took single, rapid breath.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked, reflexively.

    For a long moment, she stared into my eyes, shoulders tense and blade at the ready. ¡°I¡­ You have her memories. But, are you actually my sister? Could you really be?¡±

    I tried to keep my voice steady and explain clearly. ¡°The one person I talked to about that¡ªan expert on demons¡ªsaid that my soul was ¡®essentially whole.¡¯ But I often wonder myself: what did I lose? How much of me is human me?¡±

    Kartania¡¯s sword-arm faltered briefly. ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Even so¡­¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°I like who I am now¡ªwhat I am now. There was a long road to acceptance, and I¡¯m still walking it when it comes to the world around me. Not that I think demons are inherently good, but there¡¯s a lot more to us than humans often realize.

    ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t wax philosophical¡ªI didn¡¯t come here to lecture you. I came here to see you, to meet my sister really, truly, for the first time in nine years.

    ¡°And I came here to apologize: For dying, for leaving you to grow up alone these past years, and for being stuck on a damn island so I couldn¡¯t find you sooner. And yeah, I know that¡¯s not my fault, but I¡¯m still sorry it happened.

    ¡°The power I have now scares me sometimes¡ªoften even¡ªbut it rarely takes the form of what I want or need. Destruction isn¡¯t me, I just¡­ Sorry, I¡¯m rambling.¡± My grand speech ended in a mumble. Unable to bear my sister¡¯s cold gaze, I turned my eyes downward to the floor.

    Above my gaze, Kartania¡¯s anger came undone. It spooled out and lashed forward. Instinctively, I took it, gathered it, embraced it.

    For a fleeting moment, I felt flashes of my sister¡¯s wrath¡¯s source: all the pain Kartania had gone through, her deep resentment, and a metaphysical wound that had never healed.

    And then it was gone. Passed through me in a surge of power and mana that bled away into the cold darkness of the cellar.

    I heard a clatter and saw a brilliant, shining sword rimed in frost fall to the ground. Above me, my sister wavered, and I knew I¡¯d forever regret it if I didn¡¯t look up to meet her eyes.

    Blue stared into blue. Full of pain and anger and hurt and a single, twisted spark of hope that had never quite gone out.

    ¡°Tania¡­¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Zach¡­ Zarenna¡­¡± Tania blinked and her eyes filled with tears.

    She leaned forward toward me, like a frozen sapling wilting under a spring thaw. I caught her, embraced her, and Kartania Miller began to sob.

    Through hiccups and half words, she poured her story out to me: the story of a life without a sister, a family, or anyone she could call a friend.

    ***

    Kartania had lost control of her emotions. The box she¡¯d built, maintained over years, broke apart.

    I can fix this. Just¡­ Just¡­

    Her anger melted away, but its absence did nothing to stop the tide of her other emotions. No! Be strong! Don¡¯t grieve!

    Kartania¡¯s breath hitched, and her hand slackened, sword falling to the floor. The clang jolted her and she looked at the demon standing before her, not yet ready to accept death.

    Instead of claws or fire, Kartania met blue eyes floating in a sea of void-like blackness. Thin vertical pupils were wide with surprise. Something, however, something small, seemed so very familiar.

    ¡°Tania¡­¡± the demon whispered.

    ¡°Zach¡­¡± Kartania said, finally understanding what seemed so familiar in those blue eyes. Vulnerability, but now reinforced with a sense of self-assuredness that had never before existed. ¡°Zarenna¡­¡± Kartania corrected herself.

    She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s really my sister.

    Like a puppet whose strings were cut, Kartania toppled forward, toward the huge, crimson-skinned woman. The paladin of Dhias fell against soft skin thinly padded over hard muscle, and four warm arms embraced her.

    For a heart-stopping instant, Kartania didn¡¯t move: sister or no, the being holding her was something she was all-too used to fighting against. And something whose touch normally meant losing a limb at best.

    Here, however, great pains were taken by Zarenna to move slowly, deliberately, and with as little force as possible. Kartania felt fragile. In a way she hated; in a way she couldn¡¯t ever accept because a single sign of vulnerability would be all it took.

    All it took to¡­

    Not here; not right now. Zarenna¡ªher sister. She¡­ perhaps it was okay to let go for just a moment.

    Just a small moment of respite. A single ear to which she could air her grievances and her sorrows.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Kartania started, her voice small. She tried to clear her throat, to regain the imperious tone she always used, but all she did was hiccup and cough. Still, she soldiered on. ¡°After you¡­ died. After mom and dad and everyone died, I¡ªI didn¡¯t know where to go. I was so alone¡­ Sister.¡± The familial word rolled out of her with some hesitation.

    Saying ¡°sister¡± felt¡­ wonderful. I¡¯m not so alone right now.

    Zarenna stayed quiet, only moving both of them to lean against a wall. Kartania, legs like pudding, slid down, and her demonic sister followed her, the pair coming to rest against the wall, looking out into the darkness at a short row of centuries-old cells. Crimson light from twin balls of fire at the tips of her sister¡¯s horns flickered up the walls, casting fantastical shadows.

    Kartania drew in another breath, and continued, ¡°No one else was left, so I went to Bourick. He¡­ he had a lot of regrets, watching you two run off toward the fire, wishing he¡¯d run after you.¡±

    Zarenna bowed her head and bit her lip. ¡°I regret that he had to live with that¡­¡±

    ¡°Bourick took me in, for a short time. I¡­ wasn¡¯t as grateful as I should have been. I wanted revenge, and I didn¡¯t believe Finley was the top of everything.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Zarenna asked, tilting her head to one side.

    Kartania sighed and looked away from her demon sister¡¯s sharp teeth and forked tongue. ¡°I took some money and ran away to Ardath to join the Church of Dhias. I wanted to find out the truth and fix things from the inside. It was stupid¡ªand I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯d do something like that, burn the last bridge I had.¡± She glanced at Zarenna to gauge her reaction.

    The demon took a moment to realize Kartania was waiting on something. When she spoke, her words were slow and deliberate. ¡°I¡­ I think I understand. You were angry and hurt. You wanted revenge more than anything, but you also felt guilt¡ªlike you didn¡¯t deserve what Bourick was giving you? Like you survived when you shouldn¡¯t have?¡±

    Kartania swallowed. ¡°Maybe. I¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± She jolted when a thick crimson tail laid itself over her legs.

    ¡°You¡¯re shivering,¡± Zarenna said simply. ¡°And maybe I¡¯m wrong, but that same sort of feeling¡¯s been eating away at me for leaving you behind. A voice that says I don¡¯t deserve this life I have.¡±

    This time, Kartania nodded, forcing that same ever-present inner voice down. ¡°It only stays quiet when I focus on revenge,¡± she whispered, surprised at her sudden admittance.

    Zarenna pulled two right arms around her and pulled Kartania into a hug again. Her face landed on Zarenna¡¯s chest: it was warm and soft, even through the leather of her shirt.

    Soon, it was wet, too. Kartania tried to hold back her tears, but failed.

    ¡°Sister,¡± Zarenna said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that. That voice is wrong: I¡¯m glad you lived. Bourick is too. Every single person in Linthel is glad you survived that night. You deserved to live. Mom and Dad and everyone else who lost their lives would think so too, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°But why me?¡± Kartania¡¯s words came out in stutters so unlike herself.

    ¡°Your sister¡¯s help¡­ and luck,¡± Zarenna replied simply. ¡°No one can fault you for that, Tania. And if they do, then they¡¯re just listening to that same lying voice in the back of their head.¡±

    Kartania hiccupped, and her tears grew stronger. Zarenna held her tighter. Dimly, Kartania realized she felt safe.

    She also felt tired. There was so much more she needed to tell her sister: the academy, her training, the war, her first time killing another person, and the demons she¡¯d fought. Most of them were literal. The others, it seemed, she¡¯d been too scared to take on.

    Ripping claws and gnashing fangs and corrupting magics were one thing. Her own fears and insecurities were another.

    Until tonight.

    Kartania lost track of the time she spent crying into her sister¡¯s arms. Eventually, however, she drifted off to sleep. For the first time in a long time, she dared to feel safe.

 Chapter 133: City out of Ashes pt. 1

    I watched as Kartania drifted off to sleep in my arms, mumbling something about an academy. My hand was a fraction of a centimeter away from her hair before I stopped myself from running my fingers through it.

    I don¡¯t want to wake her. I¡­ also don¡¯t know if she¡¯d be okay with me doing this. She¡¯s an adult now¡ªolder than I was when I died, actually.

    For what must have been a few minutes, I simply sat against the wall and kept her warm. Soon, however, I realized something: I can¡¯t stay here into the night.

    Seyari was going to come tearing through here if I didn¡¯t come back out soon. Similarly, Kartania had to have a contingency plan in place.

    That said, I was not about to leave my sleeping sister down in this fort on the frozen cold floor. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t very well carry her across half the city without some very awkward questions. It was far from evening despite the winter night having fallen already, and the city would be plenty crowded.

    Do I really care about the city option? I¡¯ve done nothing wrong and Kartania ought to say the same if she¡¯s jostled awake.

    City option it is then. First, however, I had to get both of us out of here. Carefully, I lifted Kartania up and carried her against me, mostly upright. The moment I touched my tail against the hilt of her blade, however, searing pain shot up the limb and I almost dropped my sister.

    Holy magic. I can do this. I¡¯m a big demon.

    I grasped at the hilt and drew the sword up, ignoring the sizzling sound it was making. One of my free lower arms grasped it. Unfortunately, my lower hands weren¡¯t gloved, and I spent a moment playing a very awkward shuffle in the dark to get the sword that burned me back into Kartania¡¯s sheath without waking her or losing all feeling in whatever hand was holding it.

    I succeeded, but only just: my sister shifted and mumbled before clinging tighter against me.

    Starting up the steps, I picked up the lantern with my tail and put out the fires on my horn tips. The walk out was peaceful and quiet; my footfalls and Tania¡¯s breathing were the only sounds. When I emerged, I caught a faint glimpse of Seyari¡¯s glowing eyes from the treeline.

    ¡°It went well?¡± she whispered when drew close enough.

    I nodded. ¡°It did. She¡¯s been through a lot, but she¡¯s strong¡ªperhaps stronger than I am.¡±

    Seyari looked Kartania over, then up at me with soft eyes. ¡°You sound like a mother. Her mother, actually¡ªyou two look a lot alike, though I imagine your human form would make the resemblance clearer.¡±

    I returned her look with a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯m her big sister, and her only remaining immediate family. In a way, it¡¯s my job to take on that role when I need to. Like tonight.¡± I started walking back down the path.

    ¡°Are you really going to walk through town with her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s clinging onto me and clearly asleep. It¡¯s unusual, but it should be clear I¡¯m a relative and I¡¯ve done nothing untoward.¡±

    Seyari plucked the lantern from my tail. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but you might want to look human.¡±

    I sighed and shifted back, adjusting Tania as best I could with two whole arms missing. ¡°Right. Any idea where the others are?¡±

    ¡°Taava took Nelys ¡®out on the town¡¯ and Joisse I believe was keeping cooped up in her room at the inn.¡± My fianc¨¦e started back down the path and I followed her.

    ¡°I need to talk with Joisse when we get back, potentially before Tania wakes up.¡±

    ¡°About her anger?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°She¡¯s been managing it on her own hasn¡¯t she?¡± Seyari asked.

    Ducking under a low branch, I responded, ¡°Mostly. I¡¯ve been distracted, but Joisse is doing most of the work if not all of it.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t realize that, then,¡± Sey concluded.

    ¡°I thought she knew, but I¡¯ve also been¡­ distracted these past few days.¡±

    ¡°Rightfully so, Love.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°For?¡±

    ¡°For being you, Sey.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Sappy demon.¡± Sey¡¯s voice was warm against the chill night air.

    ***

    Once we entered the city proper, it was close to evening, the streets thinning out. Kartania still slept against me, though I could tell she was stirring. While I got plenty of looks, an easy smile and family resemblance helped. Though, Kartania¡¯s armor and tabard kept many eyes on us.

    Ahead of us down the house-lined avenue, a small cluster of guards in chain armor walked toward us. Their blue and white tabards bore the coat of arms of the Lord of Linthel, and they strutted with a kind if practiced precision that set them apart from city guard. After a moment, I realized the group was walking at us, not just the opposite way on the street. I tensed, and Kartania mumbled, her sleep fading faster.

    ¡°Zarenna Miller?¡± one of the guards asked as they drew close.

    No hands on weapons¡ªgood. I glanced quickly at the street around me. Crowded¡ªa fight here would be bad.

    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I replied with forced calm. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    The lead guard shook his head. ¡°Not at all, miss. Quite the contrary, in fact: King Carvalon wishes to see you¡ªimmediately.¡±

    What? How high in the clouds was my head that I only now realized these were royal guards? The coat of arms was the same (so far as I could tell) as it was when Carvalon was just a lord, but the armor spoke of prestige the city hadn¡¯t espoused when I was young and human.

    I fished for an excuse and came up with a good one. ¡°I¡­ may I get my sister home first?¡±

    The guard looked at Kartania, just in time for her to rub her eyes and yawn. The moment she opened them fully, however, a cold mask slid in place and her hand froze over her mouth. She coughed and pushed away from me.

    The lead royal guard shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the summons is immediate. If your sister and friend wish to come, they will be permitted to wait inside the vestibule.¡±

    I let Kartania go and she stood up with surprisingly little stumbling. ¡°Come again?¡± she asked the guard.

    ¡°King Carvalon wishes to speak with Zarenna Miller immediately. I am told it is a matter of import, but am not at liberty to say more. If you would like to come with Zarenna, you may do so and wait in the vestibule out of the elements.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s lips drew into a thin line along with Seyari¡¯s. Forget me, if we¡¯re going by demeanor alone, those two could be twins!

    ¡°Is it absolutely necessary that my fianc¨¦e meets King Carvalon alone?¡± Seyari asked coldly, putting excessive emphasis on fianc¨¦e.

    ¡°Such are King Carvalon¡¯s orders, miss,¡± the lead guard replied solemnly.

    I glanced around. Several people were now staring our way. Rumors will abound regardless, and I realized with a pit forming in my stomach that I hadn¡¯t ever learned why Kartania was in Linthel early and needed to meet me.

    Backed into a figurative corner, I inhaled slowly and steeled myself as best I could. King Carvalon probably doesn¡¯t intend to kill me. ¡°Lead on, then.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± the lead guard bowed. He signaled and the small cluster moved to flank us and started forward.

    ¡°They¡¯re leading and guarding, not forcing,¡± Kartania said quietly. ¡°No guard in the rear means they don¡¯t think you¡¯ll try to run.¡±

    ¡°Does it mean this won¡¯t turn into a shitshow?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m Seyari, by the way. I¡¯d bet Zarenna forgot to mention my name.¡±

    I blushed. I was going to!

    The guard closest to Seyari looked a little more closely at her, but she ignored him.

    ¡°Kartania,¡± my sister replied, taking Seyari¡¯s hand to shake. ¡°I¡¯m certain my sister will tell me much about you in the future.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Seyari forced a chuckle. ¡°I must say we¡¯re enjoying our time in Linthel so far.¡±

    Kartania nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    They continued behind me, small talk helping to ease my nerves. They seem to be getting along well enough. At the same time, they avoided any sensitive topics in the presence of the royal guards.

    Similarly, I kept a low profile, not even risking a peek with aura sight. He may know I¡¯m a demon¡ªit¡¯s thankfully not a secret¡ªbut there¡¯s no reason to advertise anything.

    Our escort turned and we moved easily through the old city wall and into the old city. The street narrowed and began to climb. I¡¯d never been to the Lord¡¯s Manor before, and even this part of town was unfamiliar to me. Now a king¡¯s palace, I wasn¡¯t exactly enthusiastic about going there.

    Especially not under these circumstances.

    Tension continued to mount as we drew closer, exacerbated by the newly growing silence between my sister and my fianc¨¦e. Truthfully, if they weren¡¯t here, I¡¯d be shaking. The attention of a king was not something I could brush aside.

    Any single misstep here and all my progress could be eliminated, never mind that I actually might not be able to win if things come to a fight. Throw enough people with enchanted weapons at me, and someone was bound to get lucky. I also didn¡¯t fancy slagging a castle full of innocents.

    I stayed silent as we were led up to the castle gates, big iron things that made me feel small. Inside, we walked with our escort through a meticulously maintained garden brushed free of snow, up to a pair of large, ornate doors.

    Inside, servants bowed in front of an opulent display. Why does he want to see me? And why is it sudden?

    Our escort whispered about us arriving to a servant who rushed off. Seyari and Kartania were beckoned off toward a side hallway. I gave my goodbyes and a quick hug to both of them, much to Tania¡¯s surprise.

    That my sister hugged me back did much to lift my mood. Thankfully, the guards didn¡¯t seem tense. In fact, they were all smiles or serious neutrality. Please don¡¯t be a fa?ade.

    The last thing I wanted was to walk into the audience chamber and see Envy or Avarice there, standing behind King Carvalon like a puppet master. In my mind, the room was a dark void, if only because I had no idea what the room would actually look like.

    Surely he wouldn¡¯t be meeting me in a throne room, full of grand columns and designed to belittle and intimidate those seeking audience?

    My thoughts carried me along to the final large set of doors. They were pulled inward at some command, and the guards flanking me fell away.

    Inside was a massive hall lined with columns almost like an immense church nave. A throne sat upon several stair-stepped platforms at the rear center of the room. Apparently, my fear was right and King Carvalon would see me in a room like this.

    I looked up at the figure on the throne.

    Tall, blonde, and with a touch of experience to his youthful countenance, King Carvalon sat with a modest crown atop his head and crossed hands under his chin. Blessedly, he was alone, although I gulped as knights to the sides pulled the doors shut behind me.

    What on Varra is going to happen?

 Chapter 134: City out of Ashes pt. 2

    ¡°Hello, Miss Miller,¡± King Carvalon said in a slow, deliberate voice. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the knights to leave through side doors.

    In moments, we were alone in the massive throne room. I bowed, hastily. I have no idea what the procedure for this is! I should¡¯ve asked when I had the chance!

    ¡°Rise, Miss Miller, and come closer, if you would.¡±

    I rose and met King Carvalon¡¯s blue eyes. His face was lean and symmetrical, with a well-defined jawline, subtle nose, and clean complexion that matched his smooth chin and well-trimmed, neatly-parted blond hair. Really, he looked too young to fit with my image of a king, though the lines on his forehead gave some of his age away.

    I walked closer, slowly. There was no place to sit, so I remained standing, looking up at him on his throne. My height did little to diminish the effect. In this room, I felt small, even if Carvalon¡¯s choice of wardrobe didn¡¯t quite have an atmosphere of overbearing regality. He wore a well-tailored red jacket, with white pressed pants, black shoes, and subtle accents of gold.

    ¡°How was your journey here?¡± he spoke almost casually.

    I decided to act formal for now. I don¡¯t know for sure what he¡¯s involved with. ¡°My¡ªMy king¡­ truth be told, I encountered some difficulty on the road here.¡±

    ¡°What kind of difficulty?¡±

    Shit! I can¡¯t just tell him, but I also can¡¯t lie to him!

    ¡°Demons. We barely managed to slay them.¡±

    King Carvalon smirked. ¡°I know what you are, Miss Miller.¡±

    I stiffened. ¡°Then, may I shed my human guise?¡± The oddly formal words tumbled out a little haphazardly. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t mind my human form. I minded being stuck in it all the time.

    ¡°You may.¡± With another wave of his hand, King Carvalon dismissed the layer of tension in the room, only to replace it with a much more cloying atmosphere.

    I carefully undid my transformation, noting that King Carvalon stayed silent, watching with almost rapt attention. He gave my form a passing glance up and down. In a way, any relief I should have felt warped into anxiety and barely-quelled fury.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± he said drolly. ¡°I am rather well-read on demons, and I am unfamiliar with a demon of your type with a transformation like yours.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m unique,¡± I replied stiffly. ¡°If I may¡­¡±

    ¡°You may.¡±

    ¡°I am surprised you do not seem to hold the animosity I would expect toward a being such as myself.¡±

    King Carvalon chuckled. ¡°You are well aware of Edath¡¯s historical beliefs, yes?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Good,¡± the King of Edath continued. ¡°Then you should know I am no supporter of the Church of Dhias or their doctrine.¡±

    Memories of the days leading up to my death replayed in my mind. Lord Carvalon working with the corrupt Inquisition within the Church. Something doesn¡¯t add up. And the smirk on his damn face was making everything worse. I want answers.

    ¡°Then why,¡± I hissed, flames licking out from between my lips, ¡°did you work with them? Why did you turn a blind eye to what they were doing?¡± The king started to interject, but I spoke over him, voice nearly a roar. ¡°Are you an idiot¡ªa puppet? How could you let them start the Great Fire of Linthel? How could you let them kill me and nearly everyone I held dear?!¡±

    My hands clenched into fists. Claws tore at the insides of my boots and I imagined the sharp tips punching cracks into the polished marble under my feet. Flames threatened to ignite off my skin, my uniform dangerously close to combusting. I stood there in front of a simple human king, panting in barely contained wrath.

    King Carvalon waited for me to finish, and steepled his hands under his chin. ¡°A mistake, Zarenna Miller.¡±

    ¡°A mistake?¡± I hissed dangerously, my eyes narrowed. He ignored my serious breach of decorum, but I was beyond caring.

    ¡°A miscalculation. I knew they were planning something. Quite simply, a sacrifice of that scale was not something I thought the Demon Cult of the corrupt former Inquisition would be bold enough to try. I am deeply sorry for the tragedy, and for the deaths of your family and friends, Zarenna Miller.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound sorry,¡± I spat.

    King Carvalon sighed. ¡°I am, but I also must move on. The event did more than I ever could have hoped as a catalyst for revolution. The Edath of today is born from that tragedy. Which, rather neatly, brings me to why I¡¯ve called you here today.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes. After my outburst, most of my fear had gone, replaced with contempt. Who is this king, but a mortal man? I let him continue.

    ¡°Quite simply put, Miss Miller,¡± King Carvalon said with that same smirk, ¡°you and I have much the same goals.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I hissed.

    ¡°The perpetrators of the Great Linthel fire and the bootheel of the Empire of Ordia: we want both of them gone.¡±

    I opened my mouth to deny King Carvalon¡¯s words, but¡­ he¡¯s not totally wrong. And he¡¯s also changed the subject.

    ¡°Did you plan for the corrupt Inquisition, this ¡®Demon Cult,¡¯ to catalyze a tragedy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d hoped to stop them. To gather the proof I needed of the Church¡¯s corruption, I had a part to play: the fool. Perhaps, in my youth, I played it too well.¡±

    Chin down, I stepped one foot forward, bringing it down hard onto the marble floor.

    The king raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you truly so vindictive, Miss Miller?¡±

    I took another step forward.

    ¡°I am but an unarmed, mortal man, you know. One swipe and I die.¡± Despite the king¡¯s words, no fear entered his voice.

    I stopped.

    Carvalon smiled.

    ¡°Upon your death,¡± I started, struggling to control my own wrath, ¡°what will happen?¡±

    ¡°An heir will be selected from amongst the nobility of Edath. Of course, there is quite a lot of contention between the faction loyal to the empire and those loyal to Edath itself.¡±

    My breath hissed out of me like boiling steam. ¡°And Ordia would not sit idly by during a chance to remove the limited autonomy the Ordian civil war granted Edath.¡±

    This time, King Carvalon smiled for real, leaning forward in his throne. ¡°That would go against their own treaty, but I must admit it would be a devastating blow should such a thing come to pass.¡±

    Bastard. I kill him, and not only will everyone know I did it and that I¡¯m a demon, but Edath would almost certainly plunge into war again. I play along for now, or my life being ruined is far from the only damage.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    My jaw was set so hard it creaked, but I pried it open to ask one final question. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°From you? Nothing, Miss Miller. Well, nothing you wouldn¡¯t already do.¡±

    I activated aura sight and checked King Carvalon. He had something on his clothing, and a rather strong aura coming from one of his hands, but nothing I could pick out as demonic. Not that I was an expert.

    ¡°As a king, my clothing is enchanted to turn most blades,¡± King Carvalon stated, answering my unasked question, ¡°and to repair itself. What you see on my hand is a ring magicked to shield my mind from influence¡ªdemonic or otherwise.¡±

    I realized only now that I couldn¡¯t sense any anger from him. It was possible he simply held no anger, but I doubted my outburst would have sparked nothing in the frustratingly confident man. I could probably burn that ring out like Vivian¡¯s amulet if I really tried.

    ¡°To be more precise,¡± the king continued, ¡°I wish to help you.¡±

    ¡°Help me?¡± I almost spat that I didn¡¯t want his help, but I held my tongue. Hearing him out would be more information for me.

    King Carvalon sighed. ¡°Yes, help you. We have similar goals, remember? What better possible way is there for me to weaken the Church¡¯s influence in this region than to welcome a demonic hero into our kingdom? A demonic hero who has risen, like this great city, out of the ashes of fire to seek not only justice, but peace in our time.¡±

    ¡°Word of your accomplishments in Lockmoth and Gedon is spreading, Zarenna Miller. Slowed by winter frost, and chilled by the wary hearts of our people, there is nevertheless a spring thaw coming. I wish for the simple, selfish gratification of aiding that thaw.¡± King Carvalon stood up from the throne and opened his arms wide.

    I saw more than mirth in his smile and his bright blue eyes. I still don¡¯t trust him. ¡°Aiding how?¡±

    ¡°Great deeds should be recognized, Miss Miller. To that end, I have a humble, noble request, and some information you will find quite useful if your sister has not already apprised you of it. To the south, across the old pass, is an oft-forgotten part of Edath. The county of Southern Frost, Astrye. That is where the cultist known as Finley, the one who had you killed, has gone.

    The city and county are controlled by the crown, but my duties in the wake of the civil war have left the territory woefully under-governed, although not without informants. Should someone, a hero of some sort, remove the Demon Cult¡¯s influence in Astrye, it would only make sense to grant a noble title to such a kind soul.¡±

    I blinked at the king; I hadn¡¯t expected this. Mordwell went south, too. And Kartania wanted to tell me something. I can¡¯t trust Carvalon, though.

    ¡°Marchioness Miller has a lovely ring to it, does it not? Demon noble of Edath. Influential, visible, legitimate: a source of resources you could easily use to continue going after the Demon Cult.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­¡± I took a pause to ensure my words were carefully selected. ¡°Why would I continue after them beyond Finley?¡±

    ¡°If not out of the goodness of your heart, Miss Miller, I imagine you would have some other driving reason.¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine. Does he know about Seyari¡¯s past, too?

    I thought hard about Carvalon¡¯s offer. Really, it was too good to be true, right? There had to be something else with this southern region, some other reason he¡¯d want me as nobility. Keep me close to control me, perhaps? Well, he was a fool if he thought I would bend the knee no matter what.

    I lifted my head, pulled my tail straight, and crossed my lower arms under my chest. ¡°What if I say ¡®no?¡¯¡±

    King Carvalon shrugged. ¡°Then I would be immensely disappointed. As I said, your goals are similar to my own, so I see no reason to disrupt your own personal quest so long as your methods remain acceptable within the laws of my kingdom.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re looking for me to trip up.¡± I didn¡¯t phrase it like a question, although my twitching tail tip may have given my lack of surety away.

    ¡°Miss Miller, if I wanted to antagonize you, I would not have granted you the discretion of a private conversation, nor would I have ignored your numerous disrespects.¡±

    I glanced around the empty throne room. Just me and King Carvalon, a private audience as a first meeting. At the very least, I thought glumly, I¡¯m actually useful to him in his mind.

    Still, power and prestige were undeniably attractive. Ruler of demons I may be, but people? I would need experience, advisors, and time to decide.

    ¡°You¡¯re using me,¡± I stated simply.

    ¡°Our goals align,¡± Carvalon repeated, deflecting my statement. ¡°You are easily capable of following a lead without my blessing. If you refuse me today, you may change your mind later. My offer does not close once you exit this chamber. Think on it. Chase down your revenge if you must.¡±

    I bit at my lip. Legitimacy. A king¡¯s blessing to live openly. But, a yoke to tie me down. I thought of Seyari, of the life we planned to build together. It looked different through the lens of King Carvalon¡¯s offer. But an estate in the south? A title and wealth?

    I never thought of myself as materialistic, but truthfully, I missed a sedentary life. I missed the finer things, and things I never had a chance to even try. Like chocolate that hasn¡¯t been ruined by steak.

    So, I risked probing for more information. ¡°Do you have any other details about Astrye or the best route to get there?¡±

    ¡°Do you have an answer?¡±

    ¡°Did you not say I could take time to decide?¡±

    King Carvalon closed his eyes. ¡°You have enough details to follow a trail. Without mutual cooperation, I cannot risk my position by aiding a demon in a one-sided arrangement.¡±

    I called it. No deal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider your arrangement, my King. And I thank you for your discretion as I seek to resolve the matter of a dangerous cult to the south.¡±

    Still frowning, King Carvalon nodded nonetheless, taking his seat once again. ¡°So be it. You are dismissed, and I do hope you reconsider my offer.¡±

    ¡°As I said, I will think it over as I embark on the next leg of my journey.¡± I bowed, hopefully formally.

    ¡°You may want to take on your human form, Zarenna Miller.¡± King Carvalon rang a bell that seemed to resonate elsewhere.

    I shifted back quickly, just in time for the royal guards to return into the room to escort me out. I was still buttoning down my extra sleeves when I met with Seyari and Kartania in the vestibule. They wore oddly mirrored expressions of grim determination, and practically dragged me out of the castle ahead of our escort.

    Even with both of them next to me, I walked as if in a daze. When the gates had closed behind us and we were well away from sight and hearing range, I finally felt my shoulders relax. For a moment, at least, and then the weight of what actually just happened crashed down onto me like a cart full of bricks. And I still don¡¯t know for sure what side King Carvalon is on.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Seyari hissed.

    Inhale. Exhale. ¡°King Carvalon knows what I am, which isn¡¯t that much of a secret, I guess. He wants me to work with him in exchange for land and a title in the south.¡± I paused and straightened up out of my slouch. Glancing at my sister and fianc¨¦e, both of whom were looking at me with slivers of expectance peeking out from behind masks of frustrated indifference, I tried to put faith back into myself and what I was.

    We both have our goals, Carvalon and I. So long as I give no reason, I shouldn¡¯t be hunted. And if a fabrication is levied against me¡­ a flash of Third Prince Malich¡¯s head exploding between my hands brought morose comfort.

    Seyari leaned in close while I held my breath, her golden eyes wide in a way I hadn¡¯t seen in weeks. ¡°Did you take his offer?¡±

    I shook my head and exhaled slowly. ¡°No. I stated that I intended to continue after Finley, but would consider his offer. He told me Finley had gone to Astrye, in the south.¡±

    Seyari and Kartania both let out a long breath.

    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Seyari sighed.

    ¡°Thank Dhias,¡± my sister exhaled.

    Realizing what she said, Kartania looked up at me with a complex expression I couldn¡¯t place.

    I put my hands up placatingly. ¡°I have nothing against Dhias personally. In fact, I think he doesn¡¯t have much against me either. And no, I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    My paladin sister frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t understand that, but if he allows such rotten elements as the Inquisition to fester within his church, anything is possible. Did King Carvalon say how he got the information?¡±

    ¡°He said the area is crown land in absence of a noble, and he has eyes and ears there.¡±

    Kartania nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Astrye¡¯s title never really had a holder after the war when the empire took Edath. He must be looking for a sympathetic butt to put on that seat.¡±

    ¡°A demon, though?¡± Seyari posited. ¡°If he knew what you were, did he plan to hide it? Is he going to out you or send people after you for refusing?¡±

    I shook my head, but stopped halfway through. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure. I don¡¯t think so?¡±

    Seyari stopped and balled her hands into fists. ¡°You don¡¯t think so?!¡±

    Several people walking by stopped and stared at our group. Truthfully, we were already drawing eyes.

    ¡°We should find a better place to talk,¡± Kartania said, her own eyes on those watching us.

    I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to renege on any part of what I said, but it might be best to keep agreed-upon secrets secret. Our room at the inn may be suitable.¡±

    Kartania frowned. ¡°Which inn?¡±

    ¡°The Knight¡¯s Rest,¡± I answered. Funny how the fanciest inn in Linthel has a pun for a name.

    My sister looked at me oddly. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to stay there. But visiting nobility and dignitaries often stay there, so it¡¯s either well and truly private, or a brokerage for information.¡±

    ¡°I believe it to be the former,¡± Seyari said with an apprising nod at my sister¡¯s caution. ¡°I¡¯ve checked already.¡±

    I cocked my head to one side. ¡°You have?¡±

    Seyari chuckled darkly. ¡°There¡¯s a lot I do to keep us safe that you might not notice.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Oh, thanks!¡±

    Kartania¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°Really? You¡¯re just okay with that?¡±

    I nodded and pulled Seyari into an involuntary side hug. ¡°Yeah, you heard earlier. Sey¡¯s my fianc¨¦e, and even if that weren¡¯t true, I trust her with my life.¡±

    Seyari struggled for a moment, then accepted the public indignity of being hugged tightly. ¡°Unfortunately, Renna always finds ways to get me back. Like this.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s serious expression shattered into giggles suppressed behind a gauntleted hand. ¡°Alright you two, if I need to be the adult here, I will be. Now let¡¯s go before we give these people a whole theater play.¡±

    As we walked away, I let Seyari go and gave a bow to our impromptu audience, many of whom turned away quickly.

 Chapter 135: A Proposal

    Even with everyone inside all at once, our room at the Knight¡¯s Rest wouldn¡¯t be a tight fit. Despite that, I admittedly preferred the cozy atmosphere of the small room Sey and I shared briefly in the mountain town where we had Myrna¡¯s cart repaired.

    I glanced around at the opulent furnishings and four-poster bed as I entered with Kartania and Joisse. This room certainly wasn¡¯t bad, though. Once Seyari returned with Nelys and Taava, we¡¯d be talking about our next plans. Without a doubt, I¡¯d push to stay until I could have a proper conversation with Bourick and introduce everyone. By that same token, I had two other sovereign demons out for me, and a king who might well not be quite so hands-off as he portrayed himself.

    Tying Bourick even more strongly to me could be a risk. Worse still, the Sovereign of Envy might already have more than enough reason to go after the innocent old smith.

    He¡¯d want to know, right?

    ¡°Are you alright, Renna?¡± Joisse whispered, closing the door gently behind us. She glanced over warily at Kartania, my paladin sister eyeing Joisse with intense suspicion.

    I started to nod, then stopped myself. ¡°Not really, no. But I will be¡ªI hope.¡±

    Joisse nodded sagely. ¡°Me too.¡± Again, her red eyes locked with Kartania¡¯s, and I knew now that I had to say something.

    With a quick glance to confirm that the door was fully closed, I introduced the other wrath demon. ¡°Tania, this is Joisse, a good¡­ relation of mine and a wrath demon like me.¡± Both of them stiffened, but the reason I stopped is because I almost called Joisse my daughter. But she is my friend! But also¡­ not now.

    ¡°Joisse,¡± I continued, pulling the still-human-guised demon¡¯s side against mine, ¡°this is Kartania Miller, my sister.¡±

    Joisse looked up at me with wide eyes for a second, and then looked back and forth between us. ¡°That¡¯s why you looked so similar! From what you told me about her, I wasn¡¯t quite sure, but I knew you were meeting up and figured ¡®who else could this be?¡¯ that¡­ Zarenna trusts so much?¡±

    Why did Joisse stumble over her words there?

    ¡°She is also a wrath demon?¡± Tania said, looking Joisse up and down.

    Joisse nodded. ¡°Zarenna gave me my human transformation when I took her contract.¡±

    ¡°Contract?¡± Kartania tensed, narrowing her eyes at me. ¡°Zarenna, explain. Now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Sovereign of Wrath. Joisse was lost to her wrath from the chaos of her amalgam soul, and I took a chance to see if I could help her.¡±

    Joisse nodded.

    Tania didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°The Sovereign of¡­ Wrath. You¡¯re remarkably in control if that¡¯s the case, sister.¡±

    ¡°Not you too!¡± I grunted, and started to undo the top button of my blouse. ¡°And I¡¯m trying to be the sovereign over wrath, not controlled by it. I already told you that the way I became a demon was different from most.¡±

    ¡°You did¡­¡± Kartania stared at my hands working their way through the second button on my top. ¡°I assume your symbol and gem are near your sternum?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I gave a relieved nod.  ¡°So many people make this more awkward than it needs to be.¡±

    ¡°So many people¡­ Who else have you told?¡±

    I pulled fabric aside just enough to show my symbol and its crimson-green gem. ¡°Close friends and Bourick.¡± I felt a twist in my stomach at the thought. Have I already put him in danger?

    ¡°Hmm. Well, we should assume the information that you are the Sovereign of Wrath is going to be out there. I didn¡¯t know, but I suspect someone else does.¡± Kartania finally moved from standing to sit at the room¡¯s table.

    Joisse sat meekly down across from her.

    ¡°Someone else?¡± My tail cramped as I took the third plush-backed seat.

    ¡°High Priest Styon. He told me you¡¯d gotten involved in all this, and gave me a hint toward Mordwell¡¯s plans. Styon¡¯s actually the reason I¡¯m here right now.¡±

    ¡°Yevon¡­ Damn. I don¡¯t know what his motives are.¡± Slumping forward, I rested my head on my upper arms, my lower pair fixing their sleeves. ¡°Does that mean you know where Mordwell¡¯s gone? Is it to the south?¡±

    ¡°I only have a good guess, but south of here is it.¡± Kartania hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t know High Priest Styon¡¯s motives either. I think he¡¯s up to something, but I also think he wants Mordwell gone, not that I should believe anything he says.¡±

    ¡°Is he known to be a liar?¡± My voice came out a little muffled.

    ¡°He¡¯s known to be secretive and eccentric. Among high priests, he¡¯s an odd one, but he¡¯s also known for taking a progressive stance when it comes to Church doctrine.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why do you sound like you don¡¯t like him?¡±

    ¡°He rubs me the wrong way. I¡¯m good at figuring out when someone is disingenuous.¡±

    I lifted my head a little. ¡°So you think he¡¯s disingenuous?¡±

    Kartania barked a short, sarcastic laugh. ¡°No, I can¡¯t read him at all. That makes me even more worried. Why obfuscate if you¡¯re not hiding anything.¡±

    I closed my eyes. ¡°Tania¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she snapped.

    ¡°I am so, so sorry for everything you¡¯ve had to go through. If I hadn¡¯t popped out of a volcano on the other side of the damn world, I would¡¯ve been here years earlier.¡±

    ¡°You popped out of a volcano?¡± Joisse interjected, leaning over the table, her face close to mine.

    I looked away, still resting on my arms. ¡°Yeah. That island¡­ I learned some stuff I guess. But there was food and water and aside from boredom and concern, it really wasn¡¯t that bad.¡±

    ¡°A volcano,¡± Kartania repeated. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you burn up?¡±

    ¡°Immune to excessive heat.¡± I turned to glance back at both of them. ¡°At least I haven¡¯t found anything hot enough to hurt me yet, although the lava was definitely uncomfortably warm.¡±

    Kartania whistled. ¡°Just how strong are you?¡±

    I forced myself to sit up. ¡°I don¡¯t really know, to be honest. Weaker than the other sovereign demons, probably. I know I¡¯m weaker than Lust and Apathy, and I assume I¡¯m also weaker than Conceit. No idea about Avarice or Envy.¡±

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    ¡°Yes, but how strong?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I repeated. ¡°There was a lot I didn¡¯t know back in the island, I was scared of what I could do, and these days there are always innocent people around.¡± My mind flashed back to that horrible night in Lockmoth. ¡°I¡¯m not going to risk hurting someone innocent.¡±

    Kartania closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going with you to the south.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± both Joisse and I jumped to look at my sister.

    Kartania folded her arms, armor-to-armor. ¡°I said, I am going with you to the south. And before I can do that, we are going to go out into the wild lands south of the old fort, by the old pass, and we are going to see what you can do when you go all out.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°To practice. Dhias, Zarenna, how can you be so dense?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing. I¡¯m learning how to use a spear and shield for when I have to fight like a human, and I¡­ I practice my magic!¡±

    Kartania shook her head. ¡°Not good enough. What will you do if something truly terrible attacks you or those you love? Will you unleash everything and hope it works?¡±

    Hesitantly, I nodded.

    ¡°What if it¡¯s not enough. What if you overdo it?¡±

    Again, I thought back to Lockmoth, the night of the raid. I¡¯d never tried a spell quite like what I¡¯d done. What if it had gone wrong? What if I¡¯d failed to do it? I glanced down at one of my clawed hands resting on the table and flexed it. I¡¯m even stronger now.

    ¡°I understand,¡± I replied eventually. ¡°How about tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°How about tonight?¡±

    Again, I thought about the crater. If I do anything bigger than that¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡°I want to go too!¡± Joisse announced. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been getting better with my anger, but I¡¯m also getting afraid I¡¯ll lose control more, like I¡¯m just bunching it up sometimes and it wants to break free.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided,¡± Kartania announced with a worrying gleam in her eye. ¡°We¡¯re all going out to train tonight!¡±

    ¡°Wait, but I¡ª"

    ¡°No buts,¡± Kartania tutted. ¡°If we leave now we can put at least one hill between us and the city.¡±

    ¡°But that might not be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sister,¡± Tania cut me off with a warning.

    Before I could try to clarify that this might be a terrible idea, a key turned in the lock, and we all looked expectantly at the door.

    Taava entered first, mid-pun¡ªsomething about snow and cheeks. Seyari followed her, unamused frown accompanied by an eye roll that made me think the pun was something I should be sad about missing out on. Nelys followed the pair, giggling.

    Unlike Taava in her riotous display of frills that seemed to change whenever I looked away, Nelys was wearing a new, thick, dark blue coat clearly made with the weather in mind. Seyari carried a similarly thick coat, hers a dark off-gray.

    ¡°Found a place that¡¯ll make ya a good coat fast, boss,¡± Taava chirped. ¡°Seyari told ¡®em your sizes and they didn¡¯t believe us.¡±

    ¡°They might have if you hadn¡¯t insisted we were getting a coat for an ogre,¡± Seyari grumbled.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Nelys agreed.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Taava spun on a heel and plopped down on our bed, clothes and all. ¡°Your whole ¡®four arms¡ªwait never mind¡¯ bit was way more suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Was not!¡±

    Joisse snorted, then gave in and started giggling uncontrollably. Kartania wore an expression that, from my memories of a much younger sister, could best be described as ¡°failing to look serious.¡±

    Seyari sighed, but she failed to fully hide her smirk. She also can¡¯t hide that she¡¯s not got a shred of anger in her. The half angel nodded her head at Kartania and closed the door behind her. ¡°The two goofballs are Taava and Nelys. Taava¡¯s the one with cat ears and Nelys is the one with a good sense of humor.¡±

    Taava propped herself up on her elbows and stuck her tongue out at Seyari defiantly, before cocking her head at Tania. ¡°So you¡¯re Zarenna¡¯s sister, huh? I guess I can see it¡ªweird that ya got Seyari¡¯s coldness ¡®fore they¡¯re even married.¡±

    Kartania blinked at the irreverent Kazzel. ¡°That is absolutely not how that works.¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯t? Crap, I think I owe somebody a silver somewhere.¡±

    That last line finally got me and I laughed. ¡°What¡¯s got you three in such a good mood?¡±

    Nelys brightened. ¡°We saw a ton of the city today! I won a snowball fight against Taava, and I found out that there are still a lot of flowers around here, even in winter. Best of all, the tailor¡¯s shop we went to had a coat in my size that someone¡¯d defaulted on!¡±

    ¡°Did Taava try to cheat?¡±

    ¡°Pfft, I cheated better.¡± Nelys hopped up to sit on the edge of the bed next to Taava. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Renna¡¯s Sister.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± I snapped two clawed fingers. ¡°Taava, Nelys, this is Kartania Miller, my sister. You¡¯ve already met, but the gorgeous half-angel is my fianc¨¦e, Seyari.¡±

    Nelys waved and Taava smiled. Seyari waved again and sat down across from me at the table¡¯s one remaining seat.

    ¡°So, uh, we gettin¡¯ a religious warrior type now?¡± Taava asked.

    Kartania raised an eyebrow. ¡°I am not defined by my affiliation.¡±

    Taava smirked. ¡°Ooh, I like her!¡±

    My sister grimaced and turned to me. ¡°Are you certain your companions are, well, to be blunt, capable? I assume Seyari is, but what of the others?¡±

    ¡°We can find out at training tonight, right?¡± Joisse answered for me, eagerness evident in her voice.

    ¡°Training tonight?¡± Seyari asked.

    Kartania nodded. ¡°If we leave soon, we should be able to get to a secluded spot for Zarenna to test the full extent of her powers.¡±

    Seyari balked. ¡°Kartania, Zarenna can be overly modest a lot of the time. I don¡¯t know that it¡¯s a good idea¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry Seyari, but not capable? Are we just gonna ignore that and move on?¡± Taava said, real anger creeping into her voice and tensing her shoulders.

    Seyari blinked owlishly at Taava, mumbling ¡°she apologized?¡± quietly to herself.

    Kartania nodded slowly. ¡°I do not mean offense. However, Zarenna and Joisse are both greater demons and Seyari is a half-angel. We will be fighting not only those who consort with demons, but the demons they consort with, or have under binding.¡±

    Nelys glared, before lowering their head.

    ¡°What about you, ice princess?¡± Taava hissed, the hair on her tail bristling.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Kartania smirked. ¡°I am, as a graduate recognized by the Academy of Dhias in Ardath, the youngest master of ice magic in the Empire.¡±

    Taava was nonplussed. ¡°A good blade does a lotta work, Icy.¡±

    Kartania narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is that a threat?¡±

    Gently, I slammed a hand down on the table, only barely denting the finely-polished wood. ¡°Sister, please do not question the competence of my allies without merit.¡± I turned to a smug-looking Taava and her confidence withered, ears sinking. ¡°And Taava, don¡¯t threaten an ally.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Boss,¡± Taava grumbled.

    When I turned back to look at Kartania, she held her head a bit higher, looking at me with a cold gaze. ¡°You¡¯ve changed, sister.¡±

    I smiled wistfully. ¡°You too, Tania.¡± I clapped all four hands together. ¡°I really wanted to make a four-arms joke, but I need you to know I can be serious when I need to. And when that comes to my allies¡­¡± I gestured to Nelys and Taava, the former looking downtrodden on the edge of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure they get their fair shake. Taava?¡±

    The moment after I asked a question, Taava¡¯s tail flicked forward and a small knife whizzed about two feet over Kartania¡¯s head. I watched it slam into the wall with trepidation. That¡¯ll cost us. A fraction of a second later, Kartania noticed, her hands coming up too late.

    If it had been an attack¡­

    Instead, Taava stuck out her tongue. ¡°I may just be a bard, but I¡¯ve got plenty a tricks, and I¡¯m real quick in a fight.¡±

    Kartania nodded approvingly.

    Taava vetted, I turned to our last group member. ¡°Nelys, do you mind telling my sister about the times you¡¯ve put together the solution to a mystery or saved my skin?¡±

    Nelys shook their head sadly and my heart cracked. The mood in the room dropped by several degrees, and I gave Kartania a withering glare.

    My sister cleared her throat, suddenly nervous. ¡°Well¡­ they need to be able to take criticism!¡±

    ¡°How was that criticism, Tania?¡±

    Kartania took a deep breath. ¡°I suppose¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that to me.¡±

    My sister closed her eyes for a moment, then stood up and walked over to Nelys, before bowing in front of them. ¡°I, Kartania Miller, apologize to Nelys for baselessly calling into question their abilities.¡±

    Nelys looked up at my sister, thinking. After an uncomfortably long silence, they forced a smile. ¡°Apology accepted. But¡­ you¡¯re right. When everyone¡¯s slinging spells and moving faster than I can track, I just end up a liability.¡±

    ¡°Nelys, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Nelys cut me off. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to take time protecting me instead of fighting. I think¡­ I¡­¡± They sighed. ¡°If I leave right now, there are people I can¡¯t deal with who¡¯ll come after me.¡±

    ¡°Because of me¡­¡± I whispered, a lump in my throat.

    Nelys shook their head. ¡°Because I chose to stick by you. I don¡¯t want to leave right now. And I know I can help¡ªnot with the big flashy stuff, but a lot of little things and investigative work. My time in Lockmoth with Aretan and Officer Lorton taught me something: I like mysteries¡ªI like puzzling them out and finding out all the little details.¡±

    ¡°I guess what I¡¯m getting at is: Kartania is right, in a fight. The problem is that there¡¯ll be a lot of fights very soon. I don¡¯t want to leave, but I also don¡¯t want to be a burden.¡±

    I bit my lip and kept silent. They need this moment.

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± they turned to me, dark eyes wet, ¡°Will you protect me?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    Nelys shook their head. ¡°I mean more than that. You can¡¯t always be there instantly.¡±

    ¡°But then¡­¡±

    Nelys took a deep breath. ¡°I want to form a contract with you, Zarenna Miller.¡±

 Chapter 136: Tentacle Skirt

    My jaw hung open, and I felt like if I didn¡¯t hold my tongue in, I¡¯d taste the floor. ¡°You¡­ what?¡±

    The room went silent enough to hear an empty quill fall from a desk. No one spoke, but all eyes were on myself and Nelys. Sharp, tenuous anger spiked from them, and Kartania¡¯s cold pool of fury rippled.

    Nelys exhaled sharply. ¡°A contract, Renna. I want to be stronger¡ªnot just for now but for when I want to see the world.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ your family?¡±

    My small friend smiled wanly, an atypical expression on their usually-jubilant face. ¡°Do you think what might happen to me could be the thing that keeps them from accepting me?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± What a question. ¡°How am I supposed to answer that Nelys?¡± I pleaded.

    ¡°Sorry, Renna. I guess that wasn¡¯t fair.¡± They cast their eyes down at the floor. ¡°But I can¡¯t think of anything else. You know all about my body situation and this might help.¡±

    ¡°Might!¡± I interjected. ¡°It might help. Nelys, there might be non-demonic magic or something.¡±

    They shook their head. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯d see people then? Changed like that?¡±

    ¡°Maybe the Empire¡­¡± I trailed off, my words ending in a surprised hiccup.

    ¡°They¡¯re right,¡± Seyari said softly. ¡°Demonic mana is the only thing that can catalyze extreme bodily changes.¡±

    I glanced at my fianc¨¦e, feeling suddenly betrayed. ¡°Sey, did you¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± she shook her head. ¡°They asked me about magic for changes, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You would corrupt them, sister.¡± Kartania¡¯s eyes moved to Nelys. ¡°Are you asking to be corrupted?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not corrupted if it¡¯s Renna!¡± Nelys cut back.

    ¡°What about minor changes?¡± I tried desperately.

    Nelys shook their head. ¡°Don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t have legs, Renna. I want legs. And even then, that¡¯s not the only thing: I¡¯d be able to take care of myself¡ªI wouldn¡¯t be a burden.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a burden!¡± I blurted.

    Nelys shook their head. ¡°I know you think that! You¡¯re nice, Renna! Whatever your contract does, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine with it!¡±

    ¡°But what if it¡¯s not and it¡¯s permanent?¡±

    ¡°Could it really be much worse?¡±

    I faltered. Stubble, body hair, rough skin, a wrong body shape. I felt for a vivid, agonizing moment that I was back in the body I had as a human. What if that body was what sat under my transformation, waiting? Would I not take any chance I could get?

    ¡°Nelys¡­¡±

    ¡°Nelys,¡± Seyari said carefully. ¡°It¡¯s unfair to ask Zarenna something like this.¡±

    Nelys scrunched their eyes to try to keep their composure. ¡°I know that! I know it, but I can¡¯t stand this! You can say all the nice things you want, but as I am now, I can¡¯t go fighting with you! I don¡¯t have years to train, and I hate to make you all worry.¡± They balled their hands into fists, shaking. But they also looked up to meet Seyari¡¯s gaze¡ªand mine. ¡°Or worse yet have someone get hurt on my behalf! And even more than that, I want a body I¡¯m comfortable in! Joisse got hers!¡±

    Nelys didn¡¯t point, but the dared to glance in Joisse¡¯s direction and the wrath demon flinched, keeping a tenuous hold on her fury.

    I slowly placed a crimson arm between them. ¡°But Joisse¡¯s is a transformation: what she was when she was human,¡± I said after some hesitation.

    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Joisse started so quietly, I almost didn¡¯t hear her. ¡°Actually, the transformation¡¯s a little bit different. And my demon form too; it¡¯s less¡­ monster-ey now, even just a little.¡±

    ¡°Is it still changing?¡± I asked reflexively, lowering my arm.

    Joisse nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t look a lot, but I can feel it, I think.¡±

    ¡°Think you¡¯re gonna grow four arms?¡± Taava enunciated the joke with an oddly serious tone. ¡°Look, boss, it¡¯s a shitty choice, but do ya wanna let Nelys make their own choice? They know the risks.¡±

    Know the risks. I stared down at my hands, all four of them. What risks would I have taken to get this form? Would I have died for it? Was a contract even that much of a risk?

    I took a deep breath and when I looked up, all eyes were on me. Damn. Opening my mouth, I almost asked for time to think. But all that would do is sow seeds of mistrust and put a lot of strain on Nelys.

    I needed to decide now. What would Abby do?

    She was always a risk-taker, but she looked before she leapt. Nelys looked too, I supposed. Without another mortal as a test subject, there was no way to truly know. And even then¡­ I sighed, but the sound that came out was a hitching stutter. Damn, I guess I¡¯m doing this.

    When my voice finally came out, it was hoarse and quiet. I coughed after the first syllable and took a big breath. I can¡¯t sound defeated. I can¡¯t sound forced into this. Honestly, I can¡¯t be forced into this.

    ¡°Nelys, what will you do if I refuse?¡± I asked bluntly.

    Nelys¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d leave, I guess. Try to stay safe. Maybe go home.¡±

    I sensed no greater anger. If I could sense disappointment, though, there probably would have been an ocean.

    ¡°What about Lilly?¡±

    They shook their head. ¡°Don¡¯t trust them like I trust you. Only you, Renna.¡±

    I¡¯m really going to do this, aren¡¯t I? I nodded, as authoritatively as I could. ¡°Alright then.¡±

    Nelys blinked suddenly. ¡°What?¡±

    I crossed my lower pair of arms under my chest and sat up straight, turning my chair to face them. ¡°I will form a contract with you, Nelys. In private, of course, so only we know the terms.¡±

    I saw tears form at the corner of Nelys¡¯s big, dark eyes. ¡°Thank you, Renna.¡±

    ¡°Terms,¡± Kartania whispered.

    I glanced her way. ¡°I assure you I¡¯ll ask for nothing meaningful in return.¡±

    My sister cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Meaningful?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°A contract needs to have some terms. At least that¡¯s what it feels like. I can¡¯t just give power away.¡±

    Tania sighed. ¡°I cannot believe I am witness to this. Moreover, I cannot believe I am witness to the genesis of a contract a demon accepted for the sole benefit of the other party. If there was any doubt about your sincerity, Sister, you¡¯ve certainly banished it now.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to thank Tania, so I simply nodded. Perhaps it was because I could feel myself choking up again. What a day this has been.

    Seyari stood up. ¡°Shall we leave them to it?¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Now?¡±

    ¡°Would you rather wait? At the very least, you can discuss terms.¡±

    ¡°Nelys?¡± I asked my small friend.

    They nodded.

    ¡°Alright then, now it is.¡± I took a measured breath. ¡°Meet me in the lobby or Joisse¡¯s room when we¡¯re done?¡±

    ¡°Fine by me!¡± Joisse answered.

    Seyari nodded and Taava shrugged.

    Kartania, however, looked down from staring into space and shook her head. ¡°What about training tonight?¡±

    ¡°About that!¡± I cut in, not wanting to miss this last opportunity.

    My sister regarded me carefully.

    ¡°Look, I think we might need to get further than a couple hours¡¯ walk into the forest. I don¡¯t want to cause a stir in the city, and I¡¯m also not keen on causing damage this close.¡±

    Tania blinked. ¡°Damage? Perhaps people near the forest might hear something, or see a flash of light above the trees, but I sincerely doubt that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kartania,¡± Seyari cut my sister off. ¡°How much do you know of what happened in Lockmoth?¡±

    ¡°I know there was a fight between Zarenna and a massive demon that destroyed several blocks of the city¡­ Wait. Don¡¯t tell me that was Zarenna¡¯s doing?¡±

    I winced. ¡°Yes and no. The demon burst from an underground chamber and made the crater. I used a spell to try to kill it or trap it that burned out the rest.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Surely the fight spilled beyond¡ª¡±

    I shook my head and she stopped. ¡°No. I saved who I could from the rubble first, but I know my spell killed at least some people who were trapped. Without it, they may have survived the fight. I just hope I saved more lives by damaging and containing the reaver as much as I could.¡±

    ¡°The reaver?¡± Tania¡¯s eyes widened.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Nasty one, too, I think. Seemed like a wrath demon to me, but challenged me anyway. I have a bad feeling that¡¯s not uncommon for my kind, though.¡±

    ¡°At least they¡¯re straightforward!¡± Taava chipped in before my sister could speak, wrapping an arm around my upper shoulders. ¡°Better than a ¡®yes ma¡¯am¡¯ now than a knife in the back later.¡± She flashed Tania a toothy grin. ¡°What Zarenna¡¯s guilt trippin¡¯ over and beatin¡¯ around the bush tryin¡¯ ta say is that she¡¯s real strong. Big softie here¡¯s too timid ta admit she could snap her fingers and turn this whole district inta¡ª¡± Taava cut herself off. ¡°Uh, sorry boss¡ªdon¡¯t wanna dredge up the bad memories.¡±

    My breath hitched. Eyes wide, for a brief moment I imagined myself standing in the center of the burning ruins of my home city.

    ¡°Taava,¡± Sey warned.

    The kazzel got up off me and backed away. ¡°Look, I get it okay! I stopped myself, yeah?¡±

    Seyari brought a hand to her own forehead. ¡°I guess, but¡­ Look, Kartania, Zarenna is obscenely strong in a fight. And I think she¡¯s not-insignificantly stronger than the last time I saw the aftermath of her going all out. We¡¯d need to go a day or two out into the wilds if you really want to see what she can do. And even then, if she takes out an entire hill, the city¡¯d feel that.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we let Nelys have their moment, leave for now, and go to the Gelles Company training range tonight? Zarenna¡¯s got enough goodwill and authority to go in after hours so long as we don¡¯t make a racket. She can demonstrate precision and you can see her full strength if we need it.¡±

    Kartania looked around the room, then nodded hesitantly. ¡°Fine. But fighting without giving it your all isn¡¯t enough for practice. However, I understand the need to rein it in¡ªI do the same for my own magic if I¡¯ve limited space. As soon as we are all on the road south, I will see a demonstration¡ªfrom all of you. I¡¯ll give my own as well, because if we are to fight together, there needs to be a hierarchy and a plan, or someone isn¡¯t coming back.

    ¡°Am I understood?¡±

    ¡°You are, Sis,¡± I answered.

    Seyari narrowed her eyes, breathing out through her nose, but she relaxed her shoulders when she caught a glimpse of my own casual posture. ¡°Fine. Zarenna wishes me to meet Bourick in three days¡¯ time. Why don¡¯t we train what we can here, have a nice meeting, and then hit the road south?¡±

    Kartania bit her lip, but nodded. ¡°Though I warn you that the pass is only going to get worse.¡±

    Seyari smiled smugly. ¡°Between you and Renna, we won¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    Now it was Kartania¡¯s turn to narrow her eyes, but she followed Seyari and the others out of the room anyway, leaving me and Nelys alone. The abruptness startled me. Sure, it shouldn¡¯t take long for four people to leave a room, but the weight of what I was about to do rammed into me with the suddenness of a ballista bolt the moment it clicked closed.

    ¡°So,¡± I started after taking some time to compose myself, time I spent staring at the lavishly-varnished door, ¡°how do you want to do this?¡± I got up from my seat and walked over to sit next to them on the bed, curling my tail around both of us. This is their choice. I can do this.

    Nelys wrung their hands together. ¡°I¡­ dunno. I know what I want, I guess. Can we start there?¡±

    ¡°Sure! But I¡¯m also pretty new at this whole thing. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m granting a wish. You might not get exactly what you want, and I¡¯m not totally sure everything will be reversible.¡±

    ¡°I know. You said that already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m reminding you. I know you¡¯re an adult, and this is your decision, but damn if I¡¯m not nervous about this whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Me too, I guess. A little. I dunno the right word in Ordian.¡±

    ¡°Anticipation?¡± I guessed, then said the same in Turquoiser.

    They nodded. ¡°Yeah, that.¡±

    ¡°So let¡¯s start with what you want then!¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Well, I want to be stronger and more durable, and I figure that¡¯s probably pretty easy. Those demon corrupted guys in the mine were pretty strong, and they didn¡¯t really have big changes. And if we can get something kinda like what you have with Joisse, maybe you could know if I¡¯m hurt or something? But at the same time, I don¡¯t want¡­ I want privacy.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± I responded. ¡°If anything might be too invasive, we¡¯ll end the contract. In fact, I¡¯m pretty certain I can make it so you can end it whenever.¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Thanks, Renna. But¡­ well¡­¡± they looked down at their human-looking hands and flexed them. ¡°Some things are too much to hope for. Mostly, I just want to be able to explore land. There¡¯s so many people up here! And the small things, too¡ªI like having hair.

    ¡°But at the same time, I don¡¯t want to lose the water. I miss it a little bit, actually.¡± They giggled. ¡°I filled the bathtub up and just sat in it the other day.¡±

    ¡°Is that why Taava barged into our room to bathe?¡±

    Nelys shrugged. ¡°Maybe, I dunno.¡±

    So yes.

    ¡°Maybe a form like something in-between?¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not something I can grant you¡ªat least not that I know of, or not on purpose.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± they bit their lip. ¡°It¡¯ll be enough just to have the strength to keep myself safe.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it. At their downcast face, I pulled them into a side hug. ¡°Do you need some time?¡±

    Nelys shook their head vigorously. ¡°No, let¡¯s keep going. What do you need from me?¡±

    I smiled wide, my Name and title seemingly confirming or rejecting terms as I thought of them. For a moment, we locked eyes, and I tried not to show my anxiety. ¡°For terms, it unfortunately must be something that can be, in any sense, objective. Merely asking for you to ¡®continue to be a wonderful friend to those you care for¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡±

    Nelys nodded, so I took some more time to think. It didn¡¯t take me long to land on the perfect terms.

    ¡°Nelys, this may be difficult for you, but my part of the contract is simple: you may not cheat at cards when you play with me unless I specifically allow you to do so. Attempting to cheat under these conditions without my approval will first result in a warning in the form a strong pinch on your index finger. Failure to heed the warning will result in the failure of the contract. There! How does that sound.¡± I put on my best toothy demonic smile.

    Nelys giggled. ¡°Evil. Maniacal. And perfect!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it! Now, we need to discuss how much of my power I am granting you. As a demon, I am unfortunately limited to taking your soul upon the contract breaking. However, I can and will add that I may choose to decline and allow you to keep your soul. I also have an idea that I may be able to try to direct my power to ¡®enable you to be the person you know you want to be,¡¯ Nelys.¡±

    ¡°What if you break the contract?¡± Nelys asked.

    I blinked, and the answer came to me, clear as the morning sun. ¡°I lose the power I granted to you twofold and may never form a contract with you again. But¡­ I¡¯m not even sure how I would break a contract? Perhaps by trying to sever the link it creates?¡±

    My small friend hugged around me as best they could, and I returned the gesture by ruffling their hair. ¡°I know you¡¯re not going to break the contract, but that means we need to make it extra-unbreakable!¡±

    I laughed. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Nelys!¡± Somehow, I found myself believing those words. ¡°If you break it, then I simply decline to take your soul and you walk away unscathed. And there is no way I could be influenced because I think I cannot be swayed by magic as a Sovereign. Though, with this idea of multitudes of contracts, I can¡¯t help but guess the two may have a related origin.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to look for an answer then! After Mordwell, though. And after we go back to my family. Oh, and Seyari will need to come too! Taava if she can stand staying wet!¡±

    A dopey smile grew across my face. ¡°We¡¯ll have to. But let¡¯s not count our chickens yet; we have a contract to do!¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡±

    ¡°First, how much of my power should I give you?¡±

    ¡°All of it?¡± they joked.

    I snorted. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be funny! How about one one-hundredth?¡±

    They thought it over, then shook their head. ¡°Two one-hundredths? You¡¯re making me give up cheating, Renna!¡±

    Sagely, I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, the cost is high. Fine then, mortal, I believe I could agree to hand you that much of my bountiful power.¡± Joisse was already strong when I gave her one percent. If I lost Nelys because I kept too much of my strength for myself¡­

    My allies must also be a strength of mine.

    Nelys giggled again, then relaxed their shoulders, staring up at me intently. They clutched at their amulet. ¡°I¡¯m ready! Again!¡±

    I glanced down at it. Foreign magic during a powerful ritual¡­ ¡°Nelys¡­ I hate to ask, but your pendant¡­¡±

    Their hand froze. ¡°It¡¯s alright. That makes sense.¡± Slowly they took the pendant off, and their gold and blue tentacles spilled out onto the floor. They looked up at me, their ¡°hair¡± curling lazily. The smile they gave was uncannily wide and filled with large, sharp teeth. ¡°Better?¡±

    Maybe not better, but we won¡¯t damage your pendant now. I took a breath. My diction turned formal, and I covered the terms of our contract:

    ¡°I, Zerix¡¯Arranthariel, Sovereign of Wrath, offer Nelys two one-hundredths of my power in perpetuity or until the death of either party, to ¡®enable Nelys to be the person they want to be¡¯ and allow them the strength they need to keep safe. In exchange, Nelys will play card games honestly against me unless I say otherwise beforehand. Failure to do so will result first in a warning of a moderately painful pinch to the index finger, and then the breaking of this contract. If Nelys breaks this contract, their soul is forfeit unto me¡ªat my discretion.¡±

    With the last line of my contract the same as with Joisse back in Gedon, the magic snapped into place. I had to admit, I was getting the good end of the deal.

    Almost immediately, I felt a gut punch of a drain on my magic that then steadied into a slight pull toward my small friend. A crimson aura surrounded them like a cloud of fog, and a webbed hand reached out toward me.

    I grasped it carefully and watched what I could. Along the floor, their tentacles slid backward toward the bed, shrinking. In my hand, their hand shifted color¡ªas much tan as gold now. The webbing between their fingers shrunk back slightly, although their sharp nails kept their appearance.

    Looking with aura sight, I watched, enraptured, as their aura, a faint, faint cyan before, shifted through green and into a lemon yellow that seemed to buzz as I observed it. Strength-wise, their aura expanded and filled in¡­ were they going to have magic?

    Did they have magic before, but simply very little? An aura would suggest that much¡­

    The aura didn¡¯t seem like fire to me. But it did tell me Nelys was okay through the magic. The entire process lasted perhaps a few seconds, and when the fog lifted, I gasped. I hadn¡¯t imagined the extent a contract of mine could change someone.

    ¡°How¡­ do you feel?¡± I asked tentatively. I hope this is what they wanted¡­

    Nelys blinked the same black eyes they always had at me, white sclera and all. Their skin had shifted somewhat¡ªnow more tan than gold, but only just. One blue, glowing ring cutely dotted each cheek. They looked down, no horns on their head. Rather, curly black hair, longer than before, fell in ringlets to frame their face. Immediately, they shot their other hand out to touch it, rubbing it between two fingers.

    That was faster than a human, I registered a moment later. Much faster.

    With them, I followed their gaze down, as they continued to feel their hair almost disbelievingly. Around their waist was what I could only describe as a long skirt of blue-ringed tentacles, like their old lower body had simply shrunken down and moved up.

    Sticking out from under Nelys¡¯s tentacle skirt, however, were legs that ended in two tan-gold feet, each slightly webbed and tipped with sharp nails just like their hands. They kicked them a little, still just too short to reach the ground from the tall four-poster bed.

    They stared down at the limbs for a moment, then, without hesitation or fanfare, they popped off the bed and landed on their own two feet, no enchanted amulet required. My hand trailed through the air as Nelys stood, and they spun to face me, hair and tentacles spinning outward from their pirouette.

    They smiled, one finger twirling their black hair. Black eyes, same as they¡¯d always had, locked with mine and they took a moment to find their words, settling on something simple. ¡°Thanks, Renna!¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re okay?¡± I blinked, worried about celebrating too early. How¡­ how strong have I made them? How much exactly is two percent of my power?

    ¡°I¡¯m perfect!¡± Nelys punctuated the quick shout by jumping. ¡°Or close enough! I can¡¯t think of anything I¡¯d change, except for longer tentacles for swimming, but I¡¯ll make do. I have legs now!¡±

    It doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯re happy and that¡¯s what¡¯s important.

    At their words, their tentacles skirt seemed to spool out, falling to the floor to look more like a ballgown than skirt. They looked down, surprised, and then a big smile crossed their face, showing a still-overlarge mouth and relatively sharp teeth.

    Nelys leapt at me, giggling, and I caught them in a hug.

    ¡°Actually perfect,¡± they mumbled. ¡°But I¡¯m kinda tired now.¡±

    I ruffled their hair. ¡°Okay. Can you make it to your room?¡±

    All I heard in response was soft breathing as they relaxed against me. ¡°Here it is, then,¡± I whispered. ¡°It looks like the others might need to train without me tonight.¡±

 Chapter 137: Group Training

    I was informed that the training schedule had been adjusted without my input. No one visited the Gelles Company¡¯s courtyard grounds the night prior, as concerns were levied, by those who shall remain anonymous, that such a semi-public space could give much away.

    Unfortunately, Seyari and Kartania had a point. And with two of them, they knew they were harder to outvote. Really, I was over the moon with how well my fianc¨¦e was getting along with my sister. Although I was a little disturbed at just how similar they could be at times.

    Double unfortunately, they weren¡¯t alone. Nelys was excited to train, Joisse as well wanted to practice coordination and control, and Taava just wanted to see me suffer. So, I was outvoted five to one and we left at first light down a lonely road up into the hills, dotted with small, scruffy, snow-covered farms.

    Those farms gave way to trees, and the road gave way to a path, the route over the southern pass now grown over with trees thrice as tall as I was. All the while, I tried not to grumble at my sleep being cut short by an excited Nelys in the middle of the night.

    Their rings glowed blue now, faintly.

    They¡¯d also not bothered with the amulet, sticking their tongue out at the many strange looks we got. I wish I had that confidence. I looked down at my human hands.

    Then again, they didn¡¯t have horns, and a few of the people seemed to have guesses for what Nelys was. Right now, they used ¡°half human, half cecaelia¡± as an excuse, and I had to admit it was more convincing than ¡°um, ogre blood I guess.¡±

    Still, the moment the last smoke trail of a sleeping farmhouse disappeared behind the trees, I let my transformation go. Much better.

    ¡°So,¡± I used my confidence boost while it lasted. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°Regret everythin¡¯,¡± Taava answered unhelpfully. ¡°I knew we¡¯d be outvoted, but I forgot just how cold it¡¯d be!¡± The bard had bundled up under two clashing jackets, held my hand, and still shook like a leaf in a late autumn wind. ¡°Please tell me this is as cold as it¡¯s gonna get?¡±

    I blinked at Taava and she hissed.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to the mountains,¡± my sister answered. ¡°Or the edge of the foothills at least. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve packed for three days. You¡¯ll get back in time to see Bourick and make ready to leave Linthel, and we should be far enough away, though I can¡¯t help but imagine your fianc¨¦e exaggerated your abilities.¡±

    Seyari chuckled. ¡°I wish I had. Powerful people attract powerful trouble, after all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I went looking! I just got found anyway!¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too early to try to explain.¡±

    I pouted and glanced at Nelys. They strode along confidently, a few centimeters taller than they were before. The tips of tentacles stuck out from under their new dark blue coat, which thankfully still fit them¡ªa bit better even.

    I had to admit that their smile was infections. Joisse, however, looked a little dour.

    ¡°I never liked winter,¡± she said sheepishly. ¡°Even with other memories I have now, I still think of being stuck in a single room eating the same small, bland meals every day.¡±

    Stepping over, I pulled her into a side hug with two arms. Joisse makes me realize just how good I had things growing up. ¡°Well, we can make sure your winters are wonderful from here on out.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Renna,¡± the younger wrath demon replied wistfully.

    ¡°Can ya make ¡®em warmer?¡± Taava groused, still clinging on to one of my other hands.

    Now it was my turn to hiss at her.

    Nelys stopped to giggle, and the mood lifted from early morning drudgery to a long walk with friends and family.

    We all made small talk during the trip. Kartania was perhaps rightfully reticent to bring up her past, so instead she resorted to telling embarrassing tales about my childhood. I was equally mortified and warmed by her tales of a cowardly young girl dragged around by her outgoing best friend and genius younger sister.

    For my revenge, I dredged up stories from when Kartania was a toddler. It didn¡¯t matter if it wasn¡¯t fair that she had no similar stories of my own early childhood, but that was just a privilege afforded to older sisters.

    I received a magically-empowered snowball to the face for that one. Seyari¡¯s retaliation turned the early afternoon into a single rolling snowball fight that never quite ended until the sun¡¯s light tinted orange and we settled into a camp for the night.

    Taava sat closest to the firepit and was playing an instrumental melody of long, clear notes and shorter passages of ascending runs. Her eyes were closed and her ears twitching as she played, seemingly quite relaxed.

    ¡°The forest is so peaceful,¡± Joisse remarked, looking up at the stars staring to pop out of the darkening sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Nelys added. ¡°You can hardly tell people live nearby at all¡ªon the road here, there was always some sign or another.¡± They wore a big smile and sat with crossed legs, tentacles splayed out and playing with the groundcover around them.

    I finished lighting the fire and sat back on the spot I¡¯d cleared in the snow for us all. The ground was only a little singed, but the smell of smoke was comfortable. Strange that a lot of my best memories were now of campsite evenings like this one.

    I looked around after Nelys¡¯s comment. ¡°The terrain¡¯s too hilly, and the soil too rocky to be of much use. The timber is also difficult to harvest and mostly smaller, softer woods.¡±

    ¡°Dad told you that, didn¡¯t he?¡± Kartania asked softly.

    I nodded. "Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I miss him, Sister. And Mom.¡± She scooted over and leaned against me.

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die.¡±

    I stiffened. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best not to, Sister.¡±

    Kartania hummed. ¡°The forest is too quiet, even for winter. I worry something dangerous is about.¡±

    Seyari barked a short laugh that startled all of us. ¡°That something is Zarenna, Kartania.¡±

    My sister looked up at me, and I smiled back at her with razor sharp teeth. ¡°Forget about the demon part?¡±

    Kartania blushed. ¡°You¡¯re really not like other demons are you?¡± She glanced at Joisse. ¡°Most other demons, that is.¡±

    Joisse shrugged in response.

    ¡°S¡¯what I¡¯ve told you.¡± I gently pushed my sister¡¯s shoulder with one hand. ¡°According to everyone here I¡¯m just a big softie and a heater that likes physical affection.¡±

    ¡°Cuddly,¡± Nelys defined. ¡°You¡¯re cuddly, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m covered in sharp bits, though!¡± I protested halfheartedly. ¡°Thirty-two of them plus my teeth.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t act very sharp,¡± Joisse hummed. ¡°Even when you fought me, you mostly punched.¡±

    ¡°I was trying not to kill you!¡±

    ¡°Mhmm, exactly,¡± Seyari answered. ¡°And I have intimate experience that you like soft things and cuddling.¡±

    I flushed deeper scarlet. ¡°Sey!¡± I glanced between my sister and Joisse.

    Seyari responded by blowing me a kiss. ¡°Fuck that, Renna. We¡¯re all friends here and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re showing them what we do between the sheets.¡±

    This time, I got hot enough that Kartania pushed off me.

    ¡°Watch that you don¡¯t burn your clothes,¡± Seyari warned cattily.

    I crossed my arms indignantly. ¡°If I do, it¡¯ll be your fault!¡± I took a moment to cool off.

    ¡°Why¡¯d ya stop?¡± Taava asked, cracking an eye open. ¡°I wanted ta see what happened next!¡±

    Seyari responded with a snowball the Kazzel only barely dodged. Unfortunately, the fight wasn¡¯t quite over yet when Taava responded, grazing Nelys with powdered snow and my newly-empowered friend responded in kind. Really, I thought we¡¯d all earned the right for a little, or a lot, of immaturity. By the time we turned in, however, we at least posted a watch.

    Me.

    I volunteered alone, despite Seyari¡¯s protests. Petty or not, revenge was mine, even if I did warm our tent first. Truthfully, I hadn¡¯t needed sleep since that battle on the road south. One other vestige of humanity that was slipping through my many fingers.

    Funny enough, I didn¡¯t find that I cared much. The future worried me, the idea of just how awful outliving everyone I love would be, but I forced it away.

    There was no guarantee that would even be a problem with the forces after me.

    I sighed and looked up at the stars. Worse still, I hadn¡¯t felt hungry as often. At least I could still both eat and sleep.

    Though it seemed at least one other person couldn¡¯t sleep either. I felt Joisse was asleep through our strong connection, but I heard stirring from Nelys¡¯s tent. I didn¡¯t get as much from them, which I liked. All I could tell was that they weren¡¯t angry and they weren¡¯t dead or dying.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Plenty enough.

    Before I found out if they wanted to join me, Kartania slipped out of her own tent, one emblazoned with the symbol of Dhias in red on the side, and walked over to me to sit by the coals. Another late-night fireside chat?

    No.

    She simply smiled wordlessly and leaned against me, soft in her underpadding. I kept her warm with my arms and tail until dawn, although she fell asleep around the time the moon was full overhead in the sky. I watched the morning light soften her severe features.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for you, Sis,¡± I whispered to no one.

    ***

    The next morning, Kartania rose early and excused herself to her tent. Seyari came out shortly after and gave me a peck on the cheek.

    ¡°You¡¯re a good sister, Renna,¡± she said quietly, breath fogging in the icy cold of a morning in the hills south of Linthel.

    ¡°Thanks, Sey.¡±

    We packed quickly, rousing Nelys and Joisse who¡¯d both slept in late. Taava was seemingly prepared, melting out of her bedroll still fully dressed before latching into me like a noisy limpet. As soon as she detached once we got walking, Nelys approached me, fiddling with their hands.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± I replied simply. ¡°Everything feeling alright with the contract? Nothing worrying?¡±

    ¡°Can you tell?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°All I can sense is if you¡¯re angry and whether you¡¯re dying or not.¡±

    Nelys relaxed. ¡°Good. Last night, I wanted to tell you, but I didn¡¯t want to interrupt.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what?¡±

    Nelys smiled mischievously and held out a slightly webbed, tan-gold hand. I took it and immediately felt a tingling burning sensation that hitched my breath.

    ¡°Ma¡ª¡±

    Nelys shushed me, stopping me from saying ¡°magic.¡±

    ¡°Marvelous, how your new form is suiting you.¡± I did my best to save things.

    ¡°Later,¡± Nelys whispered, black eyes warm and playful. ¡°I want it to be a surprise.¡±

    Grinning, I nodded. ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    ¡°You two¡¯d better not be conspiring to start another snowball fight back there!¡± Seyari warned from up ahead, looking back over her shoulder at us.

    Kartania walked next to her in shining armor, stiff posture only slightly relaxed as she and Seyari led us through the forest to a suitable place for me to destroy a chunk of defenseless, innocent nature. Joisse and Taava walked in the middle, the latter whistling, and the former humming along quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯m the responsible one, remember!¡± I called up to Seyari.

    She rolled her eyes and turned back to Tania, resuming their conversation. Something about the benefits of different armors against magic and typical lesser demons.

    We walked like this as the path continued doggedly on, the old grading of the former road the only sign we followed more than the animal path it had become.

    It was late morning before Seyari and Kartania stopped us. I¡¯d really enjoyed being led again, if I was honest. Sometimes stepping back from being the boss was just what I needed.

    ¡°There,¡± Kartania pointed to a valley ahead of us that ended in a gentle slide toward a flat-topped hill.

    A rockslide or avalanche had left a clear, gently-sloping area that was certainly larger than it looked from our vantage point. The peaceful silence was only broken by the far-off howl of a wolf that echoed faintly up the valley.

    ¡°If we are willing to travel later on toward the night, we¡¯ll be back in Linthel with plenty of time to spare,¡± my sister continued. ¡°Seyari insisted we find a place you wouldn¡¯t mind ¡®burning to a crisp.¡¯¡±

    I nodded approvingly. ¡°That looks good to me.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Nelys leapt past me, surprisingly quick on their new feet.

    The rest of us followed and Kartania sidled up beside me. ¡°I¡¯m surprised, Sister. I feared the worst with a contract, but I can hardly see any corruption within them.¡±

    I arched both my brows. ¡°Really?¡±

    Tania nodded. ¡°It¡¯s there, but for the power you¡¯ve clearly given them, I would have expected more, especially with their rather extreme changes.¡±

    ¡°They do have legs now¡­¡± I muttered.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, ask them. Not my place to say.¡±

    Kartania glared at me before sighing. ¡°Fine. Do you have any idea why this may be?¡±

    ¡°Terrestrial demon,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m less demon-ey than other demons.¡±

    ¡°Your aura seems plenty demonic to me.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m no expert!¡± I put my upper hands out placatingly. ¡°I¡¯m making it up as I go.¡±

    Kartania smiled thinly. ¡°Just see to it that you¡¯re careful, Sister.¡± She strode ahead of me.

    I blinked after her, feeling a few tears form. Wiping at them, I followed.

    Quickly enough, we reached the base of the scree and began our ascent. Under the snow, the loose rock was stuck together by roots and ice, making the terrain easy for all but the heaviest among us who disturbed the rocks.

    Which was me. By the time we got to the top, I¡¯d made the last stretch on two hands and two feet, using the others and my tail for balance. I crossed my lower arms and scowled. ¡°No one say anything.¡±

    No one said anything. Giggles and snorts didn¡¯t count, apparently.

    ¡°So.¡± I feigned wiping sweat from my brow. ¡°How are we doing this? Taking turns? Should we set up targets?¡±

    Seyari smiled wickedly. ¡°You first, love.¡±

    I glanced at the others; only Nelys showed any hints of disappointment.

    ¡°Why does your smile scare me?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ruin the moment.¡±

    My sister stepped between us. ¡°I¡¯ll make some targets from ice. I want to see your targeted fire and we¡¯ll work up from there.¡± With a wave of her hand, my sister conjured three vaguely humanoid targets out of ice.¡±

    ¡°Did you have to make them human shaped?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± I took a firing stance.

    ¡°Ready when you are,¡± Seyari said, her voice echoing a little bit.

    Is she that excited to see me in action? Well, then I¡¯d better give it my all!

    I took a breath to focus and then lashed an arm out, casting three small lances of fire at the targets. While my first weak shots were airborne, I leapt skyward, flaming wings flaring to life in an instant.

    With a single flap, I sent another ten jets of fire at the targets, aiming for limbs. A shield of ice appeared over them, and I felt a smile forming.

    Active training it is, then.

    Setting my tail aflame, I soared in a quick arc, sending a lash of crimson fire down. Worrying only for a second about my limited flying experience, I twisted and dipped, sending another lash out in an ¡°X¡± pattern.

    Not waiting for the impact with the shield of ice, I dove in fast, banking at the last second and breathing a jet of fire toward the targets. Under the shield as I was, I got two targets before spikes of ice forming from the ground a drove me back.

    My lashing tail took one out, my wing another, but I didn¡¯t fancy getting any more holes in my outfit than the ones my wings had made.

    As I ascended again, I felt like a dragon from a fairytale, but one where the dragon rescues the princess from a¡­ something. I didn¡¯t have much time to find a way to finish the metaphor before a rain of hail drove me toward the ground.

    The ice pellets hissed against my wings as they vaporized, but the pelting rain obscured my vision. Landing and shielding myself with my wings, I lit my claws ablaze. I wouldn¡¯t risk my magic when I didn¡¯t know where everyone was standing.

    Aura sight failed to pierce the hail. I brought my hands up, ready to cast a spell to blow it away, then stopped. I cannot risk hurting my friends for the sake of showing off.

    Instead, I flapped my wings of fire as hard as I could and pushed away a column of hail. One glimpse at the target was all it took for me to fire an anticlimactically small ball of fire to melt the upper half of it.

    Immediately, the hail ceased, revealing the crowd of my friends. Nelys and Joisse looked on with wonder, Taava wore a carefully neutral expression, and Seyari looked smug. Kartania, however, seemed nonplussed. Another wolf-like howl echoed, this one a little closer. Surely they¡¯ll be scared off by our display?

    ¡°Not bad, Sister,¡± Kartania said simply. ¡°You¡¯re incredibly fast, but your spell work isn¡¯t where it needs to be.¡±

    Not where it needs to¡ª¡°I¡¯m working on that.¡± I cut my own thoughts off. ¡°Spell forms are only something I¡¯ve picked up the last few months.¡±

    Kartania raised an eyebrow. ¡°If that is the case, then I¡¯ll revise my assessment to well done.¡±

    At that, I gave a bow.

    ¡°But I could tell you were holding back. Were we too close?¡±

    Sheepishly, I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not going to ever risk hurting friends.¡±

    My sister smiled at that. ¡°I¡¯d expect nothing less. Shall we see your full destructive power?¡±

    ¡°Do we want a training field left after?¡± Seyari answered for me ¡°The others should go first.¡±

    ¡°I want to hear what Zarenna thinks,¡± Kartania replied stiffly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just show you a little. Stand back¡ªI¡¯m not going to use everything, but I want to be safe.¡±

    The others all stepped back, Kartania at the front looking incredulous.

    I strode out to the center of our impromptu training field and called upon the burning wrath of my magic. Flaming wings out, I rose into the sky, intent on using myself as the spell¡¯s center. Quickly, albeit stiffly, I began to form a spell I¡¯d scarcely used: a stronger version of the one from that night in Lockmoth. This time, however, I was only scorching the sky around me.

    I¡¯d also taken the time to form a bit of safety around myself. It wouldn¡¯t do to burn away anything on me, or anyone I needed to protect, would it?

    Fire gathered, and a crimson glow washed over the training field far below. The sphere of fire, near-perfectly formed around me, expanded to the size of the entire field, then beyond. I continued, rising higher as needed, until I felt the pull on my magic start to strain.

    With a pirouette and a flourish of all my arms I doubted anyone could see, I unleashed my wrath. The sky burned. For a white-hot instant, all I could see was fire and all I could smell was a strange, harsh smell of burnt something.

    Then sound returned in a rush of air. The crimson glow faded from the sky, and I looked down. Snow was missing from the tops of nearby trees, not from heat, but from the wind created by the ignition of my spell.

    Suddenly more than a little tired, I descended quickly, dismissing my wings a few feet above the ground and landing in a crouch.

    ¡°Well,¡± I huffed. ¡°How about that, Sister?¡±

    When Kartania met my lopsided grin, her face was pale. ¡°By Dhias¡­¡±

    ¡°Pretty good, huh?¡±

    ¡°Y-you could level a city with a spell like that.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No way that was big enough.¡±

    Then Kartania did something unexpected: she bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you up to this, Zarenna. I¡­ if I had known you were capable of such magic, I would never have suggested a full demonstration. Although, I now have a much greater appreciation for how careful you are around all of us.¡±

    I scratched at one of my horns awkwardly. ¡°Uh, apology accepted? Really, it¡¯s no big deal. It was kinda fun¡ªand now I know I won¡¯t burn things outside of my spell.¡±

    Kartania blinked. ¡°Could you?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s extra work actually to keep the heat contained.¡±

    ¡°By Dhias,¡± Kartania swore again. ¡°And you say you are among the weaker sovereign demons?¡±

    I nodded again. ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s a wonder we¡¯re not under their thumbs.¡±

    I pointed to my heart, and then my head. ¡°One good strike to a place I can¡¯t regenerate, and it won¡¯t matter. I imagine it¡¯s the same for the others. It¡¯s not worth the risk.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s reply was cut off by yet another howl, louder this time. Something about the timbre of it sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°Wolves don¡¯t hunt in the daytime,¡± Joisse replied quietly.

    I felt for my magic and realized I didn¡¯t have much left.

    Taava swiveled her ears. ¡°They¡¯re comin¡¯ from the south. Might miss us, but there¡¯s no way they didn¡¯t notice what ya did, Boss.¡± She froze and pointed to the tree line south of us. ¡°Somethin¡¯s coming. Sounds like two feet, and just one.¡±

    I tensed, suddenly all-too aware of my mostly emptied mana reserves.

    ¡°I hope we still get to train,¡± Nelys groused, their voice serious.

    ¡°Zarenna, can you still fight?¡± Kartania asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, but not so much with magic. I¡¯ll take point.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you,¡± my sister replied.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll cover the flank,¡± Seyari added. ¡°Joisse, with me.¡±

    We formed up and waited, ready for whatever burst forth from the treeline. Another howl sounded, and this time, it was followed by a chorus, each one grating against my head.

    From out of the trees we faced, a figure stumbled. Small cuts and dirt covered their body, leather armor stripped of pieces and scratched heavily. She looked human enough, but tall pointed ears of white-gray fur and a bushy tail full of sticks and pine needles indicated otherwise. Lupael.

    She wasn¡¯t, however, the source of the howling. As she sprinted in our direction, the sounds rang out again, circling the clearing.

    ¡°Thank the gods!¡± the figure shouted in broken Ordian. ¡°Please, we must run! The city should be north and we may still outrun¡­¡± She trailed off when she caught sight of me. ¡°No. Gods, no! That fire¡ªthis was all a trap?¡± She fell to her knees, tears clouding her pale blue eyes. ¡°No¡­ not after all this. I can¡¯t fail¡ªI can¡¯t.¡±

    I caught motion in the trees behind her, and I didn¡¯t hesitate. With a burst of speed from my wings, I flew across the snowy ground and scooped the exhausted woman up. Kicking off, making a trail in the gravel, I shot back, aiming for Seyari.

    ¡°Sey!¡± I skidded to a halt, feeling my wings spiral apart as my weakening magic failed to maintain them

    The three-quarters angel moved quickly, a bright glow passing over the stunned woman. Several small cuts healed, but nothing could be done for the sheer exhaustion in the lupael woman¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stop whatever¡¯s chasing you and get you safely to Linthel,¡± I told her, speaking as quickly as I dared. ¡°Food and water as soon as we¡¯re out of danger.¡±

    She looked up at me, still stunned. To her credit, she recovered quickly rather than freezing in fear. ¡°But¡­ demon.¡±

    ¡°Good demon,¡± I answered simply.

    ¡°Zarenna!¡± Kartania shouted before the lupael woman could answer. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±

    I took a deep breath and set the woman down gently, next to both Joisse and Seyari. I didn¡¯t have to tell them to keep her safe.

    Then I turned, ready as I could be to face whatever howling horrors had chased her all this way.

 Chapter 138: Bad News

    ¡°Howling horrors¡± was an unfortunately apt name for the demonic monstrosities that emerged from the tree line. A hodgepodge of wolf, bear, mountain cat, various prey species, and very disturbingly humanoid features, the sight of them made my stomach turn. There must have been a dozen loping out from the tree line, and the undergrowth all around the clearing shivered and shook with who knew how many more.

    ¡°They¡¯re just lesser demons!¡± Sey shouted with less confidence than I¡¯d hoped for.

    Like the world¡¯s most terrifying patchwork dolls, their features clashed and competed. How they moved as quickly as they did, I didn¡¯t know, but a two-headed mostly-wolf demon at the fore howled again and I was out of time to think.

    Kicking off the black-tinged rocks, I sprinted forward at full speed. As we¡¯d discussed, Kartania rushed forward behind my rapid charge. The others took the flanks, two to each.

    So much for practice.

    I tried really, really hard not to think about how I¡¯d just blown all my mana reserves showing off as I reached the lead demon, my claws practically itching. Swiping with two arms, I caught its flank despite its attempt to twist out of the way, and dark blood poured from where my claws had torn through fur and flesh.

    They¡¯re weak. No value for contracts. The sudden thought unsettled me, just enough that snapping jaws were able to close around my forearm. The wolf-like demon¡¯s teeth dug into my flesh, but I caught it¡¯s second head across the eyes with my claws and it let go with a roar. I hardly noticed any pain, and for a brief moment, we sized each other up again as the better part of a dozen other demons circled, looking for a chance to strike.

    In all of the incoming demons, I sensed wrath and fury raging. Unlike mortal meals, the emotion would do nothing to aid my recovery.

    No intelligence showed in any of the mostly-wolf demon¡¯s five pure-black eyes¡ªonly malice. What cruelty must have been wrought to create you and your kin?

    I brought my hand down again and it twisted out of the way¡ªright into my tail, which knocked its forelegs out from under it with a hefty crunching sound. Even as other lesser wrath demons leapt at me, I pounced.

    Rolling, the wolf demon slid away from my first clawed hand, and the second missed between its heads down into the rocks, but the third and fourth, carrying the full strength of my charging weight, impacted behind its necks.

    Black blood sprayed out as my unheated claws tore through its flesh as though it were a mundane animal. Other, startlingly slow demons reached me, claws and fangs and horns ripping and tearing. With one last push of my mana, my vision turned hazy, but my wings blazed forth.

    Like white-hot skewers, my limbs of fire pierced through several demons, bisecting two of them. Under me, one of the wolf-like demon¡¯s heads came free and I roared in triumph.

    Ending the spell for my wings before I collapsed, I spun, tail knocking off more demons even as the jaws of one clung onto my legs. I punched downward, knuckles shattering bone, and the jaws went limp.

    I had a dozen slashes and punctures on my body, but none of them were enough to really hurt me. Gods, I¡¯m a monster. And it feels good. Claws out and horns down, I dove back into the melee, slashing and kicking and swinging my tail.

    Lesser demon after lesser demon fell before me, and bodies started to litter the rocky field. On occasion, I drifted near my sister, who disassembled demons with a grimly-set jaw and well-practiced swings. Tania used her ice magic to reduce the number of opponents she had to face by freezing limbs, icing the ground, or creating pale blue walls.

    Part of me was scared at just how much I was enjoying this¡ªeven out of magic as I was. Our opponents were near-mindless monstrosities, and there were no innocents to watch out for. Just me, my sister, and a horde to take apart, limb by limb.

    Behind me, I heard the crash of magic and the howls and roars of combat, reminding me with a sudden jerk that the battlefield included more than just us two. The pang of worry I had for Nelys dissipated when I felt through our contract that they weren¡¯t gravely injured. With their new power, they weren¡¯t nearly as fragile as before.

    Instead, I worried for Taava, but her mad cackle peaked in a lull of noise and I felt a palpable relief. A lance of holy magic speared a wounded bear-like demon circling the fringe. The horde was thinning, and dozens of lesser demons lay dead already. To my surprise, an arc of painfully bright, blue-yellow lightning stunned another demon. Barely reacting in window of time afforded me, I leapt forward and drove my clawed hand through the demon¡¯s midsection, fingers poking out the back to either side of the spine.

    I threw the still-alive demon forward into the horde. Spikes of ice erupted ahead of me, skewering several, and clumping the others together.

    ¡°Renna, get back!¡± Seyari shouted from somewhere behind me.

    Tensed legs almost jumped me forward instead. My burning blood rushed through me, heat poured off me in waves, and I could scarcely feel my fatigue against the thrill of battle. As much as I reined this part of me in, as much as I controlled it, it felt good to cut loose and rip and tear, weapons be damned.

    But I wasn¡¯t alone. And I was in control of my wrath. So I faltered, taking a knee instead of launching forward.

    Over my head, a massive beam of burning light raced forward like an arrow from a giant¡¯s bow. Around the fringes, sharp shards of ice whistled and frantic bolts of lightning danced. I watched through eyes that burned as the pile of demons took the full impact.

    From within, shadows tore apart like paper, dissolving away like honey in warm tea. Save the rushing air, there was no sound: no roars, no screams, no sound of tearing flesh.

    Under the combined assault of my friends¡¯ magic, nearly all the demons were burned away. Seyari¡¯s beam even punched a hole through Tania¡¯s ice wall, continuing on to burn into the trees. Behind me, I heard my fianc¨¦e hiss and I saw in my mind¡¯s eye as she fell to her knees.

    I turned to slowly, only to watch as Taava and Joisse in her demon form held a smiling, sweat-soaked, exhausted Seyari¡ªone to each shoulder.

    ¡°We¡¯re not yet finished,¡± Tania announced. ¡°None must escape.¡±

    Next to her, Nelys stood with their hands outstretched. Arcs of light danced between their tentacles and lifted the ends of their hair.

    I nodded, and stood up, fatigue hitting me like a wall with my fury expended. I hissed out my breath and started forward, steps turning into a run. Beside me, Nelys and Kartania approached more carefully.

    Only the smallest, weakest demons remained. The runts and the stragglers that even now seemed unsure whether to defer to me as their sovereign or to run. Without the horde moving as a whole, they understood their situation, at least on some level.

    What pitiable existences. Nothing but cast-off fury¡ªperhaps born of true suffering, but now relegated only to spreading it.

    We killed them quickly, and without ceremony.

    ¡°Are there any more?¡± I heard Nelys ask behind me. To my relief, their tone was exasperated and cautious, rather than the disappointed tone I was sure I¡¯d make if I spoke more than a roar or growl.

    I turned on my aura sight, wary of the blackness of mana fatigue creeping in at the edges of my vision. Bodies of demons littered the clearing, their magic gone with their death. Nothing popped out from the trees. In fact, the forest was deathly still. I had to take a long moment to calm myself and let the heat of battle fade from my mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any. We should get back to Linthel.¡± I turned off my aura sight and staggered back over to my friends. ¡°This needs to be reported.¡±

    Something squeaked and I snapped my head in the sound¡¯s direction reflexively. The lupael woman covered her mouth, eyes wide and ears flat against her head.

    Quickly, I looked away, a blush inflaming my cheeks. ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡±

    ¡°Who¡­¡± she asked, looking around warily at all of us. She especially paused her gaze over Joisse, who had only just changed back to her human form, her coat hastily pulled over her. The young wrath demon wore an apologetic smile under her red eyes.

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    ¡°I¡¯m Taava!¡± our capricious kazzel answered cheerily. ¡°Big scary over there¡¯s Zarenna, and ya can trust me that she¡¯s a big softie¡ªer, mostly. The demure demon with the big spikes is Joisse, and she¡¯s sweet as a ripe plum when she¡¯s not tearin¡¯ a limb off¡ªokay maybe I shouldn¡¯ta said that.¡± Rubbing the back of her head, Taava extended a hand to the lupael woman.

    She took it. ¡°Brynna¡±

    Taava nodded. ¡°Gotcha! Well welcome ta the crew!¡± She stopped just short of clapping Brynna on the back. ¡°Anyway, Nelys¡¯s the one with tentacles and they like cute things, solvin¡¯ murders, and card games. Seyari¡¯s the half angel with the half-hair and she¡¯s usually only mostly as mucha a hardass as she looks. And then there¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kartania Miller,¡± Kartania cut the kazzel off, looking the lupael woman up and down. ¡°Paladin of Dhias. Do you need to be carried, Brynna?¡±

    Brynna shook her head, but I saw the way her legs wobbled. More worryingly, she edged away from Kartania, a low growl escaping her throat.

    ¡°Good.¡± Kartania glared at Brynna¡¯s hostile posture, but didn¡¯t press the issue. ¡°I¡¯ll want a full report from you once we¡¯ve found a safe place to camp. Once Zarenna recovers, anything that still poses a serious risk probably isn¡¯t something we could run from if we tried.¡±

    I scratched at a horn nervously. ¡°I should be mostly back to full strength by tomorrow morning.¡±

    Kartania glanced warily at the mountains further south. ¡°A march through the night could be a mistake. You¡ª¡± She pointed at Brynna. ¡°How did you outrun a horde of demons across a mountain pass?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Brynna¡¯s voice hitched. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ªnot alone. Others bought me time, but they¡¯re all¡­¡± She took a deep breath, flinching under Kartania¡¯s icy gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve been running with only small rests for days, and I only heard the howls this morning.¡±

    ¡°How could they track you from so far away?¡± I asked, legitimately curious.

    Brynna frowned. ¡°I was moving poorly. Prey, not a hunter.¡± She looked again at Kartania, almost like she wanted to say something but didn¡¯t dare.

    ¡°Demons have extraordinary senses; you should know this,¡± Seyari replied evenly. ¡°Brynna is telling the truth, difficult though it may be to believe such claims.¡±

    ¡°We should get moving then,¡± Nelys added, with a worried glance behind them. ¡°If they caught up to Brynna, any more would absolutely have seen Zarenna¡¯s spell and the fight.¡±

    ¡°Let us away then,¡± Kartania concluded, turning to walk down the hill.

    The rest of us moved after her, but Brynna only got a few steps before stumbling. Joisse caught her, reacting far faster than a human could have. The lupael woman flinched in her grip.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Joisse muttered, her eyes downcast as she let the woman go.

    Brynna looked up at Kartania, then back at Joisse. She closed her mouth and simply shook her head.

    Joisse gave a small smile and walked in step with the woman.

    I almost moved to carry Brynna, but once she got going again, she seemed to find her footing and stayed stable all the way back down the scree with only one more incident, catching herself this time. My own weight and fatigue slowed me down, however, and I found myself at the back right behind the very nervous woman who looked up at me with visible fear.

    I only now realized how tall Brynna was. She had to be half a head taller than Seyari, and was all corded muscle. That would explain her prowess at running.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you, I really am.¡± I bit my tongue to stop me from repeating that we wouldn¡¯t hurt her. Only our actions could prove that much.

    ¡°Will you stop me if I try to leave?¡± The words came out as a whisper.

    Her reply caught me off guard. ¡°I¡­ no, I wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What about the Church woman?¡±

    ¡°Kartania?¡± I shook my head, then stopped. ¡°She¡­ might actually.¡±

    Brynna growled again.

    ¡°She means well, though. Really.¡±

    The lupael narrowed her pale brown eyes at me. ¡°Does she?¡±

    ¡°If you tell me what you¡¯re worried about, I¡¯ll try to help in any way I can.¡±

    ¡°Will you?¡± The way she asked the question made it clear she wanted no answer.

    My reply died into a sigh and I watched her stagger ahead of me. I followed, and soon enough an uneasy silence descended as we marched quickly back toward the remains of the pass road and our route home. The awkward, quiet march lasted for well over an hour, until the afternoon sun threatened to give way to evening reds.

    ¡°We¡¯ll look for a defensive position to camp tonight, and we¡¯ll move at first dawn,¡± Kartania commanded.

    I didn¡¯t see fit to refute her. This whole trip was her idea, and it wasn¡¯t like I was in charge of my sister. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but worry at the way Brynna continued to look at all of us warily.

    ¡°Should we find a cave to camp in or a cliff to back up against? So we don¡¯t get surrounded?¡± I tried to get the conversation going¡ªanything but the awful silence that had reigned the past hour.

    My sister shook her head. ¡°Not a cave. Certain magics could concentrate and kill the lot of us. That, and there¡¯d be no way out.¡±

    ¡°What about a cliff with an overhang?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°So long as it¡¯s stable, that may be our best bet.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, I want a nice safe place ta put Zarenna between me and whatever might be after us.¡± Taava chimed in. ¡°This mood¡¯s killin¡¯ me.¡±

    ¡°Would you rather something a lot more corporeal kills you?¡± Seyari snapped.

    Taava hissed, and I felt actual anger spike out of her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not fight,¡± Joisse said, struggling to keep her own anger in check.

    I realized with some horror that I barely had enough power left to keep her in check if she spiraled out. Thankfully, the other wrath demon¡¯s comment shut everyone up, and we set about searching for a place to camp. We kept in pairs all close to each other, with Brynna going with Nelys and Taava.

    Thankfully, we did find a sturdy-looking cliff with a shallow cave under an overhang. Immediately, I set about unloading and setting up camp, thankful we¡¯d shed our packs at the back before ¡°training.¡±

    ¡°No fire,¡± Seyari announced before Kartania could.

    ¡°Yes, and be ready to run if need be,¡± my sister added, as if feeling the need to contribute to the plan. For a fleeting moment, I remembered young Tania always wanting to plan with Abby.

    I rubbed the tears away and found Brynna staring at me with wide eyes.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Just a memory, that¡¯s all.¡±

    The lupael woman looked down at her well-worn boots and said nothing.

    ¡°Zarenna can you take first watch?¡± Kartania asked.

    ¡°I can¡­¡± I swallowed before continuing, ¡°Actually, I can take both watches. I¡­ This isn¡¯t a good time to bring this up, but I¡¯m not sure if I really need sleep anymore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay up with her,¡± Joisse declared. ¡°Zarenna might say she doesn¡¯t sleep, but I know I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    Thanks, Joisse.

    ¡°That¡¯ll work. Brynna can share a tent with Seyari.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer a say in this,¡± the half-angel responded stiffly. ¡°But she¡¯s welcome to, of course. Let¡¯s eat before we set the tents up though.¡±

    Making camp was a nervous affair, but no odd sounds came from the forest around us. Nor did I hear the normal sounds of night, unfortunately. I wondered if it was a lingering effect of the battle, my continued presence, or a very bad sign.

    Thankfully, despite her standoffishness, Brynna ate well.

    Once we¡¯d all had some ever-disappointing cold rations, Kartania was the first to speak. ¡°I understand my presence unnerves you.¡± She addressed Brynna and the lupael flinched, legs tensing as she got ready to bolt. ¡°I am on a mission to kill Theodric Mordwell and Horatio Finley, as well as their entire cult.¡±

    Brynna made a choking sound.

    ¡°Is my guess correct?¡±

    The lupael swallowed hard and nodded. ¡°We¡ª¡± she started to cough, and Joisse handed her a flask of water. Brynna took it and stared at the smiling demon in human guise for a long moment before downing the whole thing in one go, water running down the sides of her dirt-streaked cheeks. Behind her, her limp, bushy tail picked itself up off the needle-strewn ground. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Joisse beamed. ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±

    Brynna heaved a long sigh. ¡°We trusted them as the Church of Dhias. Edath was never unkind to my people, and Ordia has left us mostly alone. Dhias is supposed to be a just god!¡± She finished with a growl. ¡°I know those names. Those pretenders consort with demons and keep many of them. They¡¯ve come south like an invading army. Why?!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no good reason,¡± Seyari hissed, her tone acerbic and bitter. ¡°They want power. They may speak of a ¡®greater good¡¯ but that¡¯s only a lie they ply to the rank and file.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± Kartania said quietly.

    ¡°And how would you know?¡± Seyari spat, standing up. ¡°Have you been their pawn before?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Kartania¡¯s voice shook for the first time since I¡¯d met her as an adult. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t, but I¡¯ve seen the pain they cause. More importantly, I¡¯ve been close to Mordwell. I know he wants to secure more power for the church, and he sees subjugating demons as the best way to do that.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s lying,¡± Seyari hissed. ¡°All he ever wants is power for himself. Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know who I was, once. I know Yevon knows, and I have a feeling he told you.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°I do know, but I believe Mordwell has deluded himself into thinking he is working toward a greater good.¡±

    Seyari shook her head, sitting back down slowly. ¡°You are wrong.¡±

    ¡°Then we will agree to disagree.¡± She turned to the again-frightened lupael. ¡°Brynna, I am sorry you had to witness that. I assure you that all of us wish nothing more than to see that demon cult destroyed.¡±

    Brynna¡¯s eyes moved from Joisse to me.

    I smiled wide, showing all my many sharp teeth. ¡°It is my business to ensure demonic chaff falls in line. But beyond that, years ago they killed me and everyone I cared about, save my sister Kartania. Even if that has led to this new life I lead, I will never forgive them. I am a wrath demon, after all.¡±

    The lupael woman gulped.

    I pulled my lips over my teeth, trying to make my smile kinder. ¡°Really, I just want to be done with this revenge business and live a semi-normal life. Sorry again for scaring you. It¡¯s a demon thing.¡±

    The ghost of a smile played at the corner of Brynna¡¯s lips. Finally, she seemed to relax. ¡°It seems you may really be opposed to those who have taken both your own people to the south and mine. I doubt I have a choice but to trust you anyway. I¡¯m tired of running.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to join us?¡± Nelys asked.

    Brynna chuckled dryly. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    One detail stuck out to me. ¡°By ¡®our south¡¯ do you mean Astrye?¡±

    The lupael nodded. ¡°I do.¡±

    I grimaced. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll be leaving as soon as we can then. First, we need to head back to Linthel for supplies and to report this at the very least. Hopefully I can still find time to visit Bourick again.¡±

    ***

    At a clearing covered in broken bodies, a tall, red-orange figure stopped. They surveyed the scene with four eyes, two blue and two red, and hissed. Aura sight revealed evidence of not only holy, ice, wind, and lightning magic, but of demonic-tinged magic. Particularly powerful demonic fire magic, specifically.

    The lingering aura was familiar in a way that made their head hurt. Who? The pain in their mind was enough that they fell to one knee, clutching at their horned head as their consciousness unspooled.

    Like a chill wind, their binding reasserted itself, freezing their thoughts and numbing the pain. Too dangerous to pursue. They gave a long, unsure look to the north. Something familiar and warm threatened to melt the ice. Respect.

    They felt again for the thread that held them in the toughest of times. The one that Master must never know about. While their orders were absolute, the thread of a memory seemed to burn to life in the presence of the magic.

    A warm night with bad fruit.

    Mercy and understanding.

    A raging river and then eternal cold.

    After a shuddering breath and one last, longing look to the north, the figure turned stiffly around, then darted back through the trees at incredible speed, returning south.

 Chapter 139: A Devastation of Demons

    ¡°How is your wrath?¡± I asked Joisse once the others had retired for the night.

    ¡°A lot better,¡± she smiled softly. ¡°Thanks for taking a chance on me, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡± I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°But¡­ one of these days, it¡¯s not going to work out. Someone¡¯s going to take your trust and give you a magicked blade between the ribs in return. And they might succeed where Vivian failed.¡±

    I wished I had a fire to stare into as I avoided Joisse¡¯s wide, red eyes. ¡°What brought this about.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about Vivian lately, even though I never really met her. You nearly died for trusting her. Then there¡¯s your former teacher, your sister, and even the King of Edath. And now Brynna.¡±

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s going to try to kill me?¡± I asked in disbelief.

    To my relief, Joisse shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But I trusted her too easily?¡±

    Joisse nodded.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t trust the King of Linthel, right?¡±

    She nodded again. ¡°But you listened to him. And you¡¯re considering him anyway. I know that if you hadn¡¯t taken a chance on me, I wouldn¡¯t be here, but I¡¯m worried you¡¯re too motherly for your own good sometimes, M¡ªZarenna.¡±

    Joisse¡¯s stumble didn¡¯t slip by me and I almost choked. When I glanced down, she was looking away, flush with embarrassment. ¡°Mmm?¡± I asked.

    The other wrath demon shook her head rapidly, then whispered forcefully. ¡°You remind me of her is all, okay.¡±

    ¡°Did she¡­¡± I trailed off.

    ¡°Gave my dad one too many chances.¡± She breathed deep, barely keeping her anger in check. ¡°I¡¯d wondered why, out of all the deaths that day that made me¡­ why a teenage girl was the biggest fragment. The one most wholly consumed by rage.¡±

    Suddenly, my eyes felt wet, and for a moment, the silent forest fell away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joisse. I wish¡ª¡±

    Joisse lunged at me, but not in an attack. Her arms circled my waist, and she buried her head against my chest as she started to sob. ¡°I¡­ remember a lot more now. It¡¯s not so clouded and it¡ªit hurts! There¡¯s so much I wish I¡¯d done differently. So much I wish I could go back and undo.

    ¡°He died in the war,¡± her voice changed to a growl. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even sink my claws into him¡ªdo to him what he did to Mom!¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± I rubbed the top of Joisse¡¯s hair softly with one clawed hand, holding her with the others. My tail came and wrapped both of us against the chill night wind. ¡°Let it all out.¡±

    Joisse¡¯s words turned to babbling as she sobbed openly. I found myself at a loss. She was sixteen or so when she¡¯d died, right on the cusp of adulthood. Technically, she was twenty-something now, but did that time really count? I didn¡¯t consider myself to be almost thirty, even though that was the time that had passed since my birth as a human. Five of those years really didn¡¯t count.

    Alerted by Joisse¡¯s sobs, Seyari stuck her head out of our tent, alert and worried. I freed one hand and held one clawed finger up to my lips. Kartania poked her head out next, and her mouth slipped open slightly when she saw me holding Joisse, who¡¯d since lost her human form, as she bawled into me. Nelys and Taava glanced out from their tents as well, quickly darting back inside with embarrassed looks.

    Privacy was hard to come by out here, but I was happy my friends understood the time Joisse needed.

    But time alone wouldn¡¯t heal this. She needs a family. Even if it¡¯s just a year or so¡ªjust enough to cap off a childhood butchered and cut short with something other than pain and emptiness.

    Looking down at her, I ran my hand soothingly along some of the spikes that adorned her hunched back. Yes, she was a wrath demon, and one of mine in that sense, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    Did the contract with Nelys spur this on? Was it really just a similarity between me and her late mother?

    Do I even need to know?

    It took a while for Joisse to finish crying. I wanted to ask her about what we¡¯d both danced around, but she¡¯d fallen fast asleep while clinging to me with a grip that could probably tear a wall down. My only regret that night as I watched the stars and the quiet forest both was that I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d made the right choice.

    With her or Nelys.

    Am I just digging more graves?

    ***

    ¡°What¡¯s the proper term for a group of demons?¡± I asked my sister.

    ¡°What?¡± She glanced at me only briefly, then went back to scanning the direction we¡¯d come from.

    After a tense night, and a blissful revelation that my legs were incapable of falling asleep even with a hundred odd kilograms of demon on them, we¡¯d packed up quickly and begun our trip at dawn.

    Thankfully, Brynna hadn¡¯t tried to run off, but the lupael looked far from comfortable around us. I would be too, if I had just survived a coalition of corrupt Church and demons. Dense as I was sometimes, it was an acute awareness of this density and its limitations that allowed me to understand that asking her about it right now would be a bad idea.

    And speaking of bad ideas: bringing up what happened last night with Joisse. She was sulking and avoiding me ever since the others arose, and I had absolutely no intention to mortify her by bringing up what we talked about in front of everyone while we were walking quickly back to Linthel

    I just hope we can get some time to talk soon.

    So, out of other, wiser ideas, I continued my plan to bug my sister and thus show her human side to Brynna. ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t there that scholar from a few decades ago who invented a bunch of names for groups of animals? Like a murder of crows.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there is one for demons, Zarenna.¡±

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    ¡°Well why not?¡± I placed my lower hands on my hips.

    Taava snickered, and my demonic hearing picked up a small hiss of breath from Seyari.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s a stupid, useless idea.¡±

    ¡°How about a devastation then?¡± I offered. ¡°A devastation of demons.¡±

    ¡°Sister¡­¡± Kartania warned.

    ¡°I like it¡­¡± Nelys muttered

    I smirked at that. ¡°What about the rest of you?¡±

    ¡°No comment,¡± Seyari answered first, struggling not to grin.

    Taava shrugged. ¡°I think a dance a demons would be funnier, but sure.¡±

    Joisse took a moment to answer. ¡°It sounds¡­ violent.¡±

    ¡°How about you, Brynna?¡± I asked, hoping to break the ice.

    The lupael startled, her ears twitching, but she kept her eyes on the snow-covered trail in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine. Accurate, even. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to think about that right now.¡±

    Shit¡ªI messed up. ¡°Sorry¡ªI really am. Bringing this up was in bad taste.¡±

    Brynna shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t keep saying sorry. Just stop doing it. And it isn¡¯t like everyone¡¯s dead¡ªwell, not yet I hope.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to apprise us of the situation?¡± Kartania probed. ¡°If not, you are welcome to part ways with us in Linthel. But you must know that, even anonymously, we must report this.¡±

    ¡°We were going to leave for Astrye in just a few days, actually,¡± I added.

    Seyari offered a cold smile to the lupael¡¯s downturned chin. ¡°You know what our goal is.¡±

    ¡°And like Zarenna said, you can join us if you want!¡± Nelys finished.

    ¡°Or don¡¯t,¡± Taava quipped. ¡°Zarenna¡¯s got a terrible sense of humor!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than yours!¡± I snapped.

    Taava gasped. ¡°You dare!¡±

    ¡°I do!¡± I stuck my tongue out.

    Brynna looked up just enough to offer a tired smile under reddened, puffy eyes. ¡°I appreciate the effort, but I would appreciate silence more.¡±

    I winced and almost apologized again. As I turned back to the trail ahead, my eyes swept past Joisse. She quickly hid a small smile and my heart warmed.

    Daughter. Gods, I¡¯m too young for this¡­ Probably? I absolutely must ask Seyari first.

    ***

    The sun had changed to shades of orange and red when we arrived back in Linthel. At one point during the march back, I wondered why I didn¡¯t just damn the consequences and fly into the city on wings of fire.

    The answer was the safety of my friends. Competent or not, if anything had chased us¡ªand we were all surprised nothing seemed to have done so¡ªmy strength would be a major deterrent. The fact we hadn¡¯t needed it worried me. It worried all of us.

    A group of lesser demons like that needed some kind of greater demon or binding spell or something to keep them together for longer than a quick chase. It didn¡¯t make sense for whatever it was to be far away.

    After Joisse¡¯s comments about trust, I found myself, against all good judgment, nearly casting my own suspicion over Brynna. The woman, according to both Seyari and Kartania, was earnest, if reticent. She had an aura as well¡ªfire, and weak. Enough to have warmed her limbs for the run, but little more.

    The moment we¡¯d entered the city, she¡¯d asked to leave. I told her we were Gelles Company and we were staying at the Knight¡¯s Rest. Aside from my sister, obviously, and Joisse whom we had not yet inducted, that much was true.

    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if we¡¯d see Brynna again. I was fairly certain, however, that letting her go wouldn¡¯t bite us in the collective ass. Kartania left as well, citing the need to gather materials and inform those in the Church she could trust. From the set of her jaw, I guessed that was a very short list.

    For the rest of us, our first order of business was to report to the Gelles Company, and our second order of business was to report to the local lord, or king in this case. Technically, we were doing it out of order.

    Technically, King Carvalon could also bite my big crimson ass. Maybe we can get the company to report to him? An excuse could easily be that we wanted to make less of a scene.

    Same goals or no, the King of Edath and I were nothing alike. For one, he was blond; my hair was black.

    Several petty internal jokes later, we arrived at the company. I shed my human guise once we walked in, to Seyari¡¯s disappointment and Taava¡¯s great amusement. A short shouting contest later, and we were shown to Arden¡¯s office with remarkable haste.

    ¡°Miss Miller,¡± the Linthel branch leader said with enough forced patience to turn an hour to sixty-one minutes, ¡°why did you feel the need to cause a scene?¡±

    I dropped my smile. ¡°Big news from Astrye and other southern regions: there¡¯s a demon-worshipping cult headed by Finley and other former inquisitors who were part of the demon cult there and they¡¯ve taken the place over.¡±

    I felt Arden¡¯s remarkably well-hidden, roaring fury shift. ¡°Elaborate.¡±

    ¡°We went a day and a half south of the city to train as a group, when we encountered a lupael woman by the name of Brynna who was running from an unnaturally well-coordinated group of lesser wrath demons. The pack did not submit to me as they should have, but that may have been a pack mentality. We slew them to the last and brought Brynna safely back to the city after she told us what happened in Astrye.

    ¡°We suspect there was someone or something nearby controlling them, but as best we could tell, we were not followed. Although it is unlikely whatever sent them doesn¡¯t know where a big city like Linthel is¡ªSir.¡±

    Arden nodded. ¡°Where is this Brynna woman now?¡±

    ¡°We let her go once we entered the city, Sir. She knows where we are staying, knows we are reporting this to you, and we had no reasonable authority to force her to come with us.¡±

    Arden grunted disapproval. ¡°How do you know she wasn¡¯t lying? You said someone had to be controlling the demons.¡±

    ¡°The thought did cross my mind, Sir, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let me handle this,¡± Seyari interrupted. ¡°Sir, I am trained in the discernment of lies as a half-angel. I was able to, to the best of my understanding, read Brynna easily. She was not deceiving us, although she did not trust us, likely because we are a coalition of both angelic and demonic elements.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see. You lot seem to have done everything correctly. How many lesser demons did you say there were?¡±

    ¡°Approximately three dozen, Sir,¡± I answered.

    ¡°Thirty-four,¡± Nelys said, speaking up for the first time. They wore their company uniform, altered slightly by Taava, and displayed their skirt of tentacles.

    Arden¡¯s eyes stuck on them for a moment. ¡°Thirty-four¡­¡± he muttered, shaking his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind¡ª"

    ¡°Zarenna is a powerful demon and my friend, Sir. I convinced her to grant me a some of her power so I could be stronger in a fight.¡±

    Arden blinked. ¡°Why tentacles, though?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    The branch leader opened his mouth, closed it, then shook his head and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like all this is against any laws. Mostly, I suspect it is because these sorts of things are assumed to be tools of evil.¡± He glared pointedly at me.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not going to disagree! Usually doesn¡¯t mean all the time.¡±

    Arden sighed again, longer this time. ¡°Do you have any additional information or requests? I need to make a report on this and inform all who need to know without causing a panic like you just did downstairs.¡±

    I opened my mouth for a quip.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Arden cut me off before I could begin. ¡°Just¡­ don¡¯t.¡±

    Instead I coughed into one of my hands, fidgeting with the lower pair in my lap. ¡°Right then. Could you inform King Carvalon on our behalf?¡±

    ¡°Did you not already tell his guard?¡±

    ¡°We came straight here.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Well, we were going to inform him first anyway, so there¡¯s no real harm done.¡±

    I nodded sharply.

    ¡°Now please, get out.¡±

    I stood, and we all got out.

    Taava, who had been silent the whole time, gave a wave and a wink as she closed the office door. ¡°That was fun, Boss! Ya should do more things like that!¡±

    I rolled my eyes, then stopped. ¡°Actually¡­¡±

    ¡°Renna, no,¡± Seyari said forcefully.

    ¡°Renna yes,¡± I replied with a wickedly sharp grin.

    ¡°Do you want to sleep on the floor tonight?¡±

    I thought about it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood, so it won¡¯t turn into anything.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you win,¡± I groused, defeated.

    ¡°Good, now disguise back on.¡±

    ¡°But they already know I¡¯m a demon!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I pouted, but did as my fianc¨¦e asked, to a background of snickers and giggles from Nelys and Taava. Bully the demon. Very funny.

    We gathered up Joisse from the lobby, who looked immensely relieved to be out from under a tide of people asking questions.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve gone back to the inn,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°You kept your anger in check, though,¡± I noted proudly.

    ¡°I¡­ that wasn¡¯t you?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t lift a finger. Good job, Joisse.¡±

    She beamed under my praise, then stiffened and turned away. ¡°Right. Thanks, Renna.¡±

    I withdrew my hand from almost ruffling her hair. Not yet.

    ¡°We may still have time to see your smith friend,¡± Seyari said as we exited the company building. ¡°Pity we didn¡¯t have time to get you fitted for a new jacket.

    I shrugged, poking at some of the holes in my uniform. ¡°Unless it¡¯s enchanted, it won¡¯t hold up anyway. I don¡¯t get whatever kind of cheating Lilly gets. Besides, I¡¯m my own heater.¡±

    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be so glum,¡± Taava chirped. ¡°You¡¯re all our heater!¡±

 Chapter 140: Teacher, Partner, Daughter

    After a stop at a secondhand clothing store that saw me walk out with a pile of men¡¯s clothing that was still too short, we dropped everything at the Knight¡¯s Rest to pack later. With the pass in its current condition and a very high threat of attack from demons, we opted to carry what we could, leaving the rest in storage with the Gelles Company.

    This included my dress that Elena had made me back in Port Princely near the start of my long journey home, the one that Lilly had enchanted to repair itself. Were it more practical clothing, I would wear it all the time. Honestly, if not for Seyari reminding me how unusual it would be I¡¯d probably still wear it all the time.

    After a long discussion, as Sey and I prepared to leave, I put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°What?¡± she snapped tiredly. ¡°We can talk about the dress more later if you really insist.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡±

    Our eyes met, and I saw her lips tighten. ¡°Something serious.¡±

    ¡°Of a sort.¡± I scratched at one of my horns. ¡°It¡¯s about Joisse.¡±

    Seyari regarded me carefully. ¡°Well, go on.¡±

    I sighed. This was a weird question to ask, so I decided to just go for it. ¡°Sey, would you be okay if I, then we, adopted her?¡±

    My fianc¨¦e blinked at me. ¡°You¡¯re serious.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯d wondered if you¡¯d see her that way. Gods know she¡¯s latched onto you like family.¡± Her face softened even as she rubbed her brow with one hand.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ll be okay with it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Seyari paused to gather her thoughts. ¡°I won¡¯t say it¡¯s a simple or easy decision, and I won¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t make me a little nervous. I mean she¡¯s practically an adult¡ªis in a lot of ways. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°But I just thought back to my own childhood, or lack thereof. Were she anything other than a capable demon, I would refuse outright. Too much danger. But she¡¯s already linked to us for good or ill. I expect you to protect her¡ªmore than you do already. If she wishes to live as a human, people will target you. What if you do become a marchioness, or at least widely known?¡±

    ¡°My enemies will try to use her to get to me.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°I think she knows that, else I¡¯d have had another reason to say ¡®no.¡¯¡±

    ¡°So we can then?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s what she wants and needs,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the decision to you.¡±

    I pulled Seyari into a quick hug. ¡°Thanks, Sey.¡±

    She leaned up and pulled my head down for a quick peck on the lips. ¡°Welcome. Now let¡¯s get going.¡±

    We left the Knight¡¯s Rest with me in better spirits. Unfortunately, I was still nervous about the conversation we were about to have with my former teacher, Bourick Gadson. With me were Seyari, Joisse, Nelys, and Taava. Kartania would be meeting us at the edge of town at dawn the next day.

    Somehow, with my friends around me, I felt more nervous meeting Bourick now than I did the first time. Seyari squeezed my hand as I reached for the door.

    I smiled down at her and knocked.

    Above the ¡°closed¡± sign, I saw a familiar face smile, and the door¡¯s lock clicked open.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the group!¡± Bourick exclaimed, waving us inside. ¡°Come in! The back room should be nice and toasty warm.¡±

    As we followed the old smith back, I introduced my friends.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you about my fianc¨¦e, Seyari.¡± I squeezed her hand for emphasis. ¡°The others are Joisse, Nelys, and Taava.¡± I gestured to each of them in turn.

    Joisse nodded her head politely, Taava struck a pose, and Nelys gave a hello in return. Given how everyone was bundled up, Nelys looked pretty much human¡ªif you discounted the way their skirt sometimes moved under their coat.

    True to Bourick¡¯s word, the familiar back room was nice and warm, the windows cracked for air flow and a dull, almost hearth-like fire burned low in the forge. Odd tables and chairs had been set around in a half-circle, a bench in the middle for a table.

    ¡°It¡¯s not much, but I don¡¯t often have guests these days. Trust me when I say my home¡¯s a bit of a mess. You can put your coats on the rack over there.¡±

    We each did so, and Nelys earned a double take from Bourick that they returned with a wide smile and a wave of their tentacles.

    ¡°It¡¯s lovely, Bourick,¡± I answered, sitting down in the sturdiest-looking chair and shedding my human guise. Lucky for me, this chair had an open back and my warm tail curled around over my feet.

    ¡°Ya should see the places she normally takes us!¡± Taava said cheerily, plopping herself down on a stool as the others all took their seats. ¡°It¡¯s all snow and ice and mud and vicious demons!¡±

    ¡°Taava!¡±

    She stuck her tongue out at me and Seyari stifled a giggle. Aren¡¯t you always on my side?

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Bourick,¡± Seyari extended her hand and shook the smith¡¯s. ¡°Zarenna¡¯s spoken very highly of you, you know.¡±

    ¡°She has?¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Your apprenticeship and your acceptance the other day both meant a lot to her, so thank you.¡±

    Bourick¡¯s smile spread across his entire face, deepening the crow¡¯s feet near his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help. There¡¯s too much tragedy in the world.¡±

    For a brief moment, I thought of Lorelei. And Aarsh. And Ruston. ¡°Yeah, there is.¡±

    ¡°But what of you two?¡± Bourick continued after a nod in my direction, keeping the atmosphere chipper.

    ¡°Renna already told you, but I¡¯m Nelys!¡± Nelys introduced themselves. ¡°Renna¡¯s helped me a lot, especially lately. She helped me get a body I¡¯m a lot more comfortable in.¡±

    Bourick raised an eyebrow my way.

    ¡°A contract,¡± I admitted, scratching nervously at a horn. ¡°They wanted¡ª¡±

    ¡°I wanted to be able to go on land easier, and I wanted to be more like a human!¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re happy and healthy, I see no issue with it, though I¡¯m afraid you lost me about the contract.¡± He shook his head when I opened my mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know the details, Zarenna. It¡¯s fine.¡± Bourick nodded at Joisse. ¡°And what about you?¡±

    ¡°Zarenna took me in,¡± Joisse answered. ¡°I¡¯m a wrath demon, too. She helped me get my wrath under control, and gave me a human form like what I once had.¡±

    ¡°Are you happy with the arrangement?¡± Bourick ventured.

    Joisse perked up. ¡°Oh! Yes, I am. I¡¯m just¡­ thinking. And trying to keep control. Been doing a lot of both lately, sorry.¡±

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    ¡°¡°Don¡¯t apologize!¡±¡± Bourick and I said at the same time.

    Joisse giggled, and Seyari leaned against me with a smile.

    ¡°I can see where you got some things from now, love,¡± the half angel whispered into my ear.

    I blinked. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, really.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious!¡± Taava added.

    I blinked again and looked around the room to a chorus of nods before I met Bourick¡¯s gaze. He looked just as confused as I was, but after we gave mirrored shrugs, we laughed together.

    The conversation was warm and pleasant. We talked mostly about the brighter aspects of our past: childhood stories and tales of adventure on the road.

    Our conversation lasted through dinner and into the early winter night before the fire in the forge had gone down to coals and we parted, waving goodbye. My heart felt lighter; a connection between my lives old and new had been made.

    Closer now than ever before I felt like the two might become one.

    And part of that feeling was a desire to do precisely what I wanted to do. I very nearly walked back to the inn in my demon form, and when I told Seyari I was going out to get something from the company, I nearly did so again.

    As I walked down the nearly-empty streets, I reveled in what I was. The comfort that it brought, knowing that so long as I kept vigilant, few things could truly harm me, was immense. Sleep was for when I wanted it; food was for when I desired its taste.

    And the dress was for when I wanted to wear something I truly enjoyed.

    ¡°Oh, and Miss Miller?¡± the company clerk said as I went to retrieve my dress from our storage despite my agreement with Seyari.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°A package arrived for you¡ªa pair of shoes. They¡¯re in with your other belongings.¡±

    Shoes? Why do I instinctively know that Lilly is behind this? ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied simply.

    As they said, a pair of shoes lay neatly to the side of my folded dress. They had embroidered roses of ice blue against black leather. Coming nearly to a point at the toes, they were nevertheless solid-soled and flat. Ideal for walking.

    No note was included with them. But I didn¡¯t need one: like my dress, they bore the same enchantment. Thanks, Lilly.

    I took the dress and shoes and walked quickly out of the guildhall, excited to stow them away for the morrow. As I passed through the square by the river, I noticed a long-haired individual sitting on a bench overlooking the river.

    They weren¡¯t dressed for the cold, and something about them seemed familiar. As I passed by, I recognized High Priest Yevon Styon watching the half-frozen river with a neutral expression. My jaw tensed and my shoulders felt suddenly bunched up. What could he want? Why here? Why now? I tried to act calm. Avoiding him wouldn¡¯t work, so I stopped by the bridge.

    He looked up, and with a thin smile, he patted the snow off the bench next to him. ¡°Do you have a minute, Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± I fired back, almost failing to keep my tone level.

    Yevon shrugged, and I noticed he was wearing a simple tunic and trousers¡ªnot a church vestment in sight. ¡°You always have a choice. It just doesn¡¯t always matter.¡±

    I rolled my eyes and sat down. ¡°You could just ask like a normal person.¡±

    ¡°I could.¡± He stared down into the river, sparing a sidelong glance at the clothes I carried.

    ¡°What are you here for?¡± I asked icily.

    ¡°So cold! I¡¯m here to give you good news, Zarenna. After much deliberation, the Church of Dhias has agreed to leave you alone for the time being, pending of course, on your continual adherence to our moral code. In short: don¡¯t start acting like a demon and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°There¡¯s more to this.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. In lieu of an expeditionary force, I think Paladin Miller¡¯s a fine choice to go with you and to keep an eye on you for me. Some cried foul at the potential bias of your relationship, but I was quick to point out you were a demon and not her sister.¡± Yevon smiled conspiratorially, although his eyes stayed languid¡ªalmost bored-looking.

    ¡°I would have rather you were honest.¡±

    ¡°And I would rather we both get what we want, Miss Miller.¡±

    ¡°And that is?¡±

    ¡°An end to the demon cult within the corrupt inquisition.¡± Yevon stood and stretched.

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave?¡± I spat.

    Mid-yawn, the high priest cracked an eye open at me. ¡°Do you want to spend a chill evening talking to me on a riverside bench?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I need to sleep,¡± I retorted.

    Yevon shrugged. ¡°I assumed you would have better things to do.¡± He pointed at me. ¡°But I do have one more piece of advice. Keep well in mind what would happen should you attack an upstanding member of the Church, let alone a hero of it.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Make sure I have enough evidence before I act to take down someone who isn¡¯t widely known to be corrupted.¡±

    Yevon chuckled. ¡°More than that. The evidence must be overwhelming. Something that isn¡¯t worth covering up. Keep that in mind, and good luck. I¡¯d follow you, but business calls me elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    Yevon raised the finger that he¡¯d pointed at me to his lips, not even trying to hide a coy smile. ¡°That is a secret. Enjoy the company of your sister, Zarenna. For the time being, I wish you well and the best of luck.¡± He turned and started to walk away, humming a hymn to himself.

    I stood up to walk after him, but I stopped myself. Instead, I watched as he crossed the square and turned down a major street out of sight. No matter what he says, I feel like I shouldn¡¯t completely trust him. Something about him always sent a chill down my spine.

    But that he got the Church off my back made sense. I¡¯d seen neither hide nor hair of the Church of Dhias¡¯s minders since I left Gedon¡ªand even if their presence was less here in Linthel, I had expected to see something.

    I tried my best to shake off the odd feeling and focus on the warmth of the inn room waiting for me and the fianc¨¦e who¡¯d yelp at me if I slid into bed without warming my claws first.

    Here¡¯s to hoping she¡¯ll learn to live with me in this dress. Something told me any of Sey¡¯s protests were going to be superficial.

    ***

    The black leather shoes perfectly matched my dress, highlighting the black accents of the dark purple garment. I¡¯d taken more time than was necessary to appreciate how the light blue of the embroidered thorned roses matched my eyes. Really, I looked like the villain of some fable, but I didn¡¯t mind at all. Looking the part and playing it were quite different, and something I¡¯d spent years at this point reconciling.

    I joined hands with Seyari as we walked through Linthel with Joisse, Nelys, and Taava. I drew many, many looks, but I found that I didn¡¯t care, and in no time flat we had reached the gate where my sister was waiting, fully armored despite the long march ahead. When she saw us, she stopped tapping her foot and stared.

    ¡°Sister, you cannot wear that.¡± Tania said after she picked her jaw up off the floor. ¡°While I will not say it doesn¡¯t look good on you, there is no way it is appropriate clothing to wear for a journey across a pass. Frankly, you look ridiculous wearing a massive pack and that dress.¡± She glared at Seyari.

    My half-angel fianc¨¦e blushed and kept a hand over her mouth. ¡°While¡­¡± Sey coughed. ¡°While I said the same thing this morning, Renna made a very convincing argument.¡±

    Tania rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know about my sister¡¯s sex life. Surely you¡¯re going to change?¡±

    I did a twirl, backpack and all, and shook my head, smiling at the giggles I got from Nelys and Joisse and the snicker from Taava.

    ¡°I always knew ya had some good style sense in ya, boss!¡± the kazzel said, leaning up to put a hand on my shoulder.

    Kartania placed a hand over her face. ¡°Sister¡ª¡±

    ¡°The dress is enchanted. It will repair itself, and I am more than capable of moving around in it. As it is backless, my wings won¡¯t get in the way and it is comfortable in or out of my human form. Plus!¡± I showed off one leg. ¡°My shoes are actually well-suited to walking and if I need my claws, they will also repair themselves.¡±

    Tania kneaded her brow. ¡°By Dhias¡­ Fine. If I cannot convince you now, do you at least have a change?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Of course. Several.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time then. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Smiling giddily, I nodded, and soon the six of us were off, walking briskly down the road. We would be taking the main pass to Astrye avoid getting lost. Even if it was a longer distance, we would almost certainly gain time we would have wasted navigating the more ill-used route.

    Soon after we left the city, Joisse pulled me aside.

    ¡°Hey, Renna?¡± she asked, using my nickname. ¡°Could I¡ªum¡­¡± she trailed off when she met my gaze. ¡°Uhh, never mind.¡±

    Frowning, I blinked at her. ¡°Joisse it¡¯s fine. You can ask me anything. Is it about your anger?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I mean, no. Not really.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°You really seem to have it under control these days.¡±

    Joisse blushed. ¡°Thanks. Look, I uh¡­ oh, I don¡¯t know how to ask this.¡±

    ¡°Ask what?¡±

    Joisse glanced at Seyari, then back at me. ¡°Will you¡­ will you and Seyari adopt me?¡±

    I knew some of my surprise made it back through our contract to Joisse.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I asked. Never mind¡ªjust pretend you didn¡¯t hear it. I¡¯m basically an adult anyway, and a lot of parts of me are probably adult and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Joisse.¡± I gripped her shoulder and she looked up at me with wet, red eyes. ¡°I¡¯d love to. I¡¯m just worried I¡¯m not ready¡ªI wouldn¡¯t know how to be a good mom.¡±

    ¡°You have already¡­¡± Joisse mumbled and my heart swelled.

    ¡°Have I?¡±

    ¡°Eep!¡± Joisse covered her mouth quickly, and I had to help her anger, just a little. After a deep breath, she whispered. ¡°You heard that?¡±

    I flicked one human-looking ear. ¡°Demonic hearing. You have it too.¡±

    Joisse nodded, biting her lip nervously. ¡°So, does this mean¡­ It¡¯s probably a really strange request but¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t replace human Joisse¡¯s mom,¡± I said bluntly, the honest words almost painful as they left me and slammed into Joisse.

    She shook, but I caught her, even as her eyes filled with tears. Ahead of us, Kartania called for a stop, and the others gave us space. I doubt Joisse noticed. For a while I held her.

    Eventually, she spoke, her voice soft and vulnerable. ¡°I know. But I want someone. I didn¡¯t even know that until I started seeing you. Like her at first but then¡­ like you. I shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to be your mom?¡± I asked, wording what I said very carefully. ¡°Your mom Zarenna?¡±

    Joisse nodded, near instantly, and hugged me tighter.

    I hugged her back. ¡°Can you say it out loud?¡±

    After a few breaths, Joisse replied. ¡°I want you to be my adoptive mom, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I accept.¡± I squeezed Joisse tightly as she shivered in surprise. ¡°We¡¯ll get paperwork done when we can. But we don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°M-mom?¡± Joisse asked tentatively.

    ¡°Yes, Daughter?¡± answered as confidently as I could.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    I rubbed Joisse¡¯s hair and hummed. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    For a while we embraced as demon mother and demon daughter, and when the two of us stood back up, there was a light in Joisse¡¯s eyes that hadn¡¯t been there before. When we resumed walking, she moved with a bounce in her step.

 Interlude: Tea & Baklava

    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Aretan said through gritted teeth.

    He turned on a heel and strode out of the room, barely restraining himself from slamming the door on his way out. His glower softened when his eyes met the startled maid outside. The woman was surprisingly tall¡ªalmost as tall as Aretan was, and her features were a mixture of Navanaean and Turquoiser, with medium-dark skin and very slightly pointed ears.

    Is she new? Aretan didn¡¯t recognize her, but it had also been several years since he was last at his family¡¯s estate. ¡°My apologies, but I am feeling rather unwell. I will be in my chambers.¡±

    The maid gave him and odd look, but bowed anyway, the motion fluid and graceful in a way that suggested training from a very early age.

    Aretan watched her go. Something was odd about her, but his head was too much of a mess to try to chase down exactly what.

    The former noble, former mercenary, current Aena-damned noble again, kept measured breaths and a steady step all the way to his chambers. Sandstone walls, rich draperies, and fine wooden furniture passed Aretan in a haze. The early-evening breeze made its way through the halls of the semi-open-air estate and he made it to his chambers with no issue, locking the door behind him.

    Wearily, he sat down on a plush green lounge and leaned into the airy, clean fabric. Aretan¡¯s chambers didn¡¯t feel like his anymore. Never mind that nothing here was his in a true sense anymore, this whole life didn¡¯t feel like home. He took a single glance at the peaceful rock garden outside the open-air sitting room, so far removed from the war and reality it may well have been a mirage, and covered his eyes with one arm.

    Joining the war with the goal of helping it to reach a sensible conclusion. Coming home.

    It all felt like a mistake.

    No, worse.

    It felt like a painful, necessary step. Something he had to endure to ensure his future was his and his alone. No father telling him how to view the world. No temple telling him how to worship Aena. And no king telling him how to conduct a war against an enemy they shouldn¡¯t even have issue with.

    Though aggressively territorial, the Formid were never expansionist. The ant-like people lived where humans didn¡¯t dare, and everyone was safer for it. Furthermore, they made certain reagents¡ªthrough means the former mercenary wished he didn¡¯t know about¡ªthat could easily serve to foster a trade arrangement.

    And unlike how his father thought the Formid to be no more intelligent than insects, he knew that was not the truth. Damnit, his father should have known it was not the truth. The two of them may never have seen eye to eye, but at least he always used to listen.

    The king, too. Really, it seemed like everyone in power wanted a war just for the sake of it. Too many good men and women were dying in the desert, and fields hadn¡¯t been properly planted. Come harvest, there would be food shortages. Already the people of his territory were growing increasingly dissatisfied, and the region under his family was better off than most.

    Apparently, his father had resisted much of what he was currently championing until recently. With Aretan home, a long-time favorite for his affable nature, the citizenry had mollified somewhat, but without action, no kind words would matter.

    Wait.

    Recently.

    Aretan remembered a night of pain, confusion, and shocking revelations in the warrens under the late third prince¡¯s estate. In the wake of his death, the first prince who advocated for stricter demon bindings had firmly cemented his position as the favorite. The royal family had since turned more openly toward what was in Aretan¡¯s eyes an abuse of demonic power

    Again, until now.

    Aretan remembered as well the three demons in Malich¡¯s retinue: Venia, Verrux, and Astrodach. Two had been killed by Zarenna and Seyari.

    But the third¡­

    Astrodach had enchanted Nelys. The third demon¡¯s contract would have fallen to the king. Or would it have?

    Suddenly, Aretan¡¯s sweat ran cold. The idea seemed almost too outlandish to be real.

    But so did the war.

    So did his father¡¯s change in values.

    So did Zarenna, when he had met her.

    I have to investigate this, Aretan thought.

    Investigating a potential puppeteering demon would be exceedingly dangerous. Unfortunately, only his halberd was enchanted. A regular dagger would be less than useless, so Aretan instead gathered only his courage in front of a mirror. Dark bags hung under his eyes, and a scar on his cheek still glowed pink as it healed. His hair was getting too long as well, parted messily from the heated argument he¡¯d just left.

    Aretan wanted to be right, wanted to vindicate his father. He wanted to assure his people that their levies would not bring about a famine. He wanted his father to acknowledge some favor or debt owed that forced his hand so harshly against his own people in favor of contributing to the war against the Formid. He wanted a problem with a clear solution that he could solve with a sharp blade or a sharper tongue.

    Terror threatened to leap out of his gut like an angry scorpion at the thought that there might be a vile influence, demonic or otherwise, over his house. Things would be so much simpler if he was wrong and it was simple, mundane blackmail or a decades-old favor called in for a family friend.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Quickly, he washed his face in a basin, straightened his hair, and left his chambers. Favored heir or no, he was allowed to look through the family¡¯s records and finances. One thing his mother would never allow, and his father would never attempt, would be to enact an abrupt change in their spending habits.

    On the books or not, if his famously thrifty family wasted their people¡¯s money, the rumors would leave lasting damage to their reputation, and neither of his parents would tolerate such a thing. Ramped-up war efforts weren¡¯t cheap, especially for a region so far from the southern border. Something would show up in the ledgers, perhaps aid from the king or a sale of family artifacts.

    He saw the same graceful maid from earlier walking toward his chambers as he left, bearing a steaming teapot and glistening baklava.

    ¡°Shall I leave these in your chambers?¡± she asked, her tone impeccably professional.

    Aretan stared at the honeyed treats and softly steaming tea. It would only make sense that his favorite tea and dessert would be brought to him given what the maid might have overheard and what he¡¯d said. In fact, he¡¯d probably have asked for exactly what the maid held if he¡¯d stayed in his chambers. The gesture was familiar, but Aretan found himself suddenly paranoid that the maid was part of whatever conspiracy he had conjured in his head.

    ¡°Leave them in my chambers, please. I will not be long.¡± He spoke quickly to try to hide the nervousness in his voice.

    The maid nodded and left without a word. She didn¡¯t pressure him to eat or drink¡ªwhich would have been a breach of etiquette, and also incredibly suspicious.

    Aretan let his shoulders relax. If anything was wrong with the tea or food, she would have pushed. Right?

    The former mercenary¡¯s already tired mind protested. Paranoia concerning his own estate was not something he could allow to fester. Already, he struggled to keep his levies safe and sensible despite his father¡¯s ridiculous demands.

    And I¡¯ve only been back a week.

    He sighed and resumed his walk, keeping a pace just slow enough as to not look panicked. Soon enough, he reached where he needed to be: the records room. Or vault, as it were. Two guards were posted, and they let him through, bowing shallowly in sync. Another good sign.

    The lock was a familiar thing to him and he was through in no time at all. But Aretan couldn¡¯t relax yet. Before he¡¯d left this life to live with his mercenary company on the road, he might even have convinced himself everything was fine. Really, he was starting to miss the mercenary life, constant sand and discomfort included. Among the mercenaries, he had real friends.

    Aretan normally would have turned around and gone back to his chambers to enjoy baklava and his favorite tea after nothing untoward had happened. Aena he wanted to. But he didn¡¯t. Not this time. Some things humans simply couldn¡¯t sense, couldn¡¯t see coming aside from a faint feeling of wrongness until they lost their head.

    The Navanaean noble checked the guards again¡ªneither looked his way¡ªand entered the vault of records. As usual, the room was dark and dry to preserve its contents, so he took an oil lamp from a hook by the entrance and lit it.

    Shelves stuffed with scrolls closed the small space in even smaller. Despite the best attempts at organization, things had clearly gone south lately, which set Aretan on edge. The safes were closed innocently, and nothing was too out of place, but it wasn¡¯t like his family to be this disorganized.

    Thankfully, the mess was new enough that he found what he was looking for quickly. What he read chilled his blood.

    ¡°No¡­¡± he whispered.

    There wasn¡¯t an unusual change. There was a catastrophic change. His family¡¯s fortune was half gone already, between the war effort and diversions through names and companies he had never heard of. Who do I go to?

    Pangs of doubt spread through the former mercenary. His company was disbanded. Nelys, Zarenna, Seyari, and all his other friends were a continent away. Still, he had to try something.

    A month, maybe two was all he had left before his house would be ruined, but this could yet be fixed. If he could find support, find out whoever wasn¡¯t in on it, he could try to get rid of whatever was clouding the minds of his parents and¡ª

    A soft footstep by the vault door almost made his heart stop. He closed the scrolls and reached for his weapon, muscle memory from training taking over. Then he looked up.

    Standing in the doorway was a familiar gray demon. Astrodach. Aretan tried to shout, but he couldn¡¯t look away from the demons big, solid black eyes. He felt himself falling forward, the floor falling away into a void filled with half-remembered memories.

    A crash jolted him back to lucidity. The unfamiliar maid was standing over the gray demon, a silver tea tray bent from the force she¡¯d hit the demon over the head with.

    Instead of wide-eyed fear when his eyes met hers, he saw determination. ¡°We need to go, now!¡± the maid said.

    Already Astrodach was climbing to his feet, and he could hear the shouts of the guards outside the vault.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Aretan stumbled over his words.

    ¡°No time!¡± the maid brought the tray around again, almost faster than he could see, and hit the gray demon so hard he heard something snap.

    She can¡¯t be human!

    ¡°Come with me, or lose your mind here!¡± the maid repeated, frustration evident in her voice.

    Aretan remembered Zarenna, and his own prejudices. Bound or not, her offer could not possibly be worse than being put under thrall by Astrodach of all demons. Death would be preferable.

    Aretan swiftly traded the oil lantern for the offending ledger and took the maid¡¯s hand. The pair ran for the exit, back toward the shaded, open-air hallway and the rock garden beyond.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s snuck into the vault and assaulted Master Aretan!¡± she shouted, her voice suddenly, convincingly frightened.

    Instead of reacting to her shouts, the guards moved with emotionless faces to block them.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± the maid swore. ¡°You take left!¡±

    Someone without Aretan¡¯s training and experience would hesitate. He didn¡¯t.

    The guard brought a polearm down toward him, turning at the last moment to sweep his legs. Aretan narrowly avoided the gleaming blade and grabbed the guard¡¯s arm. Turning his momentum against him, Aretan half-threw the heaver man to one side and stumbled past while he recovered.

    The maid ducked under an attack and landed a swift kick between the guard¡¯s legs, denting his metal codpiece with her slippered foot. The man hardly grunted, but he stumbled as he tried to turn after the maid who was already past him.

    In moments, Aretan¡¯s hand was in the maid¡¯s again and they ran into the courtyard.

    ¡°There is a better way out the other side!¡± Aretan hissed.

    A look in the direction the they were running showed more estate guards headed their way. The maid cursed and turned, only to find yet more guards bearing down on the pair, weapons drawn.

    ¡°You must have tipped your father off in that last conversation,¡± the maid hissed. ¡°Something spooked that gray bastard.¡±

    At the sight of his own house¡¯s guards rushing them, no more than twenty meters away across sand and carefully-arranged succulents, Aretan¡¯s heart dropped. I can¡¯t let it end like this, can I?

    ¡°Fuck,¡± the maid swore. ¡°So much for any chance of sticking around here.¡± She pulled on Aretan¡¯s arm fast enough to hurt, and lifted the tall man into a princess carry with surprising ease when he stumbled.

    He heard a tearing sound, and saw bright red wings burst from the maid¡¯s back. She jumped skyward and with a rush of wind, the pair were airborne. Panicked, Aretan grabbed onto the maid around the midsection.

    ¡°You¡¯re a demon!¡± Aretan shouted, his words almost lost to the wind.

    The demon maid flapped again, looking down at him with solid black eyes and an unreasonable shapely face, one that was entirely different from the one she¡¯d worn moments ago. ¡°Mereneth. Mistress assigned me to watch over your estate after you parted ways with Zarenna.¡± Her words seemed to carry fine in the harsh wind.

    She tilted both of them, angling out away from the estate just as the first arrows starting to fly their way.

    ¡°Mereneth? Mistress?¡± Aretan shouted.

    Mereneth¡¯s lips quirked into a smile. ¡°Lillith. You¡¯ll meet her soon enough.¡±

 Chapter 141: The Last Road South

    ¡°Behind us,¡± Taava hissed, her ears twitching. ¡°Someone¡¯s runnin¡¯ our way.¡±

    ¡°Human?¡± Seyari asked immediately.

    ¡°They¡¯ve got two legs. S¡¯all I know.¡±

    ¡°We¡ª¡± Kartania started.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stop and wait for them.¡± I cut her off. ¡°If they¡¯re not aiming to hurt us, they should just keep moving toward us.¡±

    ¡°Sister¡­¡± Kartania warned.

    I gave her a cold smile. ¡°While I¡¯m not in charge of you, I am in charge of the rest of our group.¡±

    Rather than anger, Kartania simply smiled mirthlessly. ¡°Good of you to take charge. But¡­ when we get to Astrye, will you be able to kill?¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve killed before.¡±

    ¡°Seyari told me what happened in Gedon. And I know what you did at Mordwell¡¯s estate last autumn.¡±

    ¡°I made a judgment call,¡± I answered stiffly, glaring at Seyari.

    Sparing a glance back down the trail, Seyari sighed and answered. ¡°I know I said I was over it, but I¡¯m not. Trusting Vivian at all and taking the contract with Joisse were impossibly stupid risks. The first one is partially my fault, but the point still stands¡± I tried to speak, but she held up her hand for silence. ¡°Ever since Lockmoth, I¡¯ve been actively taking a follower role, wanting to help you develop into a leader.¡±

    I gulped when I realized she wanted me to talk.

    Taava shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re still a ways off. Probably just comin¡¯ up the last hill we came down¡ªsound was echoin¡¯ up the valley.¡±

    I took a deep breath.

    ¡°This.¡± Seyari said coldly. ¡°This is still hesitation.¡±

    My anger flared. ¡°I know that!¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so confrontational?¡± I hissed.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking I may need to take a more active role in leadership,¡± Seyari said simply and her words hit me hard.

    ¡°¡­Why? Why now?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do this to you while you were grieving, and I had my own problems to sort out while we were in Linthel. What I need you to know, Zarenna, is that the cult in Astrye will betray your trust. They will act for all the world like they¡¯re on your side only to plant a knife in your back. I know you killed Vivian, but you let her strike you first. You can¡¯t keep doing that.¡±

    ¡°I know that!¡±

    ¡°Do you really? Have you ever been the one to plant that knife?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, Sister,¡± Kartania interjected. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re still as kind and na?ve as you are. Perhaps it¡¯s what¡¯s kept you, you. I know you care. Your contract with Nelys is proof that you¡¯re willing to go to questionable lengths to listen to your friends. What I think Seyari is trying to say is that¡ª¡±

    ¡°The people you will have to kill in Astrye won¡¯t be easy choices,¡± Seyari interrupted with a flare of frustration, taking control of the conversation back. ¡°It might not be life or death. You will have the power to choose mercy, and you must not take it.¡±

    ¡°I bit my lip. But what if¡­¡±

    ¡°What if this is the time they succeed in killing you because you trusted them and let them get close enough to strike?¡±

    My heart sunk. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± I thought about the joy of battle the other day, of my lack of sleep, and of the increasing infrequency of my meals. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t want to become a monster. I don¡¯t want to lose myself.¡±

    ¡°Wrap it up,¡± Taava hissed. ¡°Incomin¡¯ soon. Still one.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Joisse whispered, looking to the others. ¡°She won¡¯t, right?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Nelys answered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know enough yet,¡± Kartania admitted.

    ¡°You¡­ you might, Zarenna,¡± Seyar admitted with a hurt voice. ¡°But I¡¯d rather love a monster than a corpse. And if I can be what I was and change, then I believe you can wade through a battlefield of slaughter and emerge as yourself, even if changed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m scared, though,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯m scared that if I start killing¡­ that I¡¯ll enjoy slaughter. I already worry that I do¡­¡±

    Seyari took a step forward and wrapped me in a hug. ¡°If that becomes a real concern, we¡¯ll deal with it. Together. But until then, there¡¯s no sense living in fear of yourself. You can keep in charge for now, but I want you to know what I¡¯m thinking¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of myself¡­ am I?¡± I whispered the last part so faint as to be barely audible.

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Taava hissed softly, then resumed much louder, ¡°So you¡¯re sure we shouldn¡¯t try for a better path?¡±

    ¡°No. The pass might be dangerous and long, but we won¡¯t get lost,¡± Nelys answered, glancing back at the nearby bend in the trail.

    I heard the footsteps now, and a familiar grey-haired lupael bounded into view. Brynna was outfitted in winter clothing that fit her acceptably well, and carried a big patchwork rucksack on her back. She came to a stop as soon as she noticed us.

    For a long while she stared at me in my dress and pack. ¡°It¡¯s enchanted,¡± I offered, a little quieter than the bravado I intended.

    My voice seemingly snapped Brynna out it and she looked the group over. ¡°I figured you¡¯d stopped,¡± she said, not out of breath at all. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to go with you. I will not abandon my home, and I fear returning alone will achieve nothing.¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    I glared at Seyari as if to say ¡°what about this one?¡±

    She bit her lip and looked away. Thought so.

    But¡­ I glanced down at my four clawed hands. I kept saying I¡¯d accepted myself, but I keep finding that I¡¯ve failed in one or more aspects. Change is really hard, I guess.

    I clenched my hands into fists, then realized everyone, Kartania included, was waiting for me. I gave Brynna my winningest smile. ¡°We¡¯d be glad to have you along.¡±

    She winced at the sight of my teeth, but nodded solemnly. ¡°Thank you. And thank you for saving me.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded. ¡°Now let¡¯s get going. The sooner we get to Astrye, the better.¡±

    As we walked, I thought about Yevon¡¯s warning. I also worried about the people of Astrye and what the cult might be doing to them. I could get there faster alone. Would it be foolishness? Could I actually just scout ahead?

    I felt restless after our last conversation, like I wasn¡¯t doing enough with the power I had. Eventually, I decided I had to ask someone, so I stepped closer to Seyari.

    She spoke first. ¡°Earlier¡­ I¡¯m sorry if I was blunt. But I really mean it, Zarenna. You have to be more okay with killing. You have to accept that sometimes you mustn¡¯t risk mercy.¡±

    Even agreeing with her, I winced. ¡°Yeah¡­ I wanted to say something about that as well.¡± I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. In the beginning, I killed out of panic, and then after Lorelei¡¯s death and especially after the power I realized I had in Lockmoth, I¡­ I decided I was powerful enough to force mercy on everyone.¡±

    Seyari smiled sadly. ¡°It¡¯s a noble ideal. Mercy as a tool available to the strong.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯ll get me killed.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Or it¡¯ll get one of us killed.¡±

    The cold pit in my stomach grew larger. ¡°Then I¡¯d forever regret my decision.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You killed Vivian, and it¡¯s almost unfair to expect you to have seen her betrayal coming, but you need to see it coming. And that means you can¡¯t go granting mercy unless you¡¯re fully certain you can control the outcome. Think about Lorelei? In her case, it almost worked out for both of you, but it could easily have gone the other way. And in that case you were close to controlling everything.¡±

    I thought her words over. ¡°You¡¯re right, I guess. But it¡¯s really hard not to try when I see someone as a person who might change and who wants to be a good person.¡±

    Seyari nodded sadly. ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s more normal than you¡¯d like to think. You¡¯re freakishly willing to hurt yourself and create long-term risks for the sake of maybe saving a single person who has long run out of second chances.¡±

    I smiled thinly.

    Seyari put an arm up around most of my waist. ¡°I love that about you, Renna. That unambitious selflessness. But this is war now, even if not in name.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I¡­ I actually came over here to ask you about something related to that. What if I flew to Astrye right now, alone?¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°It¡¯d be a foolish idea. Even in human form, they know what you look like.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ won¡¯t they know we¡¯re coming anyway?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s all of us. You just want to go ahead to save people, don¡¯t you.¡±

    I winced. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Renna, I hate to say this, I really do. But right now, this whole fucking mess is about killing the bad people more than it is saving the good. Because if we save people and don¡¯t kill the cult, they¡¯ll just slip through and do more harm elsewhere. Over and over again.¡± Her voice carried an old, bitter hurt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sey.¡± I wrapped two arms around her shoulders.

    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°If they know we¡¯re coming, should we even bother to hide?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ I think we should attack them promptly and decisively. They¡­ they probably won¡¯t expect me to do that.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Kartania and I were thinking the same. What will you do if they use innocents as shields?¡±

    The thought of that scenario sickened me. ¡°Try¡­ try to go around them. Get them to negotiate, to drop their guard. Use my speed or my wings or try to kill them with their own fury.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no good answer. Never is.¡±

    ¡°What would you do?¡± I asked my fianc¨¦e.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore,¡± she replied softly. ¡°And trust me, that¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    I nodded and we resumed walking quickly in silence. As we climbed, the trees got shorter and the snow got icier and deeper. Toward the middle of the afternoon, it started to snow, and Kartania and Seyari worked together to keep our whole group dry. I worked to keep us warm, careful not to extend my magic too far and loosen any snow. Memories of the avalanche on the road north of Gedon were still fresh in my mind.

    ¡°Do you think King Carvalon will do anything?¡± Brynna asked quietly, her voice just barely audible over the crunching of boots on snow.

    ¡°He should.¡± Kartania answered. ¡°But with only word of mouth, he¡¯s not likely to send more than a scouting force. Especially during winter. Likewise, the Church will send others behind me, probably fewer than the King¡¯s soldiers.¡±

    ¡°How long will we have alone?¡± I asked. ¡°Before they get there, I mean.¡±

    Kartania turned and looked up at me. ¡°A week, perhaps two.¡±

    ¡°That should be enough time,¡± Seyari said after a moment of thought. ¡°They¡¯ll be looking for us, and if we don¡¯t meet any resistance on the pass, we certainly will in Astrye.¡±

    I felt my lips pull into a frown. This was war. Not yet in name, and just the opening moves, but we weren¡¯t going to Astrye to negotiate.

    My claws itched and I was glad to find I didn¡¯t really seem all that eager. Lesser demons of wrath disobeying me seemed to be a step above humans on the ¡°I am excited to kill¡± ladder. Definitely a good thing.

    ***

    The peaceful day turned into a peaceful night. The still serenity served only to spike my anxiety, and I stared into the dying fire of our campsite trying not to grit my teeth together. What happened with Vivian can¡¯t happen again. Neither can what happened with Lorelei. The latter was what I struggled to accept.

    ¡°Mom?¡± Joisse asked from near her tent.

    I jolted. That is going to take some getting used to. ¡°Yes?¡± I left off anything like ¡°dear.¡±

    ¡°Can I sit with you?¡± She poked the rest of the way out of her tent.

    I patted the rock next to mine. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Joisse sat down next to me. ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t too awkward.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to it, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°What about Seyari?¡±

    I glanced at my fianc¨¦e¡¯s tent and smiled thinly. ¡°She¡¯s probably putting thinking about this off, but she did agree of course.¡±

    ¡°Putting it off¡­¡±

    ¡°Until we¡¯ve resolved things in Astrye.¡±

    ¡°About that.¡± Joisse fidgeted, and I placed one of my lower arms over her shoulders. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m scared I¡¯ll lose myself if we have to fight humans. Do¡­ do you have any advice?¡±

    Closing my eyes, I took a long moment to think. ¡°I think¡­ I think as long as you don¡¯t want to kill people, then you¡¯ll be okay. At least for me, even if they¡¯re rotten to the core, I feel some sense that maybe, had things been different, their death wouldn¡¯t have had to happen at my claws.¡±

    ¡°Have you killed someone like that?¡± Joisse asked softly.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. The Third Prince of Navanaea. I don¡¯t regret it, not the act itself at least. The world¡¯s a better place and people are safer with him dead. But I had the luxury of knowing the depths of his evil first. We¡¯ll be ambushing people, some of whom may have been misled or blackmailed into joining the cult.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re still going along with it.¡± Joisse said, her voice gaining some confidence. ¡°Right?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Right. Seyari¡¯s tried to drill that into my thick head for months, going on a year. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever truly feel like my actions were one hundred percent in the right in most cases.¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°But you¡¯re still going to kill people in the cult? And those who help them?¡±

    I cracked a single eye open to look down at Joisse. ¡°Yeah, I will.¡± I looked down at the three hands I had in my lap and flexed my claws, watching the air distort around them as I heated them. ¡°I¡¯ll make it fast. I won¡¯t revel in it, despite my baser nature wanting to.¡±

    ¡°The same for those who might be forced into helping the cult against their will?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not if I can help it. But¡­ I need to stop acting like a saint. I have the strength to offer mercy, but it¡¯s not always the right option. Within the week, I¡¯ll have killed someone who could have been saved.¡± I felt the first tears slide down my cheek.

    Joisse leaned over and placed a hand on the small of my back. ¡°I think you¡¯re doing your best. And I think you¡¯re a really good person, Zarenna. Mom.¡±

    I wiped my face with the back of my hand. ¡°Thanks, Joisse. I just hope we can put a stop to this with minimum collateral damage.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Joisse gazed off into the woods like she wanted to say something else, but she didn¡¯t.

    Instead, we sat by each other in silence until Joisse drifted off to sleep and the orange of morning filtered through the snow-laden trees.

    I am going to kill. Controlled I may be, but I am no pacifist and everyone will only suffer if I play at being one. In the end, I am Wrath.

 Chapter 142: Good Intentions

    Seyari spotted the demon first. We were near the top of the pass, the trees around us short and the snow deep. They¡¯d seen us before we saw them. Up on a ridge ahead of us, a blur of motion was the only sign we got before they dipped out of view, doubtlessly headed south. A scout?

    ¡°Zarenna¡ª¡± Seyari started.

    ¡°On it,¡± I replied before she could finish.

    A quick few steps, a leap, and a rush of my magic and I took flight after the fleeing scout. They were fast, really fast: an orange-red blur I could only see from behind. But they had to navigate terrain, while I could fly. Still, they were fast¡ªI¡¯d have stood no chance catching up if I had to run.

    The other demon was smaller than I was, but I had a suspicion they were a wrath demon all the same. Short spikes of black bone ran up their tail and spine, clustering around two sets of shoulder blades. Horns curved up from the sides of their head, and their feet were more claw than foot, perhaps why they were so fast. Their appearance leaned feminine as well, with a figure that was slim for a wrath demon and shoulder-length, blood red hair. She wore fitted leathers around her torso, just enough to cover everything.

    I descended on her like a hawk toward a mouse. Even if my magic could torch her from above, I wasn¡¯t about to let a chance for information¡ªeven a slim one¡ªslip through my claws.

    For a split second, I saw the other demon¡¯s four-eyed face over her shoulder as I crashed down. I also saw something mu more important: a binding collar around her neck. She whirled away, claws slashing.

    Too slow.

    I caught her through the side. My past few fights had taught me well enough to know that a few crushed ribs and huge gashes wouldn¡¯t be much of a deterrent for one of my kind. She leapt up and tried to dash away again, her aura flaring in a sudden burst of speed.

    Barely, my claws closed around her tail, and I whipped her overhead and into the nearby snow like an oversized doll. With her impact softened, she wasn¡¯t so much as stunned, and I barely caught one of her wrists with my own as she tried once again to slip away.

    Immediately, three other hands slashed at my grasping limb, claws tearing into me. In response, I crushed my grip down until I felt bones snapping and threw the other demon to the ground under me.

    ¡°Talk,¡± I ordered with a growl. ¡°You know what I am.¡±

    Underneath me, four eyes narrowed: two blue and two red, sclera filled with the same inky blackness all demons shared. Unlike my usual opponents, this one had enough limbs to grapple with mine. Lucky for me, I was both bigger and stronger.

    The other demon knew it, too. In desperation, her magic turned hot and erupted into fire. Pushing back with my own, I snuffed the blaze like a candle, leaving both of us locked in a struggle on the steaming, rocky ground.

    ¡°Who sent you? What are your orders?¡± I hissed.

    Her struggles slowed. ¡°I¡­¡± their binding collar glowed. ¡°can¡¯t. Won¡¯t tell you.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to die?¡± I hissed. Can I even break this binding without killing her? Mereneth was bound when I first met her, and Lilly hadn¡¯t come and undone hers¡ªbut I don¡¯t know why.

    Her struggles stopped. Four eyes looked into my two, one set almost angrier than the other. I sensed a deep fury within the demon, and the more I looked, the more something seemed familiar about her. Seizing my chance, I pinned her harder, wrenching her four arms so I could hold all their wrists with only two hands. My other hands menaced above her, claws open.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± they responded eventually. Now that she was calmer, her voice scratched at the back of my mind like a barely-forgotten memory.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what?¡± I hissed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to die. But I can¡¯t.¡±

    For a moment, I was struck speechless.

    Then, the demon continued, her voice a pained hiss. ¡°But I won¡¯t tell you anything. I don¡¯t know if I can¡­ I won¡¯t.¡±

    Will a contract break the binding? My instincts didn¡¯t quite tell me. I had a feeling the idea was risky.

    Even if I did contract them, what would I do? And why would I? A vague familiarity and an idea of mercy to someone who is suffering? I felt more of their wrists snap as I tensed my hands in fury.

    Not at her, but at this damned world that allowed things like this to happen.

    ¡°Who sent you? Orders. Anything.¡± At this point, I was stalling. Killing her now would be easy, but I just didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°No,¡± they spat.

    ¡°Your name?¡± I tried.

    Their eyes widened. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have one.¡± They started to writhe under me again, futilely attempting to break free as our tails wrestled, the spikes on hers digging deep gouges into mine and my back both.

    ¡°Anything?¡± At this point my hands were shaking. I knew I could do it, should do it, but every time I tried to summon up the will to kill them, my eyes would find their collar, which was glowing almost angrily.

    They don¡¯t want this, right? Could they? Could I? Should they? Should I?

    ¡°¡­durians.¡± Her voice was almost a whisper.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked before I could stop myself. Some of my blood was dripping onto her, sizzling into her skin and clothes alike.

    ¡°I hate durians,¡± she repeated softly.

    I felt like I¡¯d been punched in the gut. I recognized her voice. No. No it can¡¯t be.

    ¡°Lorelei?¡± I asked, my voice shaking more than my arms.

    She narrowed her eyes¡ªall of them¡ªand looked away. No way.

    I felt sick. Under me was the result of my single greatest mistake. Of a broken promise, and a dream cut short.

    I can¡¯t kill her.

    The realization made my head swim.

    I can¡¯t kill her. She probably knows this. Mordwell or whoever sent her might know this! Lorelei knew that what I wanted was peace and atonement¡ªcamaraderie and understanding. She¡¯d heard it from me when I was at my lowest.

    And here she was. Or part of her. Hurt. Enslaved.

    I can¡¯t kill her.

    Whoever she serves knows my weakness. They know that I try to save even my enemies. And they are going to use it against me.

    And I still can¡¯t kill her.

    Only her. Only Lorelei. Any other demon, any other regret or mistake or piece of my past coming back¡­ I could deal with those¡ªhave dealt with those. My parents would understand if I had to. Abby already did. Any of my friends would.

    My sister would force my damn claws if it needed to be done!

    Anyone but Lorelei.

    My hands loosened and Lorelei slipped out. She stood, and I looked up at her, my face pleading. ¡°A contract,¡± I sputtered. ¡°Please, I can help you.¡±

    Lorelei¡¯s face contorted even as her collar glowed. She didn¡¯t shed a tear, but her breath hitched as she turned to dash away.

    A fraction of a moment later, I found myself holding onto her wrist again, broken bones grinding in my grip. If Lorelei felt it, she gave no indication.

    She tried to pull away, but I let her pull me to my feet again. Like old times, I towered over her, though she¡¯d gained some height since. I didn¡¯t know what parts of any others were in there, but she acted like a single whole, and that whole was too uncanny to be anyone other than Lorelei.

    No one else would bring up durians. I hadn¡¯t been able to find one in months, and this far south I never would.

    Two of Lorelei¡¯s eyes looked at my hand around her wrist, and the red pair glared up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you,¡± I said sternly. I didn¡¯t know if I meant it; my head felt fit to burst.

    Anger turned to fear. We both knew what a broken contract would do. I reached for her collar and she flinched away.

    ¡°Would you rather die? Become something you hate?¡± I muttered at her, too focused to shout.

    ¡°I already have,¡± Lorelei replied.

    A moment later, my claws touched her collar and the world went red.

    ***

    Seyari watched Zarenna fly off with a strange combination of excitement, anxiety, and envy. Like a crimson cannonball, her partner arced through the sky in the direction of the demon.

    Is she¡­ faster than I was? Seyari wondered idly.

    A hand shook her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you got the idea to daydream from her. We need to set up for an ambush,¡± Kartania said grimly.

    Seyari shook her head and focused back on the trail. Now that she didn¡¯t have her head in the clouds, she could hear the rapid thumping and crunching of approaching footfalls. Fewer this time than the horde, which could be very, very bad.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The area they had to work with was open: a hillside covered in knee-deep snow and dotted with scraggly trees about two Zarenna¡¯s tall. The road drove through a wide, flat spot in the hillside. Everyone had taken defensive positions, behind rocks or trees or in the shadow of the rolling hillside as it curved away toward the incoming group.

    The newcomer, Brynna looked to be a bruiser of sorts, with a pair of spiked metal knuckles. She and Taava were together behind a boulder near the half-angel on the downslope of the hill. If Seyari hadn¡¯t seen her aura and made a guess at weak fire magic, she¡¯d have wondered how the lupael¡¯s hands didn¡¯t freeze off.

    Joisse stepped over near Seyari, while Kartania and Nelys took positions behind trees just uphill from the road. The wrath demon had tossed her coat aside and transformed. She glanced red eyes Seyari¡¯s way and shot a fanged smile at her. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Seyari ran a hand down the spikes on Joisse¡¯s head. They seemed a little more organized than a few weeks ago.

    Zarenna¡¯s way ahead on getting used to this whole ¡°parent¡± thing. Also love, finish that demon off and get the fuck back over here! We¡¯re about to need you.

    No sooner had she thought that, then the first of the demons emerged around a corner in the road ahead. A greater demon. They barely looked humanoid: a distorted figure of spikes and black, bony plates with a few too many uneven limbs. Head down, they charged straight toward the group.

    Kartania slid fluidly to intercept, and Seyari felt her heart catch at the sight of a pure human standing in front of a charging wrath demon.

    But she didn¡¯t get the chance to dwell on it. The wrath demon wasn¡¯t alone. A flare of magic and a burning taste in the air was all the warning Seyari had before the world around them erupted into fire. Her wind only barely beat back the demonic flames, and she hadn¡¯t even seen their source. Brynna and Taava lived only by the boulder they hid behind, which meant the fire had come from uphill.

    With a quick nod, Joisse took off across the road and up the hill toward the unknown caster, leaving Seyari to cover Taava and Brynna.

    ¡°Get out of my head!¡± Nelys screamed from off in the whirling crimson maelstrom. Bolts of their lightning shot out to one side.

    Another one. That¡¯s three enemies at least! On the roiling wind, and through her aura sight muddied by the fire spell, Seyari could see another demonic aura rapidly approaching from just downhill of the road. Make that four.

    Out in front, a monstrous roar of pain echoed, distorted in the wind. A wall of ice, tall as a two-story building dripped blood from its many spikes.

    If something tried to get into Nelys¡¯s head¡­

    Seyari jumped away from the pair most susceptible to demonic magic. She was just in time, as Brynna made to grab the half angel even and Taava started stiffly toward her, eyes wide, furious, and flickering with a purple glow. The big lupael woman was fast, and Seyari only just dodged the grapple. Unfortunately, the nimble Taava fell under, catching Seyari¡¯s hair on the way down.

    Swiping back, she cut herself free and rolled to her feet, only to come face-to-face with the fourth demon she¡¯d sensed approaching. The sword wielding demonic man wore an armor of silver coins melted into tortured flesh. His blade flashed forward toward Seyari¡¯s heart, and she only barely brought her newly-sharpened sword up to deflect.

    The strength of his hit nearly knocked the blade out of her hand, her arm buzzing numb up to the shoulder. A quick glance showed she was surrounded: Brynna and Taava under an enchantment from an unseen demon, their eyes glowing purple, and a demon of avarice bearing down on the three-quarters angel.

    For a heart-stopping moment, Seyari wondered where the other demon who tried to burn them alive was. Joisse¡¯s roar and a cry of pain answered that question.

    Joisse is taking one. Kartania another. Nelys searching for the one that enchanted Taava and Brynna.

    That just left Seyari and the avarice demon to face off alone, by her count.

    Unfortunately, she¡¯d counted wrong.

    Seemingly materializing out of the whipping wind, the envy demon appeared from behind a nearby tree, looking like a gray, skeletal, withered old man. His magic slammed into her mind just as the avarice demon attacked. Seyari threw a wave of holy magic toward both demons as her mind threatened to buckle, careful not to hurt her enchanted friends, and she moved to parry the avarice demon.

    Taava grabbed her arm, and Brynna hit her undefended knee hard enough that Seyari heard the joint pop. She stumbled at the critical moment, watching the sword swing pivot mid-motion from her heart to her arm.

    Searing pain exploded from behind her eyes, and Seyari lost all feeling in her sword hand. When she sent a pulse of her holy magic down the limb, trying to heal the damage, she realized¡­

    It was just gone.

    Below just above the wrist, her right arm had been sliced clean through. She slid out of Taava¡¯s grip on her incomplete limb and whirled to knee Brynna away. She saw her hand as the blade slipped between dead fingers; sword and hand together crashed into the snow a few meters away.

    Two demons on me, she thought. With her arm bleeding as it was, she had two choices: close the wound and heal what was left of her arm, or try to reattach her hand mid-combat.

    Seyari dove for her own severed arm. At the last second, a withering bolt of demonic lightning from the envy demon seared into it. Seyari rolled away, grabbing her sword instead with her one good hand. In front of her, her own severed limb bubbled and burned as it was destroyed.

    Seyari screamed.

    The torrent of wind intensified, and through it, Nelys stumbled forward into the flat of the road, their eyes alight with fury even as they brought their magic down on the envy demon. Lightning arced forward from Nelys¡¯s hands, and the envy demon jolted. Teeth gritted tightly together, Seyari dove at the stunned demon, barely dancing away from the avarice demon who flanked her.

    In her off-hand, she poured enough power into the sword to turn it into a holy lance. With a roar, she drove it through the stunned envy demon. They tried to shift away, the same trick that had doubtlessly fooled Nelys.

    But Seyari was trained. She saw the aura shift, the dents in the snow, and, ducking under the avarice demon just as Nelys engaged with him, she swung the meters-long blade of light around. Black blood sprayed out of the empty air, and the envy demon fell into two halves in the snow.

    That¡¯s one down! We can win this!

    Taking a ragged breath, Seyari stepped back, fending off Brynna¡¯s last swing even as Taava swore colorfully from her position face-first in the snow.

    Her own healing magic raced through down to her stump of a limb, finding where it now ended just above where her wrist had been. The flow of blood stopped, the end scabbing over to a smooth nub even as Seyari drove the pommel of her sword into the lupael woman¡¯s shoulder, stumbling her.

    Before she could try to snap Brynna out of it, she heard Nelys scream in raw agony. Kicking off from her position just downhill of the road, Seyari darted back to where the two had drifted away in their fight, sparing a glance toward Kartania.

    The monstrous wrath demon Zarenna¡¯s sister was fighting had seemingly increased in size, and was shooting molten spikes at the paladin of Dhias who was using the slope to her advantage. Kartania intercepted each one with a shield of ice, and while Seyari could see Kartania tiring, the demon she fought was fully engaged, and sported many large gashes.

    The avarice demon intercepted her as Seyari darted out from behind a tree and back onto the road. She blocked another strike from the avarice demon, feinted, and rolled away from them with only a small gash on her leg from the demon¡¯s superior speed.

    Wherever Joisse was, Seyari couldn¡¯t see. From the sounds of it, and the orange glow of further up the hill, her soon-to-be daughter was still fighting with whatever threw that fire spell. She had to be doing a solid job of it, as Seyari and the others weren¡¯t dead¡­ yet.

    In the distance, a massive explosion rumbled the ground. Zarenna?! Seyari didn¡¯t have time to so much as look in her direction. Her target was Nelys¡ªtheir bloodcurdling scream carried the kind of mortality Seyari was all-too familiar with. Please be alive.

    With the avarice demon chasing her, hardly even harried by the blades thrown by a distant Taava, Seyari darted through the steam and ash and snow toward where she had heard Nelys.

    Ahead, her friend had fallen to one knee, a nasty gash opening their midsection enough that Seyari could see pulsing organs starting to spill out. They looked down with shocked eyes even as the sneering avarice demon behind Seyari brought the blade up for a killing blow.

    No time to form a spell, Seyari whirled and rammed him with her once-dominant shoulder. He stumbled and the attack missed. Almost fumbling the spells for lack of a second hand, Seyari threw a wave of holy light that staggered the avarice demon, blistering and blackening half of his face.

    Nelys is contracted with a demon. But¡­ this should be possible.

    ¡°This¡¯ll hurt like hell,¡± Seyari said, her voice hoarser than she intended.

    Nelys looked up at her with eyes full of pain and shock.

    No time to second guess. She poured a good chunk of her remaining mana forth over Nelys. They screamed again, a hand going from entrails to mouth. The wound was too big, to vicious: even as it started to heal, Nelys started to burn from the opposing magic.

    Shit.

    Tossing her sword down and simply hoping for enough time, Seyari helped Nelys hold the wound shut, even as their skin started to blister under the holy magic. But the mortal wound started to seal closed.

    Then Seyari heard fast, heavy footfalls behind her.

    Her sword was on the ground. Her magic was tied in a spell.

    She had no chance to defend herself.

    Nelys, half delirious and in burning agony, raised the hand covering their mouth and pointed above Seyari. A bolt of uncomfortable heat almost grazed her head, and the steps stumbled, not a meter behind her.

    She heard Taava yell, and heard a deeper grunt from Brynna. Behind her, the avarice demon screamed as enchanted knives and heavy metal knuckles stung at it. Seyari only prayed they bought enough time.

    And that neither ended up dead next.

    Where the FUCK is Zarenna?!

    Sweat dripping from her brow even in the freezing cold, Seyari finished healing Nelys. Though an ugly scar remained, they would live. Seyari worried about the damage any further holy magic could cause.

    Unfortunately, she had no time to console them, or even help them to their feet. With a grimace, she turned and grabbed her sword out of the bloody snow. Taava dipped barely out of the way of the avarice demon¡¯s swing. Brynna impressed her by using the supernatural speed of the demon to slide under a kick and deliver an unfortunately inconsequential blow.

    Behind her, the massive wrath demon roared again in pain.

    ¡°Die already!¡± Kartania shouted, her voice sounding as tired as her body must have been.

    Seyari didn¡¯t have a chance to check on Joisse. Instead, she coated her blade in holy light, conserving the last of her magic, and struck out at the avarice demon.

    Pay attention to me. I¡¯m a bigger threat.

    And I can heal myself if I get hit¡­ Zarenna¡¯s really rubbed off on me.

    And she isn¡¯t here!

    Whirling with inhuman speed, he blocked Seyari¡¯s strike. But he didn¡¯t think to block her handless arm. Blade of light at the end, she drove it square into his sternum, slicing through bone. He twisted away before it could become a mortal blow, hissing in pain as the wound smoked.

    Now, it was the avarice demon surrounded by Seyari and two allies. Potentially four if Nelys could get off the ground. Thankfully, the avarice demon decided to go after the three-quarters angel. Unbalanced, Seyari barely deflected blow after blow as Taava and Brynna harried him. Only the efforts of her allies kept the haggard Seyari from folding like a playing card.

    Nelys whimpered behind, drawing in slow breaths as Seyari heard them stand shakily.

    ¡°Die!!¡± Kartania shouted in the distance.

    A chill swept through the air, pausing even Seyari¡¯s fight. A titanic, gargling roar cut off into a crunching sound. Thinking quickly, Seyari feigned a look in the paladin¡¯s direction, and the avarice demon attacked. She deflected and drove another blade of her weakening holy magic into his gut, slicing sideways through silver armor and flesh both.

    Unlike what he¡¯d done to Nelys, it wasn¡¯t enough to disembowel him. But it also wouldn¡¯t heal. A vulnerability.

    ¡°Joisse!¡± Kartania shouted, and Seyari heard her run off.

    Hopefully they¡¯ll both make it.

    The silver-coated avarice demon lunged at her with a blow she couldn¡¯t risk blocking. Seyari rolled away and let it clip her side even as her holy magic worked to heal the damage. Her gambit worked, however. Taava ducked in with a low slice, and the demon¡¯s abdomen split open. As Seyari stumbled to her feet, Brynna dove in.

    She¡¯s too slow!

    More lightning magic from Nelys zipped forward and the demon stumbled, giving Brynna just enough time to dive under and thrust her hand upwards.

    Seyari assumed she¡¯d pull her arm straight out, but she reached up inside instead, behind the ribs. The avarice demon swung again, but Taava blocked. The force of the hit sent the kazzel flying, tumbling head over heels before landing in a half-roll that only failed to break bones because the snow was so deep.

    Brynna stayed latched onto the wounded avarice demon, her arm in his guts and her eyes burning with manic fury. With a clear shot, Seyari lunged forward, slicing downward with all her remaining magic in a massive blade of holy light. The avarice demon tried to dodge, but was hampered by more magic from Nelys, who fell to their knees behind the three-quarters angel as they succumbed to mana exhaustion.

    Seyari¡¯s strike caught the avarice demon, slicing their leg clean through below the knee. As the demon toppled over, Brynna wrenched her arm backward, out from the demon¡¯s abdomen. The avarice demon stared at the lupael woman, his black and gold eyes wide.

    Clutched in Brynna¡¯s clawed hand was a human-like heart. She crushed it as the avarice demon watched, and the light faded from his eyes.

    Another one down. That¡¯s the envy and avarice demons down¡ªand probably the big wrath one, too.

    With Joisse occupying the last remaining enemy demon, Seyari risked a glance to where Zarenna had flown. Kartania and Joisse shouted from further up the hill behind her, and Seyari knew she couldn¡¯t look for long.

    She didn¡¯t need to take a long look to know something was terribly wrong. The hill Zarenna had gone to was smoking, and a cloud of ash was drifting their way. A ring of blackened, flattened trees adorned the top like an ashen bald spot.

 Chapter 143: Falling Together

    When I came to, the world was silent and dark. I felt exhausted; mana exhausted as well. Trying to break Lorelei¡¯s binding was the last thing I could remember, but I struggled to put together why I felt like I needed to move. My whole body burned¡ªbut not with holy magic. Really, I¡¯d forgotten the feeling of painful heat, and it took me some moments to separate the why from the pain.

    I smelled charcoal first. Then, blinking, I got one eye open¡ªthe other still dark. Ash and cinders drifted up above me toward the burnt sticks of pine trees. The sky directly up was clear, although the tail of a dark gray cloud was visible at the edge of my perception.

    I tried to move, but I didn¡¯t have any luck. Right now, I couldn¡¯t even feel my limbs. Are they even still there? Will they grow back?

    All I could hear at first was a loud ringing noise that faded into complete silence. Complete silence save for a pair of footsteps.

    Still unmoving, I listened until the footsteps stopped, just to my side. Demon Lorelei leaned over me, her four eyes narrowed and her hair singed. Around her neck, where the binding collar had been, was a wicked-looking scar thicker around than my thumb.

    Trying to speak, I stared up at her. No words came out, only a faint choking sound. She clenched and unclenched her two right hands, then stared at her claws.

    ¡°Why?¡± Lorelei¡¯s question was soft, pained.

    I tried to answer, but I couldn¡¯t. The burning pain started to flare my vision white.

    ¡°Why?!¡± she roared.

    I didn¡¯t feel the kick that sent me tumbling over onto my face¡ªjust her claws sinking into me. I wanted so badly to answer her, even as I breathed in soot and ash, my face pressed against rocks so hot they still steamed. For a long, tense moment, nothing happened. Then, I heard faint sobbing from Lorelei.

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth,¡± Lorelei hissed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Eyes wide, staring into dirt, I braced for another blow. Instead, I heard the clack of claws on stone, rapidly fading as Lorelei sprinted away.

    I¡¯m an idiot. A colossal idiot. If she goes back south, we won¡¯t catch her now¡ªand they¡¯ll know what I can do.

    But¡­ will she go back? Her binding is broken.

    I didn¡¯t know. The only thing I knew for sure was that I¡¯d made yet another massive mistake. Yet again, I should be dead by what was effectively my own damn hand.

    I can¡¯t keep making these decisions. Someone¡¯s going to get hurt¡ªor worse.

    ***

    Kartania and Joisse had dispatched the remaining demon¡ªa slender wrath demon with a wicked-looking array of horns on her head. Seyari didn¡¯t wait any longer than their return to point in the direction of the smoking ruin where Zarenna had gone. Immediately, the three-quarters angel took off in a run.

    She almost used the very last of her wind magic to speed her progress, but she couldn¡¯t risk passing out. Anxiety for Renna warred against a burning fury for being tricked into separating so easily. Just what was going on that could keep Zarenna occupied this long?

    Is she¡­

    Seyari pushed the thought away. If it was just fire, Zarenna should be fine. But if she was fine¡­ the three-quarters angel felt acutely how her balance had changed from her missing hand. How did she not notice our fight?

    Without Nelys¡¯s recently-granted power, Seyari would be dead. Taava and Brynna and Nelys too, probably. Without Nelys, Kartania, and Joisse, they¡¯d certainly all be dead. Whoever had sent this attack¡ªprobably Mordwell¡ªhad truly meant to kill them this time. She had to hope Zarenna understood that more than superficially.

    Rapid footfalls next to her¡ªtwo pairs¡ªmade Seyari jump. The last of her magic coalesced into holy light at her fingertips. Nelys and Joisse were right behind her, the latter in her demon form.

    Joisse passed her, sweeping the half angel up into her arms. ¡°Mom¡¯s hurt¡ªbad.¡±

    Seyari fought back a protest. Like mother, like daughter, I guess. The warmth of the idle thought stuck out harshly against the panic she felt, highlighting just how worried Seyari was.

    ¡°She¡¯s not dead, but close,¡± Nelys gasped beside Joisse, barely able to keep up with the wrath demon. ¡°The contract would have ended if¡­ if she was dead.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ what if this is another trap?¡± Seyari gasped as she bumped along in Joisse¡¯s arms.

    Joisse hissed, tusks creaking as she set her jaw, hard.

    ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯re going into it, I guess,¡± Nelys answered, their words strained between breaths.

    ¡°Set me down when we get close,¡± Seyari said.

    Joisse nodded, and the trio continued on to the burned hilltop, passing through a forest dusted in still-falling ash. When they broke through the blackened spines of trees into a clearing of scorched earth, Joisse set the mostly-angel down. Seyari gasped and ran out in front.

    Zarenna lay face down in the center of the clearing, burned, battered, and wearing the shredded remains of her dress. Her limbs were broken, twisted, or simply¡­ gone. Seyari could only tell that her fianc¨¦e was alive by the flickering aura that still surrounded her. Soot-coated rocks crunched underfoot as Seyari ran to her love, passing a discarded, half-burned shoe on the way.

    ¡°Zarenna!¡± she shouted, relief blossoming in her chest when the broken body groaned.

    With Nelys and Joisse behind her, Seyari flipped Zarenna over, uncaring that her hand and stump blistered from the heat of her lover¡¯s skin. Zarenna stared up at her with blue eyes clouded by pain, and a face that looked like it was half burned off, jaw hanging limp.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Raw fury welled up within Seyari. ¡°Who! How?!¡± she screamed.

    Joisse ambled next to her. ¡°Mom¡­ please no¡­¡±

    Moments later, a distraught Nelys took Seyari¡¯s other side. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything or anyone nearby,¡± they whispered.

    Zarenna groaned again and Seyari snapped her gaze down. ¡°What? What is it?¡± she cradled Zarenna¡¯s head with her good hand.

    Zarenna¡¯s eyes moved slowly over to Seyari¡¯s handless arm, and they welled with tears.

    ***

    No¡­

    I stared at Seyari¡¯s handless arm, the stump already healed by her magic. I¡¯m out of chances.

    Vivian was the last reminder I¡¯d had; the last reminder I deserved. There, I¡¯d made the right call in the end, but I¡¯d missed the warning signs and lacked caution. Here, I¡¯d screwed up, completely and totally.

    From my fianc¨¦e, I felt fury, raw and hot. I didn¡¯t want to consume it¡ªI couldn¡¯t bear to deny Seyari what she deserved to feel toward me and my failure. Nelys too burned with anger, and our connection through the contract blazed. Joisse fell to her knees, crying even as her fury threatened to spiral out of control.

    ¡°I¡­¡± her voice hitched, and I felt her fury come undone.

    I was helpless to stop her, and I couldn¡¯t warn the others beyond staring at my newly adopted daughter as she jittered and flexed her claws.

    No¡­ gods no¡­

    Joisse roared, startling Seyari. Overwhelmed with fury, she lost control, and I watched her massive arm, hand tipped with wicked claws, bear down toward Seyari. Nelys leapt between, crackling with magic, and I watched as Joisse¡¯s claws shredded through their shoulder to the bone. I felt the string that connected me to my daughter pull taught, tight and furious.

    ¡°Joisse!¡± Nelys shrieked, coherent even through their pain. ¡°Stop! We¡¯re your friends and fam¡ª¡± They cut themselves off to roll under another swipe of Joisse¡¯s claws.

    Missing twice and delirious, she charged Nelys, and I felt something horrible in my gut. Our contract burned to life, blazing words across my vision.

    ¡°Joisse shall not harm without reason.¡±

    The air cracked and a wall of ice formed in front of Joisse¡¯s attack, blocking it. Tania.

    ¡°Take¡­¡± Seyari shouted, shaking me. I didn¡¯t make out the rest of the words over the ones in my mind, repeating over and over again.

    ¡°Joisse shall not harm without reason.¡±

    The contract smoldered and frayed apart, falling through my claws. She¡¯s already broken it. I watched as the wall of ice fell. Joisse locked eyes with me, tears forming as she mouthed an apology before she fell to her knees, then to the ground like a puppet with her strings cut.

    Power threatened to rush from her to me, and my ravaged body wanted to welcome it. Wanted me to consume my daughter¡¯s soul so soon after she¡¯d joined me.

    ¡°¡ªmy fucking wrath!¡± Seyari shouted, and the intensity of her voice, the burning power of her hand on mine bringing a moment of clarity.

    I did as I was told, pulling Seyari¡¯s fury into me. Guilt warred as I tasted her emotion and realized it was not directed at me, rather at whatever had harmed me.

    She doesn¡¯t know this is all my fault.

    But I couldn¡¯t worry about that right now. Power surged through me, and I heard bones snapping back into place and a stretching sound of skin regrowing. I managed to roll over, holding Joisse¡¯s soul close even as I threatened to consume it.

    I threw an arm forward toward her, trying and failing to stumble to my feet. The limb missed, and my focus wavered. Seyari grabbed my hand, her the contact burning both of us from our opposing magic. With her one good hand and what little muscles I had, my hand made it to Joisse¡¯s chest.

    With an effort of will and instincts I never knew I had, I pushed. I am not my instincts. For all my faults, my naivet¨¦, and my idealism, I am the Sovereign of Wrath. I would not be ruled by wrath, I owned wrath.

    Along with Joisse¡¯s amalgam soul, some of my own magic, born of Seyari¡¯s fury, poured in along with. Please, please work. I didn¡¯t need to take her soul!

    ¡°Convince me, right now, that she will not be a threat,¡± Kartania hissed over me.

    ¡°She¡­¡± I hissed, my voice raw and awful. ¡°Is my daughter, and she is not a threat.¡± I saw Joisse¡¯s soul through aura sight, a blinding crimson thing with thin bands of white, as it came to rest within her. Turbulence started to show throughout it, and her aura that absorbed it shifted a little from what I had known.

    ¡°Are you certain¡­ Sister?¡± Kartania¡¯s voice lost its sternness and I heard the sound of a blade being sheathed. She was looking at me instead of Joisse, and Seyari was too.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Nelys wheezed. ¡°Just like me¡­ right?¡± They held one arm to their shoulder, blood dripping between their fingers. Their face was a little pale, and they walked shakily near Seyari who gave a pained sigh before using her magic. Nelys winced and hissed as the holy magic burned into them, but the bleeding stopped.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain, Tania,¡± I croaked.

    Seyari leaned down and used her one hand to check Joisse¡¯s pulse. ¡°She¡¯ll live¡­ I hope.¡± My fianc¨¦e then turned to me. ¡°Zarenna, what on Varra happened?¡±

    She¡¯ll live! I wanted to cry for joy and sorrow both. More than that, I wanted to give anything I could to do today over again.

    ¡°¡­Lorelei,¡± I coughed. ¡°She was the demon w-watching us.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Kartania and Seyari shouted at the same time.

    Before they could ask any other questions, however, Joisse¡¯s aura pulsed. Seyari and Tania followed my head to Joisse, and my sister¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°Taava! Brynna! Get back!¡± Kartania shouted, and I heard rapid shuffling from behind me. ¡°Zarenna!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    Seyari glared at my sister. Tania opened her mouth and closed it, frowning even as she took a defensive stance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister. You¡¯re hurt.¡±

    I nodded, but didn¡¯t answer, focusing instead on Joisse. The glow from her aura moved over her entire body, and I expected a drain on my magic, or what little was left that Seyari had given me that wasn¡¯t trying to regrow my top left arm.

    No contract. And¡­ I can never make one with Joisse again. I won¡¯t have a link to help with her wrath, or to know if she¡¯s okay or in danger.

    Through the glow, Joisse¡¯s form shimmered and convulsed. I lay facing her, and I watched as my daughter¡¯s face shifted, tusks receding to smaller points. Harsh lines softened, and spines evened out into a neat mane. Joisse slumped a little forward, eyes still closed, as her spine straightened and shrunk with a series of snapping pops. The last thing to change were her limbs; they shrank to more human proportion, though she retained her wickedly long claws.

    Or at least, I thought that to be the end. As we all watched, her aura pulsed one last time, and a second pair of arms erupted from below the first. Only then did the glow subside. Joisse¡¯s aura had changed. What was once a faint crimson halo was now a pale crimson mass, ringed in bright white.

    While the others were stunned, I crawled toward Joisse, toward my adopted daughter. Seyari saw me move, and helped both Joisse and myself into a sitting position, even as her eyes fluttered open. Red like before, they focused on me.

    ¡°Mom?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Y-yes?¡± I choked.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Joisse scrunched her nose. ¡°I feel¡­ different.¡±

    My next words stopped in my throat. Instead of forcing them, I pulled Joisse into a three-armed embrace. She hugged me back, and I felt her lower pair of arms jolt when they moved for the first time.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Why? What happened?¡±

    ¡°The contract¡­ it¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t feel my wrath right now. It¡¯s like it¡¯s gone away somewhere, but it¡¯s never been gone before.¡±

    I blinked my blurry eyes. ¡°But, your soul¡­ and your body¡­ I can¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t want to replace¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not replacing anyone,¡± Joisse cut me off. She reached a now-smaller hand up and felt her face, pulling away with a smile. ¡°Human Joisse had a human mom, and demon Joisse has a demon mom. They¡¯re both my moms, just different.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it anymore. The dam burst and my tears spilled forth. Between Lorelei, my colossal mistake, Seyari¡¯s hand, and Joisse¡¯s contract, I couldn¡¯t keep it together. As I fell apart, I felt the warm touch of Seyari and the cold reliability of my sister as they cradled me along with my daughter.

 Chapter 144: To Hell

    Seyari¡¯s voice broke the long silence. ¡°We should leave¡ªtake Zarenna elsewhere to recover.¡±

    ¡°They would track us,¡± Kartania said, a hard edge to her voice. ¡°We will camp here¡ªit¡¯s open enough that nothing will sneak up on us.¡±

    I risked cracking my eyes open. Seyari and Kartania stood up next to me, one to each side. Joisse stayed in my arms, and I felt her breathing slow as she drifted off to sleep.

    ¡°Can I stay like this?¡± I asked the air.

    Kartania bit her lip.

    Seyari, however, nodded. ¡°Kartania, could I get some time alone with your sister?¡±

    Tania looked down at me and then up at my fianc¨¦e. ¡°Fine. I expect to be informed about exactly what happened soon. In the meantime, I suppose I¡¯ll secure the perimeter¡ªis there anything I should be immediately worried about?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Kartania nodded sharply and strode off, waving for the others to follow her. Nelys and Taava both looked my way, Nelys with a smile and Taava a thumbs-up. Brynna just seemed lost, but followed along after a backwards glance at me and Joisse.

    Seyari plopped down on the scorched ground next to me, eyes roaming up and down my battered body. ¡°The dress survived, huh?¡±

    I glanced down. Even now, threads were stitching back in place. ¡°I guess so. Sey, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Save it.¡± She sounded tired, and held her handless arm cradled in the other. ¡°For a moment, let¡¯s just have some silence.¡±

    Numbly, I nodded. As we sat and looked at the sun hanging low over the mountains, I tried to organize my thoughts. I could feel the odd sensation of my body regenerating, even as my mana stayed almost fully depleted, whatever I pulled in working hard to bring back my missing arm.

    I held the limb away from Seyari as I grew a completely new hand from nothing. Somewhere behind us, Tania and the others set up camp for the evening, and a small trail of smoke wafted up into the cloudy sky.

    ¡°What happened, Renna?¡± Sey asked eventually. ¡°You mentioned Lorelei.¡±

    ¡°She was the one who was watching us¡ªshe¡¯s a wrath demon like me now.¡±

    ¡°So I was right about Mordwell.¡± Seyari sighed. ¡°Fuck. What happened between you and her.¡±

    ¡°She was bound¡ªbinding collar and everything. We¡­ shared a few words.¡±

    ¡°What caused all this then? Was she really able to beat you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I choked, voice turning into a whine as I tried not to shout. ¡°Oh gods I fucked up so bad¡­¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    I glanced over at Seyari¡¯s stump and keened. Somehow, Joisse stayed out cold with her head in my lap. ¡°I¡­ I tried to break her binding. Sey, I¡­ I couldn¡¯t kill her. Not again. Not after I¡¯d already failed my promise and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Renna.¡± Sey¡¯s stared into me with hard, sad eyes.

    I hiccupped.

    ¡°Was it really her?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I think it was.¡±

    Seyari groaned. ¡°Fuuuuuck. Listen, Lorelei¡¯s death wasn¡¯t your fault: it was Mordwell¡¯s. Her own great uncle killed her to make a demon he could manipulate. And he just used her to manipulate you.¡± She looked at her stump then back up at me. ¡°I see you. Stop staring at my missing hand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop. Pity won¡¯t bring my hand back, Renna. We were ambushed the moment you flew off. We were played, and I think it¡¯s safe to say Mordwell was banking on you trying some kind of diplomacy.¡±

    ¡°But how did he know¡­¡±

    ¡°He had a binding contract with Lorelei. How do you think he knew what you¡¯d told her the night she died?¡±

    I am so, so stupid. ¡°Shit.¡±

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    ¡°Yeah, shit.¡±

    ¡°So all this was from breaking the binding?¡± Seyari changed the subject, sweeping her good hand around the clearing. ¡°Did Lorelei live?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes and yes. She¡­ she didn¡¯t kill me. The last thing she said was, ¡®for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry.¡¯¡±

    Seyari looked down and flicked a pebbled across the clearing. ¡°Damn. Doesn¡¯t sound much like her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s changed a lot.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Seyari leveled an iron gaze at me. ¡°Next time we meet her, you can¡¯t just let her go unless we¡¯ve got Mordwell dead.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can!¡±

    ¡°You need to, Renna. She¡¯s might really be changed¡ªhell maybe even for the better. But her great uncle¡¯s manipulating her, more so now than ever. What do you think she¡¯s going to do when she gets back?¡±

    ¡°Will she go back?¡±

    ¡°She will.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Think about it, Renna. You¡¯re normally good with this kind of shit.¡±

    ¡°She¡­ doesn¡¯t know how to live on her own, really, does she? Might not know how to live as a demon. But¡­ but I could teach her!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Zarenna¡­¡± Seyari leaned in closer, looking up at me with wet eyes. ¡°Could you? Could you ever be sure she wouldn¡¯t turn on you or that she¡¯d accept a contract? Would you even be okay giving her a contract? It¡¯s not so simple as ¡®good¡¯ and ¡®bad,¡¯ Renna. Lorelei could genuinely have meant what she said. She could apologize even as she takes your head off and mean it. It¡¯s not that simple.¡±

    Seyari was right. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± I sighed, realizing I¡¯d been absentmindedly stroking Joisse¡¯s mane of spines. They were smooth, and had a little flex to them.

    ¡°You have to learn to kill people that are redeemable, Zarenna Miller. They made bad choices, and some of them made those choices without knowing what they were getting into. Some of them might¡¯ve even been completely forced into it. And some could change their tune and become great people. But you can¡¯t go soldier-to-soldier in a war and try to stop the killing. You can¡¯t avoid a battle just because people who deserve better are going to die.¡±

    ¡°I know. I just¡­¡± I trailed off and the silence lingered. ¡°It¡¯s hard, Sey. I don¡¯t want to harden my heart.¡±

    ¡°You must, Renna. For both of us. For all of us. You said yourself that you can¡¯t protect everyone; you can¡¯t save everyone.¡±

    Silence reigned for a long, somber while.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose myself,¡± I whispered faintly. ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Seyari placed her one remaining hand over mine. ¡°You won¡¯t lose yourself.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª"

    ¡°You¡¯ve already proven you¡¯re not what people think of when they hear ¡®demon.¡¯ You¡¯re far, far kinder than most anyone, Renna. But you don¡¯t need to be a saint. No one is asking you to.¡±

    First, I needed to hesitate less. I¡¯d worked through that reality, accepting the risks. Now I had to harden my heart. I looked over to where the others were gathered by the fire, talking in low tones. I would kill to save any of them. I will kill to save any of them. As much as it pained me to admit, I had to place my friends and family above others.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared that if I put some people above others, I¡¯ll go too far and stop treating everyone like a person. I¡¯m scared of my power, even still.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d said as much aloud until Seyari pulled me into a hug. The soft weight of her arm stump pressing into my back was like a splash of ice-cold water.

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°You won¡¯t until you lose that fear. I¡¯m not asking you to lose that fear. Gods know I went through hell to gain it back. I¡¯m asking you to act.¡±

    Did¡­ did I never truly get over my hesitation?

    ¡°Every time I feel like I¡¯ve accepted all of what I am, I find out that I haven¡¯t. When does it end?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But do you want to find out, or do you want to let your own unsurety fester?¡±

    ¡°I want to find out.¡± My words had conviction. A ring to them.

    ¡°Good. Never forget your feelings. They make you what you are.¡±

    ¡°You sound like me.¡±

    ¡°All I¡¯m doing is telling you back what you¡¯ve told me again and again. You forgive others, Zarenna. I forgive you, even for my missing hand, but that¡¯s not the point. Forgive yourself.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s words broke something inside of me. I didn¡¯t know when I started crying again or that I¡¯d forced her to bear my weight as I slumped to one side, but I didn¡¯t struggle upright. I stayed there, bare, until I felt I could rise again.

    ***

    Camp was a somber affair that evening; Joisse was carried, still asleep, to rest alone in Kartania¡¯s tent while my sister kept watch all through the night. Seyari surprised me by sleeping together with me in our shared bedroll, and I tried not to think about how I¡¯d gotten her maimed through my own stupidity.

    The fact she wasn¡¯t punishing me made it worse, and I wondered if that was her point. There wasn¡¯t a way to make this better. No words would, and no actions could undo it. All I could do now was change, actually change.

    I thought about Lilly and how she acted. Her kindness was backed by experience as a millennia-old monster. She did what she needed to do, and understood that. I was a sovereign like her. I hated that I no longer shared a contract with my daughter, but the bonds of found family would hold us now.

    And while she had been the first, she and Nelys wouldn¡¯t be the last. Mordwell had demons to send after us, and it looked more and more like he was working for, or being played by, Avarice and Envy. Those two had their own external power: connections, wealth, and a near-army of demons.

    I had to get something like that. Who I was in private, with my family and friends did not need to be who I was to everyone else all the time. But I wasn¡¯t going to wear another mask. I¡¯d long ago decided I was done with that. No, I needed to be both at once.

    I needed to be not just the Sovereign that I was, I had to be the Sovereign that I needed to be to see my goals through. This wasn¡¯t going to stop with Finley, or Mordwell. Avarice and Envy wanted a war.

    I would give them that war.

    This last incident was a final straw. A final push beyond all my warnings of ¡°final pushes¡± that I didn¡¯t have the heart to follow through with. I had patience beyond patience, but it had finally run completely out, and I felt hollow inside. This time, I¡¯d been pushed past the last of it.

    I was furious.

    There was a saying in Edath, and I imagined most everywhere had a variation of the same:

    Fear the wrath of the patient woman.

    END OF VOLUME 2

 Chapter 145: Impossible Magic

    ¡°Hey, you okay?¡±

    I startled, then picked up a flat, round stone, dusting the snow off it. ¡°I dunno.¡±

    Abby reached up and put an arm on my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡ªyou¡¯ll get ¡®em next time.¡±

    From the rock in my hand, I looked up at her. She was a little younger than I remembered, but her wide, lopsided smile was the same as always.

    Quickly, I turned away, flicking my arm to send the stone skipping across the pond. Bouncing over a dozen times, it hit the snow on the opposite bank, kicking up a plume of white and then brown as it dug into the dirt. Too much force¡­

    I looked down at my clawed hands, all four of them, but when I clenched them into fists, old words came out in a new voice. ¡°But you had to deal with them for me¡ªI just stood there like an idiot.¡±

    ¡°They got in your head, dummy!¡± She playfully poked one of my horns. ¡°You don¡¯t need me.¡±

    Blinking, I looked down at her. She smiled back up at me and I could have sworn there was a sadness in her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± I choked. ¡°I want¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve moved on. You should move on. You¡¯re strong now¡ªon your own.¡± Her voice was different now, sounding almost like my own. And then it was back to normal, the memory focusing again. ¡°Come on!¡± she took my hand in her own smaller one. ¡°Let¡¯s get back inside¡ªyou¡¯ll catch a chill out here like this.¡±

    I followed her back toward a sleeping farmhouse, and the memory faded in a flurry of snowflakes. Something warm and soft was under my arms, and when I opened my eyes, I saw both Joisse and Seyari. The former I¡¯d pulled protectively close to me with two arms, and she slept soundly in her demon form.

    The latter¡­ Seyari had wormed her way under one arm and pulled my tail over her as she slept. Freeing my last arm from under her, I pulled my fianc¨¦e closer and she shivered. I turned the heat up just a little bit.

    I¡¯d come so damn close to losing both of them. Much as I hated to admit, this wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d failed either of them. It was against my own philosophy to risk my family to save others, and I¡¯d done it twice.

    As I lay in my tent, watching the orange of the sunrise brighten the canvas, I thought about what horrors could await us in Astrye. I didn¡¯t feel totally safe taking everyone into that kind of fight, even though I knew they¡¯d say otherwise.

    But, I also didn¡¯t want to leave them. We were a team; we would simply just have different roles.

    I kept thinking, carefully tending my fury like a warm fire until Seyari started to stir. Her stump pushed into my chest and I winced¡ªnot from the impact. Come hell or high water, I¡¯d find a way to fix both her hand and her wings.

    ¡°Morning,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Morning,¡± she mumbled back. Turning over in my arms and tail, she brought her stump around, inspecting the scarred skin at the end.

    ¡°Would a contract even work?¡± I asked, already knowing she wouldn¡¯t take one. As we were, power imbalance aside, we were equals. If I put her ¡°under¡± a contract of any kind, no matter how trivial, that would change in her eyes.

    She took a long time to reply. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, and I know you know I wouldn¡¯t take one anyway.¡± She surprised me by guiding one of my hands to her forearm.

    I felt tendons moving under her skin.

    ¡°Hands are like puppets,¡± Seyari said. ¡°I might not have had much training as a healer, but I know a little. All I need is something there to puppet again¡ªsomething clockwork probably.¡±

    ¡°What about until then?¡±

    ¡°My sword only needs one hand, I have most of the other arm to balance, and I have my magic.¡±

    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t make it okay that I fucked up so badly.¡±

    Seyari leaned up and planted a quick kiss on my nose. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. But that¡¯s in the past, and we need to move on.¡±

    In an instant, I remembered my dream. ¡°Yeah, yeah we need to, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm. But before you go on a rampage, let¡¯s just take a few more minutes and be warm together.¡±

    ¡°Sey¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one thinking about what she almost lost.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    ¡°Funny how guilt doesn¡¯t seem to give a fuck.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, does it?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Seyari turned into me again. ¡°Let me stay like this until your hard-ass sister starts shouting for us to break camp.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Not gonna defend her?¡± Seyari¡¯s voice was getting slower again, and I felt the beating of her heart pace don towards sleep.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re wrong,¡± I said, knowing Sey was already asleep.

    I watched the sunrise from inside of the tent, and it was just starting to get warm when Kartania began rousing everyone.

    Seyari woke quickly, extricating herself with some choice words for my sister. ¡°I¡¯ll go distract her and give you a few minutes with our daughter.¡±

    Our daughter.

    By the time I¡¯d realized what Sey had said, she¡¯d left the tent. Joisse stirred in my arms when the blast of cold air came in, and I turned us so we were side by side.

    My daughter stretched, forcing me to let go or take a fist to my chin. She yawned and moved both her right hands to rub at one eye with her knuckles. Her lower hand bonked right into her nose.

    Joisse startled, fully awake in an instant. ¡°It¡­ wasn¡¯t a dream?¡± She looked down at her two right hands, slender and humanlike if not for the wicked claws tipping each digit.

    As she inspected her own limbs, and as a small rivulet of blood dripped from where her own claw had nicked her nose, I couldn¡¯t help but giggle.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Joisse protested, then jerked suddenly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡ªI mean¡­¡±

    I pulled her into a hug. ¡°What about last night?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you not feel that way?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± She leaned into the hug. ¡°I do, yeah.¡±

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    From where her face was, I felt something warm¡ªa familiar kind of burning warmth. But this time, it didn¡¯t really burn. Joisse must have felt it too, because she yelped and pulled away, touching fingers carefully to the side of her nose. The scratch was gone, which wasn¡¯t that unusual, but the warmth certainly had been. Magic of some kind.

    ¡°Did you feel that?¡± she asked.

    I nodded, then I took a look at her aura again.

    ¡°R-mom, your eyes are glowing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m checking your aura, Joisse.¡± I looked closer, and saw the same pale crimson, ringed by white. It pulsed softly.

    The white ring got my attention. Seyari¡¯s aura had likewise changed when she¡¯d unsealed her angel aspects, though in her case the coloration was inverted. White obviously didn¡¯t always mean holy, but¡­

    No way, right?

    That was impossible.

    Or¡­ was it? Demonic mana always served to augment other types, so maybe it was possible that it could do the same to holy aspected mana?

    ¡°Mom?¡± Joisse asked nervously.

    I shook my head. ¡°Do¡­ can you feel any magic?¡±

    Joisse blinked. ¡°How would I do that?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Now it was my turn to blink. I used to know, but ever since I¡¯d become a demon, magic had just been instinctual. Luckily, I remembered Nan¡¯s book, A Beginner¡¯s Guide to Magic.

    Unfortunately¡ªor perhaps fortunately as it wasn¡¯t destroyed¡ªI¡¯d left it in storage with the Gelles Company in Linthel. But I still knew a few things from it, and from my lessons with Seyari and Tren.

    ¡°Alright, I continued, ¡°the first thing you want to do is¡­¡±

    ***

    Kartania was worried not just about her sister, but about her sister¡¯s friends. The feeling gnawed at her, like receiving an urgent letter from a long-estranged friend. She just¡­ didn¡¯t remember how to feel and it made everything worse.

    As a result, she¡¯d had no problem staying up all night. She hadn¡¯t dared find out what the emotion would do to her dreams. Even now, she tried to think about other things, like how she¡¯d found Zarenna¡¯s shoes earlier; the enchanted articles had either survived or regenerated.

    She¡¯d set them next to the fire. There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t know about her now.

    What she did know was that Zarenna was definitely her older sister. She was also something that Kartania could lose, and she hadn¡¯t had anything like that since the Great Linthel Fire. She hadn¡¯t ever risked having anything like that since that night.

    As Nelys and Brynna set about making breakfast and Taava tuned her lute while shivering on a nearby rock, Kartania¡¯s stoic look almost faltered. She got up quickly and strode to the tent where her sister, her¡­ sister-in-law-to-be, and her¡­ niece were still asleep.

    So much for ¡°no living family.¡±

    ***

    Seyari snuck one last look at Joisse¡¯s aura before she left the tent to join the others by the fire. No, she thought, it can¡¯t be. The smell of breakfast made her mouth water, and when she realized just how hungry she was, she put aside speculation about Joisse¡¯s strange aura. Kartania seemed lost in thought and Brynna clearly was eating alone, so Seyari sat down next to Nelys and filled up a plate.

    ¡°Did you catch this?¡± she asked, pointing to the venison steak.

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Nelys responded distantly.

    Glancing back at the tent, Seyari took a deep breath. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Nelys looked up at her, surprised. ¡°Do you¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes I¡¯m asking because I care.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well¡­ I¡¯m just thinking about my family back home. I¡­ kinda ran off, and I¡¯m worried I made a mistake. I guess I¡¯m also a little worried I made another mistake with this contract.¡±

    Oh no. ¡°Do you¡­ do you wish you could go back¡ªto before the contract that is?¡±

    They shook their head. ¡°No. Not like that. I don¡¯t really know how to explain it. Like maybe I¡¯m no longer the same person, or that my family won¡¯t accept it, or that I forced Renna into it.¡±

    They did kinda force Renna into it. ¡°Renna knew what she was getting into,¡± Seyari answered as honestly as she could.

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    Shit. I¡¯m no good at this.

    Brynna looked up from her plate at the conversation, then looked back down. Taava started strumming, surprisingly choosing something mellow in a bright key. Something blessedly instrumental.

    Nelys sighed. ¡°I should go back home¡ªat least to visit.¡±

    ¡°When?¡±

    ¡°Once we¡¯re done in Astrye. We¡¯re too close now to turn around.¡±

    ¡°Do you want us to go with?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I think it¡¯s brave that you¡¯re going back,¡± Seyari tried. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t feel like you have to do this alone, or that what you need to do is less important than what Zarenna needs to do.¡±

    ¡°But it is.¡±

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯d agree?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s why I feel guilty I guess.¡± They frowned and picked up their steak with one hand, taking a single big bite with sharp teeth.

    ¡°Sorry¡ª¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s brow shot up. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°For helping me think things through a bit. I still need some time to decide though.¡± Nelys looked up and smiled thinly.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Seyari replied, unsure what else to say. In lieu of more words, she started to eat in earnest. The hot meal helped warm her spirits.

    A short while later, a burst of light and twin exclamations of surprise from the tent behind her made Seyari jump up.

    ¡°Renna?!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine!¡± Renna shouted back.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Seyari asked, setting her plate down to run over to the tent.

    Zarenna and Joisse emerged from inside. Her daughter-to-be, now standing in the dawn light and dressed in one of Zarenna¡¯s spare sets of clothing, the garments slightly loose, looked oddly familiar. No, she looked oddly familial.

    Joisse¡¯s face was the same as ever, but there were slight tweaks. In her leaner, no-longer-hunched build, Seyari saw other traces of both herself and Zarenna, and she had the realization of what such a thing could mean moments before Renna opened her mouth.

    ***

    I glanced down at Joisse, who nodded for me to speak. ¡°Joisse has demonic-aspected holy magic.¡±

    Seyari nodded numbly. Taava¡¯s playing faltered, and Nelys looked over, suddenly very interested.

    Kartania dropped the knife she¡¯d been eating with into the dirt. ¡°What? That¡¯s not possible.¡±

    In response Joisse raised a hand and formed a ball of light that glowed pearlescent crimson.

    My sister¡¯s eyes glowed and she sucked in a gasp. ¡°You cannot let this get out.¡± She spoke at me, but shot a glare at Brynna.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± the lupael answered quickly. ¡°I owe you all anyway, and I don¡¯t know enough about magic to really know how big of a deal that is.¡±

    Seyari bit her lip. ¡°I thought I was seeing things when I checked your aura, Joisse.¡±

    ¡°Mom said the same,¡± Joisse replied. ¡°But I scratched my nose and healed it on accident, and we both felt it. She taught me how to make this.¡± She gestured with two more hands to the glowing ball before it dissipated. ¡°It¡¯s originally a fire spell¡ªsomething you¡¯d use for light.¡±

    Seyari placed a hand over her chest and leaned forward. ¡°We need to tread carefully. I¡¯ll teach you how to use your magic.¡±

    ¡°Seyari!¡± Kartania barked. ¡°Do you have any idea how¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the three-quarters angel answered. ¡°More than you.¡±

    My paladin sister drew her lips into a thin line. ¡°It will corrupt those that it heals, and possibly those it harms.¡±

    ¡°And it will allow for great things when healing those who are already ¡®corrupted,¡¯¡± Seyari spat back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fight,¡± Nelys said softly. ¡°Seyari has a point, though. She had to heal me, and it hurt both of us. Does this mean Joisse could heal demons or contracted people?¡±

    Kartania set her jaw into a stiff line and stayed silent.

    ¡°I think so¡­¡± Seyari replied. ¡°But it also means¡­¡±

    A contract between demon and angel. ¡°Sey¡­¡±

    ¡°Not now,¡± Seyari replied cryptically, though from the way Kartania¡¯s eyes bulged, I had an idea my sister knew. ¡°I need to think on it.¡±

    ¡°We could make it temporary¡ªsomething to be fulfilled?¡± My instincts told me it wouldn¡¯t be that simple.

    ¡°Not now, Zarenna.¡±

    I nodded at Seyari. ¡°Let¡¯s get breakfast then, Joisse.¡±

    My daughter nodded and walked over to Seyari. ¡°Can you teach me magic after?¡±

    I stifled an inappropriate laugh at my daughter trying to look small in front of Seyari, who was a few centimeters shorter than her.

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± Kartania said, walking over to me. ¡°We need to talk.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, Sis,¡± I replied.

    Kartania tried not to smile and only barely succeeded. ¡°Get your shoes and meet me by the edge of camp, just into the dead trees.¡±

    I look at the fire with surprise, and saw that my shoes were sitting out to warm near it. With a wave toward Taava, I did as my sister asked, and met her just inside the field of burned sticks that used to be trees. To my surprise the first thing she did was hug me.

    ¡°Tania?¡±

    My sister pulled away, wearing a smile that looked like it had fought a war to show itself. ¡°Be careful with Joisse¡¯s magic, Renna. If she heals a human, she¡¯ll almost certainly corrupt them.¡±

    ¡°Is it really ¡®corruption?¡¯¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just the word¡ªI don¡¯t have a better one. What I mean is that it¡¯ll change whoever she heals. Make them at least a little bit demonic.¡±

    After a moment¡¯s thought, I nodded solemnly. ¡°In trying to help someone, she could do more harm than good¡ªespecially if she changes them physically against their will.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I¡­ be careful with it, Zarenna. I can¡¯t even think about what this means.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us can. But it¡¯ll be worse if we ignore it, and I¡¯m not going to hide my daughter or her power away from the world. I¡¯m done hiding and she should be too.¡±

    Kartania looked me in the eyes for a long moment, her thoughts hidden from me, then she hugged me again. ¡°Don¡¯t die¡­¡± she said softly.

    I wrapped her in a hug back, using all four arms and my tail. ¡°I won¡¯t. Your sister¡¯s not as fragile as she used to be, but she¡¯s still just as careful.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Tania¡¯s said with a muffled voice. ¡°Because I don¡¯t think I could survive losing you a second time.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°Do you want to stay her a while?¡±

    ¡°We need to get moving.¡± She made no attempt to move.

    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± I chided gently.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stay here for just a moment then, Sis.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Tania.¡±

 Chapter 146: Wings of Fire

    After an all-too-short morning with my friends and family, we continued on the road south.

    This path took us past where my friends had battled. The road and hillside were scorched and torn, and the demons¡¯ bodies lay strewn about as they had been left. No scavengers would touch demon corpses, and Tania, Taava, and Nelys searched them for anything that could give us a clue about what lay ahead. Predictably, they found nothing aside from some spare weaponry that none of us had a mind to use, and we were soon on our way again.

    While we walked, I marveled that my shoes survived. I was thankful for the shield against the cold ground, even as my claws itched. The fury I¡¯d felt the previous day hadn¡¯t abated. If anything, my wrath had intensified. As I healed, and the fingers of my formerly-missing arm finished regrowing in a way that Seyari¡¯s hand never could, I resolved myself. This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d had my goodwill abused, my naivety exploited.

    But, Dhias willing, it¡¯d be the last.

    This past morning, I¡¯d had the catharsis I needed and shown my kind side. Now, unlike how I normally carried myself, I did nothing to hide my anger. Similarly, I didn¡¯t bother humanizing my movements anymore. I could tell how I was acting, and the lines of heat waving away from me as I walked were frightening Brynna. I didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Mom?¡± Joisse slipped her hand around mine.

    I turned and looked at my daughter¡ªwho now looked more like mine and Seyari¡¯s blood¡ªand I realized how hard my jaw was set.

    Exhaling slowly, I tried to relax. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m not going to apologize for my lack of decorum, though.¡±

    Joisse shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to.¡±

    I smiled back at her, showing vicious teeth, and she mirrored my look.

    ¡°Zarenna?¡± Seyari asked, avoiding my nickname. ¡°You can go ahead once we get closer. Between myself, Joisse, Kartania, and Nelys, we should be able to take care of ourselves.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your fianc¨¦e is right,¡± my sister said seriously. ¡°You¡¯ve righteous wrath burning through you¡ªplain as day. I¡¯ve seen your magic and I know what you can do. Keeping us at arm¡¯s length will serve your talents best.¡±

    ¡°I want to make sure you¡¯re all safe.¡±

    ¡°And ya can do that from nearby!¡± Taava said jumping into the conversation. ¡°Look, I know me and Brynna don¡¯t have crazy magic strength or demon powers or whatever, but we¡¯ll hold our own. ¡®Sides, with you on the warpath, they¡¯ll need ta put their all inta stoppin¡¯ ya if they wanna have a chance.¡±

    Brynna side-eyed the exuberant kazzel even as Taava pulled her into a side-hug with unexpected speed.

    I blinked, caught off guard. ¡°But the ambush¡ª¡±

    ¡°Was meant to kill us, and it didn¡¯t,¡± Nelys said seriously. ¡°If they had more they could have sent, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Mordwell would,¡± Seyari confirmed. ¡°He¡¯s not the type to leave things to chance. We only won because we¡¯d picked up factors he didn¡¯t account for. I¡¯d wager he knew we had something based on what happened when we saved Brynna, but he can¡¯t have known all the details.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Brynna cleared her throat. ¡°Those greater demons who were sent¡ªthat was most of them that I knew of. There¡¯s resistance, so they probably have to keep some around. The four-armed one is the biggest danger that I¡¯ve seen, and wasn¡¯t that the one Zarenna found?¡±

    ¡°Lorelei?¡± I asked. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ should I fly in to assault them?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Kartania answered, then cocked her head over her shoulder at Brynna, fixing her with an ice-blue stare. ¡°Do you know anything else?¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ I know that the Mordwell guy only got there recently, but that he was gathering forces to go south. He might have already left.¡±

    ¡°South?¡± Seyari spat. ¡°What¡¯s south?¡±

    ¡°My homeland,¡± Brynna replied, her eyes and ears casting downward. ¡°But there has to be something else.¡±

    ¡°Lost Era ruins?¡± Nelys probed.

    Brynna blinked. ¡°Wait. There are some ancient ruins¡ªand more further south. But we¡¯ve explored the nearby ones already¡ªwe¡¯ve even built a permanent settlement in and around an ancient city. But there are legends of horrors from the southern wastes.¡±

    ¡°Ya mean ta tell me that the guy we¡¯ve been chasin¡¯ across a damn continent for a year¡ªalmost two for poor Renna¡ªis gonna be gone when we get ta Astrye. And even worse, he¡¯s gone ta a frozen hell?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Brynna replied, completely serious.

    Taava groaned. ¡°Boss, can ya just fly ahead and burn some bastards? Save us the trouble?¡±

    ¡°Do you think the corrupt inquisition could possibly mount a counter-offensive?¡± Kartania asked Brynna while I was thinking of an answer.

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Brynna answered slowly. ¡°Mordwell could have made or bound more demons. But he would have to abandon his push south and make a stand here.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be gone then,¡± Seyari replied confidently. ¡°He knows how hard it¡¯ll be for us to follow him south. And he also has Astrye as a bargaining chip. If we wanted to chase him, we¡¯d have to abandon Astrye to it¡¯s fate, and that would be very bad. Doubly so if we didn¡¯t catch Mordwell.¡±

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    ¡°So he¡¯s running?¡± I rumbled. ¡°What about Finley.¡±

    ¡°Finley is wanted by the Church of Dhias, the Kingdom of Edath, and the Empire of Ordia,¡± Tania answered. ¡°This entire incident could be blamed on him. Mordwell would then be simply chasing another lead to the south. It¡¯s worse than his normal plans, but this just means we¡¯re finally backing him against a proverbial wall.¡±

    ¡°So Finley is in Astrye still?¡± I asked, not bothering to hide my excitement.

    ¡°I¡¯d wager as much,¡± Kartania answered.

    ¡°Sounds like it!¡¯ Nelys nodded.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Seyari replied at the same time. ¡°When you¡¯re fully healed, go ahead. Follow the road and get to Astrye before us. We can take care of the smaller or scattered forces. You take out the head of the snake. Or whatever Finley is.¡±

    I clenched and unclenched my fists.

    ¡°You can do this, Mom,¡± Joisse said softly, and I realized her hand was still holding mine. ¡°You can rely on us to clean up the rest. We¡¯re strong, and we¡¯ll stay well.¡±

    Sey stepped over to me and wrapped me in a hug despite my heat. ¡°But you have to be ruthless, Zarenna. There won¡¯t be room for mercy.¡±

    I rested my chin on the top of her head and purred. ¡°I will, Sey. Trust me¡ªthis time I will.¡±

    ¡°Even Lorelei?¡± Seyari asked softly.

    ¡°Even her,¡± I nodded. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t want the great uncle who sent her and Markus to die to succeed with his plans.¡±

    ¡°How soon will you be healed?¡± she asked.

    Closing my eyes, I felt for my mana reserves and found them nearly recovered. ¡°Nightfall. I¡¯d say the clouds would make me harder to see, but my wings will burn like a second sun. I¡¯m not leaving until we¡¯re close, though.¡±

    Sey pulled out from under my chin, pulled me down, and pecked a quick kiss on my lips. ¡°Fine. Show them your wrath, love.¡±

    When we pulled away, I gave her my best demonic grin. ¡°I will, love.¡±

    Moments after we resumed walking, I fell back, stepping next to Brynna. She looked at me warily.

    ¡°Sorry if I scared you.¡±

    The lupael woman bristled. ¡°No. You are¡­ a demon, and a powerful one. It¡¯s right that you inspire fear.¡±

    ¡°Just fear?¡± I pouted.

    Brynna stared at me for a long while, her ears alert, before she responded. ¡°Loyalty in those who follow you. You don¡¯t use your fear to lead. The others respect you, and I feel that you are a woman of your word.¡±

    ¡°Aw, thanks!¡±

    ¡°Your smile is terrifying and I refuse to believe you are unaware of this.¡±

    I clacked my teeth together. ¡°They¡¯re good teeth, so why not show them off?¡±

    That got a grin out of the terse lupael, and she curled her top lip to show prodigious canines of her own. ¡°Perhaps I will come to find you as agreeable as the others.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t force you,¡± I replied with a shrug.

    ¡°You cannot force respect.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± I walked away feeling like I¡¯d said the right things.

    But I couldn¡¯t smile. Not after all the mistakes I¡¯d made and not when everything was so¡­ precarious. And that feeling of anxiety didn¡¯t abate, so by evening, I was itching to go, even though tonight wasn¡¯t the night. The worst of the pass was behind us, however, and the others confirmed there was nothing lurking nearby. Unfortunately, we were still more than a day out.

    This meant I had endured another full day of walking before we broke camp for the last time. I¡¯d given my pack to Joisse to carry, and I stood in my enchanted dress and shoes in the cold of the mountains, looking for all the world like I¡¯d stepped out of a play.

    ¡°Give ¡®em hell,¡± Seyari told me with a kiss goodbye. She caught me staring at her handless arm. ¡°We¡¯ll find something for my hand that we¡¯re both happy with. Clockwork is better than ever, and I¡¯m quite adept with wind magic.¡±

    I thought of Seyari with a hand of brass bones. ¡°We¡¯ll find something,¡± I replied.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t want a contract, even with what Joisse has shown is possible, Renna.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Truth be told, I was getting more and more certain a contract would fix her hand¡ªand maybe her wings, too. But not only did I not want to risk the consequences of it going wrong, Seyari clearly didn¡¯t want a contract. She wanted to bind herself to me through her own volition. Especially after her life as Yothariel, she would never accept any chains that would bind her.

    Except one.

    ¡°I want to hold the wedding when we¡¯re done with this,¡± I murmured, holding Seyari in an embrace. ¡°Not Mordwell. If he¡¯s on the run I¡¯m not going to let him keep us from taking our vows. I don¡¯t want him to have that power over us, Sey. Once we save Astrye, I want to get married.¡±

    Seyari stiffened under my touch, but she surprised me by pulling me closer, and then down into a deep, long kiss right in front of my sister, our daughter, and everyone else. A kiss with rather a lot of tongue. When we parted, I flushed darker crimson.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Renna. We won¡¯t let Mordwell keep us from taking our vows¡ªeven if they¡¯re really just symbolic. So go. Go save Astrye, kill Mordwell if you can, and return to me if you can¡¯t. We¡¯ll handle the stragglers.¡±

    I nodded.

    Seyari giggled. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to let go of me now.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Seyari sighed and let me hold her for just a little while longer. Eventually, she spoke again. ¡°Happy? You know everyone¡¯s watching and waiting.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    Seyari freed her own hand and flicked one of my horns. ¡°You¡¯re stalling. Go.¡±

    Finally, I let her go. Like a hearth on a chill day, my wrath warmed me. Taking a few steps back, I pushed my magic into wings of crimson fire that erupted from my back. The limbs of fire cast the predawn glow of the clearing into a sinister display of blood red light and flickering shadows.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die on me. Any of you. I like the world too much to burn it to ash.¡± With a last parting smile, I jumped up and flapped my wings once, hard, thrusting into the early morning sky. Once I cleared the treetops, I flapped again and turned, aiming for the winding road below as I shot off to the south like an arrow from a bow.

    I¡¯m coming Finley and Mordwell, Avarice and Envy.

    As I flew, I focused on my wrath. The emotion was familiar and comforting in a way it probably wouldn¡¯t be to a mortal. Or shouldn¡¯t be.

    But that was fine. I was the Sovereign of Wrath, not a mortal. And my friends were rooting for me. I was no tool of indiscriminate destruction; I was a weapon. And I was damn certain the use of me was justified here.

    Still, I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to kill Lorelei¡­ again. Not just because she was quite strong, but because things would just be easier if it was only Finley and his cronies.

    Hopefully.

    ***

    I managed to focus my thoughts to the present before Astrye came into view. The city of the same name was the only major Edathan settlement in the area, and I wasn¡¯t surprised to see that ¡°major¡± wasn¡¯t wholly accurate. Smaller than Gedon, the city of Astrye held a population that I doubted was larger than a thousand souls.

    Set into an idyllic valley split by a frozen river and lined with small farms, the town and its waterwheels looked peaceful, sleepy almost. Above and behind the city was the castle, once a fort, that gave the region its name: Castle Astrye. Light flickered in some of the upper windows, barely visible in the late morning, and smoke curled skyward from a single one if its chimneys. Old stone walls showed generations of additions and changes, leading to an almost labyrinthine construction, held frozen in winter¡¯s icy grip. Distant as it was, I could see no more details.

    The city could be forgiven for looking sleepy, except that few chimneys sent smoke curling skyward, and no windows glittered with candlelight. Something is very wrong.

    Surely, I¡¯d already been sighted by something down in the dark trees below. The snow swaddling them melted as I landed with force in a plume of snow and dirt. Still obscured, I took the last chance I had for one more calm breath.

    From here on out, I¡¯d need to act the part of the Sovereign of Wrath. But, as fury burned within me, I had the errant thought: Will it really be acting?

 Chapter 147: Quiet Town

    I expected to see auras through the powder kicked up by my landing: demons or corrupt inquisition here to harry me. Instead, I saw an empty field lying fallow under snow. Dismissing my wings, I checked my surroundings nervously.

    Nothing but quiet.

    Part of me was relieved there was no immediate fight, even though my claws itched, but as I walked toward the outskirts of the town my worry grew.

    Maybe they knew they couldn¡¯t fight me? Would they try to make me out as worse than them, then?

    As I was passing the first farmhouse, I heard movement by its cellar door. Head snapping towards the source, I debated for a moment if I should chase. I saw no aura, but wouldn¡¯t have through stone, wood, and dirt anyway. Whoever this was likely wasn¡¯t with Mordwell.

    Perhaps I could get some answers before I walked or flew into the city? From above, I had seen no fires here or at the fort, no battles that demanded my attention or my immediate action. If there was a clandestine meeting somewhere secret, searching for it myself could make me too late.

    The castle was an option, and one I¡¯d take soon, but the quiet town bothered me.

    Mind made up, I nodded and walked at an urgent pace towards the cellar door. Curling my claws inward, I rapped on the wood. ¡°I¡¯m fighting the cult who have taken over this town and region. Could we talk a moment?¡±

    ***

    Doryn waited in the cold darkness of his neighbors¡¯ cellar, holding his breath. He¡¯d managed to hide there when those false Church of Dhias bastards had rounded the city up and taken everyone to the castle. The young lupael man regretted not joining up with the resistance. He just hadn¡¯t thought they¡¯d go that far. But if the resistance still existed, he wanted to find them now for sure.

    He hadn¡¯t dared try to leave yet, in case the demon binders were still around. After what felt like hours of waiting, he¡¯d cracked the door open after a massive crash happened in the upper field, hoping for a distraction he could use to slip out.

    Now, whatever he wanted to do probably didn¡¯t matter.

    Doryn¡¯s heart quickened and he knew he¡¯d have to take a breath soon, to stop being perfectly still in the cellar. What he¡¯d seen outside the door was a strong-looking demon. Like the four-eyed one that he¡¯d seen once, this one had four arms, crimson skin, and horns.

    And she was way, way scarier. Not that it mattered, but she would be too tall for the cellar, and even if she¡¯d been human, Doryn would have assumed her strong enough to break him in half. He hadn¡¯t gotten much of a look at her through where she¡¯d crashed into the field, but she looked like she was wearing a fancy dress despite¡­ everything.

    Worse still, her head had snapped his way with unnatural speed when he¡¯d made no more sound than a muffled gasp. If she¡¯s seen me¡­ he thought, suppressing a shudder, I¡¯m dead.

    A sharp knock on the cellar door jolted Doryn.

    ¡°Hello,¡± a rich, unnatural voice said in Ordian through the door. ¡°I¡¯m fighting the cult who have taken over this town and region. Could we talk a moment? I¡¯ve no time for games, so you may either help me if you¡¯re not with them or die if you are.¡±

    Doryn gulped. Death or death.

    ***

    Was I too forward? I wondered. At the same time, I meant what I¡¯d said. The city looked empty, so there was no guarantee I¡¯d be lucky enough to run into someone else hiding.

    There was also a chance the cellar of this unassuming farmhouse led to a warren of tunnels like in Gedon or Lockmoth, and the sound was from a scout for the demon cult.

    I gave whoever was inside a few more seconds, and after hearing no sound other than an intake of breath after I had spoken, I opened the slanted door like a civilized person, and ducked down inside.

    The cellar within was completely dark, which didn¡¯t bother me at all, but the ceiling was more than a head too short for me. Shelves sparsely dotted with jars lined one wall, and farming tools were stacked against another. Behind an old, worn dresser next to the door, I heard breathing.

    The rest of the cellar was empty, and nothing had tried to attack me. The only thing left was to discern if this individual was a threat. Reminded of Seyari¡¯s missing hand, I would take no chances here.

    ***

    When the door opened, Doryn choked, his breath coming fast and harsh even as he tried to still it. The demon brought no light beyond what came in through the door, and she moved from said door to directly in front of his hiding place in an instant, staring down at him even as she stooped to fit in the cellar. Her blue eyes glowed brightly in the dark, slit pupils distinctly visible.

    When she opened her mouth to speak, Doryn saw twin rows of wicked, sharp teeth, and the demon spoke with a forked tongue.

    ¡°No aura, and you can¡¯t be one of Lilly¡¯s¡­ You¡¯re either Styrix or Envy, and I somehow doubt that.¡±

    Doryn made a choking sound, his ears pressed flat against his head. Behind him, all the fur on his tail stuck out on its ends.

    ¡°You must be mortal then.¡± The woman nodded seemingly to herself. ¡°Are you with the corrupt inquisition?¡± she asked him. ¡°Be honest¡ªI¡¯ll know if you¡¯re lying.¡±

    Doryn tried to respond, but his mouth wasn¡¯t working right and only faint croak came out from between dry lips. Doryn shouldn¡¯t have had trouble speaking back¡ªhe¡¯d grown up in Astrye and knew Ordian well enough.

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    The demon woman narrowed her eyes, the glow dimming. Then, she sat down on her knees in front of him, pulling her expensive-looking dress carefully to the side and under her.

    The lupael man blinked as the demon seemed to relax all four of her shoulders.

    ¡°Tell me, please. I do not want to kill you, but I will.¡±

    ¡°N-no,¡± Doryn stammered. ¡°No, o-of course not!¡± his voice gained in strength and volume as he found that he no longer cared to hold anything in if he was just going to die at this demon¡¯s claws anyway. ¡°Of fucking course not! They killed my father¡ªtook my family just this morning! I don¡¯t care if you kill me, but you¡¯d better damn well mean it when you say you¡¯re killing those bastards too!¡±

    The demon smiled, and Doryn faced his impending death with grim certainty.

    ¡°Good,¡± she said simply, pulling lips back over teeth. ¡°Tell me what you know¡ªespecially about what happened this morning.¡±

    The young lupael man exhaled a shuddering breath, as the realization that he might not die hit him around the same time he realized what he¡¯d directed his outburst at. A furtive glance from under his bangs showed the demon woman¡¯s impossibly symmetrical, villainous-looking face contorted into an expression of worry and sympathy.

    Dimly, Doryn remembered her question. ¡°I don¡¯t know! They were just taking everyone¡ªI don¡¯t even know where they went. Just go if you¡¯re not gonna kill me!¡±

    ¡°Do you know who might know?¡± the woman asked.

    Doryn tried to reply, but the last of his manic bravado faded and his words turned to whimpers which turned to sobs. My family¡¯s already dead, he thought, what does it matter. He stiffened when a warm hand brushed his arm.

    The large woman inclined her head at him, as if to ask permission. Doryn couldn¡¯t think straight enough to do anything more than nod. The woman hesitated, then pulled him forward into a warm hug. The distraught lupael shuddered and sobbed, far beyond caring or trying to figure any of this out.

    ¡°I¡¯m Zarenna,¡± the woman said softly. ¡°And I will see that your fury finds its mark.¡±

    Fury? The thought swirled in the maelstrom of his mind. Sad as he was, Doryn found he held no more anger. But how?

    ***

    I held the lupael, a young man barely an adult by my guess, in my arms for a long moment. I knew I¡¯d get nothing else out of him, and I couldn¡¯t bear to leave him as he was, sobbing, rocking and hugging himself in the corner of some cold cellar.

    At the same time, I listened outside, waiting to hear any signs that someone might be coming to check out the crash.

    When his sobs slowed, thankfully only a minute or so later, I had heard nothing. He¡¯s telling the truth then¡ªand I¡¯d bet they took everyone. I¡¯d lied earlier that I could see through lies, but the anger I¡¯d eaten from him told me enough about his sincerity. Of course, I hadn¡¯t taken quite all of it.

    Carefully, I set the young man in a sitting position against the dresser. I¡¯d assumed he¡¯d drifted off, but his voice carried to me as I stood up and whacked my horns into the ceiling with an embarrassing thud.

    ¡°Resistance,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Wish I¡¯d joined up now¡­¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± I asked softly.

    ¡°Town¡­ somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied.

    I got no response other than soft snoring.

    Closing the door behind me, I left quietly and quickly. I frowned at the clear footprints in the snow going to and from the cellar door, but I didn¡¯t have the time to try to cover it up, and I was not about to find a boulder or something to block the young man in.

    Instead, I sprinted into the city. Feeling the wind through my hair, long braid whipping back and forth behind me, I realized just how rarely I truly ran. All the time, even as a demon, I had to force myself to act so slow. Unfortunately, the sprint to the city was short-lived, and I skidded to a halt at the first stone-paved street, wondering how I could find this ¡°resistance.¡±

    Brynna must be a member. Perhaps her name could help me, but they¡¯re not going to let me find them as a demon, right?

    I walked quickly down the street, not quite at a run, scanning and listening for any signs of life. The city had clearly been removed of people¡ªand recently. While there would be no street market in winter, I saw oil lamps lit in empty rooms and a few doors hanging open. The more telling signs, however, were smashed doors and windows.

    I was surprised a fire hadn¡¯t broken out, but there was a chance this was done during the day, meaning less fires and oil lamps, or they took people less forcefully at first. Unfortunately, I could only guess.

    Double unfortunately, my run found no one. By the time I¡¯d reached the central square of the city, its blanket of snow nearly destroyed, I realized I either had to fly for the castle blind, or try harder.

    ¡°Brynna made it!¡± I shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve arrived ahead of her, but I¡¯m here to help if anyone is around! I¡¯m not bound¡ªno collar, see!¡± My dress with its plunging neckline and absent back showed off a little more than just my neck, but I still angled my head around. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering why you should trust me¡­¡±

    I drew in another breath, pausing to let my words fade into the buildings around me. ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give you much, just that not all demons think alike¡ªwhich you might already know. All I want to know is where everyone¡¯s been taken and where I can find the bastards who did it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect much, or really anything to come of it. I was headed for the castle next anyway, and the silent streets only served to remind me that I was wasting time I probably didn¡¯t have by staying here a moment longer.

    At least there¡¯s no ambush here, which means the castle¡¯s all that¡¯s left unless they¡¯ve holed up in a nearby mine.

    Resolved, I turned my gaze to the keep on its hill above, and brought my wings out with a thought, fire blazing to life behind me. Kicking off the ground, I flapped once and shot out of the plaza towards the castle on the hill. The road was cleared of snow, and disturbed at the edges¡ªa sight that seemed normal enough on my way in, but now made me think of a marching column. The castle and its courtyard were certainly large enough to hold the townsfolk, at least temporarily.

    The walls of Castle Astrye were imposing: thick stone centuries old, and hardly worse for wear. But they were also useless, because I could fly. The few lights I¡¯d seen in windows on my way in had gone out, meaning I had even more reason to be suspicious.

    When I reached the walls and got a look inside¡ªI¡¯d know for sure. Somehow, I doubted I¡¯d make it that far without finding out.

    ***

    Back in the city, Keran swore from his position on the rooftop. Next to him, Razz watched the skies with a complicated look on her face. The pair had remained quiet and still in their vigil, breaths held and bodies ducked behind the crown of the roof, when the demon had come running through town. Right now, that demon, wearing a somewhat lascivious dress, was flying toward the castle, born aloft by wings of crimson fire.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Keran said. ¡°They must have gotten your sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Razz replied. ¡°If that demon didn¡¯t at least want those bastard demon binders dead, she wouldn¡¯t have taken off like that.¡±

    Keran looked from the keep to the shrinking demon woman and back again. ¡°I¡¯m worried about that.¡±

    Razz sighed. ¡°Me too. You think she has a chance?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Keran nodded.

    ¡°Aura?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±

    ¡°How strong?¡±

    ¡°If that other four-armed demon¡ªthe one with four eyes¡ªis a burning torch, the demon flying up there¡¯s a great roaring bonfire.¡±

    ¡°Shit. What if she wins? What if she kills all the other demons?¡± Razz gulped, sliding down to keep her ears out of sight just in case the demon, distant now, turned around and somehow saw her.

    ¡°We¡¯d better start hoping she¡¯s not as bad as those false church bastards. What few of us¡¯ll be left after whatever they¡¯re doing up there won¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hope, but¡­ what if she really was with Brynna?¡±

    Keran smiled sadly. ¡°If that¡¯s true? Then we¡¯ll all live happily ever after¡ªand I¡¯ll shave my damn tail.¡±

 Chapter 148: Gray-White Sky

    My flight was interrupted moments after I approached the wall. In the snowy, barren courtyard, arrayed to defend the main gate, was a motley group of demon cult forces, fronted by lesser demons. I saw all types of lesser demons¡ªat least in variety of forms. Most were reminiscent of the ones that had attacked my friends and I during our training, but some bore strange features that matched no animal I knew.

    More corrupt inquisition cultists and demons held the walls, and those were the ones who saw me first. With an organized shout, they threw magic my way, and the lesser demons moved to shield the fragile humans. Most spells came in the form of bolts of holy light, but magic of all types assailed me.

    I dipped and twisted, dodging the worst of the magic even as I fired back. My own magic flared just above the courtyard, and weakened fire rained down, singeing rather than scorching. Runes lit up along the walls¡ªsome kind of massive ritual spell¡ªand formed shield of light in a dome over the castle.

    Below, a second volley was readied, even as the cultists¡ªstill dressed in the vestments they blasphemed¡ªformed up behind improvised cover and their bound demons.

    Worryingly¡ªbut perhaps a blessing in disguise¡ªI saw no sign of the townsfolk. Everyone outside was trying to take me out of the sky.

    They only know you can fly thanks to Lorelei, a small part of my mind took grim delight in reminding me of.

    I thought of Seyari¡¯s hand¡ªof the near-disaster with Joisse when I was too hurt to help her.

    This time, there would be no attempts to force surrender. No shouting a warning from the sky as holy magic battered my body.

    I stayed aloft outside the walls, and the barrier. The forces arrayed below didn¡¯t particularly concern me; they were slow and individually weak. Against any demon other than a powerful reaver or a sovereign, they would be sufficient.

    It said much that I wasn¡¯t so concerned about fighting them¡ªmore about how I fought them. I decided that if my magic was to be hampered by a barrier, then I would remove the barrier.

    Even from my distance and height, my inhuman vision could pick out runes on the inside of the outer wall of the courtyard¡ªthe main wall of the castle. Rather than try to fly in through a hail of magical fire, and quite certain the walls were filled with stone and not townspeople, I knew immediately what I wanted to do.

    The only question as I sped toward the wall, dipping low, was: Am I strong enough? Bouncing off would be embarrassing, but I wasn¡¯t going to die from that.

    I landed into a run just shy of the wall, kicking my shoes off into the snow to give my claws better grip. Dress swishing around my legs, I ran at the wall, winding up both of my right hands into fists.

    For Seyari¡¯s hand, for all my dumb mistakes, and for a chance at the future I felt slipping through my fingers, I realized in an instant that I really wanted to punch something. I never really had outlets for my anger¡ªstoring it up like a good Sovereign of Wrath.

    Now, with a roar, I threw my weight forward, my form small against the great stone wall I was about to try to punch through.

    My fist impacted with a bang that popped my ears. Bones in both my hands groaned and snapped under the impact, the shockwave traveling up my right arms and into my shoulders. The people atop the wall shouted again, this time in alarm and confusion.

    In front of me, impossibly, the wall cratered inward. Cracks spiraled jaggedly outwards around a hole half a meter deep with two fist-prints dented into the rock. I felt giddy¡ªmomentarily blinded by just how fun that was.

    I¡¯ve never actually found the limits of my strength, have I?

    Even as stones started to come loose and fall around me, I punched again, my fists already regenerated. The wall shook more violently, and a few of those on top fell down toward the snow below as a great vertical crack appeared.

    Knock knock, I thought to myself.

    One more punch, and the entire wall above me came down in a hail of fitted stone and loose fill. With it, came the rest of those on top of the wall who¡¯d not run away. Claws tearing and tail smashing, I tore into them¡ªhuman and demon alike. Up close with me, and dazed, injured, or dead from the fall, none but the demons posed any threat. My magic took care of them quickly, and when their claws or fangs found me, mine found them back and rent them apart.

    Only moments after the wall came down, the runic shield flickered and died, and I lunged inside. Aura sight confirmed the barrier was almost entirely gone, and all that the lingering holy magic gave me was a tingling burn on the surface of my skin.

    Roaring again, I smashed through loose rubble and into the courtyard. Facing me was a group of cultists and demons, already throwing magic and bodies forward. They were ringed by palisades of wood and stone, backed by the impressive-looking metal doors of the castle proper, shut firmly.

    Smiling more like an animal¡¯s challenge than a human¡¯s joy, I rushed forward to meet them.

    No words.

    No taunts, or jibes.

    Just the rushing thrill of combat.

    I sprinted at full speed toward the densest concentration of foes, wreathing my claws, arms, and tail in shimmering crimson flames. In front of me, I threw up a hasty shield of fire, which served to block out the majority of the non-holy magic thrown my way.

    For that, I used the lesser demons. Some¡ªmostly the monstrous ones¡ªhesitated, collars glowing. Fighting their sovereign went against their instincts and would result only in my power growing.

    But the bond and its guarantee of death won out, and lesser demons of all sorts piled against me. Some tried magic, but with the majority being fire and entrancement, it washed over me without incident.

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    The holy magic, however, was a problem. Already stinging from several places where I took glancing hits on the way in, I didn¡¯t want to take more. One lucky shot could still potentially end me. So I used the charging demons as shields, gripping them with claws and thrusting them out in front, even as my tail swept more away to my sides.

    Those of wrath that died not by my hand gave me nothing, but I wasn¡¯t here for power¡ªI had plenty of that for now. I needed to get inside¡ªthey were clearly here to stop me. If the cult had everyone from the city inside the castle, it wasn¡¯t to protect them.

    Some magic still pierced into me, and I threw bodies back through my wall of fire, hearing some satisfying shouts and crunches of impact. Still, the tide of bodies, now joined by demons from the wall, threatened to prove too much.

    On top of that, more magic rained down at me from all sides. The fire did nothing, but the rest tore away at me, particularly the holy magic I was so vulnerable to.

    Forming a familiar spell quickly with my four hands, thankful for the one chance I had at least to test it during our disastrous practice outing, I cast a smaller version of my sphere of flames. Only a meter or so around me, and away from my body to preserve my poor dress, I kept it small, but very hot.

    Roars and shrieks of demons surrounding me, and the screams of those few cultists caught in the sphere of impossible heat, cut off quickly into the faint sound of flames, drowned out by the magic and shouts from above on the walls.

    My claws sank into charred dirt and flowing, glowing stone both as I strode forward toward the doors. The sphere of heat moved with me, wind whipping my hair out of its braid to fly around in a wild black mane.

    A holy bolt¡ªa lucky shot through the swirling wall of flames¡ªcaught me in the shoulder and I hissed. No time for grandstanding, I whirled and dropped the spell. Up on the walls was a veritable firing squad. The last thing I wanted was to leave them there to shoot me in the back the moment I entered.

    Summoning my wings again, I blasted skyward, flaming claws on my upper hands and jets of fire shooting from my lower ones. For the first time, I had enough presence of mind and time to register the fear in some of the eyes that met mine.

    Others held nothing but grim determination. Even as they chipped away at me with hits that landed, I tore through them to the last fighter. None offered me the pain of denying surrender¡ªand I didn¡¯t check for any who may have hidden in the watchtowers or wall passages where slit windows only pointed outward.

    With the townsfolk taken and in need of rescue, I was here for more than slaughter. So, I walked up to the front doors of the castle, raised a clawed foot, pushed my dress down with two hands to stay decent, and kicked one of the four-meter-tall doors down.

    I¡¯d expected to do it in one swift motion, but I underestimated the door¡¯s craftsmanship, and it took two loud, knock-like bangs for the door¡¯s fortifications to break and it to swing inward with a groan of protest.

    Immediately, I rolled to the side, expecting a return volley. None came. I tentatively peeked around the corner, and barely dodged a halberd swung at me with inhuman speed, the tip lit with a holy glow. I tried to slash inside, but found my hand blocked by the haft of the weapon. Although it strained, the enchanted wood held against the glancing blow.

    ¡°You are strong,¡± a rough voice spat.

    I looked at the greater demon for the first time. Gems studded her body, spires of shimmering blue crystal erupting from her shoulders. Eyes like emeralds set in coal glowed down at me.

    And then I stood up, glaring down at her. Like the others, she wore a collar, but the glare of contempt she gave me was borne of no binding.

    ¡°Why are you working with them?¡± I asked.

    In response, she brought the halberd around at me, blade blurring. I blocked the haft with one forearm, another swiping in underneath.

    She danced back out of the way of my claws, but my tail clipped her legs, making her stumble. She immediately recovered, but I leapt forward. Her halberd cut a nasty gash down my thigh, but I took her to the ground.

    Around her, crystals coalesced, sharp and deadly, before diving into my body. I grunted in pain, and grabbed her hands. Once inside me, the gems expanded erratically, cutting and shredding. I coughed and felt blood pass my lips to drip on her face.

    A fanged smile formed. She started to speak, but I moved my lower arms to slash, and her eyes widened at the limbs she¡¯d forgotten I possessed.

    I tore through her throat, even as I felt sharp barbs burrowing toward my heart. Blood sprayed, and she tried to gurgle something. I struck again, harder, pouring all my fury into fire that wreathed my claws. I felt bone and sinew, and, like so many of my other kills, her head came off.

    Boiling black blood sprayed out from the stump of her neck, and her body twitched once before it and the magic both went still. Without the taunting bargain of the envy demon that I had killed north of Linthel, no power transferred from her to me.

    Instead, I coursed my magic through my body. White hot pain erupted from behind my eyes as the crystals of her magic broke apart, dissipating back into the air. Immediately, I changed my focus to regeneration.

    My eyes caught a flash of blue and a bolt of lightning thrown from one of the towers. I rolled, grunting in pain from the soup of my organs rolling around inside me. When I came up, I tossed my own magic back, so distracted by pain that I put a little too much force into it. The tower exploded into a rain of stones and mortar.

    Eyes scanning, I struggled to my feet, feeling my mana depleting rapidly as it repaired what should have been excessively fatal injuries. My intact heart, however, thumped loud and strong.

    I didn¡¯t have time to lay about, so the moment I was healed enough to do more than hobble, I ran with a limp inside, grimacing even as the pain started to dull.

    I have to find them.

    ***

    What on Varra were they meddling with?

    What sort of horrible force of wrath had they called down upon themselves?

    Like the others, Jerrand had no questions about the righteousness of their actions. Fighting fire with fire, as High Inquisitor Mordwell had said. When he and the others had rendezvoused with the falsely-persecuted Inquisitor Finley, he thought their choice of location genius.

    Out of the way of the weak-willed men of the Church¡¯s other factions, they could practice here in peace. They could develop ways to harness the power of demons against their own kind and for the betterment of humanity using the binding techniques learned from Navanaean and Lost Era texts.

    He remembered being chastised for carousing with the locals upon arrival¡ªhim and his mates. Were they not entitled to celebration? Was it truly wrong to spread the good word to receptive ears?

    Perhaps they were, as soon the local populace turned against them, fearful of the power they wielded and unable to truly understand the value of what the Inquisition, in its new form, could offer.

    Freedom from fear, was what Mordwell had said.

    Why then, was Jerrand so afraid?

    More than that, Jerrand held a creeping dread¡ªa heretical doubt. Why would a protecting force care to offer the people of this city as a sacrifice to the greater good? He knew some of them. Strange folk¡ªespecially the lupines¡ªbut good folk.

    His neighbors, the owners of the farm next to where Jerrand had grown up in southern Edath, had been a mixed human-lupael family. Though he found it odd that the woman of the house did most of the field work, she had been a wonderful mother to both of her own sons, and to him when he¡¯d needed a place away from his father¡¯s shouting.

    The things some of his mates had said about the people here¡ªthe humans too¡ªhad rattled Jerrand. Something, dimly, shone through the cracks in the wall that had been built around his mind. He remembered warm elderberry pie, a bushy tail to hug, and he remembered wondering why he couldn¡¯t see his friends anymore.

    He wondered why he¡¯d fired that last bolt of lightning at the demon woman as she lay dying on the steps to the castle. Wondered why he¡¯d chosen that moment to stop hiding.

    His hand went to his side, coming away damp. But Jerrand felt warm, staring up at the white-gray sky from a pile of ruined rocks and stone.

    What if, he thought as his eyelids grew heavy and his vision dark, what if we were wrong?

 Chapter 149: Repeats Itself

    Stumbling through the main hall, I realized quickly that I had no idea where to go. Aside from the demon I¡¯d just killed who¡¯d been waiting inside, the castle¡¯s entry hall was empty.

    Unfortunately, it was also designed like an old fort¡ªor like a castle. From the entranceway, different halls shot off to the sides, windows looked down on me from the second floor, and closed doors barred my vision.

    The hall looked far from deserted, however. More than anything, it looked like it had been abandoned¡ªuntil recently. Old crumbling wood, a worn and torn carpet, and missing sconces gave the dark room an eerie look that would have once scared me. Recent repairs evidenced a recent reoccupation. What I focused on now, however, were the claw marks in the rug and the stone both, and the signs of either a major struggle, or a lot of people moving.

    Big as it was, the castle had to hold something.

    Aura sight showed nothing either, so I strained my ears to hear. Faint sounds came from one hall to my right side. When I had flown in, I¡¯d seen a steeple with an aged statue and narrow stained-glass windows high up on the stone walls.

    A chapel to Dhias?

    I ran while I thought, following the sounds that became a low susurration of speech in a reedy voice that tickled at my memories.

    The space would hardly be large enough to hold the people from a city of that size¡ªright? But there might not be anything bigger in this place. Castle Astrye looked like an older building ringed by a slightly newer wall¡ªmaybe a fort¡ªturned into a castle. And even then, it¡¯d been a practical place. There¡¯d be no grand throne room.

    But why the chapel? Wouldn¡¯t that be the worst place for a demonic ritual? Even if the place wasn¡¯t originally to Dhias, but had been converted later, that still wouldn¡¯t make sense. Unless it had been forsaken, like the church in Gedon had been. Abandoned wouldn¡¯t work¡ªthe small shrine Sey and I had stayed at in the forest proved that much.

    Whatever the case may be, I had to get there¡ªand soon. Memories of Erik returned to me, memories of screams I was too slow to stop. The hallway wasn¡¯t wide enough for my wings, but as it turned and I followed the sound, I saw more and more signs of people passing.

    Small, dropped objects: a coin here, a button there. Personal effects. I was headed the right direction.

    The hallway ended in wooden double doors, closed fast. I turned my right shoulders down, feeling that a good portion of my regeneration had already finished, I ran straight through the door. Old dark wood splintered apart as I barreled inside, and when I saw the sight before me, my vision went red.

    Dark lines, in a pattern reminiscent of that night in Linthel, crisscrossed the walls and the floor. Any pews or other furniture had been removed to make room for the sheer crush of people inside the large space. To either side of a narrow passage down the middle, rows of people were packed in shoulder-to-shoulder. They all stared forward, entranced for certain¡ªbut by whom I didn¡¯t know.

    I felt no barrier, no presence of Dhias in any form that railed against either my intrusion or the magic that permeated the air, creating an effect almost like a fog under my aura sight. Standing straight ahead of me, in the only clear area by where a pulpit had once been, was an old, thin man in dark robes. His cold, blue eyes widened in surprise, and his sharp, gaunt features slackened.

    Finley. The man who¡¯d ordered the death of me, my family, and nearly everyone I¡¯d loved as a human was no more than fifteen meters from where I stood. Like before, he was standing just off from the center of the markings, and around him they glowed with power.

    With a roar, I charged forward, fast as I dared. My motion caused several of the entranced to stumble, and some others to fall, toppling like living dominos behind me.

    Finley had little more than enough time to widen his eyes, hands twitching as if to raise and cast magic my way, before I reached him. I raised two clawed hands to strike him down wordlessly, my face set into a grim line.

    Only for a slender, clawed hand to erupt through Finley¡¯s rib cage, clutching the man¡¯s heart. The ritual shuddered, but the gathering magic did not yet spin apart. My hands came down and tore through the already-dead Finley, and the hand retreated with such speed that I barely grazed its fingertips.

    Fast as I could, I whirled toward where the hand must have come from, in shadows too deep to be natural. A slim, tall figure stepped out from the darkness, holding Finley¡¯s heart aloft in front of them. I watched the severed muscle beat its last, blood dripping onto the chapel floor and snow-white shoes.

    Dressed in fine clothing of gray and white, accented in black, the figure looked down at me with an impassive look that quickly curled into a thin-lipped smile. They looked¡­ a bit like everyone I¡¯d ever seen, and their face shifted in a way that made my head spin trying to place it. Likewise, their figure was androgynous¡ªbut didn¡¯t lack for features. Just that¡­ none of them seemed to stick.

    I didn¡¯t have to turn on aura sight to have a guess at who I was looking at.

    ¡°Envy,¡± I growled.

    ¡°Zarenna Miller,¡± a voice that sounded like no one in particular replied.

    The figure¡¯s smile widened, and their eyes looked from me to the heart clutched in their hand.  I took that chance and lunged for them. They bent bonelessly to one side, and their arm shot out.

    I felt an impact like a cannon shot, and stumbled backwards, catching myself with my tail before landing on my knees, breath coming in a wheeze. The front of my chest felt wet, and I dared to look down.

    Finley¡¯s pulped heart dripped down the front of my dress, dark blood following the embroidered line of a rose stem toward the floor.

    With another shudder, the ritual rent apart, and the force of the gathered magic that rushed toward the heart blinded my aura sight, forcing me to blink it away. I felt intoxicatingly wonderful demonic mana surging around me, much of it finding my body a good home, even as most spun away back into the air, or off to places I couldn¡¯t see. Frantically, I pulled the leaving wisps of mana, both drawn to them and also fervently hoping to keep demonic mana from surging through the crowd of humans and lupael.

    I dared a glance at the townspeople, but they seemed, by some miracle, unaffected. They were still, however, entranced, and when I looked back, Envy was gone.

    A shadow loomed over me from behind, and onto the floor, cast in kaleidoscopic colors by one of the stained-glass windows. The smile was jagged, and cut out impossibly from the rest of the figure. I shivered¡ªI hadn¡¯t seen Envy move.

    ¡°What¡ªthe fuck do you want?¡± I wheezed.

    ¡°What I can never have,¡± Envy replied simply.

    I whipped my head around and they were gone. Behind me again!

    ¡°Leave here now.¡± I tried my best to sound intimidating as I stood shakily. Bits of Finley¡¯s pulped heart dropped to the floor with wet thuds. Even with all the ritual¡¯s gathered magic inside me, I didn¡¯t think this was a fight I could win.

    The chuckle that sounded was anything but amused. ¡°Or what?¡±

    ¡°Or¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re outmatched, Zarenna Miller, Sovereign of Wrath¡ªand you know it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even find the demon to glare at them.

    ¡°Why then?¡± I tried a different tack, gesturing to the still-entranced people packed into the rest of the large room. ¡°Why do all this?¡±

    ¡°I have my reasons. Good ones, I assure you.¡±

    ¡°Good for who?¡±

    ¡°Me, of course.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sick.¡±

    ¡°We all are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°What of your altruism? Do you truly mean it, or are you just afraid of your nature? You seem to struggle with killing even if it means saving the mortals and underlings you call friends.¡±

    That one hurt. ¡°They¡¯re alive,¡± I said defiantly.

    ¡°For now.¡±

    I shivered again. ¡°No, you can¡¯t be¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Not right now.¡±

    What? ¡°Why tell me that?¡±

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    ¡°Why indeed, Zarenna Miller.¡±

    ¡°Why are you using my full name?¡±

    Envy laughed in response, the sound inhuman and scratchy. ¡°I look forward to watching you struggle, Zarenna Miller.¡±

    ¡°Struggle?¡±

    ¡°Yesss,¡± they hissed. ¡°A war¡¯s coming, and I am so very excited for it.¡±

    ¡°Your war?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°Why? Why do all of this? Why not kill me right now?¡±

    ¡°I already told you, Zarenna Miller. And I believe you have another to chase with your revenge here denied.¡±

    ¡°All that matters is that he can¡¯t hurt anyone. I don¡¯t care that I didn¡¯t get to kill him.¡± My hands twitched involuntarily at the memory of slicing through Finley¡¯s flesh, his blood still lingering on my claws.

    ¡°My mistake,¡± the impossible voice said sarcastically¡ªsomehow.

    For a moment, I felt like I could pin down Envy¡¯s form as they swirled around me. I lunged again, but my claws caught only retreating shadows that flowed toward the door. As I gave chase, the people of the city started to rouse around me. And then the screaming started.

    A cacophony of voices, some in Ordian and some in a language I did not know, rose around me. Mixed among the shouts of ¡°Where am I?¡± and ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± were shouts of defiance and of ¡°demon.¡±

    Most of those around me backed away, though a few threw punches.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy!¡± I shouted. ¡°Finley is dead, and I¡¯m going after anyone else involved with his demon cult.¡± I didn¡¯t know why I chose to remember Yevon¡¯s words about implicating the church, but it certainly didn¡¯t hurt to be very clear about what I was after.

    After all, I didn¡¯t know all the pieces of what Mordwell had or hadn¡¯t done here. That he and Lorelei had left was something that seemed almost certain, but I would have to check. Unfortunately, in order to do that, I¡¯d need to do something about the panicked crowd. Some were already starting toward the door.

    My first shout hadn¡¯t worked.

    Despite being at least a head taller than everyone, red, terrifying, and in a stunning dress, I needed to get everyone¡¯s attention, and hold it.

    So I shouted at the top of my large lungs, putting as much power as I could into my voice. ¡°STOP!!¡±

    To my happy surprise, they did. Unfortunately, confusion was quickly being replaced by fear as the dominant emotion I saw on people¡¯s faces, especially as they took in the markings around the defiled chapel.

    I strode through the crowd to where Finley¡¯s body was, and held the heartless corpse aloft for all to see. Some people started to drift their eyes back toward the door, and I glared at those closest, my wings of fire flaring to crimson life behind me to bathe the chapel in a bright glow.

    ¡°Finley is dead!¡± I threw the corpse to one side, and the crunch it made against the stone wall of the chapel punctuated my sentence and silenced even those who had started to speak again. ¡°There may still be others, and other demons, in this castle¡ªand I don¡¯t mean me!¡±

    No one spoke. Everyone stared at me.

    I pulled some anger from those with the most, and continued, ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ve come here with the purpose of killing that man and ending his abuse of both mortals and demons. I¡¯m going to search this castle top to bottom for anything I missed, and I will return to let you all know it is safe when I am done.

    ¡°But first, I need to know if Mordwell has gone south yet, the same with the four-armed, four-eyed demon.¡±

    Again, no one spoke. I noticed now that I stood in the middle of the ritual array, just as I had on that fateful night all those years ago. I took a deep breath to steady myself, and continued.

    ¡°Don¡¯t all speak at once now.¡± I huffed a small jet of flame. ¡°I get it; the big red demon lady is scary, and her clothing is impractical. If I wanted to kill all of you, I¡¯d have already done so. Someone, a leader maybe, please fill me in on what¡¯s been happening here in Astrye so I know I¡¯ve killed everyone that needs to be killed.¡±

    Finally, someone stepped forward. An older human man, and a lupael woman. Both of them had the same sort of lean-muscled build Seyari and my sister shared. I nodded, then gestured with one hand for them to speak.

    ¡°What do you want from us, demon?¡± the man asked, eyes hard, but voice unsteady. ¡°You must have another motive.

    ¡°For once,¡± the woman commented, ¡°I agree. Demons do not commit acts of kindness for kindness¡¯ sake.¡±

    ¡°That man,¡± I pointed to the corpse. ¡°Killed me in a similar ritual and I¡¯m the resultant demon¡ªone of them, anyway. You might know of the Great Linthel Fire?¡±

    I got a hesitant nod from the man.

    ¡°Then you know that I am here for revenge for a heinous act.¡± I crossed my lower arms to finish the statement.

    ¡°But what after?¡± the man asked. His hesitation was draining away against the onslaught of my greatest weapon: reasonable conversation. That or he assumed he was dead anyway and wanted to draw things out for a chance to escape.

    ¡°After?¡± I answered, relaxing my posture¡ªalthough my wings were still out and blazing. ¡°I¡¯ll be going after those who were in charge of Finley, and I¡¯ll take them down too. There¡¯s a war coming, and there will be demons on both sides.¡±

    ¡°A war¡­¡± the woman murmured.

    The man wheeled on her. ¡°You cannot be thinking of those old legends?¡±

    ¡°And why not? Until your Church¡ªthe Church that was about to kill us all¡ª¡±

    ¡°They were not the Church of Dhias,¡± the man cut in angrily.

    ¡°Fine. Until your Church came, we¡ªand the humans who were here with us¡ªtreated demons as forces of nature. Malevolent, yes, but with purpose. The Lost Era had wars between demons, we know this.¡±

    ¡°And you mean for us to take a side?¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that, but¡­¡± the woman turned back to look at me. ¡°Will we need to?¡±

    ¡°So long as the cult remains, and I have great suspicion a man called¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fuck this! Why are we listening to a demon?!¡± someone shouted from near the back. ¡°She¡¯s just one demon! We can take her!¡±

    The response caught me off guard. There was anger, certainly, but I thought I¡¯d maintained everyone¡¯s low enough. Then again, anger wasn¡¯t the only source¡­

    Someone near them threw a small blade my way, and I watched it move lazily through the air before snatching it by the handle. Another threw a weak burst of fire, and I let it wash over me.

    ¡°If you want to leave¡ª¡± I took the blade between two fingers and snapped it. ¡°¡ªgo ahead. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.

    Another voice shouted ¡°We¡¯re not really going to¡ª¡±

    I flicked the broken blade their way, and it flew over the crowd to embed itself in the wall. ¡°Go ahead. Keep interrupting me. I¡¯m a wrath demon. Find out what happens.¡±

    ¡°See, she¡¯s evil!¡± the first person shouted again.

    I sighed and nodded to the two I¡¯d been speaking with, then walked through the crowd toward the person trying to rile people up. Realizing they¡¯d lost their anonymity, they shrank away and tried to run, even as the crowd parted away from me in fear. I picked them up by the collar and they¡ªa human man¡ªscreamed and kicked. I took away the rest of their anger and they went mostly limp, shaking.

    I brought them closer, looking them in the eyes from close up. ¡°If I am evil for getting mad when people try to kill me, then the whole damn world must be evil. I saved you, and I¡¯m not even asking for a ¡®thanks¡¯ in return. Be. Fucking. Grateful.¡± I dropped the man and walked back through the crowd. ¡°Like I said, you all can leave. I¡¯m not the boss of you, but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±

    At that, hesitantly at first, people began to file out of the chapel. Some, however, stayed. Including the to I¡¯d been speaking to. I walked back over to them, scratching idly at a horn. ¡°I hate that people keep pushing me like that. Where were we?¡±

    The man looked at me with hard eyes, and the woman replied, ¡°The man you had suspicion of?¡±

    ¡°Right! Mordwell. He recently fled south of here,. Moreover, Envy and Avarice¡ªthe sovereign demons¡ªwill seek to use you to their own ends.¡±

    ¡°Use us how?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Like this.¡± I gestured to the room. ¡°Sacrifices to make more demons, or as a bargaining chip to either the mortals or to me.¡±

    ¡°To you?¡± the woman caught on.

    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m opposed to those two, Envy and Avarice. I and another Sovereign ally of mine will be fighting them.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± both of them asked.

    ¡°Yes, me.¡± I gestured to the gem embedded in my sternum, easily visible by the low cut of my dress. ¡°I am Wrath. I undersold myself when I said I was just ¡®a¡¯ wrath demon earlier.¡±

    The woman¡¯s eyes squinted, her ears already low against her head. ¡°Are you really Wrath?¡±

    ¡°I am. If my wrath controlled me, would I truly be the master of it?¡±

    ¡°Master?¡± the man asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    I shot him a glare and he stiffened, as if only now remembering what I was. ¡°Sovereign demons. Now¡¯s not the time to explain, but we¡¯re the six strongest demons. Two of us are going to kick off a war, and myself and another will go against them.¡±

    For a long moment, everyone went back to staring at me.

    I sighed, letting another jet of fire out. ¡°Look, can you let me know who all is involved and what¡¯s gone on here so I can make sure there¡¯s not something powerful enough that I¡¯d struggle to protect all of you that¡¯s already on its way here?¡±

    ¡°Protect us?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Yes. Protect. I¡¯m rather fond of mortals. Used to be one and all that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you,¡± the woman answered, earning a glare from the man.

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± I clapped all four hands together.

    For the next minute or so, I got a rundown of what had happened, and I¡¯d mostly pieced it together already. Finley came first, and there was a gradual increase up to the point where there were demons in the streets. Charity had turned into control, especially of food and critical goods as the pass was monitored and restricted.

    Mordwell showed up fairly recently, and that was when things got really bad. The reason the whole town fit into the chapel was, simply put, because there were quite a few fewer people than there used to be. Today was probably an attempt to get the last ¡°value¡± out of Astrye before they lost it. I wanted to throw up, but my stomach refused to get nauseous even of my mind was doing awful flips.

    The only good thing was that Mordwell had finally taken off his mask¡ªand that¡¯s probably why he ran. Now, with Kartania¡¯s testimony and the word of the people of Astrye, that bastard could finally be branded a traitor.

    But the missing a murdered people and livestock and game meant several demons were as-of-yet unaccounted for¡ªmost of them lesser. Worse still, Mordwell had fled only hours after I¡¯d tried to free Lorelei of her binding, and was days gone with snow to cover the tracks. And Lorelei had gone with him too, after presumably spilling everything she¡¯d learned of me to him.

    Dhias, I was an idiot sometimes.

    But with Mordwell on the loose, and the information that those appointed to run the region had all been killed, Astrye was vulnerable. If I left to chase Mordwell, and went in a wrong direction, I could come back to a dead city and a raging monstrosity.

    I hated that King Carvalon¡¯s offer to make me Marchioness was gaining appeal.

    As we spoke, I ended the spell sustaining my wings and I brought out little balls of light on my horn tips in their place. From the few people left, that and the conversational tone served as a silver lining, a little trust gained.

    ¡°I have some friends arriving¡ªincluding a Paladin of Dhias an unaffiliated half angel, and a woman from here named Brynna who alerted me to your plight,¡± I finished recounting my own allies. ¡°We will secure the city, unless we can catch Mordwell with certainty.

    I remembered Envy¡¯s taunt, and realized that with the other sovereign helping Mordwell, there was probably no way. Why Envy hadn¡¯t killed me, and they hadn¡¯t killed the town, I didn¡¯t know. It worried me because it spoke of some greater plan.

    Or sheer arrogance.

    Either way, people were alive, and Finley was dead along with the bulk of the cult. All that got away were the strongest demon and the strongest mages.

    Yay.

    ¡°Brynna?¡± someone spoke up from near the door right after I¡¯d wrapped up. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    I nodded, turning toward the door. ¡°Yes, and she should be in the city already. I¡¯d like to take a look around the rest of this castle if you don¡¯t mind, and you lot can head back to the city. My only worry is some sort of ambush between here and there.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± a new voice shouted from just outside the door.

    A pair of lupaels in leather armor, carrying several weapons each, walked into the room. Their smiles froze when they saw me.

    I gave them a wave. ¡°Like my handiwork outside? Sorry about the wall.¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± the guy said.

    The woman, after staying frozen for a second, handed the man a small razor and snickered. I didn¡¯t get why that made him turn red as a beet.

 Chapter 150: Resistance

    Seyari and the others reached the farms on the outskirts of Astrye just in time to see Zarenna flying toward the castle. A blazing dot of crimson against a pale gray sky, she engaged whatever forces were holed up and magic lit the daytime sky.

    ¡°This is our chance,¡± Seyari said, jogging forward. ¡°Anyone and everyone is going to be distracted by her¡ªlet¡¯s secure the city as best we can.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t advise we all split up,¡± Kartania added, her heavy boots digging down below the snow into the dirt. ¡°While I believe you and I capable of fighting a greater demon left behind, even we would fall if taken by surprise.¡±

    ¡°Two groups then?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°I can take Brynna and Joisse, and you can take Nelys and Taava.¡±

    Kartania looked at Joisse, who was in her human guise. ¡°That leaves you with more power.¡±

    ¡°It does. I¡¯ll go to the city, and you can check the outskirts.¡±

    Kartania bristled. ¡°Fine. They¡¯re less likely to trust the Church right now anyway.¡± She glanced at where Zarenna was fighting. ¡°Let¡¯s hope my sister is as strong as we think she might be.¡±

    As if in answer, a sharp boom sounded across the valley. The entire group looked toward the castle, in time for another pair of booms to sound. A section of the wall collapsed around a growing ball of fire.

    Seyari smiled. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d¡¯a just flown in,¡± Taava said. ¡°But really, we all gotta get goin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Brynna said, walking briskly toward town. ¡°There¡¯s a chance we¡¯ll meet allies of mine in the city¡ªso let me lead.¡±

    Seyari walked quickly to catch up. ¡°Understood.¡±

    Joisse joined a moment later, keeping an eye on the castle as she ran alongside her adoptive-mom-to-be.

    ***

    Kartania watched Seyari run off before turning to the two she¡¯d been entrusted with. Nelys, the¡­ she wasn¡¯t quite certain what to consider them¡ªthey kept looking between the castle and Seyari¡¯s group. Taava as well looked toward the city, but only for a moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s secure the farms.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, boss!¡± Taava answered. ¡°Ya want us to fan out? I can¡¯t really stick ta rooftops with so few of ¡®em.¡±

    Kartania frowned. ¡°I want you to take this seriously. I still do not know why my sister chooses to let you travel with her.¡±

    Taava stuck out her tongue. ¡°She¡¯s just that nice! That¡¯s why!¡±

    Kartania¡¯s hand reached for her weapon on reflex. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Let¡¯s go¡ªwe¡¯ll check each farmhouse quickly. Nelys, if you have aura sight, use it alongside me. We¡¯re looking for any wards or other trace magic¡ªthere¡¯s too many farms to completely cover.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Nelys answered seriously.

    At least they understand how to be serious sometimes, Kartania thought. Standing tall, she turned on her heel and walked off toward the nearest farm.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s in that cellar,¡± Taava whispered, suddenly next to her. The kazzel¡¯s tone of voice had changed, and Kartania realized with a start that she hadn¡¯t heard her approach through the snow.

    Kartania glanced at the farmhouse they were approaching. ¡°Dangerous?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They hid as we approached.¡± Taava¡¯s accent was different¡ªand she didn¡¯t shorten all her words into the normal soup she spoke in. ¡°There¡¯s also a set of footprints that match Zarenna¡¯s coming and going.¡±

    ¡°So my sister may have already spoken to whoever is inside. It may benefit us to speak with them, so I¡¯ll approach and knock. Taava, can you scout around the back for other exits just in case? Do not kill unless I tell you to or your life is in danger.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    This time, Kartania could faintly hear the kazzel as she slunk quickly away through the light brush around to the front of the farmhouse. If anything, she trusted that duplicitous annoyance more now that she knew how competent Taava could be.

    Perhaps she¡¯d done more than be saved and guarded by Seyari and Nelys during their fight against the group of greater demons last week.

    ¡°She¡¯s like that sometimes,¡± Nelys said softly as the pair approached the slanted cellar door. ¡°I¡¯d tell you more, but she should be the one to do it.¡±

    Kartania kept her eyes on the cellar door, and listened carefully. ¡°She used to be an assassin. I¡¯ve seen that type before¡ªprobably from a guild of them. My guess is that she was a good one too, since she¡¯s more practical than showy.¡±

    ¡°Do you need me to do anything?¡± Nelys tried to change the subject.

    I was right, Kartania thought. ¡°Does Zarenna know?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes,¡± Nelys answered after a long pause.

    ¡°I¡¯ll speak with my sister later then.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll tell you to ask Taava just like I did.¡±

    ¡°She might.¡±

    Nelys didn¡¯t answer directly, instead they focused on the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready if whoever¡¯s in there tries something, but I¡¯ll stay back just in case something about me scares them. You take the lead.¡±

    ¡°I was going to.¡± Kartania reached the cellar door and knocked, the said loudly, ¡°I am Paladin Kartania Miller of the Church of Dhias. Cooperate with my questions and no harm will come to you.¡± Without saying anything else, she unsheathed her sword and opened the cellar door.

    The inside of the cellar was dark, but Kartania caught motion and a pair of reflective, lupael eyes as a young man¡ªhardly more than a boy¡ªstepped into the light that entered from the cellar door. His hands were raised, and Kartania lowered her sword a little.

    ¡°Give me your name, why you are hiding here, and your relationship to the cult as well as any information about their activities here in Astrye.¡±

    Even lowered, she kept the blade pointed at the young man. The fur on his tail had bristled out, and he looked like he¡¯d been crying. Aura sight showed nothing.

    ¡°The cult¡­ whatever they are, I hate the bastards who¡¯ve taken my family and brought demons in to control us!¡± He started soft, and then gained in volume. ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but I know they¡¯re holed up in the castle and a big red demon with four arms went after them. I swear she didn¡¯t corrupt me!¡±

    So Zarenna was here with him. ¡°She didn¡¯t corrupt you? What did she do to you?¡±

    ¡°She¡­ asked me similar things, actually. Said she was here to kill the cult, so I told her where to go and¡­¡±

    ¡°And what?¡±

    ¡°And then¡­ well you wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°Try me.¡±

    The young man looked from Kartania¡¯s sword to her cold blue eyes. His gaze seemed to hold with her own for a moment before he replied, ¡°She¡­ held me. F-for only a minute. Then she left.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Definitely Zarenna and not Lorelei. ¡°Your name?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Oh! Doryn. Doryn, Miss Miller.¡±

    ¡°Doryn. Do you know anything about whether the cult is still in the town?¡±

    Doryn shook his head. ¡°No ma¡¯am. I think they pulled everyone back to the castle when they took the townsfolk, but I don¡¯t know for sure. I know some others like me hid¡ªthey must¡¯ve.¡±

    ¡°They took everyone to the castle?!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    ¡°Shit. Anything else? Any organized resistance?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡­ didn¡¯t join. B-but I wish I had.¡±

    ¡°Are they based in the city or the countryside?¡±

    ¡°The city¡ªI think.¡±

    Good. Brynna¡¯s going there. ¡°That¡¯s enough then.¡± Kartania sheathed her sword. ¡°Are you okay to stay here?¡±

    Doryn shook his head. ¡°No. I want to help! I don¡¯t want to just sit in a hole. People know me¡ªand they¡¯ll think better if they see me with you and not in irons.¡±

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    ¡°A good point, but can you take care of yourself?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty good with an axe! I¡¯ve only chopped wood, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    ¡°Your friend outside?¡± Doryn¡¯s ears twitched.

    Right. Lupael hearing. ¡°Friends. There¡¯s a kazzel who¡¯s a bitch and a¡­ well they¡¯re quite nice and you should stick close to them if not to me.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I heard that!¡± Taava shouted from outside.

    Kartania¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°My point exactly. Let¡¯s go¡ªand I want you to take us anywhere you think there might be someone hiding, someone who can tell us more, or a cult straggler.¡± She motioned for Doryn to follow and walked out of the cellar

    ¡°You gonna kill them?¡± Doryn asked, with some hesitation as he followed Kartania.

    ¡°The cult? Yes. To the last.¡±

    ***

    Seyari ran into the city only a few paces behind Brynna. The lupael woman purposefully slowed herself for blind corners at first, but stopped when she realized the three-quarters angel and full demon had no issues keeping up with her.

    It was clear to Seyari that the city had been removed of people¡ªand fast. Some fights had clearly broken out, and a fire somewhere nearby started to toss inky-black smoke up into the sky. With all the snow and damp, hopefully the flames wouldn¡¯t spread. Even if they did, she and Kartania could probably put them out.

    The fire, however, was the least of Sey¡¯s worries. The tangle of rooftops in the small, but dense city meant there were a lot of places to hide watching eyes. The town of Astrye probably wasn¡¯t quite as empty as it seemed.

    Brynna led them through the city¡¯s empty main square, down a street, and into a relatively narrow alley where overhanging buildings cut off most of the light. A great place for an ambush.

    Thankfully, their group didn¡¯t get jumped immediately, and Seyari and Joisse¡ªin human form¡ªjoined up behind Brynna as she pounded against an unassuming-looking door. Zarenna¡¯s daughter looked around nervously, red eyes darting from building to building.

    ¡°It¡¯s Brynna!¡± the lupael shouted, the rest following in a language Seyari actually didn¡¯t speak.

    Joisse¡¯s eyes stopped and looked at the entrance to the alley. ¡°I hear something,¡± she whispered. ¡°Maybe on the roof too.¡±

    Seyari tensed, looking for potential cover even as her hand went to her sword. A narrow alley wasn¡¯t an ideal place for a sword fight, but her magic ought to cover it. Did the cult find us?

    ¡°Still, Sister,¡± a lupael woman barked as she rounded the corner, a taut crossbow aimed Seyari¡¯s group.

    Seyari blinked. This woman had the same gray-white hair, ears, and tail, and she looked almost exactly like an older Brynna: fit, tall, and currently very ready to shoot.

    Brynna stopped her pounding and turned quickly. ¡°Sis?¡±

    Seyari kept herself ready, just in case. The cult had demons that could entrance¡ªso it made sense not to trust anyone returning from outside. Next to her, Joisse gulped and tensed. Seyari¡¯s sharp eyes just barely caught a shift in the shadows.

    The roof. But it¡¯s a terrible angle to shoot from¡­

    ¡°They¡¯re clear, Razz,¡± a man said from above in accented Ordian, probably for Seyari and Joisse¡¯s benefit. ¡°Silver hair¡¯s half-angel, and the girl¡¯s mundane.¡±

    The woman who looked like Brynna, Razz apparently, lowered her crossbow and whistled. ¡°Half angel¡­ Sorry about the ambush¡ªI just needed Keran to clear your auras.¡±

    ¡°Sister!¡± Brynna surprised Seyari by dashing past her to hug Razz.

    ¡°Yeah, Rynna¡ªI¡¯m alright.¡± She mussed the younger lupael¡¯s hair and ears, and the normally-serious woman melted, just a little. ¡°Name¡¯s Brazz. Old bastard on the roof is Keran. I¡¯d shake, but I¡¯ve got my hands full.¡±

    Her nickname sounds like Renna, Sey thought. Now¡¯s not the time though.

    To Seyari¡¯s side, Joisse kept a nervous watch as a lupael man climbed down into the alley, dropping a few trickles of snow. He looked a little older, but still fit: white had started to mix in with the dark gray of his short hair. Twin pointed ears stood up straight as he gave a curt nod.

    ¡°We should get inside. I assume these two are friends? It¡¯s a little late now if they¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re friends,¡± Brynna answered without hesitation. ¡°There are others, too.¡±

    ¡°Others?¡± Razz asked.

    ¡°Inside,¡± Keran repeated. He rapped his knuckles against the door and said something in that same language Brynna was using.

    From inside came the sound of wood sliding on wood, and the door opened moments later. The interior was dark and more than a little musty, but Seyari followed Keran in. Joisse hesitated, but Razz deftly used her now-squirming sister to make sure she was last inside.

    Smart, Seyari thought. If anything, however, it just made Joisse more nervous. If Seyari didn¡¯t know better, the demon in human guise would look to be a demon-blooded girl nervous about what might happen to her. But Seyari did know better: Joisse was nervous for what she might to do them.

    Zarenna, please be right about your daughter¡¯s control over her wrath.

    Inside the room was a battered round table, six mismatched chairs, and two other people: one lupael and one human¡ªboth men. A big old armoire sat in the corner, and a ratty rug covered the floor under the table. The men in the room shared a short conversation with Keran before they exited the way Seyari and the others had just come in. Keran gestured for them all to sit while Razz hauled a big wooden beam back across the door.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with what happened, Brynna,¡± Keran asked, taking a seat. He glanced at Joisse and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t you all tell us who she is and why a girl her age is with you.¡±

    Razz rubbed Brynna¡¯s shoulder and whispered something in her ear before sitting down between her and Seyari. Joisse obediently sat between Seyari and Keran, leaving the last seat between her and him empty.

    ¡°Demon-blooded?¡± Razz guessed. ¡°Pretty eyes.¡±

    Joisse blushed despite how she shook. Almost on instinct, Seyari reached under the table and took her hand in her remaining one. Joisse calmed almost immediately, until she realized everyone was staring at her.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± the young demon in disguise trailed off.

    Brynna looked to Seyari with wide eyes.

    Great. Now this is on me.

    ¡°I am demon-blooded, yes,¡± Joisse said with a surprisingly steady voice and a nod.

    Or not. Seyari felt a strange pride she pushed away for the moment.

    Keran looked at the ¡°demon-blooded¡± girl with suspicion.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with Brynna like you suggested,¡± Razz offered. Even with the olive branch extended, she side-eyed Joisse.

    Brynna nodded, and after Keran gave her permission with a shrug, took a deep breath and began. Much of what she recounted¡ªat first at least¡ªwas new to Seyari. A resistance in town, and a stranglehold on winter food stores. Apparently the cult had used food supplies to better control the townspeople. In the town at least¡ªthe farms had their own supply, but had been watched closely.

    Standard tactic, Seyari thought. Really, the only difference is that these fucks have demons to help them threaten folks.

    From there, Brynna¡¯s tale turned into using the forces trying to get food from farms and their focused attention to slip the net guarding the city and go south to get help. Brynna had volunteered because she was fast and had good endurance, much to the chagrin of her sister, Razz.

    Once the chase started, Keran¡¯s questioning began. Razz jumped in a couple times, but Keran was the one throwing hard questions until Brynna snapped at him.

    ¡°Is it really that hard to believe I got away? That I got help? I¡¯m not a kid anymore¡ªI haven¡¯t been for years.¡±

    Keran sighed. ¡°Sorry, but I made a promise to your parents years ago, and I¡¯m not going to break it.¡±

    ¡°I can make my own choices. I¡¯m not even a teenager; I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you this, Keran.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s got a point,¡± Razz chimed in.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Keran said. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t talk about this in front of strangers anyway. So, what happened that got you free? From what it sounds like, you had a whole damn army of lesser and maybe even a greater demon after you and gaining. That four-armed bitch disappeared for a while, too, so she might¡¯ve even been chasing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she was. But I do know that Seyari, Joisse, and their friends saved me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you made it out of the wilderness. You mean to tell me they saved you in the middle of the mountains in winter because they happened to be there?¡±

    Brynna nodded seriously. ¡°That is what happened, yes. They slew all the demons that were after me and brought me back to the city. From there, I made my report to the city militia, and I decided to return here to do what I could to help. We survived another ambush on the pass south, killing four greater demons, and now we¡¯re here.¡±

    Keran turned to Seyari, eyes narrow. ¡°What were you doing out in the middle of the mountains in early winter?¡±

    ¡°Practicing,¡± Seyari answered simply. ¡°My fianc¨¦e¡¯s sister wanted her to show off her full power, and it wasn¡¯t a smart idea to do it within sight of Linthel.¡±

    ¡°Full power?¡± Razz asked. ¡°Wait. Your fianc¨¦e: what does she look like?¡±

    Seyari deliberated for a moment, but she had no interest in delaying or beating around the bush. ¡°She¡¯s a tall demon woman with four arms who¡¯s too damn nice for her own good. She and I are here to get revenge on both the man who made her a demon and the man who had once ruined my life.¡±

    Keran stiffened, and Razz looked at him before looking at her sister.

    ¡°Is this true, Brynna?¡±

    ¡°It is. Zarenna is a demon and she and her friends saved me. From what I¡¯ve seen she¡¯s very strong, even for a greater demon, and she strikes me as kind to a fault. It may be hard to believe, but I swear it is true.¡±

    Keran was silent, and his ears lowered dangerously.

    Razz spoke first. ¡°I believe my sister. Zarenna was probably the demon we saw fly toward the castle.¡±

    ¡°She punched through the castle¡¯s wall, Razz. Not even a quarter hour ago.¡±

    So that was the boom I heard, Seyari thought proudly. There must have been a ward she was destroying¡ªprobably a hastily-made one since they only recently learned she could fly.

    ¡°Punched through the wall?¡± Joisse asked, breaking her silence. ¡°That sounds like Renna.¡±

    ¡°Was she wearing an¡­ impractical dress that I tried to get her not to wear?¡±

    Razz blinked at Seyari, and she smirked back. ¡°Yes¡­ I guess she was.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Zarenna then. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s finally letting herself take action.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Keran asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s usually far too forgiving,¡± Seyari added.

    ¡°Forgiving?¡±

    ¡°She is!¡± Joisse added. ¡°She forgave me and adopted me when I asked!¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re her daughter?¡± Razz asked.

    Joisse nodded.

    Oh no, Seyari thought. This is either the best idea or the worst idea, and it¡¯ll only be the best if I stay quiet and let Joisse do this. She kept her hand over Joisse¡¯s under the table as it shook.

    ¡°Are you really demon blooded?¡± Keran asked Joisse pointedly. ¡°You don¡¯t have an aura.¡±

    Joisse shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m a wrath demon. Mom gave me this human form when she made a contract with me. Thanks to her, I can control my wrath and I¡¯m¡­ happy.¡± Her shaking voice paused before the last word like it was a surprise to her too.

    Seyari watched Keran¡¯s posture relax into disbelief as Joisse¡¯s bare sincerity broke the room¡¯s tension with a hammer-like blow. Thank the gods. For a moment, everyone was silent; Joisse looked down at the table, crying softly.

    ¡°We agreed to help with anything else that needed done while Zarenna struck at the heart,¡± Brynna said, bringing the conversation back on course and giving Joisse space. ¡°Has Mordwell already gone further south?¡±

    Definitely, Seyari thought, although she waited for the answer.

    ¡°He has,¡± Keran answered. ¡°He took some few hunters and the four-armed bitch with him.¡±

    ¡°No offense to your four-armed friend,¡± Razz added.

    ¡°Razz!¡± Keran hissed.

    ¡°What? They¡¯re almost certainly here to help and we¡¯re fucked if they¡¯re not. I got my sister back safe and sound, so I¡¯m going to bet on those odds and you should too.¡±

    Keran grumbled, looking between the assembled. ¡°Any other demon friends?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already met Joisse,¡± Seyari answered, giving the girl¡¯s hand a squeeze. ¡°She¡¯s a sweetheart. The only other one is Nelys. You would probably call them ¡®corrupted¡¯. They were the one to insist on a contract, and they¡¯re still close to a cecaelia in appearance.¡±

    ¡°This is all too strange,¡± Keran said, now sounding tired. ¡°But I know when I¡¯m outmatched, and we need a miracle, so I¡¯ll take your word. We need to get out there, talk with the others, and make sure there are no more fires before we follow your demon ¡®friend.¡¯ We might also find some ¡®Church¡¯ stragglers, although I think everyone went to the castle. You two coming?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Razz hugged Brynna.

    Keran sighed ¡°Not you two.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Joisse said seriously, and Seyari nodded.

    When the half-angel stood up, Joisse hugged her. She stiffened, then moved to hug the demon back. Something stirred in her heart, but she didn¡¯t have the time to think about it.

 Chapter 151: Two Moms

    I looked at the two lupaels in the doorway a little closer. The woman resembled Brynna strongly enough that she had to be family, and I wondered if they were here because I punched the castle¡¯s wall down or because they¡¯d met up with the others.

    ¡°Road¡¯s clear between here and the city, and the city¡¯s cleared out too,¡± the Brynna lookalike said.

    ¡°Zarenna!¡± a familiar voice shouted.

    ¡°Seyari!¡± I shouted back, scaring more than a few people by bounding toward the door.

    The two lupaels stepped aside to let my fianc¨¦e through. Seyari, unharmed and beaming, ran up to me, and I pulled her off the ground into a four-armed hug. Uncaring of the looks I¡¯d get, I leaned down and pecked her on the cheek. She flushed red, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°We¡¯re all okay,¡± she said. ¡°the others are going through the rest of the castle looking for stragglers, and the resistance has the city and farms secured.¡±

    I set her down and looked at the two lupaels. ¡°You¡¯re resistance then?¡±

    They nodded.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°For risking everything to push back against this cult.¡±

    The woman tilted her head at me, expression unreadable. ¡°I guess Rynna was right. I¡¯m Razz, but it looks like now¡¯s not a good time for introductions.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not holding everyone here, are you?¡± the man looked at me, particularly at the bloodstains on my dress, most of which were from Finley¡¯s heart.

    I must have looked quite the sight: a tall demon lady in a somewhat risqu¨¦ dress standing shoeless in the doorway of a chapel, half the town standing nervously behind her, was a lot. That I my dress also had blotchy crimson stains and bits of shredded muscle stuck to it right around where the neckline plunged between my breasts definitely didn¡¯t help, and I imagined the soft crimson glow ringed with green from my gemstone didn¡¯t do much to make me look less scary either.

    Without any idea of how to remedy my appearance other than the obvious, I brushed the heart bits off my front and shook my head. ¡°No. I was about to head out and check if the castle was secure myself, but it¡¯s a relief that it¡¯s being taken care of. ¡°

    ¡°Yep!¡± Razz said. She forced her gaze past me to look over the crowd, including the two I¡¯d been speaking with earlier, and then took one of my hands to shake. ¡°Your friends were a huge help, Zarenna!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t expected an enthusiastic thanks, but no way was I going to turn it down. ¡°I¡¯m glad! I wish we could¡¯ve gotten here sooner.¡± I beamed a smile Razz¡¯s way and she flinched a little.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Razz said solemnly, after taking a moment to regain her composure, which earned her a reproachful look from the middle-aged lupael man next to her.

    ¡°Did you really do all that outside yourself?¡± he asked, staying vague on purpose no doubt. ¡°And is Finley dead?¡±

    ¡°I did, yes. And he is.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do now then?¡± The lupael man¡¯s voice sounded more tired than angry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind Keran,¡± Razz interjected. ¡°But he does have a point.¡±

    I inclined my head toward the two I was speaking with earlier. ¡°I was already talking about that. We didn¡¯t catch the biggest fish so to speak, and I¡¯ll both need a place to stay while we search after him and Astrye will need someone to protect it from him just coming back. I assume he¡¯ll not be easy to catch.¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡± someone shouted.

    I couldn¡¯t help my gaze snapping to the exact individual in the crowd and they shrank away.

    I shook my head. ¡°Sorry. Still on edge. Look, I¡¯m asking to stay here, nothing more.¡± I thought about Carvalon¡¯s offer. No way, right?

    ¡°We can¡¯t say ¡®no¡¯ to that, can we?¡± Razz asked.

    The crowd set to mumbling.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about things,¡± Keran said, walking past me into the room. I noticed that he, particularly his tail, shook, even if he kept his ears perked up. ¡°Decide if you can stay.¡±

    He¡¯s afraid. Except Razz, they all are¡ªand that¡¯s probably only because Razz trusts Brynna who must trust me.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll leave you four to talk things out, then,¡± I agreed. ¡°This isn¡¯t my city, after all.¡± I turned to follow Seyari out the doors to the chapel.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the older woman I¡¯d spoken to earlier said. ¡°Regardless of anything else, you¡¯ve saved a lot of lives today¡ªmore than those you ended.¡±

    I smiled ruefully and strode out of the room. Once outside, I released a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d been holding. Without the press of bodies, the hall felt cooler, and I could breathe more easily.

    Seyari rubbed a hand into the small of my back as we walked. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°If it makes any sense, I¡¯m only not okay because of just how okay I am. Knowing what the cult did, all that killing felt great.¡±

    Our footsteps echoed in the hallway, growing more pronounced as the chaos of conversation in the chapel faded rapidly.

    Seyari¡¯s voice was quiet when she spoke. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about becoming a monster, then it means you won¡¯t. If that makes any sense. I think you said something like that to me once.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I stopped and looked down at her. My angelic fianc¨¦e smiled up at me, and I had the errant thought that short hair looked good on her¡ªbut long hair did too.

    ¡°Do you mean to say that when I stop worrying is when I¡¯ll lose myself?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s really true for you. I think, to the contrary, you¡¯ve finally found yourself. You can go rip apart an army of evil and return home to hug your daughter the same day and that¡¯s fine.¡±

    I looked down at my claws and clenched them into fists. ¡°Envy was here¡ªkilled Finley right in front of me.¡±

    Seyari shivered like a shock passed through her. ¡°Fuck. Where?¡±

    ¡°Gone, I think. After wherever Mordwell went.¡±

    ¡°Shit. Did Envy really just taunt you and leave?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°¡­Sorta. I don¡¯t know why they would and the whole thing makes me uneasy. We should talk to the others about it soon. For now though¡ªwhere¡¯s Joisse?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s waiting in a sitting room. Said the smell of blood was too enticing and she was worried she¡¯d lose control.¡±

    I felt a pang in my heart at Seyari¡¯s words. ¡°We should go talk to her, then.¡±

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re her mom, too. Or you will be soon.¡±

    ¡°You really mean to get married before we go after Mordwell? What about revenge¡ªdidn¡¯t Envy killing Finley hurt?¡±

    ¡°A little, but only in a base sort of sense. Really, I¡¯m just relieved that he¡¯s dead. He can¡¯t hurt anyone else now.¡±

    Seyari hummed a response, and I got the distinct feeling she was more unsatisfied than I was. Nevertheless, she guided me without comment around the main hall, and I could see the corpse of the demon I killed by the doors I¡¯d kicked in. There was a gap in the clouds, and the sun shone off their discarded halberd.

    ¡°Think Finley will become a demon?¡± my fianc¨¦e asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I growled. ¡°If he does, then I¡¯ll kill him again¡ªand if he¡¯s a wrath demon I¡¯ll eat his soul, too.¡±

    Seyari looked up at my serious face, then blushed and looked away.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Seyari replied. ¡°We should¡­ talk about something more wholesome. Make the mood nicer because Joisse should be through this next door.¡±

    I blinked at Seyari a few times, but did as she asked, and the pair of us were talking about tonight¡¯s dinner when we entered the sitting room. Or, what was left of it.

    Joisse clearly wasn¡¯t the culprit, but she sat alone on half a broken lounge, and was staring up at a painting with a single great rip across its center. The scene was an idyllic field, golden wheat ready for harvest under a bright blue sky. A quaint farmhouse slouched right of center. My daughter was in her demon form, and she glanced from the painting to her claws and back again.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± she started.

    ¡°I know.¡± I swept the floor with my tail and sat down next to her, wrapping her in a hug with my two right arms. I beckoned Seyari with another hand, and she closed the door, moving to sit down next to us.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Joisse scrunched her eyes as if she was trying not to cry. ¡°I¡¯m worried that I will. Not to, like, a painting, but to an actual life like that. Wreck it, that is. Sure, I¡¯m basically an adult and there¡¯s no time for any kind of nice happy life¡­ but I want it. But I also don¡¯t deserve it¡ªI¡¯ve killed so many people.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± I held her tight. ¡°You saw outside.¡±

    Joisse nodded numbly.

    ¡°And if you think Zarenna¡¯s bad,¡± Seyari plopped down on the other side of Joisse. ¡°Well, you should see me. This cult? Yeah, I used to be part of it. I was their attack dog¡ªattack angel, really.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Joisse¡¯s red eyes went wide.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seyari smiled sadly. ¡°Really. You were consumed by anger, and even then you mostly took out unrepentant murderers. Doesn¡¯t make it right, I know, but it makes it better. And we can pretend all we like that it¡¯s the exact same evil, but it isn¡¯t.

    ¡°Same with Zarenna. Sure, some of those cultists could maybe change their ways, or maybe were brainwashed, but Zarenna had to choose to save the city and us, or to try to save some of them and maybe lose everything.¡±

    My daughter looked up at me, but I couldn¡¯t quite meet her gaze. She looked quickly away and back to the ripped painting, her eyes scanning over the destroyed sitting room. ¡°That sucks. It¡¯s like there¡¯s no good choice.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°There isn¡¯t. You just save the ones you love, and decide who you want to help and what side to take. Then you act and regret later. Even if you enjoy the fighting, even if your claws want to rip through flesh¡­¡± I shuddered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t ever truly enjoy it. That moment of hot revenge isn¡¯t worth a lifetime of cold regret.¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°I know that. All of that. The destruction and the regret and the rush. But¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m like I was before. Everything¡¯s calmer now, but I¡¯m worried it won¡¯t stay that way.¡±

    ¡°Just worry about when you stop worrying.¡± I flopped my tail over all three of us, and Joisse pulled it closer to herself with her lower arms. ¡°We¡¯re always trying to be better, and I don¡¯t think anyone ever actually ¡®finds¡¯ themselves. Not truly. We all just keep looking and looking, but we¡¯re always changing. Just try to make that for the better, yeah?¡±

    For a long, quiet moment, we all stared at the ruined painting. ¡°You say a lot of deep stuff, Mom. How do I know it isn¡¯t all bullcrap?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t. I don¡¯t. I just say what feels right and then figure out later what¡¯s worth remembering.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like that.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I glanced down and all my worries were swept away by my daughter¡¯s fang-filled smile.

    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± Joisse turned to Seyari. ¡°And you too¡­¡± my daughter trailed off.

    Seyari glanced up at me, and I nodded. Her mouth moved and her golden eyes filled with tears. Seyari shook her head and hiccupped.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± Joisse reached for Seyari.

    The three-quarters angel shook her head again, but didn¡¯t pull away. Seyari tried and failed not to cry, and Joisse was the one to hold her this time.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± our daughter whispered. ¡°I think you¡¯re a good person¡ªregardless of your past, the Seyari I know is kind and caring. And a little bit prickly.¡±

    Seyari mumbled something, but I couldn¡¯t understand it. Instead, I found my eyes drawn again to that damn painting. Maybe I¡¯ll get it fixed.

    Why would I think that?

    We were going to chase after Mordwell. But¡­ we didn¡¯t know where he went, and we probably wouldn¡¯t find out. And Astrye was vulnerable. And I needed influence and the region had no nobility.

    But I also was an outsider. Just over the mountains might as well have been a world away. The people here would never accept me. Maybe I can take the picture back and reframe it.

    All throughout trying to keep from watching Seyari as she cried with Joisse comforting her, I found my focus slipping., Eventually, I joined them, wrapping both of them up into a smaller hug. When I let go, Seyari was drying her tears.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± she coughed, clearing her throat. ¡°Joisse, you can call me ¡®Mom¡¯ too, if you¡¯d like.¡±

    Joisse blinked in shock. ¡°I¡­ okay! Okay, Mom!¡±

    I hugged both of them again.

    ¡°But, you can¡¯t both just be ¡®Mom,¡¯¡± Joisse continued. ¡°And I don¡¯t think either of you want to be ¡®Dad,¡¯ so maybe ¡®Mom Sey¡¯ and ¡®Mom Renna?¡¯¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that!¡± I giggled. ¡°Unless Sey wants ¡®Dad.¡¯¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Seyari beamed, shaking and blinking away the last of her tears. ¡°That sounds lovely, Joisse.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Our daughter pulled us into a hug. ¡°Can we stay for just a minute longer?¡±

    Laughing, I was about to say yes, when I caught footsteps outside, followed by a knock on the door.

    ¡°Renna?¡± Nelys asked through the battered wood. ¡°Are you in there? I thought I heard your voice¡ªwe found something important.¡±

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± I asked back, raising my voice a little.

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Can it wait a minute?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah I guess¡­¡±

    ¡°Could I take that minute for family time?¡±

    Nelys paused for a moment. ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    I felt a pang of regret the moment the word left Nelys¡¯s mouth. Family time. When they¡¯re missing their own family and uncertain of their future. Way to go me. Way to be a shit friend.

    ¡°You should join us!¡± Joisse shouted. ¡°Friends are fine too!¡± She gave me a wink and I melted.

    Seyari jumped up to let Nelys in, and to my immense relief, they perked up quickly. As the conversation drifted to mundane topics, I realized how much I cherished this time.

 Chapter 152: Legacy of Pain

    Walking through the castle, Nelys leading, I realized just how labyrinthine the place was. The stone walls seemed to be in good shape, but most of the rest of the place was empty. The little that remained seemed either recent or decayed, and much of it had been torn up.

    Like I¡¯d suspected, not everyone had been out in the fight, and I saw a fair few corpses and bloodstains on the way. Joisse pulled close to me, and I pulled my tail loosely around her as we walked in silence.

    The worst part of it all was that what we passed just seemed¡­ normal. Aside from some innocuous-looking iconography of Dhias, we passed bunk rooms, sitting rooms, and even a kitchen area. We walked above a dining room at one point, mismatched chairs all tucked in under the table.

    In the moment, it had been easy to forget that each of these people still led lives outside of their power-hungry cult. How many could have walked a different path?

    That was a useless question now. They were all dead.

    And I had to hold remorse in my mind lest it slip away. It felt like forcing a splinter deeper under my skin, and I worried the feeling could fester.

    Compassion. Mercy.

    An excess of either would do more harm to me and my family than good. I was no longer the self-hating demon bent on a penitent life without volition. I had a war to fight. The feeling was sobering, like jumping through the ice into a frozen pond.

    I needed power¡ªsoft power, too. And I wouldn¡¯t get that by continuing to travel. Somewhere, like what Lilly had with Sandmeadow, I needed a base of power. The noble title for Astrye was open, and King Carvalon was going to want to grant it to me. He¡¯d said as much when we¡¯d met, that he¡¯d grant it to someone who saved the region. I tried not to think about how or how much he might have known about what was going on here.

    The title was a leash to be certain, but as I ran my tongue over the teeth in my mouth, I realized I could bite through it if need be. Metaphorically, of course. The bigger issue was that Astrye wasn¡¯t my homeland. Close as it was, the mountains divided a lot more than the land itself.

    I don¡¯t even speak Lupael.

    But my presence would rebuff Mordwell even as it drew Astrye deeper into the conflict. The region would already have fallen if it wasn¡¯t for me and my friends.

    All this hurt to think about. I needed time, and I needed to talk things out with both whatever community leaders remained and Seyari. Speaking of Seyari¡­

    I looked down, and my three-quarters-angel fianc¨¦e looked up at me, meeting my gaze with a genuine smile.

    I had a wedding to plan as well. Perhaps that could work in my favor toward making Astrye my home? Linthel was¡­ well, not the same. The city in my memory was gone; time assured me of that much. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t think I could settle there. I also didn¡¯t want King Carvalon that close, or to tie myself, a demon, that closely with Edath¡¯s seat of power.

    Carvalon¡¯s idea was good, damnit.

    Thunk<u>.</u>

    My head bent back, my horns putting two solid dents in the doorframe I hadn¡¯t noticed. The dark, old wood was barely above eye-level¡ªI really was getting even taller.

    Reflexively, I ducked into the room, and saw Kartania leaning over a table covered in a mess of papers, her shoulders were twitching as she quickly leafed through them. Many of them were partially burned, and Taava was grumbling an improvised song while sifting through the room¡¯s fireplace.

    At the back, two windows, tall and relatively wide for the castle, let in the later afternoon light. Other than the table, and two chairs, the room was in disarray. Once an office, and perhaps a bedroom before that, the room was now neither. Ashes, scorch marks, and broken chairs were scattered around while damaged and fallen bookcases huddled against the walls. From the center of the rather tall ceiling, a metal chandelier hung sideways from a single chain, and only three stubby candles clung to their holders.

    With an idle thought, I flicked my finger and lit them. Kartania tensed immediately, looking up from the papers she¡¯d been studying intently with an icy expression that melted the moment she saw me and the others.

    ¡°Zarenna. Glad you¡¯re finally here. Seyari, too.¡± She gestured to the table. ¡°Get reading¡ªmost of this is junk, but we might find something in time to track Mordwell down.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll search the rest of the room!¡± Nelys volunteered, jogging over to a fallen bookshelf.

    Joisse slipped out from under my arm and followed them, and the pair lifted the battered wood as Seyari and I reached the table.

    ¡°Anywhere¡¯s fine!¡± Kartania said, urgently. ¡°Just go fast. I want to leave tonight¡ªand we can have you scout from the sky. Maybe burn some marks for the ground troops to follow and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kartania.¡± Seyari said curtly. ¡°Stop.¡±

    Tania snapped her head to Seyari. ¡°But we can catch him. He¡¯s just tipped his hand and we can finally bring Mordwell to justice. Go! Read!¡±

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°No. We can¡¯t. He left days ago and took the best guides in the town with him.¡±

    ¡°Zarenna¡¯s fast, though!¡± My sister talked faster and faster. ¡°And neither of us really fought, so we¡¯re all in good shape. There¡¯s plenty of food for rations still stored in the castle if what I¡¯ve read is to be believed.¡±

    I picked up a few papers at random and walked slowly over to Tania¡¯s side of the table. I remembered years ago, my sister¡¯s panic at how she struggled to learn sewing. When she was five. Kartania was used to all her plans succeeding, and I could tell from her wide eyes that missing Mordwell here was not going to be acceptable. Worse than that, I felt my sister¡¯s anger starting to spill over from whatever invisible box she usually kept it in.

    ¡°It snowed twice since he left, Kartania, and with the wind in the mountains there¡¯ll be no trail. You know this,¡± Seyari rebutted again.

    ¡°No! You¡¯re wrong!¡± Kartania raised her voice, but the pitch danced up and down. ¡°Just help me look and we¡¯ll find something! We¡¯ll leave tonight and easily catch their larger group!¡±

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    I glanced at Taava whose song had stopped. Joisse and Nelys were both sneaking glances our way.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone, Kartania.¡± Seyari said, a hint of anger creeping into her voice and her emotions both. ¡°Do you know how much I want this, too? We¡¯ll find him¡ªbut we have to be smart about it.¡±

    ¡°Smart?¡± Kartania practically squeaked. ¡°Smart?!¡±

    I reached my sister and set the papers down before wrapping both my left arms around her. She jerked, staring up at me with blue eyes that shimmered in the dim light of the candles I¡¯d lit.

    ¡°But¡­¡± she stuttered. ¡°But we¡ªall this time. All these years. Across a damned continent, I¡ªI¡ª¡±

    I said nothing and pulled her into a hug, looking over at Seyari. My fianc¨¦e met my gaze with hard eyes and sighed before sitting heavily in the better-looking of the two chairs.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Kartania whimpered. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ This wasn¡¯t¡­¡±

    My sister started hiccupping, and for a moment I saw her younger self in my arms instead of the hard woman she¡¯d become. Dhias, what pain has she endured alone all this time?

    I pulled Tania even closer, and this time she leaned into me. Her words faded into hiccups as she tried desperately not to cry, not to lose her composure any further.

    Finally, I whispered. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sis. I¡¯m here.¡±

    The dam burst, and my sister broke down into tears in my arms. I held her while the others searched the room, and while Seyari combed through the papers and the few books left behind. Her expression grew more and more grim as she read, and her fury rose even as I pulled slowly at Tania¡¯s, helping my sister to rest.

    Not confident in the last chair¡¯s structural integrity, I sat both of us on the ground, warming us against the chill of the old stone with my magic as the candles from the chandelier dripped wax onto the old table.

    Eventually, Tania¡¯s breathing slowed, and she fell asleep in my arms. As she did, she finally seemed to relax, her shoulders loosening fully. Seyari was still going through papers and books, while Nelys, Taava, and Joisse had started a game of cards in the far corner of the room, near the now-closed door. All the bookshelves had been placed back upright, and the broken debris of the other furniture had been stacked neatly into a pile. Outside, the sun was dipping behind the mountain, casting the room in shadow.

    Not long after Tania finally fell asleep, Seyari was squinting at a burned corner of paper when her eyes went wide. She looked down at me, my head and shoulders sticking up above the table from my position on the floor, and exhaled in a quiet hiss.

    ¡°I found something,¡± she said softly. ¡°Something big.¡±

    ¡°A way to track Mordwell?¡± I asked, hopeful in my sleeping sister¡¯s place.

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°No, the opposite. I found how Mordwell tracked us.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Oh! I knew we¡¯d suspected that, but, I¡¯d honestly forgotten in all this mess.¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t. He¡­ he has one of my feathers.¡±

    ¡°Could we heal your wings with it?¡± I asked before my tired mind could filter the statement out.

    Seyari¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°No, Zarenna. Like I said, nothing can bring my wings back. I¡¯m not a demon: I can¡¯t regrow limbs, and you know I¡¯m not going to take a contract either, both for risk and principle.¡±

    Behind her, Joisse perked up, turning her head Seyari¡¯s way with wide, curious eyes. Immediately, I got to thinking. Could my daughter¡¯s¡ªour daughter¡¯s¡ªmagic aid Seyari? Could the demonic aspect combined with healing magic regrow lost limbs? Or would it make things worse?

    Seyari continued, ¡°What my feather can do, however, is be used to track us. It¡¯s not easy, and the enchantment would have had to be done by a master of the craft. Potentially Mordwell himself.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a master enchanter?¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°He was good at it decades ago, and he probably hasn¡¯t gotten any worse.¡±

    ¡°That makes him more dangerous than we thought. Why hasn¡¯t he been outfitting his people with enchantments then?¡±

    Seyari looked at me blankly. ¡°He did, Zarenna. Before you tore through here, everyone¡¯s weapons and armor were enchanted.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. ¡®Oh¡¯ is right. You¡¯re stronger than you know.¡±

    ¡°But a greater demon almost brought me down!¡± I protested. ¡°They had magic crystals that got inside me and started growing and tearing everything apart.¡±

    Seyari cursed softly. ¡°Dead?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s a rare sort of magic¡ªand it¡¯s really good at killing things that regenerate. Problem is that humans don¡¯t really ever have an affinity for it.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ was that demon supposed to kill me? Why put them after all the other people?¡±

    ¡°To get you in close with your guard down. That magic doesn¡¯t have the longest range and takes a ton of mana to sustain.¡±

    ¡°Then why not kill me on the pass with you all?¡±

    ¡°The same reason, Zarenna.¡± Seyari chided. ¡°Or¡­ maybe worse. It could just be that they didn¡¯t want to risk the asset, or you noticing them at the same time as Lorelei and attacking from the air.¡±

    ¡°Or¡­¡± I started softly. ¡°Or they don¡¯t fully control Lorelei. She seemed to be fighting it.¡±

    Seyari gave me a pitying look. ¡°Renna¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. When the time comes, I¡¯ll kill her¡ªagain.¡±

    ¡°The first time wasn¡¯t your fault¡ªit was an accident.¡±

    ¡°That hardly makes it better.¡±

    Seyari sighed again, staring down at the piece of paper. ¡°At least we know that Mordwell can track me. And he doesn¡¯t know that we know, but he has to assume we might.¡±

    ¡°So if you go with us, he¡¯ll know where you are and steer clear?¡± I guessed. ¡°Can we use that to our advantage.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Yeah, we can.¡±

    ¡°How soon?¡±

    ¡°Not immediately. We¡¯ll need a stronger force¡ªmore people. And we¡¯ll need a good idea of what Mordwell¡¯s force is and what he¡¯s up to.¡±

    ¡°We should stay in Astrye then.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°I could become Marchioness.¡±

    Seyari opened her mouth and closed it again, thinking. ¡°You could¡­ but the wedding might be enough.¡±

    ¡°Are you still okay to do it? We won¡¯t be able to get many guests over the pass. I assumed we¡¯d get married in Linthel¡ªsend invitations out and all that.¡±

    ¡°Do we even have many friends who will come?¡±

    ¡°Sey!¡± I gestured to my daughter and to our two other friends in the corner. My poor daughter looked to be losing the card game, but she wore a big smile anyway. ¡°Not just them, but what about Bourick and Brynna! Drin and Tren and Firalex? Salvador and Inva and Aretan, too¡ªif we can reach them. Heck, I¡¯d invite Torrez as well. And you know Lilly is going to show up no matter what, but I would also like Isidore and Mereneth to come too.¡±

    Seyari blinked, counting. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a fair few people actually. Over a dozen.¡±

    ¡°We have friends, Sey. And we¡¯re going to make even more.¡± I felt myself smiling sharply.

    Seyari¡¯s face froze for a moment before she returned the gesture. ¡°You make it seem so menacing, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Sovereign of Friendship?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s bad, even for you.¡±

    I stuck my forked tongue out at her. ¡°How much do you have left to read?¡±

    ¡°Not a lot. Why?¡±

    ¡°We need to find a place for the night.¡±

    Seyari looked around the room. ¡°This looks cozy enough.¡± She pointed to the corner behind me. ¡°And I think your sister already brought all our gear up here.¡±

    I glanced behind me and noticed all our packs tucked into a corner that¡¯d been previously obscured by debris. ¡°Sey, this place is full of death. There are dead bodies all over downstairs.¡±

    ¡°We can clean those out.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we just find an inn in town?¡±

    ¡°I want us to be here and ready in case any scouts visit or return.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ shit. That¡¯s a good point,¡± I conceded. ¡°Fine. But we¡¯re taking all the bodies out of the courtyard, too. And I still think this place might end up cursed or something.¡±

    ¡°Zarenna, is the fort where you met your sister ¡®cursed?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess not.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯ll be fine. Besides¡­ a family staying here will do the place some good.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile again at Seyari¡¯s mention of ¡®family.¡¯ ¡°Okay, you win. I¡¯ll stop protesting. What will we do with the bodies, though?¡±

    ¡°Burn them,¡± Seyari replied easily. ¡°The ground¡¯s frozen, and I don¡¯t think the townsfolk will want a hundred graves to remind them of the cult that held their region hostage.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what they want.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you¡¯d stop protesting, Renna?¡±

    ¡°Sey! That was about staying here, not about burial practices.¡± In my arms, Kartania stirred, and I lowered my voice again. ¡°Although I guess most of the cult probably shouldn¡¯t have the right to a proper burial¡­¡± My sister relaxed again and I gave a quiet sigh of relief.

    ¡°Right,¡± Seyari said, lowering her own voice. ¡°We¡¯ve all had a long day, so let¡¯s set up in this room. We even have a fireplace for a fire.¡±

    I nodded, then gestured down to where Tania was sleeping. ¡°Set up someplace for me to lay her down comfortably, and then I¡¯ll help.¡±

    Seyari smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a good sister, Renna.¡±

    I blushed.

 Interlude: To the South

    Lockmoth, Empire of Ordia

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said ¡®it can¡¯t be that bad?¡¯¡± Inva teased. The blond paladin¡¯s voice came out muffled through the cloth she held against her face. The look clashed with her prim-and-proper attire, attire that was a little light for winter with a knee-length skirt and short-sleeved blouse.

    Not armor; that was shoved in a trunk to keep it from rusting in the salt air. And because it was heavy to wear. Although¡­ Inva had quite the sturdy figure¡ªmaybe Sonia was wrong.

    Sonia had been wrong about the smell, after all. She¡¯d fire a retort right back at her newest friend, but Inva was currently holding her with her one free arm as the demon-blooded woman emptied her stomach over the ship¡¯s railing. The earrings dangling from her horns jangled, and Sonia was thankful none of them came loose.

    When she finally caught her breath¡ªDhias it stank even through her mouth¡ªSonia pushed herself up and looked over the calm water at the sunrise. Pointedly, she looked away from the city of Lockmoth and its dreadful-smelling waterfront. ¡°At¡ª¡± She coughed again, tasting bile. ¡°At least you¡¯re not asking why a woman born and raised in Inolza gets seasick.¡±

    After taking a moment to parse her words, Inva nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯ve not crossed a line.¡±

    ¡°Your Cavenish is getting pretty good,¡± Sonia said carefully, keeping her eyes on the nice, calm, steady sunrise. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to learn it, you know. My Ordian¡¯s getting pretty good!¡±

    ¡°You wanted a traveling companion, yes? You have to be comfortable talking to me for that to happen. So it only makes sense for us to both learn.¡±

    Sonia laughed, and risked turning to look at the paladin of Dhias. She laughed a lot more easily around Inva for some reason. ¡°That¡¯s really nice of you!¡±

    Inva blushed and looked away. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Sonia giggled, then retched when the smell hit her nose.

    ¡°Do you smell stronger as a demon blooded?¡± Inva asked in slightly-off Cavenish.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ starting to think my sense of smell might be stronger, yes.¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel better, it¡¯s low tide.¡±

    ¡°A little. Do you have a spare¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI have yours.¡± Inva pushed a cloth into Sonia¡¯s hands. Neatly stitched into the corner were the initials ¡°C.R.¡±

    Mom, Sonia thought idly. Dad says you¡¯d be proud of me, just like he is. I wish I could tell you all that¡¯s happened.

    ¡°Is anything the matter?¡± Inva asked sharply.

    Sonia jerked her head up, but Inva wasn¡¯t talking to her. A man and woman were staring their direction, and Sonia saw the sadly-familiar look of fear and disgust on their faces.

    ¡°Inva, just let it go. It¡¯s fine,¡± Sonia said in Cavenish. ¡°They¡¯ve been looking at me like that all trip.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not fine!¡± Inva hissed back. ¡°And why didn¡¯t you tell me! Don¡¯t you want to change things?¡±

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    ¡°I do, but¡­¡±

    Inva shook her head and shifted her stance to face the pair. ¡°I am Paladin Inva Lunven.¡± She placed a hand against the small of the demon-blooded¡¯s back to push her posture upright.

    She¡¯s right. ¡°I am Priestess Sonia Rozaro, from Inolza.¡± The symbol of Dhias hanging from her neck glimmered in the early sun, and her the red-and-white vestments she¡¯d worn for arrival left no doubt as to her affiliation. ¡°May I be of assistance?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The man looked away for a moment. ¡°No, that¡¯s alright.¡±

    Sonia nodded. ¡°Good day to you, then! My apologies for the unsightly display.¡±

    The pair nodded hesitantly, then walked stiffly away.

    ¡°Good job!¡± Inva gloated. ¡°You out-polited them!¡±

    ¡°Did you mean to say ¡®out-polited?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a word in Cavenish, you know.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Inva only smiled wider.

    Sonia couldn¡¯t hold in her laughter any longer, and she spent the last few minutes of the voyage into the berth in good spirits. She waved off Inva¡¯s attempts to carry her bags, and strode down onto the dock determinedly¡ªeven if her normal crimson complexion was a little green from the smell. How do people get used to this?

    With Inva leading, Sonia walked through the harbor district and into Lockmoth proper. She held her horned head high through the stares as she usually did. I¡¯m really glad I took Inva up on her offer¡ªI¡¯d hate to do this alone.

    Thankfully, no one accosted the pair, and Sonia felt safe enough to start talking as soon as the smell dropped a little in its bite. ¡°You said you had a place for us to stay?¡±

    ¡°I do. Two friends are staying there right now, but there should be two spare rooms.¡±

    Sonia nodded. ¡°So it¡¯s a house, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Specifically, it¡¯s Zarenna and Seyari¡¯s house, given to them by Lord Phelian.¡±

    ¡°After Zarenna fought that demonic monstrosity, I assume. Can we¡­ can we visit that place?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure! It¡¯s a little out of the way¡ªand I¡¯m not very familiar with the city¡ªbut it¡¯s hard to miss.¡±

    ¡°Great! Then we¡¯ll drop off our things, and then I want to check in with the Church here in Lockmoth. I know what you¡¯ve said about Priest Herron, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not going to hide away.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Inva clapped Sonia on the shoulder, and the smaller woman somehow maintained an even stride. ¡°We should visit the Gelles Company as well. If anyone knows what Zarenna is up to, it¡¯ll be them¡ªFiralex specifically.¡±

    At the mention of the demon¡¯s name, Sonia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I really hope I can meet her! A demon and a hero; she¡¯s like something out of a fairytale!¡±

    Inva chuckled. ¡°She is pretty nice, but she¡¯s also more¡­ normal than I think you¡¯re making her.¡±

    ¡°Sure, fine. Let¡¯s go see where Zarenna fought that other demon!¡± Sonia pulled at Inva¡¯s hand, and the paladin blushed as she guided the excited demon-blooded through the city¡¯s streets.

    After a few blocks of jogging and chatting, the pair stopped at the edge of a murky pond with unusually dark water. The streets around it looked new, and a railing surrounded the nearly-cylindrical, block-sized disc of water. Some of the nearby buildings were still in disarray, while others looked new. In front of the pond, a large stone had been placed with several names etched into it.

    Across the water, a chill wind blew and Sonia shivered. There was no snow in Lockmoth today, but Inva had assured her she¡¯d see plenty of it in the weeks to come.

    ¡°A pond?¡±

    ¡°It filled with water from the tide. There used to be dry tunnels down there, and now they keep the crater filled.¡±

    Sonia looked at how close the pond was to street level, and how placid its dark, grey-black surface was. ¡°Then it must be high tide now. Were¡­ were there buildings here before?¡±

    Inva nodded. ¡°Yes. Dense as everywhere around.¡±

    ¡°Dhias¡­ those names on the stone¡ªthe people who died?¡±

    Inva walked to the edge of the pond and looked at the stone. ¡°I assume so. There could have been a lot more. It¡¯s honestly lucky, in a morbid way.¡±

    Sonia walked beside her and leaned against the railing. ¡°I wish we could get some flowers. Maybe tomorrow? Did you see this crater before it filled?¡±

    ¡°I did. It was deeper than the nearby buildings are tall, and it had this ring of demon fire around it. I¡¯d bet it¡¯s the color it is from the ash that had coated the bottom.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Sonia mumbled. ¡°I wish I could have seen it.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Inva wrapped an arm around the smaller woman¡¯s shoulders and thought about how close she had come to dying that night. ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Sonia brought her hands to her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Inva!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t!¡±

    Inva gave Sonia a look, and the demon-blooded woman wilted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go drop our bags off, then. I¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll find a way to make it up to you! I promise!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± Inva answered softly.

 Interlude: Collared Again

    Somewhere south of Astrye

    The demon that was once Lorelei felt the collar around her neck, running a talon over its rune-etched surface. Even when she came back to them, told them everything, told them that Zarenna was the Sovereign of Wrath¡­ they hadn¡¯t trusted her.

    And why would they¡ªthey shouldn¡¯t. She wouldn¡¯t trust herself, either.

    But why did it hurt?

    It was for her own good; Great Unc¡ªMaster Mordwell had said as much.

    The reason was probably her deviant thoughts. Thinking of herself like a human. Like she was anything other than an instrument of war¡ªof murder when misused.

    Her feet were cold as she marched ahead, but the taloned, monstrous limbs would fit no shoe. The quiet of the forest pounded against her skull, and the demon Zarenna¡¯s words seemed to whisper in the winter wind that shook snow from the tops of stunted trees.

    ¡°I¡¯m never leaving you,¡± one breeze said, and the demon shivered.

    Leaving who? Lorelei was dead. This demon that had her memories was a sick parody¡ªa perversion of that human¡¯s life. And even then¡­ Zarenna had killed her. She should be furious. She was furious.

    But¡­ she also wanted to bend her knee and cry into Zarenna¡¯s shoulder at the same time. Do demons even cry?

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    Nothing made sense anymore. Ever since she¡¯d been dragged out of hell by Master Mordwell, everything had been so clear. He¡¯d given her a purpose. He¡¯d given her a place to belong; to be more than the mindless killing machine that she otherwise would have been.

    Another breeze blew, and with it came more painful words. ¡°Would you rather die? Become something you hate?¡±

    What kind of question was that? She was already something she hated¡ªno, Lorelei would have hated. She wasn¡¯t her. Couldn¡¯t be her. She was Deliverance now, her name granted to her by her master. She had a purpose and she did not want to die.

    And she was an evil, vile demon. She loved what she was¡ªreveled in it.

    Right?

    The demon, Deliverance, heard footsteps behind her and realized she¡¯d let her thoughts distract her enough that the rest of the group was catching up. Only a couple dozen humans, and a handful of greater demons, they were all she had left.

    What?

    She shouldn¡¯t care about that. Demons couldn¡¯t empathize.

    But¡­ Deliverance remembered a painful trip down a freezing river. She remembered a warm fire under a bank and a demon who¡¯d pulled her out. A demon who¡¯d listened to her. A demon who¡¯d given her space and not tried to push anything on her. A demon who¡¯d taken all the shit flung at her and come back with a smile.

    A demon who¡¯d killed her.

    On accident. A terrible, tragic accident, a whisper in her mind said.

    Had Zarenna cried then too?

    ¡°Deliverance,¡± her master said, magic carrying his voice up the trail.

    ¡°Y-yes?¡± she replied, momentarily stunned by the meekness of her voice.

    ¡°Do not linger,¡± Mordwell said in a cold voice. ¡°We¡¯ve places to be, and those vile, wild demons will chase us down if we make a single mistake.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Deliverance replied.

    Her thoughts focused once again as she picked up her pace into a fast jog, and the forest around her grew quiet. But somewhere, in the back of her mind, she wondered¡­ what if.

 Chapter 153: Motivation

    Neither Seyari nor I were in a mood to talk about our wedding the next morning. I¡¯d given serious thought to her points during the night: I did want guests, and some kind of ceremony. And I¡¯d need a new dress.

    And we¡¯d need to decide if we wanted someone from the Church to marry us. It wasn¡¯t necessary in Edath¡ªnot after the war¡ªbut a part of me wanted it. I was tired enough to sleep a little, and in one dream Yevon performed the ceremony.

    That image was enough to get me up, and I had a fire stoked by morning.

    I¡¯d been happy for the sleep, and more than anything glad that I could still at least seem to need it. Joisse was the same, and my daughter even now slept peacefully. Outside the shuttered windows, a harsh wind was blowing, but this room in the castle was peaceful.

    It was easy to forget what happened here. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t nearly the atrocity it could have been. I had no regrets with how I handled this¡ªno serious ones at least. The only mistake I made was letting that other demon get the jump on me.

    But I¡¯d also only been doing this for a few years.

    And now I¡¯m thinking about my lack of mortality.

    I tried to focus on making breakfast. I wasn¡¯t a great cook, but experience is the best teacher, and I had plenty of that. The fact that I could also hold the pot directly in the fire with two arms, work with another two, and grab items I needed with my tail helped immensely.

    When I can try smithing again, I can only imagine how jealous Bourick will be!

    I smiled at the thought, peeling a potato with one claw. I¡¯d come a long way from the time I cooked with Lilly in Sandmeadow. I¡¯d come a long way period, in both mind as well as, physical distance.

    I didn¡¯t really want to keep chasing. Saving Lorelei was something I¡¯d like to do, and killing Mordwell for Seyari would be nice, but the war¡­

    Well I didn¡¯t have a choice.

    And I was pissed about that. For once, I had a very clear motivation to get stronger. I hadn¡¯t needed it for Finley, and I¡¯d never really been that interested in it. Even after Lockmoth, I¡¯d only pursued gathering strength halfheartedly.

    I finished slicing the potato (with my claws) and dropped it in the pot, leaning back to look up at the barely-hanging chandelier.

    How can I do this?

    I need to make sure Astrye and Linthel are safe. Then, I should hunt down as many wrath demons as I can¡ªavarice and envy demons, too. I can either bring them to my side, contracting advantageously where I need to, or I can kill them and grow my own power.

    From what Isidore told me, I would grow passively as a terrestrial demon, but passive wasn¡¯t going to cut it. I¡¯d rather make a bigger damn house than lose what I have now.

    I realized I was crushing my handprints into the pot handles and relaxed. Maybe Sey and I can have a small ceremony here, send out letters, and have a bigger one later? I¡¯m certain Lilly will help get the letters where they need to go securely.

    And I¡¯ll need a network like hers, too. Although wrath demons probably aren¡¯t as good at that. What can we do besides be a terrifying horde?

    Manual labor, for one. But I didn¡¯t exactly want to make a mining operation. Perhaps skilled trades that required manual labor. Monster hunting?

    I had a little time to figure it out, and a lot of things still to do. I was so deep in thought that I barely noticed when Seyari woke and crept over to me. She wrapped her arms around me from behind and kissed one of my pointed ears.

    ¡°Morning, Renna.¡±

    ¡°Morning, Sey. What do you think of a small ceremony here in Astrye in the next week or so, then sending out letters via Lilly? We can do a formal ceremony when it¡¯s safe to.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine, I guess. We¡¯re not going to do better.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Yeah, I wish things were easier.¡±

    ¡°Me too, but then we wouldn¡¯t have met.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making us sound like an old couple.¡± I tried not to look at her stump.

    ¡°We will be, someday.¡±

    ¡°Sey?¡± I turned to look at her.

    She bent down to where I was sitting, a slight bend, and gave me a kiss on the lips. Tongues got involved, and I nearly spilled the stew.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zarenna,¡± Seyari said. ¡°For asking after Abigail so callously when we were going to the old fort. I¡¯m sorry for not trusting you. After everyone wakes up¡­ would you take me flying?¡±

    I felt tears coming on, and I hugged my fianc¨¦e with my two free arms. I thought about what she said for a moment. ¡°Apology accepted, and I¡¯d love to! Maybe we can even see Mordwell from up high.¡±

    Seyari kissed me again. ¡°If we do, we¡¯ll go kill him and be done with it.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I agreed. ¡°Are you certain your hand and wings can¡¯t be healed?¡±

    Seyari bit her lower lip and her golden eyes drifted to our daughter. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I followed her gaze. Joisse¡¯s demonic holy magic! ¡°Do you think Joisse could help? Wouldn¡¯t her magic just hurt you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. This sort of thing has been talked about before, but I don¡¯t even remember an instance of magic like Joisse¡¯s from my days with the Inquisition. I assume my wings are gone, but I wonder about my hand.¡±

    ¡°Why would your wings be different from your hand?¡±

    Seyari¡¯s lips twitched, and she stayed silent, pulling away from our embrace and sitting down next to me to stare into the crackling fire. ¡°Are you burning a chair?¡±

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    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. And yes I am, it broke on me last night and this is revenge.¡±

    Seyari snorted. ¡°Vindictive against chairs. A truly monstrous demon of wrath you are.¡±

    ¡°The chair started it.¡±

    This time Seyari had to cover her mouth with her hand to avoid laughing. She socked me with her bad arm, and we both froze when the stump hit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find a solution, Sey, I promise.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll find one and¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find one.¡±

    My fianc¨¦e sighed. ¡°Fine, you win. We¡¯ll find one.¡±

    I nodded approvingly, then tilted my head. ¡°What¡¯s keeping you from asking Joisse? She¡¯d be thrilled to bits if it works.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯d be crushed if it doesn¡¯t.¡±

    My heart fell. ¡°You¡¯re right. But¡­ she¡¯s a big girl.¡±

    ¡°You say that like you¡¯ve been her parent for years.¡±

    I looked over at Joisse, sleeping peacefully in her demon form, tail sticking out from a pile of blankets and bedrolls. ¡°I guess that¡¯s a little strange, but I do mean it. She¡¯s matured a lot lately. And I think her form and her magic were influenced by both of us.¡±

    Seyari stayed silent.

    ¡°Sey. You¡¯re the one who knows these things, so if you¡¯re silent, I worry.¡±

    Seyari sighed. ¡°Yes, she does seem like we had an influence. We might be closer to her blood parents than any of us realize. And¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m worried. I¡¯m attached. I don¡¯t want to lose any of this and I feel like I¡¯m being selfish or maybe this is all a dream and¡ª¡±

    I cut her off with a kiss, wrapping her jittering tongue with my own.

    When I pulled away Seyari pouted. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡±

    ¡°I let you get me back in bed all the time.¡±

    Seyari punched me with her good hand this time.

    I stuck my long tongue out at her. ¡°Really, though. If you¡¯re interested, why don¡¯t we ask Joisse? She should be the one to decide.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you know she¡¯ll say yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say the same regardless, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­You would, wouldn¡¯t you.¡±

    I nodded enthusiastically.

    ¡°Do your arms get tired holding that pot up?¡±

    ¡°Sey¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll ask her when she gets up. If she¡¯s okay with it, we¡¯ll try it once things are settled down.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll try it immediately!¡±

    ¡°Renna! We can¡¯t, it¡¯s not¡ª"

    ¡°Safe?¡± I finished for her. ¡°Nothing is safe right now and you know it. The risk is worth it¡ªnothing is trying to kill us right now.¡±

    Seyari pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. ¡°I wish we had someone with healing magic we could trust with Joisse¡¯s secret.¡±

    I bit my lip. ¡°I¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve been pressuring you.¡±

    ¡°You have.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry then, I shouldn¡¯t¡ªI couldn¡¯t stand if it went wrong.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but¡­ I want this. Even if it makes me a little less angel and a little more demon. I¡¯ve not been a good angel anyway.¡±

    I wrapped my tail around Sey and pulled her next to me. She jolted, but snuggled up. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this, Sey. The past is the past, and you¡¯re a wonderful person now. Plus, this whole ¡®angels are good and demons are bad¡¯ thing has more holes in it than a colander.¡±

    Seyari didn¡¯t respond immediately, so I nervously checked the stew. Still needs a lot of time.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m ready. She said eventually. I thought about how others might see me. How I could get recognized as Yothariel. But¡­ I¡¯d rather be back at my full strength. I want to fly with you. Under my own power.

    ¡°Plus¡­¡± she continued, voice dropping low. ¡°I¡¯m safe with you around. I trust you Zarenna. You¡¯re strong, and you can protect me and damn this is not easy to admit.¡±

    I used my free lower arm on one side to wrap around her. Next to me, curled up tight, she looked small. ¡°Thanks, Sey. I trust you too, you know.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know.¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to be sad about!¡± I gave her a shake and she jolted.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I will not allow you to feel bad about how you took so long to trust me after you¡¯ve spent eighty years being burned by people you tried trusting.¡± Seyari¡¯s anger flared a little at being called out. I ate it swiftly and without remorse. ¡°And I won¡¯t let you feel angry about it either.¡±

    Seyari tried to summon more anger, then gave up and leaned into me. ¡°You¡¯re unfair, Zarenna. But¡­ thanks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping to get a lot more unfair soon, though.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°I need to get stronger.¡± I looked down at one of my hands, and at the soft glow of my sternal symbol. ¡°Envy toyed with me. And an average greater demon was able to challenge me. I¡¯m strong now, but this distance between myself and my enemies might just be greater than the distance between myself and a mundane human.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll train you however I can,¡± Sey responded simply.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to encourage this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, so why wouldn¡¯t I? You know, Zarenna, for someone with such a great deal of empathy and emotional insight, you¡¯re denser than a boulder.¡±

    ¡°¡­sometimes?¡± I tried to add.

    ¡°No, always. But that¡¯s changing, too. You¡¯ll need that when you¡¯re in charge of Astrye.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°They need you as a protector and a leader both. No one is going to want a title with no prestige when what little prestige it could have is held by a random citizen who could burn their whole castle down with a flick of her wrist.¡±

    ¡°When you put it like that¡­¡±

    Seyari wriggled her one good hand out from our embrace and flicked me on the nose. ¡°When I put it like that, I¡¯m right.¡±

    ¡°But what if they don¡¯t accept a demon?¡±

    ¡°You saved their town when no one else was going to, and you¡¯re not asking for anything in return. A reluctant ruler is usually the best ruler. Plus, King Carvalon wants you to take this title and he has methods to force that.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think he would?¡±

    Seyari flicked my forehead. ¡°Dense.¡± She flicked one horn. ¡°As.¡± She flicked the other. ¡°A.¡± She flicked my nose again, hard. ¡°Boulder.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Now finish that stew. I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°Could I get a please?¡±

    ¡°Okay, please finish that stew, and thank you for making it and taking the night watch. Actually, did you sleep at all?¡±

    I checked the stew again. Lots more time¡ªprobably a reason this isn¡¯t a breakfast food. ¡°I did.¡±

    Eventually, the others woke up one by one. Joisse stayed in her blanket pile until a sleepy Taava took enough of them to force a grumbling demon out into the room. The smell of stew brought her over, even if she insisted that she didn¡¯t really need to eat. It wasn¡¯t until Nelys agreed to take her portion that my daughter filled her own bowl.

    Mid-way through our morning meal, we were interrupted by the return of my sister. Kartania Miller strode into the room in full armor, and palmed her forehead when she saw the lot of us, barely dressed, talking and playing cards over half-finished bowls of stew.

    ¡°We have a problem,¡± she said. ¡°And I need all of you dressed now.¡±

    ¡°The cult?¡± I asked, eager to get up from my losing hand.

    ¡°No. The Church. And they¡¯re not taking kindly to the reports that a demon saved the city and is still in it.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Yevon do something about that?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°He did, but High Priest Aleric Grants is with this group, and he¡¯s not the type to listen.¡±

    Seyari blinked. ¡°High Priest Aleric. Really? How did that sycophant with a whole training sword up his ass make it to High Priest?¡±

    ¡°I think ya just answered yer own question!¡± Taava answered.

    ¡°Taava is unfortunately right. But that doesn¡¯t mean we should underestimate him. And we can¡¯t let a fight break out. It¡¯ll be our word versus his for whatever lie gets told, and even with the truth, there¡¯d be problems. And if the Church forces don¡¯t return, it¡¯ll be even worse. Yevon won¡¯t be inclined to risk his position to help us fight a losing battle.¡±

    I bit back a swear. ¡°After all this, and I¡¯m going to have to debase myself to try to get them to see reason.¡± I reached for my pack where my Gelles Company uniform was folded. ¡°I¡¯ll let you lead, Tania, but I¡¯m not going to give them my pride.¡±

    ¡°Sister, you may have to.¡±

    ¡°I will not do anything unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand. I pray it does not come to that.¡±

    ¡°Will you help us if it does?¡± Seyari asked.

    Tania took a long time to think of a response. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Her response hurt, but I shoved it down for now. ¡°I can¡¯t make you. Joisse, stay here with Taava and Nelys. Seyari, you should come with.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll recognize me.¡±

    ¡°We can use that.¡±

    ¡°Or it¡¯ll blow up in our faces.¡±

    ¡°Did you not want to come?¡±

    Seyari swallowed heavily. ¡°I do. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Kartania said stiffly. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside the door, and I can¡¯t wait long. You have two minutes to get ready, and we¡¯ll need to run.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unreasonable.¡±

    Kartania paused by the door. ¡°It is.¡±

    I gritted my teeth together. ¡°High Priest Grants had better have a damn good reason for making us rush.¡±

    My sister closed the door, and I saw the flash of a smirk on her lips. Does Tania want me to give a high priest a verbal smackdown? I dressed angrily¡ªI¡¯d give him one.

    As we were leaving, Joisse tugged at one of my hands. ¡°Be safe, Mom Renna. You too, Mom Sey.¡±

    My anger relaxed, and I took a deep breath. ¡°Thanks, Joisse. We will.¡±

 Chapter 154: Mettle

    Kartania, Seyari, and I hurried out of Castle Astrye. Truthfully, for the situation, we didn¡¯t look terribly unofficial. Kartania certainly had the most imperious air about her, wearing full plate armor and a red and white tabard. That she had donned it made me nervous, but at the same time the decision fit her personality a little too well: a nice, thick shell on the outside.

    Seyari and I wore company uniforms, and she¡¯d managed to style her hair into something that looked convincingly purposeful. The earlier scorching had been taken care of via healing magic, and she¡¯d managed to coax it out to nearly shoulder length in only a few days.

    My own was loose¡ªno time to tie it into a braid¡ªand I wasn¡¯t going to bother with a human disguise. Or at least I didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°Will High Priest Grants attack me on sight?¡± I asked Kartania.

    Seyari beat her to a reply with a snort.

    My sister ignored the half-angel and answered tersely, ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°What if I go in human form?¡±

    ¡°Then he¡¯ll attack you as soon as you show your ¡®true colors.¡¯¡±

    ¡°The hell kind of a problem does he have with crimson?¡±

    ¡°Renna,¡± Tania warned.

    Seyari, somewhat surprisingly, came to my defense. ¡°She cracks jokes when she¡¯s anxious. And trust me, they¡¯re usually worse, so just bear with it.¡±

    ¡°Should I just stay back?¡± I offered.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll get it for ¡®consorting with demons.¡¯¡± Seyari put a lot of emphasis on the consorting part.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Kartania answered. ¡°The only way this can go well is to be up front and get them talking. Play down the threat you pose so they think the situation is in their control and use your ties to the Gelles Company and your reputation to keep them talking. They¡¯ll want to fish for information to see if they can¡¯t uncover a dastardly plot.¡±

    ¡°What happens next?¡±

    Kartania stopped, and I almost ran into her shoulder. ¡°Then¡­ unless we¡¯re incredibly lucky, I have to side with them and pretend to be under your influence. You¡¯ll need to retreat because killing them will give them all the ¡®evidence¡¯ they need.¡±

    ¡°Tania¡­¡± I looked down at her, and remembered the night before. We¡¯ve just gotten to know each other as sisters! ¡°I¡¯ll find a way. There¡¯s got to be a way. The Gelles Company and King Carvalon can vouch for me. I know I said I wasn¡¯t going to, but I can let them ¡®capture¡¯ me if it means a chance we¡¯re not forced apart.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Tania answered with a firm shake of her head and wavering eyes. She had her hair, black like mine, in a neat braid and tucked into her armor. ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t let you. You¡¯ve been through enough debasement. I¡¯ll go back, get cleared of influence, and High Priest Styon will hopefully be able to leverage his influence to get me out with no more than a demotion.

    ¡°Sister, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Renna,¡± Seyari said. ¡°Kartania, where are we meeting?¡±

    ¡°Outside the city. There¡¯s a vacant farm on the way to the pass.¡±

    ¡°Well, that kid priest¡¯s smart enough to at least assume fighting Zarenna¡ªor any greater demon¡ªin the middle of a town is a stupid idea.¡±

    ¡°Kid?¡± Tania asked, confused. ¡°High Priest Grants is over fifty years old.¡±

    Seyari stopped, then swore. ¡°Shit. He might recognize me.¡±

    ¡°Recognize you? Seyari, explain.¡± Tania stopped. ¡°And fast.¡±

    ¡°Alright, does the name Yothariel ring any bells?¡±

    Now it was my turn to be surprised. Was Sey really going to tell Tania¡ªand now? In a hallway where people could be listening?

    Tania thought for a moment. ¡°¡­Yes. An angel who became corrupted and was part of the same corrupt Inquisition force that we¡¯re going after. Well, the older incarnation of it¡ªshe died before I was born.¡±

    ¡°Three-quarters angel, and she¡¯s not dead.¡± Seyari winced. ¡°Sorry¡ªno need to make this melodramatic. I¡¯m her¡ªor, well, I gave up that name a long time ago. The Inquisition raised me, Mordwell brainwashed me, and I did a lot of bad things. And you already know damn well that Mordwell didn¡¯t ¡®save the inquisition.¡¯¡±

    Kartania stiffened, then studied Seyari. ¡°Yoth¡ªyou killed them then, if you were her, is what you¡¯re saying, right? Yothariel was the one who nearly wiped that cult out. Even with the magic you have, I find that a little hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°What possible reason would I have to lie? It¡¯s true; I got everyone but Mordwell and a couple acolytes¡ªFinley included. And before you ask, I lost my wings as part of it. Not for some ¡®divine retribution¡¯ but because they were destroyed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried High Priest Grants will recognize you? Also, I am going to assume Zarenna knew all this before you two got into a relationship.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± I said quickly. ¡°She gave me the long version.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°I did, yes, and that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m worried about.¡±

    Tania shook her head. ¡°Thank you for telling me, but while this complicates things, it¡¯s secondary to Zarenna being a demon. In fact, it might actually help us to keep the conversation going.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to bring it up unless he recognizes me. He probably wouldn¡¯t believe me anyway.¡±

    Kartania nodded. ¡°That sounds like as close as we¡¯re going to get to a plan. Now let¡¯s move. We¡¯ll talk strategy on the way.¡±

    I took a deep breath, and followed my sister and fianc¨¦e the rest of the way out of the castle and into the harsh winter sun.

    ***

    The field of snow between us and the Church force was almost entirely unblemished. Heavy enough to push down the weeds, but not quite deep enough to smooth over the furrows and lumps of the disused field, it formed a tenuous sort of barrier.

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    Very tenuous. My mind was probably grasping at straws, because I was going to have to figure a way out of an impossible situation very, very shortly.

    When we approached to the point where conversation could be held at a volume other than shouting, the man in the lead did anyway.

    ¡°Halt!¡±

    We halted. No sense in being contrarian. From what Kartania and Seyari had told me on the walk-turned-jog here, High Priest Grants styled himself as a good man. And, in some ways, he was. Uncorrupt, and a servant of the people. I¡¯d probably disagree with what Kartania politely called his ¡°reductionist¡± religious philosophy, but he wasn¡¯t a murderer.

    I had to remember that, because my claws really wanted me to forget. His presence here was a power play by the Church. Edath, the autonomous kingdom whose king disavows the church, is asking for aid to quell a demonic threat?

    Well, that couldn¡¯t be ignored. Egg on their face for not going after their own turncoat. Two turncoats, if you counted Mordwell¡ªwhich I certainly did. But that didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d like it.

    So we got this guy. And I had to say he looked competent. Twelve-year-old me would¡¯ve had an image in mind similar to High Priest Grants when the words ¡°High¡± and ¡°Priest¡± came to mind. Neatly cut salt and pepper black hair, a well-trimmed mustache and small beard, piercing eyes, and a posture so rigid it would make an oak tree blush.

    He couldn¡¯t have been younger than forty, or older than sixty, and he carried his age well. That, and a suit of armor and an axe large enough that I wondered if there wasn¡¯t a more practical choice of weapon for a human. High Priest Grants had that axe out, and pointed at me.

    Us, really, but it was at me.

    ¡°High Priest Grants,¡± Kartania opened, giving a formal bow. Seyari and I had taken the flanks behind her, and from my position it looked almost like two opposing armies meeting. Except they had three dozen people, some on horseback, and all well-equipped. Three dozen people I could probably kill despite all their training.

    No, bad wrath demon. Killing time was yesterday, talking time is now.

    Or there won¡¯t be another talking time.

    I missed all of what the high priest said in return, but Kartania gestured at me and I got the gist of it.

    ¡°Zarenna Miller,¡± I said, bowing shallowly myself. ¡°Of the Gelles Company. I¡¯m here to eradicate the demonic threat posed by a cult that included rogue former Inquisitor Finley.¡±

    ¡°You.¡± High Priest Grants studied me. ¡°High Inquisitor Mordwell should have already taken care of that problem¡ªand you.¡±

    I tilted my head. ¡°Me.¡±

    His eyes glowed, then narrowed. ¡°Paladin Miller, and¡­¡± he trailed off when he got a good look at Seyari.

    My fianc¨¦e didn¡¯t speak, but kept her chin high.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The high priest¡¯s confusion spread to those behind him, and the ranks, weapons drawn and ready, faltered.

    ¡°What is Theodric Mordwell to you, High Priest Grants?¡± Seyari¡¯s tone was even, but her words were clipped with withheld fury.

    Fury I could almost taste.

    ¡°The High Inquisitor is a beacon of light in these increasingly dark times.¡± High Priest Grants cast a look my way. ¡°I am surprised he¡¯s not yet killed you, demon. Or you, traitor.¡±

    ¡°That I failed to kill that demon-obsessed lunatic is my largest regret,¡± Seyari said simply.

    ¡°We do not wish to fight!¡± Kartania assured quickly. ¡°If you would simply speak with the townsfolk, you would come to know the truth of this matter.¡±

    ¡°And you will not tell me?¡±

    ¡°You would not believe me.¡± Kartania¡¯s tone turned bitter with realization. ¡°Am I not compromised?¡±

    ¡°You are. That still does not answer why a ghost from a dark past and a greater wrath demon of considerable power are allowed to roam free.¡±

    ¡°Mordwell fled,¡± I answered. ¡°Further to the south.¡± I bit my tongue to avoid elaborating. If I had anything to do with him finding out the truth of Mordwell, he¡¯d disbelieve it.

    ¡°From you?¡± Hands gripped tighter around the veteran warrior¡¯s axe, and it began to glow. ¡°You¡¯re strong, but you¡¯re foolish for thinking I¡¯d fall for your lies.¡± I felt his anger, but I didn¡¯t reach for it. He had training, and if he felt that sot of manipulation, he¡¯d give me no quarter.

    So I ignored the sleight and gave a shallow bow. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce myself again. Zarenna Miller, Sovereign of Wrath.¡± I mentally prepared myself to run. Can¡¯t afford a fight here.

    That gave the High Priest pause. He swore under his breath and I caught Yevon¡¯s name. ¡°You¡¯re too weak to be a Sovereign Demon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m new. And I¡¯m trying to do things a little differently.¡±

    Kartania gave me a look.

    ¡°Hah.¡± There was no mirth in the single, dry laugh. ¡°Paladin Miller. I don¡¯t see any influence on you, but it may run deeper, and if so, my apologies to your next of kin¡ª¡±

    ¡°My family is dead, save one. And¡­¡± Kartania hung on the last syllable, then took a single step to the side, and towards me. ¡°I am going to stand with her.¡± My sister gave me a nod, and I could see a shimmer in her eyes.

    This choice is going to end her career¡ªif not her life. She chose me. I don¡¯t care that High Priest Grants wanted to kill her; she still chose me!

    High Priest Grants nodded solemnly. ¡°A true tragedy then. I must thank you demon, for delivering yourself to me, and for your cordiality, even if false. Your words may even provide insight into¡ª¡±

    ¡°WAIT!¡± The shout came from an unfamiliar voice, and it was far away¡ªback up toward the pass.

    He didn¡¯t wait. No one is dumb to fall for that, even if it might have been legitimate.

    High Priest Grants charged me, a vicious overhead swing backed with a shimmering array of holy-bladed light. From behind him, twin walls of wind and ice burst forth, blocking the brunt of the incoming volley even as they were blown apart by the greater combined magic of our opponents.

    I met the high priest¡¯s charge head on, only to throw the weight of my tail into a pivot. I caught his axe swing with two arms, feet digging through snow into dirt from the sheer force. Mid-turn, my other two arms, claws dulled, went for his waist.

    Tall as he was, I stood over High Priest Grant by both head and shoulders, and I pulled him close. Still spinning, I threw my weight against him and we crashed to the ground, the High Priest on the bottom. Immediately, he started to glow with holy light, and I my flesh began to sear.

    My two upper arms tore the axe from him, sending the weapon careening off into the snow. I pinned his arms, then his legs, even as I lost feeling in my limbs. From the way his face contorted in fury, I knew any words would be pointless.

    Seyari and Kartania stepped past us, and met the charge head-on, even as that same voice shouted to stop again. Hissing, I pushed my magic back against the High Priest¡¯s. Ineffective as it was, I made progress, and my half-charred hands started to heat up.

    That I wasn¡¯t dead must have shocked Grants, as his wrath faltered, and I imagined the look in his eyes to be fear. I wanted to see more of that. Crimson wings bursting to life through holes already burned in my poor outfit, I jumped up and rocketed skyward, High Priest in full armor in tow.

    I let go of his other limbs, holding him by the leg like a child with an old doll. Worse for him, his magic had passed its peak, and my own was fighting back furiously. As a terrestrial demon, I wasn¡¯t as affected by holy magic, and right now that was everything. My fingers around his leg weren¡¯t so much gripping as charred in place.

    ¡°Go ahead!¡± High Priest Grants shouted over the wind. ¡°Kill me! Others will hunt you down and kill you!¡±

    Below us, the town spread out as we climbed higher and higher. Too late had the other Church forces realized and we were now well out of reach of their magic. From the edges of the city, I could see the dots of people gathering, witnesses to this fight.

    ¡°That¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re not dead right now,¡± I hissed. ¡°You fancy yourself a good man. Maybe you are. You fight my kind who are experts at feigning sincerity. But sometimes it¡¯s real, isn¡¯t it? You ever killed a demon and wondered, High Priest Grants? Wondered if maybe things could¡¯ve been different?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    ¡°Really? No colleague¡¯s ever said anything?¡±

    High Priest Grants was quiet for a moment, and I leveled us out at a good height¡ªthe better part of a kilometer.

    Then he spoke. ¡°I won¡¯t let you in my head, demon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a wrath demon, not an envy demon or a lust demon. Do you feel unusually angry? A lack of fury?¡±

    This time, Grants stayed silent.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to change your mind¡ªand I don¡¯t know if I even want to. Once, I would have tried. I¡¯d have sat down there on the ground shouting over and over again how I was a ¡®good demon¡¯ as you burned me to a crisp. Maybe if I didn¡¯t fight back, I¡¯d change your mind.

    ¡°But that¡¯s bullshit. Maybe it works for a few people, but what about when it doesn¡¯t? Do you know what happens then? I die. My friends die. My family dies.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster, High Priest Grants, and I¡¯m sorry you think that way. I really am. You¡¯ve no reason to believe otherwise, as you¡¯ve said.¡± My voice turned bitter, almost a snarl. ¡°No indication¡ªsomehow¡ªthat demons could be anything other than insane arbiters of evil. And it sucks.

    It fucking sucks.¡±

    I dropped him, head-first.

    Damn, the sky was blurry today.

 Chapter 155: Marchioness

    I didn¡¯t look down, but I heard High Priest Grants land. There was no scream. No fanfare. No one moving in time to catch him.

    And when I dared to look, I saw his broken body lying motionless in the mud and snow, neck bent at an impossible angle.

    He¡¯d fallen between Kartania, Seyari, and the church forces, and for this brief moment, the fighting had stopped as everyone stared at the body on the ground.

    Sorry Yevon. Guess I screwed things up, huh?

    I wanted to cry and roar in equal measure. I was going to lose my future for this, the future that I¡¯d hoped for at any rate. And it wasn¡¯t my fault. I¡¯d been in the right to defend myself. I¡¯d no obligation to offer mercy to my unrepentant assaulter just because I was capable of doing so.

    I wanted to scream, but I didn¡¯t.

    Instead, I descended, slowly and vertically, the magic of my wings of flame holding me aloft at an impossibly-vertical angle.

    ¡°Remember,¡± I said with a voice that projected far more confidence than I felt at the moment. ¡°I will only be your enemy should you make me one. He¡ª¡± I gestured to the dead high priest on the ground. ¡°¡ªmade me his enemy. I offered him more chances than you offered me.¡±

    I took a step forward as soon as I touched the ground, and the dozens of people with magic that could probably kill me if they all worked together backed away. ¡°I came here to rid this town of a great evil. And I failed. The leader, someone who¡¯s spent decades fooling everyone, ran away further south.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to believe me. I expect you to go into this city and believe them.¡± I crooked a thumb back to where many of the townsfolk were watching from the fringes. I couldn¡¯t bear to look at them. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll do that. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d believe it if you could see my own damn memories. So either get your heads out of your asses and look at the reality in front of you, or fuck right off back the way you came.¡±

    I hissed out a small jet of flame, then continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want a war with the Church. I¡¯ve made that much damn clear. But I¡¯m not going to sit here and get pushed around just because I¡¯m willing to concede points and compromise.¡± I took another step forward and smiled dangerously, showing all my teeth. ¡°Got it?¡±

    One of them grew enough of a spine to speak ¡°You won¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I snapped. ¡°Get away with this? Do you say that to everyone you attack for no reason who successfully defends themselves? An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind¡ªand if I recall that¡¯s part of your teachings.

    ¡°What.¡± I took another step forward, snow hissing under my feet as it sublimated.

    ¡°Did.¡± Another step, and everyone but the frontrunner backed off.

    ¡°I.¡± I got into their face.

    ¡°Do.¡± I leaned down, getting eye-to-eye with a young man who looked very much like he regretted speaking up.

    ¡°Wrong?¡±

    The man shivered. ¡°D-demon¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I hissed. ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Y-you killed High Priest Grants!¡±

    ¡°He tried to kill me. More than that¡ªdid I egg him on? Did I threaten him?¡±

    The young man gulped, and I saw sweat beading on his brow.

    ¡°Leave him alone!¡± someone shouted.

    I felt a lance of white-hot pain tear through my shoulder. For a moment, my vision flashed red, and I wanted to wipe this whole group out. But I restrained myself to a growl. They didn¡¯t deserve death necessarily. Already, the holy magic was being burned out by my own, and I realized that I¡¯d already shrugged off what Grants had done to me. Mostly, I was mad about another new tear in my outfit.

    So instead, I gritted my teeth together and backed off, all four arms crossed as my wings faded away. ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t¡ªhuh?¡± the voice stuttered, and I noticed it belonged to a woman about the young man¡¯s age who stood near the middle of the group. At her bravery, I now had half a dozen people readying to attack me.

    The wind I felt rushing from behind me was a comfort I didn¡¯t know I needed, and the chill it brought served to cool my anger. ¡°I won¡¯t what?¡± I raised an eyebrow and took a step back. ¡°Get away with browbeating someone who wanted to kill me? Sorry, but you¡¯ve made the wrath demon angry. Have you even been listening!?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± the woman faltered.

    ¡°I listened,¡± the young man said quietly. ¡°But I¡¯ll never forgive you. And I don¡¯t believe you either. You¡¯re playing some sort of game with us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for your forgiveness. As far as whether I¡¯m playing a game? Yeah, I am. It¡¯s called ¡®the demon can marry the woman she loves and live in Dhias-damned peace¡¯ and let me tell you, it is a very difficult game. A lot of the time I feel like the other side keeps ignoring both the rules and my moves.¡±

    For a brief moment, I got to relish the look of sheer confusion writ across many of the faces in front of me, before another shout broke into the scene.

    ¡°Miss Miller!¡± the same voice that had shouted ¡°wait¡± earlier called out, this time out of breath.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    I looked in that direction, and only then did I notice another group of people, and their battered, regal-looking carriage, as they approached from the tree-covered road out onto the field. The people, that is, not the carriage. That stayed behind, leaning a little from damaged suspension.

    The group consisted of five people, four of which were Edathan royal guards. Seyari and Kartania were already half-turned their way. I must not have noticed them with how focused I¡¯d been on the Church forces.

    ¡°I¡­ huff¡­ suggest you people refrain from attacking Edathan nobility again.¡± The non-guard man, dressed in fine winter clothing of primarily Edathan blue, pulled close enough that he didn¡¯t have to shout and stopped with a grateful slouch. ¡°As you¡­ pant¡­ doubtless know, King Carvalon has rescinded Church authority over any such matters. And Marchioness Miller here does not count as an exception despite her¡­ unusual complexion.¡±

    What?

    As the finely-dressed man panted, he caught all of us staring. ¡°By royal decree, for her work to save the March of Astrye from an insidious cult, Zarenna Miller has been granted the title of Marchioness by King Carvalon. We were sent south to observe her progress, and present her with the title contingent upon her performance regarding this task.¡±

    ¡°She killed the high priest!¡± someone shouted.

    ¡°She defended herself!¡± Seyari fired back.

    ¡°While I cannot claim to be neutral in the matter,¡± Kartania said, moving to address all present, ¡°I can say, on my authority as a paladin of Dhias, that Zarenna Miller is no criminal, and her actions here today were in self-defense and nothing more.¡±

    The well-dressed man, his composure now mostly-recovered, straightened. ¡°King Carvalon recognizes the authority of Paladin Kartania Miller, and upon my authority as an acting agent, Zarenna Miller is hereby cleared of any wrongdoing.¡±

    The Church forces tensed, and the royal guard did as well. I stayed silent, for fear my words might spark this issue. It absolutely was not because my mind was stuck processing the fact that I¡¯d become Edathan nobility as of a minute prior.

    But.

    Well¡­

    I turned to finally look at the people of Astrye who¡¯d gathered to watch. Among them, I spotted Razz, Brynna, and Keran. None of them were smiling¡ªall wore serious looks. The conversation had carried enough for them to hear. I knew it had.

    I wasn¡¯t going to get an ovation, or even full acceptance. Me as marchioness wasn¡¯t a perfect solution; a perfect solution didn¡¯t exist. I¡¯d have thought more about it, but Seyari bumped my shoulder and I realized I really did need to say something.

    So I took a deep breath. ¡°I believe¡­ that the events of today were the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding. As Marchioness, I am willing to overlook this incident with the understanding that both parties had reasonable reason to suspect mental influence, that information was limited, and that tensions were high.¡±

    The well-dressed man nodded and spoke before anyone else. ¡°And it is truly terrible that High Priest Grants suffered such an accident.¡± He looked at the High Priest¡¯s corpse, neck broken but without signs of battle.

    Immediately, a furor rose through the Church forces, but for the moment no one stepped forward. Next to me, Kartania tensed. Seyari fixed me with a look that said ¡°let it go.¡± I shook my head, and she sighed, though her eyes twinkled.

    ¡°What accident?¡± I said in a measured voice, taking a step toward the well-dressed man.

    As if finally realizing the height difference and what I was, he stepped back. Though he did mouth ¡°what are you doing?¡± and I felt his anger spike. I swiftly drained it¡ªno more problems, please.

    I¡¯m not going to lie. That¡¯ll only hurt me later¡ªand there will be a later. ¡°High Priest Grants, acting within his judgment and without critical information, attacked me. I defended myself, and slew him in combat. His body has not been desecrated, and I will ensure that it is returned for a full burial.¡±

    Despite the chill air, sweat beaded the well-dressed man¡¯s brow and his eyes darted from me to the royal guards, then the Church forces, and back. ¡°O-of course, Marchioness Miller.¡±

    I smiled, showing sharp teeth, and turned to the Church forces. ¡°There. You have your answer. I am not without mercy, but make no mistake. If you return seeking vengeance, personal or otherwise, I will respond to violence in kind.¡±

    Murmurs swept through the crowd, including the far-off townsfolk. Doubtless, the lupaels who heard the conversation were telling the others. The townsfolk were too far to sense anger, and the Church forces were still radiating enough of it that it was a wonder the snow around them wasn¡¯t melting.

    I wanted some of their fury, but on the list of plans that could horribly backfire, messing with the mental faculties of Church forces was near the top. Too bad me bringing up that I had this kind of immense restraint wouldn¡¯t help at all.

    Eventually the standoff ended when the same Church member I¡¯d yelled at stepped forward. He must have been second in command. ¡°Then we will take the fugitive Yothariel, the soon-to-be-ex paladin Kartania, and be gone.¡±

    ¡°You will do no such thing. They are under my protection.¡±

    ¡°You have no right!¡±

    ¡°She does,¡± the well-dressed man insisted.

    ¡°Is Yothariel a citizen of Edath?¡± the Church man fired back.

    This time, the well-dressed man faltered.

    ¡°You may keep Kartania Miller, demon, but we are taking Yothariel.¡±

    Now it was Seyari¡¯s turn. She didn¡¯t step forward, rather stood with her head held high and her good hand cradling her stump. ¡°I am not a citizen of Edath. Not yet.¡± She looked over at me. ¡°Zarenna?¡±

    What she was planning took me a second, and when I realized, my eyes went wide. ¡°Sey¡­¡±

    The others present had the good sense to remain silent, and we stared at each other for a long moment.

    My sister stepped forward, her expression hard. ¡°Am I not still a Paladin of Dhias?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! You¡¯ve consorted with demons!¡±

    Rather than cut him off, Kartania let the man finish. ¡°May I have your name?¡± she asked.

    The man faltered, glaring at my sister for a moment before answering. ¡°Cedric. Priest Cedric.¡±

    ¡°Very well then, Cedric. Do you have the authority to demote or excommunicate me?¡±

    ¡°This is insane! You¡¯re standing alongside a demon!¡±

    ¡°A demon who seems to have more integrity than members of my own order of late. But I digress; I do not recall High Priest Grants giving an explicit order to annul my position.¡±

    ¡°He clearly said so!¡±

    ¡°He said he would. He implied it.¡±

    ¡°So what?!¡± Cedric yelled, clenching his fists.

    ¡°So I have all the rights granted to me as a Paladin of Dhias.¡±

    For a second, silence reigned over far-off murmurs. Then Cedric¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡±

    Only when Cedric said it did I realize what Kartania was implying. She can marry us, but only if¡­

    Kartania cocked her head toward the king¡¯s representative. ¡°Do you approve?¡±

    The man nodded solemnly. ¡°I do.¡±

    No hesitation marrying a part-angel to a demon then. Either he trusts Carvalon implicitly, or he really hates the Church. Maybe both.

    ¡°Very well then.¡± My sister¡¯s mirthless smile warmed as she turned to Seyari and me. ¡°I know this is sudden, you two. But are you ready?¡±

    My mind froze for a moment. I had so much I wanted to say, but I hadn¡¯t practiced. I was wearing my Dhias-damned company uniform, and Sey was in traveling clothes, and I hadn¡¯t prepared, and we had no guests, and¡ª

    Sey silenced my thoughts with a quick kiss to my neck. ¡°I¡¯d kiss higher, but I don¡¯t feel like climbing,¡± she said softly. ¡°We can have a ceremony later, Renna.¡±

    I gulped. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t allow this!¡± Cedric shouted, but he made no move to attack.

    I glared at him and he shrank away.

    ¡°Stay out of this,¡± Kartania snapped, half-turning her head back toward the Church forces. By now, half of their number looked decidedly unsure. My sister didn¡¯t need to voice a threat, and she turned her gaze back to us. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±

 That Time I Summoned A Demon From Another World: A Succubus Tail/Sovereign of Wrath Crossover

    Ruby POV

    Smoke wisped around the room, snaking up from the summoning circle on the floor. The lines glowed crimson, casting the room in wild, jagged shadows. Some would probably claim that I¡¯d lost my mind; perhaps I had.

    I cackled as lightning struck the ground outside, filling my ears with the roar of thunder. The flash from the window nearly blinded me. Blinking the stars from my eyes, I brought the dagger¡¯s blade up to my hand. I didn¡¯t hesitate, slicing it through my palm and watching as dark beads of blood splashed down into the chalice.

    Melkar would soon face my wrath. As would the rest of those here in the academy who¡¯d wronged me since my unfortunate transformation. My long, red tail swished from side to side, exuding excitement.

    I cackled again, louder this time, and poured my focus into the complex incantation. The ancient runes glowed brighter as magic swelled in the air around me. And kept swelling. More power, brought forth by the full strength of the storm, dove into the ritual, and the small room¡¯s air thrummed with anticipation.

    I took a step back, a grin splayed across my face. Then I finished the incantation¡¯s last stanza, voice swelling to a feverish crescendo. Another flash of lighting hit, powerful enough to shake the room. A loud, demonic groan filled the air, followed by a deep fog that spilled forth from the Under itself.

    I¡¯d done it¡ªthis time for real. A large, red hand appeared, easily twice the size of my own. It smacked the ground with a heavy thump, followed quickly by a second. Then a third¡ªand a fourth. The large demon rose, pulling itself to its feet, though I struggled to see much within the heavy fog. It towered over me, up and up, until its horned head scraped the ceiling.

    The creature groaned. ¡°Fog again?¡± The voice was feminine, but deep, accompanied by a growl that raised the hair on the back of my neck.

    ¡°Heed me demon! I hath summoned thee before me to do mine will!¡± I swallowed the nerves down my throat and continued, ¡°Tell me thy name, creature of the Under.¡± My voice didn¡¯t have the masculine presence that it used to, but I hoped it still gave a sense of power and confidence.

    ¡°The what?¡± Two hands and a thick tail as long as I was tall brushed away the fog from the ritual.

    The demon¡ªdemoness, rather¡ªstared down at me with bright blue eyes set against black sclera and sharp, crimson features. My eyes roamed over her, and I realized that my head barely came up to her chest, she was so large in size. Two of her four arms crossed under said chest, thick with muscle and level with my gaze. The motion pushed up her generous bust, unfortunately covered by an unflattering, antiquated leather jacket.

    When she spoke, I caught a forked tongue between twin rows of dagger-like teeth. ¡°The Under? Are we on Varra?¡± the demoness asked moving her gaze from me to the room around us.

    Did demons have another name for their realm? It didn¡¯t truly matter, I supposed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve summoned you from the realm in which you reside, demon. Now answer my question.¡±

    ¡°The fog,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Wait¡ªwhere is¡­ did you summon anyone else?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    She muttered something under her breath and eyed me up and down. ¡°Are you perhaps one of Lillith¡¯s? Oh, and I¡¯m Zarenna.¡± The demon hooked a clawed thumb back at herself, then frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®one of¡¯ anyone¡¯s,¡± I grumbled back. ¡°Stop wasting my time with all these questions. I¡¯ve no time to waste on such trivialities.¡± With a deep breath, I cleared my throat before continuing, ¡°Zarenna, demon of the Under! I, Ruby, ask for your aid. Assist me to triumph over my enemies, specifically Melkar Kheln and the others who have wronged me since my unfortunate transformation. In exchange, I offer you their souls.¡±

    There was a long pause. ¡°Did you summon me to take care of your bullies?¡± Zarenna squinted down at me with¡­ was that pity!?

    I scowled, glaring back. ¡°Don¡¯t sass me, demon!¡±

    ¡°Your pout reminds me a little of my daughter, though she¡¯s usually much more well-behaved.¡±

    A growl slipped from my lips. ¡°Listen here, you fiend¡ª¡±

    The demon waved a hand dismissively. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this. Unless you¡¯ve also summoned my fianc¨¦e, I must get back to wherever it is you think I¡¯m from; pick a name, doesn¡¯t matter. I can¡¯t be here. Sorry about your bullies; hope you can beat them up someday.¡±

    Fumes rolled off of me in my anger. I took a deep breath, recognizing that she was simply trying to get a rise out of me. Typical demon.

    My lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t simply send you back,¡± I said with a dismissive gesture and shrug.

    ¡°Bad answer.¡±

    A low rumbling growl rolled out of her, with wisps of flame slipping from her mouth.

    I took a hesitant step back. ¡°No, really, I can¡¯t. The summoning spell either runs out of time, or you complete the tasks I¡¯ve set for you.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take to run out?¡±

    I could see it now; there was a deep anger hiding within her¡ªan all-consuming wrath just beneath the surface, waiting for an excuse to be released.

    I huffed and gave another shrug, doing my best to give an air of nonchalance. ¡°Around five hours or so? Perhaps more. The circle was admittedly a bit rushed.¡±

    ¡°Too long.¡± She stated with finality. ¡°What if I kill you?¡±

    I smirked. ¡°How do you expect to do that? You can¡¯t leave the circle, and any magic¡ª¡±

    A large hand shot out over my head, and a squeal slipped out as she gripped one of my horns, lifting me up to her eye level. The demoness took a step forward, outside of the circle, and pressed me up against the wall. My eyes widened in utter terror as a thick soup of pain flooded through my skull.

    ¡°Let me ask you again: What if I kill you?¡± Fiery smoke flowed from her lips.

    ¡°I-I-umm, I¡ª¡± I stammered, struggling to form words. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t think s-so? The power from the storm, it¡¯s¡ªit¡¯ll probably last at least until it, until the s-storm passes. P-please don¡¯t¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence. Even now, some part of me refused to beg for my life.

    Zarenna released her tight grip, setting me down. ¡°Fine. No point killing you if it won¡¯t help. What about dealing with your bullies?¡±

    A heavy, life-giving sigh left my lungs. ¡°If you a-accept the contract, you should return to your realm when it is completed.¡±

    ¡°Should? How long is this storm going to last?¡± The demoness glanced out the window.

    Would she know if I lied? I wasn¡¯t sure if it was worth testing. Though I knew she wouldn¡¯t like my answer.

    ¡°This is my first time doing this successfully, or well, at least moderately successfully. But I¡¯m mostly sure that¡¯s how it should work.¡± I looked off to the side, choosing to ignore her question about the storm. My tail found its way into my hands, both a comfort and reminder of the demonic succubus that I¡¯d become.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s still got a lot left.¡± Zarenna sighed, eyeing the window. ¡°Fine, kid, if I¡¯ve got no other choice. What¡¯s the plan?¡±

    An urge to tell her that I was, in fact, twenty was quickly quashed. ¡°Well, we agree to terms and exchange mana to seal the contract. And then we¡¯ll go to the men¡¯s dorm and find Melkar.¡±

    ¡°Give me the terms then, and hurry. My fianc¨¦e is literally standing at the altar right now and I am in no mood to tarry. Even if this is like last time and nearly no time passes, any time is too much.¡±

    Huh? Demons get married?

    No, that didn¡¯t matter right now. I had other priorities. She was actually going to do it! Thank the gods this one seemed to be rather dense. Once more, I cleared my throat.

    ¡°Zarenna, demon of the Under¡­¡±

    I held out my hand, still bloodied from the dagger, and finished incanting my well-practiced contract, most of the words being part of an old, forgotten language.

    Growling, Zarenna enveloped my too-small hand in one of hers. ¡°Sure, fine. I accept.¡±

    I expected a push of power, and I wasn¡¯t disappointed. What I got from Zarenna, boiling hot and furious, nearly knocked me off my feet. A glimpse into an ocean, from the perspective of a bucket.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Zarenna POV

    The stone hallway didn¡¯t look too dissimilar to what I was used to. Unfortunately, the ceiling was low, and I had to walk with my back bent forward, wincing every time one of my horns scraped along the ceiling.

    The lamps along the walls flickered menacingly, and an aura check confirmed they were magic. That plus the many decorations lining the long halls indicated this place was either very important, or wherever I¡¯d been summoned had a gross excess of magic. Perhaps both, although I wondered why they¡¯d make the place with such low ceilings.

    The young demon who¡¯d summoned me led from the side, visibly nervous as her tail switched from side to side, hands moving over where she had hidden weapons of some sort. More notably, she kept staring back at me¡ªat my chest particularly.

    ¡°What kind of demon are you?¡± I asked tactfully. ¡°You said you¡¯re not one of Lillith¡¯s but you¡¯ll excuse me for making that assumption when you¡¯re staring at my tits.¡±

    She did bear a resemblance to the lust demons I¡¯d seen. The little demon stood shorter than many humans, with a long tail that she kept clenching nervously in hand. Her skin was red, much like my own, and the two small horns atop her head were¡ªwell, cute seemed the best way to describe them. It was her eyes that really gave a resemblance to Lilly. There was a look within them, somewhere just beneath the surface. Though at least she seemed powerful enough to be in control of herself.

    The sudden question against the silence made Ruby jump. ¡°I wasn¡¯t!¡± She pouted and blushed, somehow forcing her mouth into an unbefitting sneer. Her hands balled into fists, and her tail lashed through the air.

    I rolled my eyes.

    Ruby snorted and jerked her head to one side impishly.

    Brat, I thought. ¡°Really though, are you not a lust demon?¡±

    The small demon spluttered. ¡°What? No! Of course not!¡± The dark shade that colored her red cheeks suggested otherwise. Not that I particularly cared. She could be who and whatever she wanted to be, really.

    ¡°Okay, what are you then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m human! Despite my current predicament¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Oh. My apologies then; I assume a magical accident or demonic corruption or somesuch?¡±

    Ruby¡¯s defiant look turned to surprise. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ sorry?¡± Her eyes narrowed,

    In an instant, I could see what I¡¯d missed. All the little cues: a stilted walk, nervous manners, aggressive body posture, and a serious chip on her shoulder. Someone had truly hurt Ruby; or perhaps she¡¯d been hurting herself.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Either way, she reminded me once again of my daughter¡­ and of my own self hardly a year prior.

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, I presumed something incorrect. Not that I pity you¡ª¡± pity was the last thing she¡¯d want right now. ¡°Are your bullies human then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have bullies.¡± She sneered, and I had to try really hard to stifle a giggle or smile at how accidentally cute the expression made her look. Poor thing; probably doesn¡¯t get taken seriously.

    ¡°Right. Then what did this Melkar do? And is he human? In fact, would it be wise for me to appear as a demon?¡±

    She raised a brow. ¡°What do you think I have you here for, to chat him up? He¡¯s an absolute prick, that¡¯s what he is¡ªthough a human one, yes. I suspect he¡¯s the main culprit for my whole predicament. But, the main purpose of our little trip is to obtain a rather important object from him.

    ¡°I must ask, though. What other appearances do you possess beyond your current one?¡±

    ¡°Human,¡± I replied easily.

    She snorted. ¡°That would rather defeat the purpose, wouldn¡¯t it? You can do whatever you want to the man, besides killing him. The academy frowns on that¡ªnominally, at least.¡± The little demon shrugged.

    We were at some kind of academy, then. Her odd, custom-tailored clothing had already made it clear she was someone of some wealth. Now the bright red, black and white outfit became quite recognizably a school uniform of some sort. This really was an issue with bullies, then¡­

    Though what sort of school had capes?

    ¡°So you want me to browbeat some kid into giving you something?¡±

    Ruby gave an exasperated sigh. She¡¯d gone from whimpering and anxious to an attempt at domineering in hardly a minute. ¡°We¡¯re not children, though I doubt a creature of your age would understand such a distinction. I¡¯m twenty years of age, I¡¯ll have you know, and scion to the Zelian family, if that means anything to you.¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ rather new to this whole nobility thing.¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°Nobles? You won¡¯t find any of those here. Though I suppose one might compare us to those pompous, preening layabouts.¡±

    An academy like this that wasn¡¯t for nobles? ¡°...Right. So¡­ human form or demon form? What¡¯ll make this faster?¡±

    She sighed, and gave me a look as though I¡¯d asked an idiotic question. ¡°Have you been listening at all, you big brute? Demon, obviously. Do you think Melkar is just going to roll over while we take his things? Demon hearts don¡¯t grow on the backs of aelvins.¡±

    Huh? ¡°I don¡¯t need to look like a demon to be scary, but sure, fine. Wait, is the object you want a demon heart?¡±

    She eyed me, before saying, ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t imagine you have one lying around somewhere with you?¡±

    ¡°Not one that I¡¯m not using, no.¡±

    Ruby huffed, ¡°Then stop asking obvious questions,¡± before mumbling under her breath, ¡°Of course I had to get a stupid one.¡±

    Definitely a total brat.

    ¡°Oh jeez, uhhh, sorry boss,¡± I said in an exaggerated tone of voice.

    The small demon gave me a look, clearly unimpressed.

    I patted her on the head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not going to kill you for backtalking me.¡±

    Her mouth opened, only to click shut as she seemed to remember our exchange from earlier. ¡°R-right.¡±

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    Ruby POV

    I shuffled down the hall, Zarenna at my tail, as I tried to convince myself she wasn¡¯t going to kill me before this was over. Attempting another summoning had very clearly been a mistake. That much was obvious. But I was good at making the best out of a bad situation. The demon was cordial enough that I hoped to get out of this alive¡ªif her inanity didn¡¯t drive me mad first.

    As we neared the men¡¯s dorm, the halls suspiciously empty, Zarenna once again broke the silence.

    ¡°So why do you need this demon heart, exactly?¡±

    I looked up at the massive demon to my right. ¡°It¡¯s the first step toward becoming human again, a necessary ingredient for an elixir.¡±

    She nodded with surprising solemnity, ¡°I¡¯ll admit I don¡¯t understand why you would wish to return to your humanity, or how that is even possible, but I¡¯ll respect your decision.¡±

    ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± I waved a hand in dismissal. ¡°Just do what you''re told and we can get this over with.¡±

    The big brute of a demon shrugged.

    As we moved through the double doors of the men¡¯s dormitory, a number of students immediately scattered to their rooms, with the rest hurrying down the stairs toward the hall¡¯s end. I smiled at the reaction, glad to finally see the response I deserved when entering somewhere, even if it was mostly due to the large demon at my side.

    By the time we reached Melkar¡¯s room, the hall had become silent. I hoped the annoying boy was in here. It¡¯d be a pain to have to search the entire academy for him.

    I waved a hand forward. ¡°Open the door,¡± I commanded.

    The demon looked down at me, apparently unimpressed with my tone and then stepped forward; my smile slid up into a much more sinister grin. She reached one of her four arms forward and¡­ tapped on the door.

    I blinked, and then stared. Had she really just knocked on the door? Just as I found my words through the thick slab of befuddlement, the door opened. In front of us stood yet another demon, the ogre that I¡¯d encountered briefly before. She looked out, and then up, meeting Zarenna¡¯s heavy gaze with obvious surprise.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Zarenna said smoothly. ¡°We¡¯d like to speak to Melkar.¡±

    The ogre¡¯s lips parted, and she stared for a moment. ¡°Right.¡± Then she turned, facing back into the room. ¡°Melkar, we have¡­¡± she looked Zarenna over once more over her shoulder, briefly glancing at me as well, ¡°visitors.¡±

    ¡°Send them away. I¡¯m busy,¡± came his slimy, obnoxious voice. Prick.

    Zarenna shook her head at the ogre, to which the ogre responded back, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s an option.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Is it a professor? I suppose I can see what they want.¡±

    Footsteps slowly approached, and the ogre stepped aside, clearly glad to be out of Zarenna¡¯s direct reach. Without the door being held, it began to ease back toward us; Zarenna reached a large hand out, gripping it before it could close. With a light push, it swung fully open, finally revealing Melkar.

    The lanky boy with short black hair stopped and stared, as though he couldn¡¯t believe what stood in front of him. Melkar then looked to the side, to where the ogre had been. She was nowhere to be seen.

    I gave him a vicious, toothy smile. ¡°Rough him up some, would you?¡±

    Zarenna gave me another look, then sighed. ¡°Ruby here needs a demon heart and insists that you have one she could use. Mind parting with it so I can go home?¡± she requested, diplomatically.

    What the fuck!? Just do what I tell you, stupid demon!

    Thoughts finally caught back up with him, and he eyed the two of us with a still terrified, yet calculated look. ¡°I can¡¯t say I do have one, unfortunately. Have you spoken with Professor Kheln?¡±

    The demon was about to respond, but I¡¯d had enough of this ridiculousness. ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me, Melkar. Do you really think I¡¯d believe you don¡¯t have at least one? I know you and your family, and I know demon hearts are used for some of the more dangerous summonings. Give me one before something unfortunate has to happen. Perhaps we¡¯ll leave you with your legs still working,¡± I added darkly.

    ¡°And you think I¡¯d keep such a thing here?¡± He raised a brow, deciding to look at me rather than staring at Zarenna¡¯s intimidating figure. ¡°Our family is rather more careful with our valuables than that.¡±

    This time, Zarenna was the one to interrupt me. She stuck a crimson arm between the two of us, claws shining in the light. ¡°Nope. Nuh uh. I am not going to sit here and waste time while you two play at subterfuge, or whatever this is. Melkar, come with us to this ¡®Professor Khelm¡¯s¡¯ office.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m certain Ruby here would be delighted to show you the way, unfortunately I¡¯m rather busy with my studies at the moment and simply can¡¯t spare¡ª¡±

    I blinked, and Zarenna had Melkar by the arm. He squealed as she hoisted him over her shoulder. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking,¡± she growled.

    My triumphant smile was short-lived as the big brute of a demon¡¯s two left arms grabbed me next. ¡°Which way?¡± she grumbled. ¡°Unless you suddenly have a demon heart in your room, Melkar?¡±

    He cleared his throat, as though attempting to regain his composure. ¡°His office is that way.¡±

    ¡°Let me down this instant!¡± I shouted.

    Day two as a demon, and I was already being picked up and carried again. Though at least this time I wasn¡¯t naked.

    ¡°You have short legs. No.¡±

    ¡°I demand you release me, you big oaf. I can walk plenty fast. This wasn¡¯t part of our contract!¡± My fist smacked against her upper chest.

    ¡°No can do, boss.¡± She seemed to savor the phrase, voice pitching oddly up as though quoting someone else.

    Despite my many protests, Zarenna refused to put me down as Melkar gave her directions toward the professor¡¯s office. The ogre, of course, was long gone. Melkar clearly didn¡¯t have a very tight leash on her¡­ not that I was one to talk at the moment.

    It took little time to reach Kheln¡¯s office. Somehow, we managed to not run into anyone along the way. I partly expected some professor to show up to take on the rampaging demon marching through the halls, but it seemed none of them could be bothered. That or Zarenna was good at avoiding notice. It was difficult to say with demons and magic.

    Much like at Melkar¡¯s room, she gave a short knock. ¡°Sorry to bother you, Professor Kheln, but I¡¯ve two students with me and a dispute that needs solving.¡±

    The door opened barely a second later. Within was much as I¡¯d expect of the annoying diabolist: A tight space full of books and empty liquor bottles, dimly lit and poorly organized. Though he¡¯d at least had enough sense to put up a few paintings and things to at least give the impression he was a civilized human being.

    Rather than surprised, the man seemed intrigued. He stepped closer, and the heavy stench of alcohol followed. ¡°Curious,¡± he muttered. ¡°Clearly powerful, yet affable. Tell me, who is your master, oh great demon?¡±

    Zarenna hooked her lower right thumb at me. ¡°This one summoned me. Needs a demon heart to turn back into a human. You know anything about that?¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he replied shortly, suddenly a lot more nervous. ¡°One moment, if you¡¯d please.¡±

    The door swung toward us, stopped only by Zarenna¡¯s foot.

    ¡°Can we at least come in?¡± she asked. ¡°I believe these two are tired of being carried.¡±

    ¡°You can assuredly put me down at this point. We aren¡¯t even walking anymore,¡± I insisted.

    Zarenna raised one eyebrow. ¡°See?¡±

    The professor, suddenly looking a lot more sober, waved them in. ¡°Yes, yes, certainly,¡± he blubbered. ¡°I do hope we can¡­ reach an agreement of some kind here without the need for any sort of violence. We all seem like quite reasonable individuals here, and if I¡¯m being truthful, I¡¯d be quite interested in learning more about your kind¡­ Though perhaps at a better time,¡± the man rambled. ¡°I¡¯ve always been fascinated by the nature and culture of demons, you see.¡± He coughed.

    Zarenna walked us inside and closed the door with her tail. She set Melkar down first, and then me in the chair beside him. I glared over at the obnoxious boy, as though this were somehow his fault. Though given that I suspected him for causing my unfortunate transformation to begin with, in a way it was.

    ¡°Did you not want to be done with this quickly?¡± I hissed at Zarenna. ¡°This would be a lot simpler if you¡¯d just do as I¡¯d asked.¡±

    ¡°Or you¡¯re wrong and it takes much longer.¡±

    I grumbled under my breath at the snarky demon, before saying, ¡°Fine, do it your way then. I don¡¯t care so long as I ultimately get what I want.¡±

    ¡°A demon heart, I believe you said?¡± Professor Kheln interrupted.

    ¡°Yes, so get on with it,¡± I demanded with impatience. This had been going on for far too long now.

    It was at that moment that another knock tapped on the door. The four of us glanced at each other.

    ¡°Should I get that?¡± Zarenna asked.

    Before anyone could answer, the knob turned and a familiar voice sounded out around it. ¡°Forgive my intrusion, Professor Kheln, but have you seen¡ª¡±

    Lilis blinked, her bright green eyes reflecting the flickering lanterns. She stood frozen, only her long dark-brown hair shifting over her shoulder. ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡±

    When her eyes found me, her lips shifted into a frown, as though this were all somehow my fault. Ridiculous. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she continued.

    I crossed my arms. ¡°I¡¯m getting my demon heart, at least if these three would stop wasting time and get on with it.¡±

    Lilis stared at me, seemingly in thought and still with a frown. She was definitely thinking this was my fault.

    Zarenna released an impatient sigh. ¡°This is great and all, really. But can someone please hurry up and resolve this, whether or not Ruby gets her demon heart. I¡¯m missing a wedding here. My wedding, specifically.¡±

    ¡°Ruby, what have you done?¡± Lilis hissed quietly, as though the others wouldn¡¯t clearly hear her.

    Kheln cleared his throat. ¡°I may be able to get my hands on such an item, though I don¡¯t believe I could part with it for nothing.¡± He eyed Zarenna with a nervous energy somehow full of greed. ¡°They are not exactly easy to obtain, as you can imagine.¡±

    Bold of him. I turned to Zarenna, expecting her to call his bluff.

    ¡°How about this then?¡± Zarenna clapped both sets of hands together. ¡°You may ask me five questions about demons as payment. I¡¯m not going to answer certain personal ones that could endanger myself later, and if I don¡¯t answer, it doesn¡¯t count. Oh, and I might be a different sort of demon¡ª-from a different place¡ª-than, for instance, Ruby.¡±

    I smacked a palm against my forehead. The professor smiled.

    ¡°That sounds amenable. Though perhaps we could do something more like, say, thirty?¡±

    ¡°Ten,¡± Zarenna smiled, showing two rows of sharp, deadly teeth¡ªones that promised a lot of pain and flesh-tearing. ¡°I¡¯m being rather nice, you know.¡±

    He choked. ¡°O-of course, yes. Ten it is then.¡±

    I sighed, but let my frustration go. So long as I got what I wanted, I supposed I could get my revenge on the professor and Melkar at a later date. Things were certainly going to get complicated after this.

    Why did I have to summon the most diplomatic demon in all of the three realms?

    The questions began, and despite my impatience, I did my best to take her answers to memory. Of course, some of those answers were a shrug and an ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± and a few others made no sense at all. It was interesting, nonetheless.

    ¡°Well, as much as I¡¯d love to question you further, I must say I¡¯m rather satisfied,¡± Kheln said with a smile. A smile that was completely ruined by the alcoholic stench of the room, as far as I was concerned.

    ¡°Allow me to go to my back study and grab what you need. In truth, you¡¯re lucky I have such a thing. It¡¯s not exactly something easy to get one¡¯s hands on,¡± he commented as he made his way back, leaving the door open.

    ¡°Ruby, what have you done?¡± Lilis asked once again at a whisper. She grabbed my horn, the same one that Zarenna had before, and I winced.

    ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t. This isn¡¯t my fault!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s her fault,¡± Zarenna said with a shrug. ¡°Entirely.¡±

    Lilis¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Ow!¡± I yelped out as Lilis thumped my forehead.

    ¡°I believe we¡¯re having a very long chat after this,¡± she hissed.

    I winced, and then shivered, worried exactly what this ¡°chat¡± might entail. Then I turned toward the, admittedly, rather powerful demon to my right.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she cut me off.

    She didn¡¯t even let me finish! Would it really be that bad to stay just a little longer?

    Things were about to get rather complicated for me¡­

    As though brought forth by the thought, the air above us rippled. Magic flooded through, enough for wisps of mana to dance through the air. Conversation stopped, and a line¡ªa tear¡ªformed, widening into a rift. Across from us, Professor Kheln rushed back into the room, only to pause as a pale arm stuck out through the rift.

    I felt my breath catch, certain that we were all about to die.

    An echoing voice thrummed through the air, strong enough to seemingly make the world shake. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the fuck happened, but I¡¯m taking my demon back.¡±

    Zarenna scratched the back of her head. ¡°Guess I¡¯m off then. Good luck with the bullying, Ruby.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I caught your name, but I hope you have a nice wedding?¡± Lilis said cordially.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Zarenna smiled. ¡°Thanks, I¡ª¡±

    The arm found her horn and pulled. With a rush of wind, Zarenna flew up through the rift, and it sealed shut with a loud bang.

    ¡°W-what was that?¡± Melkar asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t the slightest idea,¡± Professor Kheln replied, his voice filled with wonder now that the danger had apparently passed.

    Only then did I realize that I hadn¡¯t actually gotten the demon heart that I needed, and the demon that had been protecting me was now absent. Everyone¡¯s curiosity over the strange rift didn¡¯t last nearly long enough.

    Kheln, Lilis, and Melkar each turned toward me. Lilis crossed her arms and Melkar smirked.

    I released a sigh.

    ¡°Great.¡±

 Chapter 156: Vow

    I swallowed nervously and nodded to my sister. For a brief moment, the absurdity of the situation popped into my mind: a paladin of Dhias marrying together an angel and a demon. It was like something out of a bad fantasy story.

    Only it was real¡ªand I was the demon.

    Kartania opened, reciting a speech I recalled only fragments of from half-forgotten childhood memories. Seyari and I faced each other, and I had work hard to ignore the seething fury from the Church forces nearby, and the anxious tension from King Carvalon¡¯s representative.

    I¡¯d make my words quick, then. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t let this occasion simply be a necessity of law.

    Thankfully, Seyari went first.

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± she opened, her voice soft in a way I¡¯d rarely heard. ¡°There is much I could say about you, from your kindness to your stalwart belief in the capacity of others, from your wonderfully terrible sense of humor to the depths of your compassion. But I¡¯ll focus on one singular thing: your love.

    ¡°Having heard all that I am, and all that I was, you accepted me. You trusted¡ªimplicitly¡ªand forgave me in a way no one else ever dared to. You made¡ªmake¡ªme feel like I truly have a future, and that I do not have to suffer under the burden of my past.

    ¡°And yet, for so long, I failed to reciprocate that trust. For that, I can never apologize enough. But here and now you have my everything, Renna. Once bound by my own chains of apathy, I am now, with you, freer than ever.

    ¡°I will be yours forever, Zarenna Miller.¡± Seyari smiled up at me, the expression reaching to her eyes and beyond. She¡¯s beautiful.

    I struggled through my tears, thankful for once that my indifferent body allowed me to push past the lump in my throat and speak. ¡°As I will be yours, Seyari.¡± I took a deep breath and looked down at Seyari. Her golden eyes shone brightly despite the tears trailing from their corners, and her silver hair had blown wild and unkempt from the battle. I reached down and wiped away those tears, ignoring my own. ¡°I see in you a woman who has discovered again the joys of life. Whatever role I play in this, I am not alone.

    ¡°And I do not wish to be alone. You¡¯re brilliant, you mingle empathy with pragmatism, and you always speak your mind. Even if you¡¯re too stoic to voice your own worries directly sometimes.

    ¡°I never doubted that you would trust me in time as I trusted you. Not from that night I saw you hanging outside my window. You rescued a stranger whom you had every right to believe would abuse you, after a lifetime of abuse. But even if you didn¡¯t think you trusted me, you did. You had to.

    ¡°You helped me to trust myself, and to accept myself¡ªall of myself. Thank you, Sey. I love you, from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    Without needing Kartania¡¯s prompting, I leaned forward and down. Seyari surprised me by jumping up, and I caught her with my lower arms even as she pulled my head down to meet hers. Our lips met, then locked, then tingled as our opposing magics clashed. The heat warded away the cold, and I felt Sey¡¯s heartbeat, strong and fast, as her chest pressed against mine. Briefly, I forgot where we were, and she had to remind my wandering hands with a kick to my shin. Eyes closed, we kept up the embrace¡ªand our kiss. Deep and warm, my tongue shifted between dominating hers and relaxing to become Sey¡¯s plaything.

    When we finally parted, with a string of saliva and a rush of warm air puffing condensation against the afternoon cold, Sey¡¯s face had flushed a deep red; my own was surely the same. And not just because I was red.

    We turned as one to look at Kartania, Sey¡¯s good hand held in mine. My sister wore a big smile, but she looked a little green, and I blushed harder. Sorry, Sis, you didn¡¯t need to see that.

    Tania cleared her throat and offered our promises to each other. ¡°Do you, Zarenna Miller, promise to remain by Seyari¡¯s side, through all the tribulations of the world, as one half of the whole of your unity, until the end of your days?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± I spoke the words with my full conviction, staring straight into Seyari¡¯s eyes, and I felt something stirring in my chest. My magic, my power as a Sovereign Demon.

    I stumbled a little, hit with a sudden urge to invoke my Name. But I knew Seyari didn¡¯t want a contract with me. To our side, Kartania held her breath, and I felt the stump of Seyari¡¯s bad arm acutely in my hand.

    To my surprise, Seyari¡¯s smile never faltered. ¡°I know,¡± she said softly. ¡°This is not the same as a contract. We are equals, and I trust you, Renna.¡± She waved her good hand, and a wall of wind roared to life around us, obscuring sight and sound from those outside.

    From beyond the wind, I could only vaguely see my sister¡¯s outline. I gulped, then leaned forward to whisper, but found I could only speak in a strong voice as if something guided my words. ¡°Then I, Zerix¡¯Arranthariel, promise to remain by Seyari¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yothariel,¡± Seyari corrected. ¡°It may no longer be my name, but the word has power.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. Not anymore,¡± I continued, suddenly sure of myself. ¡°I, Zerix¡¯Arranthariel, promise to remain by Seyari¡¯s side as her equal, through all the tribulations of the world, as one half of the whole of our unity, until the end of our days.¡±

    Around us, into the wind, ropes of crimson fire and flashes of a familiar green snaked through the air. A weight of mana, gathered from us and the air, settled between us like static before a lightning strike.

    Seyari hiccupped, and her spell wavered. Her tears started to flow now in earnest, and I pulled her closer. When she spoke, her words carried a soft sort of power. A confidence born of pain and hope. ¡°I, Seyari¡ª¡± The name poured out of her with an invisible weight to it, her voice tinged with that echoing, ethereal quality she tried so often to mask. ¡°¡ªpromise to remain by Zerix¡¯Arranthariel¡¯s side as her equal, through all the tribulations of the world, as one half of the whole of our unity, until the end of our days.¡±

    Together, we leaned forward and met in another kiss. The moment our lips touched, the magic in the air that had grown around us into a whirling vortex folded inward. Like a rush of hot air on a cold day, like the heart-soaring joy of meeting a long-lost loved one, our promise made itself manifest.

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    This was no contract, but a bond between equals. A promise beyond all else, uncompromising in its sincerity. The searing light of Seyari¡¯s holy magic softened to an inviting glow, and her wind carried my fire, stoking it into the sky, to a great pillar of burning crimson. A sign to the world of a promise unseen in millennia. Truthfully, I had no idea the significance of what we¡¯d done¡ªbut I could feel it in my bones, in the instincts instilled in me as a demon. And I found that I didn¡¯t care.

    All I cared about in this moment was Seyari.

    Our lips parted, the kiss unusually chaste, and I dared to open my eyes. All around us, a pyre burned, kaleidoscopic, swirling familiar colors into something new. Crimson and green and pale, whiteish gold. As the magic entered me, the warmth began to almost burn.

    I couldn¡¯t see the ground, and I realized we were spinning, holding each other close. In front of me, Seyari opened her eyes which shot wide, glowing bright with her internal light. Her lips moved in a whisper, but the magic whirling around us, and into us, carried her words away.

    But I didn¡¯t need to hear them, or to read lips, to know what she¡¯d said.

    ¡°I love you too,¡± I whispered into the wind.

    I wondered if our smiles would stick, when Seyari shook, then seized. Panic gripped my heart until, not a moment later, Seyari shook her head and I felt her bad arm moving. Not the limb itself, but the end of the stump.

    I let the limb go, and the wind whipped us nearly apart, my tail barely able to keep us close. Now side by side, I watched as Seyari¡¯s hand regrew before my eyes. Visceral would be the best word to describe the process, like demonic regeneration.

    Bone spikes burst from her stump, droplets of blood immediately wicking away into the vortex. The spikes grew, and muscle and sinew, blood vessels and flesh knit themselves over the bones. At the tips of each finger, the nails that grew were gold, like her eyes. And they were sharp.

    Not quite the claws that I had, but¡­ different.

    In shock, Seyari flexed the hand, and I followed her arm up to her face. She hadn¡¯t stopped smiling, and relief washed over me. That relief was short-lived however, as the dull burning in my core suddenly exploded into white hot agony.

    The scream that tore from my throat didn¡¯t even make it past my lips before the winds tore it away. My mana roiled and burned inside me, but the sensation began to dull from the familiar agony of holy magic to a comforting warmth. A specific, glowing heat I¡¯d felt only once, years ago, from the hands of a kindly priest.

    And then it too was gone, dissipating out into the vortex even as my mana shifted. Something had changed, but we weren¡¯t done yet. Both Seyari and I could feel as much.

    The magic around us was massive, dangerous, and all we could do was ride along like two twigs caught in a flash flood. Seyari¡¯s grip on my arm tensed, hard enough that it was uncomfortable. She turned, aided by my tail, and took my other hand.

    Now with a good look at her face, I could see tension, and pain. A thin sheen of sweat, constantly wicked away by the wind that whipped our hair around us, coated her face. Our eyes met, gold into blue, and for a moment the power of our promise seemed to pause.

    As if in thought.

    As if trying to do the impossible.

    As if to grant wings again to an angel who¡¯d lost them long ago.

    Then, in an instant, in the time it took me to blink, the tower of magic around us twisted itself into twin tendrils of power and rammed into Seyari¡¯s lower back. She screamed, and this time was heard. Her sharp nails dug furrows into my skin, but I held her.

    Tail and four arms, I held her as my wife seized. I held her as we fell toward the ground and my wings tried desperately to flare to life only for the wild magic of our promise to rip them away. For a moment, we shared the most beautiful view.

    The mountains around us glittered in the late afternoon light, the ancient peaks uncaring for the whims of mortals, demons, and angels alike. Defiant of even the gods in their quest to scratch at the firmament with glaciated stone.

    Below us, lights twinkled around a small town and its surrounding farms. A dark castle overlooked the land, cast in encroaching shadow. We were higher than I¡¯d ever flown, but we were falling, and the view around us started to spin.

    I tried to right us, to get on the bottom to land first, but Seyari had a death grip on two of my arms, and my body, flush with power, seemed to lock up against the unfamiliar sensations. So I did the only thing I could: I held onto Seyari with all my might and heart, and against all damn reason I prayed to Dhias my wings would work or we¡¯d survive the landing.

    Under Seyari¡¯s skin, I could feel the muscles in her back roiling. Under twin scars, tension gathered and bones snapped.

    I barely moved my hands away in time.

    From Seyari¡¯s back, twin crimson-feathered wings exploded. Seyari¡¯s head threw back into another scream, and blood trailed droplets from the tips of her feathers and into the sky: crimson against the pale. In my arms, my wife slumped, and her eyes fluttered.

    We spun again, and her wings cast us in shade. As they stretched out, feathers ruffling in the wind, I realized that each wing was almost twice her height in length¡ªthree meters or more.

    With a shudder, Seyari tensed again, hands flexing and wings twitching. Gusts of wind battered us as she opened her eyes. Exhaling a shuddering breath, she surprised me by pulling me in for a kiss.

    For a third time, we locked lips, this time while tumbling to earth. Feathers brushed by me, soft and warm, and the wind around us slowed. The rushing noise faded into a silence that left even my ears ringing for a moment.

    Seyari flapped, and we righted, beginning to glide. I let her hold me, surprised by the power of her wings. With a glance my way and a smile that showed her pearly-white teeth and longer canines than I remembered, she dipped, and we fell into a dive.

    Panicking, I gripped onto her even tighter and Sey grunted before the sound turned into a laugh.

    ¡°Ready?¡± she asked, her voice¡¯s echo prominent against the rushing air.

    ¡°For what?¡± I shouted back.

    ¡°Our vows!¡± Seyari replied, glancing below us.

    I followed her gaze. Down below, the same standoff we¡¯d left had gathered into a crowd, each of them watching the sky. From her glinting armor, I picked my sister out even as we dove toward her. I wished I could have seen the look on her face.

    ¡°Go after me!¡± Sey shouted again.

    We swooped down, and Sey drew in a breath. Moving fast enough to blow away the snow mere meters under us, we whipped over the shocked heads of everyone below. My sharp eyes caught a smile forming on Kartania¡¯s face, and I knew what Sey had in mind. Quickly I took a deep breath.

    ¡°I DO!¡± my wife shouted at the top of her lungs, banking the turn close enough that Kartania stumbled and others bowled over into the dirt. Her echoing voice was carried by wind magic, and I hoped I could do the same.

    ¡°I DO!¡± I shouted, feeling my magic move. Burning wind carried my words, bathing Kartania in sparks that fizzled into nothing.

    The moment we were past, Seyari banked again and brought us up with a single flap, infused with magic. I felt a pleasant warmth, and saw thin trails of crimson fire flowing from the tips of her primary feathers.

    Did our magic combine?

    Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about that, though. Now was the time to celebrate. We were married!

    ¡°Can you fly?¡± Sey shouted, vibrant and playful. ¡°You promised to go flying with me, Renna! It¡¯s not fair if I¡¯m doing all the work!¡±

    I choked up at her voice. I¡¯d never heard Sey so happy. Not with the undercurrent of carefree sincerity she now had.

    ¡°Renna!¡± she shouted, feigning annoyance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I reached for my magic, and found it ready and waiting. Still roiling, from excitement, our vow, or both, I didn¡¯t know. But I knew one thing: ¡°Yeah! I can!¡±

    ¡°Marvelous!¡± with a melodic laugh, my wife let me go.

    Immediately, familiar wings of crimson fire flared to life behind me. After a stomach-lurching moment of freefall, my wings caught, and I pushed upward toward Seyari. Already, she was a crimson-winged splotch above me, brilliant against the sky. She banked toward a nearby mountain, then tucked her wings and picked up speed away.

    Fast as I could, I rocketed up after her, giving chase.

 Chapter 157: To Dust

    Seyari was fast, but I was faste¡ª

    How is she still gaining speed?!

    My heart swelled at the sight of my now-wife soaring through the skies with all the grace childhood me would expect of an angel. Even if the way she dove was almost more akin to a predatory bird, crimson wings tucked and silver hair billowing.

    When we were going straight across the valley, I could keep up, but the moment we hit cross-currents and thermal rises as the land underneath us shifted to jagged elevation changes, I nearly lost her.

    Clearly on purpose, as she played in and out of my vision, darting and diving with a fluid agility between peaks and crags, her wingtips kicking up snow from how close she came to touching. Really, it was a little embarrassing that the wrath demon who could walk off a high-speed crash into a rock face showed little temerity

    But at the same time¡­ this was so like us wasn¡¯t it? Here, in her element, Seyari was the leader. And I was more than content to follow, watching both her and the landscape below. What a fantastic view!

    Trees like matchsticks wrapped in tinsel moved so fast a mortal would only see a blur. I didn¡¯t fear this height. Nor did I fear ending up miles away from a warm hearth buried under mountain snow. We¡¯d make a shelter and I¡¯d heat it.

    Seyari and I could hunt, no problem¡ªunfairly even. And I didn¡¯t need food. Or sleep. In another life, perhaps another world, we were easily the villains a band of plucky heroes would rise up and slay.

    But for now, in our own story, we were¡­ not quite heroes. I¡¯d fancied myself one, once. For a long time really¡ªand recently, too. Heroes burned bright and died young. They lived on the road, lived for adventure, and had no place in the world when that adventure was done.

    When the dragon was slain¡ªor lain, I thought, remembering that awful Atagor book Lilly had¡ªthey faded away, their part over. I didn¡¯t want to fade away. Here and now, despite all the hardships, and despite leaving my sister in what had to be an incredibly heady mix of smug satisfaction and intense confusion, despite the looming war¡ªnow perhaps two wars¡ªand all the difficulties ahead; despite all that, I was happy.

    Really, truly, deeply, happy.

    Dhias, I¡¯d killed what, a hundred people, in the last two days? I wouldn¡¯t forget that, but I also didn¡¯t need that to weigh me back down to the ground below. My mistakes, like that old name Seyari once had, are behind us now.

    The future starts today.

    I¡¯m no hero, but I¡¯ll still try to do the right thing. I just don¡¯t have to martyr myself on my idealism. Doesn¡¯t mean that idealism has to die.

    I¡¯d almost caught up to Seyari before I realized she¡¯d stopped. Well, stopped moving forward¡ªshe was circling. Something about the pure instinctiveness of our flight kept me from calling out. Like a voice in the still, silent air would shatter this reality.

    Once I pulled nearer, my own wings of fire letting me hover, Seyari flicked her hand and summoned a warm gale that lifted us both. With that motion, I noticed now that both her hands were the same¡ªtipped with small golden claws I¡¯d call cute despite her inevitable protestations.

    Seyari spoke first, in a voice that didn¡¯t echo. ¡°I don¡¯t care¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Mordwell¡ªall of that. I don¡¯t care, Renna!¡± Seyari gained volume, turning to me with a smile that was almost manic. ¡°He¡¯s out here somewhere and I don¡¯t care!¡± She laughed, loud and hard.

    ¡°Sey, are you okay?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Okay?! I¡¯m better than okay!¡± She hugged me, wings wrapping around even as I rushed to tuck my own in. ¡°I¡¯m whole again! And not just my wings!¡±

    Despite my worry, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Her aura looked¡­different. A crimson ring encircled the edge, but it didn¡¯t penetrate to the center. Not that I really know what any of that could mean.

    When I met Seyari¡¯s golden eyes again, they were glowing with aura sight. ¡°Yours is beautiful too, Renna.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­ but really¡ªare you okay, Sey?¡±

    She pecked me on the cheek before answering. ¡°Yes! I just¡­ I just don¡¯t really know what to feel. I guess I must seem a little manic, huh?¡±

    I nodded sharply.

    Sey giggled and pushed me away to do a twirl with her wings. ¡°I feel young again, Renna! Like I¡¯m not held back anymore! And!¡± She pointed down toward the south and its imposing, snow-covered mountains. ¡°And I don¡¯t need to care about getting revenge on Mordwell. He doesn¡¯t have a hold over me anymore! He can¡¯t!¡±

    I followed her outstretched finger with my gaze. ¡°But we should still make him face justice. And I¡¯d like to save those we can¡ªLorelei included¡ªif that¡¯s possible.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s face fell. ¡°We could just elope, Renna! Fly out somewhere into lands unknown and get away from all of this. Start a new life with that house we always wanted and a garden and books to read and a smithy out back for you!¡±

    I gulped¡ªthe thought was tempting. But I thought of Taava, Nelys, my sister. And, perhaps most importantly, my daughter¡ªour daughter. ¡°What about Joisse?¡±

    Seyari choked.

    ¡°What about our daughter and my sister and all our friends?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ fuck.¡± Seyari drooped. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re right. I just¡­ I just want to be done with all this. I¡¯m so full of energy, but when I think of fighting I get so tired.¡±

    This time, I was the one who hugged her, unfairly leveraging four arms against to as I pressed the bases of my horns gently against her forehead. ¡°We¡¯re fighting for that future you just described, but for all of us. You know that.¡±

    ¡°I do, but¡­ but we don¡¯t have to fight for it. We could just take it for ourselves right now and¡­¡± she took a shuddering breath. ¡°And doing so would spit in the face of all the help and love we had that got us here.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ I was gonna say something like that. Maybe not as blunt.¡±

    Seyari nodded, then flapped her wings angrily. ¡°I figured as much. Damnit, why can¡¯t we just have a nice relaxing night where our biggest worry is what to make for dinner?¡±

    ¡°Because¡ª¡± I drew a hand up out of my hug and poked Sey on the end of her nose. ¡°Because we have power, means, and motive to save the world from the machinations of Envy and Styrix.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a hero. I don¡¯t want you to be a her¡ª¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. We¡¯re not.¡± I smiled, showing twin rows of shark-like sharp teeth. ¡°Did I say we were? We¡¯re gonna save the world, even if that means cracking a few heads and burning a few castles.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. ¡°Fuck¡­¡±

    ¡°Sey?¡±

    She shut me up with a kiss. I didn¡¯t get to finish my thought, because a column of wind slammed us down into the snow, me first, hard enough that I heard the rock underneath crack. Sey grabbed hold of my tail and I knew in an instant where things were headed.

    Can¡¯t say I was disappointed.

    ***

    In the far distance, outline against the gray sky. Kartania Miller watched as two specks smaller each than a grain of wheat rocketed together from the sky to the ground. Blushing, she cleared her throat, trying to wet her mouth that¡¯d gone dry, and turned to address those assembled.

    In the minute or so since Zarenna and Seyari had become swept up in a vortex of magic and Seyari had regrown a pair of crimson angel wings, no one had spoken. After the last ¡°I do,¡± silence had reigned. In that time, the townsfolk of Astrye had come forward, Keran at the front with an older lupael woman Kartania hadn¡¯t seen before.

    Thus, Kartania stood alone in the middle of three factions. She blamed her sister, because it was clearly her fault, but she didn¡¯t begrudge Zarenna for it. They¡¯d put on a show and managed to thoroughly derail whatever it was anyone had been thinking about prior.

    Except for one thing. Zarenna and Seyari were married now, and that meant Kartania had a new sister¡­ and a niece. Both of which were a lot in the moment.

    Finally finding her tongue in the dry mass that was her mouth, Kartania spoke in a raspy voice that gained strength with each word. ¡°You heard them, and their vows. We all did, and I think we might¡¯ve seen those vows.¡± Kartania coughed into one gauntleted hand, chill metal near her lips a reminder of just what had been¡ªwas still¡ªat stake. ¡°With Dhias as witness, and myself as arbiter, I declare Zarenna and Seyari Miller to be wed.¡±

    Surprising herself, Kartania slipped into a quick, half-whispered prayer to Dhias. Partly out of tradition to finish the ceremony, but also out of a real curiosity and an old, hard comfort. When her words faded, there was but a brief silence.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a demon and an outsider our leader,¡± the woman next to Keran spoke. Her voice had a slight rasp to it, but it was loud, and it carried. The royal guard tensed

    ¡°By King Carvalon¡¯s decree,¡± the representative answered. ¡°Are you not citizens of Astrye, which is a territory of the Kingdom of Edath?¡±

    ¡°All are citizens,¡± she answered, sparing a glance at Keran and then back again. ¡°Not all are of Edath.¡±

    ¡°If you live in Astrye, you are subject to King Carvalon,¡± the representative answered stiffly.

    ¡°Only so far as the length the kingdom is willing to go for us. We have been without your governance for ten winters as of this year. And before that, the fat tick in the castle was worse than nothing. We are fine on our own.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean to speak against the king?¡±

    ¡°Does the king punish the truth?¡±

    Kartania looked between them, ready to step in. And thankful that the mutterings of the Church forces were staying, for now, nothing more than a susurration in the background.

    The representative thought for a moment. ¡°The king punishes disobedience.¡±

    ¡°Of his subjects.¡±

    ¡°Who are you to presume such questions?¡±

    The woman gave a shallow bow. ¡°I am Nadya, and I speak for those of us who have come to live in Astrye this past generation. Those of us who are deciding, right now, our future in this land.¡±

    ¡°If you do not respect his majesty¡¯s decision, you are free to leave to the south, beyond our territory.¡± The representative¡¯s words were spoken with more ice than remained on the ground.

    ¡°To chase in the footsteps of the man who nearly killed us all in a vile ritual?¡± Nadya spat, her gray-furred ears twitching angrily. ¡°To leave the safety of the valley during winter when most our food has already been stolen from us?¡±

    ¡°Or you accept the authority of Marchioness Zarenna Miller as vested in her by King Carvalon.¡±

    Nadya barked a harsh laugh. ¡°This is not about her authority. I am no fool.¡± She turned to the assembled crowd of townsfolk, and Kartania could now see a division between them, largely along human and lupael lines. ¡°We are no fools. The demon, Zarenna Miller, saved us all and has the power to protect us should those who escaped her wrath return.¡± The old lupael turned again to the representative. ¡°What you must earn from us, is your king¡¯s authority.¡±

    The man balked, and Kartania bit her tongue. Citizen of Edath or no, she was representing the Empire so far as everyone else was concerned. And they weren¡¯t particularly wrong.

    ¡°You!¡± he said, and the guards tensed. ¡°Do you really think you can go against a demon of the marchioness¡¯s power?¡±

    Nadya shook her head. ¡°No. Of course not.¡±

    Next to her, silent until now, Keran broke his silence with a vicious smile. ¡°I think you should be asking that question, sir.¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Kartania stepped in. ¡°Astrye is a territory of Edath, and as such is subject to few crown regulations, am I correct?¡±

    Frowning, the representative nodded.

    ¡°So long as taxes are paid, and in the event of a war, the levy is gathered, do you need further control?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And in the aftermath of an event such as this, is it not fair to exempt Astrye from both for the next year, to rebuild destroyed fields and refill food stores?¡±

    ¡°That is not my decision to make.¡±

    ¡°Whose is it?¡±

    ¡°King Carvalon¡¯s, ultimately.¡±

    ¡°Tell him then, that, as a representative for my sister, the Marchioness of Astrye, we formally request those exemptions for the reason I have just given. The matter of the loyalty of our own citizens is something for the marchioness to handle, yes?¡±

    Nadya frowned, giving Kartania a cold glare, but she said nothing.

    The representative heaved a sigh. ¡°Fine. Good luck, then. I can see where I am not wanted, and I shall leave you shortly. There is a writ of duty the Marchioness must receive. May I trust you to deliver it?¡±

    ¡°You may.¡±

    ¡°Very well then.¡± The representative glared at Nadya. ¡°That will be all.¡±

    ¡°Have a safe journey home,¡± the lupael woman offered with little sincerity, then took several quick steps over near the Church forces. ¡°And you all as well. I will bite my tongue and give you the courtesy of a civil retreat.¡±

    Priest Cedric looked at the assembled group, and at the Church forces, still ready for a fight. Then he looked at High Priest Grants¡¯ body on the ground. Kartania knew what was about to come.

    ¡°Would he want blood shed like this?¡± She gestured to the high priest¡¯s corpse. ¡°He was wrong about Zarenna, and it killed him, and you know it. Had he been willing to listen and understand all that went on here, we¡¯d all be celebrating tonight, and he and my sister would doubtless have traded stories beside a warm hearth.

    ¡°Give up. Go back and give a report. Lie on it if you dare. But if you start a slaughter here, you might win now, but you will not make it over the pass.

    ¡°Kill innocents here¡ªand you know we are not under some impossibly complex entrancement¡ªand none of you will live to see the next morning. And without your return, you will start a war. You¡¯ve seen what my sister can do¡ªand I think we all just saw her get stronger. King Carvalon will side with her. Can Ordia¡¯s remaining unity really survive another bloody civil war¡ªregardless of the suffering it¡¯ll cause? Can the Church of Dhias as we know it survive such an event?

    ¡°If you¡¯ve any dignity. Any sense of duty to the oaths you have taken¡­ go. Leave and report exactly what happened here and may we all pray to Dhias the cooler heads will prevail. My sister has said there¡¯s a war coming between two factions of demons. And you can guess the side she¡¯s not on¡ªI¡¯m not on¡ªis a lot less cordial. We shouldn¡¯t fight each other. Not now.¡±

    Kartania took a deep breath and swallowed, feeling her heart hammering away in her chest. She¡¯d already done it¡ªmade her choice to side with her demonic sister and forsake her career¡ªbut that speech made it real.

    Priest Cedric looked at her, glanced at Nadya and the retreating representative, and slumped. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°There¡¯s a lot we clearly don¡¯t know about demons. I will find out what is going on, I will find the truth. And if this is all a ruse and you¡¯re hurting those you claim to help¡­ you will beg for the mercy of a swift end.¡±

    Kartania nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Cedric sighed. ¡°Take High Priest Grants¡¯s body. We¡¯re leaving.¡±

    The few murmurs of dissent quickly died out, and with haste, the Church forces retreated. Kartania slumped in relief, only to feel a slim arm wrap around her shoulder. Next to her, Nadya was suddenly pulled close as well.

    ¡°What a show!¡± Taava gushed. ¡°I¡¯ve already got six¡ªno eight¡ªeleven song ideas. But right now¡ª¡± the kazzel pushed forward and the sudden motion caused Kartania to spin around on her heel in the slick mud. ¡°¡ªWhat do we do next?¡±

    Kartania found herself facing an unfamiliar crowd of hundreds of people. She took a breath to steady herself, wound her emotions into a familiar box, and addressed the crowd.

    ***

    On a snowy trail in a hidden valley to the south, a wagon rumbled along. Inside the wagon, under clothing and bedding, a wooden box was tucked away snugly. Inside that box was an orb of glass containing a single feather that pointed unerringly to the north, even as the box moved and bumped along the wild track that was hardly more than an animal path. Then, without warning or preamble, the feather twitched and stopped. Moments later, it fell to the bottom of the glass, already crumbling to dust.

 Chapter 158: The Stars are Nice

    ¡°Warmer.¡± Seyari snuggled closer to me, her wings enveloping both of us.

    I turned up the heat a little, and leaned back against the slowly-warming stone of the shallow, cliffside cave. Behind crimson feathers, the sun was just about to dip under the ridge across from us, and already the shadows of night were washing color from the world.

    With the rise of night came unbidden all kinds of unwanted emotions: anxiety, concern, curiosity, and responsibility. That last one made it through my defenses just as the last sliver of gold dipped under and plunged the world into darkness.

    Funny how ¡°darkness¡± now is just a shade. I could make out individual needles on the branches where snow had loosened enough under the day¡¯s sun for its weight to slide off. I felt no hunger, no drooping fatigue with the end of the day.

    If anything, I was ready to go for round two, but that nagging sense of responsibility was calling me loudly away from being a hedonist. Glancing down at the crater we¡¯d made below our current perch, I wondered how well, exactly, a normal bed would serve us. At the same time, with how fast we were through the air, a midnight excursion could be an easy twenty kilometers away.

    Seyari mumbled something. All the fatigue that was denied a home in me apparently settled in her; she loosened and her breathing slowed.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I whispered, trying to get in a few more words before the night took her and my lonely vigil started.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she replied, eyes still closed, and her head tucked into the crook between my breast and where my two right arms met.

    ¡°We should go back¡ªthere¡¯s a lot that needs to be done.¡±

    ¡°In the morning.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shhhh. It can wait. Everyone else can wait.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    I agreed in part because I doubted Mordwell would double back so soon. And if he did, chances were probably only a little worse than a coin flip that I could see his group coming from my perch. And he wouldn¡¯t see me¡ªjust two glowing blue eyes in complete darkness, high up near where the snow turns to ice and rock subsumes dirt.

    So decided, I felt Seyari drift off to sleep. Normally, when she fell all the way asleep against me, she¡¯d pull closer subconsciously. This time? This time she was pulled so tight against me that she fell away a little as muscles loosened. Her wings, likewise, slackened, pulling away to give me a more commanding view of the nighttime forest.

    Was this my domain now? Marriage had sunk its way into my consciousness ahead of marchioness. But the latter was catching up fast, riding that tide of awful responsibility. Not entirely awful¡ªI wanted to talk with my daughter, my sister, and my friends.

    But still, I had to wonder if the land below me was Astrye. What ridge did it stop at, what stream or ravine? Did it even matter? If no one lived or hunted out this way, then it wasn¡¯t truly land under my concern.

    Just wildland. As if to punctuate that thought, a deep howl arose from somewhere below me, further along in the valley. Eyes flicking to the sound, I watched for motion like an immense bird of prey. Not that I¡¯d be diving down there any time soon. Not when the rock was just starting to get comfortably warm.

    Besides, I wasn¡¯t afraid of whatever made that howl. It was afraid of me¡ªdefiant in its plaintive whine if only for its ignorance.

    I shifted, pulling Sey a little more upright and moving my tail over us a little higher. Absentmindedly, I brought the tip around to play with, my own fire long since having cleaned it. In an odd, almost childlike way, the soft, spaded tip was comforting as I rubbed a clawed finger in circles.

    What am I going to do once we return?

    My thoughts weren¡¯t on the present; right away we¡¯d hold some sort of meeting and make plans to integrate me as marchioness in a way that is best for Astrye. And we¡¯d look into hunting down Mordwell¡­ again while also preparing our defenses. But I meant after that. Once I am fully in my role as Marchioness Zarenna Miller, what am I going to do?

    To compete with Envy, I need power. And that power¡¯s got to come from recruiting and hunting wrath demons. At least, the physical power did. I¡¯d also need to ingratiate myself within the Kingdom of Edath and hopefully stave off war with the Church of Dhias, the Empire of Ordia, or both.

    Perhaps Envy¡¯s upcoming ¡°war¡± could serve as a way forward. Obviously, I¡¯m going to do the right thing and fight them and Styrix, but would that be enough? And could I gain any power from it. That envy demon I killed near Linthel had given me power through an unusual challenge.

    But how many more would be like her? I was almost certain she challenged my title out of envy, but wouldn¡¯t others know their limitations? And if not, wouldn¡¯t this whole war be very difficult for Envy to maintain? There was more going on, and finding out would also have to be a priority.

    Yeah, add it to the list.

    So, in rough, I needed to legitimize my position here in Astrye, then in Linthel, then in a wider sense. All the while I¡¯d be fighting against Envy and Styrix and hunting Mordwell¡ªthe two of which were doubtlessly connected. And at the same time¡­ I glanced down at Seyari sleeping peacefully.

    At the same time, I was going to have to try to enjoy my marriage, be a good mom for Joisse, help Nelys out with their family, and make sure my sister was okay.

    After thinking all that through, I stared up through the holes in the clouds at the stars. They glittered and shined up there without a care for mortal¡ªor demonic¡ªconcerns. Even more so than the mountains, who could be forced in by major events, they were merely observers, beyond caring.

    And for tonight only, I would be the same. Seyari was right to take tonight to think and rest. Another howl sounded, further away this time. It felt strange to keep watch without a campfire, and with how the predators of the night stayed well away from me. They could stay in their own little world below, with their own concerns.

    ***

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    Morning arrived slowly, as if dreading to peek its visage over the mountain ridge behind us. Seyari stirred awake as soon as there was enough light to reflect off the snow-covered forest below us. For a while, neither of us spoke, and the sun continued its march into the sky behind, flooding the valley with light even as our alcove lay in shade.

    Already, I fought the urge to get up, summon my wings, and take off like a shooting star back toward the town of Astrye. We had time, still. The journey¡ªfor us¡ªwas a short one.

    ¡°Let¡¯s let the air warm a little first,¡± Sey said, stifling a yawn. ¡°I want to ride the thermals and glide back with the sun warming my feathers.¡± She clacked her teeth closed sharply. ¡°I think I can see why you like your teeth so much¡ªat least mine aren¡¯t obscene.¡±

    I flashed a smile. ¡°Not everyone¡¯s mouth is so well endowed.¡±

    ¡°Shame that your tongue¡¯s your best feature then.¡±

    I blushed. ¡°I¡­ feel like I have to vote for my teeth.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯re hung,¡± Seyari replied with an easy smile. ¡°Renna¡­ I can¡¯t thank you enough. Not just for somehow doing the impossible with a sort of assuredness that¡¯ll drive me mad forever. But for helping me to enjoy what I¡¯ve regained. The hand thing is still absolutely your fault though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±

    ¡°But the wings are too, so I forgive you.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat, looking into her golden eyes. The fierceness there, her inner fire, had grown¡ªbut there was now a warmth to that heat. ¡°Sure,¡± was all I could muster.

    Seyari stared up at me. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Renna.¡±

    I froze.

    ¡°I know I don¡¯t say it enough.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful too, Sey. And I¡¯ll be vain and say especially your gorgeous, crimson wings. They complete you, and it¡¯d be disingenuous to imply they¡¯re unimportant. But your body is¡ª¡±

    Seyari pressed a finger to my lips, and when she withdrew, replaced the digit with her lips. The kiss was quick, but charged. ¡°Just let me compliment you, okay?¡±

    ¡°But I really do¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know. But I¡¯m very, very far behind on complimenting you, and even if I have centuries to catch up, there¡¯s no reason not to try right now. No reason not to live in the moment. So sit there and shut up.¡±

    I nodded sheepishly.

    ¡°That¡¯s better. You¡¯re beautiful, Zarenna. You¡¯ve got a body that defies imagination, with curves and muscle in proportion and definition that look like an illusion. Seriously, your tits are each almost as big as my damn head, and only part of that¡¯s an issue of scale.

    ¡°And right under that¡ª¡± she ran a hand up my shirt and along my abdominals. ¡°¡ªyou¡¯ve got rock-hard muscle under soft skin. Your legs and behind look like a statue made flesh, your face has a kind of symmetry that borders on uncanny, and you¡¯ve somehow softened villainous features into a stern, almost motherly countenance.

    ¡°Am I focusing too much on your body? Maybe, but I think it needs to be said. Screw hiding the motion of your back muscles when all four arms are working on something, or the way your tail cuts side to side when you¡¯re emotional. Fuck lowering yourself to human standards. Be proud and be above that, Renna,¡± Seyari finished her speech with a kiss.

    I couldn¡¯t even kiss back, and I had to try really hard not to sputter into her lips. Feeling confident, and getting polite hints were one thing, but that. Who says things like that? Who just puts all that out there?

    It¡­ I liked it actually. Coming from Sey and marked as a special occasion, I liked my body being studied, evaluated, and appreciated.

    The kiss continued, until Seyari nudged me down. I let her push me over, and she straddled atop me, silver hair glowing at the edges from more than sunlight, and twin golden eyes bright against the crimson-tinged shadow cast around us by her wings.

    ¡°And you want to know the best part?¡±

    I made a squeaking sound.

    ¡°Louder.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes¡ªI do.¡±

    ¡°The best part isn¡¯t that I get to play with this body.¡± She leaned down and planted a tingling kiss on my symbol, the glow from which lit up her eyes even more. ¡°It¡¯s that I¡¯m married to the woman whom it belongs to. Someone who, impossibly, deserves such a larger-than-life form.¡±

    ¡°Sey¡­¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s really cute when she¡¯s flustered.¡±

    ¡°S-sey¡­¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t miss us if we return in the afternoon, Renna.¡±

    I nodded eagerly.

    ***

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Kartania hissed under her breath as she paced back and forth, her steps heavy. All throughout the night, she¡¯d worked to try to set things up for her sister and¡­ sister-in-law. She¡¯d had barely any sleep, and despite the urging of everyone she kept on it even now.

    Mordwell was getting away. Sure, they¡¯d catch him, but to do that, they needed Astrye to be a functioning march. Not even Marchioness for a day and Zarenna was already derelict in her duties.

    A knock at the door startled Kartania.

    ¡°It¡¯s Joisse,¡± a soft voice said on the other side. ¡°Can I come in?¡±

    Kartania sighed. Another distraction. ¡°Sure. Mind the¡ª¡±

    The door fell down onto the floor with a loud thump, and behind it, hand near where the handle had been, stood a mortified-looking Joisse. The young, red-eyed girl looked like anything but a demon in disguise. And she¡¯s also my niece.

    ¡°The door has no hinges.¡± Kartania said wryly. ¡°Just come in and prop it back up, will you.¡±

    Joisse nodded, and calmly lifted the heavy door with one hand as though it was made of air, placing it back with a disturbing preciseness of motion.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Kartania asked, then shook her head to clear away the darkening edges of her vision. ¡°My apologies if that sounded accusatory¡ªit¡¯s been a rough night.¡±

    Joisse nodded, and gestured at a seat covered in salvaged ledges. ¡°May I move these?¡±

    ¡°Just set them on the floor next to the rest.¡± Kartania pointed at one of the piles of records, books, and trinkets. The small study was filled with them, and the only reason there was light at all was a single, broken shutter cutting into the room like a beam from a hooded lantern.

    Her niece did so, and sat down with a relaxed posture that quicky tried and failed to prop itself up as formal. ¡°Most people I¡¯ve talked to have said it¡¯s been a rough morning instead. You missed the party.¡±

    My sister¡¯s sense of humor is rubbing off on her, Kartania thought idly. ¡°I had work to do. And I don¡¯t understand how we could celebrate when food stores are low and we¡¯ve two wars looming.¡±

    ¡°Because the town¡¯s free. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯re not helping out¡ªNelys and Taava mostly. Taava¡¯s been performing all morning through the hangover, and Nelys is with Brynna and someone named Doryn interviewing people. I¡¯ve been helping to break down fire-damaged parts of buildings.¡± Joisse looked down at her hands, and Kartania noticed soot caked into the creases. ¡°Did you even sleep?¡±

    ¡°Did you?¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°A little, and I don¡¯t even need it. There¡¯s an inn off the main square that offered all of us rooms.¡±

    Kartania sighed. ¡°But there¡¯s just so much to do! We can¡¯t afford to take a break!¡±

    ¡°Can we afford not to?¡±

    The words gave Kartania pause. Something about Joisse¡¯s tone was intense, and her red-eyed gaze bored into Kartania. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Everyone needs a break sometimes. Mom Renna told me you work yourself too hard, and she worries you don¡¯t know how to relax. She and Mom Sey are taking a day away from all this. You should too.¡±

    Is she really just a kid? ¡°This is awfully mature of you Joisse, and I thank you for your concern, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°No buts. I know this from experience, from letting my wrath consume me. I¡¯m not gonna let the same thing happen to you, Aunt Tania.¡±

    Aunt Tania. The words hit Kartania like a hammer blow and her knees almost buckled. A family. I have a family again. But Mordwell¡­ can wait. He can wait. He doesn¡¯t have a hold over me anymore. Now that we¡¯re chasing him, he¡¯s already lost.

    ¡°Aunt Tania?¡± Joisse asked, getting up out of her chair.

    Kartania looked down through blurry eyes and realized she¡¯d dropped to her knees. Through sweat-soaked padding, her armor was digging into her joints, and she was chafing in places where the fit wasn¡¯t perfect. ¡°I¡¯m okay, really. I¡ª¡±

    Small, warm arms wrapped around her, and pulled her up with surprising strength. ¡°I¡¯m here. And my moms will be back soon, okay? Why don¡¯t you go change, eat something and take a nap.¡±

    Kartania hiccupped first instead of answering, and when she did she sounded exhausted. ¡°I might¡­ just get down to my underpadding and take a nap first.¡±

    ¡°I can carry you to a bed.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± The thought of warm blankets and soft bedding, however, called to her and her eyelids drooped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave the castle. Be seen like this.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Can I at least help you out of your armor? I don¡¯t know how though, so you might need to help me.¡±

    Kartania tried to voice a reply, but she didn¡¯t make it more than one word in before exhaustion took hold of her and she slipped away into the land of dreams.

 Interlude: Lockmoth, too

    ¡°And you think a demon¡¯s behind this?¡±

    Sonia nodded. ¡°Perhaps not directly, sir, but it would explain the nature of the killings¡ª¡±

    ¡°Could explain the nature of the killings.¡± Captain Lorton leaned back in his chair and sighed. ¡°But I¡¯m going to need something more to go on¡ªand believe me, I¡¯ve tried.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried checking auras?¡± Inva asked. She then took a moment to translate for Sonia, just in case.

    ¡°Yes, and we¡¯ve found nothing.¡±

    Tren slapped both palms down on the table. ¡°Well Firalex didn¡¯t!¡±

    Captain Lorton raised an eyebrow, but his body gave away what his face didn¡¯t as he leaned over the table. ¡°Go on.¡±

    Tren smiled eagerly. ¡°Did you know that auras of stronger magic linger, particularly if the magic used was demonic?¡±

    ¡°I knew the first part. I assume they found something, then? Something demonic?¡±

    Tren opened his mouth to continue, but Drin put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head, silencing him. He folded his arms and bit back an indignant huff, slouching in his chair.

    Sonia clapped her hands. ¡°Exactly! Evidence of some sort of ritual at one of the most recent sites.¡±

    Captain Lorton sighed, a long exhale that saw him looking out the window, across the square below. ¡°If that¡¯s true¡­¡±

    ¡°It is!¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s true, then we might have something. I¡¯ve dealt with demons, good and bad, and I¡¯ve dealt with people trying to handle foul magic. More so recently than ever. Couldn¡¯t it be that? I know the Gelles Company dealt with a case like that in the recent past, and the Riverside Incident was due to a summoning ritual gone wrong.¡±

    Sonia deflated. ¡°It¡­ could be.¡±

    ¡°Assume it is, then, and go from there.¡±

    Immediately, Sonia¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Do you mean¡ª¡±

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    Lorton stopped her with a gesture. ¡°Not officially. But, I won¡¯t interfere. I think you mean well, you have competent allies¡­¡± He looked at the Gelles Company members, a silent Drin, and a clearly excited Tren. ¡°And you¡¯re knowledgeable enough that I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get yourself killed or dragged into a bigger mess. Please don¡¯t prove me wrong.¡±

    Sonia nodded. ¡°We won¡¯t, sir¡ªthank you. And, do you have any other information that could help out our investigation?¡±

    Captain Lorton sighed again. ¡°I have some, but I can¡¯t give you all of it.¡±

    ¡°Anything you can spare is fine.¡±

    ¡°I assume you¡¯re aware the killings are always in pairs.¡±

    ¡°We are, yes.¡±

    ¡°The method for one death is almost always that same, while the first varies.¡±

    ¡°What is that method?¡±

    ¡°I was getting to that. Let a guy think, will ya? One death is almost always a single small crossbow bolt from behind. The only exceptions are three deaths indoors¡ªknife wounds, clean across the neck. I think one of those pairs is unrelated, though.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It looked self-inflicted. The others were at the wrong angle.¡±

    ¡°Do¡­ you think these killings are all related too, then?¡±

    ¡°I assumed gang violence instead of demons, but yes.¡±

    Sonia hummed. ¡°One death always the same¡­ Captain Lorton?¡±

    ¡°Yes? I haven¡¯t gotten up and walked away, you know.¡±

    Sonia blushed a slightly deeper read. ¡°Sorry¡ªstill getting used to being formal in Ordian. A-anyway, did¡­ do the people killed the same way¡ªwere they the ones to kill the other?¡±

    Captain Lorton blinked, then tilted his head back. ¡°Sometimes, yes. But it¡¯s inconclusive a lot of the time. Though¡­ I guess that would make sense. But to have someone right there to kill the perp the moment after they murder someone else and never before¡­ No one¡¯s come forward to say they¡¯ve been saved, and no one¡¯s turned up dead alone with the same injuries.¡±

    Sonia looked over at Inva. The paladin frowned, then nodded. This was a clue! Unfortunately, they might be right.

    ¡°Do you have any witnesses, friends, or relatives we could get into contact with? Anyone we could learn from to see if there were relationships between the deceased?¡± Inva asked.

    ¡°No. I do, but I can¡¯t give that out. You do, however, know where at least one murder took place. You want to investigate? You know where to start. And to answer your question, from people we¡¯ve spoken with: yes.¡±

    ¡°Any consistent themes?¡±

    Captain Lorton shook his head. ¡°None, sorry.¡±

    Sonia frowned. Did she, Inva, and Tren have it wrong?

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Captain Lorton asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to throw you out, but I really do have things to do¡­ unfortunately.¡±

    Sonia looked at Inva, and then the others. Tren shook his head, but Drin gave the okay. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all. For now, at least.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Captain Lorton stood up and stretched, yawning. ¡°Thought I¡¯d get good sleep after that whole mess, but it¡¯s been one thing after another.¡± He started walking toward the door, but stopped with his hand on the handle. ¡°Oh, and be careful out there. The worst of the rot¡¯s gone, but I¡¯ve got a hunch something big¡¯s coming. My advice is to clear out of Lockmoth before it does.¡±

    Before anyone could reply, the guard captain slipped out the door, leaving it swinging open behind him.

 Chapter 159: Accelerated Learning

    By the time we returned, the sun had dipped low enough that the nearby peaks cast the valley in shadow. Light snow fell from pale, pristine clouds. Sey danced in it through the sky¡ªI tried the same, but all I succeeded in doing was making wisps of mist where my wings cut through the falling flakes.

    The city was quieting down this time of day, but we flew low enough to be noticed. Nearly everyone who was out noticed us, and I waved at most everyone. Whether we liked it or not¡ªI wasn¡¯t decided yet myself¡ªI was their leader. Or, well, their leader as far as Edath was concerned.

    I had no intention of trampling over local authority. The little thinking I¡¯d done on the matter the past day had pointed me in the direction of a strong town leader. My pick was that woman I spoke to the day Finley died; she would nominally report to me. I never did catch her name, but I saw her during the standoff with the Church.

    Perhaps my sister or someone else knows her name? I should apologize to her for leaving so suddenly. Not two days into my role, and I¡¯d already neglected it.

    Oh well.

    I needed the break, and it wasn¡¯t like the town of Astrye would hurt for my missing presence. They¡¯d gotten along just fine without it thus far.

    Seyari dipped low toward the castle, and I followed. She headed straight for a balcony¡ªand at a shocking speed. I shouted out to her, but she only slowed at the last second, flaring her crimson wings and alighting perfectly next to the door inside.

    I didn¡¯t dare try the same trick, and came in nice and slow. ¡°You used your magic!¡± I protested. ¡°You scared me!¡±

    Seyari rolled her eyes. ¡°Please. I could bounce off this wall and be fine¡ªand you know it. Besides, my magic augments my flight¡ªenables it almost. Your flight is purely magic, even. Why don¡¯t you use your newfound wind magic?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I scratched at one of my horns.

    ¡°You should stop that.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Seyari pointed up at me. ¡°That. It makes you look¡­ unthreatening. Immature.¡± My wife paused, staring up at me. ¡°You started doing it on purpose for just that reason, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Did I? ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°Maybe?¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t do that when you¡¯re talking to some duke or something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to. But what I was gonna say¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t shorten your words like that!¡±

    ¡°Sey!¡±

    She stuck her tongue out at me.

    ¡°What I was going to say is that I¡¯m not using my new wind magic because¡ª¡±

    The door to the balcony slammed open, interrupting me.

    ¡°There ya are!¡± shouted Taava. ¡°We¡¯re neck deep in bureaucratic garbage and you two leave us to go fuck your way through a mountain for two days!¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t two whole days!¡± I protested, making full use of my mastery over my anger not to blow up after yet another interruption.

    The kazzel stared at us, fuming. Then her eyes left Seyari¡¯s face to trail up and then down one folded wing. ¡°Wow. You look¡­ different.¡±

    Seyari fluttered her wings, stopping just shy of literally preening.

    Taava snapped her fingers. ¡°I know! Your hair grew back! Guess sex really can heal everythin¡¯!¡± Under Seyari¡¯s death glare, the bard wilted. ¡°Right, fine. Your wings look great, and you¡¯re literally glowin¡¯ so I¡¯d bet you¡¯re happy about it. Now, I don¡¯t wanna be the bearer of bad news, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°We have a lot of work do to. I know.¡± I interrupted her gleefully taking my revenge. I almost started to explain why I wasn¡¯t flying with magic I didn¡¯t fully grasp yet, but I paused just in case.

    Sure enough, Nelys appeared in a flurry of rapid footfalls, leaping through the doorway and up onto me for a hug with a simply unfair number of limbs. ¡°Renna!¡± they turned their head to Seyari, still latched onto me like a limpet. ¡°And Sey! Wow! Your wings are beautiful!¡±

    Seyari¡¯s grimace vanished in an instant, replaced by a broad, toothy smile. ¡°Thank you, Nelys.¡±

    ¡°Oh! And you have sharp teeth now, too! That just leaves out your sister and Salvador and Aretan. Oh, and Tren and Drin and Firalex and Officer Lorton and Inva and¡­ okay maybe a lot of people. But Taava counts, so that¡¯s four of us!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood! Something happen?¡±

    ¡°A lot of work. I was a little worried¡ªI think we all were. But the folk here are really nice, and the castle¡¯s been fun to explore. Not that I¡¯ve had much time with all the people to meet and things to do. Mostly, I guess I¡¯m glad Sey¡¯s got her wings and her hand back and that you two are married now! I wish I could¡¯ve been there¡ªTania and Nadya say it was amazing!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me!¡± Taava cut back in. ¡°How am I supposed ta write a song off second-hand accounts? And ya¡¯d better still have a party!¡± She ended her statement with a full-body shiver, tail frizzing out. ¡°Can we go inside now? Coupla the fireplaces work still.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside then,¡± I offered. ¡°Lead me to a fire and I¡¯ll make sure the whole room¡¯s nice and warm.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good boss!¡±

    We filed in, and I closed the door with my tail. Inside wasn¡¯t¡­ clean per se, but the broken furniture was gone at least, and the stone walls weren¡¯t¡­ too bad. We¡¯ll need servants. Servants!

    ¡°We will have a party. And soon.¡± Seyari said, frowning at how close she had to pull her wings. Were this a normal building, they¡¯d be brushing the ceiling folded. ¡°A proper wedding, with everyone invited¡ªeven if the wedding part isn¡¯t official.¡±

    I nodded in agreement. ¡°Probably for the best. That tornado of magic was something else.¡±

    ¡°Gah! Don¡¯t taunt me!¡± Taava hissed.

    Nelys patted her shoulder. ¡°Taava, now that they¡¯re here, they can tell you all about it. Right, Renna?¡±

    I met their smile and almost shivered. ¡°Right. Yeah. I guess I don¡¯t mind recounting it.¡±

    Even chipper, I could tell there wa at least a little frustration in Nelys¡¯s voice. Aside from that, they seemed mostly relaxed, just channeling that investigator persona they¡¯d gained working under Officer Lorton back in Lockmoth.

    ¡°Great!¡± Nelys clapped their hands. ¡°Your sister and Joisse are taking a well-deserved nap right now, but they¡¯ll want to see you when they wake up.¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about being derelict on my first days as marchioness.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be!¡± Nelys smiled. ¡°Make it right! Now, I¡¯m gonna go explore the castle after I show you what needs attention. Nadya¡¯s gone home for the day already, but you¡¯ll need to talk to her in the morning¡ªand visit the town and talk to the people there. Maybe an open forum? Why don¡¯t you two recount to Taava while we walk?¡±

    I nodded and Seyari groaned. Today was going to be a long day¡ªand tomorrow was going to be worse. ¡°Nadya?¡± I asked. ¡°Is she important?¡±

    ¡°Do you not remember talking to her?¡± Nelys asked. ¡°She said she spoke to you the day you saved the town.¡±

    Saved the town. ¡°Is she an older lupael woman?¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I pounded a fist onto an open palm. ¡°That¡¯s her name! I wanted to talk to her anyway; I think putting her in charge of the town as an intermediary would make my position here less¡­ overbearing. And speaking of: what¡¯s the attitude toward me been?¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Nelys chirped. ¡°You saved the city!¡±

    ¡°And I killed a High Priest right in front of everyone, and my title was bestowed onto me under unusual circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Your title is marchioness, Renna,¡± Sey said. I caught her running a hand down her feathers as we walked. ¡°It¡¯s usually a non-hereditary title given for military accomplishment. Traditionally, in Ordia at least, it would govern border territories¡ªmarches¡ªthat didn¡¯t have the stability or influence of full provinces.¡±

    ¡°So like Astrye.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but what about me being a demon. From what Nadya said, I know the stigma against me is¡­ different here, but there¡¯s still a culture of fear.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s cautious optimism, boss,¡± Taava said. She didn¡¯t twirl or bounce about as we walked, almost dragging her feet.

    ¡°Taava, are you tired? If you are, we¡¯re here now, so you can go rest.¡±

    ¡°Oh trust me¡ªI¡¯m gonna. Just gotta drop you off first. Left here.¡± The kazzel turned abruptly into a nicer-looking hallway. ¡°Now about that vow a yours¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t undersell it!¡±

    ¡°Trust me¡ªI couldn¡¯t.¡±

    Taava tossed me a grin over her shoulder, and I began to tell her of a magical¡ªliterally¡ªmoment and a vortex of power. Obviously, I left out my true name. The walls here almost certainly had ears¡ªjust another thing to deal with later. Transparency was a goal, but closed doors needed to exist for a reason.

    I tried to think and talk at the same time, only moderately succeeding. Is Firalex available to do a runic array like what the Gelles Company has in Lockmoth? And¡­ speaking of the company, will I need to resign? Probably?

    Just another thing to add to the pile. I needed to make a list. And write dates on a calendar.

    Sooner than I¡¯d expected, Taava stopped in front of a door. I paused, but she said nothing, simply smiling wider. Fine. I told her the rest of the story, and she nodded, turning to Seyari.

    ¡°No,¡± my wife said. ¡°Later.¡±

    ¡°Fiiine. But! One little thing! How does flyin¡¯ feel to ya¡ªwhat does it mean?¡±

    ¡°Freedom,¡± Seyari said simply and without hesitation. ¡°Now get some damned sleep¡ªboth of you. You might be able to hide from Zarenna, but I can tell you¡¯re exhausted Nelys.¡±

    I had a hunch, but Sey was right. Now that I looked, Nelys was slouching a little, the tendrils of their skirt that stuck out under their coat languid and uncertain.

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Nelys said.

    I nodded sternly. ¡°We are.¡±

    ¡°Well the bosses don¡¯t have ta tell me twice. G¡¯niiight!¡± Taava waved, half-skipping, half dragging her feet back down the way we came.

    Nelys took a few steps after her, then stopped. ¡°Kartania will want to help when she wakes up. If you two go anywhere, tell someone.¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± I promised.

    With a nod, Nelys left.

    ¡°They¡¯re a lot more serious now, aren¡¯t they?¡± I asked into the now-empty hallway. ¡°Lately as well, but especially today.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± Seyari agreed. ¡°Things are serious¡ªnot just for us, but for them, too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they really are. I just hope they¡¯re okay.¡± I turned and opened the door. ¡°Now let¡¯s see what kind of¡­¡±

    Inside the room were stacks of papers and ledgers and tomes of all sizes. Crates of miscellany sat in a half-jumbled stack along one wall, and a familiar chandelier hung from the ceiling, now held level by rope. I recognized the room immediately as where we¡¯d stayed before High Priest Grants arrived.

    But only just. The once-big space had shrunken under the weight of the mess, and the only clean space was a radius around the fireplace, where flickering wisps of flame danced across long-blackened logs.

    ¡°Well, Marchioness Zarenna, you¡¯d best get to work,¡± Seyari teased, talking into the room and taking a stack of ledgers off a battered-looking chair. She sat down as I waded into the mess, jaw open.

    ¡°How¡­ where do I start? Can you help?¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just the marchioness¡­ hmmm marchioness-consort? No, we¡¯re married. I¡¯m not the one with the primary title.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and?¡±

    ¡°And are you really going to make your loving wife do work?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to stay locked up under guard when the war ramps up?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. And I won¡¯t.¡± Seyari smiled, again showing off her unusually-sharp canines. She leaned back in the chair, wriggling to try to position her wings more comfortably against the back. ¡°But the war is for all of us. This is for you.¡± She flicked one wing out as if pointing at the largest pile.

    ¡°Sey, I haven¡¯t been trained. If my sister¡¯s asleep, you¡¯re the only other person I can trust to do this work. Aretan too, if he were here, but he¡¯s not.¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s a whole lot of ¡®not my problem.¡¯¡±

    ¡°You just want to see me suffer.¡±

    ¡°No, I want to see you learn.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t learning! It¡¯s torture.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s accelerated is what it is. How much longer would it have taken you to learn Navvish if you were just reading from a book?¡±

    I pouted. ¡°There¡¯s a difference, Sey! I had a teacher there.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s to say I won¡¯t teach you here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you wouldn¡¯t help?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Teaching isn¡¯t giving you the answers and you know it.¡± She started listing things on her fingers. ¡°By week¡¯s end, we¡¯re going to need to have this all sorted, Nadya or someone in place as the mayor of Astrye, and we¡¯re going to need to fly out to Linthel to report to the King, inform the Gelles Company one of their members is a noble, and prepare for your formal debut into noble society. You need a crash course. You don¡¯t need to sleep either, which is good.¡±

    I opened my mouth to protest, only to close it again. ¡°You¡­ have a lot of good points. Fine¡ªI concede. But this needs to get done and get done right, so if we start running low on time you will step in.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Now, start with the ledgers over the tomes and loose documents, they¡¯ll have finances, goods, and if you¡¯re lucky, demographics and a register of businesses and farms.¡±

    I looked at the stacks of ledges she was pointing her wing at. If they¡¯d been put all together, the stack would¡¯ve been as tall as I was¡ªhorns included. ¡°Anywhere in particular I should start?¡±

    ¡°Take a guess. Do what feels right.¡±

    ¡°Throwing you out the window right now is starting to feel right¡­¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°Defenestrate me and I fly away and leave you actually alone. I need a new wardrobe anyway¡ªnormal-backed clothing isn¡¯t going to cut it and I can¡¯t just cut wing holes like you do arm holes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, try having a tail as big around as your leg at the base.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to; I have yours.¡± She pulled at the tip.

    I jolted at the sudden sensation. ¡°Sey! Are you trying to sabotage me.¡±

    ¡°You need to be unflappable, Zarenna Miller.¡± She rubbed tiny circles into the spade at the end, and I felt heat moving to certain places that really didn¡¯t need it right now.

    ¡°Okay, fine, stop please!¡±

    Seyari let my tail go.

    I grabbed the tip, pulling it back to myself. ¡°Where were we?¡±

    My wife shrugged. ¡°Wardrobes?¡±

    All I could do was groan. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll pick a ledger.¡±

    ¡°Good. And could you also stoke the fire?¡±

    ¡°Now that is a servant¡¯s job.¡±

    ¡°Will you make a servant do everything for you? Could you stand it?¡±

    I stared at the ledgers, the mess, and back to Seyari. For a very brief moment, the unentertained idea of just making the room into a nice warm fire crossed my mind. Instead, I pointed a claw at the fireplace and sent a wind-boosted jet of flames into the rearmost log.

    With a bang of exploding sap, the charred wood split open, tossing embers that I snuffed out with my magic. Hot as my fire was, the log caught and the flames turned crimson, with just the slightest tinge of green at the edges.

    ¡°Happy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yess,¡± Seyari purred, sinking into the chair and closing her eyes.

    For a moment, I stared at the almost inhuman symmetry of her features. Statuesque, with bold lines and a sharply feminine jaw. Was she still three-quarters angel, or was she something more? Her magic wasn¡¯t demonic like our daughter¡¯s. At first we¡¯d assumed it was, as Sey¡¯s holy magic hardly caused a reaction from me. Instead, we¡¯d found out something that would doubtless prove very useful; holy magic no longer burned me any more than a mortal. I might still be the weakest Sovereign in terms of raw power, but I no longer had a weakness.

    Still, Seyari had gained fire magic from me as I had gained wind, she had influences in her features I couldn¡¯t think of as anything but other. And influenced a little by me. I wonder why the reverse didn¡¯t happen.

    An angel? Perhaps Seyari was something else entirely now. Her own being.

    As I stared at her, she cracked one glowing gold eye open at me. ¡°Less staring. More working. Admire my beauty effectively.¡±

    I nearly grabbed the nearest ledger and threw it at her. Instead, I settled for my most ¡°evil villainess¡± of glares. Seyari returned it in kind¡ªand with one eye no less. I conceded defeat and finally picked up a ledger¡ªthe biggest one on the top of a stack¡ªone that looked a little more newly-bound. I opened it, staring down at the crabbed handwriting so small I was glad for my supernatural vision.

    Immediately, I realized I¡¯d need to find something to take notes on¡ªmaybe an entire blank tome. This is going to be a long day indeed.

 Chapter 160: Within/Without

    We didn¡¯t leave the castle until the day after the next. All the while, I pored over ledgers and skimmed old books. Seyari ¡°advised¡± as she put it, which mostly meant sitting around and complaining that she couldn¡¯t go out flying. I asked her why she didn¡¯t just go, and she glared at me, punctuating the expression with an eyeroll at how I could possibly miss something so obvious.

    While I did see my daughter and sister, the former was more curious about Seyari¡¯s transformation than anything, and the latter seemed reticent to say more than a few words. She also refused any form of hugging, which I took to be a bad sign. Worse still, Taava wouldn¡¯t shadow her because she ¡°didn¡¯t want to end up kazzel-cicle.¡±

    So I worked. And worked. Without sleep or food. And without those, time started to slip me by, and I had to be told what day it was when I¡¯d finished. Thankfully, it had been hardly more than one.

    Still¡­

    At least I knew enough about Astrye now to ask the right questions about my territory, and I¡¯d learned some of the basics of being nobility. Some information I threw out, and thankfully most of that was reserved for wealthy noble families in charge of rich regions, not frozen valleys with hardly two thousand people.

    That was not all there was to Astrye. A few smaller communities existed to the east and west. The operative tense being past. Who knew what was there now¡ªif they were untouched and oblivious, or erased entirely? The runners would return soon¡ªand then I¡¯d fly where I was needed.

    It felt odd not doing the running myself, but I was needed here for defense at the moment, and I also had a lot of work to do. An odd notion.

    Right now, we had lookout stations to set up to forewarn the city, and a pass to clear. We needed food and other supplies, and a cleared pass was vital for that. Normally, the task would be too dangerous.

    Sey and I also had a wedding to plan. Married or not, we wanted a party. Invitations would be going out soon¡ªno reason not to hold it here.

    Right now, however, my duty was to address the ¡°city¡± of Astrye as the region¡¯s new ruler. To assuage their fears and reassure them that, yes, I only killed bad people. As such, I¡¯d worn the purple dress I¡¯d saved the city in. Probably not the greatest image to conjure, but I had no other fine clothing.

    I checked my appearance in the mirror one last time, just to give myself a confidence boost, then strode out of the inn and into the town¡¯s main square. There was no platform for me to stand on, but I made do with my natural height.

    Arrayed around the square, in windows, and even on rooftops, were the people of Astrye. My people, now¡ªin law but I hoped to get there in spirit as well. A half and half mix of human and lupael, they wore simple, thick clothing, and held bright eyes up against the morning chill. Some eyes were still red around the edges¡ªthose who had lost people.

    And in some of the eyes, I saw fury¡ªfelt it lingering over the crowd like a miasma. I sucked in a breath, and pulled the emotion in with me, marveling at how easy it was. The vestiges I left¡ªsome anger was deserved.

    Nadya and Seyari stood by the well in the center of the square, dressed in warm clothing that contrasted with my own formal wear. They were now town¡¯s mayor and the marchioness consort. Near the front of the crowd, I spotted my sister in plain clothes standing next to Joisse, Nelys, and Taava. On a rooftop above, Brynna sat with her sister. I even saw the familiar face of Doryn, the young lupael I¡¯d met in a root cellar the day I¡¯d arrived.

    His name had stuck with me, somehow.

    ¡°People of Astrye,¡± I began, my voice booming out loud enough to reach everyone. ¡°By order of King Carvalon of Edath, I, Zarenna Miller, have been granted the title Marchioness of Astrye. This, you know.

    ¡°You also know that I am a demon.¡± The words set the crowd to muttering, as if my appearance and outfit hadn¡¯t fully sunk in. ¡°A greater terrestrial wrath demon, specifically, but only one word here is important: wrath. For I am more than most of my kind; I am Wrath¡¯s master. To be a wrath demon is to fight against a river of fury that ever threatens to drown you. To be the Sovereign of Wrath, as I am, is to control that flow, to shape it to my will.¡±

    ¡°We are all righteously angry. Furious and wrathful against the vile hand of Theodric Mordwell, and those with whom he conspires. I will see your¡ªour¡ªwrath realized, but I will not do so at Astrye¡¯s expense. Mordwell and the others who have taken so much should not hold sway over our thoughts or actions such that we lose sight of what we need to survive¡ªand survive well. And for those who wonder how a demon can hunt her own, think. Do not humans war amongst themselves?¡±

    ¡°Right now, we need food for winter.¡± At that, I got a few cheers, and scattered clapping. A fair few of the angry glares softened, and I felt the motion ebb without my further influence. ¡°We need an open pass that connects us to Edath. And we need leaders who listen and understand.¡± I gestured to Nadya, who stepped forward.

    ¡°I am Nadya.¡± The corners of her mouth tilted up in a half-smile. ¡°I imagine most all you know of me. Marchioness Miller has entrusted me with the position of mayor, such that I can use my knowledge to best help us heal¡ªand grow.¡± She repeated the same in lupael, then gave me a nod.

    I placed one hand over my chest. ¡°And I as well seek to learn so that I may serve. Once a child of Linthel, I have traveled much to return, and I know how far Astrye is despite its proximity. I do not consider myself an Astryan. But someday, I hope to.

    I brought two hands in front of my chest and swept the others around the hills behind me, to the south. ¡°Right now, we need volunteers to help construct, and man, hidden watchposts to forewarn us of dangers. I need people to advise me regarding clearing the pass. And we need servants at Castle Astrye. For the latter, just a few knowledgeable folks who can serve as liaisons and help return the castle to its former glory. The castle wall will need rebuilding, but for now I mean to make a symbol. Clean halls, open windows, and a sense of life.¡± I reached one lower hand out to my side and Seyari found it, grasping tightly.

    ¡°In turn, I aim to grow into my role as Marchioness while my family and I make Astrye our home.¡± I glanced down at Sey, bending a little at the knee. She rose up with a gust of wind and her lips met mine, briefly.

    At our kiss, scattered applause drifted through those assembled, never fully catching into an ovation. When I looked up, I saw Joisse running toward me. I caught her with two arms as she ran headlong into me. No words were needed, as I patted her hair. Family.

    I looked up and gestured at my sister. All around her, I saw faces in varying states of emotion. From some, I felt anger, and others simply looked shocked. To my immense relief, a fair few looked contemplative, or even pleased.

    Kartania, on the other hand, looked guilty.

    I waved at her again, and she seemed to realize what I was doing. She bit her lip and looked down at her legs, and I gave her a push from behind¡ªjust a small gust of warm wind.

    Startled, she stumbled forward enough to fall out of the crowd. Thus exposed, she flushed red, then walked over to me, chin held high. Tania tried to stand stoically next to me, but I whipped my tail around and pulled her close.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°And this,¡± I said with a broad smile. ¡°is my family. My wife, Seyari.¡± She startled, then turned and gave a shallow bow. ¡°Daughter Joisse.¡± Without fully turning around, Joisse waved. ¡°And my wonderful little sister Kartania.¡±

    ¡°Renna!¡± she hissed.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I whispered back. ¡°It¡¯s a big sister thing¡ªI had to!¡±

    ¡°No you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I thank you all for your hospitality so far, and while my sister¡¯s occupation may take her elsewhere from time to time, I look forward to all of us¡ªand perhaps some of other my friends besides¡ªjoining your community.

    ¡°Now¡­¡± I widened my smile to show all of my teeth, an effect lessened by my family around me. ¡°Does anyone have any questions for the Demon Marchioness of Astrye?¡±

    ***

    It turned out, people had a lot of questions. Even as the shadows from the mountains started to lengthen, and the crowd dispersed, I was giving answers. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people wanted to ask a demon questions¡ªoften about demon things. Surprisingly, no one was openly antagonistic.

    It wasn¡¯t that no one held me in that low of an opinion, rather the attitude of the crowd was overall positive, and those who were clearly against me were among the first to leave. I paid them no mind, but I knew Sey, Tania, and Taava would. By tomorrow, I¡¯d know exactly who¡¯d shown up, who¡¯d stayed home, and who would be a problem. My job would be to act on that information without paranoia.

    Tania. I needed to talk with her, about the future¡ªher future specifically.

    So, when the relative warmth of the afternoon faded into evening chill and the last few stragglers left with Nadya for home, I gestured for my sister to walk with me. Seyari, with a knowing nod, took Joisse, the pair of them leaving for the castle.

    Tania hesitated, then followed me, as I walked out of town toward the forest¡¯s edge, up what I knew to be the main hunting path that ran west. Through snow-covered buildings lit with candles and oil lamps, past sleeping or deserted farms, we walked until the first of the trees plunged us into deep shadow before Tania spoke.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see.¡±

    Oh, right.

    ***

    Kartania followed her demonic sister into the dark of the evening, with the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat. On the one hand, she was glad to have her sister back, and to see her happy¡ªecstatic even. More than that, Kartania suddenly had a family again.

    On the other hand¡­ Mordwell got away, again, and she was going to lose everything she¡¯d spent the last decade working toward. She stared at callused hands, noting that she needed to trim her nails, until the trees closed in and her vision blurred into nothing more than vague dark shapes.

    One of those shapes, the languidly moving demon who could level a city, looked down at her. Twin glowing blue eyes, backlit by black sclera somehow nearly distinct from the rest of the darkness, regarded her with concern. Slit pupils lent an air of inhumanity, but the shiver down Kartania¡¯s spine stopped at her neck.

    Something about Zarenna always did that¡ªand not just to her. Kartania already knew her sister would never hurt her¡ªhad a hard time hurting anyone¡ªwhile she still always somehow managed to take the edge off what she was.

    However, that didn¡¯t stop her from forgetting the limitations of the people around her sometimes. ¡°I can¡¯t see,¡± Kartania said into the darkness.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± Zarenna replied. Moment later, twin crimson orbs of fire flickered into life at the tips of her horns, casting the demon under them in twisting light. ¡°Better?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Kartania said.

    Zarenna rubbed the back of her neck with a clawed hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for leaving you after you married me and Sey. And then for staying gone for over a day. I¡­ don¡¯t have an excuse.¡±

    Kartania sighed. ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s not what¡¯s on my mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then what is?¡±

    You. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m worried about the future, I guess. How much longer will I be a Paladin of Dhias? What will I do if the last almost ten years have been for nought?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªtruly. I put you in that position. You could¡¯ve sided with them. Sey and I would¡¯ve gotten away and¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Kartania shook her head. ¡°We both know how that would¡¯ve gone. I¡¯d have been questioned, and probably demoted. You¡¯d have lost out on your noble title, and probably your position in the Gelles Company as well. You¡¯d be on the road again, chasing down Mordwell through a frozen hell. Seyari wouldn¡¯t have been able to heal. Not physically, not emotionally. Your mortal friends would be in constant danger, and your daughter would miss out on what she deserves¡ªa nice family life, if only for a few years.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you don¡¯t?¡±

    Kartania reached up, almost without thinking and slapped Zarenna. Her hand felt like it¡¯d smacked a velvet-coated wall, but the demon reached up and touched her cheek anyway, a single tear forming.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry!¡± Kartania shouted. ¡°Be¡­ I don¡¯t know¡ªbe anything else! I made my choice; I¡¯m an adult. A professional. A paladin.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re also my younger sister, and¡­¡± This time Zarenna trailed off on her own, hurt crossing her features. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I overstepped.¡±

    ¡°Stop. Being. Sorry!¡± Kartania clenched her hands into fists, ice magic wicking up around her as her emotions spilled out of the box in her mind. Heat wormed its way in, soothing her anger and clearing her thoughts. ¡°You took my anger just now.¡±

    ¡°¡­I did.¡±

    Kartania wanted to be furious, but¡­ with a clearer mind she couldn¡¯t see why. Zarenna, Dhias bless her sometimes-dense heart, was just trying to help. And Kartania wasn¡¯t giving her anything to go on. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not going to thank you.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°But. I¡¯m glad I have a family now. Something I literally didn¡¯t think could happen. I just wish that I could have both; I wish that Mordwell was dead and I had more power to fix things.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain you¡¯ll lose your title?¡±

    Kartania nodded.

    ¡°What about Yevon?¡±

    She stopped. ¡°He¡¯s not going to¡ª¡±

    ¡°He will.¡±

    ¡°How are you so sure?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. But I know he wants something, and that right now you and I align with it.¡±

    ¡°So what then, I just go back to being a Paladin, and try to chase down Mordwell again?¡±

    Zarenna shrugged. ¡°If you want to.¡±

    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, too. You can stay for a while and think about it.¡±

    Kartania shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I need to know, to be involved. Ever since you and mom and dad died, I¡¯ve helped myself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to rely on others sometimes, Tania, you can¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know. I know, but I can¡¯t fully accept that. You¡¯ve helped me take down at least Finley, and to start the process of bringing Mordwell¡¯s true colors to light. But I need to walk that path on my own. You¡¯re an outside force to the Church; you¡¯ll forever be one even if Dhias himself sends them a sign.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not. I can change the Church from the inside¡ªmake it stand for what it claims to once again. And¡­ as cynical and jaded as I¡¯ve become, I do truly think I want that. I want them to root out the rot, not harbor it.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to leave then?¡± Zarenna tilted her head down as she asked the question, trying and failing not to look like a kicked puppy.

    Kartania bit her lip. ¡°When the pass is clear. I¡¯ve no reason to go until then, but I¡¯m leaving as soon as I can.¡±

    ¡°Will you come visit? You¡¯ll always have a home here¡ªor wherever I, Sey, and Joisse end up.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s next words hitched on their way out. She exhaled a shuddering breath and looked up at the snow-covered branches above. I have a family now. ¡°Yes, Zarenna. Sister. I will.¡±

    ¡°Will you come to the wedding?¡±

    Yes. ¡°Maybe. I already married you, right?¡±

    Zarenna nodded. ¡°But you need to meet my other friends and eat too much and dance while drunk.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do the last one.¡±

    Her sister shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself. Not sure I can get drunk, anyway.¡±

    Another reminder that she¡¯s not human. Dhias, it¡¯s so easy to forget that sometimes. Does¡­ does it not matter?

    ¡°Sorry if I offended you; I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°Use levity as a weapon against anxiety. Seyari told me. I¡¯ll see what I can do, but just like you have a demonic war to fight, I have a Church to fix.¡±

    ¡°If you succeed, will you join us?¡±

    Kartania laughed darkly. ¡°I have a bad feeling things aren¡¯t going to be that simple. I¡¯ll be involved almost certainly.¡± She watched Zarenna¡¯s brow crease. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare think about compromising anything to protect me. What did we talk about relying on your friends for? We can do things on our own.¡±

    ¡°I know that! But¡­ you¡¯re my sister and I¡¯m allowed to worry.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m allowed to get mad about that.¡±

    Zarenna nodded, horn lights bobbing up and down. ¡°Absolutely!¡±

    At that, Kartania smiled. ¡°How are you so good at that?¡±

    In response, her sister wore a very convincing clueless expression, an odd thing to see on a statuesque, villainous face with a mouth full of daggers. ¡°At what?¡±

    Kartania snickered. ¡°I don¡¯t even care if that¡¯s part of the joke. Fine. You win. I¡¯m in a better mood.¡±

    ¡°Great! Want to hit up the local tavern? The cultists left a lot of the low-proof alcohol behind because of weight and snowmelt for easy water.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ you know what, fine!¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan! Do you mind if Taava joins us? Nelys is spending the night playing cards with Brynna and Doryn and some others, Sey¡¯s out for a night-flight, and drinking with my daughter would be¡­ wrong¡ªplus I think she has some books she wanted to read.¡±

    Dhias, she cares too much. ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    A demon, a paladin, and a cat walk into a bar.

 Chapter 161: Magic Slingshot

    The trip to the bar that night warmed my sister up a little, especially once Taava had embarrassed me enough that the anxiety of the room had morphed into curious camaraderie. Who wouldn¡¯t take a chance to drink with the marchioness?

    Unfortunately, Tania¡¯s staunch defense of inhibitions led us to an early exit, and the rest of the evening took place in the castle. Awake, alert, and damnably sober I put together a list of things to do.

    Smaller things, like refurbishing the castle¡¯s smithy with a new furnace and taller counters, and spending time with my wife and daughter. I had a lot to talk to Joisse about¡ªand her new magic was a large part of it. From Seyari¡­ we were going to train together, and soon.

    The little I¡¯d seen of Joisse that day, she¡¯d been happy enough, but I saw how she kept away from the humans, even though she¡¯d been confident enough to appear as a demon, startling a good few of my new subjects. But also pleasing me endlessly with her raft of new complains about the inadequacy of clothing designed with two arms in mind. Finally, someone who understands.

    At the same time, we received volunteers to help restore the keep, including plans to rebuild the wall I¡¯d punched in. Among them was that young man I¡¯d talked to in the cellar, Doryn. His eagerness made me wonder if he¡¯d end up part of the castle¡¯s retinue in some form or another come spring.

    Nearly a week passed like this; a haze of odd jobs, hands to shake, and a new bed or bed-adjacent soft space each night. It wasn¡¯t until I¡¯d finished packing my old, travel-worn pack for the outing to clear the pass that I remembered to think about what lay ahead.

    And what lay behind.

    I¡¯d gotten the pack after the river by Mordwell¡¯s estate had taken my old one. It had a stain from a pie I¡¯d stubbornly tried to take with me from a small coastal town east of Lockmoth. It had scratches and scrapes and tears, and the faded lines of a charcoal mark used by the Guild Storage in that tide-smelling city. A faded number¡ªI couldn¡¯t remember quite what it had been¡ªin Firalex¡¯s handwriting.

    We¡¯d patched it at our house after that night I¡¯d fought the monstrosity, and the new canvas stuck out garishly¡ªwonderfully garishly¡ªdarker brown against the pale shade of the rest of it. The drawstring was from Gedon, and I¡¯d had a burst seam sewed in Linthel.

    I almost regretted that it didn¡¯t have the scars from our flight through Navanaea, or a cute embroidery from Lilly in Sandmeadow. I imagined winding a wreath of flowering vines from my island as I¡¯d done out of boredom during my two years of exile.

    I¡¯ve come halfway across the known world. More, maybe.

    And here I am, in a place I may truly call home, packing again. This time, however, I¡¯m going to return. This pack that¡¯s been a constant companion, sometimes the only thing I had with me, and it still is.

    But at the same time, it was tired. Ready to settle down.

    I was too, I realized, and all four shoulders slumped. Given a choice, I¡¯d bow out of this war, live with my family, and finally get that life I¡¯d always wanted.

    But, I had things to do yet. And in return I got to live in a castle and was now a noble. Myself ten years ago¡ªmy human self the year I¡¯d died¡ªcouldn¡¯t have possibly fathomed this life I now lead less than a day¡¯s flight away from where my house once stood.

    And, someone had given her everything to see me here.

    Thanks, Abby.

    I placed a hand over my gemstone, feeling its soft glow that pulsed in time with my heart.

    Thanks for everything.

    I pulled the drawstring taut and hefted the bag¡ªlight as always¡ªpulling my arms through the loops and settling it into its place between my shoulders. The old, formed leather moved against all four shoulder blades, soft and warm.

    I walked over to the oil lamp, dim now against dawn¡¯s light that streamed through partially-finished shutters, and turned the knob, snuffing it. With a last look at a mostly-unfamiliar room I stepped out into the hallway, checked my new winter clothing, and headed out to meet Seyari, Joisse, and Kartania.

    The three of them met me at the edge of town. Seyari wore an old pair of winter traveling clothes that I think we¡¯d bought in Lockmoth that had the back of the shirt cut out and salvaged into a cross strap that was tied by her waist. Heavy boots completed the look, and a similar pair was worn by my daughter.

    Joisse was in her human form, if only because she had appropriate clothing that fit her comfortably. A heavy dark blue jacket over thick pants¡ªthe ensemble made her look small with how baggy it was. She and Sey packed light, although Joisse did have a change more suited to her demon form in a backpack. After training tonight or tomorrow, Sey and Joisse would return home to Astrye to keep up the town¡¯s defense in case Mordwell doubled back or Envy had any plans.

    That meant that the rest of the trip¡ªmade by our task of clearing the road¡ªwould be just my sister and me. Kartania wore her usual armor with its bright red and white tabard. On it, the symbol of Dhias had been cleaned and shone bright against the crimson. A ring with three marks below like rays of the sun. Each had a meaning, but I could never keep them straight. Like me, she¡¯d packed for a longer journey¡ªespecially as she and I would part ways in Linthel; Tania would continue on to Ardath.

    I adjusted the old rucksack and waved. ¡°Everyone ready? Sorry I¡¯m a little late.¡±

    ¡°What kept you?¡± Seyari asked with a feigned impatience that her smile did nothing to support. ¡°It¡¯s freezing out, you know.¡± As if to punctuate her words, she flicked her pinion feathers and sparks dropped into the snow with a series of small hisses.

    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be the heater now?¡± I joked, taking a moment to muss Joisse¡¯s hair while she was in a shorter form.

    ¡°Mom!¡± she protested. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I do that to everyone shorter than me,¡± I replied with a shark-toothed grin.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be the heater,¡± Sey said. ¡°You¡¯re still the best at it.¡±

    A compliment. Damn, she picked the one way to get out of where I¡¯d put her. I took another step forward and ruffled both Sey and Kartania¡¯s hair. Tania¡¯s was familiar, like mine, and even with her helm off, the tight ponytail she kept it in gave me little play. Seyari¡¯s hair, on the other hand, was loose and warm to the touch¡ªfor the moment I felt it before she slapped my limb away.

    ¡°Renna!¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯m not going to lie to our daughter!¡±

    Seyari hissed, but relented. ¡°Fine. And by that same token, I am the boss of people taller than me. So get moving miss marchioness!¡± She gave me a playful shove and I let it stumble me.

    Head free of my hand, Kartania straightened her hair. She reached for the helm buckled at her hip, but stopped just short, fingers brushing the metal. ¡°I don¡¯t care what business you and your family get up to, Sister, but we need to go; daylight is precious in winter.¡±

    ¡°Aww,¡± I protested, nevertheless starting down the road toward the nearby tree line. ¡°But you¡¯re family, too!¡±

    Kartania blushed a suitably deep red and hurried to catch up.

    ***

    Joisse felt for her magic as she walked behind her moms and aunt. Like a pot near scalding, she always thought it would burn her. But¡­ it didn¡¯t. Willing, ready, and seemingly eager, it was almost like its own living thing. And she felt anxious holding it back.

    The feeling wasn¡¯t uncomfortable. There was no compulsion, but there a sort of curiosity burned all the same. What does my magic do? Is it safe for people?

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    She didn¡¯t know.

    She wanted to know. The past week she¡¯d been tempted to try it in secret, on plants or something as simple as a piece of scrap wood. But she didn¡¯t. Fresh in Joisse¡¯s mind still were her hazy days lost to her wrath.

    Control. She prided herself on control. Now, with the wrath gone, it seemed like something else had to fill that void of anxiety in her mind. Like it couldn¡¯t just pop and drain away like a boil. Still, this was different. Better.

    Joisse had people around her who wanted to help¡ªeven if her moms and aunt were preoccupied right now. And so the young wrath demon walked along the warm, dry ground and watched the sky above for any breaks in the white-gray pall.

    Up ahead, the other three were working. Kartania used her magic to break apart ice and packed snow. Sey blew it away with a hot wind and Renna blasted it warm and dry. The latter was the most visually impressive.

    Jets of fire from her lower hands swept ahead of her and her tail followed behind, radiating so much heat that, to Joisse, it felt like mid-summer. A quick glance at the road behind showed an immediately unnatural scene of a dry road with scorched strips bumping right against frozen walls of snow of about chest height. Chest height to human Joisse, at any rate.

    She wanted to stretch her arms, but she thought about the magic less in her human form. And she also seemed to like it more than her mom. Sometimes being small was better!

    By early afternoon, Aunt Kartania was worn out. Uncharacteristically for the cold, stoic woman, she called for a rest. With a shrug, Zarenna agreed, seemingly oblivious to how Kartania¡¯s shoulders tensed.

    She just wants to take care of everyone, but some people chafe under that, Joisse thought. She wondered where she¡¯d gotten that sort of insight, but ever since her contract had ended and she¡¯d changed, she seemed a little more in-tune to people¡¯s emotions.

    Wrath, obviously, but the rest as well. I must have gotten that from Mom Sey, she thought. Her parents weren¡¯t quite as certain as Joisse was about what had happened that awful day.

    But Joisse knew. She¡¯d been influenced while her soul was in limbo¡ªor rather, she¡¯d gained something. Even though she couldn¡¯t remember anything, Joisse felt surer of herself in more ways than her transformation and control over wrath could mean.

    Some of each of them was a part of her now, she was sure of it.

    And so she sought out Kartania while Seyari and Zarenna flew off to train. Her paladin aunt was fiddling with the cookfire Zarenna had sparked before she¡¯d left, eyes dark. If she¡¯d been the type to mutter to herself, she would have, but she was too disciplined for that.

    Wordlessly, Joisse opened Mom Renna¡¯s rucksack and starting helping Aunt Kartania with dinner. The older woman was silent, reticent at first. But once the pot was on and cooking, she laid her bedroll over a rock, sat on it, and eyed Joisse. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been different ever since that day. My sister doesn¡¯t seem to notice how much her coddling chafes me, but you do, don¡¯t you.¡±

    Joisse hesitated for a moment, taking her own seat atop a bare rock across from Aunt Kartania. ¡°I do notice, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why?¡±

    Joisse shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve been trying ever since mom saved me to be better with emotions. So that¡¯s probably a lot of it. And¡­¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Kartania raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nevermind¡ªI won¡¯t pry.¡±

    The young wrath demon nodded gratefully. ¡°Thanks for all you¡¯ve done for us. I know my moms¡ªRenna especially¡ªare going to say so later, but thanks for helping her. Not just with the vows, but I think you made her finally take that last step.¡±

    ¡°Into becoming a demon?¡±

    Joisse shook her head. ¡°Into accepting it. She always enjoyed her body, but¡­¡±

    ¡°She ignored that she was a demon as best she could?¡±

    ¡°Kinda?¡±

    ¡°That sounds like her. Acknowledge something, understand possible solutions, and then do nothing and suffer.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about before she died?¡±

    Kartania nodded, taking a moment to stir the stew, and Joisse felt nostalgic for the road¡ªoddly enough. Good company and a take-it-by-the-day life. ¡°Her best friend Abigail helped pull her out of it. That, and get her in trouble all the time.¡±

    Joisse giggled. ¡°Mom¡¯s mentioned, yeah. She also said you were a perfectionist who took everything too seriously.¡±

    ¡°I took nothing too seriously. Had I not been so strict with myself, I¡¯d have never reached where I am¡ªwas. I might not even be here at all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not demoted yet!¡±

    ¡°Dhias above, you are her daughter.¡± Kartania groaned. ¡°But yes, I suppose I am not demoted yet. And that just means I have uncertainty, which I do not tolerate.¡±

    At that, Joisse, wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Mom Zarenna would have some insightful comment. Mom Sey would deflect onto her own failings or make a blunt statement.

    What would Joisse do?

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand that, but I wish you the best of luck.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Aunt Kartania said with a genuine smile. ¡°Thanks for not trying to fix me. I¡¯m all organization and no fun to my sister, but I like that. Genuinely. And I do know when to cut loose. I just understand a predetermined amount of slack to loosen to and arrive at precisely that amount.¡±

    Joisse blinked. ¡°You lost me, Aunt Tania.¡±

    She laughed. Honestly, genuinely laughed. ¡°And yet you¡¯re not trying to tell me otherwise. Where¡¯s the combative Joisse from last week?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Last time, I saw a problem and a solution. I¡¯m not sure what I see this time. I guess all I¡¯ll say is not to totally discount my mom¡¯s advice? Either of theirs?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Kartania said softly. ¡°Something¡¯s bothering you as well, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Joisse froze. ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡±

    ¡°Out with it. Your moms would dent my armor if they found out I¡¯d noticed you troubled and kept quiet. Sometimes¡­ sometimes you need the perspective of your cool, calculating aunt.¡±

    I am not Mom Renna. I will not make the obvious joke. ¡°I want to experiment with my magic. I know it needs to be kept a secret for now¡ªand I really do get it. But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to try it.¡±

    Kartania hummed. She dipped a spoon into the stew and pulled out a chunk of meat from something Seyari had caught earlier near the road. It was still red, fat still white. ¡°We have time. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t offer myself, but I¡¯m not completely tapped out in case something happens, and there are plenty of trees to try it on.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Aunt Kartania nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s reckless, but I¡¯ve never heard tell of someone, demon or otherwise, whose magic went completely out of control with a good teacher guiding them. Well, I¡¯d imagine reavers to be exceptions, but we know you¡¯re not one.¡±

    ¡°Teaching me?¡±

    Kartania nodded. ¡°You will do exactly as I say. Is that clear, young lady?¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am! Clear as ice!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Kartania stood up, dusting off her still-clean armor¡¯s backside. ¡°We¡¯ll stay within sight of the campfire in case the two lovebirds return early. From far down the valley, a boom echoed.

    They¡¯re sparring alright, Joisse thought.

    Joisse followed her Aunt just into the trees¡ªa thin stand short enough that the snow-wells almost reached the laden bottom branches even in relatively early winter.

    ¡°That one,¡± Kartania said, pointing to a half-dead tree. ¡°Aim for the trunk and see if you can¡¯t take it down.¡±

    Joisse blinked. ¡°Wait, what about healing?¡±

    Kartania sighed. ¡°Holy magic is not particularly adept at healing plants¡ªthere¡¯s a knowledge component to it, even if its instinctual.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Despite my earlier misgivings, I do wish to see what your magic can accomplish. While there is no doubt many demons¡ªmost demons potentially¡ªare not the sort to be reasoned with, there are exceptions. And your magic could be the key to understanding demonic mana in a way we currently don¡¯t. Despite what you may think, there are those in the Church who would take great interest in such knowledge¡ªin most all the right ways.

    ¡°Now, are there any thrown weapons you¡¯re familiar with?¡±

    ¡°I had a sling I hunted rabbits when I was human living on a farm.¡±

    Kartania nodded slowly. ¡°That¡­ could work. Hold your arms like you¡¯re readying a sling. Imagine the weight and feel of it.¡±

    Joisse did so, but struggled to feel the weight. She even tried imagining a big sling made for a demon of her strength, but still felt silly.

    ¡°Hmmm. This is almost an instinctual process¡ªfor crude simple stuff. You certainly don¡¯t lack the power from what I¡¯ve seen in the past of your aura. Try forming the shot in your fingers, perhaps?¡±

    Joisse took a deep breath and tried again. This time, she stuck her tongue out to one side like she used to, and imagined the entire slingshot. It¡¯s worn ropes, warm from the sun. The old, rough leather of the pad as she loaded the smooth stones.

    She felt a tug on her magic, and she let it. Eager, she pushed, pouring out more. When she cracked one eye open, she saw a blinding, white-crimson light held between her fingers of one hand. In the other, shimmering ropes of that same light nearly burned against her skin, the edges fraying in sparks of power.

    Wordlessly, she loaded the shot and stepped forward, dimly aware that Kartania had stepped well behind her. With a resounding crack her arm shot forward. With an arc like a star shot out of a cannon, her magic shot ripped through the half dead tree and kept going.

    In a hail of splinters and powdered snow, and with a sound like snapping tinder, it blew through tree after tree until a plume of snow and dirt signaled that it had hit the side of the hill. Joisse stared, slack-jawed. She glanced down at her hands, human and small, and watched the ropes of the sling dissolve away into motes of twinkling light.

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do that much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Aunt Kartania answered. ¡°You¡¯ve a lot of power and you¡¯re new. Honestly, I was worried I¡¯d made a mistake and you¡¯d give us another avalanche.¡±

    At the word ¡°avalanche¡± the pair listened for a moment, but were met with only silence.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll have heard that and race up here worried?¡± Joisse asked.

    ¡°Maybe. If they do, I will take the blame,¡± Kartania replied. ¡°But that¡¯s not the most important thing.¡± She smiled wide, reaching her eyes. ¡°Congratulations, Joisse. You¡¯re definitely a mage now. I¡¯ll be away to Ardath soon, but Seyari can teach you. Zarenna might be able to help as well¡ªwith the instinctual side of things. You may well take better to that style of learning, and you¡¯re not going to lament to loss of efficiency.¡±

    Joisse looked out at the trail of destruction. There were no fires and none of the trees sprouted horns. ¡°What about the demonic aspect?¡±

    Kartania¡¯s smile fell. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten about that. Let me take a minute to check the damage and see what I can glean. Hopefully the other two didn¡¯t hear your shot.¡±

    At that, the young wrath demon nodded, once again looking down at her hands. She wanted to heal, not hurt people. But power could also be a deterrent¡ªboth her moms knew that lesson well. And besides, that itching, burning desire to know had been replaced with a warmer, milder curiosity.

    Joisse clenched her hands into fists. If I have to fight, she thought, I am going to give it my all.

 Chapter 162: Winter Whirlwind

    Sey gave me no warning. The moment we¡¯d passed below the ridge and entered the gentle slope of the valley floor, perhaps half a kilometer from the others, she struck.

    Faster than a human, and much faster than before, she threw a punch into my side and kicked off me, angling her wings as if to fly away. Despite her newfound physical prowess, I was still just a little bit faster than was fair.

    I caught her ankle. And, rather than clawing her up, I threw her. Down¡ªand hard.

    Crimson wings twitching, Sey rocketed down the animal path and collided with a small tree, shattering it into splinters overlaid with a puff of snow. I dashed forward to meet her down the slope, trees flashing by me and chunks of compacted snow flying up from my every step.

    As I reached the lingering edge of the cloud, the wind whipped up, hot and furious. Just in time, I rolled to the side to avoid a barrage of blindingly bright feathers of holy light. They seared into the snow in a line, blowing holes through trees where they impacted.

    Out from the wind, Seyari flew at me like a shooting star. My own wind tried to blow her off course, but her powerful wings fought it, glowing at their forward edges like twin blades of light. Unable to dodge completely even though I spun with my tail as a counterweight, I threw both my left fists forward in a double punch.

    I caught her in her side, and she caught me in mine. White hot pain erupted from my shoulder to my hip, and I heard Sey grunt as my fists punched into her side. Bones snapped and she spun away from me, landing in a heap as I rocked back on my tail and took a knee.

    Immediately, my left hands shot to my injured side. But¡­ the pain was already fading. While my palms came away coated in crimson that steamed in the air, I could feel the wound stitching closed. It felt¡­ not any worse than other magic.

    Will I ever get used to this? Is this the edge I¡¯ll need?

    Unfortunately, while I was thinking, my wife was recovering. By the time I looked up, she had a blade of searing light held against the side of my neck.

    ¡°Yield,¡± she said.

    ¡°I yield,¡± I answered, shoulder slumping.

    Sey looked over where my wound had been and her silver eyebrows shot up. ¡°I thought I¡¯d hit you better than that.¡±

    ¡°Can I stand?¡± I asked, already pushing myself up. Sey nodded, so I stood fully and continued, ¡°I think you did hit me better than that. I felt it in my bones. And speaking of bones, is your healing faster?¡±

    Seyari waved a hand in a so-so gesture. ¡°A little? Mostly, I just feel like my old self again¡­¡± She glanced skyward.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, is it?¡± I ventured.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to be anything other. I want to be me, to be free.¡±

    I pulled her into a hug, and jolted as her wings wrapped around me. ¡°You said you were though.¡±

    ¡°I am, but. Well, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to really think it¡¯s true? That the nightmare could really be over?¡±

    ¡°Renna?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You know what that¡¯s like, don¡¯t you? Damn.¡± Seyari pulled away and plopped down on the ravaged earth, surprising me by pulling her knees in close. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not just that. It¡¯s that I feel like I woke up, but the good parts of the nightmare are still there and I shouldn¡¯t have them.¡±

    ¡°You deserve them,¡± I replied, sitting down next to her and leaning my shoulders against hers. ¡°And more besides, but that¡¯ll come in time. So¡­ what about that ¡®self¡¯ comment now?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have my strength back. But my wings are crimson and I¡¯m getting used to not biting my tongue with my new teeth or tearing whatever I¡¯m trying to grab with my claws. Really, how the fuck do you get by with those daggers on your fingers?¡±

    I splayed a hand out in front of me, tracing along one obsidian claw with another. Are they a little longer? ¡°I got used to them.¡± I shifted the blades away. ¡°And I cheat. But no changing the subject.¡±

    Seyari sighed and pushed at my tail with one wing. I shifted the big limb over us and she pulled it behind her knees, wrapping around it to lay her head against my warmth. ¡°What I¡¯m not sure how to say is that it feels the same but different. And even though I know that¡¯s not the case, that this me is just me, I¡¯m worried it¡¯s your influence. In a bad way. That I¡¯ve traded one master for another.¡±

    ¡°But you know you haven¡¯t? I can¡¯t feel any sort of magical tether to you other than that magical feeling I get when you pose just right.¡±

    Sey laughed tiredly. ¡°Yeah. I just¡­ wanted to be past this.¡±

    ¡°You are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°You are. It just never totally goes away. You can¡¯t stop remembering.¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­¡±

    I nodded. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to make this about me.¡±

    Sey exhaled through her nose and closed her eyes. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Sey, if there¡¯s anything I can do for you, I will.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    I blinked.

    ¡°Felt like I should say it. Don¡¯t make a big deal out of it.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°You know what you can do for me right now?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Let me train you. Hard. I know that¡¯s an old uniform because it has that one sauce stain on it. And I know your clothes don¡¯t tend to survive. But it¡¯s not anything I haven¡¯t seen if it comes to it. Same goes for you to me. I¡¯m tougher than I probably ever was, even if I¡¯m decades out of practice.

    ¡°So let me show you how to fight demons and angels and humans alike. Kartania can take care of Joisse for now. Give me one day out here in the wilds.¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not done. There¡¯ll be more than just fighting. I¡¯m going to hurt you Renna. I¡¯m going to go for your weak spot and I need you to tell me you understand that until the sun hits its midpoint tomorrow that everything is just training. No matter how dire.¡±

    Now, I was worried. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡±

    Seyari opened her eyes and looked up at me. ¡°Your heart is your greatest strength and weakness both, my love. Corny as it may sound, it¡¯s absolutely true. You can¡ªwill¡ªbe a great leader in a way I can¡¯t be. But you need to harden your heart.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°More.¡±

    ¡°There are lines I won¡¯t cross.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll help you find those. Because the last thing you want to do is realize you¡¯re stuck at a critical moment. Or worse¡­ realize you¡¯ve crossed them and there¡¯s no going back.¡±

    ¡°Sey¡­¡±

    ¡°Not now, Renna. You¡¯ve already helped me move on. Just promise me this. Promise me this right now.¡±

    ¡°Promise what?¡±

    Seyari reached up and ran her hand along my chin, holy-magic-laced claws lovingly scouring lines into my flesh. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll train for the next full day without break or mercy and that you know I love you.¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡± I nodded solemnly.

    ¡°Good.¡± Seyari stood and threw my tail to the ground. ¡°Now get up and face me. We¡¯re going to start with my version of the basics, including some spell forms. You have wind magic now, and your fire is still either raw or haltingly constrained. Your training starts now.¡±

    I scrambled up after Seyari. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ***

    I threw a feint spell after Seyari, then ducked under, going again for her wing joint. She saw through me, but my tail was ready and forced her out. Earlier, she¡¯d called my fighting style ¡°feral,¡± but she¡¯d also told me to lean into it.

    At the same time, I lacked reach, and using my tail and my magic could only go so far. Without weapons, however¡­

    Seyari blocked one of my incoming hands, but the other raked her side. In return, powerful feather-shaped lances of light drilled into my side and the arm I¡¯d used to cover my head.

    As far as I was concerned, she really was trying to kill me. And she¡¯d given me little choice but to return the favor. At first, I¡¯d worried about her, but she¡¯d proven her decades of experience quickly.

    It was incredible how much her fighting style was determined by her wings. And she was unarmed still.

    We pushed apart, circling in the air. My wings were still inefficient¡ªhalf a day wouldn¡¯t change that¡ªbut Sey wasn¡¯t going to fight me on the ground. I looked at her, burned, battered, and bright-eyed under a stern expression.

    She didn¡¯t smile when she fought. Didn¡¯t revel in it. But I wondered how much of that was a mask.

    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t wonder for long. She divebombed me again, though my fire burned ever closer. I¡¯d thought of lighting up the sky with my fire to get her, but if I missed, I¡¯d end up stuck on the ground.

    And I still don¡¯t want to kill her. She¡¯s not going to be able to change that.

    I had no choice but to descend, flying low into the scorched impact crater my butt had made when she¡¯d shown me what trying to ignore her wind could mean. The boom from that impact still rung in my ears.

    My wings flickered. Truthfully, I was still fine for magic, but I¡¯d played the long game since we¡¯d started, feigning a lower mana capacity. With how much it¡¯d increased the past few months, I had to hope Sey bought it.

    No other game would get past her.

    So when I kicked up off the ground, the slowest point of my maneuver, Sey fired. A veritable torrent of slicing light blew around me, caging me in and closing rapidly.

    My own control over wind wasn¡¯t great enough to break it, and she knew that. I didn¡¯t, however, use wind to break through.

    I used fire. Air had a tendency to behave less well for wind magic with a torrent of my flames punching through it. I readied my hands, surprised at how clear my mind was as I set up the spell I¡¯d only just learned. My aura sight just barely showed the bright blob where Seyari was through her spell.

    Right as the blinding gale reached me, I fired.

    A column of crimson fire, wide as I was tall, erupted out of the wind. I watched its blinding aura impact Seyari¡¯s. Immediately, the spell around me faltered. My wife¡¯s aura flickered, and she started to drop.

    In an instant, panic gripped my heart. She couldn¡¯t have¡­ That wouldn¡¯t¡­

    I tore through the last of her spell, uncaring of how it burned into me as I half-sprinted, half-flew toward where she was falling. Half-burned crimson feathers fell in a trail behind her.

    Seyari cracked through a stand of trees and into a patch of rocky snow. She lay there, wings and skin burnt, aura flickering. Her body was bent, but she was alive and twitching.

    ¡°Sey!¡± I shouted. ¡°Oh, Dhias, no!¡±

    She moaned, and I ran for her, hoping and fearing as her aura flickered again, growing dim. No way. No no no no no¡­

    I reached her and propped her up, her skin warm and tingling against my hands. ¡°Sey!¡± I shroud again, at a loss.

    I can¡¯t heal her. But¡­ Joisse might be able to.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± I lifted her, and she moaned again.

    Her skin was blackened in places, and her wings were scorched to bone at the tips, most feathers gone. Still, they twitched. She must have blocked with them.

    I lifted her into a princess carry and summoned my wings again, uncaring for efficiency as they blazed to life and bore us skyward. I need to get to Joisse.

    Tearing through trees, I shot up, and then over, flying with full magic. The air around me thickened into a barrier, and I poured the rest of my power into my flight, breaking through with a boom that shook the trees below.

    Immediately, I felt the first twinges of mana exhaustion.

    ¡°Renna¡­¡± Sey murmured, only the echo of her voice carrying past the rushing wind.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I choked, looking down at her.

    In my arms, Seyari¡¯s aura flared to full life. Burned skin flaked away, and her hands, with blinding blades of light, flashed up and at my neck.

    I barely had time to react¡ªshe¡¯d never moved so fast. My hand came up to block, and I saw blinding radiance right as she kicked off me, using my own speed against me. My wings winked off and I fell. Seyari turned from a blur to a dot in moments, and I barely felt the trees that I smashed through.

    I did, however, feel the ground. I impacted harder than earlier, bones snapping as I crashed against rock.

    When the sound stopped, I laid there, breathing heavily and feeling the bits of ribs grind against each other as my exhausted mana tried to repair my body. The worst of it was the heat around one hand¡ªI couldn¡¯t even feel it.

    When I managed to move the arm, I understood why. The hand I¡¯d blocked with was gone. And the flesh of the stump was roiling, bone creaking. I guess I can regrow limbs.

    But¡­ not right now.

    I fell back again, looking up at the innocent sky from my position in the crater. Seyari hadn¡¯t faked those injuries. All she¡¯d done was conceal her aura, feigning weakness just as I had. I should¡¯ve known she wasn¡¯t that close to depleted.

    She¡¯d tested me, and I¡¯d failed.

    So I leaned back and closed my eyes, pain keeping the blackness away as I listened for familiar wingbeats above me.

    Honestly, I¡¯m just glad she¡¯s safe. This sucked.

    ***

    Up in the sky above the crater, Seyari looked down at her love, watching the steady, but dim glow of Zarenna¡¯s aura. She exhaled, then looked down at her shaking hands; the one that¡¯d regrown was covered in blood. Just as much as Zarenna, she¡¯d been testing herself.

    And she¡¯d failed. Failed in the best way possible.

    I wouldn¡¯t ever be able to bring myself to kill her, she thought. Just like Zarenna had stayed away from her most powerful magic, Seyari had stopped her last blow the moment it had gone through her wife¡¯s hand. Even if Zarenna was now the first demon she¡¯d ever seen who wasn¡¯t vulnerable to holy magic, holy magic was still effective.

    She¡¯d watched, frozen, as the hand had fallen, trailing steaming blood. Her heart hurt at the image that was seared into her mind.

    The Sovereign of Wrath should be able to regrow it.

    Still. Seyari had hesitated. She wasn¡¯t the monster she¡¯d used to be, even if what she¡¯d asked of Zarenna had been unfair and selfish. Her love had already learned that lesson.

    Renna had just decided where her line was. And now, Seyari knew hers again.

    And her line had moved.

    Seyari descended slowly, wings still healing, and sat next to Zarenna on the shattered rock. She ran her hand through her love¡¯s hair, long since flung out of its braid to fan out below her, and the demon opened her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Renna said.

    Seyari shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I asked you something selfish because I was worried about myself, what I¡¯ve become.¡±

    ¡°Did you get your answer?¡± Renna asked, eyes falling closed again as she breathed deeply.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Not gonna ask what it was?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I have a pretty good guess, and you¡¯d be mad if we destroyed a forest for something I could¡¯ve told you.¡±

    ¡°Do you now?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±

    ¡°Care to tell me?¡± Seyari leaned down.

    All she got in response was heavy breathing as Zarenna drifted away to sleep for the first time in days. Already, Seyari saw that her love¡¯s hand was starting to regrow.

 Chapter 163: (Not a) Leisure Trip

    We didn¡¯t get back to camp until evening¨Clater than intended. Returning through the snow-laden trees to sit by a crackling fire and talk about our days felt¡­ right. I¡¯d been on the road for so long some of it had probably gotten in my veins.

    I¡¯d heard plenty about how the sea could do that to a sailor. Only made sense that a wanderer on the land could have that same sort of familiarity and comfort in a frigid, wet evening camped on hard, uncomfortable ground with nary a bath in sight.

    Of course, I cheated away the first two.

    And so, I found myself surrounded by family, who vastly preferred me over some fire. Just below us, the pass¡¯s road was a dark brown ribbon cut neatly not a hundred meters ahead, near a curve in the mountain. A familiar, awful curve.

    Already, Kartania had said she¡¯d disposed of the rest of the remains, but around that innocent-looking corner was the site of the fight that had nearly cost me everything. As recent as it was, I couldn¡¯t help but look back and think how naive I¡¯d been.

    But, things were better now. I was a landed noble, Seyari and I were married, and more than her hand had been restored. More even than her wings.

    Her smile.

    ¡°Renna,¡± Sey poked me. ¡°I know you¡¯re off in your thoughts somewhere, but we¡¯re talking about what comes next.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I glanced over at Seyari, sitting to my right. All four of us were seated in a row on a pair of logs before our campfire, though Joisse was asleep.

    ¡°Next. When you two get to Linthel. Or did you forget about killing a High Priest.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I leaned my head back and sighed, staring up at where I could see stars between the clouds. ¡°Right. Sorry¡ªI¡¯d just put it out of my mind lately. Too much other stuff.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be a war, Sister,¡± Tania said seriously. Or, well, she tried to, but given that she¡¯d stripped to her underpadding and was sitting with a sleeping Joisse between her and me and my tail over the pair of them, the effect was lost.

    But her words weren¡¯t, I supposed.

    ¡°We can¡¯t avoid it?¡±

    Kartania shook her head. ¡°The Church and the Empire both want it. This¡¯ll just be one more excuse.¡±

    I furrowed my brow. ¡°And¡­ I think King Carvalon wants it too.¡±

    ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re starting to see motives,¡± Seyari said with a hint of somewhat offensive pity. ¡°Both sides want a war and this is an excuse. But they signed a treaty for peace, right?¡±

    ¡°Did they?¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± Kartania answered. ¡°Ten years. And since I know you¡¯ve been away for a while, sister, that gives us half that much time to prepare.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll really hold to the treaty?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If I had to guess,¡± Seyari scooted closer, drawing her wings around all of us conspiratorially, ¡°they¡¯re only going to hold to the treaty because of the cost of the last war. It was quick, but it was bloody.

    ¡°So for now, they¡¯ll act from the shadows. Use the discontent we saw festering in Gedon and fight unofficially.¡±

    My gut twisted. ¡°And then there¡¯s Envy¡¯s ¡®war.¡¯ They¡¯ll feed on this. On the avarice and envy that are generated.¡±

    ¡°And on the fear of those who aren¡¯t involved,¡± Kartania finished. ¡°That¡¯s why you need a plan.¡±

    A breeze blew through Seyari¡¯s feathers, and I vividly remembered a night in a small mountain town. Two teenage boys had hidden themselves in the inn to ambush me, thinking I¡¯d taken their friend. Give them another couple of years¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be chaos,¡± I whispered. ¡°Maybe not at first, but the paranoia¡ªno one¡¯s going to trust anyone. It¡¯ll be knives in everyone¡¯s backs.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Seyari clapped me on the back and I pitched forward. ¡°And after four or five years, there¡¯s gonna be a real war on top of that.¡±

    ¡°Even worse¡­ I think Envy¡¯s planning something bigger. Why else would they be going south in search of something? Why else would the Black Claw assassins from Raavia who were after Taava be mixed up in all this? And¡­¡± I remembered a gray demon and a vile estate. ¡°What of Astrodach? That Envy demon from Navanaea. They clearly had some plan¡ªwhat if that¡¯s related?¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± Seyari swore. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hope Aretan knows what he¡¯s doing. But¡­ Lilly should be able to handle that.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t you¡ª¡±

    Seyari jabbed a claw-tipped finger at me. ¡°I don¡¯t trust her as far as she can throw you. But I do trust that she looks out for herself, and she¡¯s invested in the region. In keeping that war from escalating.¡±

    ¡°Black Claw? Navanaea? Lilly?¡± Kartania asked, holding onto my tail a little tighter. ¡°I remember you mentioned Lilly being Lust to me a few times. Are demons involved in the war in Navanaea?¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± Seyari answered.

    ¡°Of course they are.¡± Kartania groaned. ¡°What of those assassins? Is Taava from Raavia?¡±

    ¡°She is¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure of how much to tell my sister. Taava wasn¡¯t the type to want her past laid out. ¡°Per Taava¡¯s wishes, I can¡¯t say why, but the assassins were after her and mixed up in the demon business in Lockmoth.¡±

    ¡°This is bad¡ªnot to point out the obvious.¡± Tania looked down at Joisse and turned her voice lower. ¡°So the bad demons are planning something bigger than even the Empire of Ordia?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°And it looks like there¡¯re gonna be two sides.¡±

    ¡°What about the other two Sovereigns?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Ov is neutral and Utraxia hates Lilly¡¯s guts¡ªsome feud from a thousand years ago.¡±

    ¡°A thousand years¡­¡± Kartania massaged her forehead. ¡°So it might be two on three?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ if possible, I¡¯d like the Church¡¯s help.¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°What?¡± Seyari hissed.

    Kartania chuckled darkly. ¡°Did you miss that they want to kill you, now more than ever?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. But I have two things other demons don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°A conscience?¡± Kartania asked.

    I glanced pointedly at Joisse and then back up at my sister.

    ¡°...Point taken. So¡­?¡±

    ¡°One: I am the lesser of two evils.¡± I held up one finger.

    ¡°Okay, obvious, but that¡¯s not going to work.¡±

    I held up a second finger, on a different right hand. ¡°Two: I am not weak to holy magic.¡± I hadn¡¯t yet told Kartania, and I watched for her reaction almost eagerly.

    She disappointed me, but only barely as her lips drew into a thin, pale line. ¡°What.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.

    ¡°After my vows with Seyari. Holy magic doesn¡¯t burn me any more than other magic. And if I had to hazard a guess, Seyari can¡¯t be changed by demonic magic.¡±

    At that, Seyari cut in. ¡°Wait. When did you think of that?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Just now.¡±

    Seyari furrowed her brow and drew her wings back. She examined one hand carefully. ¡°I¡¯m not sure of a good way to test it, other than Joisse¡¯s magic, but we still don¡¯t know what that does.¡±

    ¡°I mentioned we practiced, right?¡± Kartania said. ¡°Until she mana exhausted herself even after I told her not to.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not used to her limits!¡± I defended my daughter immediately.

    Kartania rolled her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t say she should be. Regardless, her magic, to the untrained eye, looks holy. So as long as she¡¯s not near anyone trained and in human form, she could pass for a holy mage.¡±

    ¡°Unaffiliated with the Church of Dhias,¡± Seyari countered.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was great, but it¡¯s something. Seyari, you need to test her magic and train her while Zarenna is away.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Good. But we¡¯re getting sidetracked.¡± Kartania looked at me, then held out one callused hand. ¡°Hand.¡±

    I took it, wary of how small my sister was compared to me.

    I shouldn¡¯t have worried. A small lance of magic erupted from her hand through mine. It stung, sure, but only triggered a wince, and we watched together as the flesh knitted shut with freakish speed.

    Kartania shook her head. ¡°I am so, so glad you¡¯re on the side of good.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± I nodded.

    Tania glared at me.

    ¡°What? I am!¡±

    ¡°No humor.¡± She withdrew her hand. ¡°You¡¯ll wake your daughter up.¡±

    Sure enough, Joisse started to stir. We sat in silence for a minute until her breathing calmed again.

    ¡°And punching a hole through my hand was less agitating?¡± I hissed in a whisper. ¡°That hand just grew back you know.¡±

    ¡°It needed a scar to match the others,¡± Seyari tutted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t scar!¡±

    ¡°Too bad.¡± My wife sighed. ¡°Scars are hot.¡±

    ¡°Please stay on topic,¡± my sister hissed. ¡°Zarenna isn¡¯t hurt by holy magic, her angel wife is a pariah of the Church but also incorruptible, and your daughter¡ªwho I am pretty damn sure is at least partly yours by blood after you took and returned her soul¡ªhas impossible magic that is both holy and demonic.

    ¡°You three are not just walking blasphemies, but proof against core pillars of Dhiasan magical theory. And Church doctrine. They. Will. Hate. You.¡±

    ¡°Or¡­¡± I leaned in toward her, over my daughter, and cupped two hands to keep my whisper quiet as I smiled with all my teeth. ¡°Or we¡¯ll be open proof that their doctrine isn¡¯t a wholly accurate interpretation of Dhias¡¯s will. And they¡¯ll have to acknowledge us because of popular support.¡±

    Kartania balked. ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡±

    Seyari hugged me from behind, gently so as not to disturb Joisse, her voice soft and melodious. ¡°That¡¯s insane, Renna. I love it.¡±

    ¡°Would you support us, Sister?¡±

    ¡°Of course I will, but¡­ but I don¡¯t think you could possibly¡ª¡±

    ¡°But if we do?¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Kartania looked down at Joisse and her expression softened, her eyes dampening. ¡°Then I will support you, yes. But you¡¯d better make a damn good case. I don¡¯t intend to leave the Church without a fight, and that may mean making some concessions for now.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I understand. I trust you.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s jaw dropped open. After a moment, she clacked it shut with a soft laugh. ¡°Of course you do, don¡¯t you? You, a demon, trust me, a paranoid Paladin of Dhias, after years apart. And implicitly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± I smiled.

    Kartania hissed. ¡°If that was an attempt at a joke, your humor really is more terrible than your claws.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    ¡°Kartania,¡± Seyari pleaded. ¡°Stop encouraging her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not encouraging her!¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Joisse mumbled, waking up.

    Kartania swore under her breath. ¡°Promise?¡± She held out a hand.

    I took it in two of my own. ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡± Kartania repeated, clasping her other hand over one of mine.

    Before I could add a third hand or crack a joke, Joisse rubbed her eyes and yawned, sitting up. Her human form shifted, growing larger, and she hugged me with all four arms. ¡°Warm¡­ What¡¯d I miss?¡±

    ¡°A talk about the fate of the world,¡± Sey answered..

    ¡°Oh.¡± Joisse yawned again, stretching all four arms before latching onto me again. ¡°If that¡¯s all.¡± I could hear her eyes roll. ¡°Hey moms, can we spar sometime?¡±

    I blinked down at my daughter, surprised.

    ¡°Oh good,¡± Seyari laughed. ¡°And here I was thinking how oddly accepting she was being for a teenager. Kartania told us about your training earlier. When we get home to Astrye, I¡¯ll really teach you. And I¡¯ll have your mom Renna toss you into a mountain a few times when she gets home. That okay kiddo?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me kiddo. But¡­ that¡¯s okay.¡± She abandoned the hug to lean back on the log and look up at the stars, now more visible through the clouds. ¡°When do you think you¡¯ll be back, Mom?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say probably one week? But things are never that easy. First thing I have to do is report to King Carvalon and do any other formal things I need to regarding my title as Marchioness. I imagine I¡¯ll have to declare Seyari and you as well.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ I hadn''t really thought about it, but does that make me like a duke¡¯s daughter?¡±

    ¡°More like a count¡¯s daughter,¡± Seyari answered. ¡°And even then¡­ not quite. Marchioness isn¡¯t typically an inherited title, and its de facto power is often a lot less than its de jure power. Especially if one controls a former crown holding with barely two thousand souls, little economy, and mountains separating it from the rest of the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Kartania added. ¡°Even if that¡¯s a more Ordian look at things.¡±

    Seyari huffed.

    Joisse tilted her head to one side. ¡°Will I get fancy dresses? We¡¯re living in a castle right? Will there be tea parties, too?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I thought about my answer for a second. Of course I wasn¡¯t going to hide my daughter away. I just had to make sure that no one hurt her or her feelings or insulted her or implied anything bad about¡­ maybe I was getting overprotective. ¡°Yes. Yes you will and yes there will be. The fanciest I can make them! And for me and Seyari too!¡±

    Joisse¡¯s red eyes glittered, and I could almost see the daydreams starting behind them.

    Seyari coughed. ¡°Me? A dress?¡±

    I smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t you want something backless?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­ I should be able to fight in it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting a dress.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯m getting you a suit.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± I grinned. ¡°What? Think I also couldn¡¯t make a suit look fabulous?¡±

    Seyari slammed a fist into her palm. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re on!¡±

    Yesss.

    Kartania coughed. ¡°What else will you be doing in Linthel, sister?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ wait. I need to tell the Gelles Company about my title. I¡­ I hope I don¡¯t have to resign. Maybe I can get some sort of honorary rank or something?¡±

    Kartania shrugged. ¡°Mercenary companies are one area I don¡¯t know. But most nobles have worse conflicts of interest. I don¡¯t think the Gelles Company is anywhere in County Astrye anyway.

    I shook my head. ¡°They¡¯re not. So two things in Linthel: King and Company.¡±

    Kartania groaned. ¡°Did you really have to say it like¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh! And I should also visit Bourick. Let him know I¡¯m interested in getting a forge set up in Castle Astrye. I won¡¯t have time to apprentice under him, but I could also borrow some books.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of books,¡± Seyari said, ¡°could you pick up a book called ¡®Sylvan Towers of Aloria¡¯ from the library there? It shares a co-author with ¡®The Voyage of the Crimson Petrel¡¯ and now that we¡¯ve a little time to live again, I¡¯d love to read it.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± There¡¯s that genuine smile again. I feel like I¡¯m falling for her all over again.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say to make this a leisure trip!¡± Kartania hissed.

    We glared at each other for a moment, then my sister¡¯s features softened.

    ¡°Oh, to hell with it!¡± Tania started giggling. ¡°If I¡¯m going to be clearing snow with you for the next two days, I¡¯d rather you were happy.¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡± I chirped.

    ¡°Then stop with the bad wordplay!¡±

    ¡°Maybe I will!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like a threat!¡±

    My sister and I pretended to bicker a while longer before the conversation turned to mundane matters: tea parties and dresses and renovating a castle and probably-fantasy novels and forges and even a little magical theory.

    It made me realize that my sister needed a hobby. Well, I had two days with just me and her before she left for who-knew-how-long, so hopefully I could find something. More than anything, I felt oddly hopeful.

    Probably because none of us were alone anymore.

 Chapter 164: Gifts Ungiven

    The next morning, Seyari and Joisse left early. I watched the pair fly away into the white sky, Seyari carrying our daughter like I¡¯d carried her not so long ago.

    ¡°It looks like snow,¡± Kartania said quietly, after the pair had become nothing more than a red dot in the distance.

    I looked around at the incoming weather. Those clouds were a darker gray, heavier and lower. ¡°Yeah, it does. Will you be okay alone in your tent?¡±

    ¡°Renna?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I looked back down from the sky at my sister, who was giving me a quizzical look.

    ¡°Why bring this up now? I¡¯ve been alone in my tent through worse while traveling with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± I scratched sheepishly at one horn.

    ¡°You need to stop that, Sister.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°That.¡± She pointed to my hand. ¡°You¡¯re intentionally trying to look unsure, vulnerable and nonthreatening.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I thought about it for a second. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve already been told to stop that. You¡¯re not just a Sovereign demon, but a Marchioness now. You need to look like you¡¯re in charge; leverage your intimidating presence.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m bad at that,¡± I whined.

    ¡°No,¡± Kartania stepped forward and poked me, right above where my gem was hidden under clothes. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±

    I hissed.

    ¡°See?¡±

    I deflated.

    Kartania hit her face with her hand loud enough that I heard an audible smack. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to worry about being seen as some evil demon overlord who lives in a scary castle on the side of a frozen mountain.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°No. Your reputation is too good. Although¡­ there will probably be rumors.¡±

    ¡°There will?¡±

    Kartania sighed. ¡°Didn¡¯t Seyari teach you noble politicking?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t learn all that in a week!¡±

    ¡°And I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re being willfully dense or not. Look, Zarenna, all I am trying to say is that you should stop the habits you have that are meant to make you seem less threatening. I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you why, either.¡±

    She¡¯s right. ¡°I know. They¡¯re just¡­ habits. Can you tell me when I mess up?¡±

    ¡°For the next few days on the road, yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± I paused, then forced my shoulders straight, wiping the sheepish look off my face. ¡°Apologies.¡±

    ¡°Better. And just to be clear, I¡¯m not telling you to try to be intimidating.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Kartania turned and started to walk down the road to where we¡¯d stopped clearing it. ¡°Let¡¯s get going then. Daylight¡¯s wasting.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I bit my lip. I missed my chance to ask about hobbies, didn¡¯t I?

    Even with just the two of us, we made good progress, and I was continually astounded by my mana capacity. Despite what I¡¯d assumed, I¡¯d never truly gotten used to it, being able to create a solid jet of fire for hours.

    As such, it was my incredible-but-human sister who tired first, calling for a stop around midday. The sun was still hidden behind the clouds, and snow had started to fall, obscuring the road behind us.

    ¡°I hope there¡¯s no blizzard. I¡¯d hate to have all our work undone.¡±

    Kartania pointed to the snow pile next to her, almost her height. ¡°Unless it¡¯s a freak storm, our work will have been worth it.¡±

    ¡°I suppose. So; Sister.¡±

    Tania narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure how to ask Kartania about hobbies. After a moment¡¯s thought and withering under her well-practiced glare, I decided to just go for it. ¡°Do you have a hobby?¡±

    ¡°Where is this coming from?¡± she snapped.

    ¡°Well, Seyari¡¯s taken up reading, and I think she might want to write. I like blacksmithing and am hoping to take it up again soon. Joisse bounces between a few things because she¡¯s still deciding, Nelys is a card shark, and Taava likes to sing. Salvador enjoyed hunting and whittling, and Aretan told stories and played dice.¡±

    ¡°And you think I don¡¯t have anything.¡±

    Hesitantly, I nodded. ¡°But you might! I just¡­ haven¡¯t seen anything and you¡¯re always so serious and I was hoping to maybe help you have fun¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± A little bit of anger slipped through Kartania¡¯s control, but only for a moment.

    I glanced up from my feet at my sister, who was pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Just¡­ don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But¡­ I¡¯m just trying to help!¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯re not.¡±

    We stared at each other for a long while. Between us, the unlit logs of our fire started to take on a coating of white from the falling snow. I sat on a sizeable log, she on a cold, lumpy-looking rock.

    ¡°Are you going to make me start the fire?¡± My sister spoke and I jumped.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°N-no!¡± Snapping my fingers, I tried to light the logs. Unfortunately, I put too much into the spell and charred one immediately, sap bursting it open into a shower of splinters that scattered the rest of the logs. ¡°Sorry!¡±

    Kartania shook bits of burnt wood off her armor and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re nervous about what will happen in Linthel, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah. I guess so.¡±

    My sister closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. I watched as she got up off the rock, took a flint and tinder from her pack, and started to put the logs back together. Wordlessly, I rushed to help her, my four hands making quick work of stacking them. Really, I had no idea how someone with only two arms could properly hold things in place.

    My sister flicked sparks onto the remains of our tinder, and it caught. Together, just like when we were kids, we blew on the embers until they warmed enough to catch the logs¡ªjust a little. Once the fire was steady, I plopped back on one end of the log, bringing my tail around to wrap over my lap.

    To my surprise, Kartania sat next to me, looking from the fire, to the sky, to my tail. Almost hesitantly, she reached out and ran a hand along it. I tried not to shiver at the chill touch of her gauntleted hand. She pulled on the limb, and I moved it with her motion into her lap.

    Tania stared down at the crimson, spade-tipped tail, then pulled it close. ¡°Jewelry.¡± Her voice was a whisper, so soft I could barely hear it.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°A lifetime ago,¡± she continued, staring into the fire and gripping my tail hard enough that it¡¯d probably hurt a mortal. ¡°I¡­ wanted to become a jeweler. Make things not just out of pretty stones, but metal and wood and shells from river mussels. Then¡­ well, you know.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know everything. I didn¡¯t want to pry¡ªyou seemed like you had a lot of secrets you wanted to keep.¡±

    For a long while, Kartania was quiet. I resisted the urge to run my fingers through her hair or pull her into a side hug, and stared up at the snow that was falling all around us, the dark branches of the tree above that I¡¯d cleared once again growing white and heavy.

    Screw this moping! Eventually, I decided to just go for it, and I pulled my sister into a side hug with my two left arms. She made a sound somewhere between a squeak and a hiss, probably unused to either the physical intimacy, or being pulled around like a child while wearing a third her weight in metal.

    ¡°So,¡± I started, ¡°What was your training like?¡±

    To my surprise, Tania answered. ¡°Hard. Lonely, despite all the others. I can still remember the morning of the first day, waking up to the symbol of Dhias on the wall. Trying to remember what it meant. A circle for the Cycle of Souls, three marks across it shining down like the rays of the sun: Compassion, Temperance, Honor. Temperance in the center as it relies on the others.¡± She sketched the familiar symbol out in the snow.

    ¡°I never knew the meaning of that symbol,¡± I said softly, then chuckled. ¡°Funny, huh? I probably should know it.¡± Cycle of Souls, huh? I broke that. Is that why¡­

    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t be surprised to hear that not everyone practices what they preach. There are good people in the Church, people I found who tested my anger, poked and prodded it. But no one ever really got to the center of it, and I don¡¯t know if it was because I didn¡¯t let them.

    ¡°I try to live these virtues. Be these virtues, as a Paladin should. Sometimes, I worry I¡¯m losing myself, and other times I worry I¡¯m not losing myself fast enough.¡±

    I hugged Kartania a little harder, stopping when I heard metal creaking.

    She grunted, but grinned uncharacteristically. ¡°Thanks, Sis.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯ll be wishing you the best with your trip. Hopefully, Yevon or someone else can stand behind your testimony and I won¡¯t have a crusade against me.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully.¡±

    ¡°And hopefully you¡¯ll keep your title as Paladin,¡± I continued. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine Dhias is angry at you¡ªI think you¡¯re doing fine with those virtues. Though, perhaps you lean into Temperance a bit much. Though I¡¯m a demon, so maybe don¡¯t listen to my advice.¡±

    ¡°Compassion,¡± Kartania said slowly. ¡°I struggle with Compassion. Why should I show it when so little has been shown to me, when everything¡ªalmost everything¡ªwas taken from me. It¡¯s hard.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡± I tossed a little power into the fire, watching it blaze brighter. ¡°But we¡¯re trying our best.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡±

    ¡°You are. Your best isn¡¯t some arbitrary, unachievable constant. It¡¯s affected by pressures and worries and anxiety. You struggle, but you still try hard. That¡¯s your best. And that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°When did you get so philosophical?¡±

    ¡°Two years stuck alone on an island to just think.¡± The quickness of my response surprised me. ¡°Also Abigail¡¯s influence; I¡¯m sure of that as well.¡± I placed a hand over my gem. ¡°She¡¯s with me, part of me in a way.¡±

    ¡°Your symbol looks like the amulet she gave you, plus a gem.¡±

    ¡°It is, I think.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ I should give you my present. It¡¯s not as good, but I guess that¡¯s acceptable.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The night of the fire. Remember? I told you to look forward to my birthday present for you. I¡¯m about a decade late, but it¡¯s your birthday in three weeks, and I¡¯ll be in Ardath by then.¡±

    My birthday in three weeks. I¡¯d completely forgotten¡ªI¡¯d missed the anniversary of the fire probably in Gedon.

    Kartania reached around to her armor¡¯s straps. ¡°Could you give me a hand? It¡¯s under my chestplate.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ sure.¡± Numbly, I followed my sister¡¯s directions, yet again glad I wasn¡¯t missing two hands like so many people were. In moments, I¡¯d loosened it enough for Kartania to slip a hand under it.

    ¡°Here,¡± she said, withdrawing her hand. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve worn it ever since that night. I had it with me, in a pocket and I remember the way it jingled when I was running.¡± She opened her hand, a new-looking leather strap trailing out from it. ¡°You¡¯ll want to get the strap replaced with a bigger one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll want to get it enchanted, so it never breaks.¡± I looked down. In Kartania¡¯s hand was a dark, silvery metal flower, finely worked, and just a little lopsided. The center of the flower was a disc of some kind of mother-of-pearl, silvery and shining. The whole thing was perhaps three centimeters across. Holding it up to the firelight, it looked a bit like iron, and more polished than I¡¯d imagined. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Bourick helped me make it. Well, he did almost all the work for the metal parts,¡± Kartania admitted. ¡°I came in on your days off instead of studying.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the iron alloyed with?¡±

    ¡°Chromite,¡± Kartania answered. ¡°Bourick had to use his magic to get the furnace hot enough. Apparently, mages in Ardath can make even larger pieces, and with better color and strength.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± I blinked away tears. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. Thank you, Tania. I¡¯ll need to give Bourick my thanks when we get to Linthel.¡±

    Tania smiled thinly. ¡°Would that I could go with you. As it is, we¡¯ll need to arrive separately. Though their influence has waned, there might be a church force waiting for you in the city.¡±

    ¡°Will they attack me openly?¡±

    Kartania shook her head. ¡°They¡¯ll decry your deeds, and build a case against you.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll goad me.¡±

    ¡°More or less.¡± She shrugged, then looked again at the flower. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it, really. I never thought I¡¯d get to hear your opinion on it. Your headstone never did say much.¡±

    I chuckled despite myself. ¡°I¡¯d imagine.¡± I carefully pulled the necklace on¡ªit barely had enough length to wiggle it down my horns, and it rested high, where my collarbones met and well above my symbol. ¡°As soon as I can, I¡¯ll get this enchanted¡ªthe strongest I possibly can. Because I don¡¯t want to lock this away in a drawer¡ªI want to wear it. And¡ª¡± I looked over at Kartania, whose eyes seemed a little brighter. ¡°I¡¯ll get something for you. If my birthday is in three weeks, that means yours is half a year away. Twenty-three, right?¡±

    ¡°Right. Listen, Sister, you don¡¯t have to get me¡ª¡±

    ¡°I want to. You deserve it, and I¡¯m going to make sure we¡¯re both still around then. If you get in any sort of trouble, if you can contact me by any means, I will fly across the world to get you out. And yes, I know you¡¯re capable, and you won¡¯t need rescuing. Doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m the big sister and I¡¯m going to make this promise anyway.¡±

    Kartania looked up at me, growing smile interrupted by a snort. ¡°Some things about you haven¡¯t changed, Renna.¡±

    I, in a feat of effort befitting one of the strongest demons, restrained my urge to pout and whine. ¡°Some things haven¡¯t, indeed.¡±

    At that, Kartania laughed. ¡°By Dhias, Sister, you should see your face!¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°You looked like you were trying to hold in gas while being tickled, and with your face¡ªsnrk¡ª¡±

    I lost my sister to a fit of giggles. In that moment, I saw the younger her again, the her who hadn¡¯t become so worn down and cynical. My clawed fingers felt carefully, reverently over her birthday gift, almost a decade late, but ever-so on-time.

    Eventually, the laughter subsided. Conversation drifted through memories, and metals, lost and found family, never sticking overlong in one place. We retired late, each to our own tent, and sleep managed to find me, the cold press of a metal flower just below my neck somehow comforting.

 Interlude: Changing Times

    Sonia stepped around another puddle as she followed quietly behind Inva. The paladin in full armor wasn¡¯t exactly quiet herself, but the dark pressure of Lockmoth¡¯s sewers seemed to force the demon-blooded priestess into quietude.

    Behind her, the last two members of their group trodded carefully, Firalex and Priest Herron. Somewhere else Drin and Tren were leading the city guard in a pincer. From what the Gelles Company boss had said, this reminded them of an autumn night with Zarenna that ended in fire and death.

    Sonia¡¯s legs shook, and she jumped when something scurried past their group, letting out the start of a shriek before she champed a hand over her mouth. Inva¡¯s magelight followed the dark shape, but didn¡¯t catch whatever it was, and only succeeded in tossing shadows around the four of them.

    Ahead, Paladin Inva held up a hand for the group to stop. ¡°Are you alright, Sonia?¡±

    Scrunching her eyes shut, Sonia nodded. It¡¯s just a rat. I saw plenty of them on the ship ride here.

    The thought brought little comfort in the dark of the tunnel.

    ¡°Can she even fight?¡± Priest Herron asked irritably.

    ¡°I saw how you jumped at that rat, Priest,¡± Firalex teased.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question. We are walking into danger and I must know if we are to have an ally or a burden. I¡¯ve already gone further than I ought to in aiding you all.¡±

    ¡°Sonia¡¯s a crack shot with her crossbow,¡± Inva replied evenly. ¡°And once again, I thank you for accepting our call for aid.¡±

    Priest Herron huffed. ¡°Can she hit a shot while shaking like a leaf?¡±

    Sonia took a deep breath and opened her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m right here, Priest Herron. You can address me directly.¡± She placed a hand on her upper arm to stop the shaking. Inva was right¡­ but so was Priest Herron.

    That same priest, in vestments streaked with mud and worse, glared up at her. Soon, he forced his gaze elsewhere and sighed. ¡°My¡­ apologies Sonia. These past months have been¡­ trying for me. Much of how I see the world needs to change, and it is not a simple matter.¡±

    Sonia smiled thinly. ¡°Thank you for putting forth the effort, Priest Herron.¡±

    The old man grunted in acknowledgement.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Sonia exhaled again. ¡°Fira? Inva?¡±

    Firalex chuckled. ¡°Me? I¡¯m the most at home down here out of all of you. Despite his looks, Rodrick¡¯s the one in his office all day. And I don¡¯t think the stakes are quite so high this time.¡±

    ¡°Did you think they were high last time?¡± Inva asked.

    At that, Firalex¡¯s smile vanished, and they ran a hand through their short-cut red hair. ¡°No, we didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯d best proceed with the utmost caution, hmm?¡± Priest Herron asked. ¡°Which we should do shortly¡ªmy vestments are only getting filthier, and unlike you lot, I am no spring chicken.¡±

    Sonia stifled a laugh at the old man¡¯s drooping mustache, and his glare only made the effort harder.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll resume,¡± Inva said. ¡°Stay behind me, and be ready for anything. After all, we¡¯re not certain if our opponent is a greater demon, or merely someone who¡¯s been corrupted.¡±

    Sonia bit her lip at that word, and the expression didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Inva winced.

    ¡°That word bothers you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Surprisingly, it was Priest Herron who spoke up. ¡°I can see why, but what else can we say? You know how it affects most minds, even if demon-blooded do not suffer so.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Sonia whispered. ¡°Changed, maybe?¡±

    ¡°I like it,¡± Fira said with a shrug.

    ¡°It could work,¡± Inva answered with a genuine smile. ¡°But why don¡¯t we have this talk in a brighter place later. For now, let¡¯s go stop that demon, or that changed.¡±

    Sonia nodded sharply. ¡°Yeah.¡± She took a deep breath, shakiness fading, and followed after Inva. Unlike most priests and priestesses, Sonia didn¡¯t have holy magic. Her only magic was fire and she could hardly do more than light an oil lamp.

    But she¡¯d made it anyway. Through sheer determination¡ªwhich she needed right now.

    It was tenuous, but it was enough. Sonia focused on the squishing sound her footsteps made against the wet stone, trying her best to keep an even rhythm in time with her heart. I will be okay. We can do this.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Eventually, the group came to a halt. A sodden, tilting wooden structure that looked like a cross between a staircase and a ladder led up from a side alcove to a trapdoor. From within, light spilled through cracks between the boards. Sound followed, muffled conversation and¡­ chanting?

    Actual chanting?

    Sonia shivered in the warm, damp air. Wordlessly, Inva motioned for the pair to move forward. Sonia knew the plan. Inva would rush in, she and Herron would flank, and Firalex would provide support from the rear.

    Sonia held her breath; Inva gave the signal.

    The sound of splintering wood rang in Sonia¡¯s ears past when they rushed in. Past the shouts turning to screams, and the blood.

    Past the fire and the spindly, twisted man who stared at her; into her.

    She shook her head and he stumbled. Other sound flooded in, and Sonia felt the smooth wood in her hands, taut and ready. Inva was shouting at her, but Sonia couldn¡¯t find the words to shout back.

    The shot was open. Other bodies had already fallen, and Sonia felt sick. She raised the crossbow, and the man, almost rat-like and seemingly smaller now, flinched.

    He¡¯s fast.

    The bolt had fired sometime during Sonia¡¯s thought. Time and sound seemed to push back into full when it sank into the man¡¯s shoulder. His screech hurt her ears, painful and¡­ not quite human.

    Their eyes met, his pale and wide. Then Inva crossed in front of him, arm moving quickly. The screech cut off, blood spattered the ceiling, and Sonia¡¯s world spun.

    She retched, shaking, and the rest of the night spun itself back up into a blur of sound and motion. Herron¡¯s cold, Firalex¡¯s steam, and Inva¡¯s comforting warmth.

    Sonia briefly remembered the Guard Captain¡¯s office, Lorton questioning her lightly, and the name ¡°Vink.¡±

    Was he who Sonia had shot? Or, Inva had killed? But Sonia had pulled the trigger, but he¡¯d been in her head or¡­

    She slipped away until morning, and woke up in her bed at Drin and Tren¡¯s place. To her side, a mess of blond locks rested, snoring lightly.

    Inva.

    Sonia¡¯s head pounded, that awful kind of headache that builds just behind your horns and vibrates up through them with each heartbeat. Her mouth was dry, and she desperately needed to vacate her bowels. Quiet as she could, Sonia slipped up in her nightgown and took care of herself, taking a second mug of water for Inva on her way back.

    When she returned, the paladin was still asleep, and Sonia noticed she was still wearing her underpadding from the night before.

    She can¡¯t be comfortable like that.

    Sonia was stronger than she looked, but she doubted she could move Inva without waking her. So instead, she took the room¡¯s other chair and pulled up beside the paladin. She set Inva¡¯s mug down on the nightstand and flicked her hand at the logs stacked in the fireplace.

    It took two tries and nearly exhausted Sonia, but they crackled to life. As the room warmed and the fire popped and crackled, Inva stirred to wakefulness.

    ¡°Sonia?¡± she half-asked, half-mumbled.

    ¡°Inva?¡±

    ¡°Sonia!¡± Inva jerked upright, making the demon-blooded glad she¡¯d not set the mug of water on the bed.

    Immediately, Sonia wrapped an arm around her friend. ¡°Inva, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Oh thanks Dhias. You¡­ you were really out of it. That envy-corrupted Vink bastard got into your head. I don¡¯t know why he chose you, but you shook it off, but you were so listless last night we were all worried¡ª¡±

    ¡°Inva, slow down!¡±

    ¡°Oh! Right, yes. Apologies.¡± Inva heaved a deep breath and pushed herself up off the floor.

    Sonia gestured to the bed and the paladin sat on the edge, trying not to look intently at the priestess¡¯s water. With a giggle, Sonia pointed to the mug on the nightstand.

    Inva took it and downed it on one go, breathing heavily. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay¡ªyou are okay, right?¡±

    Sonia nodded. ¡°I think so. Last night was¡­ a blur after you kicked the trapdoor in.¡±

    Inva nodded. ¡°Priest Herron said you showed astounding resilience in fending off demonic magic like that. He even treated you¡ªright there in the sewer.¡±

    ¡°He did?¡± Sonia searched her memories. His mustache stuck out, but¡­ that was it.

    Inva nodded. ¡°Yeah, he did. I think¡­ I think he might actually change.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    The paladin nodded again. ¡°Really. Maybe not all the way, but there¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to go against demon-blooded rights now.¡±

    The thought warmed Sonia¡¯s heart. ¡°Then¡­ what of Drin and Tren and the others? Did they succeed?¡±

    The paladin started to nod yet again, then stopped and put a hand against her neck. ¡°Owwow! Stiff. The others succeeded, yes. There was an avarice demon, and casualties though.¡±

    ¡°Are Drin and Tren¡­¡±

    ¡°Everyone we know made it out okay.¡±

    Sonia sighed. ¡°I feel bad for feeling relieved.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. You¡¯d grieve if you need to. And those who were lost are being grieved for.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Inva.¡± Sonia smiled, and the paladin smiled back. Somewhere out in the house, Sonia heard footsteps coming their way.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome! You still up to travel today?¡±

    ¡°Today!?¡±

    ¡°It was your schedule, Sonia.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Sonia groaned, ¡°Right. I¡­ can probably be ready. How much time do we have?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was asleep here with you.¡±

    Oh, right.

    Two thumps sounded against the bedroom door. ¡°Inva, Sonia, aren¡¯t you two leaving today? And are you alright, Sonia?¡± Drin said from outside. ¡°The breakfast Tren made is cold, but it¡¯s still downstairs if you want it.¡±

    ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Sonia asked. She glanced around the room, wishing she¡¯d been more organized during her stay.

    Drin chuckled. ¡°About an hour, I¡¯d say.¡±

    ¡°That should be sufficient, right?¡± Inva asked.

    Only an hour. ¡°Maybe? But we can¡¯t be sitting around!¡± Sonia bolted upright. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry!¡±

    ***

    Despite moderate panic, the priestess and paladin pair made it out to the caravan on time. With the recent spate of attacks, both from animals and people, fewer and larger caravans were traveling. Combine that with the season and snow, and if they¡¯d missed this chance, the pair would have likely had to walk.

    Only when they¡¯d sat down, bags off, did they relax. They weren¡¯t even the latest arrival. Just as the wheels started to roll, a dark-haired woman with a scar across her nose hopped up onto the space beside them, slinging a full-looking bag into the back. She wore a Gelles Company uniform, but Sonia couldn¡¯t recall seeing her around the city.

    ¡°Hi!¡± Sonia greeted, sticking her hand out. ¡°Looks like you made it just in time. I¡¯m Sonia, and she¡¯s Inva.¡±

    The dark-haired woman looked up at her, and back the way she¡¯d come, almost seeming unsure. ¡°...I¡¯m Paula,¡± she answered slowly, taking Sonia¡¯s slender hand in her own callused one. ¡°Can¡­ can we talk?¡±

 Chapter 165: Sisters Again

    The next day and a half were different. Warmth had returned to Kartania in a way I couldn¡¯t really describe. My sister talked more, and we reminisced about old adventures.

    And about Abby.

    My sister and I hadn¡¯t really spoken about her since we¡¯d reunited. She was a sort of missing presence. There, through me, in some small way, but a notable physical void. The person who¡¯d always spoken up with an idea, always had a plan, always kept things moving.

    She¡­ those were our responsibilities now. In Abby¡¯s absence, we cleared the road and talked about life. We even had a snowball fight, and demonic reflexes could only help so much when the other person could control your own snowballs midair. Kartania learned of the island, and of how I met Seyari. I learned of her time under strict tutors; long hours and defied expectations that got her where she was now.

    And I felt a growing pit in my stomach about how she¡¯d, at least symbolically, thrown all that aside for my sake back in Astrye. We¡¯d already talked about that, in detail. My commitment to her, and her to changing the Church, however sunk that cost was.

    But there was still an undercurrent of uneasy anticipation. An anxiety that hid a sharp edge of worry behind our fun.

    And so, as we descended the stretch toward the farms on the outskirts of the city, I shifted back to my human appearance. From here on out, we could easily expect armed resistance.

    Thankfully, blessedly, we didn¡¯t, and the road was clear. Not as clear as we could make it, but anyone who walked even a little way into the forest would see our handiwork, and throwing a lot of fire around without warning seemed like a bad idea.

    ¡°King Carvalon must have had a hand in this,¡± I commented softly, even though there was no realistic chance of being overheard from any of the distant, sleepy farmhouses that curled smoke up from ancient chimneys.

    ¡°You and I both know he dislikes the Church. That¡¯s not a secret.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the narrative that he doesn¡¯t trust them after the great fire?¡±

    ¡°Performatively. Everyone knows there¡¯s more to it.¡±

    I hummed in response. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re parting closer to the city?¡±

    ¡°As soon as the road splits.¡±

    ¡°Will that put you in danger?¡±

    Kartania shrugged. ¡°Unless they send a high priest, my capabilities will be enough to keep things¡­ civil.¡±

    I growled despite myself.

    ¡°Zarenna, don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried for me. Thank you¡ªI mean it. But this is something I need to do for myself. Your presence wouldn¡¯t make violence less likely anyway.¡±

    I winced. ¡°Yeah, I know. Just¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°We already talked about this¡ªmany times.¡±

    Kartania nodded. ¡°But¡­ it does still make me nervous.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s reassuring.¡± I chuckled nervously, then spied a fork in the road ahead. A smaller dirt path led between fields to the other road out this way, the one that led to the old fort and pass. I suddenly felt more acutely the metal of Tania¡¯s necklace, and reached up to brush the mother of pearl with a human finger.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading that way,¡± Tania said.

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s a smaller road, better for an ambush. I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    My sister exhaled heavily. ¡°Fine.¡±

    I was surprised she agreed, but I¡¯d learned not to push those things with her. ¡°Thanks, Tania.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Renna. Good luck, and may we meet again sooner rather than later.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could take another decade,¡± I admitted. ¡°Hug?¡±

    Kartania scanned the road ahead of us, looking between the many hiding places afforded by barns and homes and scattered windbreak groves of trees. She sighed, then barked a single laugh. ¡°Sure, Sister.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± I pulled her to me, acutely missing my lower arms and tail. ¡°Hugs aren¡¯t as good like this, but I¡¯m glad we reunited, Sis. Hopefully I¡¯ll see you in the next year or so?¡±

    Tania hugged me back, pressing her head into my side where another shoulder normally was. ¡°Hopefully indeed.¡± Then she surprised me by hugging harder, and I heard her breath hitch. ¡°Thank you, Sister. For coming back. Truly.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re welcome, Tania. Your big sister¡¯s not going anywhere this time.¡± I ran my hand through her hair and she shivered, then relaxed.

    We stayed like that for a long moment before Tania pulled away, her expression expertly schooled, but red-rimmed eyes giving much away. She smiled thinly. ¡°Until we meet again.¡±

    ¡°Until we meet again,¡± I repeated. ¡°Write if you can; you know where to reach me. And if you give a return location, I¡¯ll write you back. Maybe even fly over for a visit.¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Kartania giggled, then cut herself off. ¡°Perhaps. But¡­ let¡¯s not stretch this parting out, hmm?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen through my plan.¡±

    ¡°I have.¡±

    ¡°Go then.¡±

    Kartania nodded, and turned back down the main road. ¡°Good luck and good fortune, Sister.¡±

    ¡°You as well. I love you, Tania.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± I couldn¡¯t see her face, but I heard the faint whisper of ¡°And I, you.¡±

    And then I turned down the connector road, walked behind a barn, and was alone with my thoughts. My feet crunched snow as I avoided the well-trodden slush¡ªit was warmer today, just enough for a little bit of melt. Of course, that just meant more ice tomorrow. Though, my claws would stop me from slipping. And my inhuman balance and reaction time.

    I kept my ears perked for any signs of a fight. Despite Kartania telling me to stay out of it, I really had no intention of not helping her. Making sure I wasn¡¯t interfering with what she needed to do herself didn¡¯t extend to letting her die, after all.

    Even if she¡¯d probably be mad.

    Thankfully, no such sounds came, although the evening did. We¡¯d arrived late afternoon, close to evening, and when everyone was warm inside this far out. By the time I¡¯d made it to the city proper, it was dark, and the streets were almost empty. People gave me a wide berth, probably due to my stature.

    I should have headed first toward the king¡¯s castle, but instead I headed for the Gelles Company. A warm, free, bed called to me, and I did need to inform Arden, the Gelles Company¡¯s Linthel branch leader, of my new status as Marchioness.

    Ideally, I could keep some form of affiliation with them. The idea of all my legitimacy and backing hinging on King Carvalon didn¡¯t sit right. Even if we shared some similar goals, we were not the same. And even though, as a noble of Edath, he had power over me, I wasn¡¯t keen on giving myself entirely over as a subject.

    Perhaps that was just the Sovereign demon in me speaking.

    I continued on, through light snowfall, until I reached the Gelles Company branch. I encountered no Church forces, but then again, they might not have had time to marshal from Ordia, with all the restrictions that have been placed on their power in Linthel. Or perhaps Yevon was responsible.

    And there¡¯s another power figure I don¡¯t trust. Truthfully, I trusted Carvalon more than Yevon. I could understand the king¡¯s motives at least.

    I brushed snow off my shoulders and cleaned my boots in the brushes by the door, and walked toward the counter. Late as it was, I was pleasantly surprised I¡¯d made it in time, although I supposed they had to stay ready for members coming in needing beds at all hours.

    The clerk, a woman I didn¡¯t recognize, looked tired, and she blinked a couple of times at my height.

    ¡°Zarenna Miller. I¡¯d like a room for the night, and I have something urgent I need to discuss with Branch Leader Arden. Tonight if possible.¡±

    ¡°Give me a moment to check our records.¡± She stood up and walked to a back room, and I was left alone.

    I nodded, and waited. There was a standing clock in the lobby, and it ticked the seconds away while I waited. Acutely, I noticed I had no one to talk to. For so long, Seyari had always just been there, and even though this was just a temporary errand of sorts, and I could fly home to be with her before dawn, I felt a little lonely.

    ¡°Miss Miller?¡±

    Miss. Marchioness soon. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Here are keys to your room. It¡¯s room 305, just up the stairs to the right. Branch Leader Arden will meet with you tonight, if you hurry. Do you need directions?¡±

    ¡°No, I know where to go. Thanks.¡± I took the keys and exited through a side door, walking in silence to a familiar office.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯d say I don¡¯t believe it, but I find myself hardly surprised.¡± Arden sighed, leaning back in his chair. ¡°If, however, the Church officially disputes your story surrounding High Priest Grants¡¯s death, we¡¯re in no position to try to shelter you against them.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, as to your continued position within the company? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re right¡ªyou can¡¯t be a normal member while also nobility. You can, however, support the Company financially and with manpower. As a benefactor, and an honorary, non-working member.¡±

    I clicked my tongue in lieu of scratching at a horn. I¡¯d, of course, slipped out of my human guise as Arden knew full well what I was. ¡°Why is that the case, if I may ask?¡±

    ¡°Power dynamics. Already, as powerful and influential as you were, it was a stretch to keep you on in your position. With a real noble title behind you? It wouldn¡¯t be fair to others competing for work, or in terms of equality of living conditions, pay, and social standing.¡±

    ¡°That last one in particular makes a lot of sense. Alright, then: can I at least stay here tonight? My guess is that a formal announcement will follow my visit to the king tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Have you requested to see the king yet?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Arden sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, Marchioness Miller. You retreating to a benefactor position will be a relief to me. I won¡¯t have to take partial responsibility for your irreverence.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t assume I can¡¯t be just as wonderful as a noble benefactor!¡±

    Arden glared at me, despite my countenance. ¡°I¡¯ve had¡­ a long day, Mi-Marchioness Miller. Please let me have hope.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± I waved both my left hands. ¡°Is that all the necessary business? I assume I¡¯ll have things to sign in the morning, and we can talk later if I am able to spare any resources. Astrye isn¡¯t exactly prosperous or wealthy.¡±

    ¡°It is, and I understand. Good night, Marchioness.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Branch Leader.¡± I stood and nodded, before sweeping my way out the door and back down the hallway toward the residential dorms.

    ***

    One (metaphorically) cold and lonely night later, and one sad and lonely breakfast later, I found myself waiting to see the king. Getting in was simple: I walked. And talked. Human form notwithstanding, I was rather noticeable and politely persistent. Throwing around my title helped, and I was very quickly recognized and ushered inside.

    Once in the vestibule, I found my thoughts drifting to Bourick and to that book Seyari wanted. Ignoring what I was about to do, I felt almost content to be on a pleasant visiting trip and running errands for my wife. Something mundane and wholesome, despite that I¡¯d be flying home on wings of fire.

    I didn¡¯t appreciate the small room¡¯s decorations, but I did notice that I¡¯d certainly seen gaudier, and a painting of the castle on its hill was a pleasant enough point in space to stare at while I tried to mentally prepare for my meeting.

    Ask about my title, then my responsibilities and autonomy. Marquesses and Marchionesses had greater autonomy often as they controlled border provinces. In this case, we knew hostiles in the form of Mordwell, and potentially Envy and Avarice, existed beyond the known hills.

    I also made a quick mental note to ask what to call Seyari. Were we both Marchioness? Furthermore, what was our daughter, Joisse?

    More than that, even, I needed to ask after staffing requirements, how I¡¯d report in, and what would be done about the incident with High Priest Grants. Meeting other nobility was also assumed, and that was something Seyari couldn¡¯t really teach me and Kartania knew only superficially. Astrye was distant enough to be almost its own nation: a land settled by Edathans and¡­ I needed a term for the Lupaels who lived there as well. Being Lupael was not necessarily a prerequisite for their culture, and neither was it excluded from being Edathan.

    I was still mentally kicking myself, stuck on this one point of error I could have easily avoided, when a servant told me King Carvalon was ready to receive me.

    Thoughts spiraling toward a jumbled mess, I muttered an affirmative and rose, piecing things back together as best I could on the walk to a familiar throne room. Don¡¯t screw this up, Zarenna!

 Chapter 166: Noble Proposal

    Like the last time, King Carvalon and I were alone in his throne room. And also like last time, he wore neat, elegant clothing that very nearly understated his title with a lack of pomp.

    Cold blue eyes met mine, and he smiled. Or, he made a smile¡ªthe look had a carefully practiced ambiguity to it that served to snap my attention fully on him. This was a man who¡¯d spent decades pretending to be a vapid dullard, and was now a reasonably well-liked, but draconian king.

    The problems I had with him, now or in the future, and for the interest of my own homeland, could not be solved with fire or claw. A game of elegant social cues and statements with vicious, twisting subtext was his.

    I¡¯m not subtle enough for this. But, as Seyari told me, bluntness may be a hammer when no other tool will do. And no one expects a hammer at a tea party.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty,¡± I intoned, then bowed low.

    ¡°Greetings, Marchioness Miller.¡± There was a pleased hum at the end of my title. ¡°For what reason have you sought audience.¡±

    This is more formal than the last time. ¡°I have received your messenger and title both, and come to you as your marchioness, to ask of my duties and expectations, beyond what I have found at home in Astrye.¡± I was careful enough to choose my words, and that I chose home did not go unnoticed.

    ¡°Home?¡±

    ¡°It is to be if I am to be Marchioness of Astrye.¡±

    ¡°A noble thought. It appears I¡¯ve chosen well. As to your other duties¡­¡± King Carvalon leaned forward on his throne, and I couldn¡¯t tell if he was feigning eagerness or hiding it. ¡°You are to protect Astrye from incursion, and raise its prominence. Furthermore, I suspect that, without my influence, you will serve well to balance the nobility of this kingdom.¡±

    I noticed as well that he didn¡¯t say ¡°my.¡± Truly a voice of the people, or just a fa?ade?

    ¡°To this end, there are already rumors that I ennobled a demon in Astrye. A demon that killed a High Priest of Dhias.¡± The king¡¯s voice held an edge. ¡°What made you think such an overt act acceptable?¡±

    ¡°He gave me little choice. I gave him plenty.¡±

    King Carvalon hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t disbelieve you. I knew of this High Priest, and I assure you he has few friends in Edath. That he was sent as aid to the south was a gesture meant to cause offense. He was, after all, involved against us in the war.¡±

    ¡°Is that why the Church of Dhias didn¡¯t accost me when I returned to the city?¡±

    ¡°Did I give you permission to speak?¡±

    ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡±

    King Carvalon smirked, and it irked me. ¡°Regardless of your unfamiliarity with etiquette, you are correct¡ªpartially. My own influence was involved. And no, I do not expect reciprocation. You are my subject and a noble, Marchioness Zarenna Miller, and I have my duties to you just as you do to me.¡±

    He wants something from me. So much for ¡°not expecting reciprocation.¡±

    ¡°As such, I will aid in your education and introduction into Edathan nobility. There is a ball for the winter solstice, to be hosted in two weeks at Duke Reynard¡¯s estate. All Edathan nobility are invited, and most are expected to attend, as the Duchy of Norgath is the most influential in the Kingdom.

    ¡°They are also staunchly opposed to full independence, as their family has strong Ordian ties going back to before Edath was conquered.¡±

    I glared at King Carvalon and, to my surprise, he paused, gesturing for me to speak. ¡°What, precisely, will you have me do?¡± I said, growling a little.

    ¡°I will have you attend the ball, of course.  With or without an escort.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    King Carvalon laughed a hollow laugh. ¡°Yes, Marchioness Miller. That is all. I know you, more than you know, and I know that you speak your mind. I fully expect you will not be trained in all the subtleties of the bullshit games played by those with more power than sense. In that, I look forward to the results.¡±

    So he wants me to be the source of some kind of incident or conflict. He wants me to make a splash and he thinks he knows what and why. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll tell me your goal?¡±

    ¡°I already have. You will likely be opposed to Duke Reynard as well, and he you. Although I do advise you to attend at least nominally in your human form. I don¡¯t particularly wish to deal with a panic as large as you could cause, Demon Marchioness of Astrye.

    ¡°For the next two weeks, you will stay here in my castle. I have tutors and tailors prepared. You will learn of the most important nobility in detail and the others in passing. For the event, a dress will be prepared.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°How did you know I¡¯d be coming here?¡±

    ¡°A good guess, nothing more.¡±

    I restrained the urge to growl louder. ¡°May I get a message to my family? My wife and daughter.¡±

    ¡°¡­You may. I was unaware you had adopted.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing the necessary paperwork in Astrye to make everything official.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, a message can be arranged, at the very least. Do you plan to attend with Seyari?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. Mordwell is somewhere south with at least one powerful demon. She is staying behind to help defend if needed.¡±

    ¡°Understandable given the situation. Very well then; pen a message and it will be sent.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±

    King Carvalon waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. ¡°If that is all, please leave the way you came. A servant will take you to your temporary quarters and explain your schedule.¡±

    I rose, then stopped. ¡°Actually, Your Majesty, there is one more thing.¡±

    ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°If I am Marchioness Miller, what should my wife, Seyari¡¯s, title be?¡±

    King Carvalon looked down at me, and I looked up at him. Silence dragged out, uncomfortably long in the cavernous throne room. ¡°Marchioness,¡± he answered.

    ¡°But we¡¯re both Marchioness Miller¡­¡±

    ¡°You have different personal names.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°You are dismissed, Zarenna Miller.¡±

    I opened my mouth again and snapped it shut. Nodding, I rose, bowed again, and turned to leave the way I came in. If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll just have to come up with something.

    The moment I walked out, I was approached by two servants: Edathan women in plain, earth-toned dresses with practiced smiles and hair pulled into buns. No guards, I noticed, but that made sense. Trying to stop me would be difficult, and presenting a force easily capable of it would draw far too much attention. At the very least, he trusts me not to act like a typical wrath demon¡ªa step up from many.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Marchioness Miller,¡± one of the servants said, the taller of the two who had piercing green eyes. ¡°Please follow us. We¡¯ve been informed that you need a dress for an upcoming event, that you will be staying the week as a guest of King Carvalon, and that you are to receive lessons on the nobility of the Kingdom and etiquette both.¡±

    I blinked at the rapid-fire wall of words, then nodded, taking a quick step to keep up with the pair who¡¯d already turned away. ¡°Yes, that is my understanding.¡±

    Truthfully, I wanted to get home to Astrye¡ªI¡¯m already thinking of it as home, aren¡¯t I¡ªbut I understood the necessity. This was a chance to enter myself into noble society, to gain connections and take the first step towards influence. That King Carvalon had forced it upon me suddenly, on his schedule rather than mine irked me. More than irked, it pissed me off. But I understood why the King did this.

    I am the Sovereign of Wrath. In order to demonstrate that I am under his control, he pulled me in a direction to see what would happen. Like a good horse being steered, I obeyed without stirrups. Frustrating as it was to play the part of a docile subject, at the same time, I had no conflict with him¡­ well no rational conflict, assuming he was at least mostly truthful. That he trusts a demon to any extent points in that direction.

    In short, I am an exceedingly powerful subject of a King leading a fractious court. As an ally, I could bolster his position, but there would be whispers and rumors. Perhaps even that I was controlling him. And so, my status as Sovereign at the very least needed to stay secret for now, and I needed to obey whatever my king asked of me. That he¡¯d asked for something simple could be seen as an olive branch. One that I was inclined to take, and would follow through with provided his demands were kept reasonable. But he¡¯d need to push me to maintain legitimacy.

    Acceptable¡ªfor now.

    As we walked through lavish halls and I thought about power dynamics of a scale I¡¯d never imagined acting within, I noticed the first maid glancing my way, while the other not-so-subtly stared up at me.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±

    The maid flushed red and quickly looked away. ¡°N-no, Marchioness. I¡­ it is just that you are very tall.¡±

    I fought to turn a giggle into an elegant-sounding chuckle. What came out was a snort, and the maid jumped a little, missing a step and very nearly stumbling.

    ¡°My apologies. I didn¡¯t mean to disparage you.¡± This time I managed the chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m tall¡ªand big. They¡¯ll probably have to use more fabric for my dress than for a pair of curtains, and short doorways give me a very real headache.¡±

    Both maids glanced up at my joke, and I tapped my forehead with a finger. The maid who¡¯d been staring at me¡ªdarker-eyed and darker-haired than the other, politely stifled a giggle. I noticed now that she was probably a decade or so younger than the one leading.

    The older of the pair glared at me for a moment, then turned and continued walking, no doubt unwilling to issue me a reproach. ¡°Please continue to follow; we¡¯re almost there. The tailor will take your measurements, and she may ask you some questions about your preferences.¡±

    ¡°What about after? Do I have anything this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°Not that I am aware of. The royal tailor was available and able to be summoned at your arrival. It will take more time to organize your lessons.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a few days?¡±

    The older maid shook her head without turning around, then stopped at a door. ¡°I cannot make a claim.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow probably!¡± the younger maid chirped, walking around me to stand by the other. She looked a lot more relaxed than at first impression. ¡°Tutor Mowen will probably be excited for an adult student.¡±

    ¡°Mary!¡± The older maid hissed, then bowed her head. ¡°My apologies for any impropriety, Marchioness.¡±

    Now this was behavior I wasn¡¯t used to. But I need to be at least somewhat regal. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I prefer to speak candidly, and appreciate the same.¡± I offered a small smile that was rebuffed by one and matched by the other. ¡°Is this the door?¡±

    The older maid nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She reached up and knocked on the door. ¡°Marchioness Miller is here for her fitting.¡±

    ¡°Come in,¡± replied a bored-sounding voice.

    In my head, I¡¯d imagined Elena, the tailor who¡¯d made my dress in Port Princely what seemed like a lifetime ago. Instead, as we walked in, I saw a stern-looking older woman, with long graying hair tied loosely behind her.

    The dark blue dress she wore was traditional¡ªnot so outdated as to feature more hard construction than a chapel roof, but she was either very slim or fancied her corsets tighter than tourniquets.

    Led between the maids, I inclined my head. In response, the tailor¡¯s mouth dropped open.

    ¡°You¡¯re huge!¡±

    I raised my head, eyes wide with surprise at the tailor¡¯s outburst. ¡°No, I¡¯m Marchioness Miller.¡± The terrible joke was the first thing that came to mind and it slipped out without warning like errant gas.

    To my immense relief, the tailor smiled where the senior maid frowned. She held in a snort. ¡°Where are my manners? I am Countess Veronika Elstein, and I do much of the royal tailoring. My apologies if my outburst offended you, but you have to be the tallest woman I have ever seen.¡±

    In response, I shrugged and walked in further. ¡°I can believe that. Where do you want me to stand?¡± For the first time, I looked around the room. It looked¡­ well, like a sitting room, curtains drawn closed such that only thin threads of sunlight danced across lush carpets and plush furniture. A partition was set up in one corner, next to an open armoire. The top of it probably didn¡¯t quite reach my shoulder.

    ¡°In the center. You¡¯ll have to disrobe eventually, and you can either wait until necessary and make this process longer, or you can do it now. We¡¯re both women anyway.¡± Countess Elstein said in a snippy tone. But¡­ I could feel a little bit of mirth under her words.

    ¡°We leave her in your care then, Countess Elstein,¡± the older maid said with a bow. ¡°Come, Mary.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    The two maids left as swiftly as we entered, leaving me alone in a room with the countess. For a moment, I thought about trying to maintain my modesty for longer, but¡­ eh, screw it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll disrobe now, if that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Preferred, in fact. Let me see if I have a ribbon long enough.¡± She gestured to the privacy screen.

    I supposed there was a sort of benefit to having a private place to disrobe, and I quickly stepped behind it, working out of my clothes. My symbol and gem stood out on my chest, unhidden by fabric.

    Right, that.

    I usually kept myself well-covered, so the fact that my human transformation didn¡¯t hide my symbol was something I¡¯d honestly forgotten. There were dress designs to get around that easily enough, but I¡¯d have to explain something to the countess.

    ¡°Do you have a style in mind?¡± I asked as I ducked low enough to try to make the screen do its job¡ªand to buy myself more time.

    ¡°Are you dreading wearing what I am?¡± came the response, in amongst shuffling noises.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered bluntly. ¡°I¡¯d like something more modern. Closer to a chemise than an architectural marvel.¡±

    Countess Elstein chuckled. ¡°My, you are an interesting one, Marchioness Miller. I won¡¯t see you introduced in undergarments parading around as real clothing, but I suppose I can come up with something simpler in design. A large crinoline would be a mistake for someone of your stature, anyway¡ªunless you needed a tent.¡±

    ¡°My current tent is more than serviceable, thank you,¡± I said dryly, which earned a disturbingly-polite chuckle.

    ¡°Are you ready, dear?¡±

    I loosely folded the last of my clothing and took a deep breath. Funny enough, I wasn¡¯t nervous about parading my naked self in front of a stranger¡ªa professional, but a stranger. No, I was nervous about what I was going to tell her.

    The best lies always had a hint of truth in them, after all. Do not mention the gem, perhaps wear similar jewelry, and the symbol can be explained by a simple greater demon.

    A simple greater demon.

    I stood and walked out from behind cover, wearing the best smile I could muster.

    ¡°Ready!¡±

    Countess Elstein looked up, carrying a second marked ribbon, and she froze. ¡°My word. Are you drinking enough water, dear?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your muscles¡ªmy husband used to be a knight, you see. To show like that, you usually must¡ªI apologize, I should not be unprofessional.¡± She looked me up and down clinically. ¡°Your figure is, well, most women I work for would kill for proportions like yours. Your waist isn¡¯t so small, but with your height and musculature, it would look uncanny. And I¡¯m disinclined to try to ruin your stature with a thin waist anyway. Please, stand there and stretch out your arms.¡±

    I did as she asked, and she walked up next to me, then continued, ¡°I think I¡¯ll need a stool. Would you mind, dear?¡± She pointed to a step-stool along the rear wall.

    I walked over as asked, very careful about where I was facing when I bent down for it. On the way back, her eyes fixed below my neckline, right at my sternum. ¡°What a fascinating tattoo! Most women, nobility especially, shy away from such markings, but yours is so prominent. And that jewel! Is it¡­ embedded? Does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, no? I mean¡ªit is embedded and, no, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± I set the stool next to her and stood again with my arms out. ¡°How long will this take?¡±

    ¡°Not long at all!¡± She grinned. ¡°is what I usually say, but there¡¯s a lot of you to cover and I do wish I were a bit younger for some of these measurements. I may go against my own rules and ask you to hold the ribbon.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Countess Elstein got started, first measuring around my bust. ¡°Best get this out of the way. You know,¡± her eyes alighted again on my symbol, ¡°I think I might plunge the neckline a little, really show off your unique body art.¡±

    Oh no. ¡°No, really. I¡¯m fine if¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! Your beauty must shine through, and I will be sure to bring it out.¡±

    I stammered. Quick, Zarenna, think of something! She might not recognize the symbol, but someone else will for sure!

    Or¡­ I could tell her just a little bit more¡ªlike I¡¯d thought I would have to¡ªand get her on my side. I might also be able to get a demon-form compatible article, now or later. ¡°Countess Elstein,¡± I started.

    ¡°Yes, dear?¡± she mumbled, a pin in her mouth as she fixed one ribbon in place.

    ¡°Would you mind if I told you a little more about my tattoo?¡±

 Chapter 167: Enchanted Fixtures

    ¡°Not at all!¡± Countess Elstein replied.

    I bit my lip. Some part of me was really hoping she¡¯d say ¡°no.¡± It wasn¡¯t going to happen; she was going to be interested in my symbol¡ªhad already shown interest.

    And so, I needed to think on my feet. Well, actually I¡¯d had plenty of time to think earlier, but I hadn¡¯t. Thankfully, Countess Elstein seemed content to work on, measuring and humming and scratching notes down.

    Originally, I¡¯d just intended to tell her what I was but¡­ such openness would only serve to deprive me of a useful tool later. Or so Seyari would have probably told me. Or my sister, or Taava.

    So I chickened out.

    ¡°It¡¯s a personal thing,¡± I said semi-truthfully. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to keep it obscured, if possible.¡±

    ¡°Truly? But such a gem must have come at no small expense. Why would you wish to hide it?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s personal.¡±

    Countess Elstein hummed thoughtfully, looping the ribbon around one of my arms. In that moment, I almost caved and told her. Tossed off my human guise right then and there and asked to get tail and arm measurements. Arm measurements for my lower pair, that is. I assumed they were the same size, but it would pay to¡ª

    ¡°We each have our secrets,¡± the countess said, interrupting my thoughts. Disappointment was evident in her tone. ¡°Disappointing¡ªand not just for hiding your tattoo. You have beautiful collarbones, and while a risqu¨¦ neckline might not have been the most elegant idea, I daresay you could pull it off.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not looking to attract gazes anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Married.¡±

    Countess Elstein looked up from studying her notes. ¡°Who¡¯s the lucky guy? I¡¯d imagine most men would be intimidated by your size. Also, we¡¯re almost done¡ªI just need to check your left wrist again.¡±

    ¡°Girl,¡± I replied reflexively.

    ¡°Oh my!¡± she looped the ribbon around my wrist. ¡°Lucky girl then.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I feel like I¡¯m the lucky one.¡±

    Countess Elstein sighed. ¡°Love, then. Too rare in noble circles¡ªI¡¯m one of the lucky ones¡ªalthough I suppose your title was earned rather than inherited. My husband earned his title, too¡ªin the war¡ªand suddenly everything changed. To be honest, I¡¯m still not entirely used to living as a noble, but you do get used to things.

    ¡°Well, everything except what on Varra to do with your days. Tailoring has always been both my passion and trade, and County Carrin is close to here¡ªas I¡¯m certain you know.

    I did know. We¡¯d passed near their land on the way into Linthel from Gedon.

    ¡°Look at me rambling¡­¡± Countess Elstein continued with a small laugh. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, you know. Tell me if I¡¯m carrying on too much. Anyway, we¡¯re done! With the measuring at least. Get dressed, please, and we can talk styles¡ªI have a book with me and the illustrations are just wonderful.¡±

    I nodded and dressed myself behind the screen. While I was there, I had a moment to think. Countess Elstein had told me, well, rather a lot about herself. Was there a reason? Was I reading into this too deeply?

    I need allies. But¡­ I don¡¯t know if she could be one yet, although a commonality of ¡°low¡± birth¡­

    She rambled on purpose, didn¡¯t she?

    Did she?

    I shook away the idle thoughts and rejoined Countess Elstein, sitting down on a too-small sofa across a small, too-low table from her.

    She chuckled. ¡°My! I apologize if it¡¯s uncouth to say, but you do make the furniture seem small.¡±

    ¡°The furniture is small,¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± She opened a large, but not thick, book situated on the table. ¡°I have a few designs I¡¯d like you to consider¡ªbased on your proportions.¡±

    ¡°Sure. You saw my clothes. This is all¡­ new to me. Relatively.¡±

    She nodded, and pointed down at the open page to a¡­ wow that¡¯s a pretty dress! I wish I could have¡ªwait!

    ¡°I like that one. A lot.¡± I stared down at the dress: proud shoulders, elegant sleeves, a laced bodice, and layered, warm looking skirts below.

    ¡°I thought you might,¡± the royal tailor replied smugly. ¡°Your shoulders are an asset. Well, everything is with you, lucky girl, but your shoulders are strong. This plays on that, emphasizing your height through the lacing and sleeves, while the skirts are staggered, preventing you from looking like a tall curtain.¡±

    Intent, I nodded along, eyes still on the dress.

    She flipped several pages¡ªsome designs poofy or frilly, and a couple nearly as revealing as my purple dress from Elena. All of them were more complex, and understandably so. These designs would be worn potentially by royalty! Even¡­ pfft¡ªeven that one.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Countess Elstein caught me giggling. ¡°That one was a special request¡ªI really should take it out of here.¡±

    ¡°Is it made of bows? What¡¯s with all the ribbons?¡±

    The royal tailor sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s move on. How about this one?¡±

    Oooh, another good design!

    From there, Countess Elstein showed me another two designs, neither of which caught my eye as much as the first one.

    ¡°Do you have any colors in mind? I can give some suggestions, if you like, or take a base color or concept and work with it.¡±

    Nodding, I thought about color schemes. Crimson skin was unusual in what colors it tended to go with. Except, I was going to be wearing this as a human. Fine enough.

    ¡°Something that brings out my eyes,¡± I answered vaguely, absentmindedly feeling Tania¡¯s necklace. ¡°Oh, and something that matches this!¡± I lifted the keepsake and leaned forward.

    Countess Elstein offered a half smile. ¡°A quaint piece. I assume it holds sentimental value?¡±

    ¡°Yes, very much so.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Silver and white¡ªdark silver at that. Silver already goes with your eyes and hair quite nicely; you¡¯d look terrible in gold. What about¡­ blue, a shade darker than your eyes, for the primary color. For your first social event, black and white should both be avoided, but a dark gray could also work.

    ¡°Personally, I think the blue would best bring out your eyes, and be a little less somber. Then, for the accent color, we can use a brighter silver than the metal. And finally, pearls for the jewels. We can use topaz and silver for accent jewelry, and perhaps add a dark gray ruff to ward against the cold¡ªnot that this dress leaves much bare.

    ¡°Similarly, I think either accent-matching or dark gray shoes would be best. Would you like a heel? I assume not, but it¡¯s polite to ask.¡±

    Surprisingly, I found myself following along, the image of the dress building in my mind. ¡°Blue is good. I¡¯d also like the ruff, and you know what, I¡¯ll take heels. Make sure they can support my weight¡ªI¡¯m not so insecure as to deny that I must weigh at least double what an average woman does.¡±

    Countess Elstein chuckled. ¡°I can already guarantee you no one is taller¡ªthat I know of¡ªbut alright.¡±

    ¡°So, is King Carvalon covering this?¡±

    ¡°I thought you knew?¡±

    A shiver ran down my back like ice water.

    ¡°I¡¯m joking! I believe he is. Regardless, the alternative is that your estate will be charged and I do not think Astrye so poor it cannot afford this.¡±

    I folded my hands in front of me and raised my chin. ¡°The people of Astrye need much. If King Carvalon is not paying for this dress, then my apologies, but I will go in the one dress I do have.¡±

    ¡°I will be sure to pass on your message.¡±

    Deflating, I relaxed into my seat, suddenly remembering what I¡¯d wanted to ask before being distracted by dresses. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me about Astrye anyway, Countess Elstein?¡±

    She shrugged in a practiced motion, the hints of a frown that¡¯d been forming returning to neutral age lines of her face. ¡°I¡¯m here as a tailor, not as a countess, dear. Would it not be uncouth of me to ask such a thing without expecting to divulge my own secrets? Though, I think it would be lovely to chat a while. I¡¯ve heard through the grapevine that you led quite the offensive removing some demons from Astrye, and I would love to introduce you to my husband sometime before Duke Reynard¡¯s ball. Tea tomorrow, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Will I have time?¡±

    ¡°Later in the week then. You¡¯ll hear from me.¡± She smiled, this time genuinely. ¡°If that is all, you really should get going. I imagine Tina and Mary are more than ready to continue.¡±

    They¡¯re still out in the hallway!? Immediately, I was glad I hadn¡¯t spilled all the beans yet. Soon enough, rumors would start flowing, but the claim that a marchioness is a demon combined with how few people travel between Astrye and the rest of Edath would buy me time before the fact was widely known.

    Or, more hopefully, ease people into it. After all, I was done hiding. All this nobility stuff amounted to nothing more than a very serious game; the real stakes were with Envy and Styrix. And perhaps the Church of Dhias, to a lesser extent.

    ¡°I should go then. Thank you, Countess Elstein.¡± I rose and inclined my head¡ªhopefully the right amount of respect.

    She bowed¡ªI¡¯d gotten it right.

    With as much confidence as I felt comfortable projecting, I left the room and strode back out into the hallway, closing the door behind me. Sure enough, the older maid, Tina I now knew, and Mary were waiting politely. The younger Mary smiled when she saw me, and I returned the gesture.

    ¡°It went well,¡± I said simply. ¡°Where to next?¡±

    ¡°Your temporary chambers,¡± Tina said with curt professionalism. ¡°I and Mary will show you how to use the enchanted fixtures.¡± With that she turned, and beckoned for me to follow.

    Enchanted fixtures¡­ While our rooms in the Knight¡¯s Rest had enchanted fixtures, the term made me think of Lilly. And it also made me realize that I should contact her and make sure everything was going well with the war in Navanaea, that it hadn¡¯t reached Sandmeadow. I also hope Aretan is well.

    The Sovereign of Lust had said she had agents in a lot of places, so perhaps Taava, Seyari, or Nelys could help me out. Lilly surely didn¡¯t have eyes in Astrye already or I¡¯d have heard from her.

    The walk from where I¡¯d been measured to my chambers was a short one. The first door we entered led simply to a smaller hallway; two doors sat opposite each other to the sides, and a window at the end let late morning sunlight flow down the lavish, dark blue carpet.

    ¡°Here are your chambers. To the right are your bedroom and bathroom, and to the left is your sitting room.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Tina.¡±

    The older woman nodded sharply. ¡°Follow me. Mary, would you do the demonstrations, please?¡±

    ¡°What demonstrations?¡± I asked as Tina opened the bedroom door.

    ¡°The bath, sink, and¡­¡±

    I stopped paying attention to what Tina was saying, because the room was lavish. If King Carvalon wore outfits that trended toward the practical, this was where all the excess opulence went. Silver-tasseled, blue curtains had been pulled aside to reveal a lavish, four-poster bed done with white sheets and dark wood. Each post was intricately carved, and the eyes of some of the beasts depicted were inset with jewels.

    The rest of the room followed a similar pattern: blues, whites, silver, and dark wood. It was all very¡­ Edathan. In colors, at least. The wealth on display here was enough to make me feel uncomfortable, and I suspected that was the point. To what end, I couldn¡¯t guess.

    While I gawped in a manner most unladylike, Mary opened the bathroom. Inside was all porcelain and silver and wood so polished I could have used it as a mirror. I only just stopped myself from activating aura sight. Having that ability was one thing; showing off demonic eyes to an observant, clinical maid was another. Instead, I steeled myself and vowed to remain observant until my tour was done.

    The sentiment was nice, but I kept getting distracted along the way. The bath was a giant, claw-footed thing, big enough for two people; and as such, it was big enough for me alone. Indoor plumbing that ran hot or cold and carried away wastewater was followed by a tour of the sitting room that included a fireplace I could light via its own enchantment. Provided the servants didn¡¯t prepare the fire, that is.

    The bedroom had a similar, if slightly smaller fireplace, and we ended the tour with a notice that lunch would arrive at noon and dinner at sundown. Given the amount of my day remaining, I asked after leaving between lunch and dinner.

    Tina explained that, as a guest, I was not bound to my chambers, although many areas were off-limits. I was, however, expected to return for dinner.

    Leash extended, I waited through a diminutive, but delicious lunch and soon found myself once again out on the streets of Linthel, with the rest of the daylight to visit Bourick, find a book for Seyari, and scope out places I might be able to use to contact Lilly when I wasn¡¯t surely being followed.

 Chapter 168: Spine

    Bourick¡¯s shop was proof the old smith was doing great business. Not a line out the door¡ªa smithy was hardly the type of place for crowds like that. Rather, the inside of his shop that I¡¯d previously thought so large was a lot smaller with half a dozen people crowded inside.

    The smith himself was currently helping someone else, but I noticed his eyes move to me as my entrance jangled the bell over the door. That I was a head taller than anyone else in the shop probably also helped. I waved, and he nodded slightly, eyes moving back to the man he was helping.

    Patiently, I loitered around, glancing at various odds and ends. A set of metal rings whose purpose I didn¡¯t know reminded me of the tail jewelry and weaponry I¡¯d tried in Lockmoth. The difficulty of both making something strong enough, and having it stay on meant that weaponry would need a significant magical component. A silver ring for style¡ªor a set of concentric ones¡ªwould look really pretty.

    As I browsed, I listened unintentionally to the conversations around me. Nothing other than the usual comments about my height. Nothing directly disparaging, but¡­ Well no one seemed to think my height ¡°unfortunate¡± without my human guise to make it seem unusual. Bah, no use worrying myself over such things.

    Eventually, the shop cleared enough that Bourick was freed.

    Waving, I walked over. ¡°Hi Bourick! Do you have a minute?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Not really, but I can talk out here a minute. I take it your trip to the south went well enough?¡±

    ¡°It did.¡± I nodded. ¡°I wanted to ask about setting up my own smithy in Astrye. A hobby, of course¡ªI¡¯m not meaning to compete with you.¡±

    That got a deeper laugh out of him. ¡°I know a few people. We could work something out, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give it away.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you to! Things¡­ happened and I have money and a place now. Good things, I assure you, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not fit for a public conversation, eh?¡±

    Sheepishly, I nodded again.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright, Renna. Honestly, it makes me happy you came to me and that you¡¯ve let me know you¡¯re alright. Your friends are alright, too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And thanks, Bourick.¡±

    ¡°For?¡±

    ¡°For a lot of things, but right now? For just being here, and for offering to help with a smithy for me in Astrye.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re staying out there then? Bourick smiled widely. ¡°And I never agreed to the smithy, you know.¡±

    ¡°I know. And yeah, I¡¯ll be staying in Astrye for the foreseeable future.¡±

    ¡°Hope you don¡¯t want the smithy until spring then.¡±

    ¡°Tania and I cleared the pass.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ what?¡±

    Some of the other customers turned at my words, even as Bourick looked at me incredulously.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a lot of snow. She¡¯s an ice mage and I¡¯m fire. It wasn¡¯t too bad¡ªand it¡¯s going to still be a tough trip right now.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± someone interrupted. ¡°Did you really clear the pass?¡±

    ¡°Yep! But it¡¯s still treacherous with the weather this time of year.¡±

    ¡°Still, if that¡¯s true¡­ thank you miss! It must have taken quite a long time! Pity the king never sees fit to clear it. I¡¯ve extended family out that way, you know.¡±

    At that, I scratched my chin. Definitely not my horns that weren¡¯t there. I absolutely did not move my hand higher than my chin. ¡°Well I think that might change in the future. Word is that the March of Astrye has a proper leader now.¡±

    I had to hope Bourick got the implication.

    ¡°Oh, that would be wonderful! I hope he¡¯s Edathan, though.¡±

    Oh. Oh. I did not want to tackle that can of worms.

    Thankfully I wasn¡¯t the only one; Bourick cleared his throat. ¡°Is that all, Zarenna?¡±

    I almost asked for a tail ring, or to be fitted. Instead, I shrugged. ¡°All I can think of. Contact¡­ either the Gelles Company or send any correspondence to the inn in Astrye. I¡¯ll be in Linthel a few more days, but probably unavailable.¡±

    ¡°Simple enough. Good luck out there, Zarenna. Stay safe.¡±

    I offered Bourick a very real smile and excused myself. Thankfully no one pressed me with further questions and I escaped to the library unscathed.

    Linthel¡¯s public library was a rather grand building, and moreover it had survived the fire. Scorchmarks preserved on the brick of one side showed just how close the city had come to losing an institution. The library was a place I¡¯d gone as a child, even if sparingly, and I had nothing but fond memories for its tall ceilings, dimly-lit rows of shelves, and dusty-smelling reading rooms.

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    I hadn¡¯t even really noticed I¡¯d walked inside, not until a voice called out to me. ¡°Hello! Welcome! I haven¡¯t seen you here before, so let me know if you need any help. If you want to borrow a book, we¡¯ll need a deposit and a name for the card engraving.¡±

    Startled, I looked quickly toward the sound of the voice. A young-looking man with a bright white smile sat behind a desk topped with neat stacks of books. Long black bangs and fair features clashed with his overly-formal clothing. An open one was held in one hand, and the other was pushing his chair back, balancing it on the back two legs.

    ¡°Careful you don¡¯t fall over,¡± I chastised without thinking.

    ¡°Pfft! You sound like my mom. Seriously, though, you look spooked.¡±

    ¡°Just deep in thought, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen you around somewhere.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m hard to miss.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say! Don¡¯t worry though, tall girls are hot.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you?¡±

    ¡°Nah. You just looked like you could use a confidence booster. Romance is back and to the left, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re after.¡±

    I watched his chair rocking slightly, trying to piece together a response. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ well I¡¯m looking for an adventure novel that might have romance in it. It¡¯s by the same author as The Voyage of the Crimson Petrel.¡± Truthfully, I didn¡¯t remember the author¡¯s name.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good one! I think we might have something.¡±

    ¡°Could you¡ª¡± I cut myself off as the young man had already hopped up, chair landing neatly back on four legs.

    Deftly, he placed a bookmark in the novel he was reading and jogged around the desk, flipping up a sign that said ¡°Please Wait.¡± ¡°Follow me!¡±

    Numbly, I nodded and trotted along after the young man. ¡°Thanks, I guess. You¡¯re making this easy¡­¡±

    ¡°Oscar,¡± he finished, sliding to a stop in front of a shelf. He took a quick listen and a look down either hallway. ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Sovereign of Wrath.¡±

    My blood ran cold, and I tensed. In an instant, I dropped my human guise. Four hands held Oscar aloft: one to his throat, two to his arms, and another planted over his chest.

    ¡°Whoah! Friend!¡± he choked. ¡°I¡¯m on your side¡ªI swear. I like my spine¡ªit¡¯s supple yet supportive.¡± He smiled plaintively. ¡°I, uh, wasn¡¯t wrong about you being on edge at least?¡±

    ¡°Explain. Now. Or your spine¡¯s the least of your problems.¡± I growled, shaking him lightly.

    In response, Oscar dropped his glamour. Now the formal clothes fit him. His jaw was just a little sharper, but he was still svelte. And shockingly bright pink. A thin, whiplike tail swayed nervously behind him. ¡°Oszandius is my name.¡± He didn¡¯t take his bright green eyes off me.

    I looked at his aura and saw¡­ Lilly¡¯s. Not quite, but almost. A lot less powerful though, and I still couldn¡¯t trust him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I didn¡¯t let him down yet. ¡°Also¡­¡± I flicked my tail and set up a whirling dome of wind around us to block sound, several books dropping to the floor.

    Oszandius huffed and rolled his eyes, catty despite the situation he was in. ¡°Mom¡¯s been looking for that dumb book for decades. Even if the author was a dragon he¡¯d have moved on. And just because Linthel¡¯s the closest library to where they supposedly wrote from doesn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°What book.¡± I didn¡¯t phrase it like a question.

    ¡°A-Atagor. The Eternal Flame¡ªthe newest one anyway. That Mom thinks exists.¡± He squirmed and a part of me enjoyed seeing it. That part was a lot smaller than the part that felt bad for grappling the demonic librarian.

    I inclined my head; I just wanted one more detail. ¡°Mom?¡±

    ¡°Lilly. Lillith. Sovereign of Lust.¡±

    She has a¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m adopted.¡±

    Oh damn that¡¯s really sweet.

    ¡°Hey, uh, that look¡¯s not a whole lot better, Your Terror.¡± He laughed nervously.

    I changed the grapple into a hug.

    Oszandius squirmed again. ¡°Oof! Hey!¡±

    I finally let the petite demon go, dropping him to the ground. ¡°Revenge for scaring me.¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve expected that, I suppose.¡± He smoothed the wrinkles out of his shirt. ¡°But Mom said you¡¯d be¡­ less scary.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on changing that.¡±

    ¡°Yikes. Although¡­ maybe for the best.¡± Oszandius¡¯s glamour snapped back into place. ¡°Call me Oscar when I¡¯m disguised. Er, please.¡±

    ¡°Sure. So, do you actually know the book?¡± I leaned forward, closer to him.

    ¡°Oh! Yeah, for sure.¡± Oscar reached over and pulled a fairly thick book off the shelf. ¡°Not enough sex for my tastes, but it¡¯s a good one. You checking out?¡±

    ¡°Do I need anything to do that?¡± I dropped the wind around us, grimacing as a few more books fell, and transformed back into my human form.

    ¡°You still with the Gelles Company?¡±

    ¡°Sort¡¯ve.¡±

    ¡°Sort¡¯ve?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°You¡­ going to tell me?¡±

    ¡°You going to let me have that book?¡±

    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡±

    ¡°Technically yes.¡±

    Oscar handed me the book, and I scanned the cover: I recognized the author¡¯s name and slid it into my bag. ¡°This¡¯ll be back before spring, if that¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°S-should be fine. So¡­¡±

    ¡°My new title is the Marchioness of Astrye.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yep! And King Carvalon knows. I didn¡¯t tell him, but he put it together, and it¡¯s not like I hide what I am these days. Oh, he didn¡¯t figure out everything, but the ¡®good demon¡¯ part he got well enough.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ wow. Alright! I¡¯ll send that along with my next message. ¡®No book. Also. Zarenna¡¯s Edathan nobility now.¡¯¡± He waved his hands in an arc in front of him.

    As I was turning to leave, I stopped. ¡°How is Lilly, by the way?¡±

    Oscar practically jumped. ¡°Right! She¡¯s fine. Sandmeadow¡¯s hunkered down. She also has this guy named Aretan she said you knew¡ªsomething about his family getting puppeted by envy demons.¡±

    ¡°Aretan¡¯s okay, though?¡±

    ¡°Should be.¡±

    I heaved a sigh of relief. But¡­ his whole family. ¡°Send him my condolences. I might not have much influence yet, but when I can I¡¯ll aid him and Lilly just as she helped me.¡±

    Oscar shrugged. ¡°Mom expects as much, I think.¡±

    Fair. ¡°Well, thanks again!¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure! Let me know if you find any rare dragon smut in Astrye!¡±

    Already walking away, I giggled and waved back.

    Not two steps out of the library, I realized I¡¯d killed two birds with one stone. I had a book for Seyari, a contact with Lilly, and updated Bourick. My afternoon¡­ was free!

    No impending doom. No feeling of guilt for putting off scary things. Sure, my heart ached for Sey and Joisse, but¡­ I could just go sit in a park and relax or something. Part of me wanted to try smithing with Bourick if I could, but the thought of some alone time proved too tempting.

    Taking a big breath, I let myself smile and walked towards the nearest park I knew. Covered in snow and overseen by bare oaks, the park held a sort of decayed, ascetic beauty. More importantly, it was calm and quiet, and the bench I cleared of snow had no footprints leading to it.

    Draping my arms over the back of it, I seriously debated the merits of letting my human guise slip away as I drifted into a nice early afternoon nap. Far, far too soon, I awoke to shouts of ¡°Demon.¡±

    Startled, I sat up and reapplied my human transformation, already ready to shout apologies and try to explain, but¡­ my transformation hadn¡¯t slipped. The shouts, too, were coming from too far away¡ªa hundred meters or so.

    All of which could only mean¡­ shit.

    Cult or Envy or Avarice¡ªI couldn¡¯t ignore this. Carefully placing my pack in a snowpile near the bench, I turned and sprinted in the direction of the shouting. Whatever idiot demon interrupted my nap was about to have a whole lot less spine than they¡¯d prefer.

 Chapter 169: Someone Listened

    I expected to find a greater demon of envy¡ªor of avarice¡ªwhen I drew close to the shouts. This part of the city was older, more tired in the way the rooves sagged, and it had probably only just escaped the fire.

    While I found chaos, the creatures I beheld instead were definitely lesser demons. Looking like a dog with the dog removed, they were quadrupedal, pale gray, and sleek, with few enough identifiable features to be very unnerving. Save for immense jaws and rows of sharp teeth, however.

    From a derelict building five of them ran, one clutching a bleeding arm in its mouth. Weaving to avoid the slow humans, I skidded to a halt in front of the lead demon. Rather than shrinking away from me, it turned its attention to me, and an itching buzzing scratched plaintively against my mind.

    It thinks I¡¯m a human.

    And perhaps it¡¯s best if others think the same right now.

    Unfortunately, I¡¯d pulled up close and the things were fast as they turned and dove at me, lead demon only a few footsteps ahead of the stragglers.

    I punched it, right on the nose. Hard.

    Bone crunched, and the demon bounced backward toward the others, which dodged with unnatural, fluid alacrity. I whipped around to knock the next two back with my tail, only to realize I didn¡¯t have a tail right now.

    Two heavy shapes thudded into me, teeth tearing through leather and digging into skin. Someone shouted, and I rolled with the pair just in time for the other two to pile onto me. Great, another outfit¡¯s ruined and I look like a chump.

    Limbs pinned, I realized I had essentially two options: get more limbs, or immolate. The chaff clinging to me weren¡¯t a true threat, but if that fifth went for a human¡­

    Through the growling, I heard another shout, and felt one of the demons biting me shudder. Of course, that only made it bite down harder.

    Well, I was legally allowed to be a demon¡ªas far as I understood. If someone else was trying to get these demons off me, I didn¡¯t want to be the reason their death went from ¡°probable¡± to ¡°inevitable.¡± I reverted from my human form and pushed off the damp cobbles with my two free arms, tail whipping me around into a roll.

    Two demons came with me, but the other two were flung free. I heard a curse, and saw a young man in vestments of Dhias staring at me with wide eyes, frozen mid-swing of his spear. Behind him, the street was empty¡ªcleared out.

    He started to say something, to raise his glowing spearpoint at me, when I sighted the fifth demon, leaping up from the side he¡¯d just turned away from, wicked burns covering its side. There wasn¡¯t time to shout; I tore and kicked the last two demons off me and sprinted for the other.

    The young Church man looked at me like he was staring down death, but I ran past him, wind whipping at his robes. I caught the other demon by a foreleg and the throat and slammed it down into the cobbles hard enough to shatter them. Then again.

    Before I could finish it off, the other demons all turned toward the man, his attention still on me as he raised the spear.

    ¡°Shoot them, not me!¡± I shouted.

    He fired¡ªat me of course. Holy magic burned into my shoulder¡­ and it hurt a lot less than it ought to. No more than getting slashed by Seyari¡¯s wind during training.

    Again, I ran past him, and again I batted away demons. With him here, I can¡¯t focus any of them¡ªand I can¡¯t use my magic either.

    ¡°Kill these and then we¡¯ll talk!¡± I shouted, my back to his.

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±

    I grabbed him, swinging him around and out of the way of another leap. He stumbled a little when I set him down, and I didn¡¯t wait to hear whatever inane thing he was going to say. Finally, a clear shot!

    Drawing on my magic, I leapt forward, fire extending my claws into dagger-sized blades. Two heads hit the ground before I fell under another pile of demons. Rolling and grabbing and tearing, I came up in a haze of burning blood and viscera just in time to catch another bolt of holy magic to the chest.

    ¡°Shoot them!¡±

    ¡°I missed!¡±

    That¡­ was not the response I expected to hear. Worse, we¡¯d missed one demon in the chaos, and I only noticed it mid-leap, moments from colliding with the young man.

    The demon never impacted. Twin spears of ice impaled it, rooting it to the side of a building like a grotesque sculpture. A third pierced its skull not a second later, killing it.

    ¡°¡¯All ice mages ever do is form spears,¡¯ huh? I suppose they¡¯re not wrong.¡±

    Immediately, I recognized the voice. Yevon Styon, hand held out in front of him, strode toward us from a cross-street one block away. His usual slouch returned as he got closer.

    ¡°H-high Priest Styon!¡± the young man stuttered, seemingly forgetting he was standing next to three times his mass of blood-soaked, furious demon.

    ¡°Yevon,¡± I said coolly.

    ¡°What?¡± The high priest held up his hands placatingly. ¡°I came as fast as I could; I think I did pretty good all things considered. I¡¯ve even given you two a little bit of privacy.¡± He gestured around us, and only then did I notice a fine wall of wind, and unusually thick frost riming windows.

    ¡°You Holiness, what about¡­¡±

    ¡°You can call her a demon, you know. She doesn¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak for me!¡± I protested.

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    Yevon smiled faintly, eyes still lidded. ¡°Do you want to mind?¡±

    ¡°Not really, I suppose,¡± I growled.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    I hissed.

    The young man looked between us rapidly.

    Yevon chuckled darkly. ¡°She¡¯s far from harmless, but as I¡¯ve observed her she¡¯s proven time and again that she¡¯s either the greatest wrath demon manipulator the world¡¯s ever known, or she¡¯s more reasonable than half the people I have to report to. Not like that¡¯s a major accomplishment, but¡­ well you get my point.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ observed her? Are observing her?¡± The young man looked like he was about to give himself a neck cramp looking back and forth.

    ¡°I¡¯m watching her, yes. She¡¯s¡­ different from other demons. Wants to play nice with humans.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The young man settled his gaze on me, finally, and I returned his inquisitive look with a tooth-free smile. ¡°I guess she did save me; I was¡­ in over my head. But are we really going to just let her go? And if she¡¯s a good demon, then why aren¡¯t more people talking about her?¡±

    ¡°They will soon. I believe you¡¯ve a ball to prepare for, Marchioness?¡±

    ¡°Marchioness!" the young man hissed, snapping his mouth shut after the single word.

    ¡°I do, yes.¡±

    Yevon walked closer, then closer still, until he was right next to me. ¡°You need a bath.¡±

    ¡°I fail to see how that¡¯s important right now.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± He leaned up, meeting my gaze just enough that I could see the full irises of his pale blue eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve succumbed to your wrath.¡±

    ¡°Context, please.¡±

    Yevon shrugged. ¡°A report crossed my desk where I¡¯m staying here in Linthel. Some big hullabaloo about some idiot who got himself killed because someone didn¡¯t listen. I was simply worried about who that someone was, because I¡¯d be very cross if they¡¯d ignored my warnings.

    ¡°But¡­ well, it¡¯s a fine sort of line. The kind that¡¯s blurred so much there¡¯s not a whole lot of point even considering it a line. And I think that particular someone passed¡ªif only just. They really should be more careful in the future, perhaps a bit more open.¡±

    I glanced down at the young man. ¡°Are you being cryptic for his sake?¡±

    ¡°No, for fun. Well, maybe a little bit of both.¡± He ruffled the young man¡¯s head. ¡°This is Kord, a promising young acolyte who¡¯s going to make priest soon if his altruism doesn¡¯t kill him.

    I finally took a good look at Kord. He looked a lot like Yevon¡¯s opposite: short and somewhat rotund, he had a wide, honest face and bright eyes.

    ¡°Oh, and Marchioness?¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Yes, Yevon?¡± Using his first name again got me a glare from Kord, but I ignored it.

    ¡°Your sister sends her regards. Things may still work out well for her, but she appears willing to make matters¡­¡± He glanced clinically at the unblemished crimson skin of my chest through the holes in my shirt. ¡°A bit more complicated.¡±

    ¡°I believe in her!¡± I beamed, trying to see if acting overly-cheerful would get under his skin.

    Not so much as an eyebrow twitched. ¡°Any idea what¡¯s behind this? There was another lesser demon loose last week, out at a farm nearby.¡±

    For a moment, I debated telling him, but I decided ultimately to use a half truth, fashioned as close to his infuriatingly casual cryptography as I could. ¡°There are a couple of big bad demons with big bad plans, and I¡¯d bet this is their doing by proxy. The runts here came out of that building if you want to look." I pointed at the derelict building.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to come with, Marchioness?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m taking your words to heart, Yevon. I¡¯m going to go take a bath first.¡±

    Specifically, I thought, at King Carvalon¡¯s castle. Though I¡¯ll need to wash and change at the Company first.

    ¡°You might want to be a little less red, first. Your skin¡ªnot the blood.¡±

    Donning my human guise, I found myself thankful for the outfit¡¯s cloak covering all the damage. ¡°Until next time.¡± I nodded, then turned to leave, walking past the pile of eviscerated demons.

    Behind me, I heard Kord asking how a demon could hold a noble title as the unnatural frost melted from windows and the sounds of the city filtered back into being. Retrieving my pack from where I¡¯d left it, I swung by the Gelles Company, cleaned up under a barrage of questions I didn¡¯t really answer, and returned to the castle.

    Soon enough, I was in my temporary chambers, thankful I¡¯d not met Tina and been forced into some other whim of the king¡¯s. I stripped, including my human guise, and entered the bathroom, marveling at the comfortably-cool smoothness of the polished stone underfoot.

    Dulled claws clacked pleasantly as I turned to face the ostentatiously-large mirror. Looking back at me was a body I¡¯d grown so familiar with, but so rarely seen. High cheekbones, stern lips, and demonic, faintly glowing eyes; I looked every bit the villain of a novel.

    Black sclera and vertical pupils, wide in the bright midday light of the bathroom¡­ funny how that¡¯s just become normal. Likewise, my body was unreasonably sculpted, but also normal. I cocked my hips, swinging my tail to one side, and put two fists against one hip.

    I ran my face through a variety of expressions, then tried a variety of poses. I tried demure, coquettish, and nonthreatening first. From parody to passable, I tried to match them to how I¡¯d been posturing myself. Then, I did the same for looming, confident, and aggressive.

    Often, I held my shoulders a little slumped. My tail was too relaxed, and the angle of my head and open expression really tilted toward the nonthreatening. I lifted my chin, narrowed my eyes slightly from too-open, straightened my posture, and shifted my shoulders.

    The effect was impressive, even for a first attempt. Instead of looking unsure, overtly-affable, and relatively¡ªvery relatively¡ªnonthreatening, I looked downright dangerous.

    I¡¯d made this posture before, often seemingly instinctually. But now I had a better focus, and I better idea of how. Just today, by being decisive and confident, I kept Kord from dying and kept him focused on the fight instead of my morality. Well, mostly, anyway.

    But all this posturing was more than enough vanity for one day, and the coolness of the room was getting to be a bit much for my extremities. So, I took an oil that smelled pleasantly of lilacs and drew myself a bath as per Mary¡¯s instructions.

    Of course, I also made it as hot as I could, resulting in water that certainly wasn¡¯t boiling, but steamed more aggressively than any ¡°safe¡± bath. Once everything was set, I slipped in, facing the high window that looked out across a cloud-streaked winter sky.

    I turned a little, resting on one hip and the side of my tail, my lower two arms guiding and moving as I shifted myself with the upper two. The bath was large, meant for at least two people, and while the contour of the tub was a little awkward for my feet, I curled my tail tip into a cozy spot before sliding down until my chin was barely out and my horns had hooked the back rim. There I stayed, switching hip occasionally, but otherwise luxuriating in the water, kept hot easily by my magic.

    I missed Seyari; I wanted to share this with her. Even if her new wings could get in the way sometimes, she still liked me holding her, and my lower arms especially felt the emptiness.

    On a much less sexual note, I would have loved to show Joisse the palace¡ªperhaps the library as well. Draw her up her own bath in a room across from mine and Sey¡¯s. I sank a little lower and blew bubbles in the water. I need this for my own castle. Or, at least a nice tub and a hand pump.

    True relaxation¡­ this was close. Close, but not quite. Envy¡¯s war wasn¡¯t yet here, but it was coming¡ªif today¡¯s attack was any indication. Lesser demons like that could potentially be a random occurrence, but I¡¯d bet they were all or part envy, and the number and timing were just too coincidental. While the root cause was definitely my problem, this single incident could be handled by the city guard or Yevon.

    I stayed in the tub until I was informed by a knock and a distant voice that dinner would arrive shortly. After a lavish meal spent in human form, I floated around my chambers until nightfall, when I retired early ahead of an equally early start tomorrow.

    In bed, I stared out the open curtains at the moon. I didn¡¯t feel tired in the slightest, just as I hadn¡¯t particularly felt hungry. All the same, wandering around all night wasn¡¯t really an option. I glanced at my pack where I¡¯d placed the book I borrowed for Sey. She won¡¯t mind as long as I don¡¯t tell her the plot, right?

    At the very least, this night without sleep or company might not be quite so boring.

 Chapter 170: Winter Moon

    Seyari pulled her wings closer against the chill of the night¡¯s wind. She stood alone on the highest balcony of Castle Astrye, the room that would be come her and her wife¡¯s behind her. Down below, in the valley, Astrye lay sleeping, some few flickering glows in windows as smoke rose skyward from hearths.

    Somewhere out there, beyond the hills, Mordwell was plotting. Envy and Styrix, Avarice, were also out there making plans for war. The city here had no wall, and it was very cold comfort to know that one wouldn¡¯t matter much anyway.

    Already, blinds and watchposts were being built in the surrounding hills. Old mines were being explored and mapped¡ªsome caved in. The work was harder without Renna, though old Nadya was an earth mage of middling power and contributed greatly.

    Worse yet, the section of the castle wall Seyari¡¯s wife punched down was a total loss, so there was nowhere to retreat to if they were attacked. Food was running low, fuel was getting there, and dissent simmered underneath all of it.

    Scouts from the other towns in the region now under Renna¡¯s rule were due over the next few days, and what news they would bring could and probably would make all of those problems worse. At least the pass was clear enough to use until the next big storm, and at least Seyari felt strong enough to fight.

    I miss Renna, she thought. The bed, even with her newfound fire affinity, was too cold and simultaneously too small and too big¡ªshe couldn¡¯t get her wings comfortable. And unlike her wife, Seyari had to sleep; their vow hadn¡¯t suddenly made her a full angel. Though, she suspected she was even less of a mortal than she¡¯d been before.

    Outliving Mordwell wasn¡¯t a victory, though. Killing him was.

    Seyari shook her head, wishing the cold would snap her out of her spiraling thoughts. But she¡¯d have no such luck, and she stared up at the moon until she felt too tired to stand and retreated inside, collapsing onto the bed in a cocoon of red feathers.

    In the morning, waking up to Nelys knocking softly on her door, Seyari snuggled tighter against Zarenna¡­ and promptly fell off the bed in a tangle of wings and sheets.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Nelys called through the door.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Seyari replied groggily.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°But I heard¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Didja fall off the bed tryin¡¯ ta cuddle your pillow?¡± Taava¡¯s laughter chilled Seyari¡¯s blood.

    ¡°Why are you here this early?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Cause you¡¯re late?¡±

    Seyari scrambled up out of the blankets as best she could and glanced at the windows covered by improvised curtains. Light streamed in from the ones that hadn¡¯t been broken and covered over. Shit. Seyari wracked her brain, but all she could think of was a meeting with Nadya and some business owners.

    ¡°Taava!¡± Nelys chided, still through the door. ¡°She¡¯s not late for the meeting and you know it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seyari could feel Taava¡¯s eye roll. ¡°But those scouts who showed back up¡¯d sure consider her late.¡±

    Scouts? Scouts! Seyari threw the sheet off her wings and dashed to the half-broken dresser, throwing on the first clothes that¡¯d fit. ¡°How are they? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Tons!¡±

    ¡°Taava!¡± Seyari snapped. ¡°Keep treating this lightly and honest to gods I am defenestrating your tawny tail!¡± She slammed the door open, wings flared and eyes glowing.

    Wide-eyed, Taava backed off and bowed.

    ¡°Next time you say you can ¡®get her awake and moving¡¯ quickly, I¡¯m not taking you up on the offer,¡± Nelys said dryly. ¡°The scouts are downstairs, and only one needs treatment.¡±

    Seyari narrowed her eyes. ¡°That wasn¡¯t entirely truthful, Nelys.¡±

    Nelys looked bashfully away, tentacles curling under the hem of their long coat. ¡°Could you give us privacy?¡±

    Seyari called upon her wind magic and threw up a barrier of hot air around them. ¡°Done.¡±

    ¡°Joisse healed one.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No one knows! He was gonna die otherwise¡ªshe was working reconstruction at a farm near where they came in from and he wouldn¡¯t have made it to the castle, even if you¡¯d been awake and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Was it Joisse¡¯s decision?¡±

    Nelys nodded rapidly. ¡°It was, yeah.¡±

    Seyari glanced at Taava.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anythin¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Can you keep your ears open and listen around? I want to make sure this doesn¡¯t get out.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Sure thing, Second Boss. But, uh, what about the guy she healed and the others who saw?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll speak with them,¡± Seyari said flatly, turning and starting to walk down the hall, wings tucked and folded.

    Taava darted ahead of her with a wave, turning down a side passage and away, presumably to eavesdrop.

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    Nelys jogged after the three-quarters angel. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Seyari answered truthfully, focusing to reduce the ethereal echo of her voice. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt them, or anything like that. They¡¯ve been through a lot already.¡±

    Seyari sighed, relaxing her jaw. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m just¡­ the thought of Joisse getting caught up in her own magic¡¯s controversy in addition to this war just makes me want to hurt something.¡±

    To Seyari¡¯s surprise, Nelys smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a good mom, Sey. I think. You mean well.¡± Their smile fell into a frown, and they cast their gaze down at the scratched stone floor.

    Before her and Renna¡¯s vow, Seyari would¡¯ve brushed this off. But now, just as she hoped Renna would curb her excessive altruism, Seyari took a page from her wife¡¯s book and inhaled slowly. ¡°Is something wrong, Nelys?¡±

    For a moment, Nelys was silent. Then they spoke, softly. ¡°I¡­ I want to go home. See my family again and just¡­ know? Seeing you and Joisse and Renna makes me feel worse even though I know I should feel happy for all of you.¡±

    Seyari found herself at a loss for words. Not for lack of trying, but¡­ how does this come so easily to Renna?

    ¡°Seyari?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh! I was just thinking of what to say to that.¡±

    Nelys glanced back at the hall floor, shoulders slumping.

    ¡°I think¡­ I think Renna will want to help you. Get to see your family, I mean.¡±

    ¡°But the war? I can fight now, so I need to.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do, if you don¡¯t want to. At least Renna would say that¡ªI know she would.¡±

    ¡°Well I want to, but I also don¡¯t want to and¡­ gah.¡± They switched to Turquoiser. ¡°Why does this have to be so hard! There¡¯s no answer that doesn¡¯t leave me with a hollow feeling.¡±

    ¡°Think on it then,¡± Seyari replied in kind. ¡°We¡¯ll be glad for your help, and we appreciate you, but we don¡¯t own you. Don¡¯t stay because you think you have to.¡± She finally seemed able to put her thoughts into words, channeled from her own honest feelings.

    Nelys turned, and started down a set of stairs ahead of Seyari. ¡°I¡¯ll stay the winter, and I¡¯ll leave in spring. If Renna or you or anyone wants to come with, they can, but I¡¯ll be the one leading.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Seyari smiled a sharp smile.

    ¡°Good! It¡¯s the room just ahead here. Joisse is still with them, and we have Razz and Brynna guarding the place from prying eyes. A lot of people want to hear the news.¡±

    ¡°And there¡¯s a reason we haven¡¯t told them yet?¡±

    Nelys¡¯s face fell. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Seyari looked up at Brynna and Razz, the two lupael sisters slouching to attention at the sides of an unadorned door in the relatively dark hallway. ¡°Razz, Brynna, could one of you fetch Nadya? I think I¡¯ll need her expertise.¡±

    ¡°I knew it was bad,¡± Brynna muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Razz said. She turned to her younger sister and ruffled her hair. ¡°And I never said it wasn¡¯t, just that we should¡ª¡±

    ¡°Try to look for the sun through the clouds. I know.¡±

    Razz gently boxed Brynna¡¯s ears. ¡°Then don¡¯t grouse.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore!¡±

    ¡°Older sister privilege.¡± With a toothy smile, she nodded at Seyari and Nelys, then walked off down the hall. ¡°I think she¡¯s with old naked-tail Keran right now. Shouldn¡¯t take me more than an hour.¡±

    ¡°No trouble then?¡± Seyari asked the remaining sister while watching Razz go.

    ¡°None,¡± Brynna replied. ¡°People are anxious, but willing to wait¡ªfor now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Seyari pushed open the door. To her surprise, Nelys stayed outside. ¡°You coming?¡±

    They shook their head, curls bouncing. ¡°I¡¯ll be right out here. I figured you¡¯d want to handle this yourself.¡±

    ¡°I do¡­ thanks.¡± She closed the door behind her and looked inside the room.

    Makeshift cots had been set along the wall, and only three had occupants. Of them, one was sitting up and playing cards with three others at a table they¡¯d pulled close to the bed. Another occupant was sleeping, chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm under a blanket, while the last was sitting up, arm in a sling, and staring right at Seyari.

    Next to that cot, Joisse had pulled up a chair. Still in human form, she looked sheepish and unsure, red eyes widening as Seyari strode inside.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Joisse muttered. ¡°I just wanted to help, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± the man sitting up said tiredly. His dark hair was a mess, and Seyari only now noticed the points of two folded-down ears sticking up just out of the mess. Lupael, then.

    Joisse started to mutter again, but Seyari put a hand on her shoulder and she stiffened. ¡°What happened here?¡± the three-quarters angel asked.

    ¡°This girl healed my partner, but it changed him. Teeth like mine, and horns.¡±

    Seyari walked around to the other bed, looking at the figure under the covers. A human man, he had nubs of black horns peeking out from short-cut bangs. He looked a little pale as well, but whether that was blood loss or the effects of Joisse¡¯s magic, Seyari couldn¡¯t tell. She reached a hand for his forehead, aura sight active. Nearby, the card game stopped, its players staring at the three-quarters angel.

    ¡°Marchioness?¡± the waking man asked.

    Marchioness? Are Zarenna and I both Marchioness?

    ¡°He¡¯s healthy.¡± Her magic confirmed as much. ¡°I heard he was on the brink of death.¡±

    ¡°He was, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then I fail to understand how you could be anything but grateful toward my daughter.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Daughter¡­ But¡ªwhat if he¡¯s not the same person?¡±

    ¡°I sincerely doubt that to be the case, but if so, then we will discuss this further. If the only other option was death, then this is better than nothing. And don¡¯t give me platitudes about the memory of your partner.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Marchioness. My¡­ apologies for treating Lady Joisse harshly.¡±

    Joisse waved her hands frantically. ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine! Really! I understand and I¡¯d probably feel the same in your shoes. I am sorry that my magic changed him¡ªI really, truly am.¡±

    ¡°Joisse.¡±

    She snapped to attention. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t apologize. You saved a man¡¯s life.¡±

    Joisse drew in a breath, eyes growing damp. Before she could start, Seyari reached over and ruffled her hair, jolting her out of the mood.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°We can talk more later. Right now¡ª¡± she turned to the rest of the room ¡°¡ªI need to know what you all found, and what dangers you ran into.¡±

    ¡°Mostly bad news,¡± the injured man replied. ¡°We¡ª¡± he winced, and doubled over, coughing.

    Seyari moved quickly beside him, feeling out with her magic. He¡¯d taken a heavy hit on one side, and if the blood flecks from his cough were any indication, he had internal damage. She placed a hand on his chest, feeling the swollen flesh above broken ribs.

    ¡°This may hurt. Brace yourself.¡±

    The man took a shaky breath and nodded, and Seyari went to work. He grunted, but didn¡¯t cry out, and with what felt like no more than a drop of her mana, Seyari healed him. The man took a deep breath and leaned back, relaxing.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Now, what did you find?¡±

    ¡°Empty towns.¡±

    Seyari set her jaw, suppressing a shiver. ¡°All of them?¡±

    The man shook his head. ¡°No. The more remote ones¡ªsome were occupied still. Some had sent away invaders and lost people to monsters in the night. Others were ¡®abandoned¡¯ just as we arrived.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they trust you?¡± Joisse asked.

    ¡°They should, yes.¡±

    ¡°Then our enemies are using your own people against you, unless you think they would be fooled by dress and complexion.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°What attacked you then?¡±

    ¡°Some kind of monster. A demon, maybe. It set upon us in the night, near a remote village. We lost one, but his screams woke the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°Did you kill it?¡±

    The man shook his head again. ¡°We wounded it. It was healing quickly, but the arrows we¡¯d been given drove it off. I fear we¡¯d all be dead otherwise.¡±

    Murmurs from the others broke into an argument.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we were set up!¡±

    ¡°No! That thing was just ambushing us. It was probably hunting the locals!¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± Seyari hissed, waving a hand in a cutting motion, her wings twitching. The room fell silent, and she continued, ¡°One at a time please; I will hear all your concerns. We will also send a force to dispatch what is probably a lesser demon.¡±

    ¡°Lesser demon?¡±

    ¡°If it were a greater demon, you would¡¯ve lost more than one person.¡±

    The scouts at the card table broke into grumbling, so Seyari pointed at one of them. ¡°You first. I want every last detail from each of you. We¡¯ve defenses to build and a border to secure.¡±

 Chapter 171: Etiquette Lessons

    Tina looked almost disappointed that I was awake and ready in the morning. In truth, I¡¯d finished the novel mere minutes before she¡¯d intruded on my peace to have her and Mary run me through an overlong cleaning routine.

    In truth, the only victory I had was that only my clothes would fit me¡ªor so I¡¯d thought. While my dress hadn¡¯t yet been prepared, someone had also stayed up modifying a man¡¯s suit by Countess Elstein¡¯s measurements.

    Part of me, an old part, railed at the idea. But my femininity was not so fragile, and the things my bust did to the front of the suit were as alms to my bruised ego. Yes, it is tight around the chest. Yes, I am fine to wear it. I could¡¯ve done without the nagging, though.

    By the time the sun had fully risen, I¡¯d been escorted to a small, well-appointed room where my tutor awaited. Sunlight streamed in, not entirely defeated by heavy curtains, illuminating an intimidating stack of books and an equally intimidating man.

    I¡¯ll admit, I had preconceptions about what an etiquette tutor would look like, and act like. Slender, bookish, and severely prim. What the instructor was instead was proper, true, but also proper muscle. Short-cut dark hair and an affable, soft-featured face completed his look.

    ¡°I see they¡¯re finally making nobility out of sterner stuff!¡± he chuckled, sticking out a hand. ¡°I¡¯m Sigmund Stern.¡±

    I grasped it firmly, but not too firmly for a human. ¡°Zarenna Miller.¡±

    ¡°Wrong!¡± His eyes lit up, and he smirked.

    I blinked.

    ¡°Etiquette¡ªnoble etiquette¡ªis a game of masks. A subtle inversion of the very word that defines it.¡± He let go of my hand and gestured to the chair, which I sat down in numbly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say I didn¡¯t appreciate your greeting on a personal level, by the by, but you fell for my feint.¡± Sigmund smirked and sat down across from me. ¡°A marchioness, an earned title. I daresay you¡¯ll be more fun than my other students; pity we only have the week.

    ¡°What would the proper response have been?¡±

    For a moment, I gave it thought. Had he greeted me formally, I could have used what Seyari had me practice. But he¡¯d caught me off guard and thrown up a situation I had no idea how to respond to within a formal context. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered eventually.

    Sigmund¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Wrong again!¡±

    Huh?

    ¡°To admit ignorance is unacceptable, barring extenuating circumstances that are beyond the day¡¯s lesson. It¡¯s noble to do so, but it isn¡¯t noble to do so. Understood?¡±

    ¡°It is¡­ showing weakness?¡±

    ¡°Wrong yet again!¡± At that my eye twitched, and Sigmund¡¯s smile only grew. ¡°Why was that wrong?¡±

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t have complete confidence in my answer,¡± I practically growled.

    ¡°So close! A little heavy on the intensity. As a noble lady, you must be a delicate flower.¡±

    I leveled a deadpan gaze at Sigmund. ¡°I am twice your weight, more than a head taller than you, and I¡¯m pretty sure I could snap a man in half. I don¡¯t do delicate.¡± I¡¯d be fine with cute though¡­

    ¡°Masks, Marchioness Miller.¡±

    I blinked at him. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Marvelous!¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re just being hypocritical.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this is based on logic? It¡¯s predators sizing each other up to determine prey; all emotion and primal instinct.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s fops in fancy clothes speaking cutting words.¡±

    ¡°And in order to not be seen as an outsider, you must act as one of them.¡±

    ¡°Alright, but I am not doing delicate. Lately, I¡¯ve been practicing harsh and domineering, and I rather think it¡¯s a good look.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Sigmund seemed genuinely surprised. ¡°I¡¯d been informed your heart bled more.¡±

    ¡°Ran out of blood.¡± Just what has King Carvalon been telling people?

    ¡°I¡­ see. Well then!¡± Sigmund clapped. ¡°This changes some things, and oh what lovely things those are. I will teach you to be the scariest person in the room. But!¡± He held up one thick finger. ¡°You will still be approachable; a challenge, fit for only the most stalwart of nobility; a valuable ally in matters of combat and court.¡±

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    Now Sigmund had my attention. ¡°Can I still wear a dress?¡±

    He leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°Oh yes! In fact, I daresay we might leverage your physicality into a metaphorical bludgeon to all but the most robust of male egos. An impossible contradiction of their long-set worldview that women are for the arts magical and men the arts martial.

    ¡°Of course, you do not need an individual of your size to prove such an assertion. But that is a whole other manner, and one my wife would be far more suited to teach you were she not currently drilling the royal guard.¡±

    ¡°I would like to meet her someday then; your wife and mine might well share common interests.¡±

    ¡°Too forward.¡±

    ¡°I was really saying that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and you were too forward about it. Are you just trying to meet her to gain prestige or influence? Do you need those things from her? This is what you must consider.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ understood, but I would still like to request such a meeting.¡±

    ¡°Learn to ask in a way that could not be construed as a slight or a ploy and I will give you an answer.¡±

    Relax, me. This is his job. ¡°Fine. Where shall we begin?¡±

    ¡°With boring old texts. There are family histories and politics to cover; you must have enough background to understand traditions, and for me to construct actionable scenarios as practice.¡±

    ¡°May I speak candidly then?¡±

    ¡°Good you didn¡¯t ask if you could, Marchioness Miller. And the answer is no. Here in this room, we wear our masks.¡± He slid a large, thick tome over to me, tipping the cover up with a thumb.

    I obliged and opened the book; the title read Noble Lineages of Ordia, and it was by a collection of authors. The next page, mercifully printed on a press, started alphabetically. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t mean for me to read this entire thing?¡±

    ¡°Surely you do not fear such a task?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! But there are hardly enough hours in the day!¡±

    ¡°Then you would do well to hope you can pick out the relevant parts.¡±

    I held in a growl, and bit back a retort. Already, however, a plan had emerged in my mind, hinging on one important fact: I do not need sleep.

    ¡°At the very least,¡± Sigmund continued, ¡°I can help you identify those parts, and teach you terminology you need to know.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m Marchioness Miller, what would my wife¡¯s title be?¡± The question slipped out almost without warning. Like it was something of vital importance rather than pedantic curiosity.

    ¡°Marchioness Miller,¡± Sigmund replied easily. ¡°If you need specificity, Marchioness Zarenna Miller would be your title.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    Ignoring my obvious breach of etiquette, Sigmund put a hand to his chin. ¡°Well, ¡®Marchioness-Second¡¯ could work, though the term is an outdated loan-concept from Raavia.¡±

    ¡°Outdated?¡±

    ¡°Best not get into those specificities. All I¡¯ll say to avoid a tangent is that the term originates from tiered systems of spouses, later adopted more for polyamorous groupings.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll ask Sey what she thinks then.¡±

    Sigmund shrugged. ¡°May I begin the lesson, then? We¡¯ll start with greetings and respect, and move on from there.¡±

    Sheepishly, I nodded, and Sigmund returned a disturbingly gleeful smile.

    ***

    The sun had set by the time I was released from my lessons. Granted, that wasn¡¯t all too late given the season, but I still felt mentally drained. Even during the meal break, I¡¯d been tasked with starting in on that incredibly dry lineage book.

    Sigmund, however, had stoked a competitive urge within me. I had more hours to a day than any human, and my body didn¡¯t tire in the same ways. So I skipped my evening bath, disrobed, and got to work reading about dead people while sitting cozily in a bed far too nice for one person, my tail swishing lazily between smooth sheets.

    Nobility had once held an aura of prestige to me. An idea of larger-than-life figures, proud histories, and a reverence for the past. While I was far from advocating ignorance of the past, I was starting to acknowledge the idea that perhaps doing more than remembering and learning from it was unnecessary.

    Perhaps not in all cases, but certainly some. Knowing the name of a duke from three centuries ago whose only accomplishment was dying from a horse kick to the head while berating the animal for being ¡°too slow¡± was one of them. Though perhaps that could be turned into a point that nobles were not of a different breed than anyone else. Even then, knowing his name and other details about his life just wasn¡¯t needed.

    And so, I¡¯d skimmed and taken notes and cross-referenced related family lines, reading at a sustained speed that would¡¯ve impressed human me. By the time I was walking toward the next day¡¯s lesson, once again in human form, I¡¯d finished the apparently-relevant parts of the entire book.

    As much as I wanted to throw that fact in Sigmund¡¯s face, I also sincerely did want to learn what he was teaching me. What I¡¯d learned from the book was unexpected, unanticipated; an un-played card.

    Unfortunately, he read me like I was the book. ¡°How much did you manage to read of Noble Lineages, Marchioness?¡±

    My card pulled, I tried my best to play it well. ¡°All but the driest of extended ducal lines.¡±

    In response, Sigmund asked me for the third brother of a long-dead, but highly influential count. One from Ordia, not Edath.

    I smiled, showing teeth. ¡°The count didn¡¯t have a third brother; he had a sister, but she died as a child.¡±

    A similar grin crept onto Sigmund¡¯s features, widening into laughter. He barraged me with names and questions, and I answered nearly all of them correctly. ¡°Marvelous! I wonder how much was already known versus freshly read. I¡¯d expected you to give in, or to beg for compromise. No matter. Since you¡¯re such an avid reader, I¡¯ve a few more tomes for you.

    ¡°In the meantime, we¡¯ll move on to scenarios, patching up etiquette as topics come up. And to finish, I¡¯ll help you lose that aura of gormless affability that plagues you. It¡¯s a matter of body language, mostly¡ªgoing back to that predators analogy. You won¡¯t have to try hard to look down on people, after all!¡±

    Swallowing, I nodded with as much conviction as I could muster.

    ¡°Oh come now! I¡¯m not that bad. You should also be taking a deep, steadying breath!¡±

    Against a backdrop of Sigmund¡¯s well-practiced chuckling, I steeled myself. By week¡¯s end, I would craft a noble mask for myself. One that would be mightily tested as my tenuous allies throw me into the depths.

    Funny how I¡¯d cast aside my old masks just to make a new one. Now, though, it was a conscious decision, and I knew my limits. I¡¯d never try to become this mask, nor would I wear it against my ideals.

 Chapter 172: Winter Ball Pt. 1

    The rest of the week wasn¡¯t a blur. It was a moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour effort of concentrated focus. By the end, I¡¯d hardly noticed a difference other than knowing more potentially-useless names than I ever imagined I could; but I was told I walked a different way and had a different bearing about me¡ªa scarier one. Part of the mask certainly, but I hoped the confidence was real. Apparently I¡¯d also learned to make use of my villainous face. That, at least, was only the mask I was making¡­ hopefully.

    I also hadn¡¯t avoided sleep in this long, well, ever, and it was why I nodded off in the carriage ride to Duke Reynard¡¯s estate. Not entirely out of fatigue, but certainly out of boredom. Not to mention my dress was almost suspiciously comfortable.

    For the Winter Solstice Ball (a proper name, I had been told), Countess Elstein had made me quite the outfit. A blue formal dress, darker and richer than the evening¡¯s clear sky, covered me from neckline to ankles. Accented with silver lines, swirling like a winter wind, it pulled tight¡ªbut not too tight¡ªagainst my midsection, showing my unfairly-sculpted figure despite its apparent modesty. A few well-placed pearls on my cuffs, neckline, and hips would catch any light, and I wore the necklace Kartania gave me proudly.

    Underneath, Countess Elstein had outdone herself, the layers of dress comfortable and looser than they appeared, while the almost-delicate looking heels supported my weight by virtue of a steel frame lightly dressed in dark leather.

    ¡°You¡¯ll wrinkle everything sleeping like that!¡± Tina hissed at me, rousing me.

    Presumptuous of a servant, my lessons told me. Those same lessons reminded me she was the king¡¯s servant and I should remain tactful¡ªblessedly in line with the cordiality I preferred.

    I pulled myself upright, smoothing the dress under me, and cracked one eye open. ¡°Then perhaps I should have changed in the carriage, as I requested.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s undignified!¡±

    I wished Mary had come along¡ªthe better part of a day alone with Tina was getting to me. I reached up and planted my hand on the carriage¡¯s ceiling. ¡°Yes, and the carriage is too small, too. I trust you¡¯ll handle the unavoidable wrinkles? I can provide a hot wind.¡±

    Tina stiffened in the seat across from me. ¡°I will, yes.¡±

    ¡°Then may I rest more?¡± I asked in an overly-sweet tone.

    ¡°Y-you may, but we¡¯ve nearly arrived. We¡¯ll be there well within the hour.¡±

    Darn. I yawned, remembering to cover my mouth politely and resist the urge to stretch. ¡°Very well then. I¡¯ll remain awake.¡± At Tina¡¯s nod, I pushed the curtains just barely open and peered out.

    Blanketed in snow, the outskirts of the city of Norgath, from which the duchy got its name, looked quite similar to Linthel, if flatter; steep-roofed houses huddled together between small fields and a scattering of businesses. Between here and there, we¡¯d gone over a small range of hills, any views from which I¡¯d missed. However, I knew a good deal about the Duchy of Norgath from my lessons: a large region of relatively flat, arable land with hills of good timber. Part of, if not most of, the historical heartland of Edath, and very near the capital.

    Despite being deep in the territory, the Reynard family had ties to Ordia going back centuries. They didn¡¯t consolidate this region under their control without outside help, after all. As a result, the region was well split between the upper and lower classes; the aristocrats¡¯ loyalties were split between Linthel and Ardath, while the people leaned heavily toward the former.

    A perfect place to send a beast on a leash like me. Show those on the fence the power of the King of Edath, and that said power lay well away from the Church of Dhias. Of course, that plan relied on me playing nice: desiring to form connections for my isolated, ailing march, and wishing to legitimize my status as a part of human society. Well played, Carvalon. If the leash pulls where the hound wants to go, the hound doesn¡¯t notice.

    I had no reason to play along, but that wouldn¡¯t stop me from trying to determine King Carvalon¡¯s future goals. So aside from legitimacy, aid, and allies, tonight I would dig deep for rumors. Not least of all because within hearsay of small-town disasters and mysterious murders, I might well find my next moves against Envy.

    All in all, this evening was promising to be an intense one. Surprisingly, I found myself more excited than nervous. That I feared not for myself in an immediate sense, but for my friends, allies, and subjects perhaps helped.

    I kept quiet and in good posture until the carriage was ushered through the gates of a massive estate. Before we reached the turn in the drive where I was to disembark, I stood up as much as I could and brushed myself off with heated hands, Tina moving silently to help.

    The uptight maid offered me no words of encouragement as she opened the door and stepped out, moving to one side as if I needed aid with the short steps out of the tiny box. Through this door, however, I got my first look at Duke Reynard¡¯s estate. A three-floored mansion, square and expansive, stretched out to the sides, some few top and bottom windows lit, but many dark.

    From somewhere deeper inside, I could pick up the faint sound of music, tumbling through an open door, held by a graying butler. Another servant, this one a younger man with gentle features and a sharp haircut, approached. He, too positioned as if to help a lady down.

    Had I not the last week of training, I¡¯d have spurned their offered hands and stepped down myself. Now, though, I knew the greater play was to take them despite how obviously pointless they were.

    Indeed, the young servant''s smile faltered when I rose out of the carriage door, up above its roof, and his hand disappeared inside mine. Resisting the urge to skip the last step, I planted heeled feet on the ground, and offered an appropriately shallow nod. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The young servant¡¯s jaw worked for a moment, opening wider and then shutting quickly as if suddenly remembering decorum. ¡°W-welcome to the Reynard Estate, Marchioness Miller. Please follow me, if you would.¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡± I glanced at Tina, who nodded and retreated back inside the carriage. Gone now is the visible eye of the king.

    The young servant stared up at me a moment longer; in heels as I was, his head barely reached my underbust.

    ¡°Well?¡± I raised one eyebrow.

    He jolted, then gave an apologetic half bow and began to walk quickly toward the front doors.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    I followed, heels clacking satisfyingly on the well-fitted stones of the drive. The area had been cleared of snow and ice, perhaps by magic, and I felt a similar warmth when I entered the main foyer. I didn¡¯t have to duck for the grand doors, but I drew the gazes of every servant we passed, and I kept my chin high.

    As much as I wanted to act against my role, I wouldn¡¯t. Tonight was the debut of Marchioness Zarenna Miller, and she would not project weakness. Whether or not I respected the people whose respect I was trying to earn was irrelevant.

    I would wear a mask¡ªfor now.

    The young servant led me through the foyer to a much shorter door, through which I could hear both music and conversation.

    ¡°Through here,¡± he said with a gesture. Another servant pulled the door open, almost mechanical in her movement, and I stepped inside.

    Immediately, bright light joined the sensory assault of sounds and smells: food, perfume, wine, and woodsmoke. Piano overlaid with a crowding of humanity desperate to hide under other, frailer scents. The ballroom was massive, fireplaces roaring at each end. A raised stage with a piano and small orchestra sat to one side, an upper-floor gallery of paintings and sculptures ringed the room, and massive windows looked out at vague, snow-blanketed shapes of a well-kept garden.

    ¡°Marchioness Zarenna Miller, recently appointed of Astrye,¡± a smooth voice to my side introduced. Not loud enough to halt the ball, but enough that people took notice.

    A lot of quick, curious glances either doubled back or lingered overlong.

    Reflexively, I scanned the well-dressed crowd for anyone I recognized. Countess Elstein stood by the railing of the gallery above, dressed in an elegantly conservative green dress, but to go first to her would be too forward. Instead, I had no real choice but to linger nearby and endure the whims of all who sought to approach me.

    So I bowed. ¡°I thank Duke Reynard for the invitation, and his estate for the warm welcome.¡±

    My piece said, I walked to a nearby long table, set with small plates and flutes of wine. While servers moved and carried much about, this place was left open for those who desired¡ªor who needed somewhere to linger. No sooner had I taken a plate, than the first brave soul approached me.

    She was a slight woman, just on the young side of middle age, with genial features. Her dark hair was done up in a jeweled bun, and her russet dress spoke of wealth and warmer climes. She was also on the short side, making her gaze just about level with my navel.

    ¡°Oh my, Dhias does make them different in the south.¡± Her voice had a slight Ordian accent, and pitched playfully up at the ends of words.

    I turned and offered a curt smile. Lady, Dhias isn¡¯t responsible for me. ¡°I suppose; I¡¯m told there¡¯s ogre blood somewhere down the family line. But in truth,¡± I leaned down conspiratorially, almost bent in half at the wait to reach. ¡°I just eat a lot.¡±

    ¡°A sense of humor, I see!¡± the woman laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°Duchess Arina Kapel. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m a bit of an outsider at this ball myself.¡±

    Duchess of the region that Gedon is in. Her estate is a little further from the border, but her family still has strong ties to Ordia. Why would she be an outsider here?

    ¡°Marchioness Zarenna Miller, of Astrye.¡± I picked up the plate I¡¯d been eyeing. ¡°But you already know that.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. You know, I¡¯ve heard quite the interesting story regarding your appointment as Marchioness of Astrye.¡± She leaned forward, but her voice projected out.

    Nearby, others were listening in, some not so subtly. Around us, Duchess Kapel¡¯s presence had created a bubble, the source of which I couldn¡¯t know. Regardless, our isolation spoke of power¡ªa very different power than mine.

    I took a polite bite. ¡°I¡¯m curious to hear the tale myself.¡±

    ¡°You were there weren¡¯t you?¡± Duchess Kapel laughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear what really happened, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    If you don¡¯t mind. To give myself time, I finished the small morsel of candied nuts with a second bite. It didn¡¯t take my lessons from Sigmund to know that I didn¡¯t have much of a choice, not with all the people around. My first act as Marchioness of a small region snubbing a polite request from an influential duchess?

    I hated politics.

    But, I had one advantage¡ªI didn¡¯t mind what I was. A glimpse under the mask, then.

    I straightened my posture, opposite of the shrug I wanted to give. ¡°A demon-worshiping cult, including the disgraced former inquisitor Horatio Finley, had taken hold of Astrye. As my parents died in the Great Linthel fire, I had a personal stake in the conflict.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but what did you do? I¡¯ve heard the wildest rumors.¡±

    I tilted my head just slightly, and took a sip of sparkling wine. ¡°My allies and I killed the cult to the man¡ªsave those who fled ahead of our arrival.¡±

    Implying, but granting vagueness through my allies. Duchess Kapel wanted something, clearly, but all the lessons in the world couldn¡¯t give me the experience to know what that was.

    ¡°The entire cult? You must truly¡ª¡±

    ¡°Have some powerful secret,¡± a gruff voice finished for her. It came from a very well-dressed man in primarily Edathan blue who broke the circle of watchers to stride purposefully toward us. He had a round face given sharper features by a well-trimmed mustache and small beard, an Ordian complexion, and a build that most would probably find intimidating. From the sour look Duchess Kapel gave him, I had a guess who he was before he¡¯d even introduced himself.

    ¡°I am Duke Reynard.¡± He didn¡¯t bow. ¡°Welcome to the Winter Solstice Ball, Marchioness Zarenna Miller.¡±

    I forced a smile.

    He returned it, all too eager. ¡°Would you mind, perhaps, to regale those who desire to know our newest compatriot?¡±

    ¡°Might a sitting room prove better than a ballroom?¡±

    ¡°There are many who wish to hear, I believe.¡± The duke swept his arm around the room. Some folk had gone back to dancing, and the piano played a muted melody. But many still remained watching.

    Not least of all the duchess who¡¯d gone from ignored to fuming. ¡°Including myself, Duke Reynard. I believe she was already about to tell us of her prowess without your interruption.¡±

    Duke Reynard bowed to the Duchess. ¡°I merely saw an opening to introduce myself.¡± He delicately picked a wine flute off the table and studied the rising bubbles. ¡°I am curious as to my new neighbor, after all. Though our realms share only cold mountains, the border need not be so¡­ material.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like the way he said that.

    ¡°Very well,¡± I offered, ¡°I combated them with a mixture of martial prowess and prodigious magical might. My allies supported me as I drove for the head of the snake.¡±

    ¡°Did you cut it off?¡± Duchess Kapel asked, springing up higher on her heels.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, one of the demons who had conspired with Finley betrayed him, though I witnessed his death.¡±

    ¡°And the demon?¡± Duke Reynard asked.

    I might¡¯ve messed up. ¡°The demon got away¡ªmoving as if living smoke.¡±

    Duke Reynard clapped his hands. ¡°What of your weapon? Would that I could see such a storied¡­ blade?¡±

    ¡°I am fond of the spear,¡± I replied evenly.

    ¡°Ah, for even greater reach. A practical, common, weapon.¡±

    Hey, don¡¯t insult spears!

    ¡°Indeed.¡± I finished my wine. ¡°Might I perhaps peruse your collection?¡± I gestured to the gallery above the ballroom, where paintings of all sorts were hung. More importantly, it was where Countess Elstein sat watching the scene.

    ¡°Certainly.¡± The duke turned, his words also impolitely implying dismissal to Duchess Kapel, then stopped and raised a finger. ¡°Ah, but a demonstration of your magic¡ªa master mage such as yourself must have the finest control, yes?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°A show, then? I believe many here would relish such an influential spectacle.¡±

    I barely suppressed a shiver down my spine, and my smile widened reflexively. Thankfully, all it showed were dull human teeth. My magic¡ªmy aura. He intends to out me.

    Unfortunately, I¡¯d been put on the spot¡ªthe back foot. It was my answer, not my decision. There was no easy way to spin this into a reveal of what I was¡ªif even that had been a good idea.

    ¡°Certainly,¡± I answered. ¡°If I could have just a bit more space.¡±

    ¡°Should we be concerned?¡± Duchess Kapel asked, mid-retreat.

    ¡°Certainly not¡ªI simply wish to provide a suitably impressive showing.¡± The size of what I do won¡¯t matter, so engendering respect¡ªeven if through fear of my capabilities¡ªmust be my play.

    I almost missed the nod Duke Reynard gave to someone in the gallery up behind me. I snuck a look just before I began and almost faltered. Up in the gallery was a man in the shining armor and tabard of a Paladin of Dhias.

    And he was staring right at me, eyes glowing.

    Worse, he wasn¡¯t alone¡ªand those were just the people I saw near him: acolytes and at least one other paladin. Still, that wouldn¡¯t change what I was about to do. Taking a deep breath, I faced the crowd and called upon my magic.

 Chapter 173: Winter Ball pt. 2

    Seyari had taught me basic spellwork, Tren had expanded upon that with theory, and Seyari had returned with practical application. Even Tania had given me a few pointers. Lilly as well, while never having given me a formal lesson, had taught me the application of magic in combat.

    All that¡¯s to say, pretty displays were something I wasn¡¯t particularly used to. Still, I remembered pages from Tren¡¯s favorite book, encouraging words from my wife, and focused it around the idea that I was performing for my daughter.

    And that made everything come together.

    A display of ornate crimson flames, held aloft by wind magic and shimmering faintly green against the sunset outside; I created beauty from my wrath. My frustrations and my fury let out like a hissing leak from a stoppered bottle¡ªjust a glimpse, and a production. Allegories in the form of vistas and animals I¡¯d seen danced throughout the hall, venturing even outside the circle cleared for me to swoop over heads and cast flickering shadows across the crowd.

    The band stopped playing; the people stopped dancing; conversation ceased; and the knight watching me from above let slip the only sound: a quiet swear.

    Buried in my performance, I paid the utterance no mind and continued on¡ªthrough the shimmering northern oceans; through Navanaea, Northeastern Ordia, and the coast and Lockmoth; through nameless villages hidden in hills of burning snow; through Gedon, where fury yet smoldered; and down, across hellish mountains to the castle of Astrye, broken yet eager.

    My journey home; my new concept of home: I laid out my story in a single minute of mesmerizing flames. And when it was done, I reflexively swept down into a low bow, breathing heavily and feeling mana depleted as though I¡¯d just slain an army.

    ¡°Demon,¡± the word from above was almost whispered, and the silence in the wake of my performance fought back against it.

    The shout came a moment later, fighting a losing battle against applause. I looked with smug satisfaction at a pale-faced Duke Reynard, and at a bewildered, dare-I-say wonderstruck Duchess Kapel. Up in the gallery, Countess Elstein clapped heartily, and I threw her an appreciative nod.

    However, the calm was not to last. ¡°Demon!¡± the paladin of Dhias shouted again, footsteps mingling with the crowd¡¯s applause as he pushed his way forward. Above him, I could hear the others¡ªspellcasters certainly¡ªmoving about, and I could make out motion from the rear of the crowd as well. ¡°Her magic¡¯s aura¡ªshe¡¯s got to be a full demon!¡± He broke through the loosely-grouped nobles and I got my first good look at the man who was probably co-conspirator with the duke.

    Why else would he be here? Although, the Duke wasn¡¯t said to be a pious man.

    The paladin in question was almost storybook¡ªblack hair, blue eyes, a lightly square jaw with a single dimple, and nice teeth. He was tall, like the duke, although he wore his hair down just past his ears, and I imagined him to have quite the physique under his armor.

    ¡°Duke Reynard, this woman is a demon!¡± the Paladin shouted again, and this time he was heard. A ripple of motion swept through the ball-goers, and I actually heard someone gasp.

    From him, I sensed anger, as well as a flash from the duchess, but from the duke I sensed nothing. Interesting.

    I rose from my bow. ¡°That is a very serious accusation.¡± Of course, they could just check with Gelles Company records, but I¡¯d bet King Carvalon¡¯s taken steps to keep things locked up¡ªwith him holding the key. It would get out¡ªwas out¡ªbut it was an unbelievable rumor.

    I looked at reactions: open surprise from Duchess Kapel and an unreadable gaze from Duke Reynard.

    The latter spoke. ¡°Are you certain, Paladin Warren? We¡¯ve all heard the rumors, but I presumed them to be exaggerations of a prodigious martial aptitude.¡±

    ¡°Her magic¡¯s aura, Duke Reynard.¡±

    The duke¡¯s lips set into a thin line, and he stepped forward. ¡°Let¡¯s all remain calm and level-headed. I¡¯m certain you have an explanation, Marchioness Miller?¡±

    ¡°I do not believe I owe you one, but I do.¡±

    ¡°Please enlighten us. I¡¯m certain this is all a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°Please excuse me for my incredulity, but why then the contingent from the Church of Dhias?¡±

    Count Reynard frowned. ¡°Distasteful, yes. But with credible reports of demons, and in the wake of the recent murders, kidnappings, and worse, I thought the request of Duchess Kapel pertinent.¡±

    At that, the duchess in question raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that why they¡¯re here then? And here I thought you were just acceding to my requirements such that I would attend.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The crowd behind them started to calm, but the music still wasn¡¯t playing. Folks in church robes pushed through now, standing a silent, watchful vigil in the periphery. The paladin looked between the duke and duchess and me, neck tense and jaw held firm, unsure what to do.

    ¡°You would have attended anyway, Duchess, if only to see the new Marchioness.¡±

    ¡°My realm, the city of Gedon in particular, is dealing with its own problems, Duke Reynard. Successfully, I might add, but I acknowledge your northern roads are difficult this time of year, and the looming crisis has only made them more treacherous.¡±

    ¡°Difficult!¡±

    I coughed, loudly, and both of them wheeled on me. ¡°My apologies¡ªa trout bone in my throat.¡±

    Duke Reynard glowered at me, his neck seemingly surprised he had to look up to do so. ¡°I assure you the trout was deboned!¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± the paladin said in a hissing whisper, the strained tone of which carried intent louder than volume, and gave the two high nobles pause. ¡°This may be above my station, but this woman is a demon, likely a Greater Lust, and we are all in grave danger.¡±

    ¡°Do you concede the ¡®demon¡¯ has a point then, that we should talk about her?¡± the duke asked, putting heavy sarcasm on ¡°demon.¡±

    At this point, I wasn¡¯t sure who was on what side.

    ¡°She could not be a demon, could she? Brutish as she may look, she has been nothing if not a pleasant conversation partner,¡± Duchess Kapel said.

    ¡°Please!¡± Paladin Warren repeated, more of a shout this time. ¡°I do not presume, but I advise the premises be evacuated!¡±

    ¡°Paladin Gareth Warren,¡± Duke Reynard said, putting heavy emphasis on the first syllable, ¡°I need more proof than a cursory inspection to declare a ¡®demon¡¯ and evacuate the ball.¡± I watched the diverse reactions among the crowd, keeping my eyes away from the gallery.

    If I had told her, would I have made an ally, or had someone shouting me down from up there.

    ¡°Her magic is demonic, without doubt.¡± Paladin Warren¡¯s hand, which had drifted toward his sheathed sword, tightened.

    I basked in the fact that I wasn¡¯t scared of¡ªor of the others, but got mired down in the fact that I was scared for others.

    ¡°Marchioness Miller, is this true?¡± Duke Reynard asked.

    Keeping my posture straight and tone neutral, I replied, ¡°I fight demons. That they¡¯ve granted me both strength and magical influence through their deaths should be an open secret.¡±

    The duke seemed to consider my words.

    ¡°Her magic could almost certainly only come from a greater demon,¡± Warren repeated carefully.

    ¡°Almost certainly.¡± The duke caught his words.

    Paladin Warren tensed, but didn¡¯t make a move. With how slow a human was bound to be, I had no difficulty keeping myself relaxed¡ªis what I desperately tried to tell myself. Around us, the crowd started to fray at the edges, and the pianist perked her head up, eyes unsure. I still didn¡¯t dare a glance up to the gallery. A slightly skittish-looking servant came by the rim of the crowd with wine flutes, and Duchess Kapel snatched one.

    The Duke passed politely, eyes on me the whole time, and I was starting to wonder if I¡¯d been wrong in my assessment of him

    ¡°What of her aura?¡± Duchess Kapel asked after taking a sip, surprising both the duke and myself. ¡°Could you not see that as well.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s hiding it,¡± Paladin Warren replied.

    The duke glanced sideways at the duchess. ¡°Can humans hide auras?¡±

    ¡°I have learned to hide it¡ªdemons hunt using aura sight.¡± None of this is technically a lie.

    ¡°They can,¡± the duchess agreed. ¡°Really, I do not see how she could be such a vile abomination.¡±

    ¡°Demons are masters of mimicking human emotions,¡± Paladin Warren replied. ¡°To catch one, you must either expose it physically, or through its actions.¡±

    Duchess Kapel pursed her lips. ¡°Demons act only in their self-interest; I am aware.¡±

    Don¡¯t think of them as insulting my daughter, don¡¯t think of them as insulting my daughter, don¡¯t think of them as insulting my daughter¡­.

    ¡°What then¡­¡± Duke Reynard seemed to take a moment to prepare for his next words, ¡°¡ªdo you propose, Paladin?¡±

    Duchess Kapel replied first. ¡°I have a sprig of nightsbane on me.¡±

    ¡°At my ball?¡±

    ¡°One can never be too careful, Duke Reynard. And for once, I do not mean that as a veiled insult. Demons are insidious creatures that poison the minds of the strongest men.¡±

    The duke looked taken aback by the sideways compliment.

    Duchess Kapel drained her glass, passed it off to another servant, and drew out a dried, white-flowered sprig from her sleeve. ¡°Would this have turned, Paladin Warren? I was speaking with Marchioness Miller at length before we were so rudely interrupted.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ is possible it would not have,¡± the paladin admitted.

    ¡°Here,¡± she held it out to him. ¡°Give this to her then.¡±

    Paladin Warren took the sprig and looked down at it for a moment.

    ¡°Give it here,¡± I gestured. ¡°It¡¯ll turn black when I hold it. I can conceal my aura, not my magic.¡±

    The paladin gripped the flower tightly. ¡°Then might I see your aura?¡±

    ¡°Would you be able to tell it apart from my magic? You saw the power I wield. Give me the sprig. It¡¯ll turn black from my magic, but slowly.¡± I tried to channel the right amount of indignant impatience into my voice.

    ¡°Paladin Warren, do as the Marchioness requests,¡± Duke Reynard said slowly, glancing over at the duchess.

    Hesitantly, Paladin Warren walked towards me.

    All kinds of quips danced through my head, railing against the frame of my metaphorical mask and threatening to seep through the eyeholes just as this metaphor let loose and escaped its confines. I took the sprig and held it up in the light.

    Slowly, it turned black.

    More gasps from the crowd, and from the pianist an errant keystroke. Duchess Kapel paled rapidly.

    ¡°It is as I said, may I¡ª¡±

    Paladin Warren grabbed my arm quickly. I let him.

    ¡°If you are no demon, this will not hurt,¡± he said, and I felt a warm flow of holy magic from him into me, lighting up into an excessively visible glow

    Expecting the heat to turn into a burn, I fought a wince. Instead, all I felt was a¡­ very faint warmth.

    ¡°Paladin Warren!¡± Duke Reynard shouted. ¡°Unhand the marchioness!¡±

    For a moment, Paladin Warren froze, even as the duchess behind him paled further, swaying a little.

    ¡°How¡­¡± the paladin muttered. No anger. He released his arm slowly and turned to the crowd, voice loud. ¡°My sincerest apologies, Duke Reynard and Duchess Kapel. It appears I was mistaken, although I would ordinarily wish to ensure that whatever corruption has afflicted the marchioness has not reached her mind.¡±

    ¡°Your superiors will hear of your mistake, Paladin Warren,¡± Duke Reynard said seriously, radiating none of the anger his voice held.

    We all then looked at Duchess Kapel, who had gone even paler. She opened her mouth, and collapsed.

 Chapter 174: Smoke

    ¡°Duchess Kapel!¡± Paladin Warren was the first to react, turning from me to dash toward the duchess.

    Duke Reynard moved next, catching her arm just as Duchess Kapel fell to her knees, pale and shaking. Her eyes were wide, staring past and through me, and her mouth moved soundlessly.

    Paladin Warren swept an arm at the crowd. ¡°Give her space!¡± Holy magic radiated from his hands, and he ran them along her forehead and her abdomen, almost touching her russet dress.

    Duke Reynard backed away as the acolytes who¡¯d been watching me moved in, laying Duchess Kapel out on the ballroom floor as Paladin Warren got to work. One of the acolytes I recognized: Kord. The one Yevon was interested in and who¡¯d seen me as a demon. Already, my mind had been trying and failing to understand why Paladin Warren could have failed to know of my status as a demon.

    Perhaps he¡¯d been here ahead of the event by several weeks and had missed the news.

    But now? Yevon had a hand in this, and I didn¡¯t like it. Is there anyone who¡¯s not involved in this tonight?

    Perhaps too late, I thought to look around the crowd. Shock was only just giving way to frantic whispering and the beginnings of a panic.

    Was she poisoned? Can holy magic heal that?

    I couldn¡¯t see anything through the mass of people¡ªand I didn¡¯t know where to look either. What could have poisoned her?

    I hadn¡¯t been paying close attention to her ever since Paladin Warren had approached me, but the duchess and I had been eating from the same tray moments before the duke interrupted us. Did Duchess Kapel take something from a serving tray? Did I also consume poison but am immune?

    Whatever the case, I couldn¡¯t keep standing there.

    ¡°What can I do?¡± I asked Paladin Warren.

    If the duke noticed my snub, he wisely decided to focus on the crowd instead. ¡°Listen to Paladin Warren. Give him and his people space¡ªI¡¯m certain the duchess will be fine. For now, however, we must remain calm.¡±

    ¡°Poison,¡± Paladin Warren said, lifting his hand. He motioned for the duke to lean down, and whispered, though I could still pick out his words, ¡°magical, demonic poison¡ªI¡¯m not strong enough to burn it away.¡±

    While I could feel anger from the paladin and some of the acolytes¡ªand worryingly none from the fallen duchess¡ªI still felt no anger from Duke Reynard.

    The man in question nodded solemnly. He motioned to a man standing near the main doors¡ªone wearing thin armor under formal servant clothing. The man in question had stopped midway between the crowd and the door he¡¯d been standing by, likely only intervening upon the duchess¡¯s collapse. At the duke¡¯s motion, he gave a short nod, and made motions of his own before darting out the door.

    Duke Reynard then addressed the crowd, doing a rather impressive job of urging calm. But I didn¡¯t pay attention to his words.

    A magical, demonic poison?

    Could such a thing exist? I had no reason to disbelieve Paladin Warren.

    ¡°Stay back,¡± the Paladin replied to my earlier question. ¡°I know you could¡¯ve done this.¡±

    Could I have?

    Regardless, I obeyed. Healing was rather the opposite of what I was good at. And as such, I redoubled my search for anything out of the ordinary. Up in the gallery, many hadn¡¯t seen what had happened, and the duke¡¯s words seemed most effective. Countess Elstein I saw still by the railing, watching.

    Down on the main ballroom floor, everyone from the pianist to the other nobles started to look around. Then with more anxiety as Duke Reynard mentioned sparkling wine.

    Sparkling wine¡­ There¡¯d been that servant! The one who¡¯d slid by in front of everyone not a minute before the duchess collapsed. I looked for them, but I didn¡¯t have a good read on their appearance. However, I did notice something. Rather a lack of something.

    ¡°Where are the servants?¡± I whispered to myself. Aside from one lonely, confused looking young woman, there were none in the entire ballroom.

    ¡°What about Marchioness Miller?¡± someone in the crowd shouted the moment Duke Reynard finished his speech. ¡°Could she not have tainted poison, even if she¡¯s supposedly not a demon?¡± I caught a glimpse of the woman who¡¯d spoken: a red dress and pale hair.

    The question seemed too perfect a setup. Too planned.

    Except Duke Reynard didn¡¯t follow through. And Paladin Warren was busy talking hurriedly with acolytes, some still tending to the duchess, who now showed an oily sheen of sweat that was smearing her makeup.

    Instead, the duke shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe so, Countess Relitz. Paladin Warren, after all, has cleared her good name. This must be the doing of another demon, perhaps related to the recent attacks. Do not worry, however. The estate has been locked down, and we and Paladin Warren will surely catch the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Culprit,¡± a smooth, unnatural voice finished. ¡°My my, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to have any fun when Envy sent me here of all places.¡± There was a sigh, and I finally found the source of the voice: it was the remaining servant girl, her anxiety smoothed into languid ease and her face marred by a malicious, unnaturally-wide smile. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t doubt them so.¡±

    I shook my head, breaking out of a fog that pulled suddenly at the edges of my vision. Around me, everyone was frozen, entranced. Duchess Kapel shuddered, her breath slowing.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re unaffected, Wrath. So go ahead, fight me.¡± She drew a shimmering rapier out of nowhere and walked toward the back of the crowd, right for Countess Relitz who¡¯d tried to set me up. ¡°See how many humans you can save.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the one who poisoned her. There¡¯s another.¡±

    The demon in disguise pressed their thin blade against the countess¡¯s back. The entranced woman continued to stare off into space, eyes wide asleep.

    ¡°Astute.¡± She rammed the blade home, gleaming tip pushing out through the woman¡¯s dress. ¡°Or not. Obvious. Banal.¡±

    The entrancement on Countess Relitz broke, but her only reaction was a gurgle. There¡¯d been no way I could have saved her. But I also knew from the assassination attempt in the pass south of Gedon: envy demons couldn¡¯t just kill those they¡¯d entranced.

    And entranced people didn¡¯t panic and cause a disaster.

    So while the demon had been gleefully ramming her blade through the woman in question, I¡¯d been working on my own plan: break Paladin Warren and his followers out. And just as the demon withdrew her rapier from the dying woman, I pushed my calculated wrath into Paladin Warren and the acolytes around him.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    They¡¯d know. They¡¯d know for sure what I was now.

    But they could defend others where I could not, from the blades in the shadows I did not see and could not block. And they would also prove an infallible defense that I was in no way responsible for at least one death.

    If they sided with me.

    Before the demon could stab another, I kicked off my heels and, still in human form, leapt at her.

    ***

    Paladin Gareth Warren was having a bad evening. A bad evening tacked onto the end of a bad month. Preparations for the Winter Solstice Ball had been extensive and isolating, and he and his acolytes had been involved in every step.

    Worse yet, his request for additional aid after finding a third servant under demonic influence had resulted in a single quiet acolyte. Kord was competent, but a single person.

    Duke Reynard was close to an opponent of the Church of Dhias, although he had made their stay rather comfortable, and left few obstructions to their work. Gareth still didn¡¯t trust the man¡ªone of his personas was a lie, after all¡ªbut he¡¯d had no reason to doubt him.

    As such, when the impossibly-proportioned marchioness he¡¯d been warned about had joined the evening¡¯s festivities, Gareth had taken notice. At first, he¡¯d assumed a trick of perspective, then some elaborate costume, but the woman really was tall enough to make two meters look short. She was also beautiful, in a brutal sort of way, but unnaturally so.

    He hadn¡¯t seen a lust demon take a form like hers, so he¡¯d assumed Greater Conceit. However, her amiable behavior toward the prodding duchess and her later conciliatory actions dashed that theory entirely. However, her magic had been absolutely demonic.

    If he didn¡¯t know wrath demons as well as he did, Gareth would have assumed her a Greater Wrath of unusual form able to maintain a human disguise. A human disguise that was more than mere glamour. After she¡¯d failed to react to holy magic, he¡¯d been forced to reconsider, to entertain the idea that Marchioness Zarenna Miller was simply a part-ogre human who¡¯d survived a stupefying amount of corruption.

    Paladin Gareth Warren was mad he¡¯d been so wrong. Furious he couldn¡¯t identify what was going on with the marchioness, and downright enraged that someone had somehow poisoned Duchess Kapel with demonic poison right under his nose.

    He was so mad that he could do something about it. Something more than standing into space staring at a pianist that was staring right back at him, frozen.

    Gareth¡¯s training kicked in. I¡¯ve been entranced. This wrath is unnatural.

    Immediately, he sequestered the emotion, walled himself off from it and prepared for the assault that didn¡¯t come. Next, he looked to his acolytes all of whom were rousing, and gestured to Duchess Kapel on the ground.

    Then, he looked up and out over the crowd. He looked just in time to see Marchioness Miller kick off her shoes and leap with inhuman speed at a serving girl who was holding a bloody, shimmering rapier. The scene, for a moment, fixated Gareth.

    ¡°Where are the servants?¡± Marchioness Miller had mumbled, and the gears of Paladin Gareth Warren¡¯s mind turned as he made his decision.

    ***

    I didn¡¯t hear a shout or a call out, and I was almost caught off guard by the speed at which Paladin Warren recovered. Twisting, pushing down a thought that the tail I didn¡¯t have right now might get hit, I dodged clear of his lance of holy magic, thrown over the still-frozen crowd.

    The shape reminded me of Kartania¡¯s but¡­ blunter. Less refined. I was probably biased though.

    My opponent¡¯s eyes widened as my motion revealed the spell, and the surprise on her face lasted only a moment before the holy lance ripped through her off-arm¡¯s shoulder. The first drop of demonic blood hadn¡¯t yet hit the shining ballroom floor when I struck.

    Curling a fist and stepping over the fallen countess¡¯s blood, I lunged forward. Perhaps unbalanced by my ungainly human form, I missed the demon¡¯s shocked, glamoured face, and instead got her in her good shoulder.

    She spun from the force, sliding back on one foot as the shining sword left her hand, already dissolving. I pressed her, reaching out to grab her.

    She disappeared under my hands, and I grabbed only a bloodied servant¡¯s uniform.

    Shit.

    I turned on my aura sight, only just in time to catch the invisible demon retreating through a servant¡¯s door. However, she left a trail of blood droplets smoking on the floor.

    ¡°She went through that door!¡± I shouted, pointing after her and turning to Paladin Warren and his acolytes.

    Aside from two tending to the duchess, they were all staring at me, and I realized why almost immediately¡ªI still had aura sight active, and my eyes were decidedly not human.

    The mask was off then.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go get the bad demons!¡± I ignored, pointedly, that the shot I¡¯d dodged could have been aimed at me.

    The Church acolytes and their paladin stared.

    ¡°Do you really think I did this entrancing thing? Look at me. I¡¯m Wrath, not Envy.¡± I debated dropping my human form, but I really liked this dress. Easy to move in despite its looks, and enchanted to boot. For stains and small tears and the like¡ªnot the kind of thing Lilly could do, but I wanted to keep it.

    I almost ran off before I got a response.

    Paladin Warren shook his head. Not as a denial, but more in disbelief. ¡°Jeffrey, Thea, stay with the duchess. Clarisse, Thom, and Leonard, guard the ballroom. Kord and Lia with me. The rest spread out and case the estate. Keep your minds guarded and stay in pairs or more.

    ¡°And you,¡± he pointed at me as he walked through the entranced crowd, sword drawn. ¡°Stay in my sight, do as I say, and don¡¯t give me a reason to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make empty threats,¡± I replied, pride bristling. ¡°But I¡¯ll follow your lead. I think there¡¯s more than one greater demon¡ªand they¡¯re planning something.¡±

    ¡°Or they¡¯re running away.¡± Paladin Warren walked past me, then stopped, eyes glowing. ¡°You first.¡±

    I shrugged and started after the demon, picking up into a light jog the humans could keep up with. ¡°Sure. Thanks for giving me a chance, I guess. More than most Church folks do.¡±

    ¡°Needs must,¡± Paladin Warren replied curtly.

    On the other side of the door was an empty hallway, and the blood trail split at the first intersection. Crafty. ¡°Did Kord not tell you of me?¡± I tried to study the aura of the blood.

    ¡°Do not try your tricks now¡ª¡±

    ¡°She saved me, Paladin Warren, sir,¡± Kord said softly. ¡°Well, she saved civilians at least¡ªkilled some lesser demons in Linthel shortly before I joined you.¡±

    Paladin Warren sighed. ¡°And you did not think to¡ªnever mind. I can¡¯t tell this trail apart.¡±

    ¡°I can go one way,¡± I offered.

    The paladin shook his head. ¡°No, I will keep an eye on you. Kord, Lia.¡± He called upon his magic and a complex spell wreathed them in light. ¡°I think the stronger trail is left¡ªyou two take right and I¡¯ll go left with the demon. You know the signal.¡±

    Kord nodded, and the pair ran off down one hallway.

    I took the initiative and started down the other. ¡°You¡¯re suddenly alright being alone with me.¡±

    ¡°I can stall you long enough for the others to escape, if I need to.¡±

    ¡°Commendable. But your men trust you¡ªdon¡¯t throw yourself away so easily.¡± The trail ended in a large but simple door, the hallway itself having lost much of the grandeur the estate seemed to have.

    I kicked it in before Paladin Warren could respond.

    Inside, the brutalized bodies of servants lay strewn about, some bereft of outer clothes. Some others looked very recent, including the one the wounded demon from earlier was pulling her sword out of. She¡¯d retained her human glamour, but it was flickering, and I caught glimpses of a shining, almost prismatic mien underneath a face twisted in rage.

    ¡°So you found me,¡± the demon spat. ¡°Hmm? Going to let me speak, are you?¡±

    ¡°Talk,¡± I growled. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡±

    The envy demon laughed, the sound twisting outside of human range and distorting. ¡°Something marvelously simple, though not all played their part perfectly. No matter.¡±

    ¡°What of the poison?¡± Paladin Warren shouted.

    ¡°A request, of course,¡± the envy demon replied candidly. ¡°Anyway, I think this has been long enough.¡±

    She disappeared again, but this time I was ready. And to my surprise, Warren was too. What could only be described as a luminescent fog filled the room, and the other demon coughed into the burning mist, stumbling, invisibility flickering as the after-image she¡¯d made of herself shattered into motes of light.

    I grabbed her, spinning her around. Paladin Warren, shaking his head against what was probably a formidable mental assault, swung his blade and took her head.

    Her human form dissolved, leaving a lithe body covered in a pattern reminiscent of shattered stained glass. Nearly human, the extra-long limbs and thin, four-fingered hands threw the body into an uncanny sort of place. I looked away, past the severed head whose six silvery eyes were still wide with surprise, and beheld again the butchery in the room.

    Paladin Warren and I both glanced at the servants¡¯ bodies and shared an eerily similar frown, eyes widening as we met each other with matching gazes.

    ¡°We should rejoin the search,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°¡­Agreed,¡± Paladin Warren replied. His lips were drawn thin, and I felt anger within him, but I didn¡¯t think it was at me.

    Something tickled my nose and I sniffed, eyes widening and head snapping to the doorway.

    ¡°De¡ªMarchioness?¡± my hopefully-more-than-temporary ally said, already jogging to the door.

    I followed him, and quickly. ¡°Do you smell that?¡±

    He sniffed, and his own eyes went wide. ¡°Smoke.¡±

 Chapter 175: Shooting Star

    Dignity didn¡¯t get considered. Decorum couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise. I scooped Paladin Warren up into a princess carry and darted with him out into the hallway.

    ¡°Close your eyes and hold your breath. I¡¯ve been told it helps.¡±

    Before he could respond, I dashed for the source of the smoke. The smell was all around us, coming from multiple fires.

    ¡°B-ballroom!¡± Paladin Warren coughed.

    I turned quickly, stockinged feet skidding on carpet until my claws tore through them into the stone floor. Keeping my feet shifted and my aura sight on, I ran back down the route we¡¯d just come. From a side room, a door burst open and an acolyte tumbled out, bleeding.

    The envy demon, a weaker greater demon than the one Gareth and I had killed, made the mistake of following the acolyte out into the hallway and into my path. Paltry two hands full and unwilling to grow more, I let my horns sprout and ducked my head forward.

    The demon barely reacted in time before my hard horns and harder skull slammed into theirs. Bone cracked, blood sprayed, and the demon went down. I kicked at them with my foot claws on the way by, sending them tumbling into the wall opposite the door, dazed and badly hurt.

    I skidded nearly to a halt, claws screeching, ready to finish the demon.

    A shout from inside the room¡ªa human shout¡ªgave me relief and I trusted that the pair of acolytes could finish the envy demon off. In my arms, Paladin Warren shouted as well, but I hadn¡¯t paid attention.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nevermi¡ªjust keep going!¡±

    ¡°Gotcha!¡± I smiled and sped up again, turning the last corner into the ballroom, claws clacking on the bare floor.

    The doors were closed¡ªbarred from this side¡ªso I simply went through them. Horns first.

    Immediately, I was hit with a chaotic wall of noise. Panicked shouts and screams overlaid orders from acolytes and the few remaining estate guards, drowning them out. Underneath all of it was the cracking of fire. A few guests had been pounding on the doors when I went through, and they were sent tumbling out over the ballroom floor.

    I¡¯d worry about them if it wasn¡¯t for the flickering light coming from the fire. Above the main hall, the gallery was a ring of fire. The lush curtains flanking the windows had turned into pillars of flame, likely too hot for mortals to dash through.

    And all the doors had been barred shut. Swiftly, I hid my horns and clawed feet, hoping that the chaos would obfuscate them. I also set the squirming Paladin Warren down. But even as I did, my limbs grew heavy.

    The flames transfixed me. The heat burned not at my body, but my mind.

    Was this what it was like for Tania? For the others who died in the fire?

    My house had been like this, my only home. Bodies on the ground like Countess Relitz, staring dead-eyed up into flames until the heat boiled them out of their skulls.

    ¡°¡ªMiller! Marchioness Miller! Can you do anything to control the flames?¡± Paladin Warren¡¯s voice broke through, distant.

    I scrunched my eyes shut and bit my lip. This fire cannot hurt me.

    It cannot hurt me.

    Moreover, the paladin might have a point. The fire wasn¡¯t demonic¡ªit was mundane to my aura sight, even if traces of magic lingered all about the massive room. Perhaps I could control it?

    I ignored Duke Reynard¡¯s frantic shouting. Put out of my mind the cries of the acolytes still tending to the fallen Duchess Kapel. I walked to the center of the room and looked up.

    I need to be closer.

    My wings, fire made manifest, sprung out from my back, burning two neat holes into my dress, their heat contained by my will. I rose on them, in the warm current of the room, and threw out my arms. Fire and heat, my magic was of the same.

    That spell of mine, the radius of heat and flame. Looking at the structure, pulling it apart and reversing it, using the wind magic Seyari had gifted me¡­

    Slowly, my senses extended to the mundane flames. First, they tinged crimson, then lit my color. Then they bent toward me, heat retracting. Slowly, I pulled the heat from them, retracting my magic, and with it, the flames.

    The heat in the air and the currents holding me aloft dissipated as the fires in the ballroom went out. Focused as I was, I barely noticed I¡¯d been descending until my bare feet touched the still-warm floor. Ending the spell that sustained my wings of fire, I opened my eyes.

    More than half of the crowd were staring at me. I scanned over the people, relieved to find Countess Elstein among them. Above us, the gallery was in ruins, but the main floor of the ballroom was merely singed.

    ¡°There are other fires throughout the estate,¡± I started. ¡°Paladin Warren¡¯s acolytes and the estate guards are battling other demons. We should stay here until the way out is safe.¡±

    Several people were looking at the doors I¡¯d burst through, and some others had already gone through them.

    ¡°Listen to her!¡± Duke Reynard shouted, stepping through the crowd. ¡°We must remain calm¡ªmy guards and the Church forces have things well in hand. That was quite the display, Marchioness Miller.¡±

    I nodded respectfully. ¡°What of the duchess?¡±

    Duke Reynard shook his head. ¡°The healers are unable to best the magicked poison in her veins, I¡¯m afraid. Whatever demons did this, we will find them.¡±

    I felt anger at that last sentence, but it was a cold, distant emotion. And unfortunately, while I had my suspicions about the man, I couldn¡¯t voice them. Right now, he was taking charge and keeping things calm.

    Unfortunately, Paladin Warren was now looking at me with a curious expression I really didn¡¯t like.

    ***

    Paladin Gareth Warren had a realization, a creeping, awful realization. Had Zarenna planned this whole thing to look like a hero?

    She was at the right places at the right times. She¡¯d disguised herself as human by some means or another that spoke of planning.

    ¡°Paladin Warren, sir?¡± a quiet voice next to him asked. Kord.

    ¡°Yes, Acolyte Kord?¡± the paladin watched Zarenna descend from the middle of the room on wings of crimson fire, watched the demonic mana filter back out of the air and into her, taking the flames with it.

    ¡°Marchioness Miller isn¡¯t a bad person¡ªI don¡¯t think.¡±

    ¡°What makes you say that, boy?¡± Paladin Warren kept his voice low as Duke Reynard stepped forward.

    ¡°She saved people from demons before, in Linthel. I was there¡ªsaw her demon form.¡±

    What does she really look like? Warren didn¡¯t ask that question, instead, he struggled to contain his anger. ¡°Why then, did you not tell me this?¡±

    ¡°High Priest¡¯s orders, sir. I¡¯m sorry¡ªI really am.¡±

    ¡°The same high priest who only gave us you?¡±

    Kord nodded sheepishly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve an inquiry to start then; this whole thing reeks of sabotage. I wonder if she¡¯s got her claws in high places.¡± He stopped just short of directly accusing a High Priest of consorting with demons.

    At that moment, Zarenna turned to look at Paladin Warren, her eyes human. He froze, then studied her gaze. No malice, no fear, just relief. He¡¯d seen greater demons and their tricks before, but Zarenna was good, and was playing some long game.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Why it included him when she¡¯d plenty of opportunities for him to conveniently die, he didn¡¯t know. But he was determined to find out.

    ¡°No human could have done that trick, Marchioness,¡± he said firmly. ¡°The amount of mana needed would strain even the greatest of mages, and your other display was not so long ago.¡±

    Her too-perfect lips twisted into a confused-seeming frown. ¡°Perhaps my hunts have granted me strength beyond mortal means. But now is certainly not the time for an investigation.¡±

    Bullshit, he thought. ¡°Awfully convenient for you to be the hero tonight, Marchioness.¡±

    ¡°Paladin Warren!¡± Duke Reynard snapped. ¡°The marchioness is right! We must ensure the other demons are defeated. Go again with the marchioness or wait here to defend¡ªI don¡¯t care, just get it done. This is no time to engage in fractious talk.¡±

    The rebuke stung, and Gareth bit his tongue. The duke¡¯s behavior confused him; could he be under her thrall? No¡ªthere was no tell-tale aura. Paladin Warren watched the marchioness¡¯s reaction and tried to think. He¡¯d heard talons on stone, and her stockings were torn. He¡¯d surely seen horns sprouting from her head, and demonic eyes. What manner of transformation did she have? What sort of demon could she be?

    Marchioness Miller frowned, then turned to the duke. ¡°This may be above my station, but if you would please keep order and find who is missing? Perhaps also have your guards arrange into defensive positions? I¡¯d like a word with Paladin Warren.¡±

    ¡°Your impertinence is¡­ accepted,¡± the duke said tersely. ¡°Very well.¡± With that, he turned and shouted toward the crowd, even urging the pianist to resume their station in an attempt to maintain calm.

    An about-face of attitude toward the marchioness. Hadn¡¯t he been certain of her inhumanity? Paladin Warren hadn¡¯t heard a single good word about Marchioness Miller from Duke Reynard before tonight. Something was going on.

    ¡°Paladin Warren?¡± Marchioness Miller asked, suddenly looming over him.

    ¡°Y-yes?¡± He reached reflexively for his sword, knowing full well he was at a disadvantage this close.

    She stuck out her human-looking hand. ¡°Observe my aura.¡±

    He stared into her eyes, looking for any deception.

    ¡°Why do you Church folks always scrutinize me if your mind¡¯s already made up?¡± she sighed, suddenly candid. ¡°Every time it just gets my hopes up that maybe you¡¯ll go against dogma.¡±

    Brow furrowing, Paladin Warren stuck his hand out. ¡°Every time?¡±

    Marchioness Zarenna Miller nodded, and her hand transformed in his, skin flushing crimson beneath silver-white gloves. Before Paladin Warren could respond, his vision flooded with her aura and his knees went weak.

    A mass of crimson, deep like an ocean and barely contained by the outline of her body, burst forth almost blindingly. The paladin had seen many auras, from high priests to half-angels, to greater demons of many types.

    But this¡­

    He¡¯d witnessed an angel¡¯s aura once, Berethiel, and he¡¯d had to look away. This¡­ this did not quite blind him, but it was close.

    By Dhias, she¡¯s a true monster. A destroyer of kingdoms.

    And then the aura was gone, skin once again pale, and Paladin Warren looked up into eyes softer than they had any right to be.

    ¡°That is what I am. I am not playing whatever games of deception you think I am. If I wanted to destroy humanity here tonight, I would not play games. You all would simply feel fire and rage, then nothing.¡± Her voice was almost¡­ sad. ¡°Please¡­ this is not a threat¡ªthis is a fact. I do not take pleasure in ending lives.¡±

    For a moment, Paladin Warren was almost convinced. He shook his head and grabbed his hand back from hers. ¡°No¡­ I will not cave to threats, demon. I¡­ may still be able to save some lives by slowing you down.¡±

    ¡°Do you intend to fight me then?¡±

    Paladin Warren glared at her, and her odd choice of a sad expression.

    ¡°I have no intention of hurting anyone other than enemy demons and would-be murderers tonight. Surely you must know you couldn¡¯t really protect anyone if I did.¡±

    The paladin swallowed. She¡¯s right, damnit. Unless she somehow evaded my magic earlier¡ªor the fog in the servant¡¯s quarters.

    ¡°Please, let¡¯s go get the rest of the estate under control. I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±

    Paladin Warren hissed a breath out between clenched teeth. ¡°Demon, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Paladin Warren, we¡¯re losing her!¡± someone shouted from within the crowd.

    Gareth¡¯s head snapped up. Duchess Kapel. The demonically-magicked poison!

    ***

    I followed Paladin Warren over to where Duchess Kapel was still on the ground, head now propped up by a rolled evening coat someone had donated. The bun her dark hair was in was loose, strands sticking out haphazardly. Acolyte Kord tagged along behind us, and I had a sneaking suspicion he¡¯d heard everything, though he kept quiet.

    Oh well.

    The paladin didn¡¯t have to say a word for space to be made for him to kneel. His eyes glowed, and he placed a hand gently against her neck. ¡°Damn. You can¡¯t burn it out?¡±

    One of the Church folks, a healer probably, shook her head. ¡°Not without risking killing her.¡±

    ¡°Well she¡¯s going to die anyway, isn¡¯t she?¡± Paladin Warren snapped. I¡¯d felt anger from him since he¡¯d apparently decided I was at fault for this mess, but it was rising rapidly.

    He must be out of patience. I crouched down to join the group gathered around the stricken duchess.

    ¡°A better healer might be able to do something, sir.¡±

    I drained the paladin¡¯s anger, battering aside his defenses to do so. He gulped down a snappy reply and side eyed me with a ¡°why are you here¡± expression. ¡°We are trapped here until the estate is cleared. How long does she have?¡±

    ¡°If we keep at it, perhaps until dawn, but the more we fight it, the more it corrupts her.¡± She pointed at the duchess¡¯s pale, almost bluing complexion, and I saw small bumps under her forehead¡¯s skin. Horns?

    Wait, what if Joisse¡¯s magic¡­ ¡°My wife is a half-angel,¡± I blurted. ¡°A strong one.¡± And she¡¯s not the best at healing¡ªbut she¡¯s at least as capable as these acolytes and I have a strong sense my daughter could fix this.

    ¡°Is she with you in the city?¡± the healer responded before wilting under Paladin Warren¡¯s glare.

    And here I was hoping for an ally. Damn it all.

    ¡°She¡¯s in Astrye, but I can fly there in just a few hours.¡±

    The healer shook her head.

    Paladin Warren turned to me, his face grim. ¡°Marchioness Miller, that is a ridiculous suggestion and I cannot condone it. Not only would the duchess be unlikely to survive such a flight, we do not know where your allegiance lies, and we cannot count on the veracity of your words.¡±

    I took one more look at the downed duchess and stood up. Her life hangs in the balance, and I am not going to waste time bickering.

    ¡°Paladin Warren!¡± a young voice boomed over the crowd before I could speak. ¡°We¡¯ve secured the west wing, and are reinforcing the east wing!¡±

    ¡°Do you have it in hand?¡± Duke Reynard replied from somewhere near the other side of the crowd.

    ¡°I-I think so?¡± the young man stuttered at the sudden attention from the duke. ¡°We made the demons we were fighting retreat!¡±

    Now, Paladin Warren stood up, shouting right next to my ear. ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The paladin turned to glare down at me.

    I blinked at him. ¡°Seriously? What kind of mental hoops are you going through to¡ªnever mind. Duke Reynard!¡± I walked over to the duke with a determined step, then said more softly, ¡°Duchess Kapel¡¯s condition is grim, and they say they cannot heal her. She has mere hours, even with the treatment she¡¯s received.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the spell that gives me wings of fire. With them, I can get her to my wife who is a powerful half-angel and should be able to heal her. As the host of this event, and I presume the highest ranking among nobility present, may I take her?¡±

    The duke looked at me askance. ¡°Across the mountains to Astrye, in her condition?¡±

    I nodded hesitantly, ¡°I can be there within three hours, and my magic can both shield her and keep her warm during flight.¡±

    Paladin Warren stomped over, forcing his way through the crowd. ¡°Duke Reynard, you cannot possibly consider this! It¡¯s irresponsible! By morning, we may well have the estate cleared.¡±

    Duke Reynard glanced at the crowd, now anxiously watching us. ¡°Since the war, you must know I have reduced the Church¡¯s influence in my duchy. Due to your practice of hoarding mages capable of healing magic, there is no healer within half a day¡¯s ride by the fastest carriage that could do more than you and yours.¡±

    Paladin Warren held his tongue, inhaling through his nose while looking between the two of us. ¡°Does this mean you are endorsing¡­ Marchioness Zarenna taking the duchess to Astrye by way of a fast, frigid flight?¡±

    ¡°I see no other option. Would you rather tie her to my fastest horse and hope she survives the ride? And hope that a healer may be found?¡±

    Paladin Warren clenched his teeth, but said nothing.

    ¡°Thank you, Duke Reynard. I will do my utmost to ensure she arrives at a healer in time.¡± I bowed and walked past the fuming paladin to the acolytes. ¡°How long will she have without you?¡±

    The healer shook her head. ¡°Two hours, three at the most. The corruption is spreading as well, and it¡¯ll only get worse the longer we wait.¡±

    I looked up at the gallery, at the scorched entrance to one of the balconies where a cold, winter wind was coming in through. ¡°Help make sure I¡¯m carrying her safely.¡±

    ¡°Paladin Warren?¡± The healer tilted their head at the paladin.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Thank you, Paladin Warren,¡± I replied honestly.

    He didn¡¯t meet my gaze.

    With the help of the acolytes, I soon had Duchess Kapel¡¯s limp form in a princess carry. She was simultaneously ice cold and burning with fever, shaking in her sleep.

    ¡°I suppose I should thank you for inviting me to the Winter Solstice Ball, Duke Reynard. I wish things had not gone awry. Shall I return later tonight, to help?¡±

    The duke stiffened. ¡°I assure you my people have this well enough in hand.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± I turned to the window, and the healer¡¯s hands finally left the duchess. Crouching first, I lit up my wings when she was clear, then took off with a leap.

    Only to find a weight attached to my ankle: Paladin Warren. Reflexively, I almost kicked him off.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ let you just do as you please!¡± he choked out, face strained with exertion. His anger had bubbled up again, but it didn¡¯t have quite the same vitriol as before.

    ¡°Then hang on!¡± I replied, gliding out the window before pouring more power into my wings, flaring them out wider and wider.

    The paladin¡¯s barehanded grip on my ankle, gauntlets dangling from his hips, didn¡¯t have the same tenacity as the fierceness in his eyes. Rising above the estate, I sent a mental apology to Countess Elstein for the alterations, then shifted out of my human transformation. The paladin¡¯s eyes went wide, and he fought to cling onto my leg as my tail grabbed around his torso.

    ¡°I have enough arms to carry you too, Paladin. Unless you want to spend the whole flight clinging to my leg unable to aid the duchess?¡± Whether he let go out of surprise or assent, I didn¡¯t take the time to check, and I flung him up into my arms, parallel below the duchess. ¡°Let me know if you get cold¡ªI¡¯ll try to keep you warm and the winds out; and in return please don¡¯t stab me.¡±

    My magic hummed to life around us, a bubble of insulating wind. ¡°Oh, I might have undersold how fast I can fly.¡±

    Spiraling upward, flames from my wings trailed like a comet as I accelerated, turning horizontal toward the southeast.

 Interlude: Shooting Star pt. 2

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Inva asked, standing up from getting the evening¡¯s fire going. ¡°And you still look cold. Should I get a blanket from the cart?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Sonia said slowly, even though the bases of her horns were cold enough to give her a headache. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about Gedon. About the Ordian Civil War. Back in Cavenze, the war had been so far away, even though I was just a kid.¡±

    Inva plopped down next to Sonia and tossed the other woman¡¯s hood up over her horns. ¡°The war never really reached me, either. Too young for conscription. Also, don¡¯t keep quiet when you¡¯re uncomfortable Sonia.¡±

    Sonia blushed and fidgeted, messing with her hood until she found the fur-lined holes and slid her horns through, careful of their jewelry. ¡°Sorry, I get that from Dad. Wait¡ªwhat do you mean by conscription?¡±

    Inva laughed nervously. ¡°Oh, uh, my¡­ brother got conscripted. Yeah. Brother.¡±

    Sonia tilted her head at her close maybe-more-than-a-friend and had just opened her mouth when she heard a twig snap. Hands went for weapons until the pair looked up to see Paula coming back out of the snow-laden trees holding a bloodied hare by the feet, its white winter coat staining with blood.

    ¡°Caught us dinner,¡± the dark-haired woman said simply. ¡°Can either of you skin?¡±

    Sonia shook her head.

    ¡°I was told how to once, but it was a long time ago,¡± Inva admitted.

    Paula shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it then.¡±

    ¡°Thanks again for traveling with us, Paula!¡± Sonia chirped.

    Paula grunted. ¡°I told you to stop doing that. We all have a common goal¡ªwe all want to talk to that outrageous demon woman. You¡¯d have hired someone capable if you didn¡¯t have me¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Sonia nodded.

    Paula sighed and fished the carving knife out of her pack and gestured with it. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out there again so close to dusk, and I don¡¯t want to risk the wind changing, so I hope you two are ready for the smell of charred hare guts.¡±

    Sonia¡¯s smile disappeared.

    Inva only laughed. ¡°Won¡¯t bother us in the slightest.¡±

    Speak for yourself, Inva, Sonia thought. She pulled her cloak a little tighter against herself and watched Paula stoking the fire hotter. The metal of the blade gleamed in the dark, and the demon-blooded woman looked away and plugged her nose while the mercenary cleaned the rabbit carcass.

    ***

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    A few nights later, the trio had camped again, this time with rations from a nearby town and a gorgeous view. With the stars shining down, they could see for kilometers around, including faint twinkles of light in the valley below the road.

    They were sitting around a campfire in a spot that¡¯d been used by other travelers, her and Inva sitting on a log and Paula on a flat stone across from them The mercenary was dressed in her usual dark hunting leathers, face lit up orange by the light of the fire.

    Fresh snow, fallen earlier that day, blew like smoke off the tops of trees, and Sonia shivered in the breeze. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, right?¡± She turned to Inva, thankful the paladin had put her tabard between Sonia¡¯s shoulder and the other woman¡¯s cold metal pauldron.

    ¡°We are,¡± Inva replied. ¡°Just a few more days to Linthel.¡±

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be there?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯d better be,¡± Paula cut in with a sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna waste my time coming all the way down here.¡±

    Sonia almost stopped herself from asking, but something about the night¡¯s chill and Paula¡¯s guarded expression made her decide to risk it. ¡°I know you¡¯re not the type to talk about yourself, Paula, but why do you want to¡ª¡±

    ¡°To apologize.¡± Her answer was swift, and she poked with her stick at the fire in the silence that followed, speaking only after the burning wood gave a loud pop. ¡°When I met her, I immediately didn¡¯t like her; she tried to be too friendly. Then suddenly she was a demon, and I thought I had her figured out: she¡¯d been nice as a ruse, strong because she was cheating. I¡­¡±

    ¡°What made you change your mind?¡± Inva offered the mercenary a way out.

    Paula took it, nodding slowly. ¡°Time, I guess. Talked to people that¡¯d been close to her, Firalex mainly. She saved a whole bunch of people one night, and the Church didn¡¯t even try to take her out. Then, she¡¯d left.

    ¡°I think that was what did it. Realizing she was actually just leaving, leaving the house she¡¯d gotten for free to her friends, and moving on. I couldn¡¯t figure out why she¡¯d done it then, if she wasn¡¯t going to milk the reward.¡± Paula poked at the fire again, and the trio listened as it crackled softly.

    ¡°So, you want to ask her why then?¡± Sonia guessed, tilting her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said,¡± Paula replied curtly.

    Sonia nodded knowingly. ¡°If you say so.¡±

    Paula groaned. ¡°Dhias, it¡¯s like you¡¯re her again sometimes. Always so sure you know what someone¡¯s really feeling!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sonia¡¯s head drooped. ¡°Sorry, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, by the way.¡± Paula spat out the words like they¡¯d personally hurt her. ¡°And fuck you for making me say it.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t make you say it,¡± Inva said.

    Paula chuckled. ¡°Fine, whatever. I guess it¡¯s not a big deal or anything. You two act like you¡¯re Dhias-damned disciples of her or something.¡±

    Inva blushed and looked down at her feet. ¡°No, I just want to thank her for¡­ introducing me to some fine people.¡± She wrapped an arm around Sonia.

    The demon-blooded priestess looked from Inva into the fire, then back up at the sky, searching the trees for the hidden moon. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Not in the same way I follow Dhias. There¡¯s just¡­ I want to work with the woman I feel can change how demon-blooded are viewed, you know.¡±

    ¡°I get that. I¡¯d have called you a lot of nasty things not even a year ago. Now, I honestly think your horns suit you¡ªeven if they¡¯re a little heavy-looking.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not heavy!¡± Sonia puffed out her cheeks.

    Inva chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what Paula meant, Sonia. Your horns are lovely and important and everyone should know so!¡±

    Sonia¡¯s stomach did a little flip at Inva¡¯s unexpected words. Sure, she thought so¡ªand her dad thought so¡ªbut she was still nervous.

    Paula blinked. ¡°What did I mean, Inva?¡±

    The paladin deflated. ¡°Oh¡­ Never mind then. I guess I was reading too much into it.¡±

    Sonia giggled; the sound made Inva smile, and it flipped Paula¡¯s frown into a smirk.

    As the three of them turned their heads toward the sky, a crimson star shot across it, low and burning bright.

 Interlude: Shooting Star pt. 3

    Kartania glanced up at the sky just in time to see a crimson comet streaking across the sky low and to the west. It¡¯s the same color as Zarenna¡¯s fire, she thought wistfully.

    A warm hand on her shoulder urged her forward wordlessly, and Kartania continued across the Academy of Dhias¡¯s courtyard. Around her were training equipment; acolytes out training despite the night¡¯s chill; aged, well-trimmed trees; and familiar stone walls topped with familiar engraved crenellations. The sun-like symbol of Dhias watched from all angles.

    Despite her situation, the still-for-now-paladin held her head high and kept her arms as straight as she could. Cold steel dug into her wrists, and she felt the manacles¡¯ weight against the thin clothes she¡¯d worn¡ªformal, but not representing her rank. An equally heavy, itching warmth rested just above her chest, suppressing her magic, its source locked around her neck.

    Symbolic rather than practical. The figure walking her had given her the choice of going without; Kartania had declined. News of her complicity in High Priest Grants¡¯s death, and her open support of a demon she considered a blood relation had swept like wildfire through the halls of the academy.

    In the span of a week, she¡¯d gone from her personal quarters to a cell to a guest suite for visiting dignitaries back to a cell and then back to her quarters. The return of High Priest Styon to Ardath and his tacit approval of her judgment stung Kartania, even as it had given her back a shred of dignity.

    He could have prevented this, I know he could have.

    ¡°Relax, Kartania.¡±

    Kartania remembered to breathe. ¡°Thank you, Walter.¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to go like this. There are plenty of side halls we could use, and you¡¯re allowed to go without restraint.¡±

    ¡°This is the most direct route,¡± Kartania said coldly. She studied the looks of the acolytes and paladins-in-training. Everyone knew of her upcoming hearing, and of the trial that would surely follow. Some looked at her with pity, others with scorn. From a few, she saw curiosity, and from many of the paladins she saw nothing at all.

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    ¡°Kar¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough, Walter,¡± Kartania snapped. ¡°Free to go without restraint? I am to be disarmed, my magic suppressed, and to be walked there with a minder like I am a lost pup!¡± Walter took a while to respond, and Kartania kept her eyes forward, boots crunching on gravel.

    When her former mentor did, eventually, respond, it was in a quiet, concerned voice. ¡°You do not have to do this. I would be in charge of rehabilitation, were you to accept their deal. Within two years¡¯ time, you could even regain your status as a paladin.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s eye twitched as she forced herself to choose her words carefully. All eyes were on her, after all. ¡°Guilt will be determined in the trial, Walter. Or is it that you think me compromised as well?¡±

    Her old mentor¡¯s silence was telling. Without even looking, Kartania could imagine his mustache twitching as he held his own words in. Part of her ached that she¡¯d disappointed her mentor. Walter had been one of the kindest people she had met during her stay here, all the way through her brutal training.

    Smiling, encouraging, even as he pushed her again and again to the brink.

    Truly, he¡¯d lost his star student the moment Zarenna had held Kartania in the old fort ruins. Even if she¡¯d told her family¡ªDhias, that was still something to consider¡ªotherwise for a while after, Kartania had long known where her allegiance lay. Perhaps she¡¯d known even earlier when she¡¯d laid flowers on her sister¡¯s grave, this time wondering if the bones that were down there were truly all that was left.

    Walter¡¯s once-comforting hand on her shoulder nearly burned, and Kartania snapped her eyes shut to block the tears. Her mentor sighed, but he didn¡¯t speak, and the hole in Tania¡¯s heart grew ragged at the edges.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll hear your case at tonight¡¯s hearing.¡± His words were low, thoughtful.

    Kartania fought not to presume the worst meaning. After all, she¡¯d left Zarenna¡¯s side for the time being to pursue her own ends. High Priest Yevon couldn¡¯t be trusted¡ªnone of them could. The acolytes watching her?

    Some could; some couldn¡¯t.

    And telling the good ones apart would require the edge of a blade.

    So once again, Kartania drew in a breath, and she held her head high. Marching in plainclothes, handcuffed and with a magic-suppressant necklace that could only be described as a collar around her neck, she resolved to not present the whipped dog they wanted to see.

    As the doors to the council chamber loomed large, she kept a steady, marching pace. These next few hours, days, months, she¡¯d hold her head high, she¡¯d speak her mind and her truths, and she¡¯d listen. Listen for allies, for enemies, and the most important of all¡ªthose who could yet be either.

    The Church of Dhias could yet be made an ally of Kartania and Zarenna¡¯s fight.

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry if I¡¯ve disappointed you, Walter. Perhaps soon you will know the truth of my actions.¡±

 Chapter 176: Flare in the Night

    I flew so fast that the air felt thick against me, and the bubble of wind I¡¯d created heated of its own accord. Astrye at night looked peaceful, almost cozy. From within nearby trees, I could see the lights of new watchtowers, and the castle had a scaffold near the hole I¡¯d punched in its outer wall.

    Duchess Kapel had grown colder over the remarkably short flight, but Paladin Warren hadn¡¯t stopped his ministrations, head firmly tilted away from the terrain rushing by.

    Flying straight for my and Seyari¡¯s chambers, I barely remembered to slow down in time and touched down noisily on the balcony, dismissing my wings. Moments later, Seyari in a backless nightgown burst through the door, shifting sideways and tucking her wings to fit.

    For a moment, I stared. It¡¯d only been a couple weeks, but I felt acutely just how much I¡¯d missed her. With no free hands, I offered the best smile I could give under somber circumstances.

    ¡°She¡¯s been poisoned¡ªdemonic poison. Paladin Warren¡ª¡± I shifted the paladin in my lower arms ¡°¡ªcan¡¯t heal her completely.¡±

    Before she replied, Seyari strutted up to me, grabbed a shoulder to bend me down and to the side, and planted a quick kiss right on my lips¡ªit tingled with her magic.

    My wife frowned as she pulled back. ¡°You brought a paladin here?¡± she hissed, nevertheless bringing up her hands as she started to glow with magic.

    Damn, I¡¯d missed her voice. But, this was no time to mess around.

    ¡°He grabbed my ankle, and I wasn¡¯t going to kick him off.¡± I watched her get to work, and set the paladin down.

    Gareth Warren wobbled on his feet, leaning heavily against the railing.

    ¡°That hasn¡¯t stopped you before.¡± Seyari carefully took Duchess Kapel from me, laying the woman down on the balcony carefully. I didn¡¯t miss how her hand lingered on mine.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t trying to kill me, Sey. He was trying to make sure I didn¡¯t kill her. And before you ask, there¡¯s a difference.¡±

    ¡°W-warm,¡± Paladin Warren stuttered, holding his head. ¡°Should get inside where it¡¯s warm.¡±

    I snapped my fingers, and in a near-instant a warm cocoon of wind enveloped the four of us. ¡°Better?¡±

    The paladin nodded, sunk down to sit on the frigid stone, and leaned up against the railing. ¡°For her¡­ not me.¡±

    Seyari glanced at him, then back at me. ¡°Sure there¡¯s a difference, Renna. How fast did you fly?¡±

    ¡°I got here from Norgath in about an hour.¡±

    Mid-way through turning back to her patient, Seyari whistled. ¡°Norgath? I¡¯m surprised either of them lived.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I used wind magic and shielded us!¡±

    ¡°Fair point, I guess. Now shut it and let me work.¡±

    I shut it, and I let her work. The rapid flight and all the magic I used at the ball had actually made me somewhat tired, so I took a cue from the recovering paladin and plopped down next to him. ¡°She can treat you next, if you need it.¡±

    Paladin Warren scrunched his eyes tight, opened them, and released a held breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±

    He trailed off when he saw my face, and I pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not that different from my human form, is it? Besides the teeth and tongue and horns and eyes¡­ okay, never mind.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really a demon.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Thought we¡¯d established this.¡±

    His eyes glowed for a moment, then went pale.

    ¡°Saw my aura?¡±

    Paladin Warren swallowed.

    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m not the one you should be worried about.¡± I cocked a thumb at Seyari. ¡°She is.¡±

    ¡°I can hear you!¡± my wife hissed through gritted teeth and flicked her wings irritably.

    I snorted. ¡°Relax, Paladin Warren. Don¡¯t try to pull one over on me or her and I¡¯ve got nothing against you. In fact, you acted every part the hero tonight. You know that, right?¡±

    That seemed to snap the paladin out of his shock. ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me!¡±

    I held up all four hands placatingly. ¡°Sorry. Honest¡ªI meant only a compliment.¡±

    He stared at my hands and their claws. ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°A demon?¡±

    Paladin Warren shook his head. ¡°No, you¡¯re more than ¡®just¡¯ a demon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pushing pretty hard having seen my aura.¡±

    ¡°Are you planning to kill me for it?¡± He sounded tired. ¡°I know I can¡¯t stop you. Whatever you are, you¡¯re not weak to holy magic and you can fly hundreds of kilometers in an hour using magic alone.¡±

    ¡°Fair point, and well made.¡± I stuck out a hand. ¡°Zarenna Miller, Sovereign of Wrath.¡±

    Paladin Warren made a choking sound and locked up again. I stared down at my hand, then pulled it back. Must¡¯ve been the claws.

    Before I could think of the best way to bring him around again, Seyari swore and the glow ceased. ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t fix this¡ªnot without seriously crippling her. Or worse. You know I¡¯m no healer by trade.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Less asking and more moving. I need you to carry her while I fly down to the infirmary.¡±

    ¡°We have an infirmary?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, just follow me.¡± Seyari stood and opened her wings, flicking cinders that hissed on the stone of the balcony. Showoff.

    But I didn¡¯t have time to tease her for it. ¡°Who can heal her if you can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Our daughter.¡±

    I sucked in a sharp breath, glancing down at the Paladin whom I was pretty sure was still out of sorts. ¡°Seyari, are you sure?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d have asked anyway, and we literally might not have time to argue the point. Now take her and let¡¯s go. You¡¯re back, you¡¯re wearing a dress I don¡¯t recognize, and I¡¯ve a guess there¡¯s a story I need to hear.¡± She jumped off, then said in a low voice only I could hear. ¡°More than that, it¡¯s been two weeks and I want to chain your big red ass to the bed and see if we can¡¯t break the floor.¡±

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    She hasn¡¯t even asked who this woman is. Sey really has changed.

    Next to me, as I scooped up the duchess and leapt over the edge, Paladin Warren mumbled, ¡°Daughter¡­¡±

    ***

    Paladin Gareth Warren¡¯s day had gone from bad, to worse, to just¡­

    He didn¡¯t have the words. He literally couldn¡¯t form coherent thoughts about what he¡¯d seen and experienced these past few hours. First off, he¡¯d learned that he certainly wasn¡¯t afraid of heights, and second, he¡¯d seen Astrye for the first time.

    Beyond that, everything was a mess. The demon, whose true form he had now seen, had a red-winged wife who looked for all the world to be an angel. Her magic had been holy, too¡ªpure and uncorrupted.

    None of this makes any sense.

    Gareth always thought of himself as an open-minded sort of fellow. The kind who was accepting of Edath¡¯s autonomy, who¡¯d condemned the bloodshed of the civil war. The kind who was happy to see the recent push to end the stigma against demon-blooded folks. The kind who¡¯d literally volunteer at orphanages on many of his rare days free of other duties.

    From this, he¡¯d learned over and over that the truth would always come out sooner or later, but that ¡°later¡± was ill-defined. Slowly, Gareth pulled himself to his feet, keenly aware he was on the castle¡¯s highest balcony, as the warmth of the demon¡¯s¡ªof Marchioness Zarenna Miller¡¯s¡ªmagic faded away against the chill of the night wind.

    Above, a slender moon and glittering stars cast just enough light to see by. He could see a spartan bedroom inside the open door, its heat quickly escaping even as the coals in the hearth glowed feebly. Further inside, the ghost of a four-poster bed draped in fabric tempted his tired mind.

    Part of him wanted to take this chance to go in there, to tear the place apart looking for evidence of the Marchioness¡¯s true side.

    Warren shook his head, suddenly mortified. What other thing he¡¯d learned was that it was no good to search for evidence you wanted in defiance of the evidence you didn¡¯t. Marchioness Miller hadn¡¯t been lying about her wife¡¯s abilities, or of trying to heal the duchess¡ªwhom she must know was allied very strongly with the Church of Dhias.

    Neither had she taken the perfect opportunity to get rid of him. He¡¯d clung to her ankle¡ªending his life and getting away with it would simply have been as easy as claiming he¡¯d fallen off. More than that, she¡¯d left him alone in her private sanctum.

    To ignore all that and make a mess of her chambers just to try to find some dirty secret¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t in line with Dhias¡¯s teachings.

    In fact, Paladin Warren only had a single point against the woman, and that was how she¡¯d been evasive about her nature. Which, truthfully¡­

    Gareth played the conversation back in his mind, searching still.

    She¡¯d never claimed not to be a demon directly.

    And it wasn¡¯t like the marchioness hadn¡¯t been backed into a corner¡ªshe absolutely had. More than that, Zarenna Miller was a demonic sovereign. Sure, Paladin Warren had never seen one¡¯s aura before and didn¡¯t have training to tell, but nobody did. Because no one who met one of the incredibly elusive beings lived to tell¡ªor to remember.

    The only logical conclusion, then, was¡­ well there were two. Either she was playing a very long game with very high stakes, or she legitimately wanted to help the duchess out of the kindness of her demonic heart.

    Perhaps both. Perhaps Marchioness Miller needed human allies.

    Paladin Warren could feel a headache building that the cold did little to soothe. Surely, she wouldn¡¯t mind if he stepped inside and closed the door, staying away from her things?

    He¡¯d taken a single leaden step towards the open door when a flash of light caught in his peripheral vision. A flare had gone up over the forest south of the city. Then another.

    ***

    The flight down was short, and we stole through a snow-blanketed courtyard and into the main doors. The foyer already looked lived-in, swept, and repaired. Seyari turned quickly down a hallway and I followed.

    We ran through the castle¡¯s twisting hallways, footfalls echoing off cold, bare stone, and I wished Seyari was just a bit faster. Fresh repairs dotted the walls, and I twisted around rickety scaffolding as we ran past doors broken, missing, and whole. The few people up at this hour darted to the sides and let us through.

    Servants, workers, militia. I¡¯ll need to learn a lot of faces and names in short order.

    Around a corner and past what I knew to be a barracks, Seyari threw open a door and ducked inside. I followed, mirroring her motion to get my horns under the freshly-repaired doorframe. Inside, was what looked like a cross between dormitory and hospital. A long room with fresh plaster and no external windows, it was lit dimly by lamps of crimson-tinged fire. Seyari¡¯s work, most likely.

    The beds were mostly empty, a mismatch of patchwork quilts and uneven sheets neatly and cleanly made. The few that were occupied held a mixture of human and lupael patients, all (formerly) asleep save two.

    Those were a demon-blooded man talking quietly to another lupael man, propped up on pillows. Beside the pair, asleep on a stool with her arms folded over her stomach, was my daughter, Joisse. In human form, the dark-haired teenager was snoring lightly.

    Sey, how could you let our daughter sleep in a chair down here!

    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ve tried to get Joisse to leave,¡± Seyari hissed, predicting and preempting a glare from me. ¡°Set her down in the bed nearby; I¡¯ll wake our daughter.¡±

    My footfalls echoed in the space. We really need some decorations in here. Or windows¡ªbut it¡¯s probably an interior room.

    I¡¯d lain Duchess Kapel down on the rough blanket before my mind caught up with my body. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t mean¡­ you know. Right?¡±

    ¡°I can and I do.¡± Seyari softly shook Joisse¡¯s shoulder, and our daughter startled awake.

    ¡°Mom Sey?¡±

    ¡°Joisse, there¡¯s someone that needs help,¡± Seyari dropped her voice and launched into a quick explanation.

    I bit my lip as Seyari whispered to our daughter, and my eyes caught the propped-up man¡¯s. Gears started to turn in my head. ¡°Did¡­ did Joisse heal you?¡±

    Fear flashed through the man¡¯s eyes, before he seemed to recognize me and realize that I wasn¡¯t just any demon. ¡°Aye. I¡¯d be dead otherwise.¡± He glanced down at the man beside him and I now realized the crouching man was asleep, hand firmly gripped around the demon-blooded¡¯s as he lay propped against the bed.

    ¡°Who else knows?¡± I noticed other patients looking my way and tried to make my words quiet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Haven¡¯t been out of this room yet. But I haven¡¯t told anyone except my partner, and he¡¯s been with me.¡±

    ¡°Some of the patients know,¡± Joisse answered, getting up quickly.

    She wobbled, and I caught her. ¡°You need to rest! Don¡¯t push yourself!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just been sitting a while, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Seyari pushed the stool under our daughter, next to the bed. ¡°Sit if you need to then, but after this, you are going to rest. In a bed.¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± Her hands started to glow over Duchess Kapel, and her eyes went wide. ¡°What¡¯s happened to her?¡±

    ¡°Demonic poison,¡± I answered, shifting to the side to let Seyari move past me.

    The angelic woman darted from bed to bed, whispering reassurances to the few patients who¡¯d woken up, and checking on those who hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°I¡­ that makes sense, I think,¡± Joisse answered. ¡°I might be able to heal her, but she¡¯s going to be changed.¡±

    Well, shit. ¡°Think we could wake her up, get her consent?¡±

    My demon daughter shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡ªshe¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s barely clinging on.¡±

    The words, ¡°then go¡± had hardly left my mouth before Joisse¡¯s magic flooded over Duchess Kapel.

    Our daughter didn¡¯t have the raw power Seyari did, but she did have finesse. I was reminded, painfully, of Lorelei working on Markus. She¡¯s got a real talent here.

    Pride warred with fear, fear of exposing Joisse to the world. A quick glance behind me at the propped-up man whose eyes had slipped peacefully closed, his chest rising and falling evenly, gave me my answer.

    I¡¯d support whichever choice Joisse made.

    That wouldn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t be anxious about it. Or that I couldn¡¯t threaten fire and brimstone against anyone who sought to villainize my daughter¡¯s magic. With trepidation, I tried to look past the glow at what was going on, keeping an eye on my daughter¡¯s face all the while. Joisse wore a mask of focused concentration, brows close and mouth taut.

    Carefully, I slipped my tail around her; she stiffened, then I felt her relax just a little bit.

    Seyari had just returned when Taava of all people darted in through the still-open door. The kazzel took a deep breath, then stopped when she looked at Joisse and the duchess.

    Instead of a shout, she spoke in a hurried whisper. ¡°We¡¯re gettin¡¯ attacked! Both towers in the south pass sent up flares then went quiet. Doubt it¡¯s a false alarm.¡± She clapped me on the shoulders. ¡°Glad ta have ya back boss¡ª¡®cause we¡¯re probably gonna need ya.¡±

    South pass?

    Seyari quickly stood up. ¡°Renna, follow me. Taava, get Nelys to help defend the castle, in case anything slips through, then fill Nadya in to make sure the town¡¯s ready¡ªthought they should have seen the flares, too. Renna and I will take the front, see if we can¡¯t break this attack ourselves. Anything get through, send up a signal and one of us will fly right over.

    Got it?¡±

    ¡°Gotcha, Boss Two.¡± Taava gave a tilted smile and padded quickly out of the room.

    Seyari¡¯s eye twitched, and she made a rude gesture at the kazzel¡¯s retreating tail. Moments later, she darted for the door. I dared a glance at Joisse.

    ¡°Go, Mom,¡± she said, voice tense.

    With a quick nod, I went, following the sound of Seyari¡¯s footsteps as I caught up to her. She left out the nearest window and took flight. I squeezed my way out after her, dropping the five or so meters to the ground before taking to the air with a running start.

    The forest south of us didn¡¯t look off in any way, simply still and quiet in the night. If anything, that only made me more worried.

 Chapter 177: Marvelous

    The first tower was empty of anything, the log-frame structure with its perch just under the trees silent in the evening dark. That emptiness included the people who should have been manning it. I checked the ground below, while Seyari looked for evidence of a fight above.

    At first, I saw nothing, but as I was about to give up, I noticed boot prints in the snow. They were near the base of a tree nearby, did not have prints leading to or away from them, and were on the side away from the city. From the position, the tower was clearly visible, including Seyari¡¯s head when she popped up to look down at me.

    ¡°Find anything?¡± her voice whispered down, carried by a warm wind.

    ¡°Boot prints. Just one pair¡ªnothing to or from.¡± I tried the same trick back up to her, but she cocked her head to one side and I swore under my breath.

    Something I should¡¯ve practiced, although stealth isn¡¯t really my style.

    Instead, I gestured to the boot prints, then back up to the tower.

    ¡°Someone stood there?¡± she guessed.

    I nodded.

    Seyari furrowed her brow. Moving quickly, she leaned over the railing and looked down, then across out into the trees. ¡°Check back into the trees a little. I¡¯ll look again by the tower.¡±

    After another quick nod, I darted off into the trees, careful to watch where I stepped. Further back, I found more boot prints, and these had a loping trail, like a sprinter.

    A sprinter moving through dense forest and uneven terrain.

    Shit.

    Shaking off any pretense of humanity from my movements, I dashed back to the tower and Seyari.

    She saw me, and reacted faster than most any mortal could. Wordlessly, she jumped from the top of the watchtower and took to the skies, darting nimbly up between the trees until she¡¯d cleared them. Moments later, I followed her.

    Rising up from the center of the city of Astrye, a thin, vertical line of orange cut across the stars. The tip had paused its ascent, curving downward as the flare that had already been fired winked out and fell back toward the ground. Nearly in perfect time, I watched another ascend, almost lazily, from the castle.

    Then another from the fields.

    Further still, one rose from the forest to the east.

    ¡°He knew you were away,¡± Seyari said in a clipped, strained voice.

    ¡°But I came back,¡± I replied, mind racing. Two of us, four flares.

    My wife decided for me. ¡°I know the castle better; you go to the city.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    We split off without another word. As much as it pained me, I needed to make a choice, and the city was obvious. More people, more infrastructure.

    Not that our farms weren¡¯t valuable, but they¡¯d probably not be able to scorch the earth so quickly. As for the flare to the south, I hated that I could so callously deny aid. But¡­ assuming those were also watchtowers, they knew the risks. If they had families in the city, they¡¯d rather I went there.

    Throughout this little mental battle, an undercurrent of wrath swelled. Someone had dared attack people under my protection. People who trusted me¡ªfor the most part¡ªto lead them despite my clear status as an outsider and demon both.

    My powers weren¡¯t suited to protection, or finesse. They were suited to wanton destruction. But, that was where the bullish, single-minded nature of my kind of demon came in strong. Despite the proclivity of my magic and claws to slaughter, I would force them to discern and protect.

    Round hole, meet square peg. Square peg, meet giant hammer.

    I soared over Astrye like a low-flying comet. Already, I could see a sort of muted chaos. Lesser demons of all shapes ran through the streets, smashing through doors and windows and flowing down alleys. Entrancing magic broke like storm-driven waves against my Title, and at the first sight of a body in the street, my vision shifted red.

    Sound had disappeared into a powerful spell, and I sought the source. In the tight confines of the buildings, I moved from sky to ground, crashing silently through the streets with little more finesse than my enemies. Any lesser demons I passed met my claws or my fire, and few survived the first hit.

    Of people, I saw only glimpses, and I couldn¡¯t tell if they were running from me or the lesser demons. Still, I bought time for more than one unfortunate soul with my fire and claws.

    Most lesser demons that survived my initial attacks, I left for now. The flare was a warning few would see, and with the majority of the city asleep, a warning would need to be heard, not seen. Aura sight lit up the lingering spell, and I tried to follow Seyari¡¯s teachings and move from the outside in, looking for the center.

    I didn¡¯t find it in the town square, rather slightly toward the farm-side edge of the city. The building where the spell was most concentrated was a squat, two-floor home with the bottom floor partially buried to conserve heat. The shutters were closed, and it looked for all the world to be just another sleeping home, save for one thing: the door was slightly ajar. Not enough to be open¡ªmore like whatever latch or bar had held it was removed, and it had naturally fallen in about a finger¡¯s width.

    Skidding to a halt, I barely stopped myself from shouldering it open anyway, and instead pushed my way up the few steps and inside, quickly and quietly.

    Glowing eyes met mine. Two pairs¡ªone a reflective and familiar lupael set, and another of a coldly pale color, arrayed perhaps half a meter apart.

    ¡°No closer,¡± a smooth, inhuman voice said, piercing the deafening silence.

    My aura sight made me take a moment to focus in the pitch blackness of the room, and I saw in an instant what was going on. A room in disarray, a demon of envy, and a hostage. Did they know I was coming, or did this just happen? Or was this meant for someone else?

    The young lupael boy was trembling, one of the demon¡¯s pale-fingered hands across his mouth. Another arm wrapped his shoulders, and four more held ready, thin, long nails almost glowing with magic in my aura sight. The demon was dressed well, although the clothes seemed almost loose on their gaunt form.

    The demon¡¯s eyes glowed with aura sight. ¡°You¡¯re fast, Wrath, but not fast enough.¡±

    I hissed, the sound lost.

    The envy demon, pale nearly to the point of translucence and bearing no facial features other than a pair of overlarge eyes and wide mouth, leaned forward. ¡°Go ahead. You know this child¡¯s life is worth less than the town.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± I growled, my words unheard.

    ¡°While you hesitate, more people are dying,¡± the demon sing-songed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here, but you are. Will you waste your chance for the life of a mortal?¡±

    I was hesitating. The boy¡¯s eyes bore down, seemingly into my soul. Him, or the town. The town had my family and friends, and many more besides. The choice was obvious.

    I felt a rush of air pass by my thigh. The demon¡¯s head rocked back as something impacted it, ricocheting off, and I took the chance without a second thought.

    Claws out, I leapt forward, pushing the child aside with wind magic as gently as I could. He slipped from the demon¡¯s loosened grip and tumbled away. Not a moment later, my hands met the demon¡¯s arms, raised up to block me in a last-ditch effort.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The demon had been fast enough to kill the child, of that there was no doubt.

    My superheated claws met resistance, and my mind slowed against a mental onslaught. Together, we fell in a roll, crashing silently through a downed table and into a wall, me first. My tail pushed us off, as their arms shot toward my neck, scything.

    I couldn¡¯t block all of them, and pain lit up across my throat as it was torn open. Roaring soundlessly in pain, I brought my head forward so hard my neck felt as if it might snap. The back-curved bases of my horns met bone, and I felt it crack.

    A moment later, the envy demon¡¯s screech broke through the silence, and the world suddenly had sound. Our gazes met, theirs slightly unfocused, our faces hardly ten centimeters apart. Arms busy wrangling theirs, and tail blocked, I did the only other thing I could think of.

    I leaned forward and bit.

    Sharp teeth and fangs slid through flesh, and acrid blood wet my tongue. Nearly gagging, I bit down harder, and the moment my teeth met, I tore away. This time, the demon¡¯s scream came away as a gurgle and I spat their throat out wetly onto the rough wood floor.

    They fought, weakly, for a moment longer before I took their head.

    Someone helped me. From outside, distant crashing sounds met with cries of alarm, spreading across the city.

    Not alone.

    I stood up and spat out a ball of fire to clear my mouth of blood, then hurried over to where the child had fallen. From the door, another pair of footsteps ran inside. I whirled, and met the white-gray hair and pale blue eyes of Brynna.

    She was holding a crossbow at the ready.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you knew how to shoot,¡± I said before my brain could catch up with my mouth.

    She hefted it and walked quickly over to the fallen child. ¡°Sis taught me. Couldn¡¯t exactly take one of these when I ran to get help.¡± She leaned down as I walked to catch up, and placed a hand on the child¡¯s neck. ¡°He¡¯s breathing okay, and his heart¡¯s beating. Probably passed out from shock.¡±

    ¡°Can we get him somewhere safe?¡±

    I looked down at the lupael child. His ears and hair were a neutral sort of gray, contrasting with the dark eyes I¡¯d seen earlier. Like Brynna, he had no aura.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brynna started. ¡°I can take him to a safehouse and we¡¯ll take¡ª¡±

    She cut off, and suddenly the child had an aura. One whose weight and size seemed to fill the room with a sickening sort of power.

    ¡°Run!¡± I shouted, grabbing Brynna¡¯s shoulder to pull her into a princess carry.

    The young lupael boy¡¯s form twisted and elongated like wet clay being pulled at an extreme speed. A malformed blade, gleaming wetly even in the dark, slashed across where her head had been not a moment prior.

    Brynna let out a grunt and stumbled. Her head whiplashed with the force of my pull, and I felt her arm leave its socket. I pulled her closer, into a hug.

    Blood flicked off the blade as it twisted into an arm, a fine shirt growing out like a bizarre second skin. ¡°You fell for it, but you managed to save the mortal.¡± Envy¡¯s voice bubbled out of their forming head, hissing like hot oil.

    Against me, Brynna gurgled, and I felt a wetness down the front of my dress. I loosened my grip as she fidgeted, unwilling to take my eyes off the nearly-formed Envy. Immediately, Brynna¡¯s hand shot to her bleeding neck, shaking.

    I didn¡¯t know how bad the cut was, and I didn¡¯t dare check. With how fast the transformation had started, I know the other Sovereign was only feigning slowness for some reason or another.

    A shiver trickled down my spine as their aura bathed over me, roiling like boiling sick: disparate chunks suspended together in a vile cloud, all the myriad colors wrong somehow. Envy¡¯s a reaver. Dhias, that aura!

    ¡°One of yours for one of mine, Zarenna Miller,¡± Envy crooned, now fully formed. ¡°Fair, is it not? Even if there wasn¡¯t a war.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I hissed, but my heart wasn¡¯t in it. My instincts, for the first time in my new life, told me to run. Rage and fury warred with common sense. If I fought Envy here, I¡¯d lose.

    ¡°Have you lost your rapier wit, Wrath? Would one mortal¡¯s death affect you so greatly?¡± Envy smiled mirthlessly and took a blindingly-quick step towards me, then another. ¡°If I recall, just moments ago you were willing to let a child die¡ªuntil your dying friend intervened.¡±

    Dying? I could still feel Brynna¡¯s heart, thumping through her and against me.

    ¡°¡­Monster,¡± I mumbled, the word halting and hoarse.

    The laugh that Envy uttered made my heart skip in the worst way as they moved directly in front of me, so close that Brynna¡¯s tail brushed their legs and froze. ¡°We¡¯re both monsters, Zarenna Miller.¡±

    I tensed, preparing for the worst, knowing that I¡¯d hardly be able to stop him from hurting Brynna, whose blood continued to seep from between her fingers to run down my dress. A drop fell noisily to the ground, then another as she choked back gurgling whimpers and leaned more heavily against me.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m no monster, not like you are.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± Envy clapped a single time, hands steepled together right over Brynna¡¯s flat-folded ears. ¡°Yours is a tame breed, gaining strength through needlessly convoluted means. Though¡­¡± A clammy hand moved at blinding speed and jerked my neck up. I found myself staring into Envy¡¯s color-shifting eyes, set into an almost-familiar-but-not-quite face. ¡°I cannot deny its efficacy. You¡¯ve mortals on your side, Wrath. Power you may wield that is not directly your own but nonetheless very real. The anticipation wounds me.¡±

    ¡°An¡­ ticipation?¡± I wanted to look away, but I worried what I¡¯d see of Brynna¡¯s fading condition if I looked down. Envy¡¯s eyes almost seemed to draw me in, and the blood on my chin dripped away from their silken sleeve like it was made of wax.

    ¡°Yesss,¡± the other Sovereign hissed the word and let go, pulling their hands together behind their back as they stood before me. ¡°Tonight is a lesson for two. One to learn that he must not let his methods blind him, and the other that not everyone is so straightforward as her. Neither seem to understand.¡±

    Brynna squeezed my thigh, rhythmically. I recognized the taps as code, but I hadn¡¯t learned enough to tell what she was trying to say. So, I did what I could¡ªI kept Envy talking. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Envy smirked and dropped my chin after pinching hard enough to draw blood. ¡°Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve, Zarenna Miller.¡± Their teeth were white. Uncannily white, like fresh snow.

    I felt a feeling building, coming from Brynna. Instinctually, I knew what it was. Desperation. Fury.

    A contract.

    Could I agree by thought?

    No. Not quite.

    I only knew a little of the code Brynna was using, and I needed a bit more time. Time that my own fury was struggling to let me have. ¡°Am I supposed to take advice from you now?¡± I felt my claws twitch, wrath leaking forth.

    ¡°I hardly expect you to, Zarenna Miller. You¡¯re far too bullheaded.¡±

    The contract finished, and I filled in the terms myself¡ªBrynna had given me a blank bank note, so to speak, in a gesture of trust my heart fluttered at receiving. In exchange, she got a tenth of one percent of my power.

    ¡°If I were bullheaded, would I even bother asking?¡± I felt just a little confidence returning, even as my already inadequate strength ebbed by the tiniest fraction.

    While Envy was thinking of a witty retort, and before he could notice the magic forming around Brynna, I struck. Throwing the lupael¡¯s changing body aside, I leapt at the other Sovereign through a column of blazing crimson fire. Their face registered surprise, and as they fell apart into a black smoke, my fire tore at them, and my claws caught the tiniest hint of flesh.

    A scream of pain echoed in my mind, and I stumbled onto my knees, momentum rolling me into the far wall so hard I smashed partially through it.

    The single word that followed Envy¡¯s shriek chilled me to the bone from the sheer pleasure it dripped with.

    ¡°Marvelous.¡±

    ***

    Joisse tried to focus on her patient. Every sound was an invader rushing in, every errant motion a knife in the dark. Memories of her days as an instrument of nearly-mindless wrath clawed at her in a way they hadn¡¯t in months.

    Still, she kept her mind focused, taking her anger at herself and the situation out on the poison that lingered in the woman¡¯s body. Just a few scant weeks ago, what felt like second nature to her would have seemed completely foreign.

    In fact, had she not practiced, Joisse would never have succeeded in healing the well-dressed woman.

    Her patient was relatively small and unassuming in her repose, dark, sweat-matted hair falling away from a jeweled bun to frame her face. Clearly wealthy. Joisse guessed nobility by her mother¡¯s new dress and urgent flight home. Unfortunately, the young demon hadn¡¯t even thought to ask for a name. Might not have had time even if she had thought to.

    During the healing process, the woman¡¯s horns had grown to about a human finger length, and her skin had flushed from cream to a sort of pale, almost robin¡¯s egg blue. Joisse thought she was still quite pretty in her russet dress, but worried the woman might not think so.

    Still, if Mom Renna had carried her here, that meant she was an ally.

    The woman¡¯s breathing evened out as Joisse found and conquered the last of the poison. Her patient¡¯s mouth slipped open just a little as she relaxed, revealing pointed incisors. In truth, Joisse was certain only some of the effects were from her, and the rest from the poison.

    The woman was certainly demon-blooded now, but as Joisse checked her aura and found it mundane, she hadn¡¯t really become demonic.

    At the next sound like a footstep, Joisse almost didn¡¯t think to check as she slumped back in her chair. With one drowsy eye cracked open, she saw an unfamiliar woman slink in. At least, she appeared to be.

    With aura sight still active, Joisse could tell the mystery woman was a demon, though she wasn¡¯t sure which type. Frozen, the young wrath demon felt a modest wave of some kind of magic hit her.

    Suddenly, she really wanted sleep. Or perhaps to just sit and stare for a while.

    The burning anger she¡¯d been reigning in railed against the feeling, the laxness in Joisse¡¯s mind allowing it to slip its confines. When the woman, now holding a glowing knife, began to move to one of her patients, Joisse¡¯s mental fugue snapped.

    Snarling, she shot up in her chair and gathered magic in her hands. Just like her practice, she readied her magic slingshot. Still looking human, and still without visible aura, the other demon didn¡¯t move in time.

    The intruding demon¡¯s eyes widened as a person-wide beam of impossible power slammed into her. With a horrid wail, she was lifted off her feet and thrown across the room, body pinned like an insect at the tip of a solid beam of crimson-tinged light.

    Back first, the spell punched the demon through the stone wall and out into the night, leaving a line of light shining in the night. Even as the beam burned a perfectly-circular hole into her and shrank down its radius to a pinprick before disappearing, the demon¡¯s body continued on up and over the walls toward the snow fields beyond.

    Joisse stared down at her hands and blinked. Behind her, the patient she¡¯d just finished healing stirred awake and immediately began shrieking.

 Chapter 178: Hole in the Wall

    Seyari felt the castle shake. Without hesitation, she changed course toward it and sped up, wishing her wings could open in the cramped hallway.

    This is bad. We¡¯ve been compromised.

    Already, she¡¯d passed several corpses; faces that she¡¯d begun to grow familiar with.

    Seyari was relatively certain there¡¯d been no spy¡ªat least none who could report easily. But this kind of quiet efficiency spoke of either Envy or Lust demons, and Seyari didn¡¯t think Lillith was behind this.

    Just because she didn¡¯t trust her didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d do this. Besides, it was sloppy, in a sense. For all they¡¯d been caught off guard, the enemy hadn¡¯t gone for the head. She and Renna didn¡¯t need an army to strike back, and all this death would only push Renna into more decisive action.

    Really, Seyari couldn¡¯t understand why. This plan reeked of Mordwell and Envy both, but it lacked finesse. Mordwell had to know that Seyari was present.

    Or did he?

    Crimson feathers flashed by the edges of her vision. She wasn¡¯t really the same Seyari anymore, in all the best ways. Perhaps whatever tracking magic Mordwell was using had lost its attunement.

    If that were the case, and with Renna out of the city¡­

    Understanding dawned in Seyari¡¯s mind right as she heard a woman shrieking bloody murder. Though¡­ it didn¡¯t sound like the sort of primal pain that preceded death. It echoed down the old stone halls, but Seyari¡¯s sharp hearing could pick it out of the wind: the temporary hospital ward.

    One more turn and Seyari practically threw herself into the room, hoping that Joisse was alright above all else. Inside the dust was clearing, and the air smelt of fresh mortar and burned flesh. Through a big hole in the wall, starlight filtered into the room.

    Movement in the dust, on the beds, gave Seyari hope. Patients, not enemies. But where¡¯s Joisse?

    ¡°Mom Sey!¡± her daughter shouted, nearby.

    ¡°Joisse! Are you alright! What on Varra happened?¡± With a flap and a little wind magic, Seyari blew a column of dust away into clear air.

    Before her, seemingly stunned from the blast, was a pale, blue-skinned demon-blooded woman in a familiar russet dress, sitting up on a bed. Next to her, Joisse was caught, half-looking her way, half out the person-sized hole in the wall.

    Seyari blinked and realized the woman, small horns and all, was the poisoned noble Renna had brought for treatment. Joisse was able to heal her!

    With Joisse frozen, the woman answered, voice wavering. ¡°T-that¡¯s precisely what I want to know! Where am I? What have you done to me?¡± Her tone somehow managed to be imperious despite the situation.

    Seyari blinked, and took a steadying breath. ¡°You¡¯re in Astrye. My wife, Marchioness Zarenna Miller, brought you here after you were poisoned, and our daughter healed you.¡±

    ¡°Astrye?¡± She glanced out the hole in the wall, the mountains clearly visible. ¡°But¡­ how?¡± She looked down at her hands, now sporting black nails. ¡°I demand you tell me what¡¯s going on!¡±

    Seyari fought down a bitter reply, and instead looked at the fresh hole in the wall. It looked like an immense cannon, bigger even than those on the Lady of Liseu, had shot through it.

    The noble woman followed her eyes, her own growing wide as her mouth dropped open.

    Footsteps sounded rapidly down the hall toward them. Joisse tensed, and froze, her hands partway up as if unsure what to do with them. Pulling in her wings, Seyari whirled around, assisted by her magic. She prepared a blade of wind at neck level, holding a lance of holy light at the ready for a follow up.

    Instead of a demon, the person who ran in was the paladin tagalong Renna had picked up. Seyari had nearly forgotten him in the shuffle. His armor was scored with cuts and spattered lightly with blood, and the sword in his hand glowed with holy light.

    ¡°Our side or theirs?¡± Seyari barked.

    The paladin pulled up to stop short, eyes glancing only briefly from Seyari to take in the room. He took a moment to think, and Seyari edged forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m not fighting you,¡± he finally said. ¡°I heard a commotion, and engaged with lesser demons on my way down. The trail of¡­ bodies led here.¡±

    ¡°Bodies¡­¡± the noble woman murmured.

    ¡°Good,¡± Seyari said.

    The paladin¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Those demons aren¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Seyari clenched her fists before she remembered to dismiss her prepared magic. ¡°This is an attack by Mordwell and Envy.¡±

    ¡°Mordwell?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that Mordwell; the leader of the inquisition. Have you not heard that he¡¯s gone rogue, consorting with demons?¡± There was so much more Seyari wanted to say, but she held her tongue.

    The paladin sheathed his sword, but he kept his hand on the handle. ¡°I¡¯ll save my questions for later then. Was whatever killed its way here stopped?¡±

    Seyari looked once again out the window, but it was Joisse that spoke. ¡°She was, yeah. I dunno if I killed her, but she¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­¡± the noble woman said, exasperated. ¡°What is going on? Paladin Warren, you must have some idea?¡±

    The paladin, Warren Seyari supposed, surprised her by looking her way. Seyari shrugged with a slightly fanged smile. She had to admit, the odd look on Paladin Warren¡¯s face was worth imitating her wife.

    Gods, I can see why Zarenna smiles like this so often.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Me.¡± Oh gods, I must¡¯ve hit my head to act like this. Seyari schooled her face into its normal expression. ¡°Have you never seen an angel of Wrath before?¡± Despite making the name up on the spot, it seemed right.

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    The paladin opened his mouth, but was interrupted.

    ¡°Paladin Warren! Please! I woke up in a bed in a border territory having been turned into a freak¡ªI am not going to sit here while you play games with that half-angel.¡± Her tone was acerbic, her face twisted. ¡°She¡¯s probably just demon-corrupted.¡±

    Seyari snorted. ¡°Lady, if only you knew the truth.¡±

    ¡°Lady? You will address me as Duchess Arina Kapel.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Seyari huffed. ¡°I¡¯m going to sweep the castle; Joisse, keep an eye on these two and the patients.¡± She strode past the paladin, buffeting him with one crimson wing, and paused at the door. ¡°I suppose you can call me Marchioness Seyari Miller, Your Ladyship.¡±

    She tuned out the conversation that sprang up as she left, walk turning into a jog turning into a sprint.

    ***

    For a moment, their little group and all the patients who were looking on anxiously were quiet. Panicked whispers started to grow, but Paladin Warren was too buried in his own thoughts to think of what to do.

    Fortunately, the girl, Joisse spoke up, her soft voice carrying in the room. ¡°Please¡­ stay calm. My mothers will keep us safe, and if anything sneaks by, the paladin and I should be able to handle it.¡±

    The paladin in question looked around numbly, before nodding. It wouldn¡¯t do to lose his head in what could easily become a battlefield.

    ¡°Your mothers?¡± the duchess asked.

    Joisse nodded. ¡°Mom Renna and Mom Sey. I guess I should introduce myself; I¡¯m Joisse Miller. I don¡¯t know how Mom Renna¡¯s title works for me, so I don¡¯t know if it counts for much.¡±

    Their daughter, Paladin Warren thought, I can see some resemblance¡ªwait. A dawning, creeping sort of horror worked up Gareth Warren¡¯s spine.

    Duchess Kapel sat up straighter and narrowed her eyes at the girl. ¡°You were the one who healed me.¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s your fault¡ªyour family¡¯s fault. You corrupted and abducted me!¡± The duchess¡¯s voice was dangerously level, even as her gloved hands shook. ¡°Paladin Warren!¡±

    Gareth jolted out of his thoughts before he could reach their conclusion. ¡°Duchess Kapel, we may be in danger¡ª¡±

    ¡°Of course we are! Do you think they will stop at this?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Gareth paused to think. What would he say; would he really defend that demon? With his mind focused for a fight, the answer seemed obvious. At no time had Marchioness Miller or her ilk threatened him. ¡°Did Lady Joisse not save you moments ago?¡±

    ¡°Allegedly!¡±

    Gareth¡¯s eyes met Joisse¡¯s as he turned to look again at the hole, his arm coming up to point. ¡°Hole in the wall.¡±

    ¡°Strength does not exclude subtle games, Paladin.¡±

    Paladin Warren shook his head. ¡°No. Why would they do that, why would they kill their own people in the hallway, if this were not real. Duchess, I know this all seems impossible, believe me, but I think we ought to give them a chance, at least help them out against hostile demons.¡±

    ¡°Hostile demons?¡±

    Oh no, Gareth thought, I messed up. Of course Duchess Kapel didn¡¯t know what Marchioness Miller was. Or¡ªhe looked down at Joisse Miller¡ªwhat her daughter was. No angelic traits, no demonic traits. The human-seeming girl in front of them was anything but.

    How had she healed the duchess, then? Marchioness Seyari had no reason to lie if she¡¯d done it, and she couldn¡¯t have. I know she wasn¡¯t in the castle, and I saw her trying earlier. This is too elaborate to be a farce, too airtight.

    As his mind was whirling, Joisse spoke up again.

    ¡°Yes, hostile demons. A-and the poison in you was already changing you.¡±

    Paladin Warren felt, oddly, like that wasn¡¯t the whole truth. But if she was a demon, it would make sense. ¡°She¡¯s right, Duchess. Before we left Norgath, there were already horns pushing up through your skin.¡±

    Indignation flashed across the duchess¡¯s face before she took a deep breath. ¡°If that is the case, Paladin Warren, I insist you make your full report available to my estate.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ that can be arranged."

    The duchess pointed at both of them. "Though I can¡¯t say I feel safe protected by a child with supposedly-powerful magic and a paladin who failed to stop my poisoning.¡±

    Gareth swallowed a biting retort.

    ¡°I¡¯m stronger than I look,¡± Joisse said. ¡°I think I could do what made that hole in the wall again without passing out.¡±

    ¡°You have similar magical capacity to your mother, then. Or, one of your mothers, I suppose. I won¡¯t pry, but you do look a bit like the marchioness.¡±

    Joisse looked away, but blushed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated.¡± Part-way through raising her head, it snapped toward the door so fast Paladin Warren wondered how the young girl¡¯s neck didn¡¯t pop.

    If anything, that confirmed what she was for him. His hand went to his sword, but rather than on the demon in disguise, he focused toward the door.

    Joisse launched forward, arm blurring red. A howl outside cut off into a gurgling noise, and the girl walked back in not five seconds later, one hand covered in sizzling demon blood. Having just reached the door, Paladin Warren could see outside, and the small, dog-like lesser demon collapsed in the hallway. Aura sight showed it was dead, magic dissipating back into ambience.

    The marchioness¡¯s entire family are monsters.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Duchess Kapel practically shrieked behind him.

    A small ¡°oh¡± from Joisse was all Gareth heard in reply before he stepped back into the room. ¡°I was wrong about the marchioness, Duchess. Aside from greater demons of lust, some few of the most powerful demons can hide their aura and manifest human forms that are more than mere glamour. Marchioness Zarenna Miller as well has a resistance to holy magic that I¡¯ve never heard of.¡±

    ¡°You cannot be serious.¡±

    ¡°I am. Marchioness Zarenna Miller is a demon. She flew both of us here, and I saw her true form. Moreover, throughout the insanity of what I can scarcely believe is a single night she has demonstrated empathy, altruism, and compassion without a shred of antagonism toward myself or you. In light of other evidence, and facing other demonic threats like the cooling corpse outside, I am forced to conclude that¡ªat the very least¡ªthe marchioness¡¯s faction is fighting another group of demons tonight, and has no desire to kill us at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Or ever!¡± Joisse added quickly. ¡°Honestly, Mom Sey is meaner than Mom Renna. Unless you try to kill us, you¡¯ve got nothing to fear. Er, from us anyway.¡±

    Duchess Kapel turned her head slowly to Joisse, eyes widening. ¡°You¡¯re not human.¡±

    Joisse nodded.

    Gareth frowned. ¡°And you healed her.¡±

    Joisse nodded again, with a wince this time. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think this secret¡¯s going to keep like my moms wanted it to.¡±

    ¡°The child of a corrupted half angel and a demon? I didn¡¯t know Marchioness Miller¡­ was capable of that.¡±

    The young certainly-demon¡¯s blush intensified. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. A-and not like that.¡±

    ¡°Show me,¡± the duchess demanded.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You said you¡¯re a demon. Show me. I feel like I know precious little of what¡¯s truly going on. If you¡¯re not blowing wind, show me.¡±

    ¡°Uh, my clothes¡­ can I just do an arm?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± both Gareth and Duchess Kapel blurted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just do an arm, and my eyes I guess.¡±

    Before them, Joisse shifted. Like Paladin Warren had glimpsed earlier, one arm enlarged, lengthening past the elbow. Wicked black claws tipped her larger, crimson hand. Her eyes flashed, whites fading to a deep black, and irises glowing to a bright red, complete with vertically-slit pupils.

    ¡°See?¡± she spoke. ¡°It scares the patients, so I don¡¯t always show it, though some here know.¡±

    Sure enough, only a few patients openly gawped at the scene. Next to the paladin, the duchess paled.

    ¡°Do something!¡± she hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re under sway; If she¡¯s anything like the reports I¡¯d heard of a demon in my city, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Your city?¡± Joisse asked. ¡°Gedon?¡±

    The duchess didn¡¯t answer her.

    ¡°What did the report say?¡± Gareth asked. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to attack the person who saved your life unprovoked. Especially as I do not know that I would win, and I would certainly risk innocents. After all this, there¡¯s a lot of thinking I¡¯ll need to do.¡±

    The duchess looked between them grimace fading, before she collapsed back onto the pillows. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m a freak now anyway. Gedon is correct, and the report was second-hand as a high priest of the Church denied my request for their report.

    ¡°All I know is that two demons fought and destroyed an abandoned church in a troubled part of the city. Rumors also said one of the demons matched some eyewitness accounts of the demon who¡¯d been murdering my people.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Joisse said carefully.

    Paladin Warren could pick up that she was nervous, but little else. And he didn¡¯t dare risk working the duchess up again, so he tried to play peacemaker. ¡°We should keep watch. That straggler might not be the only one, and as we saw I¡¯m not as fast as you. If there¡¯s more than one, we¡¯ll need to coordinate.¡±

    Joisse nodded eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know the moment I hear something.¡±

 Chapter 179: Sunrise

    Blood had spattered across the amulet Kartania had given me, dulling its shine. More had spilled down the front of Countess Elstein¡¯s meticulously-tailored dress, the torn and battered garment now sticky and heavy. When I¡¯d crashed through the wall, the amulet had gone with me, and even now it was somehow still attached to the chain, its clasp mangled together. Wiping at it, I stood up and shook my head.

    Going through the wall had definitely hurt, and the half-demolished chimney I saw in the hole I¡¯d left told me why. There were indents shaped just like my horns in one particularly large rock.

    A groan got my attention, clearing the fog in my mind.

    Brynna!

    Ignoring the clinging dress, I rushed over to where my friend had fallen¡ªbeen thrown, more accurately. The lupael was splayed out in the wreckage of a table, and the first thing I noticed were the streaks of crimson through her normally-gray hair and tail. My influence? Nelys hadn¡¯t shown that¡­

    But theirs hadn¡¯t been a contract made in desperation.

    Dimly, I could feel a tether to Brynna; from it I knew she wasn¡¯t dying anymore.

    ¡°Can you stand?¡± I asked, bending down to give her a couple of hands.

    She grunted, rolling onto her stomach before pushing up with both arms. One clawed hand shot out and took mine. Staggering, she stood up and faced me. The amount of blood down her front¡ªher own blood¡ªpushed at my fury. I let it go, but I really hadn¡¯t processed how close she¡¯d come to death.

    In a lot of ways, Brynna wasn¡¯t changed. If not for the hand-length curved black horns sticking out of her temples, she¡¯d look like she did before. Her pale blue eyes hadn¡¯t changed, though her pupils might just have been a bit taller and narrower. Her ears were flat against her head, breaths heavy and eyes wide.

    When she opened her mouth to speak, her already-big canines had grown, and the teeth behind them were matching, if smaller. ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    I tilted my head. ¡°You look like you bled out, so your outfit¡¯s a loss, but I think your crossbow¡¯s intact somewhere around¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not that!¡± She reached up and brushed a hand along one of her new horns, shivering. ¡°The¡­ changes. I didn¡¯t get tentacles, did I? I think I have the right number of limbs.¡± She felt up her sides and relaxed a little.

    Relief drew a smile wide across my face, and I pulled her into a hug, making her growl a little in surprise. ¡°The tentacles are Nelys¡¯s thing. Unfortunately, you¡¯re missing a couple of arms, but we might be able to do something about that¡ª¡±

    ¡°No! I mean¡ªI know you¡¯re joking. I can sort of¡­ feel that¡ªand I don¡¯t know if I like that I can. But I don¡¯t want more arms! And I like my tail how it is!¡±

    ¡°Do you hate the horns?¡± Genuinely, I wanted to know. Reminded of Duchess Kapel back at the castle, I¡¯d hate to force changes on someone that they then hated.

    I hated to force changes at all, really. Zero for two on that tonight, Zarenna.

    Brynna felt them again, and how they stuck back between her flattened ears. ¡°If they don¡¯t get in the way¡­ I guess I can pass for demon-blooded. Wait, aren¡¯t I demon-blooded now?¡±

    ¡°I think so. I can always end the contract.¡±

    ¡°Will it change me back?¡±

    ¡°No idea. But I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Brynna frowned. ¡°Maybe later then.¡± She walked quickly over to her fallen crossbow and picked it up. ¡°We should really¡ª¡±

    A loud crash and a scream from outside interrupted her.

    I jogged toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go, yeah. Two of us¡¯ll make a hostage trick that much harder.¡±

    Outside, the sound really hit me. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t hear it inside, it was that I just didn¡¯t understand the scope of what was going on. Fires had started, casting flickering orange up toward the horizon, and the cacophony melted into a thrumming roar that shook my bones.

    Fighting back, maybe, but Astryans were dying, The city was dying under the onslaught, having not even recovered from its occupation. I took off toward the nearest sounds I could make out, and Brynna surprised me by keeping up.

    She¡¯d been fast before, before her contract. Now though? No one would mistake her speed as mundane. We tore through the streets like one of the fires I was snuffing out, driving demons back and pointing people to the safety of resistance hideouts. Well, Brynna did the latter anyway¡ªI knew only a couple and even then not without context within the city itself.

    We arrived at the main street shortly, following wherever we heard fighting, and tearing through more and more to get there. I found a vicious rhythm of a sort, leaning into the slaughter with far too much glee.

    In the contract details, which I¡¯d gone over so quickly that my Name had been no more than a thought, Brynna would return to me any power she took. I felt it the moment she killed the third lesser demon to challenge her, distracting it with a nonmagical bolt and caving in its skull with a blurred-fist punch. A tiny trickle of power came back to me, like a spell held ready then dispersed. The lesser demons weren¡¯t all Envy or Avarice. It¡¯d be easy to direct demons of lesser Wrath, like diverting a stream. Some had probably even been created during the fighting against the cult.

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    I¡¯d be surprised if I didn¡¯t run into a greater demon from then, honestly.

    Contracts were, after all, meant to benefit me. Power gained would go back to me, unless I dictated exacting terms like with Nelys¡­ or Joisse. And that power would come from other demons, with few exception wrath demons, challenging those I¡¯d made contracts with. And therefore challenging me.

    Brynna¡¯s faint aura had a flicker of my own crimson to it. She didn¡¯t have a capability for magic anyway¡ªat least not before.

    I grabbed a lesser demon by a hind limb and spun it around before plunging my claws into its neck. More blood spattered my poor, ruined dress and stained the plaza below. Out of both our reach, a nearly human-looking lesser demon swung down at a lupael man who¡¯d been fighting it.

    Though his sword glowed with faint magic, the demon only had superficial wounds.

    Even knowing I wouldn¡¯t make it, and that Brynna was reloading, I took off toward the lost fight. At that same instant, a knife flew down from the rooftop and into the demon¡¯s skull. Only the first two centimeters or so sunk in, but it was enough that the man could roll into a staggered block.

    Before either could recover, I slammed into the lesser demon, knocking it away. A jet of fire from one of my hands roasted it in the street, bathing the man and I in crimson fire. Reflexively, I offered him a hand up.

    Despite the terror I must have looked like, he accepted the proffered hand without hesitation and stood. ¡°Thank you, Marchioness.¡±

    His voice was familiar enough that I paused.

    Underneath matted, straw-colored hair and bloodstained leathers, a familiar young face looked up at me, though his eyes were harder.

    ¡°Doryn?¡±

    ¡°You remember me?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time ta catch up, Boss!¡± another familiar voice sang from the roof. ¡°Toss me that knife, will ya? I only got six left.¡±

    ¡°Catch!¡± I grabbed the knife out and flicked it up toward the roof gently as I could.

    ¡°Ya tryin ta stab me?¡± Taava yelped. Despite that, the knife didn¡¯t come back down, and a familiar brown-eared head popped out over the roof¡¯s edge, smiling.

    ¡°Tell me where you need me, Marchioness.¡± Doryn stood at attention, weapon still out and at the ready.

    The instant I opened my mouth, I felt a twang in my connection with Nelys, like a lute string plucked too hard.

    ¡°Follow Brynna,¡± I replied quickly as the demon-blooded lupael jogged up. I knew she¡¯d heard.

    Doryn¡¯s eyes widened, but he nodded quickly.

    ¡°Taava! Where¡¯s Nelys?¡±

    ¡°Farms to the west!¡± Taava replied. ¡°Don¡¯t know where, but I think they were by the big granary closer to town.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± I turned.

    ¡°Ya leavin?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Nelys is hurt¡ªbad.¡± I didn¡¯t elaborate; I couldn¡¯t risk the time.

    After a quick leap, I flared my wings of fire behind me and took off over the city toward the granary on the edge of town.

    ***

    ¡°Abomination,¡± the demon over Nelys rasped, voice barely intelligible.

    The demonic cecaelia clutched their side, gasping. Blood ran hot between fingers, down tentacles curled in pain. They looked up at the demon, jaw set and mind racing.

    All around them, the stores in the granary were burning, flickering orange light across the figure that loomed above Nelys. Long, clawed arms extended past vestments of skin and scale. A holy symbol of Dhias, familiar to Nelys through Kartania¡¯s tabard, had been twisted and broken across the demon¡¯s chest, burned in like a scar. Their head too, was close to human above their wide, fang-filled jaws. Eyes like cooling embers radiated malice.

    Nelys had traded blows with them; burns of lightning zigzagged across the demon¡¯s body and stab wounds burned black around the edges from holy enchantments.

    ¡°You are cursed, not blessed!¡± the demon hissed. ¡°Yet you dare to wield divine power?¡±

    The demon pounced down, legs bending the wrong way as its claws drove forward into the dirt where Nelys had been not a moment ago. Nimbly, they¡¯d managed to roll away, but they came up gasping, tentacles from their skirt trying to compensate for failing legs.

    More blood ran down from a slash across their chest, and they remembered the unbearable, agonizing heat of trying to hold their own organs in. Matching it now was the fire at their back, saved only by the cool stone wall close to their side. Feinting a thrust, they ducked low, catching claws in a shoulder, but slashing wide across the demon¡¯s thigh.

    Lightning crackled from Nelys¡¯s fingertips and the demon stumbled. More fire erupted from them in their fury, and Nelys brought an arm up, feeling flesh bubbling against the wall of heat. Above, a beam cracked, crashing down between the pair and scattering burning grain up into the air.

    Spread out, the grain burst into a wave of fire. Hugging the stone wall, Nelys tried to run for the door, only to be met by claws and a staccato hiss. The dagger they brought up to guard met flesh, then bone, then claw, skidding and sparking along its short length before the young cecaelia¡¯s grip faltered and it flew off, flashing, into the flames.

    Behind the demon¡¯s sweeping twin tails Nelys could see the exit, door closed and burning. On the next step they stumbled, blinking ash out of their eyes. The bloody claws of the demon shot forward again, and Nelys found themselves staring at the twisted symbol through gangly fingers.

    Ducking, they felt their hair slicing away from their scalp, claws grating on bone. The next thrust was blocked, then a tail took their beloved legs out from under them. Tentacles flailing, they rolled, dodging one strike. Then again into the flaming beam on the floor. Kicking off they made between legs for the exit, limbs growing heavy as their regeneration faltered.

    Through their connection with Renna, that ever-present little itch in the back of their mind, power surged. A broken hand blocked the tail, a knee found an ankle, and they were through to the door.

    Stumbling, standing, Nelys shoved forward with their unburned elbow. It smashed through and fresh air surged into the burning granary. The sudden influx of cold lasted a single blissful moment before the fire roared in tandem with the demon.

    Heat and force launched Nelys forward, out of the building and tumbling through the half-melted snow and churned earth of the fallow field. Dazed, they felt the power draining away as their body mended, but not fast enough.

    They rolled and slipped in the mud, eyes wide at the greater wrath demon charging out of the collapsing granary on all fours, their foe¡¯s eyes manic and fanged maw open in a terrifying screech.

    A boom sounded again, and a shockwave sent the last of the granary tumbling down to earth. Nelys blinked and almost missed a crimson blur intercept the demon. The next instant the enemy demon was gone, and a familiar, spine-tingling roar drowned out the fire.

    Zarenna.

    Nelys turned, following a long furrow in the ground to the small crater where their friend was fighting the demon. For once showing the wrath her title implied, Zarenna ripped and tore at the other demon. Against her strength they could scarcely do more than try to defend.

    In less time than it took for Nelys to struggle to their feet, Zarenna had the demon¡¯s head off. When she rose and threw it aside, crimson fire incinerating the body behind her, Nelys could see blood dripping from her sodden outfit. Whatever she was wearing, be it a dress or a robe, hung off her in blood-soaked tatters. Her blue eyes were wide, but the Sovereign of Wrath¡¯s mouth full of sharp teeth twisted into a genuine smile at the sight of Nelys alive and standing under their own power.

    The only thing that matched her teeth¡¯s shine was a necklace of silver metal still somehow hanging over her chest. Lips covered teeth, and the Sovereign of Wrath swept Nelys up into a warm, bloody hug.

    They hugged back, watching as the first pink hues of dawn rose over the nearby mountains.

 Chapter 180: Post Script

    The demon whom Nelys had been fighting was the last of the greater demons involved with the assault. No Lorelei. Mordwell wasn¡¯t directly involved either, but that was no surprise. I learned all this on the walk back through the city, aided by my friends and¡­ citizens (that was still going to take some getting used to) alike.

    I¡¯d been forced into a bath the moment I¡¯d stepped a bloody foot into the castle. Still unable to relax my mind even as my body heated and seemingly melted into the after-rinse water, my thoughts spun. I also missed Seyari, but a lot of work needed doing, some of which only she or I could do.

    We¡¯d lost a lot. Most notably more than half our food stores for the winter, and a not-insignificant number of dead who¡¯d yet to be accounted for. At the same time, we¡¯d won.

    At least I assumed we had, since we were still standing.

    Which begged the question: why?

    Really, it begged that question about a dozen different times and a dozen different ways.

    Why had they attacked? Well, they¡¯d known I was gone¡ªthat wouldn¡¯t take a spy to figure out. But I¡¯d come back for other reasons¡ªunexpectedly even. Envy had been here this past night, but had acted as well in Norgath. And they hadn¡¯t expected me to run home with Duchess Kapel.

    That we at the very least avoided a much worse outcome by happenstance merited a change in communication. I could make it to Astrye from anywhere in Ordia within a day.

    Wait.

    I could make it anywhere within Ordia¡ªand probably further afield¡ªin a day. I could visit Salvador; see his daughter. I could visit Kartania in Ardath, though since I¡¯d miraculously avoided a direct rebuke from the Church thus far that¡¯d be a bad idea. How I¡¯d not been branded openly as an enemy was a whole rabbit hole for another time, and at least partly Yevon¡¯s doing.

    Kord, his favored acolyte¡ªor one of¡ªhad been responsible for restricting Paladin Warren¡¯s information and¡ªanother time, me.

    I sank lower into the hot water with my breath held so that only my horns stuck out, luxuriating in the feeling of the boiling bubbles against my back muscles.

    Back to the first ¡°why¡± then. Seyari, Joisse, and Nelys would have won, in the end. Was that known? Did they intend to lose, including the demon that likely had been spawned from my own recent assault? Ugh, more questions.

    Somewhere, some information was missing. All that would help determine who in Astrye was in Envy or Mordwell¡¯s pocket. That at least was something I¡¯d not have to do given my acute lack of talent for that line of work. I tried to relax a little more, tried to put my trust in my friends to sort through the immediate aftermath.

    The next ¡°why¡± then. Why did Envy choose not to get directly involved? They¡¯d win if they did. I felt like I was being toyed with, like there was some ¡°bigger picture¡± I didn¡¯t see, and it made me furious. The water boiled harder around me until I surfaced and took a centering breath.

    Obviously, Envy had a plan, and it didn¡¯t involve tearing me down. Perhaps they thought me weak for my ties to humanity, and therefore an easier target than another potential Sovereign of Wrath. Though the title could also just not be held for some period of time, as I assume it had been before I¡¯d taken it.

    How long exactly was yet another question to add to the list.

    Obviously, Envy had some agenda, and I was to be part of it, like it or not. At the simplest, it¡¯d be a desire to avoid pissing off the other Sovereign demons to the point where they all allied against them and Avarice, who was still on their side as far as I knew. Some good number of the demons this past night had felt like avarice demons.

    Envy could also be trying to avoid the Church¡¯s wrath, which would mean the Church of Dhias was stronger than I thought.

    From both of these was another why: Why not involve the demon Lorelei?

    From what I knew of Mordwell, and of my previous thoughts, I could at least hazard a guess. Mordwell is planning something that he needs her for, and he somehow assumed the forces sent would be enough to win. Or at least to win enough to buy him time.

    Even if he knew Envy wouldn¡¯t directly get involved¡ªnot truly anyway¡ªit was still a colossal mistake. Answering why the attack happened at all would answer this, and I had a sneaking suspicion there was some seriously important knowledge buried in that answer.

    I had to assume our food stores were a pivot when they had seen me flying into the city, and another good question would be why they still committed. The attack must have been underway already, right? Or we¡¯d already been infiltrated and¡ª

    A knock on the door interrupted my musings, and I startled, drawing in a little breath before coming up coughing and hacking and splashing.

    ¡°W-what?¡± I growled.

    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m really s-sorry to interrupt, b-but Duchess K-kapel, she said her n-name was, is v-very insistent on s-seeing you.¡±

    Right. That. And Paladin Warren somewhere, too. I rose, and looked longingly at the water that was still in the tub. I could practically hear the servant¡¯s tension outside. She sounded young, lupael accent.

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± I didn¡¯t sound not-mad, so I took a breath and tried again. ¡°Really, I¡¯m not mad. What¡¯s she saying?¡±

    ¡°S-she¡¯s threatening, says w-we¡¯re holding her here, a-and that we turned her into a m-monster.¡±

    Well, shit. Still though, it had to be better than being dead, right? Assuming her mind was all there and I had no reason to think it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a¡­¡± I trailed off, looking around the wet room and realizing I had no clothes set out. At the servant¡¯s whimper I spoke quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll need a change of clothes. Could you get me one of my leather uniforms¡ªwithout the insignia.¡±

    Right now, they were about the only clothes I had that fit, especially ones designed for my arms and tail. I had no intention to deceive the duchess any further.

    ¡°Oh!¡± the servant squeaked after a moment. ¡°I¡ªyour wife gave me some clothes to give you.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± I¡¯ll open the door a little, and you pass them through.

    The servant squeaked again, and the next half minute was intensely awkward. Especially because Seyari had given me that dress to wear. Evidently, she wanted me to make an impression; doubly so for its included heels.

    Purple, menacing, and thankful for the castle¡¯s surprisingly high ceilings, I ducked out into the hallway.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s not your uniform!¡±

    I looked down at the servant. Dressed in plain, but well-made clothes, she was a small lupael woman no older than Doryn, with black hair and gray eyes. Her tail and ears were twitching¡ªstuck between down and up like she was trying to force them, and I could see her shaking. Doubtless tonight plus an angry duchess plus disturbing the demon¡¯s much-needed bath had almost been too much.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Hey¡± I offered an easy, toothless smile. ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s go get the duchess to calm down, yeah?¡±

    She relaxed a little and at my gesture, led on. To me, the castle was still an interminable maze.

    ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°S-shyll,¡± she replied, stuttering.

    ¡°Nice to meet you then, Shyll.¡± I didn¡¯t sound too cheerful. Not after tonight. ¡°Tonight and the duchess are one, awful thing. But you don¡¯t need to be afraid of me, if you are.¡±

    Shyll took a sharp breath, ears twitching. ¡°O-okay.¡±

    We moved down the halls in silence for a little while longer, me in no hurry to try to make her walk even faster. Others hurried around us, and I saw bloodstains and fresh damage both. Some who looked my way froze a moment, or gave a wide berth, but I tried to keep my gaze friendly. Not everyone here had met me directly yet, but they¡¯d at least know who I was.

    Next to me, Shyll fidgeted. ¡°Pardon, but d-did you mean to call the duchess¡­ Is she really¡­?¡±

    I took a moment to think back to my words. Oh, whoops. ¡°If she¡¯s threatening me, my family, or Astrye, then yes.¡±

    Shyll nodded, and I took it as a victory. I¡¯d learned from Sigmund back in Linthel that knowing your servants¡¯ names and keeping at least a professionally-familiar attitude toward them was vitally important. Not just for maintaining an approachable, likeable air, but for hindering spies.

    Which we probably had in the castle damnit.

    My thoughts were thankfully interrupted, again, when we arrived at what was almost a clinic at this point. All the beds were filled, and Joisse wasn¡¯t the only one tending the injured. My daughter was, however wilting under an intense glare from a familiar, if blue-skinned, duchess.

    Duchess Kapel had the wrong color palette for her russet dress now, with her pale blue skin and hand-length black horns. When she opened her mouth, probably to snap at my daughter again, I saw sharp teeth.

    Beyond the pair, a hole in the wall had been hastily patched with scrap wood, the evening visible through several gaps. Now that was something to ask after later, but I had a feeling my daughter was to blame. Almost definitely with good reason.

    Others in the room noticed me first, then the duchess noticed their stares and traced them back to me, looking out over her at the hole in the wall. Her body froze before our eyes met, and she looked up and up at me slowly with her still-human-looking eyes.

    ¡°The heels make me look taller,¡± I said coldly, crossing my lower arms under my bust. I moved inside and sat down on a stool next to the duchess¡¯s bed, its poor wood creaking in protest. ¡°You asked to see me, Duchess Kapel?¡±

    For a moment, she was silent, then she spoke softly, voice controlled. ¡°You¡¯re a demon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I told you! You literally saw that I¡¯m a demon too!¡± my daughter fumed.

    After a quick nod to Joisse, I started slowly. ¡°I understand, perhaps better than most, that the changes are shocking.¡± I inspected her aura: still mundane. ¡°But my choice was either to have you healed and risk changes like these or let you die. I would have asked if I could, and for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry for what the poison has done to you.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not sorry for healing you. Nor flying you here.¡± I took a breath, pleased that the duchess didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°The moment we are certain the attack on my march is over and there is no risk to its people were I to leave I will fly you home to Gedon. Until then, if you are well, we can arrange for you to stay in a guest room, though the accommodations may¡ªI hope understandably, in light of the circumstances¡ªbe lacking.

    ¡°Am I understood, Duchess Kapel?¡±

    Her nostrils flared, and she took a long, slow breath. ¡°You are¡­ but you do not have the authority to hold me, or to give me orders.¡±

    Something from one of my lessons flashed into my mind. ¡°Actually¡­ while it is not formal in the sense there is no opposing nation, we are in a march of the kingdom during a war¡ªan active war. The opponents are the same demons who poisoned you, and their allies. If I recall my laws correctly, then I do have the authority.¡±

    ¡°Not unless the kingdom as a whole is at war. Formally at war.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°You are welcome to try for the pass north then; I did clear it of snow recently, but I cannot in light of recent events guarantee its safety. Also, I do not expect you to need to stay more than one or two nights, and I can fly you there in less than a day. Would that not be faster than even a missive of your condition?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ would, yes.¡± Duchess Kapel leaned back down into her bed. ¡°Though this ¡®condition¡¯ as you put it is most troubling. I¡¯ll fund research for a cure then.¡±

    I rankled at her statement. ¡°To some, it is not an affliction.¡±

    ¡°To me, it is.¡±

    ¡°A fair point.¡±

    A moment of silence passed between me, my daughter, and the duchess.

    ¡°Do you have a chamber ready? I will continue to ignore your inhumanity for the time being in light of your daughter¡¯s admittedly kind treatment of me.¡±

    You¡¯d better! ¡°I¡¯ll ask.¡±

    ¡°I-I can go!¡± Shyll interjected quietly. I¡¯d almost forgotten she was still hovering in the doorway. ¡°Marchioness Seyari did mention that we would need to clear her bed for other patients.¡±

    ¡°I should see my wife anyway, and I can see my presence here is at the very least distracting.¡± I stood. ¡°We will get you somewhere more private and comfortable soon, Duchess Kapel. And thank you for holding most of your belligerence toward proper manners and not my status as a demon; it¡¯s refreshing.¡±

    I followed Shyll again, though this time she walked with a bit more pep in her step, almost bouncing. It struck me as odd. ¡°You did good in there!¡±

    I stopped, a sudden shiver down my spine. All this was just too convenient. ¡°Who are you?¡± The hallway around us was empty, and my words echoed down it.

    ¡°Shhh!¡± Shyll put a finger to her lips and smiled devilishly. ¡°Not too loud! It¡¯s hard to do my job if people suspect anything.¡±

    ¡°Answer now or I¡¯m going to make it much harder.¡±

    ¡°You do have a bite, but I knew that. Like I said, I¡¯m Shyll. I¡¯m Lillith¡¯s lieutenant assigned to Astrye.¡±

    ¡°Prove it.¡±

    Shyll sighed dramatically. ¡°We¡¯re in an open hallway!¡±

    I shook my head and took a step toward her, pleased to see her step back. ¡°I don¡¯t mean just you being a demon. I need real proof.¡±

    The person who I was coming to realize was a literal demon maid, rolled her eyes. Moving slowly as if not to startle me, she reached into her pocket and drew out a missive in a thick envelope.

    I snatched it wordlessly and inspected it. The wax seal was in the shape of Lillith¡¯s gem and bright pink to boot. Carefully flicking it open with a claw, my aura sight suddenly bloomed with Lilly¡¯s aura, enchanted into the paper. Words flowed down what had started as a blank page, and I recognized the handwriting from a certain tea cake recipe.

    <blockquote>

    ¡®Marchioness¡¯ Renna,

    I heard you¡¯re a titled noble now! Well, in a human sense. I hope this letter and my servant both find you well. She¡¯s a capable one, and one of my oldest and most trusted. You-know-who is ramping up efforts you-can-guess-where, and A friend is involved, but still safe.

    Also, congratulations on your marriage! When you find time for a reception, you¡¯d better invite me and the hubby!

    (Platonic) Love,

    L of L

    P.S. My servant in question is fiery (no pun intended), but you get along so well with your wife (yay again!) that I figured you¡¯d be a perfect match.

    P.P.S. Oh! And you have someone on their way to see you who is very excited to meet you! I won¡¯t write any more even though I want to!

    P.P.P.S. Sorry! Last one, I super promise! The author of Atagor is rumored to have spent time researching in the mountains near Astrye, so if you find any evidence at all of them or a lost manuscript or someone who maybe could give a little extra information, PLEASE let me know through my servant.

    </blockquote>

    I stared at the page for a while, particularly at the last post script. The odd capitalization of ¡°A friend¡± stood out to me until I put together that it was Aretan. My shoulders sagged a little with relief¡ªone day we¡¯d catch up and share stories over tea. I knew from what Oscar, her agent in Linthel, had told me that Aretan was alive, but another reminder was comforting. Carefully, I folded Lilly¡¯s letter up, slid it into the envelope that masked its aura flawlessly, and slipped it between my breasts.

    ¡°Well?¡± Shyll asked, leaning far forward and craning her neck up at me.

    ¡°Does your spine hurt doing that? Yes, I believe you.¡±

    A smile appeared on her face and she bounced up on her heels. ¡°Great! You know, you¡¯re a little bit smarter than your ogre-like size and tits imply.¡±

    I hissed. ¡°Can you survive being punched through a wall?¡±

    ¡°Can you afford another hole in one?¡±

    My eye twitched.

    ¡°You know, I helped a lot when you left this place half-defended to go gallivanting off to some party. Especially all those other demons I killed.¡± She punctuated the last sentence with a quick laugh.

    My mouth twitched, then slid up into a smile. I leaned down as fast as I could and rubbed one hand through Shyll¡¯s hair, scratching the not-lupael¡¯s real-feeling ears. ¡°You did well, thank you.¡±

    She flushed red. ¡°Wha-hey! You can¡¯t tease me back!¡±

    I snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t think you know what your mistress has gotten you into.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re married!¡±

    ¡°Sey¡¯s not an idiot.¡±

    Shyll pouted.

    ¡°Really though, thanks. Should you get more responsibilities or¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She stamped a foot. ¡°This is perfect! Your wife is upstairs, second door on the right, and I have to go put sheets on a bed so I¡¯ll catch you later!¡±

    I watched Shyll stomp off.

    It seemed there was a certain personality trait I attracted. She acted like a Taava-Seyari hybrid, which was frankly terrifying. Regardless, I¡¯d definitely ask around and try to figure out just what she did help with. One more friendly demon to help out Astrye couldn¡¯t be a bad thing.

    Unfortunately, even with the maelstrom of thoughts in my head that hadn¡¯t nearly run its course, I really did need to find Seyari. And Paladin Warren. If he wasn¡¯t healing here, something serious was going on elsewhere I¡¯d bet.

    Or he¡¯d betrayed me.

    Hopefully not the latter¡ªI was really sick and tired of killing Church people when they forced my hand.

    Wait. Did Seyari actually want me to wear this dress, or had Shyll wanted me to wear it? Eh, oh well.

 Interlude: Shooting Star pt. 4

    In the partially-burned estate of Duke Ludwig Reynard, Countess Elstein stood numb. She¡¯d suffered minor burns, and her dress was ruined, but she¡¯d already been healed and the design really wasn¡¯t her best anyway.

    Shining paint stood out oddly against blackened beams and the charred remnants of the gallery¡¯s furniture, a thin strip of ashen color delineating total destruction from untouched beauty. Below, the marble floor was chipped and scratched in places, and gleaming in others. Broken glass had been swept into one corner, broken furniture another.

    Above, the remaining chandeliers glittered and their enchanted flames danced merrily, either unaware or approving of the burning their brethren did the night prior. Morning sun followed a chill wind, brisk against the countess¡¯s skin under her borrowed shift. A few others like her milled about the ballroom under the watchful eyes of both the Church and the duke¡¯s own militia, though she was alone in the ruined gallery.

    The events of last night weren¡¯t wholly isolated to the duke¡¯s estate, and as such there was still a flurry of activity around her.

    People had died.

    More than that, people she knew had died. People whom she¡¯d been speaking with not minutes before the flames took them up in the gallery. She questioned why she¡¯d lived, instead of the others. Was it fate or Dhias¡¯s guiding hand?

    If it were the latter, why her?

    Others had departed, some had stayed to help or to grieve. The duke himself was practically sprinting about his estate, his own anger and pain clearly visible to all in the brief moments he could be seen.

    Rumors flew wildly; was tonight isolated to just Norgath? What of her own home? Countess Elstein felt numb more than anything, but the sensations that did trickle through were acute: hurt, anguish, confusion.

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    Her thoughts took her feet to the balcony the marchioness had left through, in the least-burned part of the gallery. A single chair stood, lightly scorched amidst ashes and ruin, drawing her eyes for a moment before she turned to the broken window. Something had compelled her to stay at the window under it a moment longer last night, lingering after Paladin Warren grabbed the tall woman¡¯s ankle.

    Through the flashing of the marchioness¡¯s crimson wings, what she alone had seen had shaken her nearly as much as the night¡¯s events.

    Marchioness Zarenna Miller was a demon. That must have been how she¡¯d managed abs like those with a chest like that. A traitorous part of the countess was both thrilled that she¡¯d designed a dress for a demon of all things, but also wondered how better to incorporate a tail into the design. Lupael had them and she¡¯d done some designs, but¡­

    Countess Elstein shook her head to force the thoughts away. The past few hours, she¡¯d had trouble focusing, her mind taking any chance to slip away elsewhere.

    She needed to keep her mind from wandering and think. Against what Paladin Warren had concluded, the marchioness was a demon. Skin as crimson as her wings, and trailing a spade-tipped tail as she flew.

    Does King Carvalon know? Surely he must?

    Why would he trust her then?

    Countess Elstein realized she knew precious little about the inhuman woman. She desperately wanted to believe the marchioness was truly the person she acted as, but she struggled. Then again, every single bit of evidence pointed that Zarenna Miller was, of all things, a hero.

    Unless she organized the past night¡¯s horrors.

    But that just didn¡¯t add up either.

    More information was needed: who the marchioness was before she was ennobled, her actions in the past, and any information she could glean from those who might also know her secret. A lot of work lay ahead, but for now she would respect the marchioness¡¯s apparent wish for secrecy.

    And so Countess Elstein stared out the window. She stared at where Marchioness Zarenna Miller had flown off into the night like a shooting star, carrying¡ªsomehow¡ªDuchess Kapel and Paladin Warren both.

    Something is coming, I can feel it.

 Chapter 181: Cottage Fantasy

    It took me all of a minute to realize I had no idea where my wife was, and a few moments more to decide to risk scaring one of the people running around the place. Some were servants, but we¡¯d not done much to set that up yet; hiring was supposed to happen en masse when I returned.

    All the death and food loss made me think we¡¯d need to postpone. Perhaps until spring, as Sey and I could get by easily enough on our own until then.

    After scaring someone only a little, I found where Seyari was: in what used to be stables. They¡¯d largely been spared the fighting, and now they were a makeshift hospital. A curtain of warm wind washed over me as I entered, and I found both my wife and Paladin Warren inside.

    Like I¡¯d hoped, he was wordlessly treating a lupael man rather than plotting against me. Though he¡ªlike most everyone else¡ªnoticed my entrance, he said nothing and I gave him a nod.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡±

    Seyari buffeted me with a wing and shushed me, and the harshness of her glare startled me. I spluttered and instead moved around quietly to watch her work. The inside of the stables was relatively open, with fence-like stalls filled with the injured. Some had makeshift cots, and others were on straw or even the ground.

    My wife was working over a human woman who¡¯d lost an arm and taken a nasty gash; she was deathly pale and shaking even as holy magic enveloped her, Seyari¡¯s glowing hands hovering and moving in a pattern I couldn¡¯t quite see.

    She looked like she¡¯d just started though, and I could feel her glare even if she was facing away. Did I do something, or is it all the death and destruction?

    Rather than wait and bother her more, I should make myself useful.

    As I was thinking, Paladin Warren finished and rose. And there¡¯s a known face I can ask.

    I approached quickly. ¡°Hi.¡±

    ¡°Marchioness, with all due respect now is not¡ª¡±

    ¡°How can I be useful?¡±

    The paladin¡¯s eyebrows rose, and he coughed purposefully. ¡°Well, new wounded are arriving and we¡¯ve no place for them but the floor. Could you get us straw? Your wife can dry it with magic¡ªbut I imagine you can do the same.¡±

    ¡°I can. I¡¯ll be back shortly with as much as I can carry.¡±

    I left quickly, and took to the air after a running start across the ruined courtyard. Flying over the town of Astrye, my mind wanted desperately for my heart to ache. The moment I looked skyward, my emotions tried to flow away like hot wax down a dying candle.

    Not in my mind necessarily, but in my body. Exception though I was, my demonic body didn¡¯t really suffer the same as a mortal one would, for good and ill. My heart didn¡¯t hurt like it should. My muscles only felt a lingering, satisfied ache from a good fight.

    It¡¯d be easy to slip into that feeling, for mind to follow body. But, I didn¡¯t.

    I held onto my anger and my sorrow as I flew over the wounded city. Enough was still standing to make for shelter, but I worried about food. The big granary close to town was a total loss¡ªI¡¯d been so focused on saving Nelys I hadn¡¯t thought to put it out first.

    Would it have mattered? Maybe, maybe not. But it galled me that I hadn¡¯t tried harder. There were other storehouses, some still intact I was certain, and a variety of cellars and leftover resistance stockpiles. But it wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    I landed near an old barn across from a destroyed farmhouse and took all the straw I could carry. On the flight back, I tried to look skyward, to think about the future.

    Landing again in the courtyard, I walked quickly inside and dropped the straw in an open space near the entrance.

    Seyari found me before I could even look for her. ¡°We need to talk next steps.¡± Her voice was terse, and she pulled on my arm back out the door.

    I followed her up into the sky and onto our balcony, which was quickly becoming our main method of ingress and egress to our chambers. The moment we both walked inside, Seyari closed the door and put up a wind wall to block sound.

    She sat down on the bed, and leaned back on her wings, staring up at the ceiling before leveling a withering glare back down at me. ¡°Renna. What the everloving fuck were you thinking?¡±

    I blinked. ¡°I¡­ King Carvalon¡¯s orders. We didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be attacked so soon either, and it was only a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Couple of weeks, right? You¡¯d have been back by now, otherwise. Perhaps we¡¯d have been spared the attack.¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t know that!¡±

    Seyari sat up, and rested her face in her hands. ¡°Fine. Yes, we couldn¡¯t know that, but staying away from our base of operations when we know there are enemies watching who would see us dead was impossibly reckless.¡±

    I opened my mouth but she cut me off, jabbing a sharp-looking finger at me. ¡°And not your usual type of recklessness, either! Not the altruism that I love you for, what you showed during the fighting¡ªI¡¯ve spoken with Brynna and Nelys both. This¡­ I¡¯m just disappointed.¡±

    A part of me echoed her sentiment. At the same time¡­ ¡°My heart goes out to those who¡¯ve died, and if I could go back and trade spurning an order from King Carvalon to be here instead of at the Winter Ball, I would. And that¡¯s not even considering what might have happened to Duchess Kapel or the other Edathan nobility.¡± I walked as I talked, and sat down on the end of our bed an arm¡¯s length away from her, looping my tail away and nervously folding all four hands in front of me. ¡°But we¡¯d not discussed me returning home as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°Returning to Astrye should have been implied,¡± Seyari said, looking into the cold firepit instead of at me.

    I fidgeted my thumbs against each other. ¡°You asked me to look for a book. Which, by the way I found, and I also connected with Lilly¡¯s agent in Linthel.¡±

    ¡°That didn¡¯t take two weeks.¡±

    ¡°I learned noble etiquette.¡± I looked over; she was still staring into the nonexistent fire.

    ¡°That takes longer, and I¡¯ve not seen you demonstrate it.¡±

    In the face of all that¡¯d happened, and the circumstances of my return, I bristled, sitting straighter, tail tip twitching. ¡°You¡¯re just being contrarian at this point. We were fighting for our lives¡ªnot the finer points of a trade agreement.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not being¡ªfine. Just, shut up.¡± Seyari huffed, but I caught her eyes looking over at me. ¡°You should have at the very least sent word of your delay.¡±

    ¡°I did, though.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡± She steepled her hands and rested her head against them.

    I frowned as well. ¡°The pass isn¡¯t safe. It¡¯s probably being watched.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Her tone bordered on sarcasm, and she buried her face deeper into her hands, her wings tucking in tighter.

    ¡°So are you less mad now?¡±

    ¡°A little.¡± She didn¡¯t raise her head. ¡°Can you at least admit you shouldn¡¯t act like such a doormat for a human king?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my suzerain, Sey.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you believe that, Sovereign,¡± she replied acerbically.

    Against my wishes, I winced at the irony. ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Seyari lifted her head, and looked at me with cold golden eyes. ¡°He holds no real power over you. You and I could stand a good chance of beating his entire army.¡±

    ¡°Sey!¡±

    My wife huffed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to let us be inconvenienced by obstacles between us and our enemies.¡±

    ¡°So you would make more enemies? Didn¡¯t you want to get away from that kind of thinking?¡±

    She winced like I¡¯d slapped her and turned away. In an instant, I regretted my words.

    ¡°Sey¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Her voice was softer than I¡¯d imagined. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. Making more enemies isn¡¯t the way to go, and I should know damn well from experience that I can¡¯t just keep trying to eliminate everyone in my way. But you still should¡¯ve pushed back against King Carvalon.¡±

    I furrowed my brow. ¡°How do you know I didn¡¯t?¡±

    Sey gave me a sidelong glance, and I wilted. ¡°Yeah, thought so.¡±

    ¡°I did actually push back, a little.¡± Keeping my lower hands together, I planted the others on the rough bedcovers and leaned back a little.

    ¡°Not enough.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trained then!¡± I retorted.

    ¡°By me you were.¡± Seyari didn¡¯t match my attempt at relaxation or at least she tried not to. Her wings slumped outward a little;

    I hissed out a puff of flame. ¡°Okay, fine. You¡¯re right. At the very least, with how fast I fly, I should have taken learning materials and stayed here for the time between getting measured for a dress and the night of the ball.¡±

    At that Sey smiled, the expression hollow and not reaching her eyes. ¡°Thanks, Renna.¡±

    I hummed. ¡°And I didn¡¯t tell people I was a demon, either.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    That caught me by surprise. ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°The duchess didn¡¯t know. And Paladin Warren said as much when I questioned him.¡±

    Oh, that makes sense. I was really happy she didn¡¯t put extra emphasis on ¡°questioned.¡± I scooted a little closer, but hesitated at looping my tail around under her wings. If I tweaked a flight feather right now, she¡¯d have a whole other very valid reason to bite at me.

    Seyari continued, ¡°It is possible that you were seen after you left the estate. At the same time, I suppose you¡¯ve made an impression, at least. Probably a favorable one for some. Though I doubt Duke Reynard feels the same way.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he?¡±

    Seyari looked at me like I was a lame dog. ¡°Your innocence is the only thing more durable than your skull, I swear. He put Paladin Warren up to outing you as a demon. I doubt the truth was hard for him to find out, especially if he went digging before King Carvalon doubtless cracked down on that sort of information.¡±

    ¡°I intend to tell him and everyone else soon anyway. You know how tired I am of hiding.¡±

    Seyari nodded and finally relaxed a little, scooting closer. ¡°Now that we can agree on. Joisse¡¯s magic aside, we can use me to explain your relationship to holy magic, and undermine the Church¡¯s dogma at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯m not out to take down the Church.¡± I matched her, risking to put my tail around us. Her wings moved up to accommodate.

    ¡°You keep saying that.¡± She looked down at the crimson tail across her lap.

    ¡°I mean it. Tania¡¯s working from inside to change it, and what I can prove we can leverage as an external pressure.¡±

    Seyari hummed. ¡°Maybe, maybe. Or you¡¯re not forceful enough and we have to deal with another faction out to kill us.¡±

    At that, I frowned. ¡°Then let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come to that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡± Seyari rose, sliding my tail off and tucking her wings behind her, and walked to one of the few intact windows.

    I followed. Through the many tiny panes of glass, we could see down past the scaffolding on the ruined wall and into the town proper, snow glittering under the cold midday sun. Beyond it, the forest and mountains lay darkness, their colors washed-out.

    ¡°We should think about our next moves.¡±

    I looked down at the burned-out granary. ¡°We should petition King Carvalon, Duchess Kapel, or Duke Reynard for aid.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Seyari turned to look up at me, genuine confusion on her face.

    ¡°With the main granary burned down, and after what was stolen or destroyed by the cult, we¡¯re not going to have enough food for the winter.¡±

    Seyari clenched her fists and raised her chin to look up at me. ¡°Renna, if we don¡¯t take Mordwell out, we won¡¯t last long enough to worry about that. He didn¡¯t send Lorelei. Envy retreated. This attack was opportunistic, and meant to throw us off from trying to stop whatever they¡¯re up to¡ªprobably some incredibly dangerous ritual. For food, there are enough nomadic lupael groups south of here to prey on. I¡¯ve spoken to Nadya about it.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°And would she want to use the last of Astrye¡¯s resources to go chasing Mordwell?¡±

    ¡°No, but she¡¯s Astryan, and their leader de facto.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m the Marchioness of Astrye¡ªand you are too. I want to be more than their leader de jure.¡± I drew myself up, posing as I¡¯d been taught.

    Seyari narrowed her eyes at my posturing. ¡°Do you mean you intend to stay in this role, under King Carvalon¡¯s thumb?¡±

    ¡°For now, for legitimacy, yes. And part of that role is placing Astrye first. What did you think I would do?¡±

    ¡°Use the title as needed, then take Mordwell down and we¡¯ll move somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Why would we need to move?¡±

    ¡°I just got free again; I won¡¯t be tied down somewhere.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not saying to stay here forever, but I am saying that this castle can be that cottage, in a way. We¡¯ve competent people under us, and we can handle external affairs, see the world, and take long vacations when there¡¯s peace.¡±

    Seyari pursed her lips, and was silent. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if I could do that. I don¡¯t know if that time will come to pass, and I don¡¯t think I can stay cooped up until then. I want to be with you, but I want to be free. Not shackled by titles and obligations.¡±

    ¡°Do¡­ do you mind if I say something incredibly blunt?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± She forced a smile. ¡°Go for it, I guess. But I need to fly, need to get out beyond this castle and city¡ªeven if that means we spend some time apart.¡±

    I swallowed away the lump that her statement, and the cold, almost detached voice she¡¯d said it in, brought about. Beyond wiping the smile off my face, my jaw hung open a little before I closed it with a cough, mind racing. ¡°Right. Blunt. We don¡¯t have the option of not being shackled by titles and obligations, Sey. Just as much as my cozy cottage is an unattainable fantasy, so is flying free without responsibilities.¡±

    I turned to face Seyari fully, watching the sun play off her shining silver hair. ¡°Even if we forego our noble titles, I¡¯m a demonic sovereign, and that comes with responsibilities. We have friends who we¡ªmostly me, I admit¡ªhave made promises to. We have relationships we want to keep.

    ¡°We have Joisse, Sey.¡±

    I reached across and placed a lower hand on Seyari¡¯s shoulder; she reached up, but stopped just short of shoving the limb away. ¡°Do you want our daughter to go with us? I could always be wrong, but I think she wants a static sort of home; I think she needs that. I¡¯m not saying we lock ourselves in the castle and chain ourselves to our work. I¡¯m saying that we just need some place to come back to some sort of home that supersedes other ¡®homes.¡¯¡± I didn¡¯t try to force a smile; it wouldn¡¯t be genuine.

    Seyari swallowed, rubbing one arm with the other. She held her lips close and eyes down: indecisive, deflated, and small, in a way I rarely saw. ¡°Maybe I just wanted to go flying more than I have. Maybe I just wanted to fly free when you gave me my wings back, and I feel shackled by this title, castle, and town. You leaving things to me these past weeks didn¡¯t help either.¡± She looked up, and I saw a familiar fire in her eye. Her hand clenched onto mine, pushing it against her shoulder.

    Now the smile showed through, growing hesitantly across my face. ¡°I am sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Good. Apology accepted, I guess. Time to move on, right? Honeymoon¡¯s over¡ªtoo short, and all too sweet.¡± Seyari turned her head to the window, sweeping her gaze across our demesne.

    I followed her gaze, looking toward the mountain peaks. ¡°You can still go flying every day!¡± It still hurt that she hadn¡¯t apologized for earlier, but in the spirit of the moment I let it go.

    ¡°I will!¡± She flared her wings, brushing the window. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll leave on longer excursions the moment it¡¯s safe to do so, with or without you.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ll let us know where you are and when you¡¯ll be back?¡±

    Seyari scoffed, then smiled with too-sharp-for-human teeth. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not that obvious of a hypocrite. And I do hope you and Joisse can come along. I¡¯ll give this old dirty rock a chance at being home, but if neither of us like it, we¡¯re building that cottage, titles be damned.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Titles be damned.¡±

    ¡°Good. I still don¡¯t think you should leave here, even for an aid petition.¡± She removed her hand from mine, and I followed suit.

    ¡°It¡¯d be a risk, but we need food.¡±

    ¡°What about foraging? Lupael here live off the land, and some in Astrye know techniques.¡±

    I caught my hand trying to scratch at a horn. ¡°That could work.¡±

    ¡°And we can scout the south as well. Perhaps see evidence of passage or of taken resources.¡± Seyari didn¡¯t try to hide her motivation for this suggestion.

    But it was still an attractive, relatively safe option.

    I folded my hands in front of me. ¡°Alright, but can we afford to send people to patrol the pass? If Duchess Kapel accepts a petition for aid, and we can get goods through, it¡¯d be a big help.¡±

    Seyari scratched her chin. ¡°We¡¯ll need to know more about what¡¯s left after last night¡¯s attack, and at the same time we should move quickly. That¡¯s agreeable.¡±

    I turned back to the window and looked out at the silent forest. ¡°In the meantime, while I¡¯m patrolling, as I assume I should be visibly patrolling¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, go on.¡±

    ¡°¡ªIn the meantime, I¡¯ll hunt.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to ask to make sure you don¡¯t overhunt, and that you take the right game.¡±

    ¡°Good idea.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Can you at least not be smug? This is a compromise.¡±

    ¡°I feel half like I won then.¡±

    ¡°So are you going to be half as smug?¡±

    Seyari¡¯s grin grew.

    ¡°You¡¯re reminding me of me right now, Sey.¡±

    Her grin vanished with a cough. ¡°Right. Well then. We¡¯ll scout around to ensure our safety, get you and the duchess out and back within the next two days¡ªand no staying extra time¡ªpatrol the pass if we can, work on our food shortage, and make plans to find and crush Mordwell before he can finish whatever scheme he¡¯s set in motion.¡± She held out a hand for me to shake, one claw-like nail chipped.

    I took it. ¡°Agreed! I¡¯ll stay no extra time, not even if the Empress herself petitions me.¡±

    ¡°Good girl.¡±

    I nodded, then blushed at Seyari¡¯s expression. She actually purred.

    ¡°Uh, shouldn¡¯t we still be helping¡ªor mourning.¡±

    ¡°People process grief in different ways, Renna. For some, feeling alive is a necessary step.¡±

    I gulped. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ask about earlier when I first got here¡ªI figured the battle kinda¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, it ruined the mood. Then I thought about you staying all that extra time to learn how to bow correctly and it got even worse.¡± She took a step toward me, smiling wide and eyes bright. ¡°But I¡¯m over it now, I¡¯m nearly mana exhausted so I can¡¯t be out there helping, and really, Renna, it¡¯s been weeks.¡±

    The wind grew into a hurricane and Seyari pounced.

 Chapter 182: New Tricks

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget my book.¡±

    I glanced over at Sey, who was getting dressed despite the setting sun casting long shadows across our room. ¡°Won¡¯t that take extra time?¡±

    My wife rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll need to stop by the Gelles Company to ask after what they¡¯ve said and to whom anyway.¡±

    ¡°Fair. I suppose I should inform the duchess we¡¯ll leave at first light, then take a flight around the city and outlying farms.¡±

    ¡°You should. I¡¯ll also need to send someone to check on the outlying towns. Most have already been evacuated to here, but I fear what¡¯s happened to the others.¡±

    My heart sank. ¡°Yeah. Before we leave in the morning, I think I should speak in the main square. Reaffirm my commitments.¡±

    ¡°I can arrange that, but don¡¯t go spilling where you¡¯ll be and when. For now, that information should be kept to a trusted few. And get out of bed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s warm though.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a walking heater. Up.¡±

    I pouted, but did as she asked, pulling clothes on myself. ¡°Speaking of people to be trusted, the maid Shyll is Lilly¡¯s agent here in Astrye. She had a letter from Lilly that had the Sovereign of Lust¡¯s aura on it, so she¡¯s the real deal.¡±

    Seyari groaned. ¡°I¡¯d assumed she was a spy or something¡ªI¡¯d had Taava watching her. At least she¡¯s not leaking information to Envy.¡±

    ¡°I think we can trust Lilly.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we can trust so many people?¡± Seyari asked. Her tone was clipped, and I could tell she¡¯d avoided a more biting remark.

    I buttoned up my leather coat, ignoring the slight. ¡°You¡¯re right, I guess. I know this is a pattern for me, but I also know you know I¡¯m getting better with my discretion. At the very least, Lilly is against Envy. Besides, someone who sends us a tea cake recipe can¡¯t be a bad person¡ªit¡¯s against some law of the universe or another.¡±

    Sey frowned, but relented. ¡°I suppose. Regardless, we¡¯ll need to patrol during the night, and finish taking stock of the casualties.¡±

    ¡°And the damage and our food,¡± I added. ¡°I¡¯ll ask after aid when I speak to the duchess shortly.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up more autonomy for it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t. We have hunting and foraging as options anyway, and I can always make trips for supplies by air if need be.¡±

    ¡°Provided you don¡¯t open us up for attack again.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but we can¡¯t let paranoia cause paralysis. Even if it¡¯s well-justified paranoia.¡±

    ¡°Heading south isn¡¯t paralysis¡ªnever mind. We¡¯ve already had this argument.¡±

    I finished dressing and walked to the balcony door. ¡°We have, yeah. I¡¯ll head out on patrol when I¡¯m done. Will I see you in the sky?¡±

    Seyari nodded and stretched her wings, arms over her head. Yawning, she replied. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be around.¡±

    Smiling, I pulled her in for a quick four-armed hug and a peck on the lips. Her wings wrapped around us briefly before we separated. Still smiling, I walked out onto the balcony and descended down the outside of the castle.

    Really, it was faster than figuring out the maze of hallways inside. Unfortunately, I¡¯d forgotten that the duchess had been moved to a hastily set-up guest quarters, and ended up wandering the halls of Castle Astrye anyway. When I reached what I hoped was the right door, I knocked.

    There was no immediate reply, and without intending to, I picked up the sound of sobbing from inside. It stopped shortly after my knock, and while I was debating whether to call out or knock again, I heard footsteps and the door opened.

    Duchess Kapel craned her head up to look at me. Her bluish skin was pale, and her eyes were reddened. ¡°Oh, you. What?¡±

    I looked back down at her and decided to keep things simple and brief, to leave her to her grief. ¡°I wanted to let you know we¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow. My guess would be early afternoon, but it depends on how much time I take speaking in the town square.¡±

    The duchess nodded, and in her I saw little of the confident woman I¡¯d met only the night prior.

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    Now¡¯s not the time to ask about aid. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Her eyes narrowed, but she swiftly closed the door before I could glean anything else from her expression. I walked away feeling drained, and I carried that feeling into my patrol, staying opposite Seyari so we could each scan the trees in turn.

    Overhead, stars and the moon gave more than enough light for me to see by, and I watched the quiet forest intently. The watchtowers, no longer as reliable as they¡¯d seemed, lay dark and empty, jutting out of the canopy like dull teeth. Even from the sky, I could pick out the grain of the wood, and the needles on the trees.

    I¡¯d long ago stopped considering myself human, but sometimes little reminders of how different things were snuck in and reminded me. Gave me context. What the duchess was struggling with right now, mirrored at least some of my own struggles.

    Though I imagined she didn¡¯t have the benefit of an acute discomfort for her old body being washed away. Truly that¡¯d helped me¡ªthat and the life-or-death situation I¡¯d found myself in on the island. I held up a clawed hand, clenching and unclenching it slowly. Behind me, my tail swayed in the wind and I¡¯d feel so incomplete without it. My head would be weighted wrong without horns, my mouth too dull without my teeth, my tongue too unwieldy without its fork. And I¡¯d be useless up here with human eyesight.

    None of that need apply for the duchess. The horns a weight, the blue tone to her skin a constant reminder that she was different than before. I could understand it, in a way, but I didn¡¯t know that I could truly empathize with the human¡¯s struggles.

    Not anymore and not ever.

    That didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t be supportive¡ªat least until she was back home. In exchange for aid, I¡¯d need to give her something, and I had a feeling she wasn¡¯t the type to want for a shoulder to cry on. My strength then, magical and physical. Envy talked of a war, and Astrye hadn¡¯t been the only place to be hurt. Gedon would have problems¡ªalready had problems¡ªand maybe, if I could find the time, I could lend a few hands.

    Just as I was getting more comfortable with my thoughts, working through the past few days, I spotted a flash of something shining through the trees. Beneath me was the pass north, covered in a semi-navigable-looking blanket of fresh snow, and I¡¯d drifted perhaps a dozen kilometers to the north¡ªto the middle of nowhere.

    I banked and descended after the glint I¡¯d seen, ready to fight.

    Instead, I found bodies, mostly covered by snow. The glint I¡¯d seen was from a metal buckle, attached to a stiff, cold leg sticking up from the rest. Immediately, I blew the snow away with a warm wind.

    Decay was light on the air, the frozen weather having preserved the dozen or so human men quite well. They were a well-armed group, once, if the sheathes and quivers were any indication. Their outfits, reinforced hunting leathers padded over to ward against the cold and wind, were slashed and burned. No two were the same, but they seemed to all be similar.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Likewise, the bodies bore vicious wounds¡ªsome were even missing limbs. Swallowing feelings of pity and disgust, I patted through their clothing. No orders, and more curiously very little by way of coin. A single man had a small coinpurse.

    That, combined with their outfits, led me to a single conclusion: mercenaries. They had to have been a group, else there was no reason for one person to hold the money. And with what little they had, they would be based elsewhere and headed back there.

    They weren¡¯t from Astrye, and my city had only a local bank. Their outfits were too nice for thai amount to be all their money. The question then became why they were headed across the pass.

    Or if they intended to fully cross it at all. The Gelles Company stayed neutral in matters of noble and merchant infighting¡ªprotecting only against threats for which diplomacy was not a preferred or possible option.

    I checked the frigid ground, and the blood that was there had frozen on it¡ªnot in it like I would expect after a battle where flames had been thrown around and many bodies had crowded and churned the earth. Likewise, there was a general lack of blood.

    My attention turned to the road. This particular path ran through a narrow, tree-dense valley, although it was relatively straight. Not the worst place for an ambush, although I saw no signs of a camp in the immediate area.

    Walking back to the road, I blew it clear of snow and immediately saw signs of a fight. Before the snow had cleared, I could see that several trees were recently damaged and I doubted by storm. The road had been scored and dug into; beyond the disturbed earth I could faintly smell blood once my warmth had soaked into the soil.

    Mercenaries, most likely. And they¡¯d fought here¡ªto the last. Their wounds practically screamed demon. Not necessarily Envy, but also not necessarily a greater demon. Aura sight revealed nothing, so they hadn¡¯t been prepared for such a fight.

    Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t the bodies I¡¯d intended to find. I couldn¡¯t know how recent they were, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d have been there long, and they were almost visible from the road.

    I decided to search the area again, moving further afield into the dense trees. Soon enough, through an area of broken branches, I found more bodies. These, predators and scavengers had gotten to despite the cold, digging them out of shallow graves and scattering bits around the small hollow.

    This was one of the moments I was glad my demonic constitution stayed firm while my mind heaved at the gory sight. Four of them this time: three in torn and battered armor, and one in fine winter clothing.

    This would be the messenger King Carvalon sent. Broken and whole weapons were scattered about, a single sword shining with magic to my aura sight and coated in dried blood. They¡¯d had the equipment to fight demons, unlike the mercenaries.

    But whatever had gotten them was too much for three well-equipped humans, trained though they might have been.

    The shallow graves and scattered weapons suggested lesser demons. Which, in turn suggested anything from a desire for plausible deniability regarding claims of wild beasts, to a lack of resources or the attack on Astrye being less-than-thoroughly planned.

    While I wouldn¡¯t have found this on my flyover without luck, this would have been found¡ªand shortly. Moving the bodies or burying them properly in the frozen earth wouldn¡¯t have been difficult, and we¡¯d never had known until spring.

    I fished through the belongings of the group and found the king¡¯s missive, addressed to Seyari and fitted with the royal seal. It was stored in a small wooden tube that¡¯d been punctured, but survived. Well, unless this contains bad information, it looks like he¡¯d kept his promise.

    Missive in hand, I regarded the bodies. For now, stretched thin as Astrye was, the best thing for me to do was to bury them here, mark it with stones, and resolve for a proper burial before spring. While I was wishing for a shovel and digging with four hands and a tail, my thoughts kept looping back to the mercenaries.

    Why on Varra were they here?

    They¡¯d come after the king¡¯s missive, which made sense as no one would know of the cleared pass before then realistically. But how recently, and who sent them? And what were their intentions?

    Seyari or Taava could shed better insight into that sort of thing than I could, given their experience with this sort of thing. At the very least, I¡¯d need to give my wife this missive.

    I finished burying the bodies¡ªa single grave, and still too shallow. I marked the tree above clearly, added a few large stones, and took quickly to the skies again. I¡¯d be a little late compared to checking the rest of the pass, but not so late as to cause worry when I resumed the local flight path of my patrol.

    Said patrol ended at sunrise, and I realized belatedly just how simple it¡¯d been to keep my wings active the whole time. I was getting stronger; the awful attack on Astrye had made me stronger. Other, lesser wrath demons would chase that feeling.

    Some humans would chase that feeling, even. Power without cause, without end, without purpose. Blind to what around them that such power would serve best to protect.

    I landed long after Seyari had flown back to the castle to sleep and without a chance to give her the missive, then headed toward the central plaza of Astrye. I debated wearing a company uniform, to better demonstrate I was one of them.

    But I wasn¡¯t one of them; implying otherwise would be disingenuous. I was a demon, and their ruler, and I would make my actions speak of a desire to become closer than we were while remaining aware of the insurmountable differences. At least in my case those differences were more than a bloodline and a title. Made the idea easier to swallow.

    I wore my one good dress, and stood on a pile of rubble that¡¯d been gathered near the fountain. The extra height felt needed. A crowd had already formed, and I recognized Brynna in it, wearing concealing clothing. In part, I could tell because of the link through our contract. Similarly, I could feel Nelys nearby, probably directing people.

    The crowd was listless: a cold morning had numbed what little the past days hadn¡¯t it seemed.

    ¡°People of Astrye,¡± I started, voice clear and loud. Some people perked up, some others retreated deeper. ¡°We¡¯ve been hurt. We need food, time to mourn, and time to heal both the city and ourselves. I will not be leaving for so long a period, not when I could stop another attack.

    ¡°For those of you who know of foraging and hunting, please speak to my wife, Seyari. I will petition Edath for aid as well; the one benefit of my extended time away are forged connections that may help. The pass will remain clear and made safe. Buildings will be rebuilt, bodies healed, and bodies buried.

    ¡°Steps will be taken to strike at the heart of our enemies¡ªin time. We¡¯ve no need to follow death with more, but to sit idle is to invite disaster. There will be no forced conscription, but there will be rationing to get us through this winter.

    ¡°None of you deserve the trouble visited upon you, and I will do everything in my power to see that Astrye survives.¡±

    By the end, most everyone was watching me. Some with open contempt, and others with heart-wrenching hope. I didn¡¯t bow.

    For the next hour, I handled increasingly difficult questions. Many I couldn¡¯t answer, and some others I tried to avoid. I was part of the reason for their plight, but Mordwell¡¯s initial occupation had had nothing to do with me, and even were I not involved, they¡¯d just be an easy target for lives to harvest in the name of creating demons.

    Eventually, the questions fell off and the crowd left for warm hearths. I was left feeling anxious, inadequate, and a good deal older than the scant few years I¡¯d lived.

    I returned to the castle in a fog, ridiculous-for-the-terrain heels crunching into snow. Instead of flying to the top, I found myself walking inside¡ªmy connection to this place and its people seemed a little closer that way.

    ¡°Mom!¡± The word echoed in the still-empty foyer.

    I turned, and caught human-form Joisse mid-leap. Together we swung around into a hug. I set my daughter down and she beamed back up at me.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± I asked, then hastily added, ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining of course!¡±

    ¡°You seemed down. Or stuck in your thoughts. Mom Sey¡¯s been like that, too.¡± She took my hand and pulled me down a hallway. ¡°The attack¡¯s got everyone like that, I think. People I knew here died, but we won in the end.

    ¡°It feels bad not to feel bad right now, but someone I was treating told me that positivity was the right thing to do and it got me thinking. ¡°

    I let her lead me down a hallway, almost stumbling. ¡°Who told you that?¡±

    Joisse¡¯s eyes fell. ¡°Someone whose partner and child died. He said they¡¯d not want him to live a life of sadness¡ªjust to remember them and continue on.¡±

    I stopped suddenly enough that Joisse¡¯s hand slipped out of mine.

    She stumbled, then turned toward me. ¡°Mom?¡±

    Long buried emotions burst forth like a failing dam. ¡°Abby said something similar. All those years ago.¡± I felt a hot tear roll down my cheek, so sudden I reached up to see if it was real. ¡°Told me never to forget her¡­ but she also told me to never let myself get hung up on her.¡±

    I felt four warm arms wrap around me, and I looked down at my daughter, in her demon form. ¡°I¡¯m glad you told me about her, Mom. It¡¯s sad I never got to meet her, but I think she¡¯d be proud.¡±

    Unable to hold the tears back, I let them flow, crying in the foyer for anyone to see. Here, in this moment, I was vulnerable. And that was okay. Joisse held me, and I held her back, thinking of all I now had in this second chance life of mine.

    Sooner than I¡¯d like, the tears slowed, and when I wiped my eyes, they didn¡¯t even feel puffy from crying. Demons can cry, but not the same way mortals do.

    Joisse spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s late and everyone else is exhausted, but Nelys and I were going to play cards. Do you want to join?¡±

    I smiled at that, wide, genuine, and showing all my teeth. Joisse didn¡¯t so much as flinch¡ªin fact she returned the expression.

    ¡°I¡¯d like that¡ªa lot,¡± I said, voice more confident than I felt. ¡°But just so you know, if I¡¯m playing, Nelys can¡¯t cheat.¡±

    Joisse¡¯s eyes widened. They were a bright, joyous shade of crimson in her demon form, irises set into void-like blackness. ¡°Can you see through them?¡±

    I chuckled despite myself. ¡°No. It¡¯s the price they paid for their contract. I suppose it¡¯s as good a time as any to collect.¡±

    Joisse giggled.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me they taught you their tricks?¡±

    Joisse simply shrugged and took my two left hands in two of hers, dragging me once again down the hallway. This time my steps kept pace.

 Chapter 183: Whichever Came First

    Seyari woke up mid-way through the long night, and I looked up from the farming ledger I was going over at a table across the room. Behind it sat a stack of notices; sitting prominently on top was the notice of Nadya¡¯s death.

    She¡¯d died fighting for her city, and I felt callous for sorrow being overtaken by concern over who would take her place¡ªand if they would cooperate with me. Her role had been unofficial, but important¡ªa liaison I desperately needed as I grew into my role as Marchioness.

    I heard Seyari¡¯s breathing slowing again, but not enough. Likewise, anger had bubbled up again to the fore of her emotions¡ªa constant these past few days for us both.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re awake, Sey,¡± I said, putting the quill back in the ink pot and waving hot air across the page. We¡¯ve got a few weeks of food left at least¡ªbut no more than the month.

    For a moment, she didn¡¯t answer, then she shifted her wings, rolled onto her back and sat up on top of all our pillows. ¡°I¡­ wanted to say I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I drew in a sharp breath, but didn¡¯t interrupt; instead, I watched the glow of her golden eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m just scared of being shackled again¡ªno, that¡¯s an excuse.¡± She sighed, then took a deep breath. ¡°I won¡¯t make excuses¡ªI said things with the intent to hurt you, Renna. For that I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°Did you mean them?¡±

    Seyari¡¯s pause stung. ¡°Not in the way I said them. I think without a firmer hand¡ªwithout support¡ªyou won¡¯t respect yourself enough to act decisively. At least not consistently. You¡¯ll try to save more than can be saved; you¡¯ll play impossible odds.¡±

    I stood up and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to my wife. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop showing mercy. I¡¯m not going to abuse this power just because I have it.¡±

    ¡°I know. And I guess this all damages the apology. I should just go back to sleep.¡± She looked away.

    Truthfully, I didn¡¯t know what to say. Waving this away would be the exact wrong thing to do, but I didn¡¯t really feel like her apology was something I could accept. What she¡¯d said, about leaving for extended periods to fly free despite the dire situation Astrye was in, had hurt and it had worried me. So, I took her hand in mine.

    ¡°We compromised, right?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make what I said any better.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Damnit, Renna. You should be mad! You should¡ªno, it¡¯s not your job to stop me from saying hurtful things.¡± Seyari lowered her head into her hands.

    ¡°I do get angry.¡±

    ¡°Not about things like this.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re¡­¡± They¡¯re not worth getting angry over. Aren¡¯t they, though? ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t.¡±

    Seyari nodded, hands still over her face.

    ¡°It¡¯s just not what I want. I don¡¯t want to be angry.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll just trust that I¡¯ll apologize? That I don¡¯t really mean bad things I say?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. Just¡­ I don¡¯t know. I love you, Seyari. And I know you love me. And we¡¯ll disagree sometimes and maybe we¡¯ll say hurtful things because we¡¯re hurt even if we shouldn¡¯t. I did leave for too long, and with the king¡¯s messenger killed, you¡¯d have no way to know the circumstances.

    ¡°Not that that excuses my absence from Astrye in a time of need, mind. I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is¡­¡±

    ¡°The king¡¯s messenger was killed?¡± Seyari whispered, raising her head. Golden eyes glowed up at me in the dark of the room. ¡°Did you find that on our patrol? Is that why you were doing all that work up here in the dark?¡±

    ¡°I was doing the work up here in the dark because I wanted to be close to you.¡± I forced a smile and swung my legs up onto the bed, dulling my claws so I didn¡¯t tear anything. ¡°And I did find them on my patrol. Looked like they were torn apart by something. They weren¡¯t hidden well, and nothing of value was taken¡ªbut I doubt three trained imperial guards with enchanted weapons would die to a particularly bold pack of wolves.¡±

    ¡°Shit. Renna, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°No, really. I shouldn¡¯t have said that, but I do want to go flying. I want to leave this stupid war and go travel the world together. But I had some time to think while I was on patrol, and maybe having a home where we¡¯re welcome would be nice. A place to come back to and rest between adventures, maybe even stay a season or a year.¡±

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    My smile grew more genuine. ¡°That is an apology I can accept¡ªimplicit or otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Renna.¡± Seyari leaned over and gave me a one-armed hug. ¡°Mind giving a report on what you found?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m at a good place to stop with the food supplies and farming ledgers.¡±

    Seyari grimaced. ¡°How bad?¡±

    ¡°Three weeks. Four tops¡ªwithout anything from hunting.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    I nodded, moving to get up.

    ¡°You can give the report from under the covers, you know.¡± Her tone was earnest, maybe a little longing, but it wasn¡¯t sexual.

    ¡°I know¡ªI just figured you¡¯d want the king¡¯s missive. Still has the seal and everything.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    A few quick steps brought me to the desk, and with only a few moments of searching I found the missive and brought it back, sliding under the thick covers and turning up the heat. Seyari stayed on her back, wrapping me up with one crimson-feathered wing.

    She also grabbed my tail like it was a warm blanket and took the missive like an eager child. Flicking the seal open with a sharp-nailed finger, she read through it. ¡°I¡¯ll be blessed. This looks like a missive and nothing more. Mentions the Winter Solstice Ball, your extended stay for etiquette training and¡­ nothing else.¡±

    I cocked my head at her. ¡°I¡¯ll be blessed?¡±

    Seyari poked one of my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m an Angel of Wrath and married to a demon. Feels like a better thing to say than ¡®damned.¡¯¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m still trying to win the Church over.¡±

    Seyar rolled her eyes. ¡°If that¡¯s where they draw the line then they¡¯re not worth winning over.¡±

    That got an involuntary giggle out of me. ¡°You got me there.¡± I reached over and took the missive. ¡°Is that really all it says?¡±

    Seyari pulled the covers a little higher. ¡°Yep.¡±

    The missive didn¡¯t take long at all to read¡ªand that was indeed all it said.

    ¡°Did you find anything else?¡±

    I rolled the missive up and set it on the end table. ¡°Yeah. A slaughtered band of mercs¡ªno company affiliation that I could find.¡±

    Seyari¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. There¡¯s no way they could have been waiting for the king¡¯s messenger.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I considered that. Wild animals seemed to have gotten to the king¡¯s messenger and his guards, but not them¡ªthey were probably only a day or two old. Plus, if they were after the messenger, they¡¯d have taken the missive at the very least¡ªand probably the enchanted weapons.¡±

    ¡°Weapons would have the royal crest on them, so I doubt it, but the missive yes. What else did you find?¡±

    I thought for a minute before one more detail came to mind. ¡°They had all their money on one person in one sack¡ªand not much of it. I figured that meant they were going to return somewhere else and soon.¡±

    ¡°What about supplies¡ªfood and the like?¡±

    I frowned. ¡°They had some things, but I didn¡¯t really check for that.¡±

    ¡°Were they in a camp?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Maybe it hadn¡¯t been set up yet.¡±

    ¡°Would it have been visible from the road?¡±

    ¡°Not really?¡±

    Seyari pursed her lips and hummed for a few moments. ¡°I think they were sent by someone to intercept people on the pass, and they got intercepted by something else. Did they have similar injuries?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Were the messenger and guards nearby?¡±

    ¡°Close, but not that close.¡±

    ¡°The ambushers got ambushed then. Damnit.¡±

    ¡°Huh? But didn¡¯t we¡­ oh. We don¡¯t know who sent them.¡±

    Seyari nodded. ¡°Exactly. And since there¡¯s a couple weeks of delay between your arrival and announcement of your title and of attending the Winter Solstice Ball, there would be a few candidates.¡±

    I tried to think. Who would know? Who would have a motive?

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to get to the bottom of this. Before you leave, talk to Paladin Warren and Duchess Kapel. Try to find out if they know anything, or if the duchess is behind this.¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t be!¡±

    Seyari smiled at me like she was smiling at a child, and she rubbed my head between my horns. ¡°She absolutely could be. Would you admit as such?¡±

    I remembered, acutely, the duchess sobbing alone in her room. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her. I¡¯m certain.¡± A little puff of flame licked out and nearly singed Seyari¡¯s fingers.

    Her eyes widened. ¡°Alright, alright¡ªI won¡¯t pry. But a certain level of paranoia will keep you alive. Or at least keep other people alive as you won¡¯t be given reason enough to kill them.¡±

    At that, I winced. ¡°I¡¯m trying to play within society¡¯s rules. Not just because I want to be part of it¡ªif I want help, I can¡¯t be a force of nature that can¡¯t be held accountable.¡±

    Seyari rubbed my hair again. ¡°Adorable.¡±

    I blushed. ¡°Sey!¡±

    She snickered. ¡°Fine, I get it. You¡¯re not wrong¡ªand at least you have a reason beyond a vague sense of justice. Just ask the pair and I¡¯ll send feelers out around Astrye¡ªsee if anyone¡¯s made a move against them in the recent pass or has interest in the region.¡±

    Rather than nod, I pouted. Then, I frowned as a realization dawned on me. ¡°Paladin Warren¡¯s going to have to come with me and the duchess.¡±

    ¡°You have four arms¡ªand you carried them both here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re going to different places.¡±

    ¡°So? You can figure it out. Find a dense copse to land in or something.¡±

    ¡°I guess. And I also guess that means I really need to find him as well as the duchess.¡±

    Seyari grabbed one of my arms with both of hers. ¡°You do. But it¡¯s nowhere near dawn yet, so you¡¯re staying right here until the sun¡¯s almost up.¡±

    I glanced at the ledger that was still open. ¡°I have work to do.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want ink in the bed.¡±

    ¡°You can figure it out.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair. You¡¯d get on my case if I didn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    I growled. Sey hugged tighter.

    ¡°Alright.¡± With a quick motion, I swept her up into two arms and pushed us both up and out of the bed with the others. She buffeted me with her wings, but I kept my balance with my tail. Still holding her with two arms, I grabbed up the ledger and the ink pot and walked back to the bed, setting my work on the end table and my wife in the warm spot.

    Seyari glowered at me, but I climbed back in and warmed up quickly enough that the glower melted into merely a disapproving pout.

    I turned away to face the ledger. ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet. Get some more rest¡ªnon-demons need that.¡±

    Seyari grumbled and mumbled a few choice words, but she turned on her side, tucked her wings under the covers as best she could and pulled up against my back. I wrapped my tail around her legs and she drifted off in less than a minute.

    I kept working until the sun came up, though for the last half hour my thoughts were consumed by one single question:

    Who sent those mercenaries¡ªand why?

 Interlude: Monster

    Mordwell had been furious. Their attack on Astrye had failed; the ritual would be slowed. Deliverance couldn¡¯t remember a time when her master had shown more emotion¡ªor another time when he¡¯d managed to irritate their unflappable, mysterious ally. That uncanny person had shown up more and more of late¡ªand the demon was certain none of her human memories involved them. More than that, she couldn¡¯t ever seem to recall their face.

    Just a hint of downturned lips in the face of her master¡¯s tirade.

    Their intelligence had been good, at least as far as Deliverance knew. She¡¯d caught enough from distant conversations she couldn¡¯t help but hear to know that her master blamed their ally in some way, but she didn¡¯t know why. What she did know was this: Yothariel was alive, despite her master¡¯s insistence she¡¯d died. More than that, the three-quarters-angel had been turned into something else¡ªsomething more.

    No, Deliverance reminded herself, less.

    Corruption always took more than it gave: humanity, conscience, empathy. Just like Deliverance. The demon stared out from the mouth of the cave across the windswept snow that seemed to stretch on forever. The stars above looked as if they stretched down into the snow, merging with the earth. In the distance, on a clear night like this, she could see stunted trees to the north, their vibrant green washed away by the dark of night.

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    A chill breeze blew, but her magic warded against it. She didn¡¯t truly feel the cold, not really. She didn¡¯t feel hunger or thirst and even at night her mind wandered, unaware of the concept of sleep. All that had been taken.

    But¡­

    That same mind that wouldn¡¯t rest kept feeling something. Deliverance couldn¡¯t risk a fire on her nightly watch, but she slid down against the wall and arranged rocks in a circle like a firepit anyway, imagining a far-off time. She conjured a fire in her mind, and thought first of the armored man she¡¯d loved, then the hunter who¡¯d taught her how to string a bow and the stern woman she¡¯d never seen smile.

    Between them, another figure sat down, curling her tail around a log so well used that its wood had been polished to a mirror shine. Deliverance saw her own face and she saw the woman¡¯s. Orange and crimson; conflicted and assured. The woman leaned forward, and Deliverance absentmindedly stroked the rim of her collar with a clawed finger.

    Smiling, Zarenna reached out and touched a claw to that same collar before fading into the dark of night, revealing nothing but cold stones and ice. Deliverance¡¯s hand fell away, amid memories of fire and agony.

    Something less, or something more. Or perhaps neither was correct. No more than then and now. Different¡ªcould people change? Could monsters change?

    Deliverance¡¯s binding collar warmed under her touch and she pulled her hand away.

 Chapter 184: Flying by Zarenna

    I went looking for Paladin Warren first, reasoning both that he¡¯d be up earlier, and that I¡¯d have more difficulty finding him. On the first count, I was right.

    On the second count¡­

    Shyll told me where to find him, unprompted, before I¡¯d even had a chance to ask anyone else. Apparently the lust demon disguised as a lupael had been acting as a personal maid for the Paladin¡ªand observing him. In the process of said observations, I came to know a fair bit more than I needed to about his restless night and repeated prayers.

    Shyll¡¯s absolutely telling Lilly about what Seyari and I get up to. I made a mental note to tell Seyari to step up the wards around our room, but I had a feeling she¡¯d done that the moment she found out about Lilly¡¯s agent anyway.

    I knocked on the door to the small, cold room Paladin Gareth Warren was staying in, and I got an immediate flurry of motion from the other side.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to rush, but we are leaving soon,¡± I said carefully, hand still hovering over the door. Obviously, I wasn¡¯t going to give away what I¡¯d heard. I also wasn¡¯t keen to shout requests or plans through the door.

    Said door opened a few seconds later, and the paladin¡ªin his underpadding, unshaven, and with tired-looking eyes¡ªopened the door. ¡°Marchioness Miller, I¡¯ll be ready in just a few minutes, but you can come in if you want.¡±

    I nodded and stepped through the door, closing it behind my tail. The place was spartan as I¡¯d expected¡ªprobably a storage room at some point. It had a cot and little else.

    ¡°I wanted to thank you for your help¡ªand for giving me a chance,¡± I said, opting to stand rather than sit on the cot. ¡°Would you like help getting into your armor?¡±

    Paladin Warren looked to the armor stacked neatly in the corner and back to me. ¡°Do you know how?¡±

    ¡°My sister showed me a few times, and I have more than enough hands to hold things.¡±

    His brow rose and he studied me for a long moment. I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so I just stared right back, tilting my head a little to the side. For a moment, I thought he was going to ask me about my sister, but instead he walked over to his armor and picked up the first piece, gesturing for me to join.

    We went through the process, talking about treating the injured and the aftermath of the attack, and it wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d clipped his helm to his hip that I asked the most important question.

    ¡°I assume I¡¯m taking you to Norgath to report back in, but what are you going to say in your report?¡±

    He looked up at me, a bit of a spark in his tired eyes. ¡°You are¡ªthere¡¯s a secluded area you can land in so you¡¯re not spotted. As for the report? I¡¯m telling the truth. It¡¯s obvious Duke Reynard was trying to out you as a demon, and the timing of the attack and of the duchess¡¯s poisoning is suspicious. I¡¯m willing to bet he¡¯s involved with both of the latter two in some capacity. Plus, there¡¯s the situation with acolyte Kord. I¡¯m not sure if he helped us or hindered us by what he knew versus what he hid¡ªalthough the fact he vouched for you factors into me trusting you.

    ¡°For all I know, you could have arranged that¡ªexcept you don¡¯t seem to be the type. Even to your own detriment, in fact. And that¡¯s something I¡¯ve never seen or heard tale of a demon doing.

    ¡°In short, Marchioness Miller, I¡¯m confused, tired, and I¡¯ve spent the last day facing down a crisis of faith.¡±

    I nodded. All I could really do was nod. ¡°I understand that¡ªat least somewhat. I think I¡¯ve said as much, but I¡¯ve nothing against Dhias, and I¡¯m open to working with the Church should certain reforms be made.¡±

    He took a step toward the door. ¡°So you¡¯re fine with me telling them everything in the report?¡±

    ¡°I assume it¡¯s to the Church and not the nobility?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°Then yes. They know what I am already.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Paladin Warren hissed out a long breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some stretches in the courtyard and run through some practice forms. Something to get me limber and clear my head. I¡¯m not looking forward to being in this armor while being carried all day.¡± He opened the door and stepped out.

    I followed, turning the other direction in the hall outside. ¡°I¡¯ll find you there when it¡¯s time to leave.¡±

    Paladin Warren waved tiredly over his shoulder at me, and I jogged off to talk to the duchess. When I got there, I could hear slow breathing from inside, so I sat down outside the door and waited until she roused.

    Thankfully, I wasn¡¯t waiting long, and when I knocked, the answer was immediate.

    ¡°It¡¯s early for breakfast.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Duchess Kapel.¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°I can get you breakfast, though.¡±

    More silence.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, then.¡±

    Suit yourself. Knowing what she was going through, I wasn¡¯t about to push the woman¡ªespecially ahead of asking her for aid in winter when her duchy was still feeling acutely the pain of the civil war.

    I found Nelys and Taava in the castle¡¯s kitchen, along with Brynna and Razz. The latter two surprised me, but the conversation I overheard as I reached the door explained why.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to eat souls or anything?¡± Razz asked.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Nelys responded.

    ¡°Not unless she wants a snack!¡± Taava butted in.

    I heard Brynna whine and I opened the door. Immediately, all eyes went to me as I ducked inside, barely scraping my horns on the doorframe. Nelys and Taava were on one side of a large table, the former holding a knife over some cut smoked sausages while the latter looked like she¡¯d probably been sneaking pieces, if how closely she hovered was any indication.

    Brynna and her older sister were dressed for the cold, and the contracted lupael had a small scarf wrapped between her horns. From Razz I sensed anger, although Nelys had a small flash of it as well from Taava¡¯s joke.

    ¡°Oh, heya Boss!¡± Taava said hastily.

    I glowered. ¡°Eating souls for snacks, huh?¡±

    Taava laughed nervously. ¡°What? It was just a joke!¡±

    Nelys shook their head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t funny, Taava.¡±

    The kazzel tsked and turned to walk out. ¡°Well I told ya what I know anyway¡ªI¡¯ve got people ta go watch.¡±

    I glared, but let her go, then turned to Brynna and her sister. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to find you two anyway.¡± I walked the rest of the way inside and took a plate from an open cupboard. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling, Brynna? Nelys?¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Nelys said. ¡°It¡¯s just been a lot lately.¡±

    I sensed there was a little more to what they were saying, but their smile was genuine, so I didn¡¯t pry.

    ¡°¡­Fine, I guess,¡± she responded after a delay.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make you talk if you don¡¯t want to.¡± After an approving nod from Nelys, I started carefully stacking pieces of meat and cheese on a plate, eyeing opened jars of pickled vegetables.

    Brynna took another long time to respond, and I caught her sister glaring at me. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ the connection¡¯s weird, being in the same room and all that.¡±

    Razz decided to be a little more blunt. ¡°Zarenna, what did you do to my sister?¡±

    ¡°Razz!¡± Brynna objected. ¡°She saved me!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I made sure my hands were clean with some heat before deftly spearing a few pickled beet slices with a single claw and plating them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Razz.¡± I ended the statement by inclining my head forward.

    ¡°Renna!¡± Brynna protested, ears going flat against her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry! I¡¯ll get used to it¡ªand I¡¯d rather this than be dead.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t imply that I wouldn¡¯t!¡± Razz snapped, then deflated. ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m mad that I wasn¡¯t there¡ªthat this had to happen.¡± She leaned over the table and snatched a piece of sausage. ¡°I feel like I want to thank you and punch you at the same time.¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel better, I agree with you.¡± I finished plating and lifted the duchess¡¯s soon-to-be-breakfast carefully with my lower hands. ¡°Although I¡¯d do the same thing to save her again.¡±

    ¡°She is her, right? No turning into a demon later or crazy mood swings?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Nelys answered for me. ¡°I don¡¯t get any of that. Joisse had a similar situation, and it helped her with some issues, too.¡±

    I saw Brynna relax and I winced. I wished I could¡¯ve been there for her more after the battle. ¡°My offer to end the contract isn¡¯t going anywhere, even if it won¡¯t change you back.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m stronger now, and I¡¯ll take being able to protect Sis and Keran even if I have to live with horns making my head cold.¡±

    Razz blinked, then quickly turned to face her sister. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re covering them up?¡±

    ¡°Mostly.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t bring this up earlier?¡± I asked.

    Brynna shook her head. ¡°She dragged me here at first light, but you were busy.¡±

    Now it was Razz¡¯s turn to whine, but I felt her anger evaporating. ¡°If that¡¯s it, I¡¯m knitting you something to keep them warm!¡±

    At that, Brynna smiled wide, showing slightly-too-long canines. ¡°Thanks, Sis.¡±

    Razz wrapped her up in a hug. ¡°That¡¯s what big sisters do! I think there¡¯s even some yarn leftover from the tail-sock I made for Keran until his fur grows back in.

    At the image of the tough-acting guy wearing a knitted covering on his tail, I giggled, unable to stifle it. ¡°I¡¯m glad I got to see you all before I headed out¡ªand I¡¯ll be back by tomorrow around noon, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Taking the duchess home?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°The duchess?¡± Razz asked.

    Oh, right. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you when I get back.¡±

    ¡°Is she who the breakfast¡¯s for?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you guess?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a small plate and I didn¡¯t think you liked pickled beets.¡±

    I looked down at the plate I¡¯d assembled. ¡°I don¡¯t hate them. But you¡¯re right, it is. I¡¯m hoping I can make her feel a little better, but I¡¯m probably already saying too much. Stay safe, and I¡¯ll see you all soon.¡± I ducked out of the door quickly, not wanting to stick around and need to explain more.

    When I got back to the duchess¡¯s room, she was ready to receive me. Duchess Arina Kapel was wearing the same russet dress she¡¯d worn on the night of the Winter Solstice Ball, although it¡¯d been cleaned. Makeup couldn¡¯t hide the redness around her eyes, and I sensed a dull, throbbing sort of anger.

    I offered her the plate, and she told me to set it down inside. I tried to make small talk while she picked at it, but she said hardly more than a few words. By the time we had to go, I hadn¡¯t been able to bring up aid again, and I also ended up eating most of the plate of food¡ªeven the beets.

    We found Paladin Warren in the courtyard easily enough, and he joined us with a nod. The next few moments were incredibly awkward as I picked both of them up and got them situated.

    ¡°Are you both ready?¡± I adjusted my arms a little to try to make sure the paladin and duchess were held properly. Around me, the chill morning wind buffeted the shield of hot air I¡¯d made around us.

    Duchess Kapel glared at me through the small gap in her face covering¡ªher horns were hidden under a mismatched hat. ¡°Do not drag this out¡­ Please.¡±

    Under her, Paladin Warren shifted. ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡±

    I beamed, and brought out my wings. ¡°Great!¡± With a thought, the magic powering them pulsed, and we shot up into the sky, up and out of the snow-covered courtyard.

    Even conscious as I was to limit my speed for the humans¡¯ sake, the castle still seemed to disappear all-too quickly. Per our plan, I was to deposit Paladin Warren in Norgath, and take Duchess Kapel all the way to Gedon.

    Due to a need for all four of my arms, I¡¯d be dropping the paladin off in a forest outside the city. The duchess, at least, I could fly directly to her destination. Namely her estate just outside the city.

    All this and a trip to Linthel to both get a message to the king and pick up Seyari¡¯s book that I¡¯d left in my Gelles Company storage box had to be done in one day. Or close to, anyway. Whatever information leaks we had, we hadn¡¯t found the source yet.

    More than that, Nadya needed a replacement and I needed to do my job. A grunt from the duchess let me know I¡¯d tightened my grip a little too much while thinking, so I loosened my arms.

    I dared to glance down and the look the duchess was giving me sent a chill down my spine. Grimacing, I mouthed I¡¯m sorry and looked back to where I was flying with burning cheeks. The hardest part would be staying on course toward Norgath.

    When I¡¯d left by air, I¡¯d had both the stars and roads to guide me. Plus, although I¡¯d not learned much from my long-ago time on the Lady of Liseu, I¡¯d learned to at least be able to use the moon and a few stars to tell ¡°south-ish.¡±

    Now though, the sun was shining and the roads away from major towns were both covered by snow and very far away. I¡¯d rather fly high than cause a panic, and it meant I was really hoping the paladin¡¯s half-remembered land directions to a place he wasn¡¯t a native of would work from hundreds of meters up in the sky.

    Unfortunately, we got at least somewhat lost, and the sun was past its zenith in the sky by the time I touched down in a small clearing within a larger forest outside Norgath. I set both of my charges down and stretched. The duchess stumbled, but Paladin Warren caught her.

    ¡°You two,¡± she started, straightening out her dress. ¡°Never speak of this.¡±

    Paladin Warren checked himself over, wincing as he moved his arms inside his armor. ¡°Of course, Duchess.¡± He bowed, and turned to walk away, stopping after just one step. ¡°Thank you, Zarenna Miller. I¡¯ll be giving an honest report as per your wishes, and I will refrain from mentioning that you are a demon to anyone outside the Church.¡±

    I stared at his back, a big smile growing. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Gareth Warren. And thank you for giving me a chance.¡±

    The paladin looked over his shoulder and I saw a hint of a smile as he nodded. Then he checked the sun in the sky, walked off into the dense forest, and was gone.

    ¡°Well?¡± Duchess Kapel asked. Her voice lacked a little of its usual punch, or so I thought.

    ¡°Sorry¡ªI just¡­ he¡­¡± I sighed, took a breath, wiped my damp eyes, and tried again. This time I looked at the duchess instead of the trees. ¡°Not a lot of people give me a chance, fewer still in the church, and even fewer who have the preconceptions Paladin Warren had.¡± I smiled wider, uncaring at how the duchess flinched, and took another deep breath of the crisp, slightly-warmed winter air. ¡°Maybe I really can work with the Church of Dhias and stay a part of society.¡±

    Duchess Kapel started to say something, but she shook her head and slumped her shoulders, before changing tone. ¡°We should get going to Gedon. I¡¯ve much to puzzle through, and I do not want to bear the indignity of being carried like a maiden for any longer.¡±

    I shifted back to my human form, fixed my clothes, and offered her a hand. She took it, and I pulled her into my usual carry before jumping up and out of the clearing. For a moment, I hung over the forest, watching Norgath in the distance and thinking about that night.

    ¡°Your smile is disconcerting.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll scare people by smiling more than you¡¯ll put them at ease.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The duchess¡¯s brow furrowed, and I laughed as we gained speed and altitude, heading for Gedon.

    Like with the trip to Norgath, we spent some of the time lost, this time looking for either a river or a road. Soon enough, however, we found the right road and flew above it, lower this time but not by much. From up here, the tiny ribbon, in places covered over by snow, looked so insignificant as it wound over hills and through valleys.

    So recently I¡¯d been a traveler on that road, and it had seemed a huge obstacle, another leg in a yearlong journey. Any nostalgia I felt for Myrna and Phol was sweetened by the reminder of how far I¡¯d come. As I was now, Korzon Island could well be a place for a quick vacation¡ªfor a durian if for no other reason. Though I would have to find the place first¡­

    When Gedon finally came into sight, it was under the reddish hue of a soon-to-set sun. Getting lost and staying slow enough to keep a human safe was slow. But after all I¡¯d thought about on the flight today, I wasn¡¯t about to disparage the fact that I could fly across a nation in a day.

    The duchess shifted, and I loosened my hold a little¡ªcarefully¡ªslowing down just to be safe.

    Duchess Kapel pointed at a wooded patch up a small hill from the city¡ªon the Edathan side. ¡°There. Set us down in the front garden. I¡¯ll take things from there.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°About your aid request¡­¡±

    I perked up.

    ¡°If you have the time to stay for an hour or two, I¡¯d like to see what the Duchy of Gedon may be able to provide the March of Astrye.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± I wanted to jump for joy, or do a loop in the air.

    But, I didn¡¯t, and instead I brought us down toward the estate at a calm, measured pace.

 Chapter 185: Full Circle

    Landing in the garden was immediately followed by a mixed cadre of estate and city guards demanding answers. For the first time in a while, I was glad to be in my human form. That didn¡¯t stop the looks; I¡¯d just landed in the middle of the estate using wings of crimson fire after all.

    Duchess Kapel, more in-control than I¡¯d seen her since the ball despite the looks her now-blue complexion was getting her, verbally dressed the assembled down. We were sitting and having hot tea inside not ten minutes later.

    Most importantly, she¡¯d not been expecting the city guards amongst her own. Which, of course, meant that something else was going on and we¡¯d landed right in the middle of it.

    I sipped from the antique cup as I¡¯d learned to do and looked around the room. Duchess Arina Kapel¡¯s estate had been sprawling from the sky, and the inside didn¡¯t disappoint. Though a few tables and spots of wall were void of adornment, and my sharp eyes noticed spots of dust in harder-to-reach areas. The trim, stylized as a flowing river, was exquisite, however.

    ¡°Marchioness?¡± Duchess Kapel asked. She¡¯d uncovered her horns, and fixed her hair around them as best she could after the flight.

    ¡°Yes, Duchess?¡±

    ¡°Call me Arina, at least in here.¡± She set her cup down and leaned back into the chair, shoulders visibly relaxing. ¡°May I call you Zarenna?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± I let my formality slip. ¡°Why bring that up now?¡±

    Arina looked up over my shoulder, and I followed her gaze. It landed on a portrait hanging under a symbol of Dhias¡ªI recognized the duchess immediately. She was sitting beside a man, young like her and with sharp shoulders complementing a stern face and neatly-trimmed black beard. The painter had managed to capture a hint of a smile, and bright eyes that didn¡¯t look quite straight ahead, rather down at the duchess and the baby swaddled in her arms.

    ¡°I envy you, Zarenna. You wear the mask, but you¡¯re free to take it off.¡± She sighed, cutting the sound off abruptly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to dump my problems on you. I just want to be able to relax in my own home.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes off the painting; the duchess in it looked brighter somehow. ¡°Arina.¡±

    She smiled thinly and took up her cup again.

    ¡°What I don¡¯t quite understand¡ªand make no mistake I¡¯m happy for it¡ªis that this is a lot more warmth than I¡¯d expected.¡±

    Arina shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m alive, and I¡¯m home. And I see no one else other than you and Paladin Warren to thank for that. Regardless of what you are, who you are is unquestionable. Dhias teaches us acceptance, and to not pass judgment lightly.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± There was nothing else to say but those two words.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, about that request for aid. The main road south passes through the Duchy of Norgath. Though it is rural, I expect we may wish to plan an alternate route through Ordia.¡±

    ¡°Why would Norgath be an issue?¡±

    Arina looked at me askance, then laughed darkly. ¡°Who else do you think arranged for my poisoning?¡±

    ¡°What? Sey and I had considered the possibility, but¡­ how are you certain?¡± I looked around the room again, noting the faint markings of the magical construct that kept prying ears away. ¡°It was a demonic poison, and I doubt he was working with the demons who destroyed his estate.¡±

    Arina took a sip and gestured to my own half-full, cooling cup. ¡°I don¡¯t understand that either, but he¡¯s every reason to wish me dead. He knows I favor Ordian cooperation, and would resist further efforts to isolate us from the Empire. There was a reason I introduced myself to you, and as another outsider.

    ¡°I figured he had it out for you as well. Please tell me you understand he was antagonizing you by putting you on the spot like that.¡±

    I picked up the cup and took a gulp. ¡°Of course I do! But I just assumed it wasn¡¯t anything personal, that he¡¯d just read a Gelles Company manifest to learn I was a demon and was simply bothered and distrusting because of what I am.

    ¡°Also, why didn¡¯t you mention this in Astrye?¡±

    ¡°You have a problem with someone leaking information, a dilapidated castle you don¡¯t know the layout of, and I wasn¡¯t certain you¡¯d not simply cease the act and turn me into a prisoner.¡±

    I opened my mouth, then decided wisely I should fill it with the remainder of the tea rather than my foot, only replying once I¡¯d swallowed. ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    ¡°It does.¡±

    ¡°So why would Duke Reynard wish to harm me other than because of what I am?¡±

    The duchess was interrupted by a knock on the door before she could reply.

    The voice that came through was muffled, but audible, and I hoped the room¡¯s magic was meant to function as one-way. ¡°The guard captain insists her business cannot wait, and that she must speak to you rather than your advisor.¡±

    Arina turned to me before replying, her voice low despite the room¡¯s enchantment. ¡°Duke Reynard wishes to expand his power to force King Carvalon to act, and he may well see the March of Astrye and the southern wildlands an avenue to gain that power.¡± The servant knocked again, and Arina hissed out her breath, pressing her hand into something under the table which dimmed the enchantment. ¡°You may enter!¡±

    Force King Carvalon to act how? And wait, could that mean that Duke Reynard sent those mercenaries at the pass?

    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t ask, as the door slammed open and Guard Captain Kerra marched inside. The short woman was wearing her armor and looked like she hadn¡¯t slept, her blonde hair resembling a particularly angry broom. She took about half a dozen steps before she saw me and stopped cold. Then she glanced at the duchess and her mouth dropped open under already-wide eyes. Arina waved, and the servant shut the door behind the guard captain. As Guard Captain Kerra gaped, Arina reactivated the enchantment. She didn¡¯t offer Kerra a seat.

    ¡°What.¡± It wasn¡¯t really phrased like a question.

    ¡°There¡¯s been more murders¡ªand we suspect a demon.¡± Kerra looked at me. ¡°And if you¡¯ll forgive me, Duchess, what happened to you?¡±

    Arina didn¡¯t miss Kerra¡¯s glance at me and narrowed her eyes. ¡°I was poisoned at the Winter Solstice Ball, and the poison was corrupted. The Church, under guidance of Paladin Warren, aided me as they could, but it was ultimately Marchioness Miller¡¯s half-angel wife who was able to treat me.¡±

    She¡¯s covering for me! More than she needs to, as Kerra knows what I am, but¡­

    ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Kerra glanced at me again, eyes narrow and suddenly more awake.

    I¡¯m not going to let this misunderstanding happen! ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Captain Kerra.¡± I leaned back into the sofa. ¡°The duchess knows I¡¯m a demon. Also, I¡¯m nobility now and Seyari and I tied the knot¡ªit¡¯s not really that long of a story if you want to hear it.¡±

    That broke the tension in the room, as both Arina and Kerra seemed to realize neither was being deceived.

    Kerra stood up straighter, though she still looked like she¡¯d bitten into a lemon. ¡°I¡¯d ask, but we¡¯ve no time. The killer¡ªor killers¡ªtake people nightly, and we¡¯ve only found some of the bodies.¡±

    Arina¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°How long has this been going on?¡±

    ¡°The first incident was two days before you left, but we didn¡¯t assume there to be a pattern at first.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s the work of a demon?¡±

    ¡°Few things can rip a person in half or claw through bone¡ªand the things that can don¡¯t come into the city.¡±

    Both of them stared at me, and I swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m on a tight schedule today. I need to be back before Astrye is attacked again.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Attacked?¡± Kerra asked. ¡°Again?¡±

    ¡°Demons.¡±

    She swore. ¡°There¡¯s been too much news of this for something not to be brewing.¡±

    In for a penny. ¡°Envy and Avarice are on the warpath, but I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re planning.¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡± Arina hissed, anger bubbling forth.

    I threw my hands up in surrender. ¡°Not about the attack in Norgath! I thought they¡¯d just be after me, but I guess not.¡±

    The duchess leaned forward. ¡°Why would they be after you?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s Wrath,¡± Kerra said, almost a whisper. From her, I sensed anger as well, but it was more controlled. ¡°Damn it! This is your mess!¡±

    I put my hands up, deciding not to mess with either¡¯s emotions. ¡°Woah, hey! I didn¡¯t start this¡ªI¡¯ve no idea why Envy is siding with the cult that formed out of the old Inquisition, or why they¡¯re going after me. Besides a lust for power, I guess. But that¡¯s not my fault!¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve stayed somewhere away from people!¡±

    ¡°You ever lived alone on a deserted island? Because I have¡ªfor two years¡ªand it¡¯s terrible. Plus, I think my connections to people and the power I have now are both why I¡¯m being targeted and what we can use to beat them. The cult and Envy wouldn¡¯t just do nothing if I weren¡¯t around. They probably see me as a threat and are acting early.¡±

    Kerra¡¯s jaw tensed as she thought, her anger simmering away quietly. ¡°Will you help us here then?¡±

    ¡°If you know where the demon or the culprit is, I will. But I need to get home before my family and the people I am responsible for are put in more danger.¡±

    Kerra and I were interrupted by the clack of a teacup set down with force.

    ¡°A moment.¡± Arina looked between the two of us, glaring. ¡°I will hear how you met, but first: What do you mean by ¡®Wrath¡¯, why is it important, and how does Captain Kerra know?¡±

    I looked to Kerra, but she threw the expression right back at me, so I faced the duchess. ¡°I resolved the issue of a demon murdering veterans in the city, that¡¯s how we met¡ªand I told her then that I am Wrath.¡±

    Arina narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re being evasive¡ªand answering out of order. What do you mean by ¡®resolved?¡¯¡±

    I was about to ask how she could tell, but I remembered her comment about masks. I was never the best liar even when I wasn¡¯t caught off guard. ¡°I resolved it, but I don¡¯t think it wise to say all the details.¡±

    I got a raised eyebrow in response. ¡°Kerra,¡± she said, still looking at me. ¡°Report on what happened to ¡®resolve¡¯ this.¡±

    Shit.

    ¡°She subdued the demon, then took it with her.¡±

    The ¡°it¡± grated on me, and I felt the duchess¡¯s anger rising.

    ¡°Care to explain, Marchioness?¡±

    ¡°I saved her¡± ¡ªI put extra emphasis on the word¡ª ¡°because she¡¯d lost herself to her wrath, but wasn¡¯t completely gone.¡± At my words, the temperature in the room seemed to drop, the welcoming atmosphere contracting into ice-cold tension.

    ¡°What gave you the right?¡±

    Duchess Kapel hadn¡¯t asked it like a question, but I answered it anyway. ¡°I am the Sovereign of Wrath. She was one of mine, astray.¡±

    ¡°That demon was a murderer. That demon killed my people, on my soil.¡±

    ¡°Would you rather they died?¡±

    Arina stood up and leaned over me, unafraid in her anger. ¡°Yes. I would. I was apprised of those killings and their brutality; I was working both myself and those I could hire hard as I dared to stop them. I remember that report: you killed the mercenary who was hired, and who could have succeeded without your ¡®help.¡¯"

    ¡°I was working with them, intent to kill the demon myself, when I was shot in the back.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should have left the demon hunter to do their job then.¡±

    ¡°I was a mercenary at the time. Captain Kerra hired me.¡±

    Duchess Kapel¡¯s nostrils flared, and her pupils shrank. Her anger was white-hot, but controlled. ¡°Then you should have known better than to interfere. You did not have the right! Idealist or no, you killed a valuable asset and saved a psychopathic killer monster! I didn¡¯t see a demon like that with you, and you¡¯ve avoided the answer: who did they kill next? How did all that work out for you?¡± Her voice gained a venomous edge, but I could hear the hurt underneath, plain as day.

    I almost snapped. Almost leapt off of the sofa and did something I¡¯d forever regret because of how my daughter was being dragged through the mud. But I controlled my anger, not the other way around.

    Duchess Kapel was furious, but she had every right to be. My idealism had died in that abandoned church that day¡ªno, it had been tempered. My naivete had died. To get there, I¡¯d taken unnecessary risks and made mistakes that I could possibly have avoided.

    But I wouldn¡¯t change any of it and risk the daughter I now had. Even if, given another chance, Vivian might have lived and turned from foe to ally.

    The icy silence between us was a long one, but Duchess Arina Kapel met my gaze without fear and full of conviction, and she didn¡¯t waver.

    ¡°My decision to save them is the only reason you¡¯re alive¡ªand I don¡¯t mean that as a threat.¡±

    Duchess Kapel blinked, then hissed, ¡°What?¡±

    Trust for trust. My daughter had chosen to show her magic, and exactly how it differed from normal holy magic would get out if it hasn¡¯t already. We made no special case of it to the Duchess, and the fact that she saw fit to hide such a detail when she thought Kerra didn¡¯t know meant I had no reason to be cagey.

    Except for the Guard Captain.

    I glanced at Kerra, then back at the duchess. She got the hint immediately.

    ¡°I apologize you had to see such an argument, Captain Kerra.¡± Her eyes were hard, her face schooled into a placid neutrality. ¡°Please wait in the hall for us.¡±

    The guard captain in question¡¯s gaze flickered between us before she nodded stiffly. ¡°As you will, Duchess.¡±

    She retreated quickly, and I waited until the enchantments were back in place before I continued. ¡°The demon from that day is my daughter.¡±

    The duchess¡¯s forced placidity evaporated, and she leaned over the table at me, eyes wide and lips tight. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡±

    I tilted my chin up and crossed my arms. ¡°Sey and I adopted her¡ªand she changed in appearance after a contract with me. Her wrath is under control now, and due to events I don¡¯t want to discuss and I can barely understand, she has the only magic that could have healed you.¡±

    Duchess Kapel¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You cannot be serious. And¡­ how could a demon heal a demonic poison anyway? Dhias, how could I have failed to think of that impossibility already?¡±

    ¡°She got some of Sey¡¯s magic, and some of mine. Well, more like the ¡®demon¡¯ part of mine and Sey¡¯s holy magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡±

    ¡°It had to be another kind of demon magic, like burning a line through a forest so a fire won¡¯t spread.¡±

    ¡°My daughter has demonic holy magic, Duchess. Seyari failed to heal you¡ªand she¡¯s three-quarters angel. No one short of a full angel could have healed you¡ªif that¡ªexcept Joisse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± Duchess Kapel slammed her palm down onto the table, nearly leaping off her couch.

    ¡°It is and I don¡¯t know why and I don¡¯t fully understand how.¡±

    She slumped back onto the sofa, cradling her head in her hands. ¡°Is¡­ was the poison the only thing that changed my appearance?¡± Her voice sounded¡­ defeated.

    ¡°No¡ªbut it was part of it.¡±

    ¡°You knew that would happen.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°I made the choice because you¡¯d die otherwise.¡±

    Duchess Kapel looked down into her lap, at the blue hands folded there. ¡°What if my life had become worse than death?¡±

    The comment hit me hard¡ªI hadn¡¯t considered it. But¡­ I knew what it was like, in a way. ¡°I¡­ know what it¡¯s like to hate the body you¡¯re in.¡±

    ¡°Do you really? You seem plenty able to change yours.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t always a demon.¡±

    ¡°Did you have horns?¡±

    I took a deep breath, preparing myself. I imagined Abby¡¯s hand on my shoulder, propping me up. ¡°As a human, I was born in a man¡¯s body.¡±

    The duchess¡ªno, Arina¡ªfurrowed her brow. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I hated it.¡± I pointed to my face, jaw trembling. My eyes cast down, and the familiar view of my chest blocking the hand still in my lap reassured me. ¡°I hated every part of it except my eyes. It was just¡­ wrong.¡±

    I expected to receive a pointed barb, but instead Arina¡¯s face softened. ¡°How did you deal with it?¡± She reached up and touched one of her horns, eliciting a full-body shudder.

    My heart sank, and I wanted nothing more than to give her a hug.

    So I tried to¡ªbut not without asking, arms at the ready and as human as I could make them. ¡°May I?¡±

    Arina shook her head, but she couldn¡¯t stop a smile, and she wiped at the tears that had started to form. ¡°No, it¡¯s¡ªI¡¯ll be alright. Just another mask to¡ª"

    ¡°No.¡± I cut her off, though I did move across the table and sit back down. ¡°It¡¯s something we¡¯ll find an answer to. There¡¯s magic out there to aid in changing one¡¯s body. We¡¯ll find a way to get your body made right, or we¡¯ll make one if there¡¯s not.¡±

    My words, and the abruptness of my tone startled Arina, and her eyes moistened again, though she quickly blinked it away. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡±

    I nodded sharply.

    ¡°As for¡­ your daughter, Joisse.¡± Duchess Arina Kapel stood up and bowed, swaying a little. ¡°I am sorry for disparaging her. I believe you that she was not of sound mind for her killings, and I believe her choice to save lives is worth far more than any punishment could serve.¡±

    And just like that, any last lingering doubt in the room vanished, along with the duchess¡¯s anger, into warmth once more.

    ¡°Thank you, Arina. Your forgiveness won¡¯t be forgotten.¡± I picked up the pot, and poured myself another cup of tea. At her gesture, I filled hers as well.

    She took it, inhaling the steam before she started again, suddenly seeming far more tired. ¡°You called yourself the ¡®Sovereign of Wrath¡¯. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°I am the ¡®prime¡¯ Wrath demon¡ªit¡¯s a title passed down. In theory it means I¡¯m the strongest wrath demon, but I¡¯m not certain I am.¡±

    ¡°You seem well above the average greater demon. Just how strong do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°You mentioned a demonic war. I know which side I¡¯ll be throwing my lot in with now that I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll not be able to escape involvement, and I¡¯d like to know my chances.¡±

    ¡°Well, at my full strength, I could level Gedon in minutes.¡±

    She spat her tea back out into the cup. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make that comparison!¡±

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I winced and put my hands up. ¡°I¡­ it was just the first thing that came to mind¡ªAstrye¡¯s too small, and Linthel¡¯s too large.¡±

    Arina glanced into her cup, made a face, and drank it down. ¡°Well it¡¯s done now¡ªbut don¡¯t do it again. You said you might not be the strongest?¡±

    ¡°Envy is much stronger.¡±

    She gestured with one hand. ¡°Hence your need for allies.¡±

    ¡°Partly. I have my own ally stronger than myself as well, though the gap¡¯s probably closer.¡±

    Arina leaned forward. ¡°Who?¡±

    I matched her across the table, whispering despite the room¡¯s enchantment. ¡°Lust.¡± No point in spilling every single detail about her, though.

    Her brow furrowed and she frowned. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Lust is actually quite nice all things considered.¡± I should make those tea cakes again.

    ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Arina leaned back again and looked over at the portrait, a complex expression I couldn¡¯t read on her face. ¡°So we may not be doomed, but we¡¯re small fish in a big pond, and that pond might get destroyed in the fighting.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Which is also why I need to get back to Astrye tonight.¡±

    ¡°I would appreciate it if you could at least attempt to aid Captain Kerra.¡± She glanced over at me.

    ¡°I can attempt, but I can¡¯t stay.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate.¡± She set the cup down and folded her hands. ¡°But I understand and would do the same for Gedon. Now, about your aid request¡­¡±

 Chapter 186: From the Air

    ¡°Have you ever killed someone?¡±

    Arina¡¯s question caught me off guard. ¡°¡­You know I killed Vivian.¡±

    ¡°The mercenary? No, not like that.¡± Arina sighed, looking up from the freshly-signed aid agreement back to the portrait of her family on the wall. ¡°I suppose what I mean is: have you ever killed someone when you weren¡¯t fighting for your life, when you didn¡¯t strictly need to.¡±

    I thought back to all the people I¡¯d killed¡ªDhias, what a chilling thought it was that I had a hard time remembering. ¡°I suppose I have, in a way.¡±

    Arina looked down from the portrait to the agreement, then met my unsure gaze. ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I remembered High Priest Grants most freshly, but also Prince Malich. The latter¡­ well it could easily be argued the alternative was a fate worse than death. But the former¡­ ¡°I did it to help someone I loved, and perhaps because I didn¡¯t want them to stop me from attaining the life I wanted.¡±

    ¡°Why kill them?¡±

    I frowned and looked down. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t listen, wouldn¡¯t even give me a chance when all the evidence pointed in my favor.¡±

    ¡°Did they need to die?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Probably not, but I didn¡¯t want to risk it.¡±

    ¡°Risk what?¡±

    ¡°My sister losing everything she worked for. My wife being thrown in a cell for the next century.¡±

    ¡°Did you make the right decision?¡±

    I looked up from the floor that I¡¯d been staring at and followed the duchess¡¯s gaze once again to the family portrait. ¡°I don¡¯t know. No? Or was there even a right decision?¡±

    She glanced at me and smiled sadly. ¡°I have no idea. All I know is that it hurts, and that¡¯s what war is like.¡±

    I grimaced. ¡°Your husband¡­¡±

    ¡°Killed in the war, commanding troops.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± I lowered my head. ¡°My condolences.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arina rose and collected the signed agreement, its ink barely dry. ¡°Come, let us see if there is aught you may help Kerra with this afternoon. As per our agreement, two wagons with my own guards, supplemented by the Gelles Company, will take the safest and fastest route south.

    ¡°All you¡¯ve left to do is aid us until sunset.¡±

    I rose as well and looked out the window. The day was long, but not yet fading¡ªtime enough to hunt a demon.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to avoid another war, Marchioness Miller.¡± The duchess said softly. ¡°While it¡¯s beyond our agreement, can I have your word you¡¯ll work to avoid further bloodshed between Ordia and Edath?¡±

    King Carvalon might be wishing for war. Duke Reynard as well. Peace is still enforced by treaty, but only for another few years.

    Still, I don¡¯t want war, do I? Do I really, after all my travels, want so much for a name on a map that I¡¯d allow bloodshed?

    The answer was clear, and I reached a hand out and bowed. ¡°You can, Duchess Arina Kapel. I will do what I can to avoid bloodshed between Edath and Ordia, just as I will work to end the war with Envy.¡±

    Arina took my hand and shook it firmly. ¡°Thank you, Zarenna.¡±

    I smiled broadly, despite my unfortunately human-shaped teeth. ¡°Thank you, Duchess. With this, Astrye will make it through winter.¡±

    She nodded, and together we left the room into the hall beyond. Guard Captain Kerra practically threw herself out of the waiting room when we approached, and two of her own were just leaving.

    ¡°There¡¯s another victim!¡± Kerra skipped the formalities, jogging of the servants and waving us forward. ¡°Renna¡ªer, Marchioness¡ªfollow me! There¡¯s a trail this time, and we might catch them if we¡¯re fast.¡±

    I glanced at the duchess.

    ¡°Go,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve much to do now that I¡¯m back, and I¡¯ll need time to explain my current condition as well as to make plans for finding the exact nature of the attempt on my life.¡±

    With a nod, I jogged after Kerra.

    ¡°It¡¯s riverside, and there¡¯s a trail through today¡¯s snow across the riv¡ªaiiii!¡±

    She shrieked as I swept her up into a carry. ¡°Which way¡¯s out?¡±

    Kerra beat a now-gauntleted hand against my arm, but pointed anyway. ¡°Put me down!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too slow.¡±

    ¡°Just because I am short, doesn¡¯t mean¡ª"

    ¡°You¡¯re human. Short or tall doesn¡¯t matter¡ªand I planned to fly us there.¡±

    ¡°Fly us.¡±

    ¡°How do you think I carried the duchess here?¡±

    ¡°Carried?!¡±

    I may have let a third arm slip out to get us through the front door ahead of the slow-moving servant¡ªbut I put it away right after. ¡°Riverfront, right?¡±

    ¡°By the old cemetery, just west of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± I kicked off the stones of the front plaza and pushed skyward, wings of flame bursting from behind with enough force to carry us over the estate.

    Kerra lurched, looked down, and went pale. ¡°Y-you¡­¡±

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    I warmed the air around us, eddying a little pocket so we could speak more easily. ¡°Would you rather we were slower?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d¡­¡± Her words devolved into grumbling, but I caught a few choice swears.

    ¡°I might need you to point me where to go.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what my city looks like from the air!¡±

    I pointed at the shining ribbon of water below and ahead of us. ¡°There¡¯s the river¡ªgo from there!¡±

    After more grumbling, we made it to the scene in short order. Discretion would have us land elsewhere and walk in. Rather than waste time, I dropped just outside the circle of guards keeping people away from the scene. The few onlookers scattered as we landed, and Kerra hopped quickly out of my arms with a pointed glare. I looked around the scene and all I saw was disturbed snow and a single, broken headstone.

    Kerra barked orders; I stood there trying my best to look helpful rather than menacing. I didn¡¯t think I succeeded, but at the very least no one tried to stab me. I was introduced as a powerful, passing mage who¡¯d volunteered to help¡ªnot wholly inaccurate.

    ¡°The tracks lead out onto the river,¡± one guard finally said. ¡°Whoever did this has a lead and didn¡¯t look to be struggling despite carrying someone.¡±

    ¡°Is this ice thick enough to pursue?¡± Kerra asked.

    ¡°Mostly, but we¡¯ve found thin spots¡ªmy brother¡¯s foot even went through.¡±

    ¡°I could track them from the air,¡± I offered. People flinched when I spoke, but I just smiled right back at them.

    ¡°Can you see well from the sky?¡± Kerra asked.

    I hadn¡¯t seen a forest across the river before we¡¯d landed, just a few trees scattered along its wide channel. ¡°I can.¡±

    Captain Kerra nodded. ¡°Go then. We¡¯ll be here if you need us.¡±

    I expected someone to question Kerra¡¯s order, but no one did. They trust her judgment.

    With a running jump toward a gap in the trees, I took off. Below me, a trail of booted footprints led off across the frozen river. Under a deceptively-smooth blanket of snow, it would be difficult to tell where the channels of water flowed across the river¡¯s width. The mudflats I remembered riding into town with Myrna across were frozen over, and I used the line of packed snow where the road was to help position myself.

    Across the river were scattered farms, in the direction of the footprints. It all seemed simple until the prints split into three sets, erasing any doubt that this was a mundane situation. I couldn¡¯t see any other disturbance in the snow. In fact¡­

    The prints moved in a straight line, in three straight lines after splitting. Over frozen channels and potential thin spots in the ice without a care and without a stumble. Shit.

    I flew faster, and higher, scanning over all three trails as they made their way to the far bank. Only one made it, the other two ending short and abruptly near the edge. I landed for the third, not bothering to hide my speed as I sprinted into the trees.

    Like the others, this one ended abruptly. But not before the ¡°person¡± had walked through a tree and up the bank without even changing the angle of their feet or the length of their stride. I was right, this is magic to throw them off.

    As quickly as I¡¯d come, I ran back, took to the skies, and sped for the graveyard where Captain Kerra and her guards were. In the city beyond, I saw a dark, thick trail of smoke rising. Not again.

    By the time I¡¯d landed, Kerra was already shouting orders, the smoke clearly visible.

    ¡°The trails were made by magic!¡± I shouted. ¡°All decoys!¡±

    Kerra pointed toward the thickening smoke. ¡°Go then!¡±

    I nodded and took off yet again, this time heading straight for the source of the smoke. My human guise didn¡¯t feel very believable when I stopped bothering to move like one, but I kept it up for now. Sowing more panic wouldn¡¯t help¡ªand shouted orders to humans tended to go better when they thought I was one of them.

    The smoke was coming from an unfamiliar building, although it was near a familiar church. The shattered glass and burnt wood had been cleaned up, but its hollow windows glared darkly across the small square from under hooded lids of snow and ice.

    Could it be Vivian? Could I have made a demon?

    The burning building was old and abandoned¡ªperhaps just a signal to draw attention. Aura sight showed me nothing in the open expanse, but I caught a glimmer of something through the ruined windows of the old church. I touched down in front of it and looked up at the symbol of Dhias above the door.

    Last time I was here, I¡¯d made perhaps the biggest mistake of my new life. Since then, in such a short time I¡¯d grown so much, though not all in pleasant ways.

    I walked inside, alert, ready, and my head held high. A little twinge of fear in my mind wasn¡¯t felt in my heart and I realized I wasn¡¯t scared. I wasn¡¯t uncertain, or hopelessly naive. Perhaps I was worse for it, but I didn¡¯t mind¡ªI needed a little ruthlessness. I needed lines drawn in the sand.

    My eyes didn¡¯t need to take time to adjust to the dark of the inside. Snow drifts lined the inside of the windows, and the floor was scorched and chipped. Where the pulpit had once stood was a crimson-skinned demon, and in her hands was a familiar, if battered crossbow. She had two pairs of upward-pointed horns, a tail lined with spikes, and brown-on-black eyes filled with malice. Fury washed off her in waves.

    ¡°Vivian,¡± I said calmly. ¡°Or do you go by a new name now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you remember.¡± She smiled, showing rows of teeth eerily similar to my own. ¡°You seem to care more about strangers than your friends, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is this all your doing?¡± I felt outward with the wind¡ªothers were approaching, and I doubted they were human.

    ¡°Oh, do you not like that I¡¯m finishing what your daughter started?¡±

    What? How does she know?

    I must¡¯ve made a face, because she laughed and hefted the loaded crossbow. ¡°Poor Wrath¡­ too scared to think straight. You¡¯re pathetic, you know that?¡±

    I expected her words to slice into me, but they just seemed to roll off. She was right, once. But I¡¯d moved on, while she¡¯d stayed stuck in the past. I took a confident step forward.

    Vivian¡¯s face tightened, and she raised the crossbow. The bolt at the tip glowed, but not with holy light¡ªwith crimson fire. ¡°Do you remember this? It wasn¡¯t hard to find it. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so fond of humans when they¡¯re so pathetic.¡± Her smiled widened, but the pity I felt wasn¡¯t for myself. ¡°Oh, right, I suppose it''s commiseration.¡±

    Now, I could see some auras through windows. Greater demons, by their look, although not particularly strong. Perhaps a dozen? Those I could see didn¡¯t feel like Wrath to me.

    ¡°Angel got your tongue?¡±

    In response, I let my human form slip away, calmly putting my other arms through unbuttoned sleeves made especially for them. All the while, I kept up a glare.

    Vivian¡¯s smile faltered, then grew wider into a manic grin. ¡°I see it now! You? YOU? I didn¡¯t believe it, but I guess whatever chooses Sovereigns is worthless.¡±

    Instead of responding, I glanced down at my black-clawed hand then took another step forward. Vivian¡¯s finger twitched, but she didn¡¯t let the bolt fly. She was still far enough away that I doubted I¡¯d get to her before she could react. However, all I had around me was an empty church and other hostile demons.

    Collateral damage? Well, this twice-desecrated place should really be rebuilt from the ground up anyway. So I wasn¡¯t scared. I thought about what I was, however: Sovereign, Marchioness, Wife, Mother, Sister. I favored mercy, but was willing to kill. And I needed to be home for all those roles tonight. I had the power to end this quickly; I was going to use it.

    ¡°I am your Sovereign.¡± My voice wasn¡¯t raised, and my words weren¡¯t imperious. All I was doing was stating a fact. ¡°Out of grace, I will offer you one chance to submit to me.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened, before she laughed harshly.

    ¡°Do you decline?¡± I continued, surprised at how even and steady my voice was. All the training for putting on a noble mask was really paying off. Or was it a mask at all?

    ¡°Decline?¡± She snorted. ¡°I think I¡¯m better suited as a Sovereign than you are.¡±

    Her words snapped into the air, and I knew from the fraction of a stutter in her movement that she felt them too. A challenge to my title, and a damnation of her one last chance.

    A pity.

    Vivian fired, aiming low where I¡¯d run into it if I charged. Expecting it, I jumped instead¡ªdemon or not, she had to reload, and I had wings now. The bolt slammed into the wall behind me, blowing out chunks of stone and scattering mortar into a fine dust.

    With her offhand, Vivian threw a gout of crimson fire at me as a dozen other demons burst into the room. Under an assault of attempts to wrest control of my mind, I faltered for just a moment. Strange illusions swam before my eyes and the flames hit me in the side.

    I cursed, but the confident grin on Vivian¡¯s face faltered when she realized her fire hadn¡¯t hurt me in the slightest. Looking down at the now-ruined coat, I brought my fury to the fore.

    Not. Another. Fucking. Outfit.

 Chapter 187: Shoot Second

    I started up a spell that would end this fight, but I couldn¡¯t focus with all the noise in my head. Demon Vivian fired another bolt as I dove for the floor.

    Spinning, my tail batted it away and I landed with a crash, claws cutting through my boots and into the stone floor. Immediately, magic of all types assailed me, scorching, freezing, cutting. With a roar, I threw myself at the nearest envy demon, but I barely grazed them.

    I whirled and tried to tear through the circle of demons, but they moved and flowed over pews and rubble, blinding me away from the windows with magic. Of varying looks, they were all gaunt, gangly, and very, very angry.

    A second volley hit me¡ªno fire this time. Again, I lunged. Again I scored a minor hit. They were fast¡ªgreater demons, all of them. And they weren¡¯t taunting; they were here to kill me, plain and simple. I barely dodged the next bolt, and I could feel the injuries piling up¡ªnothing major, but enough to hurt.

    All the while only my Name kept my head clear. I needed something more than claws and fangs to fight this. I¡¯m a Sovereign demon damnit! One of the six!

    Snarling, I lunged again, but this time, I pulled back with a whip of fire. The demon screamed and I poured more magic into the spell.

    Clothes. Weapons.

    They always failed me. But I¡¯d never truly sought a solution, because I hadn¡¯t wanted to. I couldn¡¯t afford to wax philosophical on all the many whys of that question, but I knew one thing for sure.

    I wasn¡¯t the same Zarenna as I was the last time I¡¯d fought here, for good and ill both. I was Zerix¡¯Arranthariel, Sovereign of Wrath, and I was damn well past the point of being ready to fight.

    Fire pulled out of me, solidifying impossibly even as wind gave it edges. I felt like a little of myself was pulled into the forming shape and its shining blades. Four hands gripped a handle that one could wield, and I swung the burning, glowing double-headed axe in a sweeping arc.

    Long arms and longer reach, it struck before my opponents could dance out of the way. My axe¡¯s head sliced through the first¡¯s spine, blood spraying just as the next was hit. The top half of the first demon hadn¡¯t started to fall by the time the third was hit, and the fourth was just far enough off the arc to stay in one piece.

    Power flowed into me in a steady stream. Accomplices. Challengers.

    Other words threatened my mind, but I batted them away. I was no more a monster than anyone with a family and friends to protect.

    But I did notice that the swing was unbalanced. And I lurched forward. Instead of a follow-up, I barely blocked an assault from a six-armed demon with sparking claws and stumbled when a bolt caught me in the leg.

    Blocking with one arm, sweeping with my tail, and swinging my axe with my top arms, I ripped the bolt out and threw it back toward its sender. I missed obviously. Through all the magic and bodies and blood I couldn¡¯t see for sure, but I totally missed.

    My new axe, however, made the fight a lot less fair. I was faster, I was getting faster with each kill, and they couldn¡¯t adapt before I¡¯d felled half their number. More than that, the weapon felt right. Visceral, heavy, capable of massive sweeps and directed stabs with its pointed tip, it felt right.

    That didn¡¯t change my novice form with it, although every swing felt cleaner. The metal of the blades glowed crimson, with a greenish sheen, and it trailed sparks like it¡¯d just been struck right out of the forge. Even the handle was metal and lit by a similar, albeit dimmer glow.

    Set into the pommel was a gem that matched the one on my sternum, and the green sheen of it was a confidence-boosting approval from a dear old friend. Confidence I definitely needed.

    I¡¯d thought there were a dozen demons. There were more.

    And they were definitely corralling me away from Vivian. The wound in my leg was deep, past the bone, and if I could feel how I favored one side, my opponents could see it, too. I kept swinging, and they moved further back, over ruined pews and even up onto walls.

    I started mixing simple shots of fire and wind into my attacks, breaking both bodies and stone. My wings came out at some point, around when another bolt struck my other leg. I dove for Vivian, but she moved like a living gout of fire just out of my reach.

    I¡¯d have made it anyway if it wasn¡¯t for the others. My head still pounded from the relentless assault, so I flew back and up on my wings before divebombing a small group. Some got out, some didn¡¯t, and the ones that didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t live long.

    Swing. Throw. Dodge. Grunt.

    Another bolt hit me in the side. And another in an arm, weakening it. But I took out demons faster than they came in and by the time I¡¯d lost count around twenty, the herd had thinned. And like the spineless, vexingly intelligent bastards they were, they tried to scatter.

    Unfortunately for them, they couldn¡¯t run and maintain a constant bombardment against my mind. I felt clarity like the morning after a bad headache, and I gathered power.

    Vivian shouted, but the next bolt was incinerated against the growing sphere of the hottest damn fire I could manage. I probably didn¡¯t need to melt the stone, but I did, and I released that power with a swing of my axe.

    Like shooting stars, tendrils of fire shot out, following my aura sight to their targets. Some were behind walls¡ªthe flames drilled through them. Others tried to move¡ªthe flames looped back. Like an avalanche gaining momentum, each of the demons allied with Vivian lit up into screeching infernos as a wave of heat washed through the church, setting some of the bodies lying about to smoldering.

    Vivian leaned into it, braced with an arm, and came out sneering. She took aim and fired at the end of my swing.

    I caught the bolt with my good free hand and snapped it.

    From the latest demons, I felt another surge of power. Nothing like a full soul from a greater demon, but something substantial.

    She glared at me, eyes radiating pure fury. ¡°You¡¯re finally showing what you really are.¡±

    I opened my mouth to deny it, but then I furrowed my brow. Landing softly a few paces away from her, I took a step forward¡ªshe surprised me by not flinching. ¡°I like to think so¡ªin a way. I¡¯m showing what I can be when I need to.¡±

    ¡°Monster. You were going to use me like you used those other humans.¡±

    I started walking toward her. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a monster for defending myself? I almost gave you a chance, you know. If Seyari or Taava or Nelys had come running out just a little earlier, shouting that they were all okay, I might¡¯ve spared you.¡±

    Vivian fired again, and with a blur of glowing blades, I cut the bolt down¡ªbarely. Any closer and even I couldn¡¯t react fast enough.

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± she spat.

    I stopped, facing her down only a few paces outside my axe¡¯s reach. Even with the height difference between stage and nave, I was at her eye level and we locked gazes. ¡°You tried to kill the woman I love, and my friends. Whether you succeeded or not doesn¡¯t really matter, does it?¡±

    Demon Vivian¡¯s brown-on-black eyes narrowed.

    I could ask her if she felt all the recent murders were justified, but they absolutely weren¡¯t. I could tell her I didn¡¯t enjoy doing this, but that¡¯d only be a partial truth. There wasn¡¯t anything else to say.

    And Vivian also knew this.

    She moved first, her body shifting into a rain of embers and a gout of crimson flame. Acting half on instinct, I pulled at the retreating flames. They faltered, flared, then were sent tumbling back towards me. How could this work?

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    I couldn¡¯t dwell on it; the moment she coalesced out of the flames, Vivian fired. The shot punched through my shoulder, and the crossbow clattered to the ground as she moved to draw the blades at her hips.

    I grabbed one of her arms, and brought the axe around with two more, using my tail as a counterweight. We spun, and I finally saw fear in her eyes. Fear, and perhaps regret. Magic blade parted flesh, then bone.

    Vivian choked a gurgling cry, then fell apart, cleaved in two at the waist. Her regeneration tried for a moment, flames burned around her, and her arm went slack in mine.

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth¡ª¡± I grasped her hand, then let go ¡°¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if she heard me, and when she died, I felt her soul slam into mine. Ready this time, I accepted it, and a wave of power washed over me. Jaw clenching, I forced down the sense of euphoria¡ªthis wasn¡¯t something I wanted to associate with pleasure.

    As a corpse, Vivian looked almost like a mundane demon-blooded¡ªthe black sclerae of her eyes were the biggest tell. She didn¡¯t look peaceful in death¡ªshe looked tormented. There was no bright side to this, no sign that all was well in the end.

    I hated it, but I struggled to tear my eyes away. If the church was abandoned before, it was a ruin now. Snow fell in tiny flakes through fresh holes in the roof, the walls were cracked in places and melted in others. And the two rows of columns standing in lines down the nave looked like the sad remnants of a decimated division returning from battle: slumped over, missing, and broken.

    Meanwhile, I was covered in blood, wearing tattered rags, and holding a gleaming axe taller than I was, with blades each as wide as my head. It wasn¡¯t covered in wicked spikes, but it glowed red-hot and flames licked around the blades. The tip had a spike for thrusting. Going on instinct, I pulled at the spell holding the axe together and it came apart, flowing back into my gem in a rush of flames.

    A fitting weapon for the Sovereign of Wrath: made to cut down swathes of enemies indiscriminately. A tool of vicious gore. I knew my strength, and was confident in my body if not my stance. Regardless of its appearance, I¡¯d bend its use to suit my purpose.

    That, perhaps, had been the key: confidence rather than evasion. Human weapons didn¡¯t suit me. Similarly¡­ I looked down¡ªhuman clothing wouldn¡¯t suit me. When I fought, at least. I loved my dress from Elena in Port Princely, and I deeply desired to commission another from Countess Elstein. The first, I supposed, didn¡¯t really count after what Lilly had done, but I needed something better to fight in.

    If I could make an axe out of my magic, could I not also make something to wear? The thought was both galling and appealing¡ªin a way, I¡¯d be naked. Unfortunately, I looked like the sorts of demons I usually tried to reform or kill, and I could now hear shouting from outside.

    The fight had been loud and intense, but it was also clearly over and curiosity would bring people here even ahead of Captain Kerra and her city guard. Technicalities aside, I needed something to wear. For my own sake, I stepped away from the bodies, and tried to think.

    The axe had been instinctual, desire and need made form. So why not try the same for something to wear? Something practical.

    I pulled on my magic and stumbled at the hit to my mana reserves. Warm heat washed over me, flames forming something a bit more. It started with underclothes, then underpadding and not-leather. Just when I was thinking it looked a bit like my company outfit with a stylized bump where my gem was, plates of softly glowing not-metal grew across the surface, linking and locking like a partial version of Kartania¡¯s armor.

    The pauldron on my right shoulder formed weightier, and a neck guard lifted itself up, linking over the front of my throat. Plates¡ªarm guards¡ªformed over my lower arms¡¯ forearms. All down my tail, heavy links of studded metal fell into place. My hands, claws and all, were left exposed, as was the majority of each foot. That, and the lighter armor on my non-tail limbs, would give me some protection without making me lose mobility.

    Unfortunately, I¡¯d wanted something comfortable to walk around in. I couldn¡¯t say it was uncomfortable despite looking like it weighed half as much as Seyari did, but it certainly wasn¡¯t casual wear. Crimson and glowing, hot enough that I could see the air around myself distorting, the armor didn¡¯t need spikes to look intimidating.

    I suppose I hadn¡¯t been envisioning an axe, either. If this was something more intrinsic, or something that sufficiently powerful or Sovereign demons could do, I¡¯d need to ask Lilly about it.

    For now, however, it was what I had to wear. Hopefully I could get something from the duchess or Kerra before I left Gedon, because walking into the Gelles company to ask to see my storage looking like I¡¯d just been dumped out of a forge wasn¡¯t going to work.

    The commotion from outside drew closer, and I took a deep breath. Last time I did this, it was a standoff, and I¡¯d been on the defensive. This time, people knew what I was, and I was surrounded by demon corpses instead of trying to protect a living demon.

    It¡¯d go better, right?

    One look down at my armor made me think I might as well have my axe to match for all it was going to help with diplomacy. At least the Sovereign of Wrath special didn¡¯t come with a helm covered in spikes and literally on fire. And I¡¯d even burned all the blood and viscera off!

    Taking just a moment to practice my ¡°I am not here to kill you and burn the city¡± neutral expression, I walked right out the opening where the front doors would have been.

    On the other side were, predictably, civilians. Also predictably, they screamed and ran away. Most did, others stood frozen, staring at me with wide eyes. One or two I saw staring from alleys at what they assumed¡ªcorrectly, but for the wrong reasons¡ªto be a safe distance. That meant there were probably more I didn¡¯t see.

    Trying my best to look unassuming, I leaned against the wall of the church. Water dripped down on me from melting icicles above, and I saw a contingent of the city guard arriving into the square on horseback just as the large pile of snow above me fell down onto my head.

    Water hissed against my armor and I spluttered, batting at the crunchy old snow with all of my arms. Somewhere, in an alley, someone laughed. When I got my eyes clear, I could see Captain Kerra at the lead.

    ¡°Zarenna!¡± she shouted.

    Please don¡¯t say that I did a good job ¡°breaking the ice.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Kerra pulled her horse up a short distance from me. ¡°I assume you caught the culprit?¡±

    I got up off the wall and let the rest of the water steam off me. ¡°I did, yeah.¡±

    She walked forward, while the other guards pulled up. Some dismounted, headed for the people watching, and others followed her. All of them gave me wary glances.

    I returned their looks with a toothy grin and was not at all incredibly pleased with the flinches I got in response.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Kerra mumbled from the doorway, then stepped back. ¡°What¡­ how? How many¡­ were these all demons?¡±

    I turned to look at her standing straight like a fencepost in the doorway. ¡°Yeah, greater Envy and a greater Wrath. Maybe a few avarice demons¡ªI couldn¡¯t exactly stop and look.¡±

    ¡°Did any escape?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but it¡¯s entirely possible some did.¡± I looked back around the square, then something caught my peripheral vision, and I looked up into the empty belltower. For a moment, I could have sworn someone was there.

    Envy?

    ¡°Do you see something?¡± I heard the sliding sound of a blade unsheathing.

    ¡°No, it was nothing.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re certain.¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    The blade slid back, and I looked down.

    Kerra¡¯s eyes moved up and down my glowing armor. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know you, I¡¯d not assume good things from this look.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m glad you know me.¡± I put two hands at my hips and gestured with a third. ¡°Seems like your guards don¡¯t feel the same, though.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll get over it. A few of them recognize you, even.¡± She leaned in. ¡°You know you¡¯re not good at keeping all your identities secret from each other.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want them to be,¡± I said back, rather plainly. ¡°In fact, I think you should expect some news about that in the relatively new future¡ªI won¡¯t be hiding like at the last event.¡±

    Kerra nodded. ¡°Right then. We can take it from here, I think, but I want to ask: why were there so many demons? They could have overrun half the city.¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ they were trying to lure me here. The wrath demon was that mercenary who tried to kill me. It¡¯s complicated and I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think she was put up to this in a way¡ªsomeone stoked her desires.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s twisted.¡± Kerra hissed out a breath.

    Both my eyebrows shot up. ¡°I¡¯m a little surprised you¡¯re not trying to blame me somehow.¡±

    Kerra cocked her head to one side. ¡°Why would I? It¡¯s not your fault if you defend yourself and someone else commits crimes looking for round two.¡±

    ¡°I know, but that¡¯s¡­ well when I look like this people tend to read into it further. Honestly, I thought my armor would get more of a reaction from you.¡±

    ¡°Zarenna,¡± Kerra started. ¡°Every instinct in my body is telling me to run away screaming while I¡¯m this close to you. You scare the living shit out of me on a damn near constant basis. But you¡¯ve shown yourself time and again, and quite frankly you¡¯ve shown me so many insane things today that a suit of armor so hot it¡¯s glowing isn¡¯t going to push me over the edge.¡±

    ¡°Good to know. But, I wanted to ask about that.¡±

    Kerra furrowed her brows. ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Do you have something mundane I can wear? I didn¡¯t bring a change of clothes, and I want to not cause a panic when I stop in Linthel on my way home tonight.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she chuckled and turned back to her guards. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    ¡°And Kerra,¡± I whispered, ¡°thanks for knowing to be discreet about certain things.¡±

    She waved a hand. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have this job if I couldn¡¯t read the room. I¡¯ll have my folks take this and you can come with me for a change.¡± One she reached her horse, which was doing an admirable job of not bolting while staring at me intently, she stopped. ¡°Could you fly there, actually? The guard house¡ªif you remember where that is. It¡¯ll cause less panic than you running through the city.¡±

    ¡°Vaguely? I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Good enough. Try not to beat me there.¡±

    I nodded and watched her go. Rather than wait around for the Church to show up, I summoned my wings and leapt skyward. My new armor, of course, had holes for them in the back.

    The flight was quick, and I followed Kerra¡¯s horse to her destination, circled, and landed in the back. Some yelling, some shouting, and a broken sword from one person too brave for his own good later, I was dressed in clothes taken from somewhere that smelled faintly of alcohol and piss.

    Wind magic and heat helped things a little, but I tied the rope belt only begrudgingly. All the apologies of ¡°we didn¡¯t have anything else that would fit you¡± could only go so far toward making me feel like my reward for all this was rather insulting. I just reminded myself that the true reward was aid, and a political friendship¡ªif not a future alliance.

    So, looking both human and like a drunk just let out of a holding cell, I gleefully burned two holes into the back of the shirt and took skyward again, banking for Linthel. A book, a message to the king through the Gelles company, an offer to hire mercenaries to watch the pass, and I¡¯d be free to fly home.

    The thing I was most looking forward to was showing Seyari my axe, and the spar-turned-something-more that would surely follow.

 Chapter 188: Near Miss

    My stop in Linthel went relatively smoothly. Sure, I got a few looks landing outside the city, but I was making great time and the sun still wasn¡¯t setting when I¡¯d left. Arden, the branch head of the Gelles Company in city, had taken my message of an attack in Astrye seriously, but he¡¯d put up some resistance to my request for mercenaries for the pass.

    Particularly with regard to the threat of greater demons.

    However, despite Astrye¡¯s dire financial straits, I was nobility. Or perhaps I was just a rather insistent demon. Regardless, I had a vague promise of ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do¡± and that was going to need to be enough for now. Seyari and I could at least fly over every other day or so.

    So, I flew along the pass, a little slower than my maximum speed. As soon as I¡¯d left Linthel I¡¯d burned away my ragged loaned clothing and brought out my armor again. It fit me like Elena¡¯s dress; even better around the tail.

    Perhaps halfway through the pass, I noticed a small group of travelers¡ªthree people it looked like. One had dark, short hair, another was a pale blond and in shining armor, and the third¡­ She had skin much like mine, and wore the vestments of a priestess of Dhias.

    Demon-blooded, then. And something about the paladin next to her was familiar, but I couldn¡¯t see her face. Regardless, the third also wore armor, and I didn¡¯t doubt their competence, but it would be best to warn them regardless.

    Even if I scared them half to death.

    Then again¡­ I thought back to High Priest Grants. He¡¯d shown no inclination to listen to a word I¡¯d said, regardless of circumstance. This group didn¡¯t seem like a punitive force, but even Paladin Warren, a man I¡¯d grown a rather deep respect for recently, had taken much more than was reasonable to see my side.

    But the woman in the lead was demon-blooded. Surely she¡¯d be more open, right?

    When I banked to descend was when I noticed the ambush. Aura sight picked up something in the trees, then my vision sighted a small group of wolf-like lesser demons. Wolf-like. That didn¡¯t quite do them justice¡ªthey were wolf-like in the way a cloud could look like a silhouette. Bits of stone, wood, and rock were mashed together with the parts of all sorts of animals and assembled into vaguely canid shapes. Slight, gangly shapes with more eyes than they certainly needed. They didn¡¯t strike me as wrath demons, but it didn¡¯t matter.

    My bank turned into a dive and my axe appeared in my hands with such a natural flexing of power that I wondered how I¡¯d ever gone without it.

    Looking closer, I saw a second group of the lesser demons, waiting on the opposite flank. There were perhaps ten in all, but more than enough to pose a serious threat to the group. Only the paladin was guaranteed to be able to handle her own¡ªand that would be against one.

    The first group noticed me before I landed. They started to scatter, but I sped up, axe down and fire whirling around me. Trees tore apart under me, and when I landed, a plume of earth, snow, and bits of fir tree blew up around me. Axe first, I flipped over it and dismissed my wings to land on my feet.

    Pine sap rose over the smell of burning earth and blood. One of the demons hadn¡¯t gotten away, and what was left of it lay in a crumpled pile by my feet.

    The others¡­ ran. For a too-long moment I was stunned by the sight of a group of lesser demons fleeing. Shit. I can¡¯t let them get away!

    So long as they were roaming the mountains, the pass wasn¡¯t safe. And they were either smarter than average for lesser demons, or they were being controlled. Perhaps both.

    I hefted my axe, focused my aura sight as much as I could through the trees, and launched myself skyward again. The other group was scattering as well, and they were fast. Can I even catch all of them?

    I needed to try. These travelers, at least, would be safe so long as the demons were too scared of me to attack them.

    ***

    Sonia gripped her walking staff tight enough that her knuckles paled. In the mountain breeze, the only sound was the faint jingle of her horn jewelry¡ªand the echo of the impact in her ears.

    Next to her, Paula moved her arm down from shielding her face. ¡°Holy shit! What the everloving fuck was that?¡±

    On Sonia¡¯s other side, Inva slid her sword out of its sheath, but her posture was relaxed. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but I have an idea.¡±

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    ¡°Then spill it already! Whatever the fuck did that isn¡¯t something we can take on. Shit, we probably can¡¯t even run away!¡±

    Sonia stared after the trail of fire, glimpsing an armored figure within. They were moving away, staying low to the ground.

    ¡°Sonia?¡± Inva asked, taking a half-step between her and where the magical explosion had just gone off.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± She shook her head, jewelry jangling, and relaxed her grip on her staff a little. Inva¡¯s presence was comforting¡ªand Paula¡¯s too despite her foul mouth. ¡°Paula has a point. What¡ªor who¡ªwas that?¡±

    Inva looked off up the pass, keeping her eyes on the trees. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m really not sure. The magic reminded me of what Zarenna had. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°No way.¡± Paula moved to their flank. ¡°She sure as shit didn¡¯t do that when I saw her.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever see her fight?¡± Inva said, her voice getting a little quieter.

    Sonia saw her gaze flick upward, like her thoughts were drifting elsewhere.

    ¡°Yeah, I totally¡­ actually¡­¡± Paula frowned. ¡°I know you told me a little bit about that night half of Riverside got destroyed. She didn¡¯t make that crater, did she?¡±

    Inva wrapped her free hand around her chin, her large gauntlet making the gesture look exaggerated. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think she did, but I think she probably could¡¯ve. I didn¡¯t think she could fly though.¡±

    ¡°So that might be her.¡± Sonia took a step forward, then another, walking in front of her friends and whirling to face them, giving her best reassuring smile. ¡°Either way, we should keep going right? Whatever it was definitely saw us if it came from the air, so it¡¯s not after us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but what was it after?¡± Paula hissed.

    ¡°We keep our guard up, then.¡± Inva moved between Sonia and Paula, looking between the two and then at the pass up toward the explosion site. ¡°You still with us?¡±

    Paula scoffed. ¡°You think I¡¯d go halfway across the damn Empire just to walk down a mountain by myself? Fuck no¡ªI¡¯m in.¡±

    Despite her smile, Sonia thought she heard a little hurt in Paula¡¯s tone. ¡°She¡¯s right, Inva. We¡¯re all friends, so let¡¯s go!¡±

    Paula¡¯s eyes widened, and Sonia smiled at her. Inva simply nodded and started up the road, vanguard for the others.

    ***

    In the end, a few lesser demons escaped. Either two or three¡ªI couldn¡¯t be sure. They were too far away, and their auras too weak for that trick I pulled in Gedon. Not to mention the fact that I could feel mana exhaustion creeping up on me. It only made sense¡ªI¡¯d done more in one day that I¡¯d have imagined possible, even a month ago.

    Far enough away that I¡¯d nearly gotten lost despite my familiarity with the surrounding peaks, I realized I had a choice to make. The sun was starting to set, and I could either make it home in time tonight, or I could risk both Seyari¡¯s wrath and Astrye¡¯s destruction by meeting with the travelers who may or may not try to fight me in my weakened state.

    The choice was obvious, but that didn¡¯t keep me from worrying. They¡¯ll probably be fine, and I might be able to get Seyari to check tomorrow.

    By the time I¡¯d made it back to the castle, I could barely keep my wings from sputtering out. Seyari noticed as well when I stepped from the balcony inside our room. My lovely angel of wrath was sitting at her work desk in her nightclothes, quill in hand and desktop candle recently lit. Her crimson wings were folded neatly behind her, feathers recently preened, and their size almost made her look small.

    She didn¡¯t look up from her work immediately, instead sighing and asking, ¡°What did you get into this time?¡±

    I flopped onto the bed before I answered. ¡°I killed Vivian again.¡± My words came out muffled, so Seyari looked my way.

    ¡°What on Varra do you¡ª¡± She was just in time to see me dismiss my armor, and the rest of her words died in a long exhalation. ¡°What were you just wearing? And why are you naked?¡±

    I lifted my head up and flipped around on the bed so I was facing Sey, legs crossed. ¡°Vivian came back as a demon. I think Envy pushed her toward killing people to lure me out for a rematch of sorts.¡±

    Seyari looked up from my chest to my face without a hint of shame. ¡°Did she challenge your title?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°You got stronger then.¡± Her eyes glowed briefly. ¡°I can tell¡ªit¡¯s not by a small amount.¡±

    I looked down at my clawed hand, clenching and unclenching it. ¡°I definitely feel stronger. I¡¯d not have been able to make the full flight home after a fight like that before¡ªnot even close.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news then.¡± She stood up and walked over. I expected her to sit beside me on the bed, but instead she sat down on my lap, facing me and looking up. ¡°I have some more questions, but they can wait. I want to know what you were wearing and why you¡¯re naked.¡± She leaned in close, so her breath tickled my neck and the resonance of her voice vibrated up and down my spine. ¡°And you¡¯re going to make up for distracting me, Renna.¡±

    I returned her lascivious smile. ¡°It¡¯s an outfit¡ªmmph!¡±

    She silenced me with a kiss. With tongue. Her wings wrapped around us and she pushed me down onto the bed, straddling me, her evening clothes already down below her chest and on the way to her ankles.

    The stars were old in the sky by the time we¡¯d finished. We stayed together, partially under the sheets and basking in the afterglow. Starlight filtered in from outside, giving the room hints of color to cheeks and eyes and lips and wings and horns and claws. I explained the duchess¡¯s aid promise, the fight with demon Vivian, and my new armor and weapon.

    The latter, she asked to see, and I had just enough left in me to bring it out for a bit. Seyari ran a hand gingerly along the weapon¡¯s shaft, golden eyes glowing brightly in the dark of the room even as my weapon¡¯s light cast her face as red as her wings.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fine weapon, love. Brutish¡­¡± She ran a glowing finger along the blade with a hiss, rising up to tap the spike at the top. ¡°...But with just a hint of finesse. Very you, in a way. Do you know how to use it? Is it instinctual?¡± her voice shifted in pitch from sultry to excited, and her genuine, broad smile caused one of my own.

    ¡°Maybe a little,¡± I answered honestly, ¡°but I was hoping you could instruct me.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve used many axes like this, but I know the basics. We¡¯ll have some time after patrol tomorrow¡ªfor this and more. Want to go wreck another mountain?¡± Her tone shifted back, eyes growing a little lidded.

    I blushed crimson and nodded.

 Chapter 189: Suffer Not a Demon to Live

    ¡°Kartania, if you¡¯re willing to work with me, I can get you cleared for promotion back to¡ª¡±

    Kartania punched the stone wall of the barracks, hard enough to split her knuckles open. ¡°I said ¡®no¡¯, Walter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°I.¡± Bang! ¡°Am.¡± Bang! ¡°Not.¡± Bang! Each word was punctuated by another punch.

    ¡°You are. I trained you, remember?¡±

    Kartania whipped her head up to look at the man. His well-kept mustache twitched, and the lines on his face deepened with his frown. He wasn¡¯t gloating, and his look held no pity¡ªthat only made things worse.

    ¡°If I accept,¡± she said, ¡°all it¡¯ll do is prove them right.¡±

    ¡°They were already proven right. Kartania, please¡ª¡±

    She swatted his hand away with hers, splattering blood in an arc across the floor. ¡°They don¡¯t know her. And they have experience¡ªI¡¯m young, and even I¡¯ve seen demons that did the inexplicable. That acted against their nature for even just a moment.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you fell for their tricks.¡±

    Kartania chuckled darkly and met Walter¡¯s gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t, no. But an Envy demon giving a stolen apple to a street kid, or a Lust demon handing out sex tips while I was tailing her? Not everything demons do is part of some complex evil plan.¡±

    Walter shook his head. ¡°Maybe they were right. Shoot, Kartania, I don¡¯t want to believe you¡¯d falter like this. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good explanation, and I¡¯m willing to listen.¡±

    ¡°Are you, though?¡± Kartania took a step forward and squared her shoulders. The empty barracks gave her voice an echo, and she leaned into it. ¡°Do not falter. Do not doubt. Stand firm in your conviction. Suffer not a demon to live.¡± She repeated the mantra, pitch rising.

    ¡°That is for demons! You cannot give them a hairsbreadth, else they take your head.¡±

    ¡°If one does not listen, one cannot understand.¡± Kartania hissed air out between teeth shut so hard they creaked. She clenched her hands and listened to the drops of blood hitting the floor. ¡°Is this also not true?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t apply to¡ª¡±

    ¡°To what?¡±

    ¡°Demons, Tania¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± she snapped at the mention of her nickname. ¡°It¡¯s hypocrisy. We don¡¯t make the slightest damn attempt to understand demons, even when their actions defy the nature of their kind. We don¡¯t even listen¡ª¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to!¡± Walter finally raised his voice.

    ¡°Why not!?¡± Kartania shouted.

    ¡°If that is what you believe,¡± Walter said softly, sadly, ¡°then I cannot help you.¡±

    Kartania wanted to vomit. She wanted to scream and punch and do anything to get this man she once respected to actually do the thing he said he would. He¡¯s only going to listen to what he wants to hear, damnit.

    He probably expected her to shrink away, but she met his gaze, and she didn¡¯t try to hide her fury. The box she¡¯d always put her emotions in had broken wide open during the trial, and she didn¡¯t have the energy¡ªor the desire¡ªto put the pieces back together.

    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t want your help, Walter.¡± Kartania imagined herself spinning on a heel and walking away. But when she broke eye contact, her turn away was slow, and her steps plodding. At least she didn¡¯t pause at the door.

    Kartania¡¯s thoughts whirled. High Priest Grants¡¯s death was ruled a murder, and Kartania only escaped the noose because of her record, and of the consideration that she had been under ¡°demonic influence.¡± Zarenna had, in the eyes of the church as a whole, proven herself a monster.

    The Church had waited for a slip-up, an excuse, and they had found one. Though their reach in Edath was limited, soon they would go after Kartania¡¯s sister. She¡¯d failed.

    Did I ever even have a chance? Am I as naive as my sister for thinking I alone could change dogma, could make people with closed ears listen, with closed eyes see?

    Not ten steps into the hallway, an acolyte approached her¡ªa girl barely an adult and probably not half a year out of training.

    ¡°What?¡± she snapped. The acolyte must have heard her argument with Walter; Kartania didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Paladin Miller. High Priest Styon wishes to see you.¡±

    ¡°Tell him I¡¯m busy.¡± Kartania started to walk past. ¡°And I¡¯m not a paladin anymore.¡±

    ¡°He insisted it was very important.¡±

    ¡°What is it then?¡± Kartania didn¡¯t turn around.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me.¡±

    The now-former Paladin sighed. ¡°Then it must not be that important.¡± She kept walking.

    ¡°He¡­ did say it concerned your sister.¡±

    Kartania stopped, finally turning back. ¡°Did he now?¡±

    Technically, she had no authority to refuse a High Priest¡¯s summons. Doing so would lose what little rank she had left. At first she hadn¡¯t cared, but¡­ well, if she was burning bridges, she might as well burn them all.

    ¡°Fine. Take me to him.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Kartania followed the acolyte through the halls, happy the girl didn¡¯t try to make smalltalk. During a training exercise like today, only a few people were inside¡ªadministrative positions. It made the place feel empty, and Tania found herself glaring at the symbols of Dhias they passed.

    When they arrived at High Priest Styon¡¯s office, Kartania let the acolyte knock. Despite wanting to pound on the door or burst in, the chance to cool her head had tempered her anger.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Yevon answered promptly.

    The acolyte led the pair inside, then left quickly closing the door with a well-oiled click. Like usual, the place was a sort of carefully-calculated mess, and the dust that hung in the sunbeams from the two tall windows glittered. The high priest¡¯s long, pale brown hair glowed in the light¡ªhe almost looked priestly. Kartania sat down before High Priest Styon had even prompted.

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    He chuckled, leaning forward in his chair. Wards snapped into place around the room, damping what little echo the cramped space had. ¡°I¡¯d say to make yourself at home, but it seems you¡¯ve already done that.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Kartania snapped, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Straight to the point then.¡± He shrugged, and the motion just looked wrong in high priest¡¯s vestments. ¡°Figures you wouldn¡¯t want small talk, and that¡¯s fair. I¡¯ve got an assignment for you.¡±

    ¡°That involves my sister?¡±

    ¡°Potentially yes, and I do have news¡ªfor later.¡±

    Kartania hissed through her teeth and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Fine. What assignment could you possibly have for an acolyte in remedial training?¡±

    ¡°For an accomplished Paladin known for discretion and open-mindedness both, actually.¡±

    Kartania stood up. ¡°Then you¡¯d best find someone qualified.¡±

    High Priest Yevon sighed. ¡°Oh sit down! I assigned you to this the night you returned. Do you not remember agreeing to the assignment?¡±

    ¡°I remember returning, reporting, and spending the night in a holding cell awaiting mental decontamination.¡± Cogs turned in Kartania¡¯s head. Is he doing what I think he¡¯s doing?

    Yevon¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°Let¡¯s not mince words. I knew your chances better than you did¡ªthe other high priests weren¡¯t going to accept your story, and I am only one vote. Do you want this chance or not?¡±

    ¡°Chance for what?¡± Kartania snapped. She had an idea, but needed to know for sure. ¡°I already had enough rope to hang myself, and I¡¯ve done a rather thorough job of that. Abusing a loophole that I cannot be demoted while assigned to a mission given by a direct superior, unless said superior terminates the mission, won¡¯t work. You¡¯ll be outvoted. Even if it did, there¡¯s no performance that¡¯d get me in their good graces.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to be in their good graces?¡± Yevon leaned further forward, still wearing his stupid half smile. For once, his eyes were a little less lidded¡ªit almost made him look cunning.

    Kartania breathed in to reply, then hissed out air and sat back down. The shouting match she¡¯d had with Walter echoed around her head. He wasn¡¯t the only one too stubborn, too dogmatic to listen. She¡¯d told Renna she¡¯d fix things from the inside, but¡­

    ¡°No, High Priest. I suppose I don¡¯t.¡± Kartania grimaced. ¡°After all, they¡¯ll be going after my sister soon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±

    Smug bastard. ¡°Your plan still doesn¡¯t help me. And it absolutely doesn¡¯t help Zarenna. Or do you think her a murderer?¡±

    High Priest Yevon held up a finger. ¡°First, regarding your sister, I am one voice and one vote. High Priest Grants was a ¡®good man.¡¯¡± He enunciated the words almost distastefully. ¡°He was hammered out of our doctrine¡¯s mold like a coin out of a mint. Personally, I thought him too dull and inflexible to be a High Priest, but that¡¯s neither here nor there.

    Kartania furrowed her brow. ¡°He was sent to Astrye on purpose, wasn¡¯t he? Because he was such an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°So this was a setup.¡±

    The high priest shrugged. ¡°Yes and no. He could also be considered incorruptible.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop it?¡±

    ¡°I am one vote.¡±

    ¡°Did you vote against it?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    Kartania grumbled. ¡°Fine. But I still fail to see how your plan helps me with anything.¡±

    High Priest Yevon almost smiled, and he leaned closer over his desk, through the gap between stacks of books and documents. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. It gets you out of here tonight, and with a good horse, you can stay ahead of pursuit if you avoid cities and keep your head down. My orders and seal will, of course, carry the full weight of the Church.¡±

    Kartania weighed his words. High Priest Styon wasn¡¯t wrong, but¡­ ¡°Why do this? Won¡¯t you risk your own position?¡±

    The scheming man shrugged. ¡°You stole the horse in the last stall of the north stable in broad daylight, during training, and you left with my order in an act of desperation.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be a fugitive.¡±

    ¡°Being a fugitive is your best option. Everyone knows you didn¡¯t really accept the verdict. You¡¯ve made it clear you see your sister as, well, your sister. Whispers of deeper corruption are turning into rumors into facts. A compromised loose end with no non-demonic living family spouting nonsense that goes against the current interpretation of doctrine, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Current interpretation?¡± Kartania¡¯s thoughts had hung on the words.

    High Priest Yevon gestured around the room. ¡°I study history, former-Paladin Miller. From the Lost Era to modern politics. The attitude toward demons was less absolute in the distant past, but a few particularly aggressive Sovereigns changed that. Regardless, you get my point, right?¡±

    ¡°I do. They¡¯ll silence me.¡±

    High Priest Yevon clapped. ¡°Good! I didn¡¯t think you a blind idealist, but yes, they¡¯ll silence you. And then they¡¯ll go after your sister. This way, you get to live. What you do from there is your own volition.¡±

    ¡°Why take the risk on me?¡±

    He held up three fingers. ¡°Three reasons. One, if you die at the Church¡¯s hands, your sister may burn this place to the ground, which will undo everything she¡¯s worked towards in the eyes of the common people. Two, you have power, ambition, enough shrewdness to get by, and kindness, even if you think otherwise. In short, you¡¯re valuable to the common people. And three, I actually do have an urgent mission you¡¯re well-suited to that I want to see done.¡±

    ¡°Why does the second reason matter to you?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a war coming. Most likely multiple.¡±

    Kartania nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of increased demon activity.¡±

    ¡°Care to enlighten me about anything your sister told you? Perhaps something you felt inappropriate to reveal at the trial.¡±

    ¡°You seem to know already.¡±

    ¡°Worth a try. But yes, my informants have told me of a faction war amongst the demons. I believe they¡¯re also involved in Navanaea and in Raavia. There¡¯s a disputed succession in Aloria, so even the elves may see an incursion ere long. I was even informed recently that, in Edath, demons attacked the Winter Solstice Ball your sister was a guest at.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°She saved the day apparently. Also proved to the guests that she ¡®wasn¡¯t a demon,¡¯ just that she¡¯d suffered corruption as a demon hunting mercenary. Quite the shrewd move, and one I would not have expected.¡± His smile tilted into more of a smirk.

    He knows more than he¡¯s telling. Normally, Kartania wouldn¡¯t pry. But today?

    ¡°You know more. Spill it.¡±

    The high priest put his hands up defensively. ¡°I thought something might happen given the rise of demon attacks, so I had an acolyte of mine present at the ball. It was his report I¡¯d received. I¡¯d also made sure that acolyte had met Zarenna under favorable circumstances just in case she caused a little chaos, though that went better than I could have possibly hoped for. Regardless, the Church already knew of her nature, and the only people who found out were another Paladin and his contingent who happened to have a very favorable first impression of your demonic sister.

    ¡°There.¡± he put his hands down. ¡°Happy?¡±

    Kartania sighed. ¡°I¡­ suppose. Worried would be more accurate. Fine¡ªwhat about the mission itself?¡±

    ¡°Daram, the dwarven kingdom to Edath¡¯s southwest, is in the midst of electing an heir for their ailing king. Which makes it all the more concerning that the Church¡¯s branch in Kar Taruhm has gone silent. I want you to go to the dwarven capital city and ascertain what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°Of course, the mission they will think you are on is to investigate rumors of demonic infiltration into the merchant council of the Turquoise Coast. Which may well also be true, but I doubt it¡¯d make much difference with how Liseu is run if actual Avarice demons were in control.¡±

    Kartania put a hand to her chin and hummed. ¡°Daram¡­ that¡¯s¡­ quite the trip.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t speak Dwarven.¡±

    ¡°But you do speak Turquoiser.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine for the cover story, but I¡¯m not going to the Coast.¡±

    Yevon took a book off the top of the pile on the desk and handed it to Kartania. ¡°Then take this. You¡¯ll make do.¡±

    She took the book and scanned the cover; it was a guide to the Dwarven language, and it looked well read. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing. Will they notice this book missing?¡±

    ¡°From my private collection of disorganized, undocumented tomes? Absolutely not.¡±

    Kartania stared at the book in her hands, hard. She started shaking a little. ¡°I¡¯m actually going to do this, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Are you?¡±

    Kartania took a deep breath. ¡°Yeah, I think I am. But, can you let my sister know where I¡¯m going?¡±

    ¡°Again, I¡¯d rather not be burned to ash. I will find a way to let her know.¡±

    Standing up, Kartania held the book carefully and steadied her legs. ¡°What comes after this?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch, assuming you still want anything to do with the Church.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°We will indeed.¡± Yevon turned and looked out the window at the pale winter sunlight, distorted through the translucent yellow panes. ¡°You¡¯d best get going, though¡ªif you want to leave without being seen.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Kartania turned and walked to the door.

    Right as her hand touched the handle, Yevon added. ¡°Your armor is in the stall, too. And your sword. It¡¯s truly astounding they assigned today¡¯s armory guard duty to someone out on bereavement.¡±

    The wards faded, and Kartania opened the door and stepped into the hallway. As she did, a chill ran down her spine. Just how does High Priest Yevon know all these things?

 Chapter 190: Short Doors

    Training in the morning turned into administrative work by the afternoon, and close to evening, I found myself seated in Astrye¡¯s single surviving, intact inn. Around me were townsfolk, and the circular table where I was seated had three others across from me. Ideally, Sey would be with me, but she was flying reconnaissance around the march. Nelys, Taava, and Joisse were busy with other tasks. In the sense that I thought myself an outsider still, I was facing the assembly alone.

    Tonight, the matter of Nadya¡¯s death, and the future of Astrye¡¯s self-governance would be decided. I wanted to be home with my wife and daughter, reading, playing a game, or working on designs for a forge for me in the castle while Seyari wrote and Joisse painted.

    Instead, I was here in my capacity as Marchioness of Astrye trying not to notice the aura of fear and sadness in the room.

    The horror and devastation of the most recent attack had scattered the factions that had been growing in the city. With fewer than half the people it had just the autumn prior, Astrye didn¡¯t have the room any more for that sort of infighting, or for presenting a faction opposed to my king-appointed dominion over these lands.

    Not that the sentiment had gone away; the hard faces just outside the inner circle attested to that much. It was just that anger had been replaced with sorrow, and a kind of bone-deep tiredness present in every pair of eyes.

    Every pair of eyes save one. Razz, Brynna¡¯s older sister, had a fire in her pale blue eyes. Her ears stood at full alert, but she did not speak. Instead, she had her hand planted firmly between Brynna¡¯s shoulder blades, almost as if she were propping her younger sister up in her chair.

    Said younger sister hung her head, ears flat and twitching. Her horns were on full display, a sign that she¡¯d taken on demonic influence. Mine specifically, but whether that mattered would depend on who amongst the townsfolk you asked.

    Seated on the other side of Brynna, wearing a stern grimace, was Keran. In a lot of ways, he and Razz looked like Brynna¡¯s parents, if a little young. Perhaps if Keran had been the one to sit proudly and confidently in the chair, he would have looked like a father to both, with gray through his hair that touched the tips of his ears.

    Murmurs started, and Razz gave an encouraging nod to her sister.

    Brynna¡¯s hands played with the scarf on the table, the one she¡¯d just removed from around her horns, but she lifted her chin and spoke with a voice that sounded almost confident.

    ¡°Marchioness Zarenna saved me.¡± She let the words hang, then continued. ¡°I am no demon, but I am changed. I am also tied to the marchioness now.¡± She turned to her sister. ¡°I know you think highly of me, Sis, but I can¡¯t lead this city.¡±

    ¡°Rynna, come on!¡± Razz ruffled her hair. ¡°You¡¯re a fighter, you¡¯re clever, and you¡¯re young. We need that!¡±

    Brynna shook her head.

    ¡°I agree,¡± I said as gently as I could, though it still came out a little rumbly in the close space. Brynna shot me a glare, and Razz a hopeful look, and I continued, ¡°I agree with Brynna. Whoever serves as mayor of Astrye should not be tied so closely to me. Though my link with Brynna is minimal, it still exists, and even were I to sever it, the changes may not revert.¡±

    ¡°Renna, you can¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Marchioness Zarenna, Razz,¡± I corrected with a sad smile. ¡°You know I¡¯m an outsider and a demon both. Nadya was chosen because she could serve as a bridge, she could be someone everyone in Astrye trusted.¡±

    Razz glared at me.

    I looked from her eyes up and over her shoulder. She followed my gaze without turning her head, ears swiveling. They went flat quickly when she caught the whispers I¡¯d been pretending not to hear. Fear, sorrow, discontent. Under the fatigue, people still spoke of me in hushed tones.

    Like a monster sitting in a castle, lording over bent-backed populace.

    Nevermind that the doors were open. Nevermind that I visited the city often¡ªflew over it daily. Nevermind all of that, because I was something other and dangerous.

    Much of the fear wasn¡¯t an iron-clad belief that every demon¡¯s nature was based in needless malice; it didn¡¯t take a genius to see that. Rather, the fear was grounded in the danger and the otherness, of being led by someone of overwhelming power. How I acted mattered little in the face of the knowledge that I could act any way I damn well pleased and they could do nothing to stop me.

    Even knowing as much as I already did, the feeling washed down my spine like a pile of snow thrown down my shirt by a certain childhood friend. I shivered; people flinched.

    Razz got it, at that moment.

    Her gray eyes changed, and I didn¡¯t mind the flash of pity I saw there.

    I was the Sovereign of Wrath, and if I wanted to rule mortals, I needed an intermediary. I needed absolute, concrete proof that I wouldn¡¯t dictate everything. Brynna was tied to me; even if the contract was annulled, which I felt she might ask for soon, she was visibly marked as mine.

    Was it true?

    Absolutely not.

    Did that matter?

    ¡­Not really.

    I swallowed heavily and pleaded with Razz with a look. I couldn¡¯t ask her directly.

    The lupael woman bit her lower lip, and raised her chin. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    I inclined my head, ceding authority as best I could. Brynna relaxed visible, and Keran¡¯s harsh look softened just a little.

    Razz rose and addressed the assembly. ¡°Does anyone oppose this?¡±

    Aside from a few grumbles, no one did, and I was outside soon after, excusing myself while the townsfolk went over their own matters. Other nobility would chide me for such a laissez faire approach to governance, but someone who didn¡¯t know me personally wouldn¡¯t very well want to tell me I was being an idiot when I could incinerate them.

    And I was an idiot a lot, damnit. Despite appearances and a dense amount of recent experience, I was hardly thirty¡ªless if you discounted the time between my death and rebirth.

    This was for the best, and information would be shared between city and castle. In a way, my job was to be the wall the city lacked, and an envoy to address external matters.

    My other job was to be a mom, and I ought to visit my daughter. Joisse hadn¡¯t really had much difficulty making friends with her patients, some of which matched her¡­ I supposed age didn¡¯t really make sense. Maturity would be more accurate.

    Young adults, and humans. That was something I knew about¡ªbeing an awkward teenager with body issues. Joisse probably had questions, and she probably thought I had ¡°better things to do¡±. As if.

    Seyari was, well¡­ old in a lot of ways, and her childhood was far, far from what either Joisse or myself experienced. Call it a sort of sense beyond my capabilities as a Sovereign demon, but I had a hunch and a few free hours.

    My hunch, surprisingly, turned out to have merit. Joisse wasn¡¯t with the few injured remaining in the castle, nor was she in her room. I caught her in the main hall, dressed in clothes I didn¡¯t remember her having, walking purposefully toward the front doors. She was also in human form, hair done neatly and adorned with a red ribbon that threatened to melt my heart.

    She looked up at me, surprise written on her features. ¡°Hey, Mom.¡± Her words weren¡¯t cold. Just surprised, and a little anxious¡ªor perhaps guilty.

    All of my planned comments and questions flew right out the window and away into the gray winter sky. ¡°Hey. Where are you going?¡± I winced when the words left me¡ªthey sounded more accusatory than I¡¯d intended.

    Joisse stiffened. ¡°Out with some friends. I left a note¡ªthey¡¯re good people, Mom. And you know I can defend myself and my friends if something happens.¡±

    And it¡¯s not like any of them could hurt me, her eyes seemed to say. Dhias, was I that protective?

    Yes. Yes I absolutely was.

    But I¡¯d also just gotten out of a meeting where I admitted to myself and the city the need for distance in certain things, to not over-involve myself. And so, just when my daughter¡¯s jaw started to tighten, I spoke quickly. ¡°Sorry, Joisse¡ªI didn¡¯t mean that to come across as accusatory. Just¡­ I guess I¡¯m overly concerned. I know you¡¯ll be fine, but send a message to the castle if you¡¯re going to be away overnight.¡±

    Joisse looked down, but her stern look softened into a light smile. ¡°I said I would in the note. You worry too much.¡±

    ¡°I guess I do,¡± I said sheepishly. Realizing I¡¯d sort of interposed myself between her and the door, I moved aside. ¡°Stay safe, then.¡±

    She nodded, and started to walk past me.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need to talk about, I¡¯m here for you!¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°I mean it! Demon-human relationship things, power dynamics, how to make sure to keep friendships an even playing field¡ªI¡¯m still learning, but I want to help.¡±

    Joisse stopped. She looked around the empty hall, then turned to me, voice quiet enough not to echo. ¡°Actually¡­ that last one¡ªhow do you do it? I want to tell my friends, but I¡¯m worried it¡¯ll make things awkward.¡±

    I waved a hand and summoned my own, imperfect, wind wall around us to block conversation. Despite myself, I scratched at a horn as I thought. ¡°Well, that¡¯s hard. I think you already know it¡¯s best you tell them early rather than letting them find out later.¡±

    Joisse furrowed her her brow. ¡°Yeah¡­ but that¡¯s not the hard part.¡±

    ¡°Mhm. I think¡­¡± I trailed off, remembering the naivety I had oh so recently. When I spoke, my words were slow and measured. How I used to do it was by trying to prove I wasn¡¯t going to get violent, that I wasn¡¯t going to use the power I had. I don¡¯t think the same anymore¡ªI don¡¯t think that works.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m not really sure how to say it, and I think it varies, but the goal is for them to be friends with all of you, and to get to a place where everyone involved feels like an equal contributor.¡± I held my hands out, bending palms and fingers into a sort¡¯ve round shape. ¡°Knowledge, skills, talents, things like that can offset raw, blatant power.¡± I moved each hand to apart, to its own category. ¡°Genuine interest in these things, mutual interest in these things, is the basis you need. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m not really making any sense.¡±

    Joisse took a deep breath, looking at the whirling wind and down at her own, purposefully simple clothes. ¡°It¡¯s not about respect of each other, but respect for each other¡ªas people. Trust can happen if that happens.¡±

    I blinked and put my hands down before I confused myself. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I think that might be it exactly.¡±

    My daughter nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about trust and respect lately, when I¡¯m healing people. These friends, I met them when I was helping people, and I¡¯ve been worried they¡¯re only nice to me because they feel like they owe me.¡±

    Oh, that¡¯s a tough one. ¡°I¡­ I think if you trust them enough, you should voice that concern.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy, is it?¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    I leaned forward and pulled my daughter into a four-armed hug. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, you know. You¡¯re a wonderful, thoughtful person.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    Let me have this. I held her for another second, then let go. ¡°Have fun tonight, okay? And bring your friends over here sometime when you¡¯re comfortable¡ªI¡¯d love to meet them.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°You know me.¡±

    That got a genuine smile out of Joisse, and she squeezed my hand before letting go and walking toward the door.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget a heavy coat!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get cold!¡±

    ¡°Do your friends know that yet?¡±

    Joisse stopped at the threshold, sighed, and marched right back past me toward her room.

    I watched her go with a proud smile and a profound feeling of warmth. No idea how I got here, but I wish this could be my life.

    Unfortunately, in addition to being a mom, I needed to be a good friend to Taava and Nelys, the latter of whom must be getting desperately homesick. I should also pen letters to Aretan, Kartania, Salvador, and Firalex, after Seyari tracks down and eliminates the remaining demons near the pass. Oh, and I still had Marchioness duties, but I could put those on the backburner for the evening.

    Except for one task. Tonight, I needed to make plans with Seyari to contact nomad groups south of here to try to track down and eliminate Mordwell. With that threat gone, we could continue to bolster defenses, and spend some time gathering allies and meeting promises.

    Including taking Nelys home¡ªfor a visit or forever I didn¡¯t know and wouldn¡¯t judge. But they¡¯d been an immense help and I needed to make good on my promise come spring.

    ***

    Relief turned to worry when Sonia first glimpsed the city of Astrye. Hardly more than a town, burnt ruins covered in snow stuck out from intact buildings like jagged teeth, and most of the farms further ahead looked abandoned¡ªdeep snow in front of doorways and no smoke curling from sagging chimneys. The mountains surrounding them loomed large, casting the valley in early-afternoon shadow.

    When they drew closer, Sonia saw signs of life, and of fresh damage. Repairs were ongoing on several buildings, specks of people dotting rooftops and scaffolds. The castle above the city practically gleamed with freshly polished stone, though it hid under a spiderweb of temporary timber. Particularly, around a gaping hole in the wall nearest the city.

    ¡°Damn. I thought Lockmoth was a dump,¡± Paula muttered.

    ¡°They¡¯ve survived assaults here,¡± Sonia replied, eyes still wandering. ¡°It¡¯s different, I think.¡±

    ¡°Half the damn town¡¯s abandoned.¡±

    ¡°They suffered losses then,¡± Inva said, walking over to the window of a farmhouse close to the road and peering through one tiny, frosted pane. ¡°No one¡¯s home¡ªand there¡¯s ice in the hearth.¡±

    Paula looked up at the mountains and grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Feels like a buncha people huddling, waiting for the headsman.¡±

    Sonia gulped. She¡¯s not wrong. ¡°They¡¯re rebuilding though; they¡¯re not broken yet, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Inva said as she rejoined the group. ¡°And I think we¡¯ve been noticed.¡± She pointed up the road, to a young lupael man walking quickly toward them. He was thin, but lean, with short-cut, straw-colored hair and a stern expression that didn¡¯t seem to suit his face. He was also armed and wearing light armor, although he wasn¡¯t reaching for his blade.

    ¡°You two are impossible fuckin¡¯ optimists,¡± Paula muttered, then slouched to attention.

    Sonia stepped forward and waved. ¡°Hello!¡±

    The man waved back, and Paula and Inva relaxed. He jogged up to them, eyes lingering a little on the symbols of Dhias on Sonia and Inva¡¯s clothing. ¡°Glad you made it over the pass. Saying there¡¯s been trouble lately would be an understatement. Oh, and I¡¯m Doryn.¡±

    Sonia kept her chin high. ¡°Sonia Rozaro. What happened here?¡±

    ¡°Demon attack¡ªI heard there were a few up in the pass.¡±

    ¡°We saw,¡± Inva said.

    Doryn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really? Did you kill them?¡±

    Sonia shook her head. ¡°Someone else did. Inva thinks it might¡¯ve been Zarenna Miller, who we¡¯re trying to meet with.¡±

    The young lupael tilted his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t talk to you, see if you were alright?¡±

    ¡°She was chasing stragglers,¡± Inva answered. ¡°If we can, we¡¯d like to see Zarenna as soon as possible, wherever she may be¡ªand to find a warm place to stay.¡±

    ¡°Inva¡¯s a friend of Zarenna¡¯s,¡± Sonia added, gesturing to her paladin friend. ¡°Paula and I were hoping to meet her as well.¡±

    Doryn had stiffened at first, but relaxed as Sonia spoke earnestly. His ears twitched, and he waved them to follow. ¡°I can help you with that, I think. You come far? That¡¯s quite the accent.¡±

    ¡°Cavenish,¡± Sonia replied simply.

    ¡°That¡¯s real far. So¡­ what brings you here to see the Marchioness?¡±

    ¡°Marchioness?¡± Sonia rolled the unfamiliar word around on her tongue.

    Inva turned to her. ¡°Nobility¡ªI don¡¯t know the word in Cavenish, if there¡¯s an equivalent, but it¡¯s a title for border nobility and usually earned by merit and not hereditary.¡±

    Doryn nodded. ¡°What she said. So, why¡¯re a couple of Church folks looking to meet the marchioness?¡±

    ¡°Besides Inva seeing a friend,¡± Sonia answered honestly, ¡°we were hoping to lend aid if she needed it, particularly with the acceptance of demon-blooded. She¡¯s done so much already, even as far away as Inolza.¡±

    Doryn relaxed even more and picked up the pace.

    He was probably wondering if I was a demon, Sonia thought. No point in telling him off though¡ªhis town had been through a lot and he was probably younger than she was.

    Just how much had happened was evident in the city itself as they walked quickly through it. Piles of rubble kept to the sides formed lumps under freshly fallen snow, and every third or fourth building was empty, ruined or simply missing. The people they passed gave Sonia and Inva harsh looks, and the demon-blooded woman struggled to keep her head held high.

    Thankfully there were people about, and they were well-clothed and well-fed. If Zarenna was apparently the leader of this city¡ªsomehow¡ªit was good her people weren¡¯t destitute. Even if they weren¡¯t particularly friendly.

    ¡°Is the marchioness in the castle?¡± Inva asked as they entered the town square.

    Cleaned of snow, and surrounded by mostly-intact or under-repair buildings, it looked¡­ almost picturesque. Pretty, high peaked roofs dripping hand-length icicles and windows glowing with internal warmth.

    ¡°She is.¡±

    ¡°Then may we go there?¡±

    Doryn stopped. ¡°I¡­ guess you can.¡±

    ¡°Where were you going to take us?¡± Paula asked¡ªand her tone had an edge Sonia hadn¡¯t heard in weeks.

    ¡°To see the new mayor, and to the inn for a hot room, like you asked. If you want to help the city, the mayor should know.¡±

    ¡°What of the marchioness? Why have a mayor?¡± Sonia asked.

    Doryn shrugged. ¡°Dunno. Not everyone¡¯s willing to trust a demon, even after all she¡¯s done, so she¡¯s made sure we have a mayor, I guess.¡±

    Sonia got the feeling there was more to it¡ªperhaps more than the young man knew, but she didn¡¯t pry and let Inva speak.

    ¡°Then let it be known we¡¯re here to help personally, and on behalf of the Church of Dhias.¡±

    Doryn¡¯s smile froze, and the few people near them in the square looked the group¡¯s way.

    Paula stepped between Inva and Doryn and groaned. ¡°Alright. What kinda shit did the Church pull here? I¡¯ve been watchin¡¯ the dirty looks you lot are giving these two. I can tell you right now, they¡¯re not like most Church folks.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best I take you to see the Marchioness, then,¡± a new voice said in a surprisingly affable tone.

    Sonia turned to see a tall lupael woman walking toward them. Everyone turned to look at her, and Paula frowned. She moved like someone who¡¯d done a lot of fighting, and her white-tipped gray ears stood at attention while her pale blue eyes studied the group. She didn¡¯t quite affect rigid professionalism when she leaned against the wall next to the group and cocked her head to one side.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Razz, and I¡¯m apparently the mayor of Astrye.¡± She gave a half smile. ¡°A cult of evil bastards dressed up like you all and claiming to be the Church occupied the city a while ago. The marchioness saved us, then later fought with more Church goons who followed. So you can understand why folks might not like you wearing those symbols openly¡ªwe¡¯ve never been much for the Church here anyway.

    ¡°Thing is, most of us should also remember the man from the Church who saved quite a lot of lives after this last attack. And the marchioness¡¯s sister who wore the same colors.¡± Razz raised her voice, and the onlookers started to disperse. ¡°So not all of you wish us harm, kinda like demons.¡±

    She stood up from the wall and stuck out her hand. Sonia shook it; Razz¡¯s grip was like a vice.

    ¡°Doryn, thanks for welcoming these three, but you can go back to your duties.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Doryn replied with a salute and marched off.

    ¡°How much did you hear?¡± Inva asked.

    Razz twitched her ears. ¡°Enough. Heard you¡¯re friends of Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°We are.¡±

    ¡°Follow me then. I¡¯ll take you to see her.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡¯ Sonia nodded and tried to sound chipper.

    Razz gave her an odd look, then chuckled. Inva took the lead, and Paula fell into step behind, head on a swivel and face stuck in a grimace.

    The mayor led the three of them up the well-trodden road to the castle in relative silence. For once, Sonia didn¡¯t feel like asking too many questions, or rather her mind was too occupied to chatter. Though she did at least ask after the latest attack.

    A third or more of the city, dead. One quick response, and the conversation had ended. Razz seemed to her like a talker, but preoccupied as well. And she has very good reason to be.

    They walked past the hole in the wall, and when they were inside, Inva spoke up.

    ¡°What about the wall? It doesn¡¯t look that recent.¡±

    ¡°Marchioness punched it down,¡± Razz answered without a hint of a joke in her voice. Though she did sound almost proud.

    Sonia looked at the rubble and the wall as thick as she was tall and gulped. Just how strong is Zarenna? What will she be like?

    The entrance hall was starkly unfurnished, and their footfalls echoed up the stairs and down the hall. A maid found them and Razz relayed their desire to meet the marchioness. Sonia couldn¡¯t help but think she saw the maid wink at her on her way by, eye shifting. I must be seeing things.

    The three of them were led to a room with tall, narrow windows and newly built furniture. It smelled of pine and plaster, and the sun peeking through the clouds was barely enough to illuminate the space. Cushioned couches and chairs were arrayed around a low table, and the three of them took seats in an arc, facing the door.

    ¡°The Marchioness should be by shortly. I¡¯ve work to get back to¡ªand to figure out¡ªso good luck.¡± Razz nodded, and left, ignoring Paula¡¯s glare.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be waiting in a noble¡¯s Dhias-damned tea room.¡± Paula relaxed into her seat once the door had closed, but her eyes stayed alert. ¡°At least it¡¯s warm.¡±

    Next to Sonia, Inva took a deep breath.

    ¡°Excited?¡± Sonia asked.

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a lot I want to ask her.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Sonia agreed.

    Paula rolled her eyes when the demon-blooded priestess looked her way. ¡°Yeah, same here I guess. We¡¯re friends. Happy?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Paula made a gagging sound, and Inva¡¯s composure broke with snorting laughter. They managed to talk a little before tea arrived, carried by the same maid. She worked quickly, efficiently, and wordlessly, though her eyes lingered on Sonia.

    They lingered enough that she spoke up when the maid was leaving. ¡°Do I bother you?¡±

    The maid¡¯s stoic face broke into an almost disturbingly wide smile. ¡°Nope!¡±

    Before anyone could get another word in, the maid ducked swiftly out of the room, closing the door with a well-practiced motion.

    Paula spun a finger by her head. ¡°Fuckin weirdo. Wait¡ªyou¡¯re actually gonna drink that?¡±

    Inva took a sip and smiled. ¡°Zarenna wouldn¡¯t poison anyone. Not us or her enemies.¡±

    Sonia stared at her own cup¡ªsimple, fired clay¡ªand lifted it. The tea smelled of pine and mint, and the taste lingered pleasantly on her tongue, woody and floral both.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Paula took a sip herself. Then another.

    Inva was just pouring herself a second cup from the pot when the door clicked.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± The voice on the other side was rich and smooth like velvet, but had a sort of otherness to it that raised the hairs on the back of Sonia¡¯s neck.

    Both Inva and Paula jolted up straight in their chairs.

    The door opened a little, and Sonia found she was looking at chest height. The figure on the other side was impossibly tall and had crimson skin like Sonia¡¯s own under a simple tunic and trousers.

    Marchioness Zarenna Miller was built like an exaggerated version of Inva, and her sheer size made her four arms, each as thick as Inva¡¯s thigh and ending in black-clawed hands, look almost proportionate. Blue, slitted eyes looked down on them from within inky-black sclera, and sharp teeth poked out from behind her smile.

    Her face itself looked¡­ unreal. Perfect symmetry, angled cheekbones, all framed by shining black hair and massive horns. With her, came a sort of pressure, and Sonia felt herself locking up in fear she didn¡¯t quite feel.

    Zarenna took a step forward into the room¡­ and banged her horns on the top of the doorframe hard enough that the three of them heard wood crack.

 Chapter 191: Tea with Wrath

    ¡°I thought I told them to make the doors taller.¡± I rubbed at my horns, then remembered I was supposed to be professional. Guests claiming to know me in Church iconography and all that.

    So, I looked up and cleared my throat, stepping fully into the room. Three people were seated, all staring up at me¡ªand I recognized one of them immediately. Inva, tall for a human, golden-haired and in shining armor I doubted was comfortable to lounge in, was seated in the center.

    Flanking her were a woman of Ordian complexion and a demon-blooded young woman with skin very nearly the same crimson as my own. The Ordian woman was familiar: short, messy dark hair and a face that slipped easily from aggressive to scowling. A sharp jaw on mild features set against a backdrop of brown leather that screamed ¡°lose me in a crowd.¡±

    The demon-blooded woman was very nearly her opposite. With bright, light brown eyes and a little bit of youth¡¯s roundness to her face, she looked positively giddy under a thin layer of apprehension. Shoulders tense and chin up, her horns¡ªmore vertical than mine were¡ªglinted in the light, festooned merrily with jewelry. She was wearing priestess robes, a big red symbol of Dhias emblazoned on the front.

    I didn¡¯t linger on either of them long, instead choosing to greet my friend. ¡°Inva! It¡¯s great to see you!¡± My voice came out bubbly, casual, and I knew a dopey smile accompanied it. There goes my noble bearing again.

    My paladin friend¡¯s smile faltered, and the other two flinched. Teeth¡ªwhy do people always hate the teeth?

    At the same time, I didn¡¯t feel like apologizing for my teeth. They did nothing wrong.

    ¡°How¡¯ve you been? I hope no one gave you any trouble in Astrye.¡± I sat down on the empty couch and let my tail loop onto the cushion next to me. On the table between us, steam wafted from three cups of tea, a fourth still empty.

    It took until I¡¯d taken the pot to pour myself some for me to get a response from Inva. Meanwhile, the demon-blooded woman looked like she was desperately holding in a dozen questions all at once, and the other, familiar woman couldn¡¯t quite decide how openly she wanted to glare at me.

    ¡°N-no. Some trouble, Za-Marchioness,¡± Inva said, voice strained. She¡¯d moved from sitting relaxedly to a straight-backed posture.

    I looked up, and I couldn¡¯t place her expression¡ªit was something like embarrassment, but I also got the distinct impression she was trying not to laugh. No anger from her, but the dark-haired woman was giving a slowly building taste of it. What¡¯s her deal?

    So, I tried to break the ice. ¡°Sorry about my entrance. The doors here are too short¡ªanyone my height would forget to duck from time to time. And you three can just call me Zarenna.¡± I risked another smile as I lifted the teacup to my lips. This time the three barely flinched.

    A snort escaped from Inva, then she took a breath and nodded, relaxing once again.

    I realized I¡¯d missed a step, as the demon-blooded woman looked on the verge of blurting something out, having pulled herself all the way to the edge of her seat, legs vibrating. ¡°My apologies¡ªthis must all seem very abrupt. I¡¯m Zarenna Miller, Marchioness of Astrye. Any friends of Inva are friends of mine.¡±

    Inva blushed, and gestured for her friends to introduce themselves.

    ¡°Sonia Rozaro!¡± the demon-blooded woman blurted with a strong Cavenish accent, her chin up and brown eyes bright. She realized immediately she¡¯d half stood up and sat back down, cheeks flushing a slightly darker crimson.

    In an instant, it all made sense. I downed my cup of lovely tea and snapped my claws. ¡°Salvador¡¯s daughter, right?¡±

    She nodded vigorously.

    ¡°He told me all about you¡ªand it makes so much sense you¡¯d be with Inva.¡± I inclined my head to the paladin. ¡°I remember what she¡¯d told me¡ªhelping end the stigma against demon-blooded. I¡¯m¡­ well there¡¯s a lot going on right now, but it¡¯s lovely to finally meet you, and I¡¯ll do all I can to help your cause.¡±

    Sonia beamed¡ªher teeth were human, straight and white¡ªand nodded. The glittering jewelry of silver and mother-of-pearl adorning her horns jangled almost melodically, and I immediately wished mine would stay pierced so I could try a similar look. ¡°Thank you, Zarenna! I can call you Zarenna, right?¡±

    ¡°You just did!¡±

    Sonia blinked owlishly at me.

    ¡°And I said you could, so yes, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± She nodded rapidly, and her horn jewelry jangled again.

    I gestured my teacup at her horns. Are they polished? ¡°I love your horn¡­ well they¡¯re not earrings per se, are they? Do you have a name for them?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I either call them earrings anyway, or just jewelry¡ªusually just jewelry.¡±

    ¡°Hornrings?¡± I mused. ¡°Ah, nevermind.¡± At another sudden spike of anger, I gestured to almost-forgotten third member, whose face also seemed familiar. Her anger had just spiked in a distantly familiar way, and when we locked eyes, I recognized the defiance in them immediately. ¡°Paula?¡±

    ¡°So you do remember,¡± she hissed.

    Sonia, for her credit, swallowed her next question with an almost chirping sound. Inva stayed stoically silent.

    ¡°I do! I got your note before we left, by the way¡ªthank you.¡± I bowed my head.

    The dark-haired mercenary seemed taken aback. Her nostrils flared, and she took a deep breath before she spoke. ¡°Look, I came with these two just because I wanted to ask you some things about how you can be like you are.¡±

    ¡°Across half the Empire?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Now it was her turn to blush.

    I started to pour another cup of tea for myself. ¡°Ask away then¡ªunless it¡¯s something private.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not private! I shouldn¡¯t be taking time from Sonia anyway.¡±

    Inva was eyeing the teapot, so I passed it to her and lifted my cup again, blowing on it gently. ¡°I won¡¯t pressure you. You¡¯re welcome to stay as long as you want to, although we¡¯re rationing food at the moment. The castle has plenty of spare rooms.¡±

    Paula shrugged, but her anger betrayed just how serious this was to her.

    One look at Sonia saw her staring at my hands and biting her lower lip like it¡¯d keep her from speaking. Reflexively, I shrunk my claws down, until they were little more than black fingernails. Her eyes went even wider.

    I waved one hand, offered her the teapot with another, and lifted my cup with a third. ¡°Apologies if my claws were making you nervous.¡±

    ¡°No! They weren¡¯t, I promise. I was just¡­ startled by all your arms. I don¡¯t quite know the right words in Ordian.¡±

    ¡°We can switch to Cavenish,¡± I offered in Cavenish. ¡°Although mine¡¯s a little rusty.¡±

    Sonia shook her head and slid a little back onto her seat. ¡°No, I want all of us to understand the conversation.¡±

    To that, I could only smile and nod.

    Salvador¡¯s demon-blooded daughter closed her eyes for a moment, sinking fully back into the chair. ¡°This is nice. Being here and meeting you finally. You really are like what Dad said, although¡­¡±

    ¡°Although?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got more poise than I remember,¡± Inva finished. ¡°Sonia¡¯s father called you na?ve and idealistic¡ªin a good way, he said.¡±

    My smile tugged downward, as I remembered everything after Lockmoth. ¡°I guess you could say I¡¯ve seen more of the world, and the people in it. I like to think I still carry that idealism, it¡¯s just tempered. Regardless, what specifically can I do to help you, Sonia?¡±

    Sonia¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Like Paula, I have questions¡ªdifferent questions I¡¯m sure. But I also want your help establishing an organization for demon-blooded. A way to get awareness out there¡ª¡± she threw her arms wide in a gesture ¡°¡ªand get help and change lives. Would you allow me to establish it in Astrye?¡±

    ¡°Certainly!¡± I clapped all four hands together. ¡°I think that¡¯s a wonderful idea! But you¡¯ll need to branch out to more populous areas, especially well-traveled cities. I might be able to help you in Linthel, and I should have an in in Gedon as well. Norgath if certain things align, Lockmoth probably, and maybe even in Navanaea.¡±

    Her brow furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it is, yeah. Do you have anything else you¡¯d like to ask right now, or should we let Paula speak?¡± I gestured a hand at the silently fuming mercenary.

    Sonia thought for a moment, finger on her chin, then shook her head. ¡°A lot, but nothing pressing.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Paula?¡±

    She looked between me and the others, but her anger didn¡¯t spike to match the grimace on her face. ¡°Fucking formality. Fine, sure. What even are you, Zarenna? You don¡¯t act like a demon at all. There¡¯s gotta be a reason you¡¯re the one damn exception, and I need to know why.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot. Give me a minute to think?¡±

    Paula shrugged, so I closed my eyes and tried to figure out my answer. She was right in a way¡ªI¡¯m not really trying to act like a typical demon. I¡¯m just trying to act like me. Honestly, I¡¯m pretty human in a lot of ways: I eat and sleep for fun and my own sanity, I like being around humans, and, well, my mind¡¯s a lot like a human¡¯s probably.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Then again, my daughter acts similarly human¡ªhow much of that is my influence? As much as I trusted¡­ all of them actually, I wasn¡¯t about to describe how I was reborn, or any of the other compromising, deeply personal details. Moreover, I was far from the ¡°only good demon¡± but that was a can of worms I didn¡¯t want to try to open at the same time, so I let the comment slide.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve got an answer,¡± I said slowly, taking some last few seconds to think. ¡°I¡¯m pretty well in-touch with humanity in terms of how I think. A lot of my old life I left behind, but not all of it. Beyond that, I had help when I needed it, and what I am helps a lot.¡±

    ¡°It helps that I control my Wrath, not the other way around.¡± I leaned forward, almost conspiratorially ¡°You all familiar with Sovereign demons? Either way, I¡¯m Wrath. Don¡¯t look it, I know, but I¡¯m out here in Astrye explicitly to kill someone¡ªI just don¡¯t let that go to my head.¡±

    ¡°What kind of demons?¡± Paula asked. She looked over at Inva and Sonia, and her face lost a little color when she saw their postures grow rigid.

    ¡°¡­Did my father know?¡± Sonia asked, eventually.

    ¡°Yep. Really, it shouldn¡¯t make much difference.¡±

    ¡°You have a good reason for gaining power then, right?¡± Inva asked.

    ¡°You have a good reason to tell me what the fuck this means?¡± Paula interjected. ¡°You some sort of super-powerful demon?¡±

    I made a so-so gesture. ¡°I¡¯m weaker than the other five, I¡¯m all but certain. Certainly weaker than most.¡±

    ¡°Other five?¡± Paula¡¯s anger spiked again.

    ¡°Sovereign demons embody their vices. They¡¯re supposed to anyway,¡± Sonia answered.

    ¡°She¡¯s right¡ªmostly.¡± I rolled my four shoulders in a shrug and put on my best academic voice. ¡°Each of us is the top of a whole category of demons, at least in theory. Often, that means losing themselves to their primary vice, but it can also mean mastery over it. Truthfully, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m qualified, and I¡¯m still trying to live up to the title¡ªon the mastery side, I should say.¡±

    ¡°Do you need power then?¡± Inva asked. Her expression was almost hurt.

    I nodded and forced myself to sit up a little straighter. ¡°You saw the attack, right? Envy¡¯s planning something with Avarice, and the two of them are fighting me since I stuck my nose into it back in Lockmoth. And again in Gedon¡ªand a few places on the route south, too.

    I don¡¯t want to involve humans in this, but Astrye was already involved before I got here, and now that this place is related to me, they¡¯ll be a target regardless of what I do.¡± I finished with four open hands and an exasperated shrug. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t not want power, but what I had already would be more than plenty in an ideal case.

    ¡°Hold up.¡± Paula leaned forward and glared at me, though she froze up when my eyes met hers. ¡°S-so they¡¯ll be a target if we do this whole ¡®demon-blooded help center thing?¡¯¡±

    Oh shit, that¡¯s a good point. I tried not to let the surprise show on my face.

    ¡°We?¡± Inva asked Paula.

    Paula¡¯s head whipped toward her. ¡°I, uh, well¡­ you¡¯ll need a merc for it, yeah. Someone to beat up folks who try to beat you up, yeah?¡±

    Inva looked down at her armor and quirked a brow, while Sonia sprouted a grin so wide I worried it¡¯d stick.

    I coughed to draw attention¡ªand to give Paula an out. ¡°Look, you¡¯re members of the Church¡ªthey¡¯ll be targeting you anyway, and they¡¯re targeting innocents too. If anything, being nearer to my power base will make you a little bit safer. And Inva, that¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to gain power. I want to stop Envy¡¯s madness.¡±

    Inva fidgeted her hands in her lap. ¡°I¡­ that makes sense. It¡¯s just a lot to think about is all.¡±

    ¡°Is Envy who you¡¯re here to kill?¡± Sonia asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, but that person is involved and very, very deserving of death.¡±

    ¡°How are you so certain?¡± Inva asked.

    ¡°They turned the Church¡¯s Inquisition into a demon-creating cult through mass murder and indoctrination. They meant to sacrifice the entire city of Astrye before I got here.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Inva deflated, then bounced back up, a fire in her eyes. ¡°If this is as you say, then you may well be right. But still¡­ the idea unsettles me.¡±

    I ran a hand through my hair so I wouldn¡¯t tap at a horn. ¡°I¡¯m not going to make a habit out of this¡ªand I know how hollow that sounds. But I will defend my family and my friends, and I will kill to do so.¡±

    ¡°Have you?¡± Inva asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been forced to. I¡¯d do anything to defend my wife and daughter.¡±

    ¡°Your what?¡± Paula stammered.

    Sonia¡¯s eyes glimmered with what had to be a ton of new questions, while Inva froze, staring at me. I watched the paladin¡¯s held cup tilting toward her tabard. Reflexively, I lunged forward and grabbed it. The paladin grunted at the sudden movement, and both Paula and Sonia froze, the latter mid-breath. I handed Inva back her half-filled cup, and she took it in a shaking hand.

    ¡°Sorry¡ªI shouldn¡¯t have moved like that.¡± I punctuated my words with a forced giggle. It didn¡¯t really help, but it did break everyone out of their shock.

    Which unleashed the pent-up barrage of questions from Sonia.

    ¡°You¡¯ve married? Who?¡± She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. ¡°And you have a daughter? Is it a demon thing, or did you adopt? Is your daughter a demon? Can I meet them?¡± She took a deep breath in like she was going to say more, then caught herself and released it slowly. ¡°Sorry, Zarenna, it¡¯s just¡­ wow.¡±

    I just smiled, all teeth of course, and waved her apology off. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I married Seyari. My sister married us in a hurry so the Church wouldn¡¯t drag her off for associating with me.¡±

    ¡°Called it,¡± Paula muttered.

    Inva set her cup down, carefully. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! Why would the Church want her though?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a long story, and it¡¯s not my place to tell.¡± I took a sip of tea and savored it. ¡°The short of it is that she was misled into doing a lot of bad things years ago, and even though all the circumstances should have come to light, there¡¯s still trouble.¡±

    Sonia bounced on her seat. ¡°What about your daughter?¡±

    I looked at her and poured some tea into her long-empty cup. ¡°That¡¯s another long story, but she¡¯s effectively a blood relation to both Seyari and I. Her name is Joisse, she¡¯s probably equivalent to around sixteen or seventeen, and she¡¯s a shining example of how a demon can overcome the vices that made them be.

    ¡°I¡¯d like for all of you to meet them later, but Joisse is out with friends tonight at least, and Seyari is patrolling the pass and surrounding hills until sundown.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a blood relation and already a teenager?¡± Paula asked. ¡°The fuck does that work?¡±

    ¡°Sovereign demon soul magic stuff?¡± I offered a four-shouldered shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t fully understand it either, and I¡¯d love her all the same even had it not happened after we¡¯d adopted her.¡±

    Inva drained her teacup. ¡°This is all so much. What about this latest attack? Are we in danger? Can we help?¡±

    ¡°Envy, you¡¯re safe in the city as best as I know, and if you¡¯re handy with carpentry or masonry, we could use you.¡±

    Inva shook her head, Sonia frowned, and Paula closed her eyes. ¡°My dad was a mason¡ªI still remember a few things.¡±

    ¡°Great! Even if you can just lift lumber, stones, or spirits, you could be an immense help.¡±

    Sonia swallowed. ¡°But it seemed like they hated the Church.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had problems with the Church, but we¡¯ve had help from a paladins of theirs recently, too.¡±

    Inva tilted her head. ¡°Oh! Who?¡±

    ¡°Paladin Gareth Warren.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know him, sorry.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to. Regardless, I should probably say that there might be more trouble with them soon.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Well, remember how I said my sister married me and Sey in a rush to stop them taking her?¡±

    Inva nodded slowly.

    ¡°They¡¯d sent a force to move against the cult in the city, but we¡¯d gotten there first. The person they chose to lead said force wouldn¡¯t even take a step into town or ask anyone what happened.¡±

    Inva¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Who did they send?¡±

    ¡°High Priest Grants.¡±

    Her lips twitched into a brief grimace. ¡°I know him.¡±

    ¡°Inva?¡± Sonia asked.

    The paladin sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ a fundamentalist. The type who follows a rigid code and doesn¡¯t bend. He was going to tutor me until, well¡­¡± she side-eyed Paula.

    The mercenary threw up her hands. ¡°What? I¡¯ve never heard of this guy! Don¡¯t drag me into this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Inva said quietly.

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t see a problem, yeah?¡±

    Inva smiled softly. ¡°Right. So, Zarenna already knows this, but I¡­¡± she gulped and looked at Sonia. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born as a woman¡ªat least my body wasn¡¯t. I look like this because of herbs and magic and¡ª¡±

    She cut off when Sonia drew her into a hug. ¡°Don¡¯t cry!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should¡¯ve told you and¡ª¡±

    The demon-blooded woman held her tighter. ¡°What does it matter?¡±

    Inva sniffled, but nodded. ¡°I just¡­ it felt like something you should know and I never told you and¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Really, it¡¯s fine.¡± Sonia pulled Inva¡¯s chin up to look at her. ¡°We traveled a continent to try to help people be who they are. Same thing, right?¡±

    ¡°...Right.¡±

    Paula looked askance at me. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    I could only shrug.

    ¡°I guess¡­ like maybe before all this it might¡¯ve meant something.¡± She heaved a sigh and scooted over to Inva, laying a hand awkwardly on her back. ¡°Buck up. You¡¯re pretty okay, right? And I don¡¯t care what you were¡ªworld¡¯s too damn crazy to worry about that.¡±

    ¡°...Thanks you two.¡± Inva sniffled, then took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry Zarenna¡­ I turned us down the wrong path a little.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± My assertion made her look up and I met her eyes. ¡°This kind of stuff¡¯s important. You feel better, right?¡±

    She nodded, still wrapped up in Sonia¡¯s arms, the demon-blooded resting her chin against Inva¡¯s shoulder, eyes closed. For her part, Paula couldn¡¯t hide the hint of a smile on her face. They looked so cute together.

    I hated that we still had to talk about the high priest. But the conversation had led here, and hiding it would be the wrong thing to do.

    ¡°What do you know about High Priest Grants?¡± I asked again.

    ¡°He¡­ well, I was good at training. Took to it well¡ªthrew myself into it harder than everyone else. He scouted me, wanted to take me in to train, told me I could be one of the best. I figured some things out about myself, but when I started to take herbs for it, using the money I¡¯d finally gotten, he stopped showing interest.

    ¡°He never said why, but I think everyone knew. Like I said, he¡¯s a traditionalist. All this was maybe three interactions half a decade ago, but they stuck with me. I guess because he was ¡®one of the good guys¡¯ so to speak¡ªmade me feel like I¡¯d done something wrong.¡±

    ¡°Did you get a chance to explain things to him?¡± Sonia asked.

    Inva shook her head. ¡°No. He just started avoiding me, treating me like someone he had no interest in.¡±

    I nodded, forcing myself to keep a neutral face even as the tip of my tail twitched and flicked in irritation. What a bastard! ¡°He wouldn¡¯t listen to me either.¡±

    Both Inva and Sonia looked my way. Paula looked down into her teacup, then back up. Her anger had evaporated with Inva¡¯s tears, and now she seemed to be taking the part of an onlooker.

    ¡°I¡¯d just dealt with the cult openly as a demon, and the city accepted me, in a way. I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be wise to hide what I was from the Church since they already had High Priest Styon watching me, so I figured I could help explain with the town¡¯s then-mayor and my sister who was and might still be a Paladin of Dhias what had happened and maybe get some aid rebuilding.

    He didn¡¯t listen to a word I, my sister, or Seyari said and attacked us.¡± My head hung lower at the memory, horns suddenly a little heavier than normal.

    Inva¡¯s face paled as she put two and two together. ¡°You killed him, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I nodded solemnly. ¡°I tried multiple times, but he didn¡¯t listen to a single word, even in the end. I at least did what I could to kill him swiftly and painlessly. We let the forces he¡¯d brought with him retreat back over the pass¡ªhe was the only casualty.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a cut and dry case to me,¡± Paula said. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s relieving to know you do kill people sometimes. Makes you more real.¡±

    ¡°Paula!¡± Sonia exclaimed.

    ¡°What? I wanted to see if she was real, and I¡¯ve got my answer.¡±

    ¡°Still, though¡­¡± Sonia trailed off.

    Inva pulled herself up out of Sonia¡¯s hug. ¡°I agree. This¡­ the Church isn¡¯t going to let this go. And I don¡¯t know how I feel about this all either. I don¡¯t disbelieve you, but¡­ I need some time to think.¡± She stood up.

    ¡°Please, take as much time as you need.¡± I gestured to the door. ¡°Shyll¡¯s probably waiting outside, and I don¡¯t doubt there¡¯s at least one room that isn¡¯t frozen solid you can go to.¡±

    Inva opened her mouth, then closed it again and nodded curtly. Her eyes were still red and damp, but I wasn¡¯t quite sure from what. Quickly, and with tea still in her cup, she left, closing the door behind her.

    ¡°Inva¡­¡± Sonia lifted a limp-wristed arm after the paladin, then glanced at me.

    ¡°Go,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯ll be doing work in mine and Sey¡¯s room¡ªhave someone show you up there if you want to talk.¡±

    Sonia looked at me in surprise, then nodded, jumping up and dashing after the paladin.

    ¡°I, uh¡­¡± Paula started, now keenly aware we were the only two people in the room.

    ¡°You too,¡± I gestured at the now-open door, a grin forming.

    Paula stood and took a couple steps, then paused, fighting a blush. ¡°Hey, uh, thanks for telling us that. It¡¯d be bad if either of them, y¡¯know, found out on their own.¡±

    I nodded, and watched her dash out the door, leaving me with only the cooling dregs of a teapot and three indentations on seat cushions. Guess I¡¯d better get back to work, if I can keep my mind on it at all.

 Chapter 192: Stay the Course

    Seyari was out on patrol when someone knocked on our bedroom door. I put my quill down to answer it, wondering who it could be at this hour. Good thing I¡¯m still wearing today¡¯s clothes and not a nightgown. If it¡¯s Taava again¡­

    I pulled the door open just a crack¡ªShyll hadn¡¯t been by and the bed was still a mess. ¡°Yes?¡±

    Sonia Rozaro was on the other side. Salvador¡¯s demon-blooded daughter looked up at me with wide eyes, and flinched a little when my gaze met hers. She was wearing a borrowed tunic and trousers complete with a leather traveling satchel¡ªthe clothes were a little overlarge, and the dull colors made her crimson skin seem even brighter.

    ¡°U-uhm¡­ can we talk?¡± She spoke quietly, but with a firm undertone.

    ¡°Sure, but the room¡¯s a bit of a mess.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Sonia shook her head, and I realized her horn jewelry wasn¡¯t in¡ªthe silence without an accompanying jangle of metal was deafening.

    With a shrug, I opened the door and motioned for her to step inside. Is something wrong? She seems so serious. ¡°Is Inva alright? Should I put up a barrier for privacy?¡±

    Sonia started to shake her head again as she stepped inside, but stopped. ¡°¡­a barrier for privacy?¡±

    ¡°In case you don¡¯t want this conversation overheard.¡± I closed the door and gestured to the small table we had by the windows¡ªthe one not covered in sheafs upon sheafs of hardly-organized paper.

    She blinked up at me. ¡°What does it look like?¡±

    Oh. ¡°It¡¯s wind magic¡ªlike this.¡± I snapped my claws and conjured up a circular breeze around us. ¡°But a lot more intense.¡±

    Her eyes moved from the wind past my lower arms, then widened. ¡°Renna, your papers!¡±

    I turned around, and immediately dispersed my magic. The half-organized papers were now half on the floor. All my senses, and I still missed the mundane sometimes. At least my quill in its inkpot hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, clean it up later¡ªif you have something important, we should talk about it now.¡±

    When I glanced back her way, Sonia was stifling a giggle with one slender hand. I snapped my jaw shut and coughed, moving quickly to sit down. ¡°I can still do the barrier¡ªwe might be far enough away.¡±

    Sonia¡¯s giggle burst out of confinement and she sat down next to me with an energy she suddenly seemed to just have. ¡°N-no! That¡¯s fine¡ªI don¡¯t care if we¡¯re overheard. But I guess you might?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just¡ª¡±

    She waved me off, still giggling, then froze suddenly.

    I tilted my head to one side. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I, uh¡­¡± she scrunched her face. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to say this, so give me a minute.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing!¡±

    She looked at me askance, brow furrowing and eyes meeting mine briefly. Her posture contracted on the chair, hands gripping the sides and legs tucked tightly underneath. One deep breath¡ªthen another¡ªlater, she spoke. ¡°Are you¡­ alright?¡±

    I realized I¡¯d been fidgeting with my lower hands under the table and pulled them apart. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You killed a man. And I¡¯ve heard you killed a lot of people when you first got here.¡± As she spoke, her voice steadied, and after her words, she took another breath and sat up straight, chin level and legs planted.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not like you,¡± she said with surety, and a shallow nod.

    ¡°I¡ª¡± I bit my tongue to swallow my next words. I¡¯ve changed. Why am I so ready to admit that? ¡°I had to?¡± The words felt hollow, and I pitched the verb at the end like a question.

    Sonia closed her eyes, and placed an open hand on the table. Unlike my claws, her black nails were neatly trimmed¡ªand very human. ¡°Does it bother you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I guess a little.¡± I looked out the window and blinked, eyes suddenly wet. ¡°Yeah, actually. A lot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡± She reached for one of my hands.

    I let her guide my hand into hers¡ªour skin tones were a little different when put right next to each other. ¡°How would you know?¡± Her hand¡¯s small¡ªor mine¡¯s just big.

    ¡°Dad told me. Told me he told you¡ªtoo.¡± She grasped around my hand and looked up at me. I averted my gaze, and she continued, ¡°You probably don¡¯t want to hear it, but the Church of Dhias says the same.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± My words were soft¡ªand I really, really wished I had the barrier up. Why?

    ¡°Want to talk about it?¡±

    Her words hit me like a bolt of holy magic, and I froze, staring at her hand held in mine¡ªno. My hand held in hers. ¡°I had to.¡±

    ¡°I believe you.¡±

    ¡°I had no choice.¡±

    Sonia was silent.

    ¡°Can I¡­ put up a barrier?¡± I asked.

    She nodded, brown eyes bright.

    Without fanfare, I drew upon the magic granted to me by my vow to Seyari. Sey. How do you live with this? Are you really alright?

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Once the wind was up, I tried to relax into my chair, but all I did was kink my tail. ¡°What else could I have done?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I glanced across at Sonia, and saw that her eyes were clear¡ªdetermined. ¡°How can you help then?¡±

    ¡°I can listen.¡±

    ¡°Is this about earlier?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡­ something about you was different. Had Dad not been so insistent, I¡¯d have just assumed he was wrong about you.¡± She rubbed her thumb down mine, and down the claw to the tip.

    I kept still, making sure not to cut her. I even dulled my claw a little.

    ¡°Like your claw just now.¡±

    ¡°But what I was like almost killed Seyari. And¡­ and this is different!¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± She nodded, tracing the claw again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to¡­¡± I¡¯m not going to what?

    I thought back to Vivian. How hopeful I¡¯d been to help her. Lorelei was the same¡ªheck I still wanted to help her. But would I? Could I afford to?

    ¡°They¡¯ll walk all over me if I let them¡± was what I finally came up with.

    ¡°So you killed someone to make an example?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I jerked my hand out of Sonia¡¯s grip. I felt an un-dulled claw slicing, and saw red droplets hitting the table.

    Sonia winced, and stared down at her hand, and the deep cut through one of her fingers¡ªalmost to the bone, it looked like.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a healer!¡± I jumped up, knocking the chair aside.

    Sonia shook her head. ¡°My satchel¡ªit has healing supplies in it.¡±

    ¡°Did you think this would happen?¡± My words snapped out almost like an accusation. No, not almost.

    Sonia smiled, but it looked forced. ¡°I always carry them, just in case¡ªand not just for myself. It¡¯s my duty.¡±

    Right. ¡°Sorry!¡±

    Jolted into action, I grabbed her satchel¡ªcarefully¡ªand opened it for her. She guided me through what to hand her when, and soon had her hand cleaned and bandaged. Even the blood on the table was mostly cleaned up.

    She gestured at the knocked-over chair after fixing her satchel. ¡°Sit¡­ please¡ªif you would.¡±

    I stared at her, then at my claws. Spinning the wind up again, I sat back down.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t kill the High Priest to make an example¡ª¡± Sonia cradled her injured hand. ¡°¡ªwhat would have happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­More death. I think?¡±

    ¡°Do you have the right to make that judgment?¡±

    ¡°Does anyone?¡± I hissed.

    Instead of shrinking back, Sonia finally met my gaze. ¡°No. No one does.¡±

    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do? I¡¯ve tried the alternative!¡± I almost smacked a fist into the table, but I stopped myself and held the upper arm with the lower, shaking. ¡°Seyari almost died! Twice! Not to mention my friends! And I gave him plenty of chances¡­¡±

    ¡°I believe that. Inva¡¯s still struggling with it, but¡­ I don¡¯t think you had a better choice.¡±

    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t the right thing to do.¡± I threw my hands up and hissed, unable to stop a lick of flame escaping my lips.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Sonia didn¡¯t flinch, and her eyes didn¡¯t leave my face.

    Slumping back in my chair, I threw my head forward into my hands, if only to get away from her innocent eyes. ¡°So there¡¯s no right thing! I know that!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Her voice had the slightest hitch to it.

    I looked up, chin resting on a forearm. Behind me, my tail scraped the floor as it twitched. ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of all this!¡±

    ¡°Change.¡± Sonia said the word in Cavenish, her voice strong.

    Instead of an immediate response, I bit my lip and stayed my words. With my lower arms, I pulled my tail over my lap, just to enjoy its warmth. When I looked at Sonia again, she was still staring back, but I could see her shaking.

    ¡°I¡¯ve changed. But I had to.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ when does the change stop? I¡­ I just¡ªearlier today¡ªmade sure Astrye has a semi-independent leader. A buffer so my power doesn¡¯t decide everything. Is that it? That I¡¯ll use my strength to get my way more and more?¡± I gripped my tail with my lower hands hard enough to hurt.

    ¡°You might, and you already have.¡± Sadness entered Sonia¡¯s tone, and when I dared to glance up she was looking right back at me, but not quite meeting my gaze.

    ¡°But I had to!¡± I protested.

    ¡°I agree, but what if ¡®had to¡¯ changes?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t!¡±

    Sonia nodded. ¡°But what if it does? This isn¡¯t logical, Renna.¡±

    When ¡°had to¡± changes¡­ When had it¡ªno pun intended¡ªchanged? Certainly on Torrez¡¯s ship; my first kills of humans. On my island before that, too. Then again in Lockmoth¡ªmaking judgment outside the heat of battle, being an aggressor.

    The most obvious in Gedon, with Vivian. Then I crossed my own line in Astrye¡ªfirst the cult then High Priest Grants. Now, I was ready to kill not just the cultists and my demonic opponents, but Church or militia or mercenary¡ªwhoever got in my way.

    I had to.

    Didn¡¯t I?

    I realized I was crying, and wiped at my eyes with my upper hands. ¡°So¡­¡± I choked up, and took a breath, then tried again. ¡°So how do I stop it changing? I already crossed my own lines¡ªthree times or more.¡±

    ¡°Just be aware of it.¡± Sonia closed her eyes. ¡°Be okay with regret, and that bad things can be done for good reasons. You lose yourself when you think of them as good or justified.¡±

    ¡°¡­Does the Church teach this?¡±

    ¡°In Cavenze, it does. It should everywhere, but I don¡¯t know.¡± She opened her eyes and smiled thinly. In the moment, she looked far beyond her years. ¡°That¡¯s the sort of thing that¡¯s older than Ordia. Priest Luzio taught me that, and my mom too.¡±

    ¡°So what do I do?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sonia hung her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help myself. I chuckled, then the chuckle turned into a laugh. Then a guffaw. Still bent over the table, I laughed through my tears at the awfulness of it all. At some point, Sonia¡¯s uninjured hand found itself over mine and the wind faded away.

    I killed High Priest Grants. I regret that, but I¡¯d do it again. Going forward, I need to keep in mind how far I¡¯m straying, and if I can stay the course.

    More than that, I needed to have another talk with Seyari, but Dhias, I did not have the energy for that tonight.

    When I pulled my head up, Sonia was looking out the window. Scattered clouds rolled by, borne on winds that rushed between mountain peaks. Behind them, the stars twinkled and glittered.

    ¡°Thanks, Sonia.¡±

    She looked down at me, and I felt her worry in her gaze. I also realized I¡¯d never felt any anger from her since she¡¯d gotten here.

    ¡°I hope it helped¡ªI¡¯m still new to this.¡±

    ¡°It helped, trust me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a lot more¡­ hmm.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t say.¡±

    Sonia giggled, and switched into Cavenish. ¡°No, I think I get it. And you¡¯re right!¡± The giggle died into a frown. ¡°I was so nervous I was shaking, and my hand hurts so bad I¡¯m almost crying. Held it together though!¡±

    Her hand! I looked over at the bandages. Blood was just starting to soak through them. ¡°How deep was it?¡±

    She winced. ¡°I saw bone.¡±

    I started to stand up, letting go of my abused tail. ¡°We¡¯re going to my daughter to get you healed.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she away tonight? I heard that from your friend Taava.¡±

    Oh, right. ¡°Sey¡¯s out on patrol until dawn.¡±

    ¡°What about Inva?¡± Sonia stood and pushed her chair in carefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m a mess¡­ and she sees me as, I dunno, a hero.¡± I gestured down at myself, all rumpled and teary-eyed. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to see me like this¡ªor to know that I hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I groaned. ¡°I¡­ I should be honest, huh?¡±

    ¡°You did build a reputation on it.¡± Sonia walked around to my chair, but I pushed it in before she got to it, with a mock glare for good measure.

    ¡°I want my sense of humor back.¡±

    Sonia tilted her head. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­Never mind. Where¡¯s Inva?¡±

    ¡°I know which room she¡¯s staying in, and she¡¯s probably there.¡±

    ¡°What if she¡¯s asleep?¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t be.¡±

    I winced. ¡°I think I need to talk to her, too.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Sonia smirked. She tried to hide it, but I caught the expression as it flashed across her face.

    ¡°How much of this did you plan?¡± I narrowed my eyes and gave her a mock glare.

    She giggled. ¡°None of it, actually!¡±

    Stupid serendipity.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± I walked to my mess of a desk and penned a quick ¡°will clean up later¡± on an exposed corner of something probably unimportant.

    Still cradling her hand, but wearing a smile and exuding a bright energy, Sonia led me through my own castle down toward where Inva was staying.

 Chapter 193: Warmth

    What about my title as Sovereign of Wrath?

    The thought came to me soon after I left my room with Sonia. Would what I¡¯m thinking, of restraint and care and self-reflection to avoid moving lines in the sand further and further away, actually make sense for the Sovereign of Wrath?

    Would Zerix¡¯Arranthariel behave with such restraint and altruism?

    I watched Sonia walking ahead of me. Her tension that¡¯d been around since we¡¯d first met was gone, and the only tightness in her posture came from how she cradled her injured hand. An injury I caused that she showed not a shred of anger toward. Likewise, as much as the stone suppressed my ability, I didn¡¯t feel any significant anger in the castle.

    More when I am walking about the town, but that I understood.

    It¡¯d be easy to say something as simple as ¡°I am my title, my title is not me¡± or another platitude. But it wasn¡¯t that simple. I couldn¡¯t just go back to my pre-Vivian outlook, not just for the impossibility of it, but for the necessity of an ability to be swiftly decisive.

    I also couldn¡¯t justify my means with the ends. Simple saying, ancient saying, but it¡¯d stuck around for a reason. Ultimately, I had power, I would use said power, and in turn I would hold myself and my judgment over others purely by virtue of might.

    Ugh.

    I hated it. Why couldn¡¯t I just have a cute cozy cottage somewhere in Edath with Sey and Joisse? Obviously it was because of my title.

    Not literally¡­ well, sorta. It was the same responsibility and weight my strength gave me. I¡¯d learned to allow my friends to be a part of that, to relax control. I¡¯d learned the necessity of a degree of separation between myself and humans whom I did not consider close friends.

    All this circular logic was to say that¡­

    I¡¯d be mindful.

    I¡¯d be careful.

    I¡¯d listen to others, and act with intent and restraint to continue to be a part of the society I desperately wanted to exist within.

    Because if I kept down the path justifying my actions without empathy of the opposing side, I¡¯d lose myself. Eventually, in such a case, the absolutes would begin to make sense. So I just needed to stay the course somewhere in the middle.

    To keep alive my idealism and not fall into cynicism, and to keep my damn sense of humor. Where were the puns lately? The groan-inducing remarks?

    Until Sonia had made me think I hadn¡¯t even realized where they¡¯d gone. I guess a little of the noble mask stuck to me after all, glued on by this idea that I needed to harden myself to survive.

    I¡¯m one of the most godsdamned powerful individuals on Varra¡ªwho the hell can tell me I need to give up being a softie to get things done?

    ¡­Seyari did.

    The realization hurt. Not a sharp pain, but a dull sort of ache in my heart. I wanted to think of Seyari as perfect, as always offering the words of wisdom I needed, but¡­ this was fundamental. This wasn¡¯t a small thing.

    This was her mindset. Seyari wouldn¡¯t want me to lose this part of myself, of course. I knew she wanted what she thought was best.

    But the realization that I disagreed with what was best¡ªand had good evidence I was right¡­ Well, it stung.

    Then again, it wasn¡¯t like Sey was opposite of how I wanted to be.

    Sure, I needed to understand certain situations, but I couldn¡¯t very well go about happy for all the death and destruction.

    At that point, I¡¯d seem almost like some kind of demon, and that just wouldn¡¯t do!

    I wasn¡¯t just ¡°some kind¡± of demon, I was my kind of demon, damnit!

    Looks like I haven¡¯t lost it completely.

    I basked in my own corny humor and self-actualization until Sonia asked me something.

    ¡°Sorry, I was in my head¡ªwhat¡¯d you ask?¡± I said apologetically.

    ¡°Oh, I was just wondering about your daughter. Salvador didn¡¯t mention you had a daughter, and you implied she could heal.¡±

    Dhias, I suck at keeping secrets.

    ¡°Right.¡± I let a wide grin split my face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story¡ªbut I want to tell you!¡±

    ¡°Can you at least tell me her name?¡±

    ¡°Joisse! She¡¯s, uh, well she¡¯s probably about sixteen¡ªit¡¯s hard to really judge with demons. She was involved in a contract, and a lot of magic I don¡¯t fully understand happened, but she¡¯s mine and Sey¡¯s now. More than adopted, not that otherwise would make me love my daughter any less, and¡­¡± I trailed off in the face of Sonia¡¯s bright giggles.

    She looked up at me. ¡°Dad thought you¡¯d be fine, you know. And I think you will be too, for what it¡¯s worth. You seem like a good person, Renna.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ thanks, Sonia.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯m usually the one doing this for my friends and family.¡± I scratched at a horn, uncaring of how ignoble it looked. ¡°Feels weird to be on the other side.¡±

    Sonia shrugged. ¡°Well, you know Dad. And Mom was even worse about it.¡± She put a hand up to the side of her mouth and whispered. ¡°Sometimes, when I messed up, I almost wished she¡¯d just punish me and get it over with.¡±

    I snorted. ¡°Taava¡¯s told me much the same.¡±

    ¡°Your bard friend?¡±

    ¡°¡­Something like that.¡±

    ¡°Another long story?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s just something you should hear from her, not me.¡±

    Sonia¡¯s brow furrowed, but quickly lifted with a smile. ¡°Fine by me.¡±

    We turned a corner into a rather drafty hallway and Sonia pulled her blouse a little tighter. Absentmindedly, I threw a little warmth her way. She stiffened in shock, then melted into it.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Did Salvador tell you I¡¯m also part stove?¡±

    ¡°He said part-campfire.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have those indoors, you know.¡±

    Sonia giggled, and pointed. ¡°This is Inva¡¯s room.¡±

    I waited for her to knock, but she looked at me expectantly. So, I walked over and knocked. ¡°Inva? It¡¯s Renna¡ªI was hoping we could talk.¡± I bit back the instinctive ¡°it¡¯s nothing serious¡± because it kinda was.

    We heard shuffling from inside, then a sleepy, familiar voice answered. ¡°What¡­ Renna? Is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Sonia helped me think through some things. I was hoping we could spend a little time catching up, and maybe I could assuage your worries about me.¡± I looked down at Sonia¡¯s injured hand, but before I could say anything, she shook her head. Not going to mention the injury yet then.

    Best not mention it yet, then.

    On the other side of the door, I heard Inva yawn. She took a little while to respond. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ direct.¡±

    ¡°Would you rather I beat around the bush?¡±

    ¡°I suppose not.¡± More shuffling. ¡°Right. Well, come on in then, I guess. Don¡¯t mind the mess.¡±

    With a quick glance at a nodding Sonia, I opened the door and stepped inside. Aside from a slightly disorganized pile of clothing and armor, the room was clean¡ªa bed, a nightstand, and little else. Clean and cold. The embers of a dead fire glowed softly in the fireplace, and the only other light was a small candle by a bed absolutely covered in blankets and bedding.

    On the bed, sat Inva, wrapped up and drowsy looking, with her hair mussed and nose a little red. She looked more at Sonia than at me, and Salvador¡¯s daughter gave a little wave, purposefully hiding her injured hand. Are they an item?

    ¡°Who gave you this room?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I think her name was Shyll?¡± Inva replied.

    Of course the persnickety lust demon would give the Paladin of Dhias a drafty room! I knew we had better.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you moved somewhere nicer in the morning. Sonia, are you in a room like this?¡±

    She nodded, hesitantly. ¡°Just down the hall. I know the castle¡¯s disused, so you really don¡¯t need to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. This is unacceptable. For now, though.¡± I snapped my claws and a crimson fire roared to life in the fireplace, fed as much by my mana as by the remaining bits of timber. With another thought, the warm breeze around Sonia expanded to fill the room.

    She relaxed even further, and Inva practically melted into a lump under the blankets, shivering hard once and then relaxing.

    Shyll, I will find the worst latrines for you to muck out for this.

    ¡°Is Paula in a similar room?¡±

    ¡°Across from us,¡± Sonia answered.

    ¡°One moment.¡± I got up and stepped out into the hall.

    Drawing a little on my magic, I pushed heat out into the entire wing of this floor, using wind to force warm air under doors and through the many cracks in the mortar. Once I was satisfied, I returned to Inva¡¯s room, closed the door, and sat down on the warming floor, curling my tail around, up, and over my lap.

    ¡°This will last until morning¡ªI hope. Still not too well practiced with this type of magic.¡±

    Sonia and Inva nodded, the former looking around with more than a fair bit of wonder as she sat down on the bed next to Inva. Immediately, the paladin shoved a blanket over Sonia, who had somehow still managed to keep her hand hidden. The crimson flames in the fireplace lit the room up better¡ªhopefully enough for the humans to see.

    Actually¡­ ¡°Can you two see alright?¡±

    Inva blinked a few times. ¡°I can, yes.¡±

    Sonia simply nodded.

    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s this about?¡± Inva continued.

    I bowed my head. ¡°I¡­ Sonia helped me realize that I¡¯m at great risk of going too far. And that I may have already done so.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Inva shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, and¡­ I don¡¯t know what else you could have done. High Priest Grants is¡ªwas¡ªa staunch traditionalist. I like to think you might¡¯ve been able to subdue and convince him¡­ but a battlefield is no place for conversation.¡±

    ¡°Still sucks, though.¡±

    Inva looked over at Sonia, who returned the glance with a smile. ¡°It does, but I think you¡¯ll not go too far. Thanks, Sonia.¡±

    ¡°She only needed a reminder.¡±

    Inva¡¯s eyes darted downward. ¡°Then why are you hiding your hand?¡±

    I raised a hand and spoke quickly before a misunderstanding could brew. ¡°I cut it with my claws¡ªon accident, of course.¡±

    Inva looked from me back to Sonia.

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Sonia protested, raising her bandaged hand. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks! Finger wounds bleed a lot¡ªyou know this.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Inva sighed. ¡°Give it here.¡±

    I watched quietly as Inva healed Sonia. Their eyes met, and they quickly looked away.

    When she was done, she looked down from her blanket nest perched on the bed to where I was sitting on the floor. ¡°Would you kill him again?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°I regret it, but I would rather that than risk my wife or sister¡¯s lives.¡±

    Inva¡¯s shoulder slumped. ¡°Acceptable, I suppose. Right then. I suppose that¡¯s as good as I¡¯ll get. You know the Church won¡¯t take this lying down, right?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m expecting retaliation.¡±

    ¡°What will you do then?¡±

    ¡°Claim self-defense. I¡¯ve over a dozen witnesses, church and kingsguard included.¡±

    ¡°As a demon, they will not consider you to have rights.¡±

    ¡°Some might. High Priest Yevon seems to consider me a person.¡±

    Inva paused, then loosened the blankets a little. ¡°They¡­ might then. What if they don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Then they will have damned me preemptively and without recourse.¡±

    ¡°They may not listen.¡±

    ¡°If they do, I will defend my own.¡±

    ¡°They will not stop.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t assault them in turn, only defend. They¡¯ll see reason, right?¡± I stared down at my hands and started counting off on fingers like I was trying to reach some number that¡¯d prove my point. ¡°You and Sonia and Paladin Gareth Warren and High Priest Yevon and Acolyte Kord and my own sister are proof of this. Them and more.¡±

    Didn¡¯t even get to my third hand. But, it was something, and I looked up at the pair on the bed almost like I was looking for approval. I¡¯ll need to bring this up with Sey, and I¡¯ll need an airtight argument if I want it to stick.

    ¡°Priest Herron, too,¡± Sonia added after a moment.

    ¡°Who?¡± I asked.

    She gestured with her healed hand vaguely. ¡°He¡¯s in Lockmoth. Old guy?¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Wait¡­ that guy? Really?¡±

    ¡°He helped us take down a corrupted gang leader named Vink,¡± Inva said.

    ¡°No idea who that is.¡±

    ¡°Well, he¡¯d been given a lot of power from somewhere.¡±

    I raised all four hands defensively. ¡°Not it.¡±

    Inva smiled before she could stop herself. ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t you. Regardless, the problem¡¯s dealt with.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. And¡­ is Firalex well? The others I knew at the company?¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, yes, but we didn¡¯t meet all of them.¡±

    ¡°I need to send a letter,¡± I muttered.

    Inva sighed, and the sigh turned into a barking laugh. ¡°I¡­ you might be right, Renna. About the Church. If Herron can change, anyone can. Though you still killed a high priest.¡±

    I raised a finger. ¡°In self-defense.¡±

    ¡°Right. Regardless, there¡¯s going to be a reckoning.¡±

    ¡°Will you side with me?¡± I asked. ¡°Not to be blunt, but you¡¯ll probably be kicked out if you do.¡±

    Inva closed her eyes and took a long breath in and out. With bedhead and wrapped in blankets, any serious effect was completely lost. ¡°I¡¯ll stay neutral in this.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Sonia burst out. ¡°Why!?¡±

    ¡°Think of what we¡¯d lose toward demon-blooded rights, Sonia.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not untrue, though,¡± I added. ¡°But whatever decision you make is yours to make. So long as you stay within my domain you¡¯ll have my protection. And my friendship, if you¡¯ll allow it.¡±

    Sonia pouted. ¡°We¡¯ll need to talk to Paula in the morning.¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯ll be able to get her to side against me?¡±

    ¡°Yes! And that¡¯s two votes to three.¡±

    Inva sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide this for me.¡±

    Sonia pouted harder, leaning forward.

    ¡°¡­But I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Inva leaned into it, her nose almost touching Sonia.

    To someone else, they¡¯d look like rivals. To me, it reminded me of early in my relationship with Seyari. I really need to talk to her when she gets back¡ªand I should try to talk to Paula again in the morning, too.

    I stood up, smiling. ¡°Are we good then?¡±

    Inva jolted, then blushed. ¡°Oh, uhm, what?¡±

    Sonia just giggled.

    I put my lower hands on my hips and crossed my upper arms under my bust. ¡°Am I a person who¡¯s made tough decisions worthy of regret and reflection rather than a monster?¡±

    Inva blinked rapidly. ¡°Oh! Right, uhm¡­ yes? Yes. I think so anyway.¡± She pointed at Sonia, but was so close she poked her chest instead, and immediately turned beet red. ¡°T-this one¡¯s got a good moral compass, so listen to her.¡±

    Sonia¡¯s mouth opened a little in surprise, only to close swiftly as she flushed a deeper crimson. ¡°Y-you¡¯ll do fine, Renna. I think so too.¡±

    I smiled again, showing all my teeth¡ªthe flinches they gave didn¡¯t disappoint. ¡°Great! Like I said, the warming spell should stick around for a while yet, so get some good sleep and we¡¯ll get you moved in the morning. If you need anything, I¡¯ll be up all night trying to figure out how many more weeks of grain we have left and how to ration it.¡±

    ¡°You should sleep,¡± Inva said as I reached the door.

    I chuckled. ¡°Sleep is for mortals. No, but really¡ªI¡¯ll be fine. I sleep every other night or so.¡±

    Inva and Sonia both glared at me.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll see if I can sneak in a few hours tonight,¡± I conceded, scratching at a horn.

    They nodded, and I left the room giggling. For a moment, I looked at Paula¡¯s door, then shook my head. She needed sleep more than I did; waiting until morning would be best. With that decided, I walked back toward my chambers, resolving first to take a little detour and find a certain lust demon who¡¯d acted out of line.

 Chapter 194: Not Conceit(ed)

    It took the better part of half an hour of standing next to her, glowering, before Shyll started cleaning the latrines. She¡¯d absolutely left the moment I¡¯d stopped observing, but I also didn¡¯t care to punish myself by standing out there all evening.

    So I¡¯d returned to mine and Sey¡¯s room to get work done. Predawn light was coloring the edges of the night sky when Seyari returned.

    She landed gracefully, folded her red-feathered wings with a reverent glance back at them, and walked inside, softly closing the door behind her.

    ¡°Not sleeping tonight?¡± she asked me.

    I thought back to my promise to Sonia and felt a twinge of guilt. ¡°I was going to try soon¡ªwanted to see if you found anything on patrol first.¡±

    Seyari strode into the middle of the room and began disrobing without preamble. ¡°Nothing. Which sucks. Whoever sent those mercs either gave up or is planning something bigger, and Envy and Avarice have either given up or are biding their time for the next attack. No fucking way it¡¯s the first option for either of them.¡±

    I furrowed my brow and blushed at the way her eyes almost dared me to watch her undress. ¡°Did you see anyone on the pass?¡±

    She shrugged, then stretched, her wings filling a lot of the big room¡¯s space. ¡°Couple of Church goons. Figured you¡¯d be able to handle them. Didn¡¯t look like a punitive force.¡±

    I stood up. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit callous, Sey?¡±

    She blinked her golden eyes. ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°That group was Inva, the paladin from Gedon who¡¯s like me, and Sonia, Salvador¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°There were three.¡± Her smile faltered a little.

    ¡°Third one¡¯s Paula, from the Gelles Company.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°A merc who tried to get me kicked out and-slash-or killed for being a demon.¡±

    Sey sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°The fuck is she with them then?¡±

    ¡°Wanted to apologize.¡± I walked and sat down next to her.

    ¡°And you believed her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Sey¡ª¡± I looked over at my wife, a lump building in my throat. ¡°¡ªI did.¡±

    Seyari sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll get Taava to figure out what she¡¯s really up to.¡± She looked up at me, and placed a cold hand on my cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve got to stop being so trusting, you know?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Sey. I¡­ geez, I don¡¯t know how to say this.¡± I rubbed at the back of my neck, tail twitching awkwardly somewhere in the mussed bedding behind me. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna keep making myself harder and harder. Or, uh, more jaded and cynical¡¯s probably better.¡±

    Her expression softened, sadness creeping in. ¡°Renna, you can¡¯t just get your innocence and naivety back. You¡¯ve been doing great lately!¡± She rubbed at the small of my back, tracing claw-like nails up between shoulder blades. ¡°Decisive! Strong!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not me though, Sey!¡±

    ¡°People change, Renna!¡± She chuckled. ¡°You said it yourself, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to stop being a person though!¡±

    ¡°Just because you¡¯ve killed some people? They didn¡¯t give you a choice. If you can forgive me for all I¡¯ve done, then I and everyone else can forgive you.¡±

    ¡°Like you said, Sey, people change.¡± I hugged her to me with my two right arms, and she wrapped her wing around us. ¡°That¡¯s why I forgave you. But this is me, now, changing in a direction that could be wrong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± Seyari huffed.

    ¡°Not yet!¡±

    ¡°Then stop it before it gets there.¡± She threw her hands up. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you would say?¡±

    Oh geez, it is what I¡¯d say. But¡­ I thought of Sonia, and wrapped my tail over both of us. ¡°Look, this is hard to explain. But¡­ I¡¯ve crossed my own lines multiple times, and with increasing frequency. The problem isn¡¯t that I¡¯ve gone too far¡ªwhich I arguably have¡ªit¡¯s that my attitude toward my own morality is shifting.¡±

    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± Sey looked down at my tail, then pulled it closer to her, playing with the spaded tip. ¡°Your heart needs to be hard enough to make tough decisions, Renna. You know this.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t!¡± I shot back.

    Seyari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s all this coming from?¡±

    ¡°That!¡± I pointed at her with a free hand.

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ well yes, but in the opposite direction and¡­ Look, okay, how many bad puns have I made this week?¡±

    Seyari furrowed her brow and stopped playing with my tail¡¯s spade. ¡°I¡­ certainly a few?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t even remember! That means they weren¡¯t even inspired with how bad they were. That¡¯s the problem!¡± I pointed a finger up like I¡¯d hit right on it, but Seyari just looked back at me, confused.

    ¡°No, really, who put this in your head, Renna?¡±

    I caught a flash of anger from her. ¡°No, wait. I got sidetracked. Look¡ª¡±

    ¡°Explain, Renna.¡± More anger.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting to it.¡± I clapped my two left hands together. ¡°The problem is exactly that kind of paranoia and an immediate reaction to use at the very least the threat of violence to¡ª¡±

    Bang!

    Sey and I turned toward the door at inhuman speed.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Shyll¡¯s voice came through, a little muffled.

    ¡°Boss!¡± Taava¡¯s voice was hardly any clearer, and followed by a hiss.

    ¡°We¡¯re kinda busy!¡± I shouted back.

    Outside, I could hear more scuffling.

    ¡°Look, Boss¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªdon¡¯t care if you¡¯re¡±

    ¡°¡ªfuckin¡¯¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªbrains out¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªwe¡¯ve got¡ª¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°¡ªproblem!¡±

    ¡°¡ªDemon!¡±

    Well, shit.

    ¡°Go,¡± Seyari said. ¡°You can take care of this.¡±

    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t done¡ª¡±

    I heard the doorhandle jiggling, and more loud knocks resounded throughout the room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Seyari said, yawning. ¡°Unlike you, I need to sleep sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Promise me?¡±

    She waved me toward the door and slipped out of our embrace. ¡°Mhm.¡±

    Shit. ¡°Coming!¡±

    Not a second later, I threw the door open. ¡°What?!¡±

    Standing on the other side, Taava had Shyll in a headlock, and the latter was struggling to escape without using strength that¡¯d give away her true nature. The former looked like she¡¯d come out of a mud pit, and the latter the baths. Taava¡­ well not all of it was mud from the smell.

    Which would probably go a long way to explaining some things. Except the demon.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I closed the door behind me and stepped out into the hall.

    ¡°You got dressed fas¡ª¡± Shyll was cut off by Taava squeezing a little tighter.

    ¡°Sorry for cuttin¡¯ latrine duty, but you¡¯ve got one hell of a guest¡ªand unless ya cut me and everyone else outta the loop, she ain¡¯t expected.¡± Taava smiled up at me, almost pleading.

    ¡°Is she violent?¡± They both shook their heads, Shyll struggling due to the headlock. Good, then I can get this sorted first. ¡°Shyll was on latrine duty, Taava.¡±

    Shyll¡¯s face paled, and she stuttered before the headlock got tighter. With a roll of her eyes she seemed to come to a decision. Before she broke Taava¡¯s arm, I tapped it myself.

    Taava released Shyll, who fell to the ground and did a fantastic job imitating a struggle for breath.

    ¡°She¡¯ll get latrines again next week. Go take a bath.¡±

    Taava beamed, and actually purred a little.

    ¡°You should¡­ know what Taava did, though,¡± Shyll said with a wicked smile. ¡°She¡ª¡±

    ¡°Did something illegal, immoral, or wickedly unfunny. Yeah, I get it.¡± I pulled the lust demon in disguise up off the floor, roughly. ¡°But if I didn¡¯t hear of it because someone didn¡¯t report what they knew, then as far as I¡¯m concerned Taava got away with it fair and square.¡±

    Taava laughed. ¡°Really? Oh, you¡¯re the best, Boss! By the way¡ªit was too funny!¡±

    I pressed a hand against my forehead. ¡°Do whatever you did again and see if you get away with it.¡±

    The kazzel snorted. ¡°Pfft, yeah fine. I get it. Gonna walk the straight ¡®n narrow from now on.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°If you want to, but I¡¯m neither straight nor narrow, so I don¡¯t care. Now, it looks like I have a guest to receive?¡±

    Shyll looked at me aghast. Taava just kept laughing.

    ¡°Sey¡¯s joke not mine¡­ No, really! Uhh, look, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m getting back into the swing of things?¡±

    ¡°Missed a pun there, Boss!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to go to the showers or the latrines, Taava?¡±

    She saluted then took off down the hall at a run.

    ¡°Shyll, details.¡±

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a terrible judge of character, Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± I smiled, hissing a little fire between clenched teeth, ¡°that¡¯s one of the few things I¡¯m good at. Regardless, before you go back and finish the job, where¡¯s the guest and do you know anything?¡±

    ¡°Downstairs somewhere. Told her to go wait in a room, but she just kept walking around. Utraxia¡¯s bitches never fuckin¡¯ listen to their betters.¡± She dusted her outfit off, grimacing at a dark stain around the collar. ¡°You know you¡¯re pretty scary with the whole ¡®breathing fire when you¡¯re pissed¡¯ thing.¡±

    Utraxia, huh? Looks like Conceit¡¯s getting involved in all this. Hopefully a messenger is an olive branch, not a knife.

    ¡°That¡¯s kinda the point.¡± I looked down at my rumpled clothing. ¡°Can I take a moment to get dressed?¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡±

    ¡°I will then. You¡¯re dismissed to latrine duty.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m not actually gonna clean them.¡±

    I leaned down. ¡°If you don¡¯t clean them, Seyari will be assigning your tasks from now on.¡±

    Shyll stuck her chin up. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of a mortal?¡±

    I snorted. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna regret that.¡±

    Shyll shrugged and sauntered off down the hallway. I ducked back inside quickly¡ªSeyari was already snoring quietly, so I disrobed and looked for a familiar dress. Was I overusing one dress?

    Absolutely.

    But the other option was armor that¡¯d set the furniture on fire or a blouse that needed a wash days ago. Passing the sniff test after a liberal application of cleansing fire, I walked downstairs.

    On the way, the castle was still, like it was holding its breath. Despite the late hour, it seemed¡­ ominous. I hastened my pace, moving a little faster than human decorum would permit.

    Shortly, I arrived at the main hall, still empty and with some scaffolding still up. Standing in the center, seeming to be taking an interest in the exposed stonework, was a woman who was clearly a demon.

    She was actually taller than I was¡ªby at least a head¡ªwith a slender figure and a quartet of smooth, upward-pointed horns polished to a mirror shine rising from her temples. Her feet were hooved, and her skin the color of glacial ice. Unlike other demons I¡¯d seen, her claws looked as though they¡¯d been filed down. Her bullwhip-like tails¡ªall three of them¡ªwere adorned with silver rings, matching the accessories sprinkled tastefully around her fine-looking bright white blouse and trousers.

    When she turned my way, it was with a deliberate slowness that barely moved her waist-length, loose white hair. Her face was almost cervine with the shape of her nose and the slant of her mercury-colored eyes. The deep black of her sclera was almost harsh against her winter palette.

    She gave a very shallow bow and looked up with eyes that glowed with aura sight. Silver eyes widening, her placid expression gave way to a gaping mouth and she stumbled backward a step before catching herself on her tails.

    ¡°Y-you¡ª¡± Her voice rang like an icicle hit by a mallet: sharply, and briefly.

    I sensed no anger, and she didn¡¯t seem hostile. ¡°I have a parlor, if you¡¯d like to chat.¡±

    The demon woman composed herself remarkably quickly. ¡°Certainly.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about the low doors,¡± I started, walking toward the nearby parlor I¡¯d received Sonia and friends the previous day.

    ¡°And ceilings!¡± she hissed, mouth twisting into a sharp-toothed frown. ¡°I understand humans are lacking, but I should not have to debase myself simply to walk inside.¡±

    I chuckled, and she seemed to catch herself, going placid once again. ¡°You can relax, you know. I don¡¯t bite much.¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    I rolled my eyes, and opened the parlor door. ¡°Please, make yourself comfortable¡­¡± I tilted my head, fishing for a name.

    ¡°Quiraxa,¡± she said evenly.

    I closed the door, and as soon as it shut, she hissed a sigh. ¡°Can I get you anything?¡±

    ¡°I doubt you would have anything I want.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Why are you here of all places, Wrath?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the marchioness of this region.¡±

    Quiraxa chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, you know. And the mortals know as well.¡±

    ¡°And they tolerate you? Just what have you promised the cretins?¡±

    There¡¯s the flash of anger. I activated aura sight and saw a flurry of white: cold white, the kind that¡¯s blue at the edges. So this was what a conceit aura looked like.

    I snuffed her anger, hard enough she had to notice, and I met Quiraxa¡¯s eyes. ¡°You will not disrespect my people, some of whom are good friends, in my march. I have promised to be the best marchioness I can be and keep Astrye safe from the mess they¡¯ve been dragged into by associating with me.¡±

    She stared at me for a moment before breaking away; she said nothing and didn¡¯t apologize.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to make this confrontational.¡± I sighed and leaned back into the lounge. ¡°So don¡¯t start about the damage to this castle¡ªmost of it was done by me anyway¡ªor the state of the city unless you¡¯re asking why.¡±

    ¡°Why then?¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve guessed as much. First, I¡¯d like to know why you¡¯re here.¡±

    She stood, horns scraping the ceiling, and gave a flourishing bow. ¡°My Sovereign, Utraxia, sent me. We¡¯ve squatters in our demesne, and rumor has it the cause is in this human village.¡±

    Squatters this far south? It¡¯s almost too convenient, but could it be¡­

    I blinked. ¡°Oh¡­ oh! Right, well¡­ an older human and another 4-armed greater wrath demon?¡±

    ¡°Among others. To think you¡¯ve such shoddy control over your¡ª¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s bound.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± She continued to look down her chin at me.

    ¡°Do you do this to every Sovereign you meet?¡±

    The placid gaze in her eyes faltered; she turned her head and coughed.

    ¡°Would it kill you to apologize?¡±

    She sait up straighter, tails shifting neatly to one side of her. ¡°I do not believe one is warranted.¡±

    I smacked my head into my hand. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re definitely conceit.¡±

    ¡°Pride.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Pride. Not conceit. It is earned.¡±

    ¡°...Right.¡± I squared my shoulders. ¡°Pride then. Apologies, Quiraxa. I¡¯ve no intent to demean you.¡±

    She preened. ¡°You are much more civil than what I have been told of wrath demons.¡±

    ¡°I get that a lot.¡±

    She tilted her head.

    I gestured at the castle around us. ¡°Mortals, other demons, you name it. Seems like it¡¯s a shock¡ª¡± I waved my hands in front of me. ¡°¡ªthat the Sovereign of Wrath has a handle on her Wrath.¡±

    At that, Quiraxa nodded seriously. ¡°I understand. You will take care of the squatters, yes?¡±

    I leaned forward. ¡°Oh very yes. Just tell us where they are and we¡¯ll get rid of them.¡±

    Her brows raised. ¡°Oh¡­ oh! Wonderful!¡± She seemed genuine, hopefully a good sign.

    ¡°Did you expect pushback?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Liar.

    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±

    I made up a quick excuse. ¡°Dreaming of slaughter.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡±

    Of course you do. ¡°So¡­ where are they?¡±

    Quiraxa relaxed into the lounge opposite mine¡ªat least as much as she could given her stature. ¡°I can direct you there, but first, I recall you said you would describe the reason behind your village and castle¡¯s sorry state?¡±

    I held my tongue for a moment. Giving away more than needed would be bad, possibly very bad. At the same time, this could be an opportunity to get Utraxia onto my side.

    Unless that made Ov join in to even the scales. I definitely need to contact Lilly and see what she thinks.

    ¡°Enemies of mine attacked while I was away,¡± I offered.

    Quiraxa met my gaze and leaned forward, scoffing when I offered no further explanation. ¡°Your vassals are weak then.¡±

    ¡°Precisely why I¡¯m trying to recruit more.¡±

    She smirked. ¡°Deal with our problem, and my master may deign to receive you.¡±

    I smiled, showing all my sharp teeth and, unsurprisingly, Quiraxa didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°I look forward to it. Now, about the squatters¡¯ whereabouts¡­¡±

 Chapter 195: A Lead, A Risk

    When Quiraxa told me where the ¡°squatters¡± were¡­ I had no idea what landmarks she was referencing. Of course it¡¯d make sense we wouldn¡¯t use the same place names. In fact, she only even knew modern Ordian because the study of languages related deeply to what had apparently been the largest soul shard during her formation.

    Which was something I was surprised she¡¯d be candid about; my surprise quickly turned to regret when she waxed on about it. Not passionately or dispassionately, but with an aura that reminded me of the smuggest of teachers I¡¯d ever had¡­ or Taava on a bad day.

    By the time I¡¯d steered the conversation back toward trying to reconcile the shapes of specific peaks and locations of rivers to maybe path out a way to what I was quickly learning was quite far south, I was starting to realize a terrible problem.

    Getting to Mordwell would take time we might not have.

    Obviously with Lorelei still with him and any number of other greater demons¡ªperhaps even Envy themself¡ªboth Seyari and I would need to go. Even if just us went, that would leave my daughter, Nelys, and a bunch of people who were notably not evenly matched with a greater demon to fight off any incursions into the partially-ruined city.

    What if whoever hired the mercenaries managed to hire more people who blocked off the pass, causing Duchess Arina¡¯s aid to be intercepted? What if the Church of Dhias, who was absolutely going to undertake retaliatory action for my killing of High Priest Grants, managed to get a sizeable punitive force through Edath despite King Carvalon¡¯s denial of their authority?

    Can I even leave this city?

    A flash of anger. ¡°You are not listening to me.¡±

    I glanced up at the assertion. ¡°Apologies, Quiraxa. I am merely thinking through the logistics of such a journey.¡±

    ¡°Provided you do not, for some incoherent reason, take mortals with you, I fail to see how it could last longer than two weeks. And furthermore, while I appreciate your acceptance to rid our lands of these pests, you are their cause and thus it is your responsibility.¡±

    The way she almost hissed out the words, and that her eyes bored into mine despite our difference in demonic hierarchy, made me decide not to question the veracity of her point. ¡°I do not plan to take mortals with me, no.¡± I didn¡¯t mention Sey, or what she was.

    Still shouldn¡¯t trust Quiraxa fully. Her tails were a little reminiscent of an Envy demon I¡¯d killed, but she felt different from that¡ªand looked nothing alike besides. Would someone judge horns or claws similarly?

    ¡°Good,¡± Quiraxa replied after a long pause. ¡°But I fail to see why you would be so rude. I had thought you quicker of wit than the beasts under your yoke, Wrath.¡±

    The cocky glint in her eyes wilted underar my glare. ¡°Did you miss the part where I have a city full of mortals I am responsible for?¡±

    ¡°N-no, I did not,¡± she stuttered, scrabbling for the scraps of her composure. ¡°That¡­ is simply inconsequential to the matter at hand.¡±

    ¡°If I leave, and my enemies move against me, all could be lost.¡±

    She tilted her head. ¡°They would follow you to the south? If they dare to enter Utraxia¡¯s demesne to assault our guest, I assure you retaliation would be swift and decisive.¡±

    I wanted to smack my hand against my face, but I settled for a fiery sigh pushed out through clenched teeth. This assumption that the people of Astrye couldn¡¯t possibly be important, more than anything, proved just how inhuman Quiraxa was. And that I wasn¡¯t like that¡ªwhich was quite the comforting thought.

    ¡°I mean they would attack the city¡ª¡± I continued when I saw her open her mouth to retort ¡°¡ªand I do not want to get another one. I rather like it here.¡±

    For a moment, she stared at me, then she nodded. ¡°The mountains are beautiful, yes. Particularly in winter. Still, you must understand your obligations.¡±

    Don¡¯t fight it¡ªshe¡¯s your best lead. ¡°I do,¡± I half-lied, then continued in my most ¡°marchioness¡± tone of voice. ¡°I am merely trying to consider the division of forces. Bringing one or two elites with me should suffice for such a threat, and will make the remediation all the swifter.¡±

    That earned a smile. Probably had enough pointlessly-flowery words in it. ¡°So you will leave¡­¡±

    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°When my wife wakes up.¡± She¡¯d want me to wake her, but she needs the sleep.

    Other than a quirked eyebrow, Quiraxa didn¡¯t comment, and continued as though I hadn¡¯t mentioned my spouse. ¡°When will that be?¡±

    Huh¡­. Oh. Yeah, I could see that being a problem if I were trying to swindle her. ¡°Probably four hours, and if she¡¯s not up in six I¡¯ll go wake her.¡±

    Quiraxa narrowed her eyes.

    I sighed and jerked two thumbs backwards. ¡°She¡¯s literally asleep in bed upstairs having gotten back recently from an all-night patrol. She usually sleeps about four hours every other night. I¡¯m not trying to pull a fast one on you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Acceptable.¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I held up one clawed finger. ¡°I do, however, have one condition. Can you fly?¡±

    She blinked. ¡°My form¡¯s perfection does not include wings.¡±

    And she¡¯s not even going to mention her magic being unable to allow such a thing because I bet she can¡¯t think of a way to spin it.

    ¡°My condition is thus: we will fly there, and I will carry you.¡± Sure, her height¡¯ll be an issue, but from the sky, surely she¡¯ll be able to recognize mountaintops even if the rest is from a never-before-seen view.

    Quiraxa¡¯s jaw dropped open. ¡°Absolutely not! I am not some invalid!¡±

    ¡°Then you can fly under your own power?¡±

    She drew her shoulders up and gestured down at her very long, hooved legs. ¡°I am a swift runner.¡±

    I raised my brows and leaned forward. ¡°So that¡¯s a ¡®no¡¯?¡±

    ¡°My perfection does not¡ª¡±

    ¡°So no then.¡±

    Instead of admitting fault, she glared at me, and I felt her anger pulsing. With a decent amount of effort I hopefully didn¡¯t let show on my face, I fanned the flames, then snuffed them out.

    Her face ran through a range of emotions before settling on neutrality barely hiding a bit of fear.

    How can I spin this? ¡°Should you accept, you would have the honor of using the Sovereign of Wrath as a flying pack beast, directing her flight.¡±

    To my relieved surprise, Quiraxa relaxed her posture a little, sinking into the seat while her tail-tips idly flicked in thought. ¡°Such an arrangement would hasten the problem¡¯s rectification¡­ Very well then, I agree.¡±

    She sure turned around fast. ¡°Great! Shake on it?¡±

    Quiraxa blinked at me and tilted her head. ¡°If you wish.¡±

    I stuck out a hand and she grasped it in hers, clearly familiar with the motion if not the necessity. Nevertheless, while not a formal contract, I felt the weight of the agreement. Didn¡¯t mean much, but it was something. At the very least, I hadn¡¯t given away much about my own strength.

    ¡°I presume you have accommodations such that my wait will not be made in discomfort?¡±

    I thought about the low ceilings in most of the castle. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the human construction of this place leaves it with low ceilings and lower doors.¡±

    ¡°I noticed the horn-shaped dents in the wood outside, yes. They looked fresh, and the ridge pattern matched your own.¡±

    I fought a blush and lost, coughing. ¡°Ahem. Uh, yeah¡ªthat was me. Anyway! Would you mind staying here if refreshments are provided?¡±

    Quiraxa tapped the stone floor with one hoof, the loud clicking sound¡¯s echo mostly muffled by the room¡¯s furniture. ¡°Am I to sit in silent contemplation on inadequate furniture while I drink and eat what I do not need and surely will not please my palate?¡±

    I wanted so, so badly to just shrug and say ¡°yeah¡±, but I needed her not pissed off. ¡°I have urgent business before I can leave, and unless you wish to accompany me and be seen as an ally by anyone who may be watching, then I¡¯m afraid I can do little else save for providing what few books we have here along with the tea.¡±

    She quirked an eyebrow, an expression that she was infuriatingly well-practiced with. ¡°Human books?¡±

    There are demon books? Wait, don¡¯t think about that right now. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Intriguing.¡± The eyebrow lowered¡ªexpertly. ¡°Very well. Your hospitality has been¡­ lacking, but not for lack of trying, and I am nothing if not a gracious guest.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful! I will have a servant come by shortly, and if you need anything more specific, ask for Taava.¡± With another smile, I rose and headed for the door. ¡°I will return before four hours¡¯ time is up, and we will leave as soon as the conditions are fulfilled.¡±

    Thankfully, I hadn¡¯t forgotten about Lilly¡¯s feud with Utraxia. Absolutely because of my steel-trap memory and not all because of how Shyll talked about Quiraxa. So long as she stayed and actually finished mucking out the latrines, they wouldn¡¯t come into contact.

    I closed the door behind me and let out a groan. Shyll is absolutely going to bump into Quiraxa, and I have this nagging feeling that I¡¯m forgetting something.

    As I expected, Taava had been eavesdropping. Almost literally, as she¡¯d wedged herself up in the crook of one of the hallway¡¯s support beams right above me. I barely even noticed her despite my senses.

    With a flick of a finger, I conjured up a wind around both of us. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that in an eave, you know.¡±

    She dropped down silently beside me. ¡°Figured there was a high chance of one or more a ya comin¡¯ barrelin¡¯ right outta there and I didn¡¯t much care ta be plaster.¡±

    ¡°You heard it all?¡±

    She saluted. ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Great! Get her some books, make sure there¡¯s tea made¡ª¡±

    ¡°Already got someone ta get it steepin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡ªThank you. Anyway, do that and try to keep our guest happy until I can find Razz and talk city defense with her. Also tell Nelys and Joisse and Sonia, Inva, and Paula¡­ crap.¡±

    Taava blinked. ¡°That¡¯s a bad joke even for you, Boss.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m supposed to talk to Paula this morning, but that¡¯s not going to happen now. Not until we get back probably.¡±

    ¡°Got any heartfelt messages ya need sent her way?¡±

    ¡°A couple.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± She gave me a wide smile, capped with sharp canines.

    ¡°Never mind then.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re cruel, Boss.¡±

    I smiled wickedly. ¡°Demonic Sovereigns tend to be like that, yeah. Well, some of them anyway.¡±

    ***

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    I blinked at Razz, slouching into the too-small chair that blessedly had a hole for my tail. The dim little dining room¡¯s claustrophobic warmth suddenly seemed a little more comfortable. ¡°I¡­ thank you, Razz.¡±

    Astrye¡¯s new mayor shrugged, leaning back into her own well-worn chair. ¡°Could say I did it since you¡¯d take the chance with or without approval, but really, it¡¯s fine. Good, even. You saw how it is out there.¡± She gestured out the window, the corners of its many tiny panes dusted with snow. In the distance, the main square was visible, but dark spots of vacant and damaged buildings stuck out like missing teeth without the lights of hearth and candle. ¡°Either we wait here at the mercy of everything that¡¯s suddenly trying to kill us, or we do something about it.

    ¡°This is something¡ªand it¡¯s decisive, which is good. Doesn¡¯t give folks time to think. But¡­¡± She leaned forward, ears flattening.

    I leaned in to match her, and whispered, ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯d better win, yeah? I won¡¯t let it catch on that this could all be a ruse, but for all our sake, even if it is, you¡¯d better come out of this with the culprit¡¯s head on a pike.¡±

    I nodded somberly. ¡°Yeah. I will.¡±

    ¡°Promise?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I can¡ªI don¡¯t know enough.¡±

    Razz sighed. ¡°Damn. Guess it¡¯d be two-faced to ask for honesty and then get on you because you won¡¯t lie about a promise.¡± Despite all that, she smiled. ¡°Now get out of here. I¡¯ve got a lot of prep that needs doing, and I¡¯ll expect Nelys and Joisse to get involved too.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Razz.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet.¡±

    I stood. ¡°Sure.¡±

    When I left her, Brynna, and Keran¡¯s home, she followed, locking the door behind her before walking purposefully toward the city center as the predawn light gave way to a sunrise.

    As for me, I had to find Nelys and Joisse, check in on Quiraxa, and slip in to see Paula before Seyari got up. There was an outside chance my wife would be too suspicious to go for the plan, but I had to convince her. On top of that, after Paula had made such a journey to get here, I wasn¡¯t about to spit in the face of her effort¡ªI had to pay her a visit.

    I took a deep breath of crisp mountain air, held it, and released it slowly. Here¡¯s to hoping this doesn¡¯t all blow up in our faces.

 Chapter 196: The What If

    The first place I checked was the sitting room where Quiraxa was staying. To my relief, she was laying calmly down across two sofas¡ªangled so they were almost long enough for her height¡ªdrinking steaming tea and reading one of Seyari¡¯s books.

    From the way her tail-tips twitched, and the fact that she only offered me a quick glance upward without complaint or vitriol, I had a feeling she might¡¯ve even been enjoying herself. On the way out, I ran into Shyll, smelling of strong soap, her black hair and wolf-like ears still damp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I told her, gesturing to the room. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be disturbed.¡±

    ¡°What if she calls for something?¡± there was a mischievous glint in her eyes.

    I do not have time for this. I hated the idea of giving in to what amounted to a threat of sabotage, but I needed things to go smoothly. If anything, I had a sneaking suspicion that Lilly would take my side over hers when inevitably we next met.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re off for the rest of the day, you won¡¯t need to answer her. Taava is on it.¡±

    ¡°That cat?¡± She leaned forward. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t see what you see in her.¡±

    ¡°I see someone who is a reliable ally despite her demeanor.¡±

    She sucked in a breath dramatically, eyes glinting.

    Before she could utter a sound, I lunged forward, two arms grabbing hers, a third sweeping her legs from under her, and the fourth clamping over her mouth. She writhed, but I was stronger and carried her far enough away I was certain we wouldn¡¯t be heard¡ªand old, mostly-empty storeroom. Just in case, I put up a wind ward anyway.

    By now, she was feigning getting into how I was roughly carrying her, so I dropped her unceremoniously on the cold stone floor.

    She bounced up and glared, her lupael guise unwavering. ¡°You know¡ª¡±

    ¡°Contact Lilly,¡± I told her. ¡°We¡¯ll need reinforcements to help defend Astrye while Seyari and I are gone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, Taava told me as much.¡± She dusted off her dress and made to leave.

    I grabbed her arm. ¡°I know that I may seem like a pushover, Shyll. But nice does not mean spineless; you are here on Lilly¡¯s orders for a specific job and I am damn lenient with how little oversight I give you. If I find out you damaged this chance at stopping Mordwell because of a petty feud with Utraxia¡¯s faction, I will send an apology note to Lilly, and include your head in the box. Am I understood?¡±

    Her defiant smile vanished when her eyes met mine. ¡°¡­You¡¯re serious.¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡±

    ¡°Going to let you go, because you are a trusted servant of a woman for whom I have great respect and it is through that respect that I am allowing you to walk out of here instead of chaining you up until our guest leaves.¡±

    For a long moment, Shyll stared at me. ¡°I understand, Sovereign. You know, you almost fit the part sometimes.¡±

    ¡°It might surprise you¡ª¡± I chuckled darkly. ¡°¡ªbut that¡¯s very much on purpose. Now go enjoy your night off.¡±

    Shyll blinked. ¡°You¡¯re still gonna give me the night off?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Feels unfair to punish you for something you might do. Especially since you¡¯re not thinking about letting certain key facts slip anymore, right?¡±

    The precocious brat actually looked a little apologetic, and I was caught off guard by her serious, curt nod. Though I didn¡¯t fail to see a hint of a smile forming.

    ¡°You make one more cheeky comment, and I will defenestrate you through a window that does not yet exist.¡±

    Swallowing her words, smile widening, Shyll took her leave as I dispelled my magic. Why in the heavens does Lilly think she¡¯s trustworthy? Oh well, problem avoided. Probably.

    I took a moment to straighten my own clothes before walking quickly to Paula¡¯s room, trying and failing not to worry about Shyll. I didn¡¯t find the mercenary there, but a servant pointed me to the courtyard. There in the snow, I found her hacking away at a practice dummy with a sword just too short to be called ¡°long.¡± Her anger pulsed with each thrust, louder even than the thump-thump of metal striking old wood.

    She noticed me approaching and gave a sidelong glance. ¡°So you actually showed up.¡±

    ¡°Sonia and Inva told you I wanted to talk, didn¡¯t they?¡±

    She struck the target again with a grunt, form loose, but practiced. ¡°Didn¡¯t need them to tell me¡ªand I wanted it too.¡±

    For a moment, I stared at her, unsure of what to do as she seemingly went back to training. Her anger was still there, but surprisingly it¡¯d calmed down.

    ¡°Grab a weapon,¡± Paula said without looking over at me. ¡°And try not to break the dummy too fast¡ªI¡¯ve got a lot I need to get off my chest.¡±

    I looked around and spied a small rack of well-worn training weapons under an awning. One wooden sword later, I was standing in front of a wooden training dummy trying to remember the fundamentals Sey had given me.

    Paula, still practicing in her leather armor, watched me staring at the wooden weapon. ¡°You even know how to swing it?¡±

    Not really. ¡°A little.¡±

    ¡°Then have at it.¡±

    I stared at the well-worn dummy; I really didn¡¯t want to be the reason it had to be replaced. ¡°Just figuring out how much force to use, I guess.¡±

    The experienced mercenary rolled her eyes and eased up on her stance, almost dropping her own training weapon when she tried to slide it into a sheath that wasn¡¯t there, before walking over to me. ¡°Here. I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    The question seemed to catch Paula off guard, and she took a moment to reply. ¡°Need something to do with my hands. Too much on my mind. Now, turn your shoulders like this. That practice sword¡¯s hardly bigger than a dagger for you, but we¡¯ll make it work.¡±

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    I followed her motion, and she started to teach me how to swing. As a reminder, it was good, and she explained things well enough that soon I was swinging alongside her. Thankfully, I¡¯d gotten at least close to human strength in mind so my blows weren¡¯t too off-kilter from Paula¡¯s own, even if the rhythm was off.

    Slowly, but surely, it fell in line, however. How much of that was her matching me versus the other way around, I didn¡¯t know. But I leaned into it, focusing down enough that I almost missed it when Paula started speaking.

    ¡°I joined up because I wanted to do something.¡± She smacked the target and cycled her breath. ¡°Make a difference to folks who didn¡¯t have someone in their corner.¡±

    ¡°Do you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not done.¡± Paula waited a little before continuing. ¡°When I was eight my parents died¡ªlesser demons on the road back to Lockmoth. They¡¯d always told us we could do anything if we tried enough. My brother was old enough to make sure we kept the shop, but when I was still a kid, he went off to fight in the war.¡±

    Her anger lit up, and she hit the target with a resounding thwack. ¡°Didn¡¯t come home. I had to sell the shop¡ªdidn¡¯t know what I was doing and got screwed. The orphanage took the rest of the money, and no one wanted a teenager with an attitude.¡± Thwack, thwack.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to give you a sob story, but all that taught me a lot. Some kids there were good kids, and all of ¡®em had something bad that happened to ¡®em. Some folks are good, some folks bad.¡± She thrust forward, hard enough to blunt the tip of her wooden blade. ¡°Life¡¯s not gonna give you handouts, and if you want to help the good folks, you gotta deal with the bad. I¡¯d say you already know that, but I guess that¡¯s my question.¡± She looked at the blunted tip and scoffed. ¡°How do you figure that? The fuck do you, a demon, come from with all this idealism?

    It ain¡¯t normal for a human, so it sure as shit ain¡¯t normal for a demon and you damn well know that.¡±

    I probed her anger gently, misjudged my strength, and sent half the practice sword flying off into the snow and mud with a sharp, loud crack. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, it¡¯s complicated.¡±

    ¡°I walked half a damn continent to hear it, Zarenna. I¡¯ve got time.¡±

    Here in this open field, where anyone and everyone could overhear¡­ Well, everyone from that past is dead except my sister, and if I didn¡¯t name her, she¡¯d be fine. I cast my thoughts back to a night in a desert in Navanaea.

    The circumstances were different here, but there was a thread of similarity: why am I who I am. Na?ve, idealistic, far far too willing to work with people I shouldn''t, like King Carvalon. It brought into question again why I¡¯d even gotten my Name and title.

    Paula walked over to me while I was thinking, and, surprisingly unafraid, thrust the blunted, splintery tip of her practice sword within a few centimeters of my navel. ¡°Spill it.¡±

    I stared down at the wooden tip, then back up at her dark eyes, passionate and full of conviction. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. Mind if I get another sword?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Hard to practice without one¡ªI can¡¯t imagine your claws aren¡¯t gonna tear the dummy apart. But hurry up¡ªI¡¯m not a patient person and I¡¯ve been waiting a damn long time.¡±

    When I returned with another practice sword, I dove into my own story, revisiting the pain and finding some old memories I¡¯d nearly forgotten. In time, our swings synced up again, her anger ebbed mostly away, and right after I¡¯d skipped over my time on the island and was struggling to dance around how I became the Sovereign of Wrath, Paula cut in.

    ¡°I think I get it,¡± she said. ¡°Your friend was too good for you, you know.¡±

    ¡°She was,¡± I replied, thinking of Abby.

    ¡°But I¡¯d bet she didn¡¯t think of you the same way.¡±

    I barely stopped myself from breaking another practice sword. ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°Just a thought, that¡¯s all.¡± Thwack. ¡°But I think I get it. You were sheltered, given big shoes to fill, and you got a hero complex. Worse coulda happened, I guess. And now look at you slaying your enemies. Make you feel better?¡±

    ¡°Worse.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. I¡¯m no good with all this philosophical crap, so I guess all I need to say is that your story checks out. Unless you¡¯re somehow both the biggest lunkhead and best spouter of bullshit the world¡¯s ever known, I think Sonia and Inva can trust you.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked on reflex. In a lot of ways, her story seemed almost eerily similar to Vivian¡¯s. One of many probably. But Paula was different¡ªopen in a way Vivian had never let herself be.

    ¡°Yeah, me too?¡± She barked a laugh. ¡°What, you thought I wasn¡¯t joining them? They¡¯ve got a good, grounded idea that¡¯ll help a ton of people who need an ally.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you part of the Gelles Company?¡± I asked.

    Paula shook her head. ¡°Sent in my resignation in Linthel. I¡¯ll need to figure out how to get my last pay somehow, but honestly¡­¡± She stood up and cracked her back. ¡°It¡¯s refreshing. There¡¯re some good people in the company¡ªlike Firalex¡ªbut Rodrick¡¯s a cynical ass and most of the leadership¡¯s like that.

    ¡°I heard the head, Xavien, isn¡¯t, but I¡¯m not sure I believe it. Would¡¯ve said I didn¡¯t before, but you¡¯re enough of a walking contradiction to make anything possible. Really, though, I guess I should thank you. When we were assigned that mission together, I was pretty down¡ªI¡¯d been stuck spinning my wheels for a few years and it was getting to me.¡±

    I took her queue to stop as well and stood up out of the awkward half-crouch I¡¯d been in in order to hit something other than the target dummy¡¯s battered head. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Do me a favor and give Sonia everything she needs and more, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I intend to.¡±

    ¡°Good, ¡®cause I want us to make a big damn difference in the world to everyone who falls through the cracks.¡± She looked up at the clouds for a long moment, then added. ¡°Demon, or no.¡±

    Before I could stop myself, I asked, ¡°Do you think I did the right thing?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She turned, hands on her hips, to look at me.

    ¡°When I killed High Priest Grants.¡±

    Paula shrugged. ¡°I dunno, wasn¡¯t there. But, whatever you chose, I¡¯d like to think you had a good goal in mind¡ªmaybe even did the best given the circumstances. Sorry if that¡¯s just empty words.¡±

    ¡°They mean a lot coming from you,¡± I replied sincerely.

    Paula¡¯s eyes widened, only for a moment, before she almost sneered. ¡°What a bleedin¡¯ heart you are.¡±

    ¡°I try.¡±

    She looked up at me. ¡°You looked like you had somewhere to be, earlier. Walked right past me when I was setting up like I wasn¡¯t even here.¡±

    Oops. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°About the demon that walked in here?¡±

    ¡°Has everyone heard about that?¡±

    Paula shrugged again. ¡°Probably. Anyway, I¡¯ve said my piece, you¡¯ve said yours. We¡¯re all square so you can get a move on.¡±

    A move on to risk leaving her and Sonia open to an attack from Envy. Another victim of proximity. I bit my lip and nodded, before walking off hurriedly back toward the castle proper. The conversation had taken long enough that Seyari might be awake.

    I paused mid-pivot. ¡°Thanks, Paula. I needed this¡ªand maybe we should do it again sometime.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one thanking you?¡± She half-smiled, probably the brightest expression I¡¯d ever seen on her. ¡°Anyway, sure. I need to keep in shape, and I like mornings, so you¡¯ll know where to find me.¡±

    I wanted to tell her about leaving and the risks and everything, but¡­ I just couldn¡¯t, so I waved and walked away. Taava would soon tell Paula anyway¡ªI was a little surprised she hadn¡¯t yet, but not that surprised. Finding the others could be taking a while, and she¡¯s also supposed to be discreet while the courtyard¡¯s really public. So, I did my best to swallow my guilt.

    As I was almost to the door, I noticed someone, or rather somewife perched up on the castle¡¯s roof. Knowing it¡¯d be best to let her think I hadn¡¯t seen, I kept my head down and walked quickly inside.

    ***

    Up on the castle roof, there for the past hour because she couldn¡¯t sleep, Seyari watched Zarenna walk back inside and dismissed her listening spell. When she reached up to touch her face, it came away wet. Memories of the early days of her relationship with Zarenna replayed in her mind. A warm night in a cold desert.

    She hadn¡¯t exactly been fair lately, had she? Truthfully, she¡¯d been up thinking about their conversation, and all the things she¡¯d still wanted to say, some of which she was suddenly glad she hadn¡¯t the chance to. If Zarenna changed who she was just to survive the odds stacked against both of them, she would no longer be the woman Sey married. Moreover, while Seyari had good reason to make sure Zarenna¡¯s sometimes-blind, trusting nature didn¡¯t get them stabbed in the back, she also needed to do more.

    Not just administrative stuff. Or reading or starting to write that novel about a thief set in Liseu she¡¯d had kicking around her head for twenty years. No, if Zarenna could have a heart-to-heart with a woman she barely knew just like that¡­

    ¡°Fuck, I need a social life.¡±

 Chapter 197: Not Ruthless Enough

    When I got back to our shared room, Seyari had come down from her supposed-to-be-secret perch on the roof and was standing out on the balcony. Already, afternoon was turning to evening, though all the colors of the sky were hidden behind white clouds and whiter mountains. Closing the door softly, I walked over to my wife.

    She spoke when I got close. ¡°I think I might go into the city tonight.¡±

    Caught off guard, it took me a second to respond. ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Try to find some people to spend time with, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Spend time with¡­?¡±

    ¡°You have Nelys and Taava and Brynna. And now those other three: the paladin from Lockmoth, Salvador¡¯s daughter, and the merc who apparently decided she doesn¡¯t hate you anymore.¡± She heaved a sigh and leaned more heavily against the railing, pulling her crimson wings in close. ¡°Not to mention a duchess and a paladin who actually knows a thing or two about suturing.¡±

    I reached out, but stopped myself. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what she needs right now. Really, I should be telling her we finally have a solid lead on Mordwell, and that we should be leaving tonight.

    But now wasn¡¯t the time for that. Couldn¡¯t be.

    Too often I go with the flow, roll with the punches, and just take everything with a smile, caring little for my own opinion. Hero complex, Paula¡¯s words rang around my skull hard enough to make my horns vibrate.

    But, right now with Seyari letting her have this was the right thing. I felt it in my bones. ¡°What about Joisse?¡±

    Seyari barked a single, mirthless laugh. ¡°She¡¯s our daughter, and a teenager in quite a few ways. She¡¯s not someone I can be friends with in the sort of way I need, you know?¡±

    She¡­ well she honestly had a pretty good point.

    ¡°You have your sister, too,¡± Sey continued. ¡°Even if she¡¯s not around, you can write to her, which you really ought to.¡±

    I can probably squeeze in a letter before I go, right? ¡°I should yeah¡ªI¡¯ll write her something today in fact.¡±

    ¡°Going to tell her about your newest friend club recruits?¡±

    I furrowed my brow. ¡°Sey.¡±

    She ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Sorry. And I really mean that¡ªsorry. I¡¯m just¡­ well, I¡¯m a pretty crappy wife, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Of course not!¡± Behind me, my tail lashed. Even if Sey was the one insulting Sey, it was like an instinctual reaction.

    ¡°Renna¡­¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not, you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Just don¡¯t. Look, I¡­ I¡¯m not really sure I can face all this right now. Not sure I can do what I need to do, or stop doing what I don¡¯t. And there are definitely some things I need to keep doing so you don¡¯t¡ªI¡¯m getting off track.¡± She took a deep breath, while I floundered. She¡¯s never flustered like this. ¡°I need a social circle that can get me out of my head and help me talk and think things through.¡±

    ¡°What about¡ª¡±

    ¡°Taava?¡±

    ¡°I was going to say Nelys, but¡­¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t get along well with Taava. For all our sordid pasts we have in common, she just views the world in a different way. Nelys, well I think you know they¡¯re homesick, and I¡¯m not going to burden them any more than maybe joining in on cards sometimes.

    ¡°Brynna I don¡¯t even really know, and the same goes for the trio of new arrivals. More than that, they¡¯re all so¡­ young. Heavens, you are too, in a way. I could be your fucking grandmother.¡±

    ¡°My hot grandmother. No, wait, uhhh, forget that.¡±

    Like a long-suffering autumn sun, a smile broke across Seyari¡¯s features. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere you big lump. I¡¯m just going to go find some folks in town or maybe back in Linthel that I can get to know better. Friends of my own.¡±

    Almost out of nowhere, I remembered the books I¡¯d given to Quiraxa to read. ¡°What about¡­ a writing group? I think I remember you telling me you wanted to write.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªthat¡¯s actually a good idea. Not sure I¡¯ll find anyone with any actual shred of useful lived experience, but¡­ Well, it can¡¯t hurt to try, right?¡±

    ¡°Right!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Renna.¡± She pulled me into a half hug, wrapping her wings loosely around us.

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°For being so damn understanding.¡± She reached up and poked me on the nose. ¡°You should be mad, but I¡¯m honestly relieved you¡¯re not.¡±

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    My cheeks warmed. ¡°If this is about what I think it is, all the hardening my heart stuff and leaning on me a lot, I guess I am kinda mad? B-but not in a serious sort of way¡ªI just want both of us to be happy.¡±

    Seyari hummed. ¡°Me too. I don¡¯t say things like this enough, but you¡¯ve made me a nicer person¡ªsomehow.¡±

    ¡°Hey! You were always a¡ªactually, I¡¯ll take that one.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d damn well better!¡± She pulled away and looked out over the city. ¡°Anyway, the day isn¡¯t over yet and there might be someone with enough elf or dwarf or demon or angel in them to be old enough to relate to out there.¡±

    For a moment, I wondered if I should let her go as she tensed, wings out and ready to take flight. But, I couldn¡¯t let her go without telling her and it hurt to take her wrist in a firm grip.

    ¡°Renna?¡± she asked, whipping her head back around with wide, surprised eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lead on Mordwell,¡± I said evenly, ripping the wound dressing right off. ¡°He¡¯s being a nuisance in the Sovereign of Conceit¡¯s territory to the south, and there¡¯s a representative here that can guide us to him. I told her we could leave today.¡±

    Seyari froze. In seconds, I saw a range of emotions run across her face. It settled on anger mismatched with an almost sad look. She swept down next to me and leaned against the railing, fixing me with a golden-eyed stare. As a gesture of comfort, I took just a little of her anger, and she relaxed more than I¡¯d expected.

    ¡°A representative¡­¡± Her voice was soft. ¡°That¡¯d be the demon then. Honestly, I¡¯d assumed it was one of Lillith¡¯s, or something related to you or our daughter. So, when¡¯re we leaving?¡±

    ¡°I told her tonight.¡± I leaned on the railing next to her and wrapped my tail around her legs.

    She placed a hand on it, pushed a little, then settled for moving her fingers up and down my spine. ¡°You trust her?¡±

    ¡°I trust her to be self-serving and to embody excessive pride.¡± I sighed, but it came out more like a growl. ¡°I hate that I can¡¯t know if this is a trap, but I don¡¯t think it is. Although the timing is suspect.¡±

    Seyari hummed in response. ¡°What¡¯s the plan for defenses here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told Shyll to get who she can over here as soon as possible. We have Joisse, Nelys, Taava, Brynna, Razz, Keran, and I¡¯m certain Sonia and her friends will help even if they really shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°How many of those can fight off a greater demon?¡± She pulled her hand back and I missed it immediately.

    ¡°That¡¯s the issue, yeah. Joisse can, and Nelys and I¡¯d bet Shyll too, but that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°How long will we be gone?¡±

    ¡°A week, maybe two.¡±

    ¡°Flying there?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Got Quiraxa to agree to let me carry her.¡±

    Seyari hummed again. ¡°She made it to our castle without a flare from a tower warning us. We¡¯ll be in big trouble if we get another attack.¡±

    ¡°We will.¡±

    ¡°But at the same time, we¡¯re sitting here vulnerable, waiting for something to happen while our enemies do whatever they damn well please.¡± She looked over and up at me, eyes searching. They widened when they met mine.

    ¡°I was thinking the same.¡± A lick of flame came out just past my lips. ¡°We¡¯re not going to get stronger quickly, and Envy¡¯s not the only thing that¡¯ll be moving against us. The Church probably, and whoever sent those mercs.¡±

    Seyari smiled, but it wasn¡¯t a kind smile: it showed off her new sharp teeth a little too well, and the glow behind her eyes sharpened. When she spoke, she did nothing to hide the uncanny timbre of her voice. ¡°I like this side of you. You know what I want to do, and I¡¯m satisfied with the decision if you are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for pulling you away from¡ª¡±

    She pulled me down into a kiss, biting my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I need this and you know it.¡± She licked her lips, then frowned. ¡°And it is you deciding this, right? You¡¯re not making this decision because you feel like I¡¯d disapprove otherwise, or some bullshit about not being hard enough as a person?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. This is a risk, but so is doing nothing, and if this eliminates an impending threat looming over us like a headsman¡¯s axe, then it¡¯ll save lives. Right now, if we move quickly, we should be able to do this before Astrye suffers again, or even intercept the next offensive.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Seyari purred. ¡°Now let¡¯s go meet our demon ¡®ally¡¯ and get in the air. Time¡¯s burning; I have people to slay and writing groups to find.¡±

    Before I could argue, she grabbed my wrist and kicked up into the sky, strong enough to take me with her as her wings snapped the air hard enough to scatter loose mortar. I tumbled, my own wings of fire flaring out a moment later, and took off after her.

    She landed solidly, making Paula look up from her place over by the training dummy. I flashed the merc a smile, and she returned a suitably wicked looking one as I followed Sey inside.

    ¡°Do you hate stairs?¡± I asked my wife. ¡°I did want to change first.¡±

    ¡°This place is full of narrow staircases that cramp my wings and take too long. So yes.¡± Her tone was terse, but bright. She¡¯s excited; why does that scare me? ¡°And just find a closet.¡±

    I opened my mouth to protest, but she did have a point. ¡°Quiraxa¡¯s in the only sitting room with furniture. Don¡¯t be mad that I lent her some of your books to read.¡±

    Sey¡¯s anger flared a little. ¡°I¡¯ll be less mad.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she might like them too?¡±

    ¡°And?¡± She quirked an eyebrow.

    ¡°Well, then, you know¡ª¡±

    Seyari scoffed. ¡°I am not making friends with a conceit demon.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just trying to help.¡±

    Sey huffed and stomped away while I looked for a place to change from mortal clothing into magic armor that¡¯d make me look like the main antagonist of one of Sey¡¯s novels. It didn¡¯t take long, and I heard raised voices as I walked back to the sitting room.

    Nothing was on fire, and no walls were broken, but I still hastened my step until I could make out what was being said.

    ¡°¡­the superior option,¡± Quiraxa¡¯s haughty voice said with a sneer so obvious I felt like I¡¯d been slapped by it. ¡°But I suppose an angel wouldn¡¯t understand that kind of depth.¡±

    ¡°An angel of wrath!¡± Seyari shot back. ¡°See these teeth, these claws, these blood-red wings? Do you really think she should end up with some soft-handed, two-timing backstabber who can¡¯t even handle her own bodyguards in an even fight?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why she employs them!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I could picture Sey¡¯s smug smile. ¡°What about in volume two when¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not there yet!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ well, when you get there, you¡¯ll see just how wrong you are!¡±

    I pulled up short outside the door, as Seyari and Quiraxa continued to argue about which romance option was best. Taava was there too, panting a little like she¡¯d run some ways and¡ªno, like she was trying to hold in laughter. Tears were beading at the corners of her eyes and her tail lashed behind her like a possessed whip.

    She saw me and got out a ¡°B-boss¡± before shoving a hand over her mouth to stop the snickering.

    I reached for the handle and stopped short. Inside the sitting room, Sey and Quiraxa¡¯s voices were coming back down, and they started talking about how useless the villain was because the author clearly didn¡¯t understand true ruthlessness. Just like a couple of incredibly sinister gossiping schoolgirls.

    Oh Dhias, have I erred?

 Interlude: Crossed Paths

    Kartania stopped in Norgath for the night. Armor stowed in saddlebags and wearing plain clothes, she¡¯d be tougher to recognize even if she wasn¡¯t ahead of any news. The inn she¡¯d chosen was on the far edge of the city¡ªand she¡¯d ridden around to get to it.

    Once before she¡¯d been by the place on a mission, and now she¡¯d stay the night.

    Why the city? People in small towns talked to the Church and kept abreast of unusual goings-on; she¡¯d interviewed plenty. In cities like Norgath, there was a sweet spot of apathy between the gossip of the wealthy and the watchful eyes of the downtrodden.

    She¡¯d aimed squarely for anonymity by choosing a moderately-priced in just off the main road. A suitable stop for a traveler with a horse and well-made clothing. Even better, the rooms had wide windows, and the stables had multiple exits to multiple streets. Just in case.

    Kartania tied her horse outside; she¡¯d need one room and a stable stall. Doing all this from the side of the pursued instead of the pursuer really drove home how dire things were.

    She shook off the feelings of regret and resentment and headed inside. The bottom floor served meals as well¡ªnot quite a tavern, but close. It was a rustic, but well-appointed place with a few tables, a small counter that served as concierge rather than bar, and a smattering of old tools up on the walls for decoration.

    And sitting alone at the only occupied table was a man in a familiar red tabard, armor dull from a lack of polish. Kartania jerked her head away¡ªhis face was familiar in a dim sense, and she had to hope she wouldn¡¯t be recognized.

    From the brief look she got of him, he looked despondent. Not deep in the cups, but deep in thought with a half-finished plate of food that looked like it¡¯d been there a while.

    Unfortunately, he looked up just as she looked away and her eyes met his. He furrowed his brow, and Kartania walked quickly past, heart thumping so loud it had to have been obvious.

    She didn¡¯t even try to put her emotions into the box. That box was long gone, smashed apart for good and ill both. To turn around and walk out now, would be to invite a scene, and let slip she wasn¡¯t headed north, but west.

    So she strode to the counter and got herself a room. Unfortunately, to leave the inn, and retrieve her horse, she¡¯d either have to walk out back toward the stables and double back or pass by the man. And leaving her exhausted horse to wait outside wasn¡¯t an option.

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    Steeling herself, she walked back toward the door.

    ¡°Excuse me, miss?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± She came off colder than she¡¯d meant to, and turned to look at the man behind the armor and tabard.

    He was handsome in a conventional way, even disheveled and unshaven, with a square jaw and genial features. Of Edathan descent, his black hair and blue eyes matched Kartania¡¯s own.

    When he spoke, his voice had a sort of wary hopefulness to it. ¡°This might sound crazy, but is your surname Miller? I feel like I¡¯ve met you before.¡±

    ¡°You must be mistaken,¡± Kartania replied. Shit, he knows me.

    ¡°Ah, my apologies. I was just¡­¡± He exhaled through his nose, slowly. ¡°Never mind. That¡¯d be far too great a serendipity.¡±

    Kartania stopped at the door, hand outstretched. He couldn¡¯t be here to capture her¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t hesitate or come alone. At the same time, if she spoke up, she wouldn¡¯t be safe until she reached the border. Something tugged at her, though. When she¡¯d met his gaze the first time, there was a kind of familiar weariness there.

    ¡°If you¡¯ll forgive me, sir, why would a paladin such as yourself have need of an inn like this?¡± Her question clearly caught him off guard, even as she avoided looking his way.

    ¡°Well,¡± he started, ¡°I guess I¡¯m just feeling disillusioned is all. Unpleasant revelations and¡­ well I shouldn¡¯t say more.¡±

    That could mean anything! ¡°What¡¯s this about serendipity then?¡±

    The paladin chuckled darkly. ¡°Well, someone I met recently with the surname Miller has a sister I¡¯d met years ago briefly. I couldn¡¯t quite put a face to the name, but, well, I suppose that¡¯s all really.¡±

    ¡°Who was this person?¡±

    A genuine smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. ¡°A good, honest soul despite all they¡¯ve been burdened with.¡±

    Kartania was struck by a sudden thought. ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    The paladin frowned and stared down at his cold food, turning over a piece of potato with a fork. ¡°South. I¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s really all I should say.¡±

    ¡°To Astrye?¡± The words slipped out before she could stop them.

    Their eyes met again when his head snapped up. Something in his posture shifted, as though he¡¯d made a decision. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Her question was simple, and the pained look she got from the paladin in response told her more than his words ever could.

    ¡°I think¡­ they need people to help them heal and rebuild.¡± The paladin stared at Kartania, a fire seeming to build behind his tired eyes. ¡°And to fight an awful foe.¡±

    Kartania took a deep breath, glancing at the back where the proprietor had disappeared to. ¡°Do you have a horse?¡±

    ¡°No, but I intend to get one. Miss, are you¡ª¡±

    The former paladin set her jaw, mind made up. She hadn¡¯t wanted to learn Dwarven anyway. ¡°I am. If you wish to join me, we¡¯re leaving now.¡±

    ¡°What about your room¡ªdo you need the rest?¡±

    Kartania shrugged. ¡°The horse should live, and I think we have much to discuss that¡¯s best heard only by the wind.¡±

    The paladin stood and straightened his tabard reflexively; both of them stared at the symbol of Dhias, a new gravy stain just to its side. With a single step forward, he proffered his hand. ¡°Gareth Warren,¡± he said with a hard-edged smile.

    Kartania took his hand in a firm grip. ¡°Kartania Miller.¡±

 Chapter 198: Endless Jagged White pt. 1

    ¡°You are more than you appear,¡± Quiraxa said, raising her voice just over the rushing wind.

    I looked down at her in my arms; she was already looking away with her chin up. ¡°How do you figure that?¡±

    ¡°Your wife appears to be a competent woman, and an angel. I did not know such a combination to be possible.¡±

    Oh. ¡°What about my armor?¡±

    ¡°It is fitting for Wrath, yes. But you look like a fresh spawn; you carry its weight like a burden.¡±

    ¡°I do not!¡±

    The conceit demon tilted her head just enough for me to see one slitted eye. ¡°Prove to me as such and then I will respect such an assertion.¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve just said ¡®prove it.¡¯ It¡¯s faster, you know.¡±

    ¡°I am not so petty.¡±

    ¡°Riiight.¡±

    Quiraxa¡¯s neck tightened. ¡°You are infuriatingly childish.¡±

    I smiled dopily with a mouth full of blades. ¡°I try my best.¡±

    Instead of a response, the conceit demon turned away to look back at the passing mountains. For all her efforts, she couldn¡¯t quite make a bridal carry at two thousand meters dignified.

    Somewhere above us, Seyari was whirling on air currents, and below us the land slept in deep winter: a valley cut through an endless row of tall, jagged peaks. We¡¯d managed to leave before nightfall, but it was certainly night now. In gaps between the clouds, stars and a sliver of moon lit up the increasingly-hostile landscape. Trees huddled under meters-deep drifts, and in some places had been buried entirely. Ice-coated cliff edges, and chasm-riddled glaciers glittered under the scattered moonlight.

    As we flew on, the trees grew shorter and sparser, and the glaciers pushed lower and lower down nearby peaks. Even in the dark under the clouds, I could see it all in ghostly white and grays: a wild land, still as death in winter¡¯s embrace. Beautiful, at a distance.

    At times like this, when my conversation partner wanted silence, and I had a singular purpose at the fore of my mind but not yet within grasp, my mind wandered away toward humanity. An odd word, ignorant of other species, but no less undefined than ¡°inhuman.¡±

    What I was doing¡ªwhat I currently was full-stop¡ªwas completely inhuman. Sure, some of the stronger human mages could accomplish flight in a similar manner, but in short, terrifying bursts. And not with all the other myriad caveats and supplemental magics and senses I was now acutely aware of.

    Flying in this manner was different from dreams. Not just in the obvious ways: sharper senses, sensible physics, mountains without malformation, et cetera. It was different in all the little things you¡¯d never think about. Without heat from my magic, my hair would soak through from ambient moisture, I¡¯d get a face full of bugs in the summer surely, and the air operated less as a uniform broth and more as a stew cooked by someone whose idea of chopping potatoes was more about the element of surprise than uniform chunks that¡¯d all cook evenly.

    The metaphor might¡¯ve gotten away from me, but the sky had a lot more than just birds in it. It was wet, unpredictable, and temperamental. And the fact that I could control the air and the heat and plow through it like my fist through Castle Astrye¡¯s outer wall pulled hard at my idle thoughts.

    Not only was I turning a week or more of miserable, dangerous walking full of uncomfortable nights and uncertain days into a single day¡¯s flight, I was trivializing it to the point of mockery. All these mountains and all this cold, completely useless in the face of a flying brazier with a brassiere.

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    ¡°Are you considering the coming battle?¡± Quiraxa asked, breaking her silence.

    I shook my head. ¡°No. Just thinking about my former occupation as a campsite heater.¡±

    She blinked. ¡°I am truly sorry for having asked.¡±

    I shrugged all four shoulders and Quiraxa jerked. ¡°Do not do that!¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± And this whole time I¡¯d been holding back the urge to scratch a horn, too.

    ¡°You are strange.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    She stared up at me with an expression I couldn¡¯t puzzle through.

    ¡°I¡¯ve worked really hard to keep it that way, too. Wouldn¡¯t want to lose my edge.¡±

    She looked up at my teeth without a hint of a flinch¡ªperhaps she mistakenly thought hers could match up. ¡°I prefer silence.¡±

    I shrugged again and had to suppress a giggle when Quiraxa hissed.

    ¡°You doing okay?¡± I shouted up to Sey, letting my magic guide my voice through the wind.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lovely night for a flight,¡± she responded, and I caught how her voice pitched up.

    Dipping my tail and angling my flaming wings, I rose up to meet her. She looped away, and I let her, though we caught eyes. Hers were hard and a little puffy at the edges, only heightened by the predatory glow they gave off.

    Something was eating at her. Mordwell, I was ninety-percent sure. But, there was always the outside chance she was mad at me¡­ or herself.

    The latter made me worry. Mordwell or anger at me¡ªthat needed space. She¡¯d come to me or let me go to her when the time was right. But if she was down on herself? I¡¯d need to push for that.

    ¡°Now you are thinking of what you might lose.¡±

    I looked down at Quiraxa. ¡°Not¡ªsort¡¯ve, actually. I¡¯m worried about Sey.¡±

    ¡°For an angel, and for someone fouled with human blood, she is strong.¡±

    ¡°Would it kill you to give a real compliment?¡±

    ¡°I do not embellish.¡±

    Bold-faced, smirk-lipped liar. Still, I continued, more than anything just talking to keep my mind from twisting down a dark path. ¡°What do you think she¡¯s worried about?¡±

    ¡°The battle. Unlike you.¡±

    ¡°Well, it might be¡ª¡±

    ¡°I do not think she is so soft.¡±

    And that proves you¡¯ve not really gotten to know her then. ¡°Her feathers are, though,¡± I deflect. ¡°And other parts.¡±

    Quiraxa¡¯s eyes wander. ¡°You might well be part lust demon.¡±

    ¡°I assure you I¡¯m not,¡± I hissed, more vitriolic than I¡¯d intended. I thought back to my origins, and to Abby.

    ¡°Perhaps so.¡±

    I looked up at Sey again. Screw it. I flew toward her, and she looped away once more. ¡°If you¡¯re mad at me I¡¯m sorry,¡± I shouted, uncaring if I was heard by any ground-based lookouts. ¡°But if you¡¯re beating yourself up¡ªdon¡¯t!¡±

    I could throw more potentially useless words into the wind, but instead I let her go back up. Just when I thought she wouldn¡¯t reply, her voice came back down, faint and tired-sounding.

    ¡°Just thinking about ancient history. And what needs to be done. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure she would, but what was I going to say? Quiraxa was big enough I had to use all my arms to hold her, but I still risked the one lowest down on her legs to give Seyari a thumbs-up. For a moment, before she turned away, I saw a smile.

    Good enough.

    I thought about what I¡¯d tell her at camp when we stopped for the night reflexively. But¡­ there was no camp. No fire, no tents, no wagon or cart or horses. No Nelys or Taava or Salvador or Kartania or Aretan or Myrna or Phol.

    No Lorelei.

    Lorelei.

    The name twisted in my stomach, and I found myself looking instinctively for trails through the woods, campfires on the horizons, and the smell of cooking dinner. Sometimes, you don¡¯t realize a part of your life¡¯s over until it¡¯s long past. Endless days on the road, consumed in part by anxiety over Kartania, and then Finley and Mordwell.

    Death, misfortune, serendipity, and friendship. All over a cookpot, under worn canvas, and on ground that felt a little different every night. Even Lockmoth hadn¡¯t seemed permanent. Even Astrye didn¡¯t let me escape that sort of lingering ¡°I¡¯ll be traveling again¡± feeling.

    But as I was now, I wouldn¡¯t. Taking Nelys home? Three days at the most there. Maybe four or five if we get lost. Visiting Lilly or Aretan would take less than a week there and back.

    I didn¡¯t need to eat, or sleep. And I didn¡¯t dare think about the passage of time. That at least was hidden away by the existential threat of Envy¡¯s war.

    Even still, it hit me. Like my years alone on the island, my days of traveling with friends were over. Unless Mordwell slipped away¡ªand I felt in my bones he hadn¡¯t this time.

    A chapter closed. Not in the narrative sense, but I was¡ªhad been for over a month¡ªin a new chapter of my life. Seyari probably felt the same, only with decades of feelings pent up and boiling over.

    I flew just a little closer.

    I stopped looking for trails and wishing for disappointing stew.

    I even sped up a little, as Quiraxa pointed to a gap in the mountains. On the other side, a rain shadow, and the endless, jagged white.

 Interlude: A Day of Taava

    Imagine how much more pretentious this tale¡¯d seem if I added epigraphs!

    -Taava, Bard of Great Renown and Grace

    Renna and Sey were gone, Shyll was cowed into being a merely gigantic bitch, and Taava was picking up the slack. Sure, wandering the world playing in taverns and stabbing bandits (mostly, usually) in the neck had its appeal, but honest, hard work?

    It sucked, hard.

    Felt great after, but during. Yeah, no.

    Unfortunately, Nelys was mopey and homesick and also very busy helping to shore up the town defenses and break ground on the jangly-horned Church girl¡¯s na?ve fantasy. Joisse had come back to an apologetic note from her two moms and was somewhere around the castle or city, enjoying freedom from parental oversight.

    Which, of course, left Taava to do the work Renna and Sey had left her. It wasn¡¯t much¡ªRazz was competent and a busybody¡ªbut it was something. Mostly paperwork, a little housekeeping.

    Just enough to slam the door on a quiet day off.

    The paperwork was just sorting what should be a priority and what could wait. And what could get thrown out entirely. Unfortunately, today¡¯s stack was larger than usual¡ªprobably because the big blue demon with the ego problem had drawn a lot of attention. Most of it was hopefully anti-demon bullshit, and she could just toss that at Razz to deal with.

    And so Taava sat at the unused desk in a drafty office staring at a stack of papers tall as her leg was thick, shivering in the early morning cold and dreading the task ahead of her. Flicking her tail in annoyance, she got up, walked over to the fireplace, and¡­

    No logs.

    More than that, no flint.

    ¡°Bet she did that on purpose,¡± Taava cursed. The logs were her fault, but the fire-starter should¡¯ve been Shyll.

    Which meant going to find her and therefore where she¡¯d hidden it. Logs were second, and when the fire¡¯d made the room nice and not so cold she could see her breath, Taava could get to work.

    Twirling on her heel, she stalked out and down the hallway towards Shyll¡¯s room. When she got there, she banged twice, hard.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the damn fire-starter? Ya want me ta freeze my tits and tail off?¡± Inside the room, Taava heard the rustle of bedsheets, cursing, and footsteps.

    A moment later, Shyll yanked the door open. ¡°What fire-starter? And you can¡¯t freeze off tits you don¡¯t have.¡±

    ¡°Aw right, sorry, lemme just magic ¡®em bigger.¡± Taava looked pointedly down at Shylll¡¯s bust. ¡°Office fire starter. Flint, ¡®bout this big?¡± The kazzel indicated with her hands in a mockingly exaggerated gesture.

    Shyll blinked. ¡°Oh. Shit, forgot that one. Not like those two lovebirds ever use that place.¡±

    Taava rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, well if ya could fly to your office, would ya or would ya walk through a freezin¡¯ ass castle.¡± Then it hit her. ¡°Wait, ya actually didn¡¯t mean it as a prank?¡±

    Shyll snorted. ¡°Please. I¡¯ve got more creativity than pulling the same stunt twice.¡±

    Taava thought back to last week and shrugged. ¡°Coulda fooled me.¡±

    Instead of a barb, Shyll just sighed. ¡°Not up to this right now.¡±

    The kazzel tilted her head. ¡°Not up for gettin¡¯ a verbal beatdown?¡±

    ¡°As if. No, just thinking.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±

    ¡°Cut. It. Out.¡± Shyll took a half-step out the door, short height and night shift undermining the intimidation factor.

    Taava wound up a ¡°make me¡± but at the glow in Shyll¡¯s eyes she shut up and changed tack. ¡°What¡¯s up then?¡±

    Shyll sighed. ¡°Nothin¡¯ that concerns you.¡±

    ¡°Renna left me in charge of administration in the castle, if it¡¯s important¡ª¡±

    Shyll blinked. ¡°You¡¯re fucking joking.¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

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    ¡°But¡ªyou¡¯re an ass!¡±

    ¡°Her ass.¡±

    ¡°No way. Hers is nice.¡±

    ¡°Thought you weren¡¯t up for¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    ¡°Gladly.¡± Taava turned.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Shyll half stumbled out of the doorway.

    She paused. ¡°Fuckin¡¯¡ªwhat?¡±

    ¡°Truce?¡±

    Taava blinked. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±

    ¡°No catch.¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    Shyll sighed. ¡°You gonna take it, or you gonna make me spill?¡±

    Spill, Taava thought. Then she thought back to Renna¡¯s trust in her without needing to know Taava¡¯s past. Shyll was a colossal bitch, but she¡¯d helped out more than she¡¯d hurt¡ªbarely. But she¡¯d fought like a demon during the last attack¡­

    ¡°Fine. Truce. Until when?¡±

    Shyll shrugged. ¡°¡¯Till Renna and Sey get back?¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    Taava turned back and started to walk away. It¡¯d be a long cold walk to the storage room, so Shyll¡¯d better not¡¯ve been lying. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Shyll looking at her with a confused, surprised expression, and she smirked. That got the demon in lupael guise to snap out of it and duck back inside her room.

    Wonder how long this¡¯ll really last?

    On the way, when she was crossing above the main foyer, Taava saw Joisse. The young demon was standing near the door, fiddling with the buttons on her coat. It¡¯d been made specially for her¡ªand it didn¡¯t look half bad despite being cobbled together from loose ends.

    Unlike when Joisse usually went out, she wasn¡¯t in her human guise. Almost forgot how tall she is.

    ¡°Hey kiddo, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Joisse startled, and Taava flinched at how fast she moved. Demons¡­ ¡°Oh! Hi, Taava. Just¡­ going to meet some friends.¡±

    Taava nodded. ¡°Stay safe then! Renna¡¯ll blow up a mountain if ya get hurt¡ªmaybe two.¡±

    Joisse blinked, then snorted, and when she looked up Taava noticed her eyes were wet. ¡°She¡¯d better not. I¡¯ll be fine anyway, it¡¯s not like¡­¡±

    Grabbing the railing, Taava kicked up and over, dropping to the lower floor and landing in a roll. When Joisse gave her an incredulous look, the kazzel said in a low voice, ¡°Beats shoutin¡¯, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Look, you¡¯re nervous ¡®cause they¡¯re fragile humans, lupaels, whatever, right?¡±

    Slowly, Joisse nodded.

    ¡°Do ya break handles when ya use doors? Tear your clothes puttin¡¯ ¡®em on? Accidentally blow holes in the castle¡¯s walls?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I¡¯m nervous about if I get carried away and forget, or I get startled¡­ or if they¡¯re scared of me.¡± She said the last part so low that Taava could barely hear it.

    ¡°Chin up, kiddo. If they can¡¯t handle it, you wouldn¡¯t want ¡®em as friends anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really fair.¡±

    Taava huffed. ¡°Look, I ain¡¯t your moms, okay? I¡¯m not so good at this sappy bullshit. Just go there, don¡¯t break ¡®em and show ¡®em you¡¯re sweet as sugar and a damn good cheat at cards. You¡¯re basically an adult anyway¡ªit¡¯s not like you and your friends are kids or anything, right?¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°Right. We were, uh, going to go hunting.¡±

    ¡°So ya wanted ta try your magic, and that meant showin¡¯ off yer horns and what not?¡±

    She nodded again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ya think they¡¯ll just think it¡¯s a good thing? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re gonna give ¡®em friendly fire.¡±

    The young wrath demon heaved a sigh, all four shoulders slumping. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Tell them this, not me.¡±

    ¡°Taava?¡±

    The kazzel shrugged and pointed right between her own ears. ¡°Seems like somethin¡¯ Renna¡¯d say. Gettin¡¯ stuck in your head and all that, right? They¡¯re your friends¡ªjust tell ¡®em all this.¡±

    Joisse gulped. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, I think I can do that.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡±

    Joisse straightened up to her full height and took two steps before turning around.

    ¡°Ya gonna thank me?¡±

    She giggled. ¡°Thanks, Taava.¡±

    ¡°No problem, kiddo.¡± Taava smiled, ear-to-ear. ¡°First one¡¯s free.¡± She watched Joisse go, and then headed for the stairs.

    Alright. Negotiated a truce, calmed down a wrath demon¡ªwhat can¡¯t I do?

    Spring in her step, Taava made it to the storeroom, only to bump into Brynna on the way out.

    ¡°Need somethin¡¯?¡±

    The demonic lupael paused as if caught doing something she shouldn¡¯t be¡ªa pose Taava was intimately familiar with. It endeared her to the normally serious young woman.

    ¡°Do¡­ do you know where Zarenna keeps her horn polish?¡±

    Taava cocked her head. ¡°Thought you wanted ta get rid a those?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve grown on me.¡±

    Taava snickered.

    ¡°What? Do they look that bad?¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s just¡ª¡± She looked into innocent eyes free of bad pun humor and shook her head ¡°¡ªnothin¡¯. It¡¯s nothin¡¯. Anyway, Renna keeps all that stuff in her and Sey¡¯s room.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Brynna stood frozen.

    ¡°I can go get it for ya, if ya want.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes please.¡±

    Taava looked at Brynna¡¯s horns. They were like not quite a hand length long, smooth, and a lot more vertically-oriented than Renna or her daughter¡¯s. Didn¡¯t look bad, but what¡¯d she know? ¡°Could ya do me a favor though?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    ¡°Grab four logs¡ªsplit chunks¡ªand bring ¡®em back here. I¡¯ve got a fire ta make.¡±

    Brynna nodded, and Taava told her where the closest wood pile was. As the lupael ran off, she couldn¡¯t hold in a laughing fit. Renna¡¯s got some special kinda ¡°corruption¡± all right.

    Taava snuck up to Renna and Sey¡¯s room, opened it with the key she¡¯d been given after the fifth time she¡¯d picked the lock, and stepped three times on the off-color tile. The echoes of a lingering spell flared, then dimmed.

    With deft hands, she snatched a small pot from Renna¡¯s vanity and got out before the spell rearmed. Sey didn¡¯t quite have the city-ending power of Zarenna, but she could make one nasty intruder-shredding spell.

    Polish in hand, Taava dipped through side halls to avoid any wandering people who could accost her. Sure, she was putting off paperwork, but doing that wouldn¡¯t make it less work later. When she got back, Brynna was standing outside the storeroom with an armful of firewood. Her tail started wagging when she saw Taava returning.

    Wordlessly, she took the horn polish in one hand and dumped the logs into Taava¡¯s arms with the other, causing the kazzel to let out an ¡°oof.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Taava.¡±

    ¡°S¡¯fine. I got muscles¡ªjust don¡¯t cheat ¡®em.¡±

    Brynna nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping up with my workouts¡ªso I know what you mean.¡±

    The silence stretched awkwardly as Brynna stood in the direction Taava wanted to go, staring at the pot. ¡°Ya know what to do with that?¡±

    Brynna¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Taava sidestepped around her and took off down the hallway.

    Behind her, she heard Brynna whisper, ¡°It can¡¯t be that hard to figure out, right?¡±

    For once, Taava made it to her destination without being accosted. She dumped the logs into the fireplace, cut some bark off with one claw for tinder, and flicked the fire-starter. The spark came out pink, and the fire caught quickly. Along with the flames came an overpowering stench of wet cat.

    ¡°Shyll!¡±

 Chapter 199: Endless, Jagged White pt. 2

    Entering the Sovereign of Conceit¡¯s demesne wasn¡¯t like entering Lilly¡¯s back in Navanaea. Instead of a progressive, soft feeling like a smothering blanket, the edge here was sharp enough to cut. A hard, invisible edge, a rapidly fading headache, and then¡­ nothing. Looking back over my shoulder, there was not so much as a shimmer in the sky.

    Before us, the last of the green had gone under a blanket of snow, kept smooth by lashing winds I had to use magic to block out.

    Seyari, who¡¯d been circling above, slipped through right after me, tucking her wings in before flaring out to pull up from the dive beside us. I saw her smug expression before I looked down and saw Quiraxa¡¯s shocked one.

    Shocked only for a second, then quickly schooled back into a half-sneer that was probably permanent. ¡°You truly are an oaf.¡±

    Seyari huffed and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± I wasn¡¯t even mad. Just confused.

    ¡°You smashed right through my Mistress¡¯s barrier, horns first.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I think I felt that, yeah.¡±

    ¡°That barrier is more than strong enough to keep mortals out! You should at least have been more inconvenienced.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry? You could¡¯ve warned me.¡±

    ¡°I was waiting for you to ask.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°You just wanted me to smack off it like a bird off a too-clear window.¡±

    ¡°That is entirely untrue.¡±

    Seyari laughed as she rolled around us, earning a glare from Quiraxa.

    ¡°You know I could¡¯ve dropped you if that happened, right?¡±

    ¡°You would not have,¡± Quiraxa said with such assurance that it almost baffled me.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that hypocritical? Assuming I¡¯m competent enough not to drop you, but would also just smash into the barrier.¡±

    Quiraxa was silent, brooding.

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Quiraxa,¡± Sey chided. ¡°But you¡¯re also not wrong. I bet Renna only noticed it after she mashed through.¡± She glanced my way with a broad smile. ¡°Did you miss me circling?¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought you found a good updraft,¡± I admitted sheepishly, before looking down at Quiraxa. ¡°You could¡¯ve told me about the barrier, though!¡±

    Quiraxa tried to shrug and mostly managed it from where I was carrying her. ¡°I did not deign it necessary.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what about the intruders? How¡¯d they get in?¡±

    Quiraxa waved one clawed hand absentmindedly. ¡°They had a strong enough demon with them. The barrier¡¯s not meant to keep demons out. In fact, that¡¯s how we knew there were squatters. They never arrived for an audience yet also did not leave.¡±

    ¡°And no one would want to stay here otherwise,¡± Seyari added, and I was surprised how playful her tone was.

    ¡°Of course! Nothing could compare to an audience with Utraxia herself.¡±

    My wife rolled her eyes and muttered ¡°sycophant¡± under her breath.

    ¡°Are we close, then?¡± I asked. ¡°Because if it comes to a fight, I shouldn¡¯t be carrying you.¡±

    ¡°And I shouldn¡¯t fight,¡± Quiraxa agreed. ¡°That rise up there, you can set me down. Where the squatters are located is a simple enough flight that I am certain your wife could follow the directions.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if that made it less or more likely that this was all an elaborate ambush. But at this point, I was very nearly convinced it wasn¡¯t¡ªif only for how Quiraxa treated me. The usual stab-you-in-the-back types were overly nice, or quiet. Rarely were they provocative.

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    ¡°¡¯But not me,¡¯ or did you miss an ¡®even¡¯ in there?¡± I said acerbically.

    ¡°I never misspeak.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re impossible.¡± I sighed.

    At that, Seyari broke out laughing mid-cartwheel and I flushed a deeper red all the way through landing on the hill. Quiraxa glared at my boots melting into the snow, but said nothing. I glared right back, up until I was up to my knees in ice¡ªand then I switched to hovering.

    Which continued to melt the snow, so I tried holding myself aloft with wind magic. Just as I was about to spin myself upside down, I felt Seyari¡¯s magic touch mine, and I righted.

    ¡°What an interesting display,¡± Quiraxa deadpanned.

    ¡°I consider it courteous.¡±

    She scoffed, then pointed one long, clawed finger. ¡°That mountain¡ªthe most prominent peak. They are in its western base¡ªa cave atop a cliff that overlooks the ice field.¡±

    ¡°And what have they been doing that¡¯s disturbed you?¡± Seyari asked.

    ¡°They haven''t asked permission to stay, yet have passed the barrier. Moreover Mistress Utraxia has felt their magical workings. Whatever they are up to, the fools mean to hide from us. It is unacceptable.¡±

    Seyari furrowed her brow. ¡°Why not deal with it yourselves, again?¡±

    ¡°We are not in the business of solving others¡¯ problems.¡±

    Seyari turned to face Quiraxa and pressed the issue. ¡°But isn¡¯t it your problem now that they¡¯re here? Aren¡¯t they staining your reputation?¡±

    ¡°If someone drives people¡ªand mortals¡ªonto your land, do you not look to quell the source?¡±

    ¡°So you just let them be, doing whatever they please until then?¡±

    ¡°Why should we lift a finger if they do not pose a threat to us and ours?¡±

    Now, it was my turn. ¡°How do you know they don¡¯t?¡±

    Quiraxa scoffed. ¡°They have but one demon of rank.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We have observed no others.¡±

    Seyari narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank. We want to know if this is a trap you are leading us into.¡±

    I expected anger, and while I did feel a little from Quiraxa, her face took on a decidedly perplexed look, one that I doubted she adopted often with the odd angle it gave to her lips and brow. ¡°I have not deceived you. Should I have intended such duplicity, I assure you that I would not be found out so easily.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Seyari heaved a loud sigh. ¡°You are actually serious.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am!¡±

    ¡°This.¡± She pointed at Quiraxa, wings twitching angrily.

    The conceit demon tilted her head, tails twisting lazily behind her. ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°This right here is why you cannot understand who the better choice is!¡±

    Oh here they go. Seyari¡¯s magic left me in her distraction, and I sank down into the hissing snow, watching the crowned top of the mountain. It almost seemed to wobble in the early morning light.

    ¡°It was never a choice! Royalty carries far too much power and prestige for any other option to even be considered!¡±

    ¡°But what about love? Shared interests¡ªthe willingness to take on others¡¯ burdens and be selfless and¡ªdid you feel that?¡±

    ¡°Was that not your wife blundering to the ground?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I had felt the ground shake a little despite sinking into decades-old snow. I could barely form a reply¡ªthe mountain was wobbling. Bulging out one of the sides near the top, even. Mutely, I pointed at it.

    ¡°Renna, did you¡­¡± Seyari trailed off as she followed my outstretched finger.

    Quiraxa turned around as well, and she was just in time to see the top of the mountain explode.

    From a distance, it almost didn¡¯t look real. It looked like the first sandcastle I¡¯d made on my island falling apart. Except my sandcastle hadn¡¯t thrown a dark cloud up into the air. Moreover, I didn¡¯t think an eruption like this would have multicolored lightning arcing through it. The one that¡¯d birthed¡ªor rebirthed¡ªme certainly hadn¡¯t.

    But that was something different altogether. A little release on a vent of pressure, not an amount of rock enough to bury Astrye twice over sliding down and blowing out like it was nothing.

    The shockwave reached us a moment later, and sound did too, a low, rumbling boom that I felt all the way down my spine, jarring every vertebra from skull to tail tip. Following behind the initial blast, a low, undulating rumble droned on, shaking the earth. Ash and soot and rock covered the sky. From within a hastily-constructed dome of wind magic, I watched bits of mountain falling into the snow, staining the white with gray.

    In a scant few seconds, the world was plunged into a starless night, the budding sunrise snuffed out.

    ¡°I¡­ I must warn Mistress,¡± Quiraxa said in a shaking voice.

    When I looked over, her eyes were glowing. Sey¡¯s too, and she was transfixed. Slowly, I turned to look as well, turning on my aura sight. Over the volcano, a roiling mass of magic had coalesced¡ªforming into something at the center.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Seyari mumbled, shaking. I could see tears forming at the corners of her unblinking golden eyes.

    With instinct I never knew, my armor¡¯s burning gauntlet melted away, and I took her hand in mine. ¡°Go,¡± I told Quiraxa. ¡°Bring help.¡±

    She didn¡¯t argue. I watched her take one step, then two, then five. Soon, she was a blur, streaking across the now-pockmarked landscape. I held Sey for a moment, just until the ash started to fall around our little dome of wind.

    ¡°He¡¯s done it,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°We¡¯ll undo it,¡± I replied, squeezing her hand. ¡°Whatever it is, isn¡¯t finished just yet. And a rain of stones won¡¯t stop us from flying there, will it?¡±

    She nodded, then shook her head. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go ruin Mordwell¡¯s plan a step from the finish line.¡±

    Seyari pulled me up into the air, and together we flew toward the erupting mountain as fast as we could.

 Chapter 200: The World in Gray

    We didn¡¯t make it far before the ash cloud lowered visibility to nothing. Worse, it carried faint traces of mana, rendering aura sight worthless. Even the shining crimson light from my wings reflected back at me, almost blinding.

    By the time I¡¯d put my magic together to blow the ash away, a blast of wind sent me into a cartwheel.

    ¡°MORDWELL!¡±

    I felt Seyari¡¯s wrath through the swirling ash and followed her echoing shout. Like jolting awake from a nightmare I emerged from the ash into a narrow column of clear sky. Further ahead, I caught a flash of crimson wings against the ash gray sky.

    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, I took off after them, wondering why Sey had shouted.

    I didn¡¯t need to wonder long.

    Dhias, how¡­

    The creature, no, demon, pulling itself out of the shattered mountain was titanic. Taller than our castle¡ªtwice over¡ªit looked almost humanoid. Which was honestly the worst part. If four arms were good and right and made for shoulders Seyari once called ¡°dangerously attractive¡± then a few dozen arms certainly didn¡¯t improve the look.

    Nor did flesh that roiled with colors and textures and scales and feathers and fur and eyes and faces and¡ª

    I ripped my gaze away and shuddered, glad I couldn¡¯t see its head through the ash cloud. Aura sight wasn¡¯t needed to tell me this thing was terrifying, was more than anything I¡¯d ever faced¡ªmore perhaps than Envy or Lilly. Fear and I were well acquainted, friends even.

    Fear of being found out. Fear of having to kill. Fear of my loved ones dying.

    This, though, was a primal fear, no less or more potent, but different. It came not just for others, but for me. For a too-long moment, I hung paralyzed in the thinning sky-trail left by Seyari. Flashbacks of all that I¡¯d fought on my island. A titan scorpion in the Navanaean Desert. The demonic monstrosity in Lockmoth. Envy in Astrye.

    Can I do this?

    Can we do this?

    Before I lost my chance to find out, I forced myself forward, gaining speed even as my hands clenched painfully around the axe I didn¡¯t remember summoning.

    I found Seyari at the end of the clear trail. Burning winds of cinders and embers were washing away the worst of the ash, revealing a horrific shadow, one leg already out of the mountain, its misshapen form pointed north.

    Dhias, if it were to reach Astrye¡­

    ¡°He can¡¯t be controlling it, right?¡± I shouted, my voice just barely audible over the wind and the incessant rumbling of the dying mountain.

    Seyari¡¯s lips were a thin line, her eyes wide and pupils pinpricks. ¡°I hope. Can you stop it¡ªstall it?¡±

    I hefted the axe. Despite my fear, I couldn¡¯t ignore all the fury boiling within me¡ªnot just my own either. Deep down, I wanted to fight this thing. To let loose in all the ways I just couldn¡¯t around people. Unlike my other foes, this one I could fight with brute strength. Even from here, I could feel its fury: hot as magma and all-consuming.

    A challenger.

    I felt a hand wrap around one of the two I wasn¡¯t using to hold my axe. ¡°If anyone could see you now, they wouldn¡¯t doubt for a moment what you are. And I mean that in the best way.¡±

    When I turned to look at Seyari, my gaze had to pass through a wreath of crimson flames. She was smiling, more than a little viciously, but her eyes were kind. Sane. Pupils just a little wider, a little more aware.

    She glanced down at the lee side of the mountain, at the small, dark hole of a cave sticking out amidst the ash-covered rocks. Then she looked back up at me, her smile lovely and pointed. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    Fear and anxiety melted into burning anticipation and I returned her smile with a razor-toothed one of my own. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±

    We spun away from each other, Seyari up toward the top of the ash cloud, and me down into a dive. Pulling my wings of flame in, I held my axe against my body, its blades by my ankles and under my trailing, burning tail.

    I turned that limb to steer, and like a comet, I flew straight toward the tangled mass of galleon-sized limbs at such a speed that the air around me felt like molasses.

    My axe, my fire, my claws?

    No, I did have quite the habit of bumping my horns into things.

    When I hit, it was like headbutting a mountain. And the mountain lost. Bone shattered, flesh splattered. Impact after impact after impact.

    The mass tilted, and me along with it. Half-flayed muscles snapped to life; limbs reached for me even before a horrifying atonal roar split the air. It was like someone hitting all the keys of a massive, out-of-tune pipe organ. I swung my axe, kicked my legs, tore with my free claws and shoved off, back into the sky.

    Only for something to grip my tail so hard I felt the bones snap. I whipped around with my wings, grimacing at the grinding from my broken tailbones. One misshapen hand raked at me, and I blocked it with my axe; another, larger than my childhood house, reached out to crush me.

    Brilliant, blinding light erupted as Seyari¡¯s magic tore through the limbs assaulting me. For a moment, my tail slipped free, and I took that chance. Up was a different direction, but I moved that way anyway, spinning midair to look at our foe.

    It was falling. Topheavy and off-balance, it teetered outside the mountain.

    For the first time, I got a look at its head. Faces covered the misshapen lump at odd angles¡ªhundreds of them, thousands maybe. And they were all looking directly at me, screaming in rage, as the monstrosity fell.

    Cracks and crunches rent the air, new limbs shooting out from the mass around its torso and breaking the fall even as the old ¡°legs¡± shrank and receded. My mind felt so ill that my body almost obliged it.

    Almost.

    With Seyari slinging magic from above, I dove into the fight with unrestrained glee. Hack and slash and dodge and block. Like the world¡¯s scariest gnat fighting the world¡¯s scariest bear. Not a great analogy, and terribly unfair to bears, but I was fighting limbs bigger around than most buildings were tall and I couldn¡¯t exactly think of a better analogy.

    Flames seemed to do little to the monstrosity, my axe not sizzling as my fury hoped it would. So I poured in more heat until flames wreathed me for meters around. Those worked, if barely, scorching skin and flesh alike. I didn¡¯t dare touch its fury, because I could feel the roiling instability from here.

    This was a reaver¡ªa huge one. And killing it would do more to blast away the nearest few mountains than grant me power¡­ probably.

    For a blissful minute, the fight felt like a vindication of my pitiable performance against the monstrosity in Lockmoth. It was fast, but I was faster.

    Until I wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Renna!¡± Sey shouted. ¡°Get back!¡±

    I didn¡¯t hesitate, but I wasn¡¯t fast enough.

    Whatever power it¡¯d been gathering, it had found, and a wall of pure mana shoved Sey and I back, reeling through the sky. A kaleidoscopic wall of aspects that burned with lightning and crushed with water and cut with wind and froze with ice. By the time I¡¯d righted, I could feel my own magic sluggishly fixing myself.

    Seyari was worse off, but before I could make my way to her, she lit up like a beacon and I watched her broken wings snap into place as she screamed in raw fury. Like a shot out of a cannon, she threw herself into the thick sludge of magic blocking our path, even as it began to recede.

    I caught her when she bounced back. ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Sey hissed.

    So I did.

    What I hadn¡¯t noticed during the fight was that what I¡¯d been fighting hadn¡¯t just been a mindless mass, it¡¯d been forming into something. Through the haze, flesh flowed and bones twisted, warping impossibly into a distinct figure. From its back, horrid wings with feathers of flesh emerged, as the limbs shrunk to two long, clawed arms. With almost human legs and a torso, the effect was uncannily like that of an angel with red-orange skin.

    If an angel was made by something that didn¡¯t quite understand even human anatomy. Unfortunately, the faces on the head settled into three mostly human ones, with ragged hair flowing down to its back. Flames surrounding it flowed into a mockery of priestly robes and a dark red staff long enough to make even the tallest trees look like toothpicks.

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    Sey fired a holy lance into the receding magic, but it disintegrated. ¡°Damnit. Renna, can you burn it?¡±

    I recalled how resistant to fire it was. ¡°Maybe¡ªbut it¡¯s not gonna kill it, they, whatever this thing is, in one shot.¡±

    She swore again and dragged me forward by my arm, wings flapping furiously. When I pulled a little of her anger, her wingbeats slowed, and Sey took a deep breath.

    ¡°Thanks. Head¡¯s a little clearer.¡±

    I looked at her and gave the most feral grin I could. ¡°We can kill it.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°We totally¡ª¡±

    ¡°No¡ªRenna!¡± Her eyes were wide as saucers.

    I snapped my head back toward the transformed demon. Behind them, through the magic-filled air, I could see a long, tall opening seemingly half buried in the smoking caldera. Red sand spewed out as if driven by a searing wind, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to know where the portal led.

    Even now, the shimmering edges were opening wider.

    Sey¡¯s fist squeezed down hard on mine. ¡°We have to find him. Close it.¡¯

    Almost as if spurred on by her words, the titanic demon¡¯s horrifying wings flapped, kicking up a plume of ash, and somehow sending the monstrosity skyward.

    My heart plummeted as I watched them pivot to a flying position and take off toward the north. ¡°Shit.¡±

    Sey let go of my hand, her fingers trailing against mine. ¡°Go after it.¡±

    When I looked at her, she met my gaze with steady eyes. Though they glowed and I could feel the raw fury washing off her, the angel of wrath I married held no mania in her eyes.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Her scowl lightened, but we didn¡¯t let the moment linger. Time was not on our side; it never had been and wouldn¡¯t ever be until Envy, not just Mordwell, was dead and gone.

    Splitting apart, we took off in different directions, Sey toward the ruined mountain and me toward a demon so large that their wings could cast a city into shade.

    Into that shadow was where I flew, a speck of burning crimson set against shades of gray. The ash here was thinner, swirling about in the wake of immense wingbeats.

    Think, Renna. You need an actual plan for this! They weren¡¯t immune to fire, or at least their other form wasn¡¯t. But I doubted I could incinerate them, or that they¡¯d let me try. Neck or heart then. Their armor looked just as real as my own, and dozens of times as thick, but the neck was uncovered.

    Changing course, I soared up above the titanic demon, and flew from feet towards head. One immense eye from a face on the side of their head turned towards me, and the air ignited.

    Flames much like my own roared and swirled and I¡¯d imagine if I weren¡¯t immune they¡¯d burn me to a crisp. Unfortunately for them, all the attack did was impair my vision.

    Which meant I didn¡¯t notice them rolling until one fleshy wing was a meter from my face. I braced with my axe, the blade bit in, and I was sent careening toward the side of a mountain.

    ¡°UNWORTHY.¡±

    The word of challenge boomed in triplicate, loud as an avalanche and twice as deep. It was the last thing I heard before my back hit rock hard enough to shatter my spine and form a crater a dozen meters wide.

    Unworthy? After all I¡¯ve done! And I didn¡¯t even need to destroy the mountain to be rebirthed out of it!

    Wrath called to me, and I listened. Let it suffuse me and when I opened my eyes, the world had gone from gray to crimson with one big, flying stain marring the canvas.

    I was kicking off the cratered-in wall of rock before my spine had even snapped back into place. With a roar of challenge, I flew at them, axe first. They met me in the air, hovering like a twisted angel with six burning, crimson eyes.

    ¡°PATHETIC.¡± Behind their forced calm, their own wrath roared to meet my own, like a building storm.

    The staff came down, like a falling tower, and I swung to meet it. My axe carved through, but its sheer size was something I couldn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°INSECT.¡±

    This time I didn¡¯t hit the mountain. I rolled, instead. Tail as a counterweight and claws of my free hands for grip, I cartwheeled over and onto the flaming staff, holding on with my lower two hands and the claws of my feet.

    Not a second later, a sky-obscuring hand reached toward me.

    Six limbs or not, this is one insect you¡¯re not going to crush.

    Any other time I¡¯d be scared. I¡¯d look at that hand and think that I couldn¡¯t possibly match its might. Here, now, with Seyari forced to fight Mordwell and Lorelei alone, and with my Wrath burning against the underling who dared to contest my right, I tossed my axe aside and braced.

    With four limbs gripping the staff, I met the hand with my two upper arms, palms outstretched. The force hit me and my bones creaked. They should¡¯ve broken, shattered, and left me nothing but a stain.

    Instead, I pushed back, and up. My claws that must¡¯ve felt to them like pinpricks burned and charred flesh, and I could see the green-tinged glow of my gem in the tiny space I¡¯d made for myself.

    If I can burn it¡­

    I started channeling my mana, pulling on everything I had even as the titanic demon pressed harder, intent on squashing me. The spell didn¡¯t need to kill them, just give me an opening.

    Second felt like minutes as the power built and the spell formed around me.

    ¡°WORTHLESS.¡±

    Yeah, like you¡¯d get me with that. I¡¯ve got loving friends and family and people who rely on me. I¡¯m not some island of power too paranoid and weak to trust and delegate. I¡¯m also not above matching egotistical pedantry like for like.

    I am Zarenna Miller, Zerix¡¯Arranthariel, Sovereign of Wrath, Wife, Mother, Sister, Marchioness, aspiring blacksmith, and brilliant artist of puns!

    Through my hands and through my claws, the spell exploded outward.

    And the demon screamed. Flesh burned to bone burned to ash, and the night sky above revealed the orange tint of sunrise through crimson flames. Mine were different¡ªhotter. There was something else to my flames, and I didn¡¯t stick around to study what it might be.

    Tail like a spring, I kicked off the staff and launched skyward, aiming for the neck as wide as a city block. Behind me, the flames tore through the staff and ran up the arm that¡¯d tried to crush me. From a glance, it was crumbling to ash.

    And in the eyes above me, shining bright under the hatred they burned with, I thought I saw fear.

    From three open, fang-lined maws spewed other kinds of magic. Not as strong as their fire, but a lot more dangerous. Lightning bolts grazed me as I dodged and rolled, ice froze the tip of my tail, and a spear of rock took me through the leg and sent me tumbling.

    With the sound of tearing flesh, I watched, upside down, as their wings split into hundreds of tendrils. Wind the likes of which Seyari could barely produce welled up from below, keeping the titan airborne even as they reached for me with a dozen malformed limbs, their faces twisted into a rictus of fury and agony. Magic coated each limb, a dizzying array of bright flashes that forced me to end my aura sight.

    Flaring my wings, I summoned my axe into my hands and dove to one side, only for the wind to batter me back into the line of fire. A sparking tendril grabbed my bad leg and the world went from gray to white. Muscles spasmed and locked; my scream faded into a hushed gasp.

    Wide-eyed, I stared at the limbs coming for me, tipped with claws and fangs. Barely, I managed to drive them back with a burst of fire. Reprieve was only temporary, but it was enough to feel my arms again.

    With claws and axe, I slashed down at the tendril holding my leg. Dark blood sprayed as it severed, and I threw my wings forward, skating back out of the way of another burst of magic.

    My own wind was barely able to hold off against the titan¡¯s magic, and my fire magic sputtered. I wasn¡¯t tapped out yet, but I was close.

    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have time to come up with a plan, as I had to either dodge or be ripped apart. Still, I took hits, and even though I gave as good as I got, slashing a dozen tendrils didn¡¯t do much against a hundred.

    And I only had four arms.

    Carefully, I tried to push my way forward, to barrel through the thicket of sharp-tipped flesh toward my prize. They either couldn¡¯t shift their body enough to cover their neck, or this was all a feint and I might actually die.

    I can¡¯t let this thing take my title.

    Still fighting, I thought back to my island, to the ancient chapel where I¡¯d gotten my name. Some Sovereign of Wrath had tried to make a proper life there, for them and for others, and they¡¯d chosen me somehow. What I was doing in Astrye mirrored that, Carvalon¡¯s leash or not.

    With one last surge of magic, I breathed out a line of flames, as hot as I could make them. Tendrils burned to cinders and I crashed through like a boulder through a wooden wall.

    The neck! I¡¯m through!

    I surged forward, only to be stopped dead when something grabbed my tail. Spikes pierced up and down its length, and I could feel the warped limb reaching up toward my torso spike by spike.

    In front, the head lowered and crimson eyes full of fury and hate bored into me, even as a fanged maw with far too many rows of teeth opened below.

    I didn¡¯t have more than a moment to think, and I knew what had to happen. Shit, this is gonna hurt.

    Closing my eyes and clenching my jaw, I brought my axe around and behind me even as I put everything I had into pushing forward toward the open mouth. I was a little proud that my tail gave the blade some resistance, that it almost caught on my spine before cleaving through.

    My scream died behind clenched teeth and against a wall of air as I shot forward so fast that the air boomed out in protest. Past rows of teeth as tall as I was I flew down, into a throat that was far from humanoid.

    Why are there teeth in here!

    In a panic, I swung for the side of the throat and my axe caught. Just below me, down where my tail would have been, the throat clenched and sharp teeth gleamed wickedly in the light of my fire. They shivered at each splatter of my blood that hit them

    Turning away, I tore into the throat wall with a raw sort of fury, axe and claws flashing. Blood sprayed like a broken dam.

    ¡°NO!¡± They shouted, the word filled with anguish and loud enough to rattle my bones as it rushed past me.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I roared back, leaving the ¡°Renna¡± before the word unsaid.

    Swing, blood, swing, blood. The flesh around me warped, reaching for me, forming spikes of bone to cut me. But it wasn¡¯t enough, wasn¡¯t fast enough. I cut off protrusions, tore out forming teeth, burned and scorched where my dwindling mana could. The flesh tried to knit closed around me, but everywhere I¡¯d torn into was charred and blackened. I was butcher and lumberjack, hacking away until I¡¯d severed everything.

    The next swing hit an artery, and the spray of blood nearly shoved me back out into the throat. At the last second, my wind magic managed to shove the spray to one side. We were falling now, it felt like, but I couldn¡¯t tell at what angle.

    A scream rattled the walls and my skull. The throat slammed forward like it¡¯d been hit. Are they hitting themselves to try to crush me?

    Unfortunately, it worked. My legs were pinned, one arm broken.

    The next strike hit tendons, then bone.

    They slammed me again, and my wind magic lost cohesion. Blood fountained up, quickly filling the space, and another arm snapped to dangle uselessly. Blackness crept into the edges of my vision as I felt mana exhaustion only a few seconds away.

    Not yet!

    Two arms were still free, and I didn¡¯t need to brace if I was already held like wood in a vise. In front of me, the demon¡¯s exposed spine was immense. I¡¯d long run out of metaphors, but it was a lot wider than I was tall and I had to make that less true and that was all I needed to know.

    From here, it ceased to be a fight. It wasn¡¯t a gnat versus a titan. It was a big, angry woman with an axe chopping down a macabre analogy of a tree while the tree tore all its roots out trying to stop its end.

    My last swing was with a single, partially broken arm, fueled by my last breath before blood covered my face.

    When my axe struck home, I felt the snap across my whole battered body and the flesh around me loosened. Their screams stopped, and I was too tired to pick up where they¡¯d left off even if the pain made it tough to think about anything else.

    This thing¡¯s soul, their aura, had been a churning, sickly mass of half-congealed souls. Which meant that when they died, a good chunk of the power that should have been mine by right became a violent eruption at least as strong as what had destroyed the mountain.

    I knew it¡¯d happen, but I hadn''t had the luxury of changing tack to anticipate it.

    From my last swing to looking at the sunrise seconds later, my memory was missing. All of my remaining limbs were broken, my axe and armor had gone when my magic fizzled out, everything was covered in half-burned blood, and the sky was a fine mist of out-of-control magic and meat chunks.

    I hit the ground before I could figure out my wings, and the power hit me a moment later, agony forcing me awake. From one eye, I could see the mountain, still smoking, and the portal to the demonic plane, still shimmering.

    Sey needs me.

    With my one half-good arm, I started dragging myself back toward the mountain.

 Chapter 201: Black & White

    She¡¯ll be alright. She¡¯ll win.

    Mordwell was so close. Thirty-four years of fear and self-loathing caused by that man. A childhood marred and a first life ruined.

    Seyari still burned for revenge. She was furious; hot wind whipped around her like a sideways twister, throwing ash aside as she barreled into the cavern barely big enough to fly in.

    Unlike that night all those years ago. Unlike that night just one year ago where she¡¯d nearly struck down Zarenna¡¯s sister. Unlike her life right up until her marriage vows, the anger was second in Seyari¡¯s mind.

    First in her mind was her family. Coming home safe, taking on the next challenge together, and maybe even turning a castle into a cottage.

    Mordwell had to die. Seyari wanted to be the one to kill him. But if the cave collapsed and did her job for her? She¡¯d turn around, she¡¯d leave, and she¡¯d live.

    Keeping her thoughts focused on the now might just have saved her. The attack came as the cave widened into a chamber, a spear of white-hot fire with an uncomfortably familiar shape to it blazing just past Seyari¡¯s face. The flash lit up the cavern, bringing a moment of color to the black-and-gray rocks.

    She wheeled in the air, wings flaring and magic blazing. Before she could find her target amongst the stalactites, she was forced to bank hard, narrowly dodging another figure that¡¯d closed the distance.

    Greater demons, both of them. Didn¡¯t take aura sight to sense that. Maintaining her spin, she drew her blade, scoring a light hit on the leg of the demon that had passed her.

    Seyari couldn¡¯t stay still, dodging another two attacks¡ªlightning and wind¡ªfrom the ground. Below, the chamber was open, with a rolling, discontinuous floor and small streams that steamed with the mountain¡¯s eruptive heat.

    Down there, she¡¯d be open. Up near the top of the chamber, with false rises, stalactites, and sudden dead-ends, it¡¯d be almost impossible to navigate and fight.

    Almost.

    Seyari tucked her wings, kicked up the wind around her into a maelstrom, and took off after the source of the first attack. Lorelei. You fooled my Renna, but you won¡¯t fool me.

    Her magic was fought from below, but she overwhelmed it with surprising ease. Still, it was enough to expose her, and she had to duck behind a stalactite to dodge another bolt. The demon that¡¯d tried to slam into her midair had turned around, a clumsy bronze-gold blur moving between cover. Jagged wings, coin-like scales, and a perpetual sneer.

    An avarice demon, almost certainly. And a quick glance told Seyari that the two attackers on the ground, hiding in the uneven terrain, were envy demons. Gray, lithe, and almost human.

    Twist, turn, and she barreled forward toward where Lorelei¡¯s attack had come from. Renna said she was wingless, so¡­ there!

    Seyari dove after the flash of orange. A surge of wind magic shoved against hers, and she was pushed off course just enough for the other winged demon to crash into her.

    They were armed, and the blade cut deep across her abdomen. One hand on her own sword, and the other reflexively holding guts in, she pulled on all the wind and heat she could. Like a geyser, steam burst up from below, scalding both Seyari and her assailant.

    They were clumsy in the air, and with a swing to cripple one wing, Seyari kicked them off and flared her wings at the ground rushing up to meet her. The avarice demon wasn¡¯t so lucky, bouncing with a crunch before tumbling into a boiling stream.

    Down for now, but not out.

    Seyari pulled up, just in time to catch a lightning bolt to the back. Muscles burned and spasmed, wings locked, and she couldn¡¯t dodge an incoming burst of fire. The caster¡¯s vaguely familiar face appeared from behind a rock, four eyes blazing with fury.

    If Zarenna¡¯s flame was warm comfort, this fire was anguish and desperation.

    It scorched hair and feathers, blistered skin, and burned her insides that her magic had only just started to heal. Seyari sailed past Lorelei and crashed into a rise of folded rock. One wing snapped, and she tumbled head over heels.

    The fire tried to cling onto Sey, and she felt a familiar, awful fury building, but she pushed it down. The flames went out, burning only skin deep, and her holy magic lit up around her like daylight.

    Shadows rushed toward her, and Seyari gasped for air, then hissed it back out as she used her bad wing to kip up into a crouch. The shadow resolved into a gray-skinned demon, thin limbs reaching forward with claws of wind.

    Seyari¡¯s abdomen finished pulling shut just as they met. Her wind barreled into theirs, stopping the charge. She feinted low, then swung high, and the demon¡¯s arm flew off, tumbling between ridges. She kicked the envy demon and they stumbled before falling onto the ground and writhing in silent agony. Where their stump limb ended, holy magic burned, charring flesh and bone to ash.

    Seyari longed to leap airborne again, but she¡¯d need time¡ªand magic¡ªto heal. She took a defensive stance and shouted, ¡°Lorelei! I know it¡¯s you!¡±

    Her shout echoed around the chamber. She watched the writhing demon, the crevasse the avarice demon had fallen into, and the shadows where the lightning user lurked. From where Seyari had seen her, the demon that Lorelei had become emerged.

    Her face was similar enough to be a cousin, or maybe even a sister, but that was where the similarities ended. Orange skin, long limbs, digitigrade legs, and four eyes¡ªtwo blue and two red¡ªmarked her as inhuman. Zarenna would approve of the four arms.

    She wouldn¡¯t approve of the grimace Lorelei¡¯s face was set in. Her red eyes burned, but the others¡­

    ¡°Lorelei is dead,¡± the demon said in a voice that was more hurt than angry.

    ¡°Is she now?¡± Seyari pushed, waiting for her wing bone to set and watching the shadows carefully.

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    They circled each other, waiting. Seyari had to time it right¡ªtoo long and she¡¯d be fighting more than two.

    ¡°Deliverance,¡± the demon Lorelei said softly. ¡°That is what I am.¡±

    ¡°How pretentious.¡± Just a little longer! Get past them and stop Mordwell!

    Deliverance bristled. ¡°Are you going to try to ¡®save¡¯ me too?¡±

    Seyari wanted to smirk, but what came out was a sad half-smile. ¡°No.¡±

    She lunged forward. One hand threw a holy lance at the other envy demon, and the other held her blade forward. Lorelei, Deliverance, whatever she was calling herself, expected the feint and moved to block an altered trajectory. Sey had always fought with feints like that when they¡¯d worked together what felt like a lifetime ago.

    Half formal and half street-taught. Never willing to take that much of a risk, to be so openly earnest.

    Seyari locked her arm and drove the blade home. No feint, no hidden technique. Just a telegraphed intent. Deliverance watched the blade pierce through her. Watched the holy magic burning her away silently, with an expression that made Seyari¡¯s heart ache.

    She pulled the blade free early. Not because she couldn¡¯t do it, but because the holy lance had missed. Not only that, but the holy magic burning the other one had stopped at the wrist, and they were back up.

    When she locked eyes, a headache like a sledgehammer slammed into her. Seyari stumbled, but she caught herself, stepping over a kneeling, dying Lorelei and bringing her weapon and magic to bear.

    Behind her, she heard a rush of wings from the trench, so she sailed forward. No wind magic, just a thrust of her wings. The wind user failed to knock her away, and she willingly took the lightning to drive her sword into the other envy demon.

    Unreadable, violet and black eyes looked at her, and she covered them with her fist. Her fist glowing with holy light. The nose crunched, the skull cracked, and Seyari couldn¡¯t quite get out of the way of the returned avarice demon.

    The blade took her through the thigh, and they threw their full weight to keep her from taking off.

    ¡°Now!¡± came a shout in Ordian.

    The remaining envy demon moved with the wind, drawing a slim sword and aiming for Seyari¡¯s heart. With her own wing magic, she twisted both her and the avarice demon, barely, taking the sword to the lung.

    And tumbling over the edge toward the boiling stream.

    With a leg, she tripped up the envy demon, and with a singed wing she pulled them in too. She didn¡¯t have enough of Renna¡¯s magic to take the same boiling baths her wife was fond of, but she was resistant at least.

    Not that it mattered much.

    The water was superheated, and it burned every single centimeter of Seyari¡¯s body. She thrashed along with them, searching for a handhold, a foothold, anything to keep from sinking. Wide as she was tall, this was no stream, but a river, deep and swift and boiling.

    Seyari¡¯s sharp nails found rock, and she clung on, hot lungs feeling about to burst. The punctured one burned and she could feel it filling with water as her overworked magic tried to keep her alive.

    She latched her other hand on, and tried to pull up. Except the demons were latched onto her, dead weight she didn¡¯t have the strength to lift. Using her flagging magic, she charred their hands, but by the time they¡¯d let go, her vision was turning black.

    Not here!

    Seyari put one hand in front of the other, even as she felt her skin peeling away, her eyes boiling in her head.

    And then the pain stopped.

    Like a lever had been pulled, and a door closed, the water didn¡¯t burn.

    For a moment, Seyari wondered if she was dying. And then a wave of raw power slammed into her so hard she let go of the rock she¡¯d been clinging to.

    The feeling was almost like her vow with Renna. Except every emotion had been inverted. Seyari gagged and felt her magic pushing back against the tide of demonic strength.

    She flailed and found the rock again. Looked up with regenerating eyes and saw the surface a stone¡¯s throw away.

    Gritting her teeth, she felt them warping back and forth between fangs as her very bones seemed desperate to burst from her body. The worst part was that none of it hurt. Not compared to boiling alive.

    Seyari wasn¡¯t a demon. Wouldn¡¯t become one. Renna needed her Angel of Wrath and that was what she¡¯d stay. But she didn¡¯t reject the power either¡ªnot all of it.

    Seyari would keep what strength she could make her own, and the rest? She didn¡¯t need it. Not if it meant losing herself. I¡¯m not alone.

    Hand, self, hand, self. Seyari pulled herself up until her hand breached the water. The cave was cold, dreadfully so. But Seyari had unfinished business with Mordwell. Even if this power was from Renna¡¯s victory outside, the portal was still open and Mordwell needed to be stopped.

    Dripping and suddenly cold, Seyari forced herself up onto the rock. Forced herself to stand. Her sword was gone¡ªlost somewhere at the bottom of the boiling river. When Sey looked down at her hand, her nails¡ªno, claws¡ªlooked a good bit sharper. The dark cave was in clearer focus, though still in shades of gray.

    Her wings were healed; everything was healed. But her mana was still low. Deliverance had pulled herself to a nearby rise in the rolling floor, and leaned against it. Her torso was a mass of charred, blackened flesh, and if it weren¡¯t for aura sight, Seyari wouldn¡¯t have believed her to be alive.

    But she was, and¡­ well it wouldn¡¯t make sense to waste time finishing off someone who wouldn¡¯t be a threat. Mordwell was the top priority.

    Seyari took off with a running leap, and right into a wall of shadow. In an instant, she went from warm to freezing cold. The aura that surrounded her was something she¡¯d heard about from Renna.

    Envy.

    She whirled around toward the exit, and threw out a tunnel of wind. The shadows didn¡¯t move. They clung to her sight like a damp mold. Even her holy magic barely beat them back.

    The owner¡¯s aura didn¡¯t make a move, and Seyari wasn¡¯t going to give them an easy chance. Mordwell would have to wait.

    ¡°I expected more of a fight.¡±

    Seyari didn¡¯t respond to the voice that flowed like rotten honey.

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve her.¡±

    Sey¡¯s jaw tightened, and she reached for her sword that wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°You¡¯re an impossibility. You and that demon you pretend is your daughter.¡±

    Seyari closed her eyes. She could still feel the wind through the shadows. Feel the ebb and flow of heat in the cave that moved with steam from below. Her holy magic pulled from a depleted pool that was larger in its current state than what she¡¯d ever had before.

    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re superior?¡±

    The jibe hid an attack. Wreathing herself in holy magic, she deflected the blow with an arm. It sent her tumbling anyway, back-first into a wall that shouldn¡¯t have been there. This time when she focused on the wind, she felt it jumping around impossibly.

    Like it was moving around impossibly fast. Or like she was.

    Seyari blocked another strike, then another, all with a simple rhythm.

    They¡¯re toying with me.

    Her blood ran cold. The moment Envy wanted to kill her, she¡¯d be dead. But they hadn¡¯t stepped in earlier. Hadn¡¯t gone out to stop Renna. Then why would they care about preventing Seyari from killing Mordwell?

    No, there had to be some other reason.

    Wait, what if¡­

    The shadows parted in an instant. Seyari saw Zarenna at the mouth of the chamber, hundreds of meters away. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, and she barely saw the dark blade swinging for her neck.

    ***

    Deliverance felt her insides knitting slowly back together. Master had given her this power, and now she couldn¡¯t even die properly. She¡¯d failed, but¡­ she didn¡¯t mind failing this.

    Some long dead echoes of another self railed against what she was doing, against her master. She ran a finger along the cold of her collar, and it tingled with her contract¡¯s magic. The familiarity didn¡¯t bring her any comfort.

    Why do I want comfort?

    Deliverance looked up into the shadows swirling in the cave above. They weren¡¯t meant for her; Envy was playing with their enemy.

    And Deliverance hated that.

    She pulled herself up to her feet, entire body burning in protest. Her mana was almost depleted, and the strike she¡¯d walked into earlier had nearly killed her. Foolish, she¡¯d definitely do something like that just to prove I wasn¡¯t as good as her.

    Deliverance found herself smiling, and her eyes all felt wet.

    Below her chin, the metal binding collar burned. Damn, I¡¯ve really messed up this time, huh?

    She looked up in time to see the shadows clearing. To see Envy forming out of them behind Seyari, a wicked blade of shadow in one hand.

    Her heart burned, and Deliverance drew on her magic for one last shot.

 Chapter 202: An End, of Sorts

    For a moment, I saw Abigail¡¯s eyes reflected in Seyari. Mouth open to shout a warning as the blade came down. Envy¡¯s dark eyes weren¡¯t even on my wife; they were looking directly at me. Full of malice and delight.

    For all the power racing through me like it wanted to burst out, I was too far¡ªtoo slow. Fire erupting behind, I shot forward anyway, a scream tearing itself loose from my mouth.

    The blade came down.

    A cannon shot cracked the air.

    And an orange blur knocked my wife aside.

    Lorelei: ally, backstabber, and demon of wrath. Her four eyes locked with mine for just an instant, burning bright and clear and blue in seas of darkness.

    In them, I didn¡¯t see Abigail. Not quite the same.

    She¡¯d made her choice, and I latched onto the wisping strings of her righteous fury like a drowning woman, accepting all I could.

    Her binding collar glowed, Envy¡¯s blade struck with a sparking clang, and the world went white.

    When I hit the cavern wall, I didn¡¯t hear it. Miraculously, my spine didn¡¯t snap, and I shoved off with my tail. The flames all around were blinding, and their magic nature threatened to burn despite my immunity.

    ¡°SEY!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs, pushing all the power I could¡ªwind and fire both¡ªinto taming the flames.

    The moment I did, a familiar feeling hit me. A soul, demonic.

    Lorelei.

    Another force struck at it like a cleaver, and my gem lit up green in response. With instinctual magic, I pulled, then yanked, then threw my all into keeping my friend¡¯s soul from a second terrible fate.

    With a feeling like a frayed rope snapping, Lorelei¡¯s soul slammed into mine.

    I¡¯m sorry.

    Lorelei would never get another life, like Abigail, but I knew she¡¯d known that. She¡¯d made the choice and that had to be enough. Grief would have to wait in the face of relief.

    With Lorelei¡¯s soul, the presence of Envy¡¯s aura I had felt dissipated, gone back up the tunnel. I didn¡¯t even consider chasing them.

    ¡°Sey!¡± I shouted again into the thinning smoke.

    The air writhed in the heat, walls running like too-hot frosting as stalactites dripped into the solidifying floor.

    Down amongst softened stone, I spied movement and shouted again. The furious coughing I received in reply could have been the world¡¯s greatest aria for how it made my heart swell.

    When I landed, Seyari was glowing with holy magic, scorched flesh regrowing as blackened feathers regained their lovely crimson shrine. Agonizingly, I held off wrapping her in a hug¡­ until she had most of her skin back.

    Moving now felt so¡­ light, and I swept her into a hug so fast I heard the air escaping her lungs.

    ¡°...na!¡± She took a breath. ¡°Renna! Air!¡±

    I loosened my lower arms just a little.

    ¡°Looser!¡±

    I pouted, but obliged.

    Seyari looked up at me with glowing golden eyes and a radiant smile. ¡°We made it¡ªfor now. What did you do?¡±

    I blinked at her. Hadn¡¯t she seen¡­ wait. She was slower now, if only by a little. If I focused, I could ignore it, and for my sanity¡¯s sake I did. ¡°That was Lorelei.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Seyari furrowed her brow, but also she brought her arms and wings into the embrace.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± I rested my chin on her head. ¡°I caught her eyes¡ªshe was free, in the end.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m glad.¡±

    ¡°I know you never liked her.¡±

    ¡°I never got along with her. There¡¯s¡­ a difference. I really am glad.¡±

    ¡°Mhm. We should still stop Mordwell.¡±

    She made no move to end the embrace, instead sliding her head out from under mine and pulling my chin down into a quick kiss. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    Barely resisting¡­ baser urges, I loosened the embrace. ¡°We really should go if you¡¯re healed enough to fly. Hell portal and all that.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± she hummed. ¡°I know, don¡¯t care.¡±

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    ¡°The portal¡¯s incredibly dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I suppose.¡± She finally pulled away with a sigh, then looked up at me. ¡°Did you get taller?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I frowned. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t. Doors are one thing, but short ceilings I can live without.¡±

    ¡°Sky¡¯s better anyway.¡± She tugged at one of my lower arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    With a smile, I followed her into the air. I¡¯d already forgotten which tunnel out of the room was the way I¡¯d come in, but she turned me around and together we flew deeper into the cave. The place, including an obvious campsite in a small chamber, was deserted.

    ¡°Envy wanted to kill me in front of you,¡± Seyari said as we flew, voice carried on the wind. ¡°They could¡¯ve done it sooner, but they waited.¡±

    ¡°Sick bastard,¡± I threw back. ¡°Why¡¯d they want that?¡±

    ¡°Well, what would you do if they¡¯d succeeded?¡±

    Just the thought made my blood boil and flames snake out through the joints in my armor. A thought was enough to quell my wrath, but it was there, waiting. And it gave us both the answer. ¡°Things I¡¯d probably regret.¡±

    ¡°I assume it wouldn¡¯t be a rampage?¡±

    ¡°Not through mortal territories.¡±

    ¡°What if it were a far-away land and Envy¡¯s ilk were hiding amongst mortals?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± More than one fist clenched and my mind missed a beat. It should have made my blood run cold, but I felt nothing. And that, once again, scared me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    I thought back to my conversation with Sonia. Drift of the self was a real danger to someone like me¡ªprecisely because it was a game of centimeters.

    We turned a corner, and ahead could see an unnaturally-crimson glow flickering eerily along the tunnel walls.

    Sey angled her head back at me, wings still for silent gliding on air currents she created. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more later.¡±

    I nodded and fell into her wake. This is her moment.

    We rounded the bend in the cave to a scene I wish I hadn¡¯t seen twice before: bodies, some human, most demon, and a pulsing miasma of ritual magic. Threads of visible magic pierced up and down into the rock suspending it like a castle-sized cocoon of terrible fury and power. The ritual¡¯s color was crimson, like mine. As much as I¡¯d want to call it sickly, or wrong, or twisted, the only difference was in the shine of the flames.

    Used for horrible purposes, magic was magic. Demonic or no.

    The chamber was like a grand cathedral of ancient stone, more ¡°hollow magma chamber¡± than the natural caves we¡¯d been in; it¡¯d be pretty in another context. As it was now, with bodies and blood, the undulations of folded rock just served to twist shadows frighteningly in the flickering red light.

    Sey flew forward, around the magic, and I followed behind, wary. Despite all the assurances, I still worried she¡¯d do something rash¡ªI would in her place. Aura sight was blinding unless I kept to the walls, but I didn¡¯t sense Envy or anything else.

    How quiet it all was was the worst part. I expected chanting, a rushing, roaring of air and rock and power. All that could be heard were Sey¡¯s rapid wingbeats and the soft sound of distant flames, their roaring muffled to a whisper.

    To my mind, it felt wrong. To my body, my instincts, it felt like an awaiting challenge. Like an opportunity. Gross.

    At the highest point of the cave, on an outcropping of rock too bulbous and indistinct to hold such a grand confrontation, stood the source of two once-ruined lives. More than that, in fact.

    My soul was different than most of my kind, but I could feel echoes of others¡¯ pain straining. For the first time in a long time, my heart clenched with anxiety and worry of its own volition. And my body ached with half remembered phantom pains.

    Mordwell would have been an intimidating man, once. Short-cropped hair had gone thin and gray with age, his face spotted and sagging, mouth set in a grim, focused line. His eyes, such an unassuming brown, burned with passion. I expected wrath to suffuse him, to hit me like a wave even over that of Seyari¡¯s righteous fury.

    It didn¡¯t.

    His eyes were not those of a madman; and that scared me more than anything else.

    Around him, a bubble of whipping, glowing wind held back the heat of the chamber. If I wasn¡¯t already sure that ¡°holy¡± magic had nothing to do with holiness, this scene would erase all doubt. I wished I could carve it into stone and throw it through the tallest window of the Church¡¯s headquarters.

    Sey paused for just a moment, magic blowing to keep herself aloft in place. She looked like an angel with wings dipped in blood, here to finish a vengeance she¡¯d long pursued.

    An angel of wrath.

    Lances of blinding light started to take shape in her hands. Mordwell noticed us, somehow, his head lifting up and eyes flicking away from sustaining the spell.

    He opened his mouth¡ªand the first lance impacted the shield before any of us could hear what he¡¯d tried to say. Any follow-up was drowned out by Seyari. No words, just a scream¡ªraw and painful.

    The second lance flew, and the old, frail human had no hope of dodging. His own magic must have been close to exhausted, as the shield spun apart without resistance as the lance took him through the chest.

    A clean shot through the heart, and Mordwell was dead before he hit the ground.

    Decades of pain and suffering and knives in the dark and it was all over in just a few seconds, leaving a hollow feeling Seyari must have felt so much more keenly than I could ever¡ª

    ¡°Fucking finally!¡± My angel of wrath shouted, head tipped up and voice raw but exuberant. She clenched her fists and spun a pirouette in the air. ¡°Thirty-four fucking years, and I don¡¯t even fucking remember how many days! Renna, help me pull this ritual apart¡ªit¡¯s gonna go out of control in a second here.¡±

    I blinked.

    I blinked again.

    Then I smiled, showing all my teeth. ¡°Sure thing, Sey.¡±

    She grabbed my hand¡ªtop right¡ªand showed me how to take apart a world-threatening ritual portal to the demonic plane. Pull magic from here, push it there. Keep it stable and draw it out like draining an abscess. All the while, Seyari was smiling like I¡¯d only ever seen once, on our wedding day.

    I almost asked about planning the reception, we¡¯d not yet had the chance after all. But it¡¯d have to wait. Envy was still out there. Apparently they¡¯d abandoned Mordwell, or perhaps this was their plan all along.

    Except the part where Seyari lived.

    That was a victory we owed to Lorelei, and I¡¯d be making a gravestone for her in Astrye when we got back. Mordwell was dead, but it all felt more like the start of something new than the end. An idyllic cottage was a far fantasy, farther now than ever before. The last anticlimax was how the ritual dissipated with the sound of a candle blowing out.

    Not one second later Seyari pulled me into a hug so quickly I could feel the air between us resisting.

    ¡°If we didn¡¯t have to race back home just in case Envy¡¯s going there next, I¡¯d fuck you so hard right now there¡¯d be a second damn eruption.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I could feel more heat than just the blush arriving with the force of a bursting dam.

    She looked into my eyes for just a moment, then decided I must not have had anything to say and shut me up with a deep kiss. Tongues twined and competed and flames twisted around us as we spun in the air. When I came up for breath, Sey was smiling viciously. All around me, I felt my armor falling away into cinders.

    She traced a claw down from my bottom lip to my chin, drawing a thin line of blood she licked off slowly. ¡°Maybe we have enough time for something quick.¡±

    ¡°Sey, no,¡± I protested, but my heart wasn¡¯t in it.

    ¡°Sey, yes.¡± She licked her lips and pounced.

 Chapter 203: Penitent Soul

    ¡°And that was how I knew she was still my sister,¡± Kartania finished.

    Gareth stared into the campfire for a long time before responding. ¡°What does this all mean?¡±

    Kartania tilted her head to look at his distant-eyed face. ¡°What does what all mean? Were you even listening?¡±

    The other paladin put his hands to the side of his head and shook it, rising up from a slouch to meet her eyes. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean¡­ I was listening, Miss Miller. A-and I believe you¡ªmatches up with my own experiences to a fault. I guess what I¡¯m trying to get at is¡­ well¡­¡± He trailed off, frowning.

    ¡°What does this mean about how we¡¯ve always thought of demons?¡± Kartania smirked. ¡°Is that it?¡±

    ¡°...Yeah. How wrong are we?¡±

    Kartania shrugged. ¡°Very, but also not quite so much. It¡¯s more like we were completely wrong on the theory, but more or less right when you work out all the details. My sister¡¯s not like most demons¡ªliterally. It¡¯s more than a state of mind thing, but that¡¯s part of it. You¡¯ll have to ask her yourself.¡±

    ¡°I intend to.¡±

    Kartania chuckled. ¡°Well you¡¯ll need to¡ªChurch isn¡¯t going to take you back for siding with a traitor like myself.¡± Her voice pitched down at the end. Even with all the certainty her heart held, it still hurt to know what her mentor felt and that enough people were clinging onto dogma to spoil the pot¡ªto properly mix metaphors.

    ¡°Right. I suppose I¡¯ve just not taken the time to think about such things. We¡¯ve hardly stopped moving, after all.¡±

    ¡°If we push, we should get into the city tomorrow night. Don¡¯t want to risk another night camping.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d have done this alone without me,¡± Gareth reminded.

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯d have ridden overnight and risked my horse to do it.¡±

    Gareth sighed. ¡°I can believe that. You want first or second watch?¡±

    ¡°Second. We¡¯ll leave early.¡±

    ¡°You should sleep.¡±

    Kartania snorted. ¡°Will you be able to, knowing there might be demons with malicious intentions lurking about? No, I¡¯ll get what I can and we¡¯ll get going before the sun¡¯s all the way up.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t afraid enough for a campfire.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true. Risking a fight feels better than freezing tonight.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned you had ice magic; doesn¡¯t that help against the cold?¡±

    ¡°A little. I¡¯m not my sister who can stick her hand in a furnace and poke at molten metal.¡±

    Gareth looked up at the stars and closed his eyes, hissing air out through his nose. ¡°Mind telling me a little about her?¡±

    ¡°I just did.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, well you did but¡­¡± When Kartania didn¡¯t speak up, Gareth continued, ¡°You told me how you knew it was her¡ªthe memories she knew, her mannerisms, but I guess¡­ Well, it¡¯s probably unfair to ask.¡±

    Kartania followed his eyes up to the stars. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ I guess I didn¡¯t really get to know her until this last year. I know that doesn¡¯t make any sense, but she was different as a human¡ªdidn¡¯t open herself up, didn¡¯t take charge. Didn¡¯t really ever seem happy or to want to do something for herself. She just followed Abigail around like a lost puppy.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Abigail?¡±

    ¡°Childhood friend. Was like a big sister to me. Irresponsible, happy-go-lucky, and I¡¯m not sure she was ever really good for Za¡ªRenna.¡±

    If Gareth caught her slip-up on the name, he didn¡¯t bring it up. ¡°Was?¡±

    ¡°The Great Fire.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for not apologizing.¡±

    Gareth shrugged. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t help, and you don¡¯t strike me like the kind of person who wants platitudes.¡±

    Kartania hummed a response. ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ doesn¡¯t really cover ¡®everyone you loved and knew died and your sister disappeared for a decade.¡¯¡± Her voice was more than a little bitter. ¡°How can people think they can empathize with that? They think words will¡­ never mind. My sister, right?¡±

    ¡°...Right, but if you want to, we can stop.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Silence stretched on for a while, but neither moved from staring at the fire.

    ¡°What about you, Paladin Warren?¡± Kartania asked. ¡°If you¡¯re alright with that.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Not much of a tale there. Dad was a miner, Mom stays at home. Back when my siblings were kids, she had a lot of work to take care of the four of us, but once I left home, she was alone.

    ¡°Dad stopped mining a little while later after an injury and they opened up a food stand for the miners so they could work together. Last time I visited, they were still doing that, but getting on in years.

    ¡°As for me, I had the right magic¡ªfound out when my sister hurt her ankle. Church scooped me up and that was that. I guess I should probably send a letter to my folks saying I won¡¯t be sending money home anymore. They always sent it back anyway.¡± He chuckled. ¡°How¡¯s that, huh?¡±

    Kartania blinked, annoyed that she found her eyes wet. ¡°That sounds nice, honestly.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°It is, well was. I got to go do half of what we all dreamed of as kids as a Paladin. Helping people, slaying monsters that I just learned might not have been monsters. But the thing is, I didn¡¯t really get it. Not for a long time.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the bad in the world. Sure, the mine my dad worked in was dangerous, but it was bountiful and remote and the taxes were fair. Duke Ludwig Reynard was a distant, mystical figure. When the war happened, some people got drafted, but no one in my family did, and the town¡¯s mine was needed for the war, so¡­

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get perspective,¡± Kartania finished. ¡°But now you have?¡±

    Paladin Warren nodded. ¡°Yes. Not just your sister, there¡­ Well, there was another demon right when I started. I¡­ Dhias, I think I made a terrible mistake, but I just don¡¯t want to think about it.¡± He leaned forward and laid his head in his hands.

    To that, Kartania didn¡¯t know what to say. Instead of staying silent as she normally would, she found herself speaking up. ¡°Will you be alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Gareth looked up. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I will be, I suppose.¡±

    Kartania nodded curtly.

    At that, Gareth snorted a laugh mid sob, the noise catching in his throat.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing!¡±

    Kartania narrowed her eyes and harrumphed. ¡°Well as long as you¡¯re feeling better.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I am. Thanks?¡±

    ¡°Did you intend to inflect that as a question?¡±

    ¡°No?¡± Gareth gulped and continued quickly. ¡°How about we change the subject? How are you holding up? I know I said I wouldn¡¯t ask anymore, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Kartania grimaced.

    ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± she snapped.

    For a moment, the only sound was the crackling of the logs in the fire. Into that silence, Kartania started speaking, her voice soft and low.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ worried about a lot of things. I know Renna is my sister. But while I see the sister I knew in her, Renna is different. And I worry whether she¡¯s different because she got to finally be her own person, or if there¡¯s something more sinister going on.¡± Absent-mindedly, she ran her hand over her armor, where the necklace her sister had given her on the night she¡¯d died lay.

    ¡°Immediately, I want to think it¡¯s demonic influence. But I also know Renna¡¯s daughter, and she¡¯s such a sweetheart, especially for a teenager. So then I wonder what sort of pressure my sister¡¯s under as the Sovereign of Wrath and it just loops back on itself as I wonder if her title is causing any sort of changes on its own and¡­¡±

    Kartania took a deep breath. ¡°Dhias, I¡¯m a mess. I¡¯m not even certain about my faith anymore, Gareth.¡±

    Gareth took a moment as if to think before he spoke. ¡°I think¡­ I know that Dhias would not condemn a penitent soul. If there are demons out there who are struggling, just as a struggling human deserves aid towards redemption, so ought a penitent demon. And to my knowledge, the only crimes your sister is guilty of are borne of self-defense and a kind soul.¡±

    ¡°You really think that?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Renna¡¯s changed then. Maybe for the better¡ªshe never had the sort of conviction to change someone¡¯s mind like that before. Or if she did, she never got to express it. I¡­ thank you, Gareth.¡±

    Gareth picked up a stick and poked the fire. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Kartania. Remind me to ask what you mean by ¡®Sovereign of Wrath¡¯ another time. It¡¯s late and you should get some rest if we want to leave before true dawn.¡±

    As if in response, Kartania yawned. Rather than respond, she simply nodded and stood up. Her bedroll was just warm enough from the fire that¡ªdespite the necessary pains of sleeping in her armor¡ªshe fell asleep the moment she slipped inside.

 Chapter 204: Breaking New Ground

    ¡°So let me get this straight,¡± Paula said slowly, gesturing forward with both gloved hands. ¡°You want to start building something in the dead of winter when half the town¡¯s burned down.¡± She kicked at the ground. ¡°The fuck are we gonna get through this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what magic is for!¡± Sonia chirped back, marking off another line from her list. She tapped her chin with coal-stained fingers. ¡°We¡¯ll still need more nails, unless we get lucky in salvaging the wreckage.¡±

    A breeze kicked up and Paula shivered. ¡°What magic? And did you have to build it out in the open?¡±

    ¡°Renna¡¯s daughter¡¯s magic! And yes! I¡¯m certain Astrye will expand with Renna at the helm¡ªMayor Razz seems to think so too. Already some lupael who¡¯ve suffered or heard tale of the wanton destruction of Envy¡¯s forces are entering the city¡ªyou saw the group just yesterday. Plus there¡¯s demon-blooded and non-evil demons and the curious.¡± She paused and gestured to one of the volunteers who looked part-octopus and was way too strong to be mundane. ¡°Drop those right next to the shingles!¡±

    Paula looked over the construction sight and groaned, rubbing her hands together. It didn¡¯t help ¡°Sure, fine. But still, winter? The nomads came with all their stuff, and their camp looks better than the city.¡±

    Sonia frowned, then brightened when she looked over Paula¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Inva! And you must be Joisse!¡±

    Paula turned around to see the paladin, in a heavy cloak instead of freezing metal armor, guiding a slight girl who looked to be around sixteen. With dark hair and red eyes, she didn¡¯t really stand out, but she¡ªshockingly¡ªbore a resemblance to her demon mother. She was also wearing loose clothing far too light for the weather.

    ¡°Hi!¡± She smiled when she spoke. ¡°Sonia and Paula right? I¡¯m Joisse¡ªbut you already know that. ¡°

    Paula gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

    Sonia beamed. ¡°Pleased to meet you all the same! This is your human form, right?¡±

    Joisse nodded. ¡°Yep!¡± She looked around and bit her lip.

    In response, Sonia tilted her head, the expected jingle missing from her horns. Too cold for jewelry apparently, not to mention impractical and dangerous and Paula absolutely didn¡¯t miss the way it¡¯d shine in the sunlight.

    ¡°Well, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake.¡± Paula scoffed. ¡°Your mom¡¯s a demon and everyone¡¯s used to her. If you don¡¯t want to look human, just don¡¯t. S¡¯not a hard fuckin¡¯ concept, damn.¡±

    Joisse blinked and blushed, then nodded as the blush, then her skin, turned crimson. Despite herself, Paula¡¯s smirk faltered as the diminutive girl gained enough height to loom over Inva along with horns, claws¡­ and another pair of arms.

    Paula whistled. ¡°Damn, you really are her daughter.¡±

    The demon nodded and spoke in an only slightly deeper voice. ¡°I am, yeah. Not biological though.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ so the arms and face¡ª¡±

    ¡°Paula!¡± Sonia stamped her foot. ¡°Sorry, Joisse, she¡¯s prickly but she really doesn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±

    Paula crossed her arms and frowned, then frowned harder when the should-be-terrifying demon giggled.

    ¡°Reminds me of Mom Sey, honestly.¡± She closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled a slow breath.

    ¡°Really?¡± Inva asked.

    ¡°Huh? Oh yeah, totally. Mom Renna¡¯s a softie unless you push her but Mom Sey¡¯s a hardass through and through.¡± Joisse stepped forward and looked at the marked-off area. ¡°You said you need some ground unfrozen? Big building.¡±

    Inva followed her. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a sort of guild and hostel.¡±

    ¡°For demon-blooded,¡± Sonia added.

    Paula stopped frowning to add, ¡°And a place for mercenary work.¡±

    Joisse tilted her head. ¡°All of those things?¡±

    Sonia stuck her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. ¡°Yep! Among other things, even, but we¡¯re going to start with offering demon-blooded a place to stay and resources to help them learn trades.¡±

    ¡°I can see why Mom Renna¡¯s helping you. Give me just a few minutes, and I¡¯ll get the dirt ready.¡±

    None of the trio moved.

    Joisse turned around and blinked, four arms half raised and hands glowing crimson. ¡°Do you¡­ want to watch?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Inva and Sonia shouted at the same time. Paula didn¡¯t catch herself before she nodded along too.

    Surprisingly, Joisse blushed, this time a deep red. ¡°Okay! I mean, sure, I guess.¡±

    Really is a teenager under all the pointy bits. Huh.

    More than Sonia, Inva, and Paula stopped to watch as the daughter of the Sovereign of Wrath worked her magic on frozen soil. Heat washed out in a wave, faint flames flickering as the ice vanished into steam. There was a word for it, but Paula didn¡¯t know what it was.

    But she didn¡¯t need fancy noble language to appreciate how frozen soil baked into summer-dry earth in what seemed like just a few blinks. Paula was still staring when Joisse finished and grabbed a shovel.

    ¡°Need a few hands with the digging? I¡¯ve got a couple hours.¡±

    Inva was the first to pull her gaze away from the warm, dry dirt. ¡°Oh, uh, yeah. I¡¯m all for it¡ªI mean, if you want to.¡±

    Joisse rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to get started. Join me whenever.¡±

    Not wanting to be outdone too badly, Paula pulled herself out of her stupor and grabbed another shovel. Four arms were cheating anyway.

    ***

    The next evening, foundation stones were already being laid and Paula was learning how to do mortar work. When Joisse was around and her hands weren¡¯t frozen into twin blocks of ice, it wasn¡¯t so bad. She¡¯d always thought work like this to be a boring waste of time, but she found herself sinking into the motions and her own thoughts.

    Not as bad as they used to be. Stupid impossible demons.

    She was still in the pit when she heard shouts from outside. One of the voices was Joisse¡¯s¡ªin human form it sounded like¡ªbut the others were unfamiliar.

    Trouble. Not a question, a fact.

    With one last mournful look at her simple day¡¯s work, Paula flaked some of the mortar off her hands and climbed up into the worksite proper. The moment she reached the rim, she froze between cursing and diving right back in.

    Flanking Joisse and standing across from Sonia and Nelys were two paladins from the Church of Dhias, decked out in shining armor. Even if their tabards weren¡¯t on, Paula could tell. She¡¯d seen too much of their ilk not to be able to recognize the posture and armor. One was a woman with black hair and unnervingly familiar blue eyes, and the other was a brown-haired, tall mustachioed man.

    Bastards. Too much work stopping the actual problems, so you wanted to come here and stir up shit with the demon making a mockery of you?

    Neither had their weapons drawn, but any second they¡¯d¡ª

    ¡°Tania!¡± Nelys shouted, running forward.

    ¡°No!¡± Paula shouted.

    Half a step from trying to hug the woman, Nelys stopped and turned their head. ¡°What¡¯s up, Paula?¡±

    Paula blinked. The woman wore a smile. She was holding Joisse¡¯s hand. The man looked more awkward, but his posture was relaxed and almost demure. Both of them hid it well, but the bags under their eyes hinted at exhaustion.

    ¡°Tania?¡± Paula asked, looking to Sonia for answers.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the shouts?¡±

    ¡°Not the words¡ªI was focused. What the fuck¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°This is Renna¡¯s sister!¡± Nelys replied cheerily.

    What?

    Paula watched Nelys and this ¡°Tania¡± woman embrace like old friends. The man coughed politely and gave them space.

    ¡°So¡­ demon daughter that looks blood-related and sixteen. And a human sister who¡¯s my age? Anyone want to explain that? ¡®Cause I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ lost.¡± She chanced walking closer so she didn¡¯t have to shout.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Renna told us she had a sister, remember?¡± Sonia said with a giggle.

    ¡°No? Maybe. Look, those few days were a lot for me, alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to shame you!¡±

    Tania pulled her arms out of the embrace; Nelys clung on. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be rude, but we¡¯re exhausted and bring dire news. It would be best if we spoke to my sister or her wife immediately. You can call me Kartania.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not here,¡± Joisse said.

    Kartania¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°I¡­ see. Then who¡¯s in charge?¡±

    ¡°Razz is,¡± Nelys answered.

    ¡°Brynna¡¯s sister?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the mayor since Nadya died,¡± Nelys continued. ¡°With Zarenna and Seyari both gone, I¡¯m standing in for them I believe.¡±

    ¡°When will they return?¡± The man spoke for the first time, his voice gruff. Clearing it with another cough, he continued, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m Gareth Warren, for those who haven¡¯t met me.¡±

    ¡°Hi Gareth!¡± Sonia chirped. ¡°How do you know¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sonia, right?¡± Kartania stepped in. ¡°It is imperative that we share this news with Razz and Nelys. Now.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Nelys left the hug and stood up as tall as they could. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell Razz! Joisse, could you let Taava know so she can inform the castle?¡±

    ¡°I can, yes.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Nelys clapped. ¡°We can wait in the tavern until Razz is ready. We¡¯re low on food right now, but we can at least get something in you two¡ªyou look dead on your feet.¡±

    That earned a surprisingly warm smile from the man, but Kartania hard glare didn¡¯t soften. With barely another word said, the two paladins walked off with Nelys as Joisse ran back to the castle.

    ¡°Do we¡±¡ªPaula looked down at her frigid hands¡ª¡°just go back to work now?¡±

    Sonia clapped her hands, loudly. The other workers who¡¯d mostly been staring snapped to attention. ¡°Let¡¯s take the day off here!¡±

    With the absence of Joisse¡¯s heat, the announcement was met with no resistance, and the workers dispersed. Paula watched Sonia look at the group retreating back toward the town and walked to stand next to her.

    Sonia sighed. ¡°Wish I could be a fly on the wall of whatever meeting they¡¯re having.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely bad news,¡± Paula whispered. ¡°And all the flies are frozen anyway.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Are you certain,¡± Razz asked for the third time.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kartania replied. Stop asking. ¡°I am certain. I do not doubt a punitive force from the Church will arrive here shortly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still reading too damn many laws, but isn¡¯t that against the Treaty of Gedon? You know, the one that ended the civil war and established a truce?¡± The lupael was growling, but not at those assembled.

    Around the room, eyes turned stony. Gareth¡¯s jaw quivered, and he met eyes with the lupael with the short-haired tail who seemed to be Razz¡¯s second. Nelys had gone still and Taava.. Taava had a faraway look in her eyes. The ¡®bard¡¯ had insisted she attend at the last minute and Kartania had no idea why.

    ¡°It is,¡± Kartania answered simply when she felt the silence had lingered long enough.

    ¡°Then that means Ordia¡¯s breaking the truce!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll try to get out of it. The Church is a party in the treaty but not a belligerent. Plus, they¡¯ll make something up about a demonic infestation and how needs must.¡±

    ¡°King Carvalon won¡¯t buy it,¡± Gareth contradicted. ¡°He¡¯s no friend of the Church.¡±

    ¡°I know that!¡± Tania snapped. ¡°I just¡­ if he moves to stop the Church, then¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be war,¡± Razz finished.

    ¡°Worse,¡± Taava said in a small voice, her usual jaunty accent nowhere to be found. ¡°In Raavia, it wasn¡¯t the first war that broke us, it was the moment one side decided the rules of war mattered less than winning.¡± She shuddered. ¡°If this comes to pass, Ordia will be torn apart.¡±

    Silence reigned, this time even heavier.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to rely on Zarenna, then,¡± Razz said.

    ¡°She¡¯s got her own war to fight,¡± her second countered. ¡°Keran¡¯s the name, by the way¡ªsomeone knocked on the door when it was my turn to introduce myself.¡±

    Taava looked at him and blinked. ¡°Apologies.¡±

    That made Kartania swallow. Taava? Apologizing? Her mind was spinning. The timing of all of this was just too¡ª

    ¡°Could we block the pass?¡± Nelys asked. ¡°Joisse and I could cause an avalanche¡ªno army¡¯s getting through that.¡±

    Razz shook her head. ¡°The first caravan of food from Gedon is on its way. If we block the pass, we¡¯ll starve. Especially with the nomads staying here and the refugees from outlying towns. Worse yet, we¡¯ll give more food to the army if they try to push through. Shit, this is bad. How long?¡±

    It took Kartania a moment to realize the question was directed at her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ Gareth?¡±

    He frowned and exhaled, long and slow, closing his eyes. ¡°They probably mustered and left no more than three days after you escaped, if we¡¯re lucky. Since you detoured to Norgath and back¡­ And accounting for marching speed in winter but on good roads¡­ If they¡¯re not waylaid, they¡¯ll be here within three days.

    ¡°They¡¯re probably already on the pass.¡±

    Brazz hissed out air between her teeth. ¡°Renna just left two days ago. She¡¯s not due back for at least two more. Maybe four or five.¡±

    Kartania¡¯s blood chilled. ¡°We¡¯ll have to set up a defense.¡±

    ¡°With what wood? Half the town burned down and we¡¯re only just recovering firewood stores. The castle wall¡¯s got a huge hole in it¡ªand a smaller one, too.¡±

    ¡°The castle¡¯s still our best bet, I¡¯d say,¡± Keran added.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Gareth said.

    ¡°Same for me,¡± Tania agreed. ¡°Nelys?¡±

    They blinked. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Taava sat up, still glassy-eyed. ¡°We¡¯ve lost enough people, they should all fit if the nomads stay outside.¡±

    Nelys gasped. ¡°Taava!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Razz leaned forward and cradled her head in her hands. ¡°The nomads have no obligation to aid us, and we¡¯ve no space to shelter them in the castle if this goes more than a few days. Nor do we have food.¡±

    Kartania growled. ¡°If only we could contact my sister.¡±

    Nelys blinked, and their eyes lit up. ¡°I might be able to! M-my contract, if I hurt myself enough¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be useless if the army comes over the mountain today.¡± Taava hissed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to cut off a limb!¡±

    Kartania leaned forward. ¡°They can regenerate, Taava. Right, Nelys?¡±

    They nodded. ¡°I can do it now, if that¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Kid¨Cer, sorry.¡± Razz looked up. ¡°We¡¯ve all seen enough shit.¡±

    Nelys nodded and in a swift motion pulled out a gleaming dagger and plunged it into their abdomen. They grimaced, twisted, and pulled with a gasp. Kartania watched blood seeping between fingers and they all heard it drip-drip onto the floor.

    In time with the drips, a clapping joined in.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s dedication,¡± an unfamiliar, high-pitched voice chirped.

    In an instant, weapons were drawn and magic flared to life in the room. Kartania sensed the voice and held ready three lances of ice toward the back corner of the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot the messenger! I¡¯m on your side!¡±

    ¡°She is,¡± Taava said slowly, reaching for something in her cloak. ¡°Here.¡±

    On the table, a letter lay unfolded, penned in flowing script. Everyone read it slowly, eyes not leaving the empty-looking corner of the room. The contents were unmistakable, the sender obvious by context: the Sovereign of Lust.

    Obvious to Kartania at least, who had the unfortunate task of explaining just what the letter meant to not only the others, but Gareth as well. He took the news on the chin with a shallow nod, although everyone at the table doubtless saw the ¡°talk to me later¡± look he shot Kartania¡¯s way.

    ¡°She¡¯s also a colossal jerk who dodges outta all the chores she¡¯s supposed ta do. Funny how it¡¯s Taava two, cheatin¡¯ demon three, though.¡± And like nothing had happened, Taava slid back into her usual easygoing accent. But her shoulders still held an obvious tension.

    ¡°Shut it, cat,¡± the voice hissed. ¡°Can I come out now?¡±

    Razz and Kartania shared a glance.

    ¡°You let her in,¡± Kartania said to Taava.

    ¡°She said she¡¯d owe me, and Renna trusts her about as far as she can throw her.¡±

    Surprisingly, Gareth was the one to reply. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t believe that¡¯s how that saying goes, unless you mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°Have ya seen how far Renna can throw stuff?¡±

    ¡°...Good point. And well made.¡±

    Razz sighed. ¡°Alright. Enough dramatics. Come out and we¡¯ll talk¡­¡±

    ¡°Shyll,¡± the voice answered.

    Kartania dismissed her lances, but held her magic at the ready just in case.

    From thin air, a short demon emerged. Slight of figure and straddling the line between pink and red, she had the stereotypical wings, whiplike tail, and striking features of a greater demon of lust. An instant later, she looked like a small lupael woman in a maid outfit, with pitch-black hair.

    Then back to demon. ¡°There. I¡¯m sure most of you have seen me.¡± She jumped up and sat on the edge of the table, looking over her shoulder at the assembled group. ¡°Mom sent me to this backwater hole to aid the ¡®so-called¡¯ Sovereign of Wrath. And¡­ it turns out this gig¡¯s not so bad, and Zarenna¡¯s got some fight in her.

    ¡°Before she left, she told me to call in the cavalry so to speak. That¡¯s the good news. Bad news is that all we¡¯ve got is a wimp of a librarian who snuck in with the nomads. More are on the way, but Mom¡¯s stuck sorting out Navanaea¡¯s dumb war.¡±

    Kartania frowned. ¡°So all we have are you and one other greater lust demon you have little faith in?¡±

    ¡°Better than a bunch of humans! Or can any of you turn invisible and watch the pass all night long?¡± She shot a smug look at Taava.

    The kazzel chuckled. ¡°Sure, get outta latrine duty again. Go freeze your tits off on a mountain, sounds great.¡±

    Shyll stuck her tongue out. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s all from me. One and a half greater lust demons added to the pile. Makes the sad little castle feel a little more like it¡¯s got a fighting chance.¡±

    ¡°Will you listen to orders?¡± Razz asked.

    ¡°Are you the Sovereign of Wrath?¡±

    ¡°I am the acting leader in her absence along with Nelys.¡±

    Nelys!

    With sudden appearance, Kartania had forgotten about her friend who¡¯d just stabbed themself. Stupid! Thankfully, aside from a grimace and a hand over their abdomen, they looked a little better. No, they looked fine. It didn¡¯t matter; such a mistake on a battlefield would spell death. And the injury was uncannily like the day Seyari had lost her hand. Kartania hadn¡¯t done enough there either.

    Not good enough.

    She must have been staring, because they gave a thumbs up with their free hand. ¡°Uh, sure. I¡¯m fine, just a little warm and¡ª¡± They cut off, eyes going wide as a pale crimson glow surrounded them.

    ¡°Nelys?¡± Several people asked all at once, drowning out the ¡°Not me!¡± from Shyll.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Renna¡¯s heard me just now. Surely she has. I think?¡±

    ¡°Does that mean she won?¡± Razz asked, and Kartania guessed she chose her words for Shyl¡¯¡¯s sake. That demon knows everything, though. Surely.

    ¡°What was she fighting?¡± Kartania asked, ignoring her desire to probe the demon. ¡°Unless it was another demon who challenged her title, she shouldn¡¯t just ¡®get stronger.¡¯¡±

    Nelys shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I feel fine now! Maybe there was fury sent with the power, but I also stabbed myself, so I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not needed, I¡¯m going to go check the pass.¡± Shyll cocked one thumb and one wing toward the door. ¡°If I come back screaming about an army, that means there¡¯s an army, got it?¡±

    Razz set her jaw tightly. ¡°Please don¡¯t sow panic.¡±

    Shyll rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll find you and scream at you. Aren¡¯t you packing everyone into the castle anyway?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s important to maintain order,¡± Keran said.

    ¡°Boring. But smart. Fine. I¡¯m out of here.¡± Shyll slid off the table and disappeared. A moment later the door slipped open and then closed silently.

    ¡°Shall we move on to planning for our defense?¡± Kartania asked, just to keep things moving.

    Razz growled again. ¡°I suppose we ought to. Damn, now of all times¡­¡±

    ***

    Shyll always loved flying. Freedom and exultation away from responsibilities and overbearing people. Much better than work, even if it was still technically work.

    Frigid mountain air had different currents than the desert, and she rode them up the pass. For the first hours, she didn¡¯t see any signs of an army. No travelers either, but that wasn¡¯t unusual.

    And then she saw them, by the smoke of their campfires against the darkening sky. Worse yet, they had mages¡ªspells warded their camp.

    Not a real problem¡ªhuman magic was typically piteously weak¡ªbut it¡¯d slow Shyll down. She circled, worked her own magic, and eventually got in close. Sure enough, on red banners was a familiar ring with three marks at the bottom: the Church of Dhias. The Church looked to have gone for quality over quantity with hardly five hundred people.

    Of them, all had magic in some form. Probably enough to fight with.

    Oddly though, there was a second army behind the Church, in camps all their own. Shyll didn¡¯t recognize the coat of arms, but she did her best to memorize their banners. This one was smaller, more ragtag, but still probably dangerous.

    To anyone blind or immobile. Or to a human. Well, this just got even more interesting.

 Chapter 205: Sovereign of Conceit pt.1

    Did Sey and I waste time having more than a little fun?

    ¡­Probably.

    I¡¯m gonna regret this, aren¡¯t I?

    When we emerged from the¡­ enlarged cave system, Quiraxa was waiting for us, dressed to the nines in a flowing suit. The way she¡¯d been peering into the cave, tails up and neck tilted forward, I had a distinct impression she may have been listening.

    I rubbed one hand on the back of my head, thankful for my wondrous magic armor. ¡°So, uh, did you¡ª¡±

    Seyari elbowed me, and it hurt even through my armor.

    ¡°Does your Sovereign wish to meet us?¡±

    Quiraxa raised one eyebrow, having already shifted back into a prim and proper posture. ¡°You will follow me to her castle.¡±

    On one hand, we needed to get back to Astrye. On another hand, we ought not to piss off our ancient and powerful southern neighbors when I was already on thin ice with the humans of my homeland.

    Seyari fixed me with a ¡°you say it so I can tell you I disagreed when it all goes wrong¡± look and I half-forced a smile.

    ¡°We would be honored.¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡± Quiraxa spun, kicking up a plume of snow. ¡°I will not suffer the indignity of being carried.¡±

    In response, I bared my teeth. ¡°Run fast then.¡±

    A glare of challenge was the pride demon¡¯s only response before she took off at a dead sprint. I¡¯d seen humans run plenty of times¡ªthe fittest and strongest amongst them. Seyari with her wind magic and before our vow included. I¡¯d fought greater demons of several flavors moving as fast as they could.

    Quiraxa made them look slow. Long, hooved strides on a flat plain of compact snow tore up a small cloud of ice crystals leading to a shrinking blue speck. Seyari took off first with a whoop that jolted me into action next.

    Unfortunately for Quiraxa, as fast as she was, she couldn¡¯t outspeed on land a Sovereign Demon and her wife in the air. But it was a near thing; near enough that I didn¡¯t dare to make good on my threat for whatever miniscule time it might save.

    More than anything, I knew now why Quiraxa was the Sovereign of Pride¡¯s chosen messenger. Is it pride or conceit? I suppose if the Sovereign calls it ¡°Pride¡± then that¡¯s the final word.

    Meeting Utraxia instilled no small amount of fear in me. I knew about how strong I was now, and the thought of someone much older and much stronger¡­ Sovereigns were monsters. At least in some sense.

    Beside me, Sey was quiet, but I could feel her magic, pushing and testing the wind around us and pulling both me and her into a slipstream. We had no problem keeping up with Quiraxa as we were, but I gave her a cordial nod instead of a cheeky smile when she looked back up at us.

    I reserved that smile for Seyari. She flashed her own sharp incisors back at me and I felt my cheeks heat up despite our recent escapade.

    Soon the plain folded into rising undulations, glaciers filling the valleys. Over shining blue crevasses, Quiraxa jumped with nimble confidence. Seyari¡¯s magic intensified, and I could feel myself how unstable the frigid winds were up here. We¡¯re heading even further south.

    Just in case, I let my wife take the lead and followed her crimson feathers while keeping one eye downward. When the folds turned to mountains, we lifted up and Quiraxa hardly slowed up the slopes.

    Windswept rock, snow, glacier, more rock. Hours passed and I began to wonder just how large the Sovereign of Pride¡¯s demesne truly was when the mountains before us rose up like an icy wall.

    One immense mountain topped all the others, surrounded by sub-peaks and lined with ancient-looking glaciers. Its top was truncated, lopsided, and jagged. Not just with rock but great spears of ice.

    Quiraxa moved through a gap I belatedly realized was a massive gate and into a garden of ice sculptures. Several grand buildings of stone paled in comparison to the towering, many-turreted castle that rose out of the center. Like something out of a fairy tale, it was made of deep blue ice.

    And the magic was so thick it felt like I¡¯d been doused in syrup.

    Another moat of glittering ice spikes surrounded this inner castle, and Quiraxa stopped in the square outside just as the drawbridge¡ªalso ice, including the chains¡ªbegan to lower.

    We had a crowd as well, all demons. Some looked similar to Quiraxa, and some had a centaur-like body shape that tickled some faint memory I couldn¡¯t put my finger on. Particularly the larger ones that stood across the moat in glittering armor, flanking the fairytale-villain-looking castle¡¯s spiky moat. All the demons were dressed well, and even if I couldn¡¯t sense the emotion, the contempt they radiated was obvious. I forced my chin high, content to hold the higher moral ground even as the appraising looks at me turned to glares at Seyari. Glares and quickly rising fury.

    Doubtless they could sense what she was, and doubtless they hated it. Quiraxa opened her mouth and drew breath to speak when I felt a flash of stronger wrath from the crowd. Quick as  I could, I dashed behind Quiraxa and threw up two hands to shield my wife.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Fast as I was, she was only a second behind, wings and magic flaring.

    No attack came, only a¡­ wet spot.

    I looked down; spit rolled in a thick glob down my hand, between the fingers. Repulsive. Through a veil of fire I looked for the demon who¡¯d dared to spit Seyari.

    ¡°Please welcome,¡± Quiraxa said just loud enough for me to care, her voice strained, ¡°the Sovereign of Wrath, Zarenna, and her wife, the Angel of Wrath, Seyari.¡±

    Did we tell her that name? Not the time, I reminded myself. Still, it was enough to hold my hand for now, though I burned the spit away with enough heat to damage the magic ice we stood on.

    Immediately, the crowd parted around one of the blue-skinned tauric demons. They already knew what I was, some paled, and a few sneered. Including the large blue woman who¡¯d spit.

    Seyari walked past me with a sidelong look that said ¡°they¡¯re mine.¡±

    I looked rapidly between our guide and Seyari who was now at the edge of the crowd, her steps purposeful and magic building enough to distort the air.

    ¡°Please limit the damage you cause,¡± was all Quiraxa said, disgust written on her face.

    Seyari wound up a hand, a fireball forming, and the demon opposing her bent her forelegs and tensed, claws coming alive with hissing frost.

    I blinked and an ice spike taller than I was erupted through the offending demon. Blood sprayed in a fountain and the body twitched on the spike as the crowd rapidly dispersed. Movement lit up my periphery, and along with the fading magic came a new sort of pressure.

    Seyari snapped her head up and I followed. Riding down from the castle on an icy wind was an immense, statuesque demon. She wore ornate robes on her upper body and barding on the lower, all in whites and blues and gold. Gold that matched her eyes and blue that brought out the depths of her skin¡¯s glow.

    She landed on four-clawed paws, wild white hair gathering into gold-capped braids and a whiplike, blade-tipped tail waving behind her. A shallow smirk played across her features, and I didn¡¯t need to see the aura to know who this was.

    Even without aura sight active, I could taste the chill of her aura. A gleaming gem sat centered on her forehead almost like a third eye: a marquise cut gem, blue like a glacier. She was so tall that I had to tilt my neck up to look.

    Utraxia, Sovereign of Pride. Or conceit.

    She shifted down in what might have been a bow of greeting and spoke behind a mouth full of teeth more terrifying than my own, if only for their size.

    ¡°Sovereign of Wrath, I offer my sincerest gratitude for your help. A pity that your greeting was marred by incident.¡± Her words were Ordian, with an unplaceable accent. ¡°Should you be ill-informed, I am Utraxia, Sovereign of Pride.¡± And with an inclination of her horned head, she acknowledged Seyari as well.

    Not quite textbook; she predated the textbook. Briefly, I thought of my etiquette tutor, and I sent him well wishes for making sure I didn¡¯t misinterpret or step out of line.

    Because behind that smirk, Utraxia radiated a fury I could taste. Not at us, surely not at us.

    The body behind her attested to that, and it was also as unsubtle a warning as could be had. Which was thankfully enough for Seyari.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. And well met,¡± my wife said in an even, flat tone.

    I almost jumped in hurriedly, but I took a moment, just one moment to think. Stoicism was needed; Utraxia was almost certainly a humorless, ancient being.

    ¡°Our apologies that our prey trespassed in your demesne.¡± I bowed deeper¡ªI hoped¡ªthan Utraxia had. ¡°Truthfully, your information was a boon toward finding and exterminating them.¡±

    Don¡¯t mention the exploded mountain. Volcanoes do that, it¡¯s very pretty, and it most assuredly should not be cause for concern from one of hopefully fewer than half a dozen beings on the mortal plane who entirely outclassed me in terms of raw power.

    I also didn¡¯t mention the spit or the body. Best to just remain quietly horrified at how incredibly unbothered I was by the violence.

    ¡°Quiraxa, show them inside,¡± Utraxia boomed, then turned to us. ¡°I will be with you shortly.¡±

    I expected the few remaining watchers to flee, but instead they held their chins up almost like soldiers at attention.

    Quiraxa beckoned, and Seyari and I followed. Seyari in particular looked back at Utraxia, and I shared some of her anger.

    ¡°I am not some porcelain doll who cannot take her own action,¡± Seyari hissed.

    ¡°I know!¡± I winced, then winced again as I felt a sharp pain through a long, dim connection.

    ¡°I know you know¡­¡± She hissed out the rest of her breath, then drew in slowly, letting the wind guide her next words quietly. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we have reason not to linger.¡±

    For a moment, I didn¡¯t reply. I didn¡¯t see the portcullis and the guards and the grand entranceway we surely passed through as I stared at the meticulously carved floor and felt for Nelys through my connection.

    They were hurt, suddenly and badly. Is Astrye under attack already?

    Uncaring if I alerted Quiraxa who was walking ahead of us with stiff steps, I pushed power through my connection with Nelys. As per the initial contract, they had two percent of my power when we made the pact. Of course, I could choose whether to update that amount or not.

    I knew they didn¡¯t want city-destroying power¡ªas if two percent of my strength was enough to burn more than a hamlet¡ªbut I also didn¡¯t want them to die and I could probably take it back. So I shoved power through a connection I didn¡¯t know to a friend in dire need and desperately hoped it¡¯d be enough to turn the tide.

    ¡°Renna?¡± Sey hissed again, and I realized we¡¯d stopped in front of a door so tall and wide it made me feel like a child.

    ¡°Nelys just got hurt badly.¡± I didn¡¯t bother to hide my words from Quiraxa. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend, but our home might be under attack, and I¡¯ve vassals to protect.¡±

    Quiraxa looked at me and for the first time I saw a bit of fear in her eyes.

    Damn it all. We can¡¯t risk offending Utraxia.

    ¡°We will meet as promised,¡± I reassured, ¡°but we ought to leave quickly¡ªI don¡¯t know if we could accept an offer to stay the night.¡±

    Quiraxa blinked, straightening herself and resuming a stoic demeanor. ¡°...Very well. Fulfillment of promises is of the utmost import.¡± She opened the immense door with apparent ease. ¡°Please make yourselves comfortable. Mistress Utraxia will be with you shortly.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why I expected austerity. Perhaps because of all the ice and snow and the simplicity of the land around Utraxia¡¯s seat of power. This room was anything but. Cushions and lounges in a variety of shapes and sizes surrounded low tables while magic light in soft shades of blue and purple combined with the winter light coming in from floor-to-ceiling windows to create an almost dreamlike atmosphere.

    My wife sat down primly on a lounge. I crashed face-first into a pile of cushions bigger than our bed at the castle. Behind us, Quiraxa softly closed the door.

    Seyari sighed in an an all-too-familiar way.

    I lifted my head so my voice wouldn¡¯t be muffled by silky comfort. ¡°She told us to make ourselves comfortable.¡± I patted some of the pillows next to me with two arms and a tail. ¡°Come on!¡±

    I could practically hear her roll her eyes, but a weight landed next to me with a poomf not two seconds later.

    ¡°See¡­¡± I mumbled into the pillow.

    The reply I received was a hum and a wing over both of us. Shortly, we¡¯d be taking flight at full speed for hours, then we¡¯d probably have to fight an army of something. But now, in this moment, there was nothing to do but melt into a pile of pillows and Dhias did I need every second of it.

 Interlude: Spill It

    A few very long days ago¡­

    Joisse crunched her way through days-old snow on the road back to town, hands stuffed into her pockets despite how the woolen cap made her forehead itch. The coat she was wearing, something simple she¡¯d borrowed from the castle, didn¡¯t fit quite right.

    The cap did though, and the gloves. Verrka¡¯s mom had made them for her after Joisse had healed her husband. Minor damage; he¡¯d not taken on any demonic aspects. The young demon slipped her chin up out of her scarf and let out a puff of hot air, watching the mist get blown away by the breeze.

    That could be fire.

    Without needing to focus so much on her rage these days, Joisse had thought a lot about the nature of humans and demons. It wasn¡¯t fair, really. Why would the gods grant such obscene power to broken souls like hers?

    Was it for that slim chance of healing? Of reparation?

    Joisse sure didn¡¯t feel broken anymore; if anything how happy she was these days just didn¡¯t sit right. She had friends now! A social life! She wasn¡¯t just some doted-on dress-up doll for her moms and their friends.

    All she had to do was not ruin it. Joisse kicked a rock a little too hard and sent it sailing off into the snowfield where it landed in a plume of glittering white. Like that.

    Humans were fragile. Mom Renna had to walk on eggshells all the time and it wasn¡¯t hard to see how awful that was. Especially now that Joisse felt the same. Without the constant vigil against volatile wrath, she could get complacent.

    And all it would take to ruin everything would be a single too-hard shove or throw or¡­

    Joisse exhaled slowly and tried to think instead about the cabbage soup they¡¯d be having tonight. A new vigil then, an exhausting, endless¡­

    She had to tell them.

    Mom Renna was right. Visible claws were easier to watch out for, even if things changed. She hadn¡¯t lied, hadn¡¯t built these friendships on falsehoods. They¡¯d just¡­ never asked. Never had reason to.

    She was, after all, adopted. Easy enough to presume that she was a promising mage who¡¯d slipped the net. And that was if they¡¯d pieced together who her moms were. All she¡¯d said was that she was staying at the castle, but they hadn¡¯t asked for more details.

    She should tell them now, though. Absolutely everything. Immediately. Without delay¡ªthe very first thing.

    Joisse clenched her fists in her pockets. The gloves wouldn¡¯t fit on her real hands.

    ***

    Verrka waved to Joisse when she saw her walking into the town square. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s got you looking so glum?¡±

    The shorter girl startled and looked at Verrka without meeting her eyes, then looked behind her to their other friends. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Actually¡ª¡±

    ¡°Someone at the castle want to keep you stuck there?¡± Verrka took a step forward protectively. ¡°You have to sneak out?¡±

    Joisse shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it!¡±

    Verrka frowned. ¡°You sure? Nice or no, the marchioness is a demon. Makes sense there¡¯d be secrets and stuff, and they¡¯d want to keep you close ¡®cause you can heal.¡±

    Joisse laughed nervously. ¡°Yeah, secrets. Look about that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go already!¡± Tyra protested. The tough-looking girl was sitting next to Zeke on the bench behind Verrka and wearing hastily-patched old clothes. ¡°I can¡¯t even tell if my nose or my ass is colder.¡±

    ¡°Go where?¡± Joisse asked, finally joining the group.

    Verrka smiled at how her shoulders seemed to lift a little, even if it looked like something was bothering her. Maybe Joisse can get us inside the castle¡ªI bet there¡¯s all sorts of shady stuff in there!

    ¡°An abandoned homestead,¡± Zeke said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s not too far to the west.¡±

    ¡°Zeke!¡± Tyra hissed.

    He shrugged again, the motion losing definition with all the layers the beanpole wore. ¡°She¡¯s got a right to know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but we could¡¯ve at least¡­¡± Tyra trailed off, a glint lighting in her eye. ¡°Warned her about the ghosts. Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡±

    Zeke rolled his eyes, but Tyra kept going as Verrka stifled a laugh. ¡°So legend has it the owners got eaten by demons and turned into demon ghosts! They, uh, eat anyone who comes near!¡±

    Joisse¡¯s eyes went wide, then she blinked in seeming disbelief.

    ¡°Legend has it?¡± Verrka said with a smirk. ¡°Pretty recent legend.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ well, yeah. Legends gotta start somewhere! And besides, the owners probably really did get eaten by demons and¡­¡±

    Zeke shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s my uncle¡¯s brother¡¯s friend¡¯s place¡­ I think. I don¡¯t think anyone died there. At least not by a demon.¡±

    Joisse¡¯s giggle broke the silence even as Tyra stared daggers at Zeke.

    ¡°Why are we even friends?¡±

    Zeke shrugged again. ¡°I dunno. You three are fun, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Verrka just shook her head and turned to Joisse. ¡°Well, at least they¡¯re in a good mood, right?¡±

    Joisse nodded solemnly. ¡°Yeah¡­ hey, let¡¯s keep that mood bright right?¡± She smiled. ¡°If it¡¯s a long walk, we¡¯d better get going, right? I told my mom we¡¯d be staying in the town, so we should get back before it¡¯s too late.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Verrka clapped Joisse on the back, impressed when the other girl didn¡¯t so much as flinch. ¡°We¡¯re just gonna swing by my place to grab an axe and a hunting bow, just in case there¡¯s any trouble.¡±

    ¡°Like, a wolf?¡± Joisse offered.

    ¡°Nah, demon ghosts. Hate axes or something.¡±

    ¡°You making fun of me?¡± Tyra challenged as she stood up, glaring at Zeke when he snorted.

    ¡°Nah.¡±

    Tyra narrowed her eyes. ¡°Alright, fine. But if we get eaten by demon ghosts and turn into demons or ghosts or something, I¡¯m eating you first!¡±

    ¡°If the demon ghosts eat other demon ghosts, why would there be more than one?¡±

    ¡°Zeke!¡±

    He stood up, putting out his hands defensively. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just saying.¡±

    Joisse laughed. ¡°Seriously, though, we can¡¯t spend the night out of town.¡±

    ¡°Afraid of making your mom mad?¡± Tyra taunted.

    ¡°Tyra,¡± Verrka warned. ¡°Don¡¯t get mean.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    She gave Verrka the side-eye and frowned. ¡°Fine. Sorry, I guess.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Joisse said quickly. ¡°But¡­ um a little I guess?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of,¡± Verka said as the group started to walk out of the square. ¡°What does your mom do at the castle?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± Joisse furrowed her brow and didn¡¯t answer immediately. ¡°Paperwork and stuff.¡±

    ¡°So like a clerk or a steward?¡± Zeke offered.

    ¡°Uh, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Whatever she is, you don¡¯t gotta be afraid, Joisse.¡± Tyra said, thumping her chest. ¡°We¡¯ll stand up for you if you need it, right? We can take her!¡±

    Joisse laughed, but Verrka thought she saw a little fear. She¡¯s always so cagey about her family.

    ***

    While the four of them were getting weapons, and again when they¡¯d snuck off to the forest between the now-unused watchtowers, Joisse tried to bring up what she was¡­ and who her moms were.

    Each time, it just wasn¡¯t the right time. A joke about demons here, something else about some grand imagined secret there¡­ Joisse just kept her mouth shut and laughed along. When they got back, she¡¯d tell them tonight. When everyone was tired with full bellies and warm limbs.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Verrka asked.

    ¡°Oh, uh, yeah. Not that cold, I guess.¡±

    A shrug. ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re fine.¡± A yell. ¡°Hey Tyra! Looks like it¡¯s just you!¡±

    ¡°Eat snow!¡±

    ***

    ¡°This place is a dump!¡± Tyra said, kicking at a snow-covered pile of logs and wincing when her foot thudded into solid ice.

    ¡°Yeah duh, it¡¯s abandoned!¡± Zeke fired back.

    Verrka looked at the sad looking shack with it¡¯s snow-laden, sagging roof and sighed. ¡°Seriously, Zeke, is this it? Just an old shack?¡±

    It was really nothing impressive. Two, three rooms maybe, and built out of logs. The mortar around the fireplace was crumbling and the one door was wide open, even though the windows were shuttered.

    ¡°This place doesn¡¯t even look scary!¡± Tyra added, cradling her foot.

    ¡°It was bigger when I was a kid!¡± Zeke protested, rubbing his mittens together. ¡°A-and there¡¯s an old mine up the hill!¡±

    Verrka rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s just go look around. Maybe they left some stuff behind we can take back and make use of.¡±

    ¡°Well the wood¡¯s no good,¡± Tyra grumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the mine.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should,¡± Joisse said quietly.

    Verrka turned to her and noticed her friend was shaking a little. Were her eyes just glowing? ¡°Joisse? Something wrong?¡±

    Tyra set her boot back down in the snow and looked over. ¡°You finally cold?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ well¡­ um, the mine¡¯s probably dangerous. If it¡¯s not already collapsed, it could.¡±

    Verrka walked over and put a hand on Joisse¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re not gonna go banging around in there. If it¡¯s collapsed-looking or we see broken beams, we¡¯ll ditch.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really, Tyra,¡± Zeke said. ¡°If we get trapped, no one¡¯s gonna find us in time.¡±

    That seemed to shut Tyra up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just look around the house and head back then, okay?¡±

    Tyra shrugged and started to jog over to the shack, Zeke not two steps behind her.

    ¡°...O-okay,¡± Joisse agreed with a shaky nod. ¡°Um, stick close to me, okay? In case something happens.¡±

    Verrka turned her head and cupped a hand to her mouth. ¡°Sure thing! Tyra, Zeke, you hear that?¡±

    Two ¡°Yes¡¯s¡± followed as the pair reached the open doorway.

    Verrka¡¯s smile vanished when she looked back at Joisse, who was looking at a dark spot in the trees. An instant later, Verrka heard the soft crunch of snow, her ears rotating to listen.

    ¡°Whoah,¡± came Tyra¡¯s voice from inside. ¡°These are some big claw marks.¡±

    Something moved at the edge of her vision, fast enough for the sound of its footfalls to drop out of sync. And then her shoulder hit the snow so hard she heard something crack as she skidded to a halt.

    Pain bloomed from the spot as an inhuman roar froze her muscles. From further away, Verrka heard two screams.

    Something heavy hit something else, and the roar repeated, pained. By the time Verrka had moved her head, something had grabbed her and pulled her off the ground. She saw flashes of red, watching the snow blur below her as her head swam.

    Snow turned to wood and Verrka barely got her arms down before her nose hit mud-caked pine. Tail sweeping the floor, she rolled and kipped up, years of training as a hunter finally kicking in as she saw what was happening.

    It¡¯s a demon.

    Crimson skinned and tall, with too many arms and claws dripping blood, the demon looked at her with red and black eyes before darting into the other room.

    That¡¯s not the marchioness.

    Wait, blood.

    Joisse!

    Verrka scrambled to the doorway and looked outside. A bloody mangled form lay in the snow where Joisse had been and her heart missed a beat. But it wasn¡¯t Joisse; it was covered in fur and too big. From the cabin¡¯s other room, Verrka heard another scream and the sickening sound of flesh tearing.

    The others!

    But¡­ what could Verrka do? She had a hand axe and a miraculously intact bow, but neither could harm a demon.

    We were really idiots, huh? Sorry.

    Without looking back, Verrka took off out of the doorway, sprinting for home.

    ***

    Joisse frantically held Tyra together as a Zeke slammed her in the back with an axe again and again. The dull thuds reminded her of failure. She¡¯d killed both demons, but her friends probably wouldn¡¯t¡­

    No, they might. They might still care for her, if she could just save Tyra.

    Her magic flooded out like a wave over the girl who was seizing, chest opened from sternum to crotch, one leg dangling by a thread. Even with magic, she¡¯d lost so much blood.

    ¡°Die!¡± Zeke screamed again.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to save her!¡± Joisse growled back.

    Zeke didn¡¯t stop even as the bleeding did. As flesh knit back together and bone mended. One arm hed the leg, two the body, and the other guided the flesh and organs back together as Tyra¡¯s eyes rolled back down and breath returned to her lungs.

    A second more, and she¡¯d have died.

    Unfortunately, such healing came with a cost. The red blush that came to Tyra¡¯s cheeks flushed redder as her skin changed and horns poked out from under blood-matted hair. She was changing more than the duchess; a tail fought free of ruined pants as canines sharpened.

    Zeke stopped hitting her. ¡°Y-you¡­ what have you done!¡±

    ¡°I saved her!¡± Joisse whispered, then repeated louder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I should¡¯ve told you sooner, convinced you all not to come here!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Joisse set Tyra down carefully and shifted back to her human form. The gloves were gone, as with most of her winter clothing, and the hat had been lost in the mad dash outside. Human hands covering what needed to, she looked up at Zeke with blurry eyes.

    ¡°By Dhias¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°You¡­ did¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t lure you here.¡± Joisse couldn¡¯t meet his eyes. She knew what was coming next.

    Instead, she was met with silence, overlaid by Tyra¡¯s labored breathing.

    When she looked up, Zeke was staring at her, confusion written all over his face. ¡°What¡ªwho are you, really?¡±

    ¡°Joisse Miller,¡± Joisse answered. ¡°I¡¯m Renna and Sey¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°Renna¡­ Zarenna¡­ the marchioness?¡±

    Joisse nodded.

    Zeke thought for a bit. ¡°What did you do to Tyra?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s demon-blooded now. I have holy magic, but it¡¯s demonic aspected.¡±

    ¡°Is that possible?¡±

    ¡°Apparently.¡±

    At that, Zeke smiled for just an instant. ¡°Well, if you wanted us dead, you¡¯re doing a pretty shit job. I¡­ I hope she¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Joisse paused. ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t Verrka¡­¡±

    She ran to the door, only to see an empty cabin. She must¡¯ve gone for help, but if there are more demons¡­

    Joisse ran back into the room. ¡°Verrka¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°She must¡¯ve¡ª¡±

    ¡°Gone to get help,¡± Joisse finished, shifting back to her demon form.

    Zeke flinched. ¡°Uhh¡­ you didn¡¯t fool me! If you¡¯re g-gonna kill me now?¡±

    Joisse glanced down and sighed. ¡°There might be more demons. I¡¯m taking you two and we¡¯re going to go find her.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we stay¡­ alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Joisse tilted her head.

    Zeke shook his. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. If there¡¯s more, they could come here. We need to group up.¡±

    Joisse flashed him a smile and he flinched. Mom was right. Zeke closed his eyes and braced himself, and Joisse picked both of them up and ran for the door.

    Look for long strides.

    Out of sheer luck, she spotted her hat and flicked it up with her tail, using her one free arm to stick it on her head, horns piercing wool and locking it in place.

    Verrka had taken the same trail in, and Joisse headed after her, forced to slow down for both her passengers¡¯ sake and to keep track of Verrka¡¯s wrong-way boot-prints in the snow. Not a dozen steps into the woods, Joisse heard Verrka scream. Her heart seized, but it repeated, more like a shout. She¡¯s fighting.

    Joisse sped up, abandoning the trail to go for the sound. Tyra stirred in her arms and Zeke swore. The trees opened slightly to a frozen creek lined with boulders. Verrka was using the terrain to dodge around a lupine-looking lesser demon.

    Joisse looked around with aura sight, but didn¡¯t see anything else waiting in the trees, so she set her charges down and dashed in.

    ***

    Verrka tried not to think about how dead she was. All the axe had managed to do was cut the demon¡¯s fur, and she¡¯d nearly lost an arm for it. She didn¡¯t have the reach to try again, or the range to use her bow.

    She circled the rock left, feinted, then ducked back to avoid an unnaturally fast swipe. The claw clipped her cheek, drawing blood. Already, Verrka was tiring. At least this thing¡¯s behaving kinda like a wolf.

    Feint, duck, change tactics, change rocks. Maybe it was just playing with her, but she didn¡¯t care. The thing was misshapen, half covered in spikes, and with one too many eyes on one side of its head. She¡¯d fought a wolf, once. With her father. There¡¯d been fear and determination clouded under madness in its eyes.

    In the demon¡¯s eyes there was nothing but fury.

    Verrka heard something and looked up. Her worst fears were confirmed when the demon from before, dressed in ragged human clothing and wearing¡­ Joisse¡¯s hat?

    ¡°Verrka!¡± the demon shouted, voice oddly familiar. ¡°Duck!¡±

    Reflexively, Verrka ducked.

    The wolf demon yelped, the rock rolled over, and when Verrka looked up the four armed demon was standing over her and¡­ smiling? The smile looked a little forced.

    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t tell you I was a demon. Zeke is okay and Tyra¡­ will be. Hopefully.¡±

    Verrka blinked, looked over at the wolf demon that¡¯d been half-pulped from a single attack, then looked back. ¡°I¡­ you¡­ what?¡±

    The maybe-Joisse demon¡¯s smile widened to show teeth and Verrka reflexively showed hers. When the demon laughed, there was no mistaking who she was.

    Screw it. Verrka ran forward and hugged Joisse. ¡°You¡¯re spilling everything when we get back.¡±

 Chapter 206: Sovereign of Conceit pt.2

    I jolted awake when the room¡¯s door opened. Half buried under me, Seyari twitched then shoved me off her with surprising strength. It was enough that I tumbled over and caught her wing while my tail tripped her.

    We landed in a haphazard pile on the cushions looking up at the person who¡¯d entered.

    Unfortunately for us, Utraxia herself had entered, ahead of any servants of preamble. She stood halfway through the door and was staring at us.

    Hastily, I scrambled into a sitting position. ¡°Forgive our impropriety, Sovereign Utraxia. Though I must say this room is quite comfortable.¡±

    Next to me, Seyari elbowed me, probably on purpose, as she sat up. I realized that I¡¯d been bowing and pulled my chin up.

    Just in time to meet Utraxia¡¯s glinting eyes and amused snort. ¡°Of course it¡¯s comfortable. Though I am pleased to receive both your gratitude and apologies. Suffice to say you are forgiven.¡± She walked into the room like a prowling cat and laid herself across a spectacularly large divan facing the pillow pile.

    With a flick of her wrist the door closed with a sense of pressure that I felt in my ears.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re away from prying eyes,¡± she continued, pose regal and chin high, ¡°there is much I desire to know from you.¡±

    Seyari and I shared a glance.

    ¡°Yes, both of you. We¡¯ll start with the angel. You will forgive my bluntness: what are you? I¡¯ve slain several angels and none have looked quite so¡­ feral. It¡¯s a marvelous inversion of aesthetic, but in your aura I do not sense a demon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an angel of wrath,¡± Seyari answered simply.

    ¡°An angel of wrath¡­¡± Utraxia hummed and looked Seyari up and down. Not just clinically, but lasciviously enough that I was about to speak up when her eyes darted to meet mine. ¡°You¡¯ve made quite an interesting choice of partner, Wrath. I am pleased; such a pairing would make even the most daring storyteller blush with scandal. Simply marvelous, a thrilling perversion of divinity.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes.

    She must have figured out what I was about to say because she clicked her tongue. ¡°Now I am afraid it is I who must apologize.¡± Her head dipped almost imperceptibly. ¡°None should look upon your love with such a gaze. Though you must understand that mine is not of the individual, but the concept. She¡­¡±

    ¡°Seyari,¡± my wife supplied with a curt, clipped tone.

    ¡°Seyari, Angel of Wrath¡­ hmm¡­¡± A faint rumbling started up and I realized Utraxia was literally purring. ¡°Well, suffice to say Seyari is inspiring. I¡¯ve not felt such a spark in¡­ nearly a century. Decades at least. But I will not ramble. How then, did such a pairing come to be? Lost in their conceit, angels are not wont to mingle with mortals¡ªlet alone demons.¡±

    ¡°It started when we both thought the other human,¡± I offered, bending the truth for brevity¡¯s sake.

    Utraxia responded with a coy smile. ¡°Eloquent, but you are no natural-born liar. Wrath is ever honest.¡± She held up a massive, clawed hand. ¡°But I will pry no further. You thought the other human, but remained together after. Or did you find out before?¡±

    ¡°I had a hunch what she was,¡± Seyari answered with surprising honesty. ¡°Funny I¡¯d meet a demon kinder and more innocent than most humans. As for her corrupting me?¡± Seyari laughed, voice rich in a way that sent a shiver all the way down to my tail. ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve got it backwards. This little one hadn¡¯t seen her first kill until she met me.¡±

    ¡°Sey!¡±

    She shrugged and took one of my hands in her own. ¡°I¡¯m proud of us, Renna. Besides, I see another potential ally in Utraxia.¡±

    ¡°As do I in you,¡± Utraxia replied. ¡°What I can sense near the boundary of my demesne is limited, but I felt your battle. Would that I could be there, but it is not wise to throw myself against one I barely know for another I am ignorant of.¡± She turned her gaze toward me. ¡°Zarenna, Sovereign of Wrath, tell me, how long have you carried the title?¡±

    I took a moment to think. With all the traveling, I¡¯d hardly had time to sit down and count days. ¡°Perhaps a year?¡±

    Utraxia¡¯s eyes flashed with aura sight before she threw me a sharp-toothed half-smile. ¡°Impressive. And I do not say that lightly. Sovereigns of Wrath rarely come about, and more rarely still do they rise above the chaff.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked before I could stop myself.

    The Sovereign of Pride nodded. ¡°Of course. Wrath is, by its nature, impulsive, thoughtless, and easily misdirected. Those who do not throw themselves into the waiting spears of the human church, or another, cannier opponent, find themselves outwitted and outmatched before they can gather any noticeable power.

    ¡°But you, Zarenna, have attempted something so recklessly foolhardy I simply must applaud the audacity of it all. You have allied and bedded the enemies of demons. Do you think me unaware you came here to kill a human criminal being used as bait by Envy?

    ¡°Even caught in their web, you struggled free and tore a piece with you. You are a fascinating rarity that may just stand the test of time. Moreover, you stand to affect real change in the world, should your mad experiment last longer than a fleeting season.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    She leaned in close, showing immense incisors. ¡°I doubt it will. Blind zealotry rejects sight, fear supercedes trust, and might rules whether it desires the crown or not. So I ask you this, Sovereign of Wrath who is more than her vice. Why?¡±

    I met Utraxia¡¯s gaze; now wasn¡¯t the time for irreverence or halfhearted comments. Behind the smile and the posturing was a very real question: Who are you, really?

    And: Are a potential ally or enemy?

    So, I chose my words carefully, letting the silence linger before speaking in a voice whose steadiness surprised me. ¡°I wish to be a part of mortal society. For purely selfish reasons as well: I have mortal friends and will make more. Plus, society comes with the benefits of trade.

    ¡°As I¡¯ve tried this ¡®experiment,¡¯ I¡¯ve come to understand that I¡¯m not the same as a mortal, and I shouldn¡¯t pretend otherwise¡ªalready I delegate my position to insulate those who would be cowed by fear. I¡¯ll do my best to persuade and compromise, but if I am given no other choice, I¡¯m not exactly going to hold back.¡±

    Utraxia frowned, and I wondered if I¡¯d answered wrong. ¡°Will you bow to a mortal king?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I stopped myself from saying yes. Would I? If King Carvalon asked me to break a promise, to go against my ideals, would I tell him no?

    Would I tell him to go pound snow? Yeah, I would. And I could do that because if he wanted to force the issue, he¡¯d need an army. So I shook my head instead, and I felt Seyari¡¯s hand wrap around mine.

    ¡°Proud of you,¡± my wife whispered through sharp teeth and I shuddered.

    ¡°Then you understand,¡± Utraxia said with an air of finality.

    I shuddered again. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±

    ¡°You understand then the fallacy of living amongst mortal society. Of trying to grow close to petty, manipulative animals who would see you as no more than a cudgel to be wielded or shielded.¡±

    At that, I shook my head again. ¡°I have friends, and I have family. I must try.¡±

    ¡°You will see them suffer for your arrogance?¡±

    My breath hitched. When did my eyes get wet? Suddenly, I wanted to shout that Utraxia was wrong, that I¡¯d make a way for this idyllic dream to all work out. To make that cottage even if I had to carve it out of a mountain.

    Instead, though, I just felt tired. A deep, bone-chilling fatigue that made my head swim, even if my body felt nothing.

    ¡°What of those who volunteer to stand with her and accept what may come?¡± Seyari said, voice clear even as she pulled me into a half embrace.

    ¡°They will be as gnats before a wolf.¡±

    ¡°Tell me then, how wolves are so adept at striking gnats.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t see Utraxia¡¯s expression from my view of the side of Seyari¡¯s chest, but I heard her snort. ¡°The principal is not the same.¡±

    ¡°But a similar thinking may be applied: would a wolf consider a gnat?¡±

    ¡°For good reason, it would not. The gnat cannot harm the wolf.¡±

    ¡°But if the gnat were able to gain the attention of what may, or could report a weakness of the wolf¡­¡±

    ¡°Then the analogy would break.¡± Utraxia¡¯s voice held a dangerous-sounding edge. ¡°A wolf understands that a gnat cannot do such a thing.¡±

    ¡°In the same way you understand perfectly the loyalty and capability of each mortal?¡±

    Utraxia sighed heavily and shifted her forelegs. ¡°Enough. Your point has been overmade, and it is moot. It is not unheard of to have mortal followers. And they are, at best, an asset of dubious value.¡±

    Seyari hissed, but back down, leaving the room in silence once again.

    I pushed myself up from my amazing wife and blinked my eyes clear. ¡°I understand your point as well, Pride. What I am dragging Astrye into is unfair; they were not given a choice. But as they are now they are valuable to me, and Envy would take any chance to destroy them to harm me. Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°You are not.¡± Her eyes moved from Seyari to me, cold stare feeling like it was burning a hole into my brain.

    ¡°Then it is my duty to protect them as per my promise.¡±

    At that, she nodded firmly. ¡°It is. I never doubted you understood honor, Wrath. I am merely concerned that you harbored delusions.¡±

    I sat up straighter and lifted my chin. ¡°Do you still have this concern?¡±

    Utraxia shook her head. ¡°You are a fool and an idealist. But I also¡­ concede¡±¡ªshe forced the word out like it¡¯d personally hurt her¡ª¡°that you have conviction and clarity of intent. I believe I did not hear your answer from you, however. If your ¡®king¡¯ demanded you bend the knee against your own ideals, would you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And if he insisted with force?¡±

    This time I knew the answer, felt it in my heart. ¡°I would crush him.¡±

    Utraxia smiled. ¡°Acceptable. Befitting of your title.¡± She rose. ¡°Very well, then. You may consider me a favorable acquaintance. Perhaps I may be persuaded to a more formal relationship in the future.¡±

    ¡°You want to get Envy back, right?¡±

    ¡°I do, but I am uninterested in the politics of mortals and a trespass is hardly worth a declaration of war.¡±

    Her last words made me smirk. ¡°You¡¯re scared of them.¡±

    Utraxia¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Envy is of unfortunate might. I am not ¡®scared,¡¯ I simply do not wish to escalate the situation. Destroying them would be a waste of resources.¡±

    ¡°Riiight.¡±

    ¡°Do not test me, Wrath.¡±

    In an instant, I was reminded of the strength of her aura. In comparison, mine¡­ wasn¡¯t worthless. But I was weaker, no doubt about that, and by a good margin. So I bowed my head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, Pride.¡±

    She scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re just like her.¡±

    ¡°Her?¡±

    Utraxia grimaced and glanced at the door, her haunches shifting. ¡°I do not wish to keep you overlong. I believe your home is at great risk?¡±

    I stood up. ¡°It is.¡±

    Next to me, Seyari pulled herself out of the pillow pile and chuckled. ¡°You and Lust have quite the past don¡¯t you, Pride?¡±

    Utraxia¡­ blushed? ¡°I believe you should be leaving. Now.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go, Renna.¡± Sey waved the comment off and made for the door, grabbing my arm.

    When she reached the handle, I stopped us. ¡°Utraxia, it is only fair of you to know this, as I don¡¯t want any misunderstandings. First: I would greatly appreciate a positive relationship, or perhaps even an alliance. Second: I am allied to Lillith, Sovereign of Lust already.¡±

    At Lilly¡¯s name, the room grew colder and Utraxia cast her eyes downward. ¡°Do not speak her name, Zarenna, though I do appreciate your candor. Provided this is true, as you¡¯ve no sane reason to lie, then I will not go back on my word.¡± She looked up, right into my eyes, with a hard-set jaw. ¡°Understand this, however. For us to form an alliance, the need must truly be great.¡±

    I nodded politely. ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now leave before I regret my benevolence.¡±

    When Seyari opened the door, a thin sheen of ice covering it shattered like glass. Out in the hallway, Quiraxa was waiting. I didn¡¯t miss how Seyari perked up in the presence of her budding friend.

    Great, so I¡¯m friends with Lilly who Seyari doesn¡¯t particularly like, and Seyari¡¯s friends with Quiraxa who is¡­ tolerable at best.

    All the more reason to play the middlewoman I supposed.

    ¡°I am to take you to the edge of my Sovereign¡¯s demesne such that your journey home is swift,¡± Quiraxa said with a shallow bow.

    My thoughts were once again on Nelys¡¯s pain through the contract. They were fine now, but for who knew how long. ¡°We need to move as quickly as possible,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, I¡ª¡± Quiraxa¡¯s head froze mid-nod, and her eyes widened. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    I gestured, all four palms out. ¡°Top arms or bottom arms?¡±

 Chapter 207: Under Siege

    ¡°Stack the logs against the wall there!¡± Kartania shouted. She took a moment to look down at her list and checked another item off, then shouted to anyone within earshot, ¡°Do we have the final word from the nomad camp? Brazz will need to know ASAP.¡±

    Castle Astrye¡¯s courtyard was abuzz with activity¡ªand with people. At first, Kartania hadn¡¯t thought they¡¯d be able to fit the entire town inside, but that hadn¡¯t been an issue. She clenched the slim board behind the list so hard it cracked. If only she¡¯d not been dumb enough to think she could change the Church.

    ¡°That¡¯s the last of the logs. Enough for temporary shelters and fire for two weeks,¡± Gareth said, jogging over. ¡°I can help with bark stripping; we¡¯ll keep what we can for kindling.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Kartania said absentmindedly. Her thoughts were a mess.

    She was the marchioness¡¯ sister, and with Brazz and Nelys¡¯ acknowledgement had become, in effect, acting marchioness. It was all too sudden.

    ¡°You alright?¡±

    She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Gareth worrying behind a bark-strewn mustache.

    The sight made her snort. Then again, not everyone in the Church was a bastard. ¡°Check your beard.¡±

    The other former paladin¡¯s brow furrowed and he wiped at the hairs with the back of a gauntleted hand. ¡°Better?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t. ¡°Not really.¡±

    Gareth shrugged. ¡°Look, I know you don¡¯t like compliments, but you¡¯re doing a good job.¡±

    Kartania looked down at her half-completed list, then up at the gaping hole in the wall where fill was being dumped in as fast as mortared stone could be laid. ¡°Not good enough.¡±

    Gareth sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll get to stripping logs then.¡±

    By the time Kartania had thought to thank him, he was out of earshot and the next two problems were shouting at her. At least Brazz was handling affairs inside, organizing supplies and sleeping arrangements while Kartania figured out how the hell a down-on-food town of five-hundred or so people was going to hold out against an assault.

    She¡¯d found what might¡¯ve been shielding runes on the walls, but they¡¯d been overloaded and were nothing more than pockmarked stone. Kartania almost wished Renna had been more subtle; but if she had, there might not be a town to save.

    Couldn¡¯t she have just punched the shield itself?

    Within the hour, a messenger came back from the nomad camp. The reply was courteous, but boiled down to ¡°no our problem.¡± Which was good, because it wasn¡¯t. Fewer defenders, but food was going to be the real issue. Like any good castle, Castle Astrye had a well and it was full of clean water from the rock it abutted.

    So if they did come under siege, and the wall fooled the attackers long enough for the mortar to harden, they had a chance of holding out until Zarenna came back. It was a little sliver of hope that pierced when grabbed.

    Work continued through the night, and by morning Kartania had hardly slept. Neither had Brazz, if the bags under her eyes were any indication. Today, thanks to demonic labor, the wall was topped off. It looked like shit and was held together with ice magic on the outside and wooden scaffold on the inside, but it would look whole from a distance.

    The few who could were drilling with what weapons they had under Keran and Gareth¡¯s command. Joisse who could scale the wall and Shyll who could fly over were out hunting and foraging while A-frames of shelters and storage structures were going up in a courtyard burned free of snow.

    Given another week, and they might have a shot of mounting a defense. At most, however, they had two days.

    Shyll returned around noon to dispel them of even that comfort.

    ¡°Surely they¡¯ll rest for the night?¡± Kartania asked, hopeful.

    She, Shyll, and Brazz were seated in Renna and Seyari¡¯s room, now covered in documents and crates of valuable supplies. The bed had been flipped up against a wall, sheets and blankets folded and ready to be torn for bandages if need be.

    The short, capricious, demon responded with an unusually serious shake of her head. ¡°The good news is that the useless bookworm Oszandius got here on time. From what he¡¯s heard, your king didn¡¯t approve this demon hunt, so there might be a war or something.¡±

    Kartania flinched, a flash of cold running all the way from neck to tailbone.

    ¡°War?¡± Brazz asked. ¡°There¡¯s a peace treaty right now, isn¡¯t there? Between the Empire and Edath¡­ and how does the Church factor into that anyway?¡±

    ¡°The Treaty of Gedon considers Church aggression into Edath equal to Ordian aggression,¡± Kartania said through tight lips. ¡°Unless there¡¯s a clear and present cause to defend the populace and Edath¡¯s government is compliant or has been rendered unilaterally incapable.¡±

    Shyll stifled a laugh; Kartania punched her.

    The diminutive demon glowered at her. ¡°What? Don¡¯t you see the loophole?¡±

    ¡°I see someone in dire need of an etiquette lesson.¡± Fist forward, Kartania left no room for interpretation of that said ¡°lesson¡± would entail.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start this,¡± Brazz warned. ¡°We need both of you. So¡­ I¡¯m no politician. Well, I am, but not by choice. Point is, the only way they get away with this is if Edath approves or if Edath can¡¯t disapprove, right? What¡¯s to stop them claiming some bullshit reason and just stomping in?¡±

    Kartania hissed. ¡°Supposedly, morality. There¡¯s more to the wording, but they should have needed to prove King Carvalon was under demonic influence and the threat to the populace is beyond what Edath¡¯s own forces could handle. Which in turn should have taken weeks of bureaucracy to clear.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Razz growled. ¡°Bullshit. Edath isn¡¯t in that kind of danger! If anything, we are, and we¡¯re defending against it already.¡±

    ¡°Right, unless Envy¡¯s ramped up their attacks in Edath.¡±

    Raz¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Wait¡­ there¡¯s no way¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Kartania thumped her fist on the table. ¡°The Church is corrupt, dogmatic, and condescending, but they would never work so openly with a demon. Mordwell would have had backing outside the inquisition had that been the case, and I spent a decade searching for that link.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just using them!¡± Shyll squeaked. ¡°Wow, mortals are idiots!¡±

    ¡°You wanna amend that?¡± Brazz asked, half teasing and half a threat.

    ¡°Nah. But you folks are alright anyway.¡±

    The lupael rolled her eyes. ¡°Gee, thanks. So Envy¡¯s targeting us, and this violence gives enough cause to pull this stunt?¡±

    Kartania placed an elbow on the table and rested her chin in one hand. ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s convenient, but it¡¯s not going to be enough. King Carvalon¡¯s a bastard, but he hates the Church. He¡¯ll argue this, and it¡¯s going to drag my sister right into the thick of it.¡±

    ¡°So war.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    Brazz¡¯s ears flattened against her head. ¡°Any chance we could just close the pass once the aid gets here and ignore it? I was here during the last civil war and aside from one draft, we weren¡¯t affected at all.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t the target before,¡± Kartania countered, frowning. ¡°But there¡¯s no use worrying over that now. My sister¡¯s the one who answers to the king, so she¡¯ll have the final say.¡±

    ¡°You think she¡¯s going to agree to join if it comes to war.¡±

    ¡°I do. She¡¯s too much of a bleeding heart. And what¡¯s worse is that this¡¯ll be a war on the back of a broken truce. Even at the worst of the civil war, there were rules. Who knows what will happen if neither side thinks they could trust the other¡¯s word?¡±

    Brazz swore. ¡°Well if this is the fucking good news, what¡¯s the bad news, Shyll?¡±

    ¡°Army¡¯s set to enter the town before sunset.¡±

    Kartania wanted to hit her again. ¡°Fuck. How much time?¡±

    Shyll shrugged. ¡°Three hours tops.¡±

    ¡°Then we can¡¯t sit around and talk.¡± Kartania stood up, fast enough for her chair to clatter to the ground behind her. ¡°We need to make sure the gate¡¯s secure, check the wall repairs, and get everyone into position.¡±

    Brazz stood up after her and offered a handshake. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best, then. We¡¯ll hold out until Renna and Seyari get here.¡±

    ¡°You think she can stop an army?¡± Shyll sounded incredulous. ¡°She¡¯s a lot weaker than my Sovereign, and Lillith wouldn¡¯t take this fight.¡±

    Kartania chuckled darkly. ¡°I have no idea. But I do know that we¡¯re going to find out.¡±

    ***

    Kartania stood with Brazz atop the castle wall as the Church forces approached, and her heart sank. This wasn¡¯t just a punitive expedition, this was an army, hundreds strong. Behind the church, another, smaller group marched, holding the crest of the Duchy of Norgath on two tall banners.

    They sent scouts through the city, but skirted the edge, heading straight for the castle. At the conglomerate¡¯s head, on a well-armored horse, was a high priest she recognized, a woman by the name of Sylvia.

    Sylvia was one of the Church¡¯s strongest, and was a damn sight more vicious than Grants had been. For all the late high priest was a blind zealot, he also fancied himself a good man, and he¡¯d even held some amount of compassion for demon-blooded. Sylvia? She¡¯d see them all burned at the stake if the other high priests didn¡¯t hold her in check.

    Out of all the people who could have been leading, she was the worst to negotiate with. Because she absolutely wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Recognize her?¡± Brazz whispered.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kartania answered. ¡°She¡¯s bad news for negotiating.¡±

    ¡°How bad?¡±

    ¡°If she had her way, demon blooded children wouldn¡¯t even get a chance to grow up.¡±

    Brazz¡¯s ears went flat against her head and she growled. ¡°At least I won¡¯t feel bad killing her. If we even can. Do we still try to negotiate?¡±

    Kartania nodded. ¡°They¡¯ll see through a bluff that Renna¡¯s here but not willing to talk, but we should make it anyway, stall for time. Deflect if we can.¡±

    Next to her, Brazz took a deep breath, in and out. Behind the pair, one of the few who¡¯d stayed from the nomads, a wind mage of middling power, set up magic to project their voices.

    ¡°State your business!¡± Kartania shouted.

    Sylvia looked up. Magic from an aide swirled, and her voice sailed up on the wind, full of condescension. ¡°By order of the Church of Dhias, you are to be freed from the demon¡¯s yoke.¡±

    Next to Kartania, Brazz muttered words under her breath, then said in a practiced cadence. ¡°By the King¡¯s word, and by the Treaty of Gedon, you have no grounds to issue such an order!¡±

    ¡°A demon has wormed its way into the nobility of Edath, one who apparently requires minions to do her bidding. The kingdom¡¯s will is forfeit.¡±

    ¡°Send a messenger with orders showing the Empress¡¯s seal,¡± Kartania fired back. ¡°Else this is a breach of the treaty, and an act of war!¡± She held her hands against her sides to keep from shaking. Could they hit her with magic at this distance? She¡¯d have time to stop it, right.

    Surprisingly, Sylvia responded with words rather than violence. ¡°To wait for the Empress¡¯s orders would be to squander lives. Open the gates, and we will grant a swift death to those who consorted with the demon.¡±

    Brazz took a deep breath and held her shaking chin up. ¡°As acting Mayor of Astrye, appointed by Marchioness Zarenna Miller and confirmed by the people, we do not recognize your authority without such proof as asked. The gates will not open until you comply!¡±

    ¡°The ¡®marchioness¡¯ no longer holds authority,¡± came the swift reply.

    A rider from under the duke¡¯s banner came forward, reading off a scroll. ¡°Under order from Duke Ludwig Reynard, the March of Astrye is hereby annexed into the Duchy of Norgath, pursuant to the ineligibility of the false marchioness¡¯s title and the prior cessation of ownership by the good King Carvalon. Glory to Edath!¡±

    Sylvia visibly bristled at the messenger¡¯s last words, then looked up with a sneer. ¡°Your so-called marchioness holds no title. She is a demon and an enemy of humanity. You are outnumbered and overpowered. Open. The. Gate.¡±

    Brazz looked at Kartania for help and mouthed ¡°sorry.¡±

    ¡°King Carvalon has not revoked the marchioness¡¯s title!¡± Kartania shouted. ¡°Under no law of the Kingdom of Edath can Duke Ludwig claim possession over Astrye. If you do not wish to break the Empire¡¯s treaty, or endanger your liege¡¯s title, leave now.¡±

    ¡°You will regret those words!¡± Sylvia shouted as the magic cut and she motioned toward the army.

    ¡°May winter¡¯s chill freeze your bones!¡± Brazz shouted back even as their own magic cut.

    The pair of them stayed on the wall, watching as the army split and made camp. After all, there was little daylight left and a night assault would only favor those whose bodies would not be reflected by moonlight against pale snow. The Church¡¯s caution in the face of the unknown, and their certainty of victory, would be the only things keeping Castle Astrye standing for one more night.

    Some of the Church and duke¡¯s forces headed into the town. Even with the food moved to the castle¡¯s storage, the small city of Astrye would offer the attackers shelter and wood. As did the forest, but any who dared would find themselves picked off by Shyll.

    ¡°They¡¯ll build a battering ram tonight,¡± Kartania said. ¡°That they don¡¯t have any siege equipment is proof that this action is not sanctioned by the Empire.¡±

    ¡°You actually think they can take the gates down?¡± Brazz asked.

    ¡°If they can get their mages close enough, they won¡¯t even need a ram.¡± She didn¡¯t mention the unfinished wall repair; it¡¯d only invite disaster. ¡°The only thing that kept them from charging was the early sunset of Astryan winter.¡±

    Already, the mountain¡¯s shadow was creeping across the city and plunging it into darkness. Kartania strode down from the wall and started barking orders. ¡°Have those who can see in the dark post watch tonight. They¡¯ll try to fly assassins over the wall.¡±

    She looked up and saw Brazz staring out over the empty snowfield, still an unbroken sheet ahead of where the Church forces had stopped. Please get here soon, Sister.

 Chapter 208: If by Force pt. 1

    After I¡¯d dropped Quiraxa from a reasonable height and before I could see my castle nestled amongst the mountains, I could see smoke. Not a great, billowing cloud of my city burning, not an orange glow pushing back the night sky.

    Trails of pale woodsmoke, curling up almost innocently above the castle walls. But they weren¡¯t where chimneys should be.

    ¡°Trouble!¡± I shouted back to Seyari.

    ¡°Go!¡± she returned from somewhere behind me. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up.¡±

    Pouring magic into my wings, they flared behind me and I felt the thickening, roaring air stretching my cheeks. And then my ears popped, a half-heard bang echoing into now-complete silence.

    The air was thicker than ever, but I couldn¡¯t hear a thing as Astrye came into view. I barely had time to register what looked like an army massing around the castle, spells and arrows flying. They looked like ants.

    I overshot the castle before I could slow down, banked and turned back. When I looked, the battle below was coming to a stumbling halt as a thousand eyes turned to look up at me. Once a pristine white, the field around my castle was muddy and brown in the morning sun. I saw banners from the Church and also from some noble house I vaguely recognized.

    Echoes of the boom my flight had made were still lingering when a wall of arrows was launched toward the castle. Before they could reach, I conjured a wall of crimson fire and wind. Before I turned my head back, something searingly hot wrapped around my leg.

    Reflexively, I slashed down at it, and it shattered into motes of light at the edge of my vision. Only for another to get one of my lower arms, and another the other leg. Literal chains of holy light. I slashed at those, only for four more to wrap around me.

    Shit! I threw out my magic in a haze of flame and swirling heat. The chains dimmed, some shattered, but more and more piled on and I realized they were pulling me toward the ground. My armor sizzled and cracked as the chains seared through it. But when they hit my skin, they didn¡¯t quite burn.

    Someone must have been planning for that moment of distraction; someone must have been planning for a powerful demon. Below me was a clearing covered in glowing gold spellwork etched deep into the snow. Every point was a chain, and every chain I broke in my struggle spawned anew. Worse, I could feel them pulling at my mana, trying to suck the magic out of me.

    There was a shout, some command I didn¡¯t hear the words of, and I saw out of the corner of my eye as spells wreathed a primitive-looking battering ram. Faster than a demon could push it, it launched toward the castle¡¯s gates.

    A mere moment before it hit, and before I hit the ground, a red blur slammed into the ram with a crack I felt in my bones. And then I hit the snow, knees first. By the wall, there was a rumble; the earth shook, and cries went up on both sides.

    I couldn¡¯t even turn to look.

    All around me, the heat shimmered in the air. And I could feel it like I could feel the chains digging into my flesh. Holy magic¡ªdamn good thing it didn¡¯t affect me like it used to.

    I tried to struggle to my feet; I could barely move, but just a little more and¡ª

    ¡°I should take no pleasure, but your struggles are unfortunately amusing. And useless.¡±

    Some beautiful part of me, probably trained in by all the lovely deceptive people I have in my life, made me stop just before a single chain gave. Not now. Do it now and they¡¯ll have an answer.

    Instead, I raised my head, the only part of me unchained. In front of me was a surprisingly young-looking woman in high priest¡¯s robes. Her complexion was somewhere between Ordian and Edathan, with the not-quite-black hair much of the Empire had.

    ¡°Why?¡± I choked the word out. All I needed was an opening¡ªeven without aura sight, I could feel how much of this spell was her work.

    The high priest looked me up and down, and her sneer faltered. ¡°What blasphemy is this?¡±

    I threw out a guess. ¡°Should I be ash right now?¡±

    ¡°Answer me, demon! And I will grant you a swift death you do not deserve!¡±

    For a moment, I wasn¡¯t sure what to say. My unusual resistance or not, she could still maybe kill me. Not to mention that, outside this magic demon-killing circle, I could hear a battle raging.

    The chains tightened.

    ¡°You asked¡­¡± I paused to take a deep breath, made difficult by the too-warm chains. ¡°You asked what blasphemy this is. Doesn¡¯t Dhias decide¡ª¡±

    ¡°You have no right to say that name!¡± she cut me off, taking a step toward me.

    Just a little closer. Even with the chains pulling my magic, I wasn¡¯t losing too terribly much. Either my resistance applied, or this spell wasn¡¯t so hot after all.

    ¡°Your god, then¡±¡ªand mine too, or one of¡ª¡°decides, right? Maybe I¡¯m an exception.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°You cannot have¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°No, this must be some trick. Some flaw in the spell.¡±

    Another step. Almost there.

    ¡°Is it? I¡¯ve not¡ª¡± I cut off as the chains squeezed and pulled down, fully immobilizing me. ¡°I¡¯ve not¡­ made what I am a secret. I¡¯m only¡­ as much of a monster as you force me to be.¡±

    ¡°Force you?¡±

    The seemingly earnest question caught me off guard. All I could see was the churned earth under me, but the high priest¡¯s shadow was at the edge. My wrath roiled; how dare she!

    ¡°You think I¡¯m not gonna protect my family and friends?¡± I snapped. ¡°Do you¡­ think my word means nothing? Of course you do, right?¡± The words burned as I forced them out of half-collapsed lungs.

    ¡°You¡­ You!¡± A thinner chain slammed around my mouth like a gag and my fangs bit into it. ¡°I can see now why you¡¯re so dangerous. Your act is the most earnest I have seen, I will grant you that compliment. Perhaps you have even fooled these people into thinking you care. But you will not fool me.¡±

    She leaned down as she said her piece¡ªI saw her shadow move over me. Fast as I could, I sprung up.

    Crack!

    Horns hit chin, and the chains around me snapped with a sound like shattering glass. The high priest stumbled over backwards, blood trailing from her mouth. Shouts from outside the circle had just started, readied magic was just flying my way, when I was on her.

    All the high priest registered was shock before one claw swipe took out her throat. The next took her head and I spun, my tail sending a wave of fire outwards as I brought my axe into my hand.

    More than a few bolts of holy light bombarded me, cracking my armor even as it patched itself.

    ¡°You monster!¡± someone shouted.

    I shouldn¡¯t have responded. But I did.

    ¡°You tried to execute me!¡± I gestured toward the speaker with my axe. They were lost in the crowd, but it didn¡¯t matter. For a moment, all was still¡ªeven the people trying to pull back their burned comrades. ¡°You¡¯re fighting, killing the people I swore to protect right now under a justification you fucking fabricated! What am I supposed to do, apologize to the headsman?

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sure if we just talk it out you¡¯ll stop trying to kill me for no damn reason other than what I am.¡± Flames bloomed out from between my fangs. ¡°You think I haven¡¯t fucking tried that?¡±

    A few more spells were sent my way. Some hit, most I batted aside as I walked to the edge of the circle, bloody claws dripping to sizzle on fading, broken spellwork. No one dared to get any closer, so I chanced a look back at the castle. Where I¡¯d punched the wall was a pile of loose rubble, and the fighting on it looked fierce.

    Seyari was like a tornado of flaming wind, and bolts of Nelys¡¯s lightning crackled in the storm. The castle was holding, for now. Already, shouts were drawing more attention back onto me.

    Good.

    Pulling forth the wind magic I shared with my wife, I magnified my voice to boom out over as much of the battlefield as I could. ¡°Listen up! I know most of you are just following orders: ¡®go to Astrye and kill the demon that¡¯s holding the city hostage.¡¯ Maybe it was ¡®take revenge for High Priest Grants who died trying to murder two people.¡¯¡±

    I took a deep breath and thought about what I wanted to say next. ¡°So I¡¯ll give you all the benefit of the doubt. That you all believed the lies you were told about me. So¡­¡± I launched myself skyward in an eruption of crimson fire and faced the opposing forces. Furious, confused, hurt, angry. The wind carried my voice, level and firm as I could make it:

    ¡°Stop fighting. Leave now. Or else.¡±

    As much as I could, I stole their anger and fury away, but they were trained and I couldn¡¯t risk taking all of it so quickly. My words lingered into an eerie silence for one heartbeat, then two, and my heart sank when a war cry arose from the attackers. Most of them anyway¡ªthose not from the Church faltered.

    This time, they had no grand ritual. Pulse racing, I dove down into the fray.

    ***

    When Seyari watched Renna get dragged down by the chains, fury blossomed in her heart. She knew that ritual¡ªthe Church was here, and they were prepared.

    But her love fought it, and she wasn¡¯t burned. Seyari knew enough about the spell, knew enough from Renna¡¯s aura and the power she¡¯d gained to know the chains wouldn¡¯t hold her. Still, as the castle approached, she angled to divebomb, coasting up into the clouds and using aura sight to see.

    Renna¡¯s aura was strong and steady, but there was a gathering storm in front of the castle gates. Dipping one wing and using a burst of wind magic, she pivoted target, wreathed herself in more power than she¡¯d ever had access to, and dove toward the ground.

    What she saw was a dressed-up log on wheels covered in several spells. She hit it feet-first and the sound of it splitting sent a shiver down her spine. Those pushing the thing were knocked back, tumbling through mud and snow.

    And then a section of the castle¡¯s wall came down. The same section Renna had punched¡­

    Without wasting time, Sey climbed up the wet rubble. Behind her, half the Church forces had turned, gathering around Renna. The other half were either recovering from her entrance and rushing the breach.

    At the top of the wall, she ran into a familiar figure in armor, sword unsheathed.

    ¡°Seyari!¡± Kartania shouted. At the former paladin¡¯s shout, an arrow from the castle went wide over Sey¡¯s wing and someone swore.

    ¡°Give me a bow,¡± Seyari replied. ¡°Renna can handle herself.¡±

    Kartania paused for a moment, glancing Renna¡¯s way. ¡°She¡¯d want that. Fine¡ªI trust you.¡± She turned. ¡°Someone get her a bow!¡±

    Not two seconds later, someone tossed one her way: an old hunting bow, too short to punch through any real armor. Unless you had wind magic and enough power to blow down a forest. Seyari kicked off into the sky, drew an arrow of magic along the bowstring, and let it fly.

    The first shot struck someone through the eye. The next the shoulder, and then the forces clashed. From behind Kartania, Nelys appeared, darting between the Church forces, stabbing and shocking. Somewhere along the intact wall, Brazz shouted orders.

    Seyari kicked up a maelstrom, sending arrows coming into the gap careening off in all directions. Half the spells that made it through fizzled, or were knocked off course, holy magic clashing against holy magic.

    She shouldn¡¯t just make a full wall of wind and blow the attackers back. The attackers had more firepower, and more time. Now more than ever, Seyari felt inhuman.

    Wounds she took closed in seconds, and she was just faster. Right as she dropped the bow and dove into the melee, Renna¡¯s voice boomed out across the battlefield. Up here, by the breach in the wall, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the fighting, but Sey heard her words loud and clear.

    ¡°Stop fighting. Leave now. Or else.¡±

    Cathartic as the slaughter was, Sey fervently hoped to hear an order to stand down. For Renna¡¯s sake, if nothing else. To prove that the Church wouldn¡¯t need to be their foe, and that her wife¡¯s idealism would prevail.

    But Kartania¡¯s presence already spoke volumes. Renna¡¯s sister had left to champion that cause, to cause change from the inside. If she was here, after a decade of struggle toward this end, she must have been summarily dismissed.

    So when Renna¡¯s offer was met with vitriol and a renewed assault, audible through the maelstrom, Seyari fought on with a heavy heart.

 Chapter 209: If by Force pt.2

    Immediately, I was surrounded. Head and shoulders above the crowd of humans, I was an easy target for those with the right training.

    And this crowd had the right training.

    Unfortunately, they were slow. Slow like I hadn¡¯t really thought possible.

    The first person I killed was a woman about my sister¡¯s age. Her face froze in my mind: bright, clear eyes and a rictus of determination. My axe felt like it was cutting paper.

    I screamed. Not rage, not sorrow. Frustration.

    Her face stayed in my mind through the next swing, and the next. For every hit I dealt, I took two in return, but it didn¡¯t matter. My armor took most of the hits, enchanted blades clanging off or taking out nicks of red-hot metal. Spells of all elements¡ªexcept fire¡ªsplashed against me.

    They burned, but the sickening feeling in my gut liked the pain. This was supposed to be harder. This was supposed to hurt more.

    I ducked to the side of my first real opponent¡¯s thrust. Thrumming with magic, the tall, armored man moved like a demon, and a circle around us cleared. Half by my tail, and half by a shouted order. There were no words, just racing pulses and that same determined look.

    Only this time, there was pure hatred in my opponent¡¯s eyes. Raw and cold even as I stole the anger from him. Larger spells rippled the air around us, and a rain of arrows struck my side of the field the moment he charged.

    The arrows weren¡¯t magicked, and they fell like freezing rain as I dashed back from the thrust of a gleaming polearm. Tail as a counterweight, I dug claws into the snow and spun. Axe high, claws low. The man ducked the axe, and my lower hand burned, leaving gouges in his reinforced armor. He thrust again just as I got both feet planted, and twin lances of holy light hummed through the air at me.

    I dodged back again, and the spells curved. One took me through the arm, the other the stomach. I still overlaid the face of that first girl on this man. Different by years, different by malice, but looking like a future I wanted for nobody all the same.

    He shouted, as the thrust. The only word I¡¯d heard over the rush of blood in my ears and my own screaming, now cut short.

    Axe dropped, hands forward: I caught the haft even as the lances of light embedded in me exploded outward. Before my scream finished, the bleeding was slowing, the rush of my blood on the dirt steaming in the cold.

    The enhanced man¡¯s eyes widened. I pulled, and he came with. My axe was back in my hand; one hand met skull, one neck met axe.

    Enchantments blazed, then burned out, and I tossed his head away. The first step I took, I fell to one knee. The second, and two more lances hit me. The third, and I was standing blood pouring from open wounds and organs stitching themselves back together so fast I could feel them.

    My mana reserves were dropping. Before two days ago, I¡¯d be dead already. Sobering for the mind, but my body burned all the same. So I roared.

    Silence met my challenge. Then another order: Form up, try again. She¡¯s weakening. Behind the Church, the mercs called out something else, and the arrows stopped.

    But the¡­ fanatics, they had to be fanatics¡ªno words of mine could stop them. I didn¡¯t know how many had died, but there were many fewer now than before. And I wouldn¡¯t let them set up again.

    A quick crouch, a flare of my wings, and I launched forward into the Church forces. Shoulder out, I barreled through to where I heard that order. And right into a wall of burning, holy light. One axe swing later, it cracked, but I was out of time and swarmed again.

    These people weren¡¯t all like the man who¡¯d nearly killed me. Some showed only naked fear in their eyes, and it hurt my heart more than any of my wounds ever could.

    ***

    Seyari raked her nails across someone¡¯s chest, screeching through armor under the robe and drawing bloody furrows. The blade in her other arm sung, blocking a strike as she kicked the injured man and flapped once.

    Once was enough to push her back from a hastily cast spell, and she threw her own back with nothing more than a flick of one bloody hand. Her pulse raced; she felt alive.

    ¡°Down!¡± Kartania shouted.

    Seyari went up instead. Under her, just barely under her feet, a rain of ice pelted the attackers. They were fewer now, and if not for a few strong mages in the back, would have broken already. Every probing attack met a shield of light, and every wing-flap too close sent attackers swarming over the wall''s defenders.

    Despite this, and despite her magic, they¡¯d taken losses. Kartania and Nelys still held firm. Taava and Brazz held the walls. Inside, for the few who slipped through, Brynna was waiting with spiked knuckles. And somewhere beyond that, the demon Shyll had recruited helped ferry the wounded to Joisse. Should the wall fall, or should a surprise attack come from the side, her daughter would prove a most effective last line of defense.

    As the hail cleared, Seyari fell on dented armor and shredded robes, slicing and kicking. Her wind magic aided her strikes, let her dance out of the way of theirs, and sent any wayward arrows flying.

    Unfortunately, there was little she could do about spells.

    She dodged one, and Kartania cried out in pain behind her. Before she could send healing magic her sister-in-law¡¯s way, two bolts of holy light smashed into her wings.

    Throwing her magic downward, she turned a tumble into a roll and came up just in time to block a sword. Unlike her robed compatriots, this zealot wore armor overtop: a paladin. And from the way Seyari had to duck and roll under the weight of her strike, a strong one.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The wind changed, and she knew she¡¯d been boxed in. The spellwork was hasty, and sloppy, but that hardly mattered if it worked. To the sides, the remainder of the church forces rushed the gap in the wall.

    Before she could try to break free, Seyari had to block another swing of the sword. Behind her, shouts rose, and orders flew. She didn¡¯t hear Kartania¡¯s voice amongst them.

    Block, feint, block. She danced, taking grazing hits from spells even as her limitless-seeming mana felt like it was finally getting low. All that she gave back was absorbed by the magic protecting the paladin or healed in the blink of an eye.

    So she did what Renna would do: something phenomenally stupid. She barely deflected the next strike, letting her sword be knocked away, and the paladin recovered brilliantly into a follow-up. Seyari let the thrust hit her, driving through her leather armor, her abdomen, and out the other side.

    The pain was like an old friend. An old bastard of a friend.

    Seryari grabbed the paladin¡¯s hand with one of her own and pulled. When she was still part-human, she¡¯d been strong. Now? Despite her enchantments, the paladin tumbled forward and Seyari slammed her palm onto the woman¡¯s face.

    And then she poured as much magic as she could into the hottest fire she could conjure. Crimson flames burst into life and the paladin screamed. Even through the enchantments, she still burned, and Seyari kept pushing, ignoring the spells hitting her, ignoring the barrier around her breaking apart.

    She only stopped when one of the mages rushed her. Seyari wrenched her other hand forward, pulling the limp arm and bloody sword with it, and she kicked the smoking corpse at the man. The paladin¡¯s armor, once shining with magic, now glowed an eerie red-hot.

    The corpse, head charred beyond recognition, slammed into the mage with the sound of meat hitting a hot pan, and they tumbled down the ruined wall together. Seyari stared down the remaining two, feeling her flesh start to knit together where she¡¯d been impaled.

    Her mana was low, really low, but they didn¡¯t need to know that. Carrying the paladin¡¯s sword despite the awkward weight of the blade, she charged. One died trying to put up a spell, when the other shoved him into Seyari¡¯s blade. She cut the other man down as he ran, then turned top the wall.

    Bodies lined the gap, most enemies, some not. But she didn¡¯t see Kartania¡¯s armor. At the top of the wall, a pair of brown-furred ears popped up, followed by a familiar face.

    ¡°We got it handled here! Go help the boss, ya blood-winged psycho!¡±

    Seyari glanced out at the battlefield. A trail of bodies led back to the edge of the farms, just outside the town proper. The non-Church forces were disengaging, but the rest were massing around a lone, crimson figure. Throwing magic and magicked weapons alike into the fray.

    With a running jump, Seyari took to the air, dropping her borrowed sword in favor of her own talons.

    ***

    Sonia¡¯d seen blood before. She¡¯d dressed wounds, but mostly helped the ailing. Not the badly injured. Inva and the paladin named Gareth were running the show in the courtyard. Until the wall came down, until she¡¯d heard Zarenna¡¯s voice booming over the walls, it¡¯d all seemed so distant.

    Now, though, it had come to her. Reports flew by her, meant for other ears. A lone caster slipping inside over the walls on the mountain side. That had been the demon Shyll reporting, half covered in burns and sporting a wicked smile.

    Over by the breach, Paula was holding across from Joisse. Zarenna¡¯s daughter looked for all accounts a slimmer, reedier version of her mothers. Except the fear; Sonia¡¯s hand shook too. The pair were intercepting the few people who trickled through. Church people, her people.

    She couldn¡¯t imagine it. Didn¡¯t want to think it could be real. Every bloodied body in familiar robes made her think of Luzio back in Inolza, of all the others who¡¯d shown her kindness. She imagined herself or Inva swept up in a tide of fervor, rushed out into the middle of nowhere to die to a misunderstanding.

    Why?

    Renna had worked with the Church. Inva was proof of that, and even stodgy old Priest Herron had come around to her side before she¡¯d left Lockmoth. All this must be because Renna had killed a high priest. But that didn¡¯t make sense anyway, as the High Priest had clearly attacked her, and wasn¡¯t willing to even hear Zarenna out. There were dozens of witnesses¡ªSonia had spoken to several.

    And now Sonia was running supplies and dressing wounds; for the Church¡¯s enemies. Another demon, a quiet, demure man named Oszandius, was pulling wounded back from the wall. Only their wounded. Inva and Gareth were triaging, only healing what would prove immediately fatal. And they didn¡¯t have time or magic to risk healing the Church wounded.

    All of this left Sonia with a cold, heavy feeling in her gut. She felt useless.

    A shout and a bright flash of light up at the breach grabbed Sonia¡¯s attention. An unfamiliar head in familiar robes popped up, then another. She watched, frozen, as Paula and Joisse dove in. She¡¯d seen Paula fight before, back in Lockmoth.

    Sonia had never seen Joisse fight before, never seen the sweet demure girl show a pinch of violence. And she¡¯d never seen anyone move so quickly. Her closed fist flew like a blur, and the first attacker went down in a heap. No claws, a hit to the arm.

    She must be as terrified as I am.

    Sonia snapped out of it just in time to see Nelys carrying someone in shining armor over their shoulder. A familiar wave of black hair pulled free from its braid.

    That¡¯s Renna¡¯s sister!

    Nelys shouted something, but Sonia didn¡¯t catch the words. Gareth rushed by her, and Sonia saw Kartania twitch as he swore. By the time Kartania was brought back to the tent, Joisse had punched her way up to the wall. Holy magic battered her, but she didn¡¯t seem to care, and with the militia rushing forward it looked like they¡¯d hold.

    ¡°Pliers!¡± Gareth shouted. ¡°Her armor needs to come off!¡±

    Like lit kindling, Sonia¡¯s senses ignited again. Years of training shoved her worries to the back, and she grabbed the tool from the next tent over. From there, it was a blur of bent metal and disfigured flesh.

    Without the battle behind her, it was just like the worst sections of sick ward¡¯s she¡¯d been to. And while those places often had to make due with herbal remedies, here they had magic. And Gareth didn¡¯t let up until Kartania¡¯s mangled arm and severely burn shoulder were back to pink, albeit scarred, skin.

    When the former paladin¡¯s eyes fluttered open and she tried to sit up, Sonia released a breath she hadn¡¯t known she was holding. It may have just been a day, but Kartania Miller was in Sonia¡¯s eyes everything the Church could be¡ªshould be.

    Sonia glanced over at the breach, where the fighting was dying down. While her heart trusted Renna, her mind couldn¡¯t help but ask the question: What would Zarenna do if the Church had killed her sister? When Sonia looked back, she saw Kartania grabbing for her helmet.

    Gareth grabbed it first. ¡°You can¡¯t. Half your armor¡¯s gone and the new skin¡¯s fragile.¡±

    ¡°I must,¡± she replied, glaring up at the other former paladin. ¡°I¡¯m not down yet, and they need me.¡±

    ¡°Kartania¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better me than the breach falls.¡±

    ¡°Look, you¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, look.¡± Sonia realized only after she¡¯d spoken that she had, the words dry and hoarse. Gareth and Kartania followed her finger. Up at the wall, Joisse was standing still, staring out over the field at something they couldn¡¯t see.

    Kartania took the distraction to snatch her helmet and clamber out of the cot with a wince. Gareth chased her up the hill of rubble and Sonia trailed behind.

    The other side of the breach was littered with bodies, one at the base in charred and smoking armor. The snowfield beyond, that beautiful blank canvas Sonia had spent her recent evenings looking out over, was a muddy, bloody mess.

    Her breath caught in her throat as she saw beyond the field to the current fighting. Visible as a burning crimson smudge near the edge of Astrye proper, Zarenna was fighting the Church¡¯s remaining force all at once, magic clouding and splitting the air above. The darker colors of another army of some kind were pulling up the hill away toward the pass. And Seyari, a red-winged cannon shot, was flying straight toward the fray.

 Chapter 210: Wont be Used

    I ducked one spell and another landed. The missile that missed me hit one of their own, and I swept through with my axe, ending another life. At some point, enhanced paladins had tried to hold me down, but they hadn¡¯t gotten far.

    Despite my flagging magic¡­ I was winning.

    I was every bit the monster they¡¯d hoped for me to be, and I hated it.

    A flash of crimson and a plume of snow and dirt sent me reeling, and I barely caught myself with my tail. From the crater, Seyari rose, clawed hands dripping fire as a maelstrom spun up around her.

    For a moment, the battle faltered, and then the Church broke.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± came the cry; ¡°Covering fire¡± followed it.

    I could taste Seyari¡¯s raw fury, and it flickered at the call. But she, like I, stopped and waited. The force split; some ran, most began moving away.

    And in the center of it all, a loud voice boomed out ¡°Never!¡±

    Dhias, please¡­

    ¡°Stop!¡± That was my voice. I swallowed, then continued, ¡°I¡¯ll honor your retreat. Once you¡¯re through the pass, I won¡¯t pursue you at all.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡± that same voice shouted.

    ¡°Lies!?¡± I roared, throwing an arm back to the battlefield behind me. ¡°Is this a lie? Is all this pointless death just another one of my illusions?¡±

    ¡°Form up! We will slay the traitor and the demon in the name of Dhias!¡±

    Next to me, Seyari laid a hand on my shoulder. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I was shaking. Her magic was working into something, and I lent her what little power I could.

    ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± I shouted, long beyond pleading as I watched the bulk of the remaining forces march away up the hill. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to kill yourselves¡ªI don¡¯t care that you want to kill me; I want to kill you. Leave!¡±

    ¡°You do not get a choice!¡± the voice fired back, and I finally saw an older man in the back of the group. ¡°You will fight us to the last, and we will find a way to kill you.¡±

    He¡¯s going to send them all to die first. Coward.

    ¡°No,¡± Seyari said. Her voice was soft, but bolstered by wind.

    I felt her spell forming, and she ceded the floor to me.

    ¡°No!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Charge!¡± came the reply.

    And a wall of warm wind blew forth. Snow, dirt, and rocks showered the remaining zealots, before the gale swept them off their feet like leaves off an autumn tree. Some screamed, others were silent as they tumbled up through the air toward the retreating troops.

    Seyari and I weathered the few spells that successfully came our way, and more than a few others landed as friendly fire. Amidst shouts of confusion, the Church forces who¡¯d refused retreat landed in scattered piles in front of their comrades. Alive.

    And I wasn¡¯t about to give them a chance to change that. ¡°Leave, now.¡± My voice boomed, amplified by wind. ¡°Tell whoever sent you, noble or High Priest, what happened here. I expect you to lie; please disappoint me.¡±

    The militia, mercenaries, whatever they were continued up the hill, flags waving, while the Church forces argued, facing me and Seyari in a defensive stance. The emblem the other group had was familiar¡­

    Norgath! It was the emblem of Norgath. Which meant that Duke Ludwig Reynard was tangled up in all this somehow. But¡­ I presumed he hated the Church. Duchess Arina Kapel had said as much, and what I¡¯d learned of him demonstrated it.

    Allies of convenience perhaps? A coincidence? Envy¡¯s meddling?

    I didn¡¯t know, and they weren¡¯t about to talk. Nor was I about to go back on my word and make them.

    Syeari, meanwhile, pulled me into a half hug. She leaned up, then thought better of it and rested her head against one of my shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re too tall sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Doors keep telling me that.¡± I joked, but my heart wasn¡¯t in it.

    Nor did I have the luxury of staring into her eyes. We both looked straight ahead until the ¡°retreat¡± argument seemed to win and the Church forces beat a hasty retreat. Some of them seemed surprised I was letting them go.

    Thankfully, my body and mind were one with the decision; battered and bruised, I needed rest. Dhias, so many dead to bury. I hoped none would be our own, but I knew that was perilously unlikely.

    ¡°So are you really going to just let them leave?¡± Seyari asked, incredulous.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t presume I would.¡± I smiled down at her, showing many sharp teeth.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan, then?¡±

    ¡°My idea is to follow them and make sure they don¡¯t harass anyone on the pass. Especially a certain aid caravan. Once they leave Astrye, they¡¯re Carvalon¡¯s problem.¡±

    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, they¡¯re his problem here too, Renna.¡± Seyari huffed. ¡°Unless you already consider yourself independent.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°Well the people here are barely Edathan, there¡¯s a giant mountain range between us and the rest of that sorry excuse for a kingdom, and we just proved capable of defending against an army.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want more death.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    She pulled me down, into a kiss. Quick and chaste. ¡°Neither do I, love. But if this leads to war with Ordia, are you going to fight for a piece of shit human king and slaughter in his name?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± I held her, just feeling her warmth against the chill winter wind. This battlefield was behind me¡­ literally. But it wouldn¡¯t be the last, and its consequences would likely mean much more blood to come.

    ¡°What if he demands it?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d¡­ he absolutely would. Will, even.¡± The realization hit me like a brick. ¡°I¡¯m his ace up the sleeve, so to speak. But I¡¯m also a demon, and the reason the Church has broken the Treaty of Gedon on Ordia¡¯s behalf.¡±

    Seyari pulled apart and grabbed two of my hands with her own. ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And what?¡±

    ¡°Think, Renna! You¡¯re good at it, even when you think too highly of others.¡±

    I blinked, then scratched at a horn only to have my hand buffeted away by wind.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re trying not to do that.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I stared down at my black claws, Blood had crusted under them and I burned it away with a thought. Each finger had a weapon worth a year¡¯s income for a skilled artisan, maybe more. I was worth a whole heck of a lot to people who thought they could wield me.

    ¡°You know,¡± I started, already realizing what Seyari was getting at. ¡°You could¡¯ve told me this earlier.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t put it together until just now, you know.¡±

    ¡°Wanted to look cool?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡± She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. ¡°Do you know, or are you fishing for an answer?¡±

    ¡°I know. Damn it, I know. I wish I didn¡¯t know.¡± I dragged my tail through the mud behind me, drawing a furrow with the tip.

    ¡°Then spit it out.¡± She winced and pulled her wings closer. ¡°Sorry¡ªthat came out harsher than I wanted.¡±

    ¡°He¡­¡± I struggled for a moment to contain a flash of raw fury. ¡°He did this for another war, didn¡¯t he? Figured someone willing to cross half the world, someone naive and just-minded, would fight for her homeland.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s part of it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting to the rest.¡± I didn¡¯t snap at her. No point¡ªwe were both tired. How long had it been since I¡¯d slept? Felt like one long, long day. A long hiss of air escaped between my teeth, sputtering flames following it. ¡°If he sheltered a demon, and a demon who was a known quantity in good standing with society and law, the Church would take issue with it. Should that demon then challenge their dogma, they¡¯d try to remove the demon.

    ¡°Thus, by technicality, the Church would cause Ordia to break the Treaty of Gedon. Since no one wants to fight a war, morale for Ordia would be low, as they would be the aggressors should Edath take the chance for a bid at true independence.

    ¡°And all King Carvalon has to do is call upon this demon as a soldier, trust that the border regions will fall in line for him, perhaps even on the Ordian side, and hold out long enough for an exhausted peasantry to bring about an Ordia¡¯s cessation of claim to Edath.

    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±

    Seyari was looking up at me with wide eyes and a growing smile. She laughed hollowly. ¡°Perfect! Brilliant, even! So, are you going to be the king¡¯s patsy?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I growled. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to just let Ordia win either.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Have any plans?¡±

    ¡°Besides getting Duchess Kapel to keep her border region neutral? No, not at all. I¡¯m desperately trying not to turn around in the hope that it¡¯ll all have been a bad dream. I need a nap, a bath, a meal, and a good, hard cry.¡±

    Seyari looked down at her feet and wrapped her wings around us. ¡°I¡¯m glad I can look at you instead right now. We¡¯ll get through this. The people here either believe in you for you, or see you as their only chance.¡±

    I winced. ¡°That last one sucks.¡±

    ¡°Want me to lie?¡± She looked up and our eyes met.

    ¡°No.¡± I leaned down and rested my forehead on hers.

    ¡°Good, because your plan for following them has a lot of problems.¡±

    ¡°My¡­ oh. What about it?¡±

    She tilted her head up and whispered, ¡°They need you here. They need the way you can comfort people, assuage worries. They need that affable, easy sort of charisma and they need their leader.¡±

    I offered her a quick kiss. ¡°So¡­¡±

    She took the gesture, then pulled away. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Shyll. She can get in close while invisible, and I can fly above the clouds or in the mountains¡¯ shadows. If anything happens, the two of us should be able to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see the battle at the wall, did you?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m a lot stronger than I used to be. Plus, I know how to run away.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡­ sorry for doubting you.¡±

    She waved my concern off. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m fucking exhausted and if I don¡¯t wash my wings soon, it¡¯ll take half a day to get them sorted.¡±

    I pushed power toward her, and she took it readily. ¡°Just in case,¡± I whispered, leaning down to place my forehead against hers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they have any tricks left, but come back in one piece. Because if you don¡¯t, I don¡¯t know that I could stop myself from flying to wherever their leaders congregate and torching the place.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± she answered with her own fierce, sharp-toothed smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to the castle with you first so they don¡¯t see me take off and I can find Shyll. You get to the comforting and all that you do so well.¡± She pulled me in for a brief hug, wings included.

    I leaned into it, feeling her warmth before stepping back and letting her stretch her wings. ¡°Alright. I just wish I had something better than this armor¡ªit doesn¡¯t exactly scream ¡®friendly.¡¯¡±

    At my words, I felt a twinge of something. Like when I first made my glamour all those years ago on my island. It took some of my remaining magic, but the blood burned off my armor and it shifted. Moments later, I felt even air on more skin and I looked down.

    Right into cleavage constrained in a very familiar purple dress. Underneath me, my narrow heels sank awkwardly into the mud.

    Seyari gaped, then laughed, earnestly this time and hard enough to bring a tear to her eye. ¡°I don¡¯t see what you see in dresses at all, Renna. But dear, try not to break a heel on the walk back.¡±

    Were the occasion a brighter one, I¡¯d crack a joke or sweep her off her feet. As it were, I simply changed back to my armor. ¡°For another time.¡± The dress I may have remembered the most, but I could also feel my Gelles Company uniform, and the comfortable traveling clothes I¡¯d long since lost. Just about every outfit I cared about and destroyed could be made out of the same magic that destroyed it. There was something else, too. Something dormant and familiar and strong. But I knew I didn¡¯t have enough magic to try it just yet.

    Halfway back to the castle, Shyll dropped out of the sky next to us, in her lust demon form rather than her usual attire. Her armor, some ceremonial suit I had no idea the origin of, looked battered and dinged, and she was half covered in soot, but her eyes gleamed.

    ¡°Saw you out on the field. Guess I know why mom believes in you.¡±

    ¡°Mom?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah.¡±

    She¡¯s Lillith¡¯s child? ¡°Did she¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep! The old fashioned way, right out between the legs. Said she wanted to give it a try and¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite enough,¡± Seyari interjected, cheeks surprisingly red.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    ¡°Taava told me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shyll,¡± I warned.

    She shut up. ¡°Right. So¡­ I¡¯ll explain later, and I¡¯m not gonna apologize, but it¡¯s pretty damn clear you¡¯re not actually some total chump softie.¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks.¡±

    She huffed. ¡°You want me to tail them, or not?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    Shyll nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be flying out of sight and nearby if something does happen,¡± Seyari added.

    Shyll looked her up and down. ¡°Sounds good. I might need the backup.¡±

    Right as she jumped into the air, I couldn¡¯t hold the thought any longer. ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re actually going to do your job?¡±

    She stopped midair and hovered. ¡°Totally. Just as much as Taava does.¡±

    Damn it, there¡¯s two of them.

    Seyari squeezed my hand. ¡°It¡¯s an improvement, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ it is, I just¡­ never mind.¡± I let go of her hand. Go, before she flies too far ahead.¡±

    Already, Shyll¡¯s form was flickering, bending light and blending against the darkening sky. Seyari took off after her, rising from sight until she was just a red smudge before passing into a cloud.

    I looked from her over to the wall. Atop it, I recognized my sister, Nelys, and Taava, all waving. They¡¯re okay. I knew Nelys was, and I had a hunch Joisse was too¡ªprobably off tending to the wounded. But seeing my sister and Taava¡­ I was crying before I reached the wall.

    Without words, we pulled into a hug, and I trapped them all with my tail until Taava yelled for mercy.

 Chapter 211: Suffusive Warmth

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± It was the first thing I¡¯d said coming out of that hug, standing on the wall. Below, in the courtyard, anxious faces watched me with looks that ranged from relief to resentment. Nelys gave me a wave and a half smile, then bounded off to join them, and Taava moved further up the rubble toward the top of the wall. Leaving me alone with my sister.

    Words I wanted to say bounced around my head but couldn¡¯t find a way out. The Church is retreating! We killed Mordwell! That mattered to me, but to the tired faces below, they just wanted to be free of the nightmare I¡¯d dragged them into.

    Worse, Envy doubtless knew I was a bleeding heart. Even if I walked away, let them govern themselves like they¡¯d damn well earned, Astrye would always be involved. Now, potentially with a war. Would King Carvalon be so crass as to request a draft from the ailing region?

    The messes I¡¯d dragged them through unwillingly were nearly as bad as the one good thing I¡¯d done upon my arrival.

    ¡°Zarenna?¡± my sister asked.

    I looked down at her, in severely damaged armor and sporting half-healed wounds. For a moment, the desire to tear apart whatever did that to her rose up, only to fizzle out under the weight of my exhaustion.

    Despite this, there was determination in her eyes¡­ and I recalled suddenly that she shouldn¡¯t be here. She should be in Ardath. That she was here to help just felt right, but she shouldn¡¯t have been here at all.

    Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked over, then down at Taava who was standing up on her toes and wearing a wide grin. ¡°Chin up, boss. Ya did it. I know ya probably need a moment, so d¡¯ya mind if the mayor ¡¯n me handle things?¡±

    I blinked, and thought about it. Thinking was difficult, foggy. Whatever power was building in me really wanted to be used, and I didn¡¯t have nearly the mana to do it. ¡°Sure,¡± I responded eventually, then looked back down at my sister.

    She seemed to guess what I was thinking. ¡°Figured you needed me here. Turns out I was right.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Later. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Not until we see this through.¡± Her smile was soft under hard eyes. She stuck out a hand and I took it. The moment I did, she pulled me into a hug.

    ¡°You look like hell, sis. In a bad way. Go get some rest¡ªwe can take care of this here.¡±

    ¡°But the people¡ª¡±

    Kartania shook her head and pointed. Up on the wall, Brazz stood next to Taava.

    The lupael woman cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted, ¡°They¡¯re mounting a full retreat! We¡¯ve won!¡±

    I didn¡¯t quite hear the rest of her or Taava¡¯s words. Not just because of the cheers that erupted, but because I was lost in my own thoughts.

    ¡°How many did we lose?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kartania replied. ¡°Not many¡ªno more than twenty.¡±

    ¡°Twenty.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    ¡°If I weren¡¯t here, then Envy wouldn¡¯t have targeted this place.¡±

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t here, they¡¯d have all died to Mordwell¡¯s cult.¡± She grabbed one of my hands in hers and shook it.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead now.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    That¡¯s it, huh? Yeah, that¡¯s it. Mordwell was dead, life would move on.

    ¡°Would Astrye have been fine with him still alive?¡± Kartania pushed.

    I thought of the eruption, the colossal reaver, and Envy¡¯s sneak attack. If I had just left the city, would Mordwell have made the same choices? I didn¡¯t know; it was too hard to think right now.

    I covered half my face with a hand and shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Now they don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    I wanted to force my eyes closed and just sleep. ¡°That doesn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°It does,¡± my sister insisted. ¡°The Church may be a twisted, bloated, zealous mess, but there are good people caught up in it, and good tenets even if they¡¯re not followed.¡± She paused, and I felt her squeeze my hand again. ¡°Good people can die for bad reasons, Renna. Such is the price for true freedom from the gods¡¯ meddling.¡±

    ¡°I know that!¡± I tried, but there wasn¡¯t any real venom in my voice.

    ¡°I know. And it makes me wonder what the point of the Church is if Dhias cannot or will not intervene and¡­ sorry. I shouldn¡¯t bring this up now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said without a second thought. ¡°But you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t want to think about gods or churches or responsibilities right now. I just want to sleep.¡±

    She pulled on my arm. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to a bed, then.¡±

    I stumbled after her on unsteady feet, magic still throbbing alongside a mounting headache that thrummed up my horns from base to tip. We weaved through the busy-looking courtyard, under orders shouted in familiar voices. Before we made it inside, I was pretty sure I saw a few flashes of familiar crimson skin. My daughter, Sonia, or both. I might¡¯ve waved. I might¡¯ve just twitched an arm or two and mumbled.

    I didn¡¯t remember falling asleep. But I woke with a start sometime in the middle of the night. Outside, clouds had covered the moon, leaving my and Sey¡¯s room in complete darkness. Which was no problem. My tongue was a bit dry, my mana still depleted, but I wasn¡¯t particularly hungry either.

    Nor was I tired. Down below me, the castle still buzzed with faraway activity. Right now, if I wanted to, I could march down there and help. Maybe let a few humans or lupael sleep who desperately needed it right now.

    Instead, I stared up at the ceiling, at the massive wooden crossbeams that supported the roof, far above the height of flaming arrows and beyond all but the most determined of mages. Did Astrye really need me? Did I have any right to stay here after bringing them so much trouble?

    At the same time, if I just left right now would that be any better? As Marchioness and Wrath both, my voice had quite the reach. Soft power and hard power both to give Astryans a chance to rebuild. Or to stay longer and have Envy sack the city the moment I left, a fearful thought warned. Not to mention I¡¯d soon have to deal with whatever wrath demon this battle spawned, provided they showed up near Astrye. Because I had a deep, gut feeling something was going to come of the deaths of hundreds in such an iconoclastic battle.

    The best solution, of course, would be acting on an honest answer of what the city wanted. After providing everyone with all the information about my nature as the Sovereign of Wrath, my demonic allies, and the threat Envy represented. And Avarice¡ªStyrix¡ªtoo, whatever he was up to of late.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    In my mind, what I would personally want¡ªbesides a cabin somewhere up on the other, milder side of the mountains¡ªwould be to rebuild Astrye and set up self-governance for the region. With its isolation, Edath¡¯s continued rule over it made no sense.

    I rolled into my side so I could watch out the window. One arm on the bed-facing side I stuck under the pillow, the other I held up in front of me, looking outside from between my claws. What would have been pure darkness to a human was to me a swirling mass of mist and clouds. As much as I wanted Seyari to come barreling through it at any moment, she¡¯d be gone for at least the next day.

    My tail thumped the bed behind me, and I realized I was still wearing the conjured clothes I¡¯d given myself. Thinking of a nightgown was easy enough, but making it with magic was more difficult. Did I really have to burn one to understand what was essentially a soft cotton tube with some frills?

    It probably took half an hour to work one out, but I snuggled in deeper when I did. None of the other options would have four sleeves or cover my tail all the way down to the tip or have the little horn caps that didn¡¯t do anything and I would absolutely never let anyone but Seyari see.

    I pulled the blankets back over myself, all the way up to the shoulders, got the bed warm, and settled in to think until the dawn rose. Not just about the future of Astrye and my future, but about the other obligations I had and all the little things I¡¯d need to do to make sure they were seen to.

    The top of the list was getting Nelys home. Then seeing about helping Lilly and Aretan in Navanaea. Of course, I¡¯d be assisting Sonia and Inva and Paula with their project here the whole way through, too. And then I¡¯d need to make sure Joisse was comfortable enough with her friends to tell them what she was, unless she already had. Sey and I would try to make friends with their parents, even if that probably wasn¡¯t going to happen with the difference in social and¡­ mortal status. We¡¯d cook for get-togethers and I¡¯d heat up the fields for more varieties of crops and¡­

    Flesh parted under my axe¡¯s blade, blood spraying as I whirled on the next target.

    The memory of just a scant few hours ago only intruded for just a moment, but it was enough to spoil the mood. I huddled lower into the blankets and pulled my knees a little closer. My lower arms reached for my tail and pulled it across me like another blanket, playing with the spade-like tip through the conjured nightgown¡¯s fabric.

    I¡¯d made my choice, even for lack of an alternative. The castle held, most survived, and any who fought would have similar memories to contend with. But they probably didn¡¯t have to sort through the pulse of adrenaline, the scent of cinders and the thrill of battle that came with. For all my mind recoiled, some baser part of my nature reveled in slaughter. Wanted to wade in the blood of my enemies and lay waste to the land.

    Intrusive thoughts, nothing more.

    Not that knowing this helped. I will protect, not destroy. Outside, the clouds didn¡¯t acknowledge my silent declaration, and the still of night seemed to soak up my words. Fatigue crept in at the corners of my vision, darkening in a way shadows couldn¡¯t. There was no Envy hiding amongst them, no army of pitiable zealots. Just a promise of sleep and a little time to mend.

    Astrye would rebuild and grow, and if they¡¯d have me I¡¯d help. Call the place home someday too. Build that cottage and put some distance between me and the awful memories while holding the better ones close. More mana drained from me than I¡¯d expect to keep the bed warm against the nighttime chill, and I closed my eyes to a faint crimson hue growing against the rolling clouds.

    ***

    Kartania couldn¡¯t sleep. And she wasn¡¯t alone; Nelys, Taava, and Sonia were up with her, secreted away in a back room, far from the people slumbering in tents and bedrolls in the main halls. Inva, Sonia¡¯s paladin friend-who-was-definitely-more-than-a-friend had drifted off first, sleeping fitfully in Sonia¡¯s lap while the demon-blooded priestess stroked her hair. Their third, Paula, had gone off to bed with a blatantly false declaration that she was alright, but wouldn¡¯t be persuaded otherwise. Sleep was good, after all.

    Amongst a childlike fort of empty barrels and crates, they¡¯d been playing cards. Or trying to, at least. It¡¯d probably been a few hours and the second hand was only winding down. Kartania¡¯s shoulder still burned and ached where she¡¯d been hit. Just knowing how many more hits her sister had suffered, and the death she¡¯d been forced to inflict back made it hard to not go running to her. Moreso that she was alone without her partner tonight. But she needed space at the same time, just like how Kartania needed company.

    And to not think about her faith.

    Nelys dealt the next card and Kartania didn¡¯t bother to look down at her own. Even with a faraway stare, she couldn¡¯t quite tell how the demonic cecaelia was cheating. But she was, if Taava¡¯s halfhearted hiss was any indication.

    ¡°Fine, take it,¡± the kazzel said with a yawn, leaning back against a crate and closing her eyes.

    ¡°Kartania?¡± Nelys asked.

    ¡°Hm?¡± She looked first at Sonia. The young woman¡¯s cards were folded already, and her eyes were stuck fast on the slow rise and fall of Inva¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m out,¡± Kartania said, shivering as she pulled the blanket tighter around her. Somewhere else, Gareth and Joisse were still up healing people through the night. The latter was probably watching the wall or patrolling, just in case. They were probably cold too.

    Nelys frowned and stared at the cards in the center. ¡°I think I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°With cards?¡± Kartania asked.

    They nodded, but their eyes were far away. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m gonna tell Renna soon I think. Just¡­ need to go home, need to make sure what I need to say doesn¡¯t get left unsaid. Don¡¯t want to be too late.¡±

    Oh. ¡°What¡¯s your home like?¡±

    ¡°Warm,¡± they chuckled, pulling their own blanket tighter.

    For a while, the two of them just stared down at the cards in silence. Sonia slumped over onto Inva, and soon Taava¡¯s light snoring joined the couple¡¯s calm breathing. Nelys flipped their hand to show nothing more than a bluff.

    ¡°It¡¯s small,¡± they whispered. ¡°Not literally, there¡¯s an entire¡­ kingdom I suppose would be the right word. Queendom, maybe. And the ocean is huge, even the shallow stretches between islands where the light is bright and there are plenty of colorful fish.

    ¡°But it¡¯s still small. Dunno the right words. Just, not big. There¡¯s us, and then¡­ nothing¡ªno people anyway. At least so far as I knew. But I grew up there, my family¡¯s there. I wanted to see the world and now I have.¡±

    Kartania got the feeling there was more to the story when they paused unexpectedly. But she didn¡¯t pry.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait until this war¡¯s done,¡± Nelys continued with a strained voice. ¡°Maybe this spring, maybe tomorrow¡ªI don¡¯t know. Renna will understand, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± Kartania looked up from the cards into wet black eyes. ¡°She¡¯ll fly you there too, I¡¯d bet.¡±

    ¡°What if Astrye gets attacked again?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll have me. They will also have Seyari, Joisse, Gareth, and a few other demons and perfectly capable humans and lupael besides.¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Not tomorrow. Too soon. But soon I¡¯ll ask¡ªI¡¯m not scared.¡±

    Kartania wanted to pull them into a hug, but she hesitated. She wasn¡¯t her sister; she wasn¡¯t someone people would turn to for comfort. But the sight of Nelys crying softly into their blanket tipped her over the edge. She scooted across the frigid floor, scattering cards, and pulled Nelys into her blanket with her. For a long time she just held her friend, until they dozed off, and until the room seemed to warm with a familiar, comforting magic. Finally, dreaming of an unburned life with a sister who was truly herself, Kartania drifted off to sleep.

    ***

    ¡°Sister, you should sleep.¡±

    Razz looked up from the stack of papers in front of her. Her younger sister still stood by the room¡¯s only door, but her eyes were cast down into the glowing coals of the fireplace. Her horns gleamed.

    Has she polished them? No¡ªwhat am I thinking?

    ¡°I just need to finish this.¡± Razz¡¯s throat felt like ash, and her tongue was dry like sandpaper.

    Brynna¡¯s eyes snapped over to her, familiar and comforting. ¡°You can finish it in the morning.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t sleep, will you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t need it tonight.¡±

    ¡°Liar.¡±

    Brynna huffed. ¡°Someone must protect the Mayor of Astrye.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust that they cleared the castle, do you? Or that the prisoners are secure.¡±

    That Brynna looked away said it all.

    Razz sighed and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk then, clear my head.¡± She hastily covered the paper she¡¯d been idly doodling on with another, completed missive. Truthfully, she hadn¡¯t been able to focus the past few hours. Or sleep.

    The attack from Envy was worse, more destruction and more deaths. But this¡­ their attackers hadn¡¯t been reviled foes of humanity. They¡¯d been supposed allies. Already, more than a few were questioning their decision to throw their lot in with a demon.

    Even if she did save them.

    And it was getting harder and harder to argue against that sentiment given how obvious it was that the worst could, and probably would keep happening. She knew Renna would want to step down, but she also knew that it wouldn¡¯t save them. They needed a sign, some kind of assurance.

    And they needed it fast.

    ¡°You¡¯re staring at the door,¡± Brynna said.

    ¡°Thinking.¡±

    ¡°What about the walk?¡±

    Is that a smirk? Razz took a step, the floor feeling wobbly under her. ¡°Working on it.¡±

    She stumbled and her younger sister caught her. She¡¯s gotten so strong, and not from any contract.

    ¡°Where to?¡± Brynna asked, opening the door.

    Razz shivered at the cold wind that came in, then looked back at the battered desk strewn with half-completed work. Paper would be needed soon, too, wouldn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­¡± She braced herself as they stepped into the hallway, Brynna first. Instead of cold air, a surge of warmth greeted them, familiar like the glow of a growing fire, and Razz yawned, shaking off the chill with a full-body shiver. ¡°Let¡¯s go find a place to sleep, actually.¡±

    Brynna smiled and helped her exhausted older sister down the hallway.

 Chapter 212: Merchant or Martyr

    Myrna¡¯s hands felt like ice, even through her gloves. Despite that, the road was clear under the recent snowfall, horses puffing through knee-high drifts while the carriage glided through behind them. Overhead, the early morning sun was creeping its warmth down the hill above her.

    Another hour, and she¡¯d probably stop shivering. So long as one of the few clouds up above didn¡¯t get in the way. Beside her, Phol was faring little better, rubbing gloved hands desperately together like it might do something.

    ¡°W-wish we could ride inside,¡± he groused.

    ¡°Me too. It says a damn good lot about nobles how their drivers get to freeze while they lounge in comfort. Not that it¡¯d be a lot warmer in there right now.¡±

    A sudden gust up the valley made both of them shiver. But there¡¯d be no wind inside, neither of them felt like saying.

    ¡°Why¡¯re we taking food in such a nice carriage anyway? Two wagons¡¯d be better than one and this carriage. Can¡¯t even sit inside.¡±

    ¡°I wondered that, too. Probably the same reason this job paid so well¡ªhigh s-stakes. N-no one¡¯s gonna knock over a noble¡¯s carriage if they know what¡¯s good for ¡®em. Not worth the risk. Or maybe,¡± Myrna took a breath to calm her chattering teeth, ¡°there¡¯s no one but us stupid enough to go to Astrye or whatever this place is called in winter. I didn¡¯t even know anyone lived on the other side of these mountains.¡±

    Phol was silent for a minute. ¡°You think this might be a trap?¡±

    Myrna shook her head. ¡°It makes no sense if it is. We got to look through the cargo, and we picked this up at the duchess¡¯s estate for Dhias¡¯s sake. But there¡¯s definitely something else going on here.¡±

    ¡°I think the Gelles Company¡¯s up to something.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think they tapped us for this just because we¡¯re the best, cheapest duo in the business?¡± Myrna flashed her partner a smile, knowing it¡¯d be lost under her ice-encrusted scarf.

    Phol rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s just get there and get some hot food before some enterprising bandits decide that a fancy-looking carriage is worth it.¡±

    ¡°Any bandits up here¡¯d be dead by cold. We haven¡¯t seen a soul on this pass.¡±

    ¡°Except the f-footprints. Looked like an army marched through.¡±

    Myrna frowned. ¡°Probably just the crew who cleared this pass. Did a damn good job too¡ªno ice under this snow.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. P-probably.¡± Phol chuckled, then sucked in a breath. ¡°Damn cold. This¡¯d better be worth it.¡±

    ¡°It will be. Can¡¯t get any crazier than the last trip south, right?¡±

    Phol looked over at Myrna. ¡°You think she¡¯s got anything to do with this? Apparently she was back in Gedon right before we got into town.¡±

    ¡°D-damn,¡± Myrna swore, before forcing a smile. ¡°She might. Least it¡¯ll be warm when we get there if she does.¡±

    The pair chatted for a little while longer before falling into quietude as the morning sun¡¯s warmth finally fell over them. Their peace didn¡¯t last long, however, as around the next bend, and over the crest of a rise, they saw nothing less than a small army marching toward them.

    Immediately, Myrna could see Church vestments behind a hodgepodge of either mercenaries or militia that were carrying flags of the Duchy of Norgath.

    ¡°Plan?¡± Phol asked, glancing back at the fancy carriage.

    Myrna took a deep breath to steady her voice. A stutter could mean everything here. ¡°Play it straight. We¡¯re just delivering aid, and there was a battle, people are gonna need it.¡±

    Phol nodded, and mouthed, ¡°Demon?¡±

    Myrna shook her head, then forced a smirk. ¡°No idea. But what kinda merchants would we be if we abandoned a delivery?¡± She turned back to the approaching forces, and pulled the carriage and wagon to the roadside.

    Deep snow made the path narrow, but whoever had cleared the pass had also kept a few turnouts. In fact, the army ahead of them might¡¯ve done it. They were certainly the source of all the footprints the pair had seen so far.

    ¡°Hail!¡± Myrna shouted.

    She received a reply back, and two runners moved ahead of the army to meet them: one from the Church, and the other the duke¡¯s forces.

    ¡°By the order of the Duke of Norgath and Marquess of Astrye, Ludwig Reynard, you and your passenger must retreat from Astrye. A demon is unlawfully occupying the territory ahead.¡±

    Well, shit. That complicates things. Play it cool, Myrna.

    ¡°Passenger?¡± Myrna tilted her head toward Phol. ¡°You mean him or the carriage? There¡¯s no one in there unless you count potatoes, dried meat, wheat, and winter vegetables.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to inspect it then, ma¡¯am. If you¡¯re carrying supplies, my apologies, but the duke¡¯s army requires them. We¡¯ll ensure you¡¯re fairly compensated.¡± A few armed people from the militia-looking group moved forward, weapons not drawn yet, but hands hovering near.

    Yeah, right, like they need all this. Bastards.

    Myrna watched them, glad that Phol¡¯s hand stayed well clear of his own weapon. Any fight here wouldn¡¯t end well, and they were far, far away from where the duchess¡¯s authority could help them. ¡°Go ahead and look, but if this convoy doesn¡¯t reach its destination, Duchess Arina Kapel of Gedon won¡¯t be pleased.¡±

    She hated to mention the duchess; it would only hurt them right now. But if the crest was recognized, she could get in even more trouble if she wasn¡¯t careful.

    The approaching militiamen looked again at the carriage, and she knew they must know the duchess¡¯s family crest. Unfortunately, Myrna also knew that Duke Ludwig Reynard hated the duchess and would want his cronies to take any chance they could to hurt her.

    So she looked to the Church representative. He was young, clean-faced, and his eyes were wide and far away. Plus, the Church behind him outnumbered the militia by probably 50%. Not to mention they doubtless had mages amongst them.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°What happened in Astrye?¡± Myrna asked the Church¡¯s runner as the bulk of the armies drew closer, marching with a steady trudging of feet. ¡°Duchess Kapel is sending aid to the region¡ªwas the demon the cause?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to guess the demon was Zarenna, even if it meant she¡¯d picked up the ability to fly. She matched the description of the demon seen in Gedon recently. Plus, this whole mess seemed like something her altruism would cause.

    The scout looked past Myrna, over her shoulder, seemingly lost in thought. Behind, the militiamen had wrenched open the carriage door and were moving inside. Right now, the best hope for both Myrna and Phol was to let them take everything, then see about being left to either walk toward Astrye or back down the pass toward Linthel.

    But there was a slim chance the Church would intervene. Legally, they couldn¡¯t here in Edath, but Myrna knew damn well that legally only meant something when the right eyes were looking. And unless Dhias was watching from up above the clouds, no one else was here.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Myrna prodded.

    The Church acolyte started, then composed himself. ¡°My apologies, miss. What did you ask again?¡±

    Back in the carriage, the first crates of food were being carried out. Shit. ¡°What happened in Astrye? We¡¯re here to deliver aid to the region on behalf of the Duchess. Something about a severe food shortage and impending starvation.¡± Sell it, come on sell it!

    ¡°Food¡­ oh. Astrye. Yes, there¡¯s a demon who¡¯s taken the city and has tricked the populace into following it. We fought the demon and its allies, but we were not successful in slaying it. Please, miss, you must turn back. It isn¡¯t safe ahead.¡±

    ¡°But the people there,¡± Myrna pitched her voice a little louder, hoping someone more aware amongst the approaching Church forces would hear her. ¡°Is it right for the people of Astrye to starve? Do you know of their food supplies?¡±

    The acolyte runner shook his head. Myrna shivered as something seemed to wash over her.

    ¡°She¡¯s not corrupted,¡± a gruff voice said, approaching from the column. The man was battered, his tabard singed, but he looked up at her on the driver¡¯s seat with clear eyes. ¡°You should turn back, lass. Or you¡¯ll end up the demon¡¯s thrall too.¡±

    Play to sympathy. ¡°Then should we leave them to starve?¡± Beg the question; their food¡¯s got to be running low, he can make that connection.

    The man was probably a paladin if the gleaming armor under the singed tabard was any indication. And he looked at the looting mercenaries with disdain, brow digging a deepening furrow across his forehead. And when he took a longer look at the carriage and the heavily laden wagon behind it, a scowl darkened his face.

    ¡°Leave the rest!¡± he barked. ¡°I know of the duchess, and she¡¯s a good soul, damnit. This is her carriage, and this is her charity.¡±

    Someone from the duke¡¯s forces spoke up. ¡°So you¡¯d aid the demon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d aid the people suffering.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ¡¯cause staying alive under a demon¡¯s thrall for longer is better, aye?¡±

    ¡°Because hope¡±¡ªthe paladin took a menacing step forward¡ª¡°never dies. Now stand down. Take only what you and your poor planning need to make it back across the pass and leave the rest. If this merchant wants to sacrifice herself to give the people of this land a fighting chance until we can get Berethiel himself here to cleanse the demon¡¯s blight, she should be commended, not halted.¡±

    ¡°So you think she¡¯ll make it?¡±

    ¡°The demon¡¯s using false kindness, it won¡¯t kill its thralls just yet.¡±

    Myrna watched the two face off, a half dozen crates and bags of their precious cargo piled haphazardly on the road. She dared a glance at Phol. The young man looked resigned at first glance, but his eyes gleamed.

    In the end, perhaps miraculously, the two of them and the vast majority of their cargo were let go, and the haggard armies passed by. The paladin from earlier, and a cadre of acolytes, escorted them throughout the day, only turning back at dawn. They didn¡¯t speak much, and their presence was stifling.

    They could probably confirm all the conjecture Myrna had used to convince herself not to turn around and run away. But if she asked, there was a high chance they could turn on her. So she and Phol kept quiet, lending credence by pure accident to the paladin¡¯s self-made narrative that they were marching toward martyrdom.

    He even took their names, to ¡°ensure that their sacrifice, should it be one¡± was not forgotten. Blessedly, they left the next morning, and Myrna wanted to scream the moment they were out of earshot.

    Instead she yelped when a weight settled next to her on the driver¡¯s bench. Phol was inside the carriage, riding with the cargo in the space that¡¯d been made by the militia¡¯s theft.

    ¡°I thought they¡¯d never leave!¡± a high-pitched voice chirped from right over Myrna¡¯s shoulder.

    She whirled, and when she turned back, she jumped at the sight of a small lupael girl in a maid¡¯s outfit sitting next to her. Her blue eyes glittered, and she was kicking her stockinged legs casually.

    ¡°Boss!¡± Phol shouted, wrenching open the carriage¡¯s front window. ¡°What¡ªthe hell?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Shyll!¡± the strange lupael chirped. ¡°Marchioness Zarenna¡¯s maid.¡±

    ¡°She has a maid now?¡± Myrna asked while Phol kept his hand on the hilt of his sword while hanging halfway through the window.

    ¡°So you know her then?¡±

    ¡°Zarenna Miller, right?¡±

    The lupael rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah because that surname ever narrows things down. What¡¯s she look like?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Myrna held back the urge to slap the infuriating maid; something told her that would be a very bad idea. ¡°Tall, really tall. Red, four arms, bad puns. Naive. Ring a bell?¡±

    ¡°Ding ding! Yep, that¡¯s the one. So how¡¯d you meet?¡±

    ¡°She and her friends traveled with us as guards on a trip from Lockmoth to Gedon.¡±

    ¡°Huh, maybe she mentioned you. I didn¡¯t really pay attention. Anyway, I couldn¡¯t get close enough to hear everything, but it looks like you¡¯ve got food in that fancy carriage?¡±

    Close enough how? Ah shit, she¡¯s probably a demon. ¡°...Yes.¡±

    ¡°Great! They need it something bad I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard?¡± Definitely a demon. Myrna shot Phol a look and shook her head. He pulled himself back into the carriage, eyeing Shyll through the still-open window.

    The maid blew him a kiss and shrugged. ¡°I guess that means someone ought to escort you. Oh, wait! You¡¯re that aid caravan the boss mentioned, right?¡±

    The boss¡­ all Myrna could think of was that kazzel friend of Zarenna¡¯s, but the accent was all wrong.

    ¡°From Duchess Arina?¡± Myrna ventured.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably it!¡± Shyll stood up in a flash on the driver¡¯s bench, cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted up into the clouds ¡°Hey angel wings!¡±

    Angel wings?

    Myrna looked up and watched as what looked like a large bird descended from the high-floating clouds. Except it grew far larger, and far redder. Soon, Myrna could make out silver hair and a human-looking body in the middle of a pair of immense, crimson-feathered wings.

    The angel-looking woman landed in front of the caravan. A ways ahead and to the side so the horses didn¡¯t startle. Immediately, Myrna recognized her.

    ¡°Seyari?¡± she asked.

    The angel-looking figure jogged toward her, and Myrna noticed sharp black nails on her hand when she waved. And when she spoke, her teeth were more than a little sharp. ¡°Myrna? Wait, are you delivering the duchess¡¯s aid?¡±

    Myrna nodded. ¡°What happened to you?¡±

    Seyari laughed. ¡°Oh this is perfect! I was wondering who it was who could talk their way through those assholes! I almost dove down when I saw them taking boxes out; glad I didn¡¯t. As for my wings¡­¡± She flared them proudly, like a preening bird. ¡°I got them back when I married Zarenna.¡±

    ¡°You married¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can escort these two, right?¡± Shyll butted in.

    Seyari growled at her, but smiled anyway. ¡°Yes. Now go catch up to the army.¡±

    Shyll stuck her tongue out. ¡°Fine!¡±

    Myrna blinked and the lupael disappeared.

    Seyari waved a hand as she walked closer. ¡°She¡¯s a lust demon. Capricious bitch if you ask either of us, but it¡¯s not a compliment coming from me. Anyway, she¡¯s trustworthy enough¡ªsomehow. And she mentioned two of you. Does that mean your guard, Phil, is in there?¡±

    ¡°Phol,¡± Myrna corrected.

    Seyari hopped up onto the driver¡¯s bench next to Myrna and she was suddenly surrounded by red feathers and warm air. ¡°Phol, right. Sorry¡ªanyway, we should catch up.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Myrna stared at the reins in her hands, watching her fingers unclench as all the tension from her uncertainty melted away. ¡°But I want to hear what happened first¡ªarmies and all that. And what¡¯s got you in such a good mood.¡± It¡¯s Zarenna in the south. I¡¯m safe.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Seyari laughed, showing even more uncannily sharp teeth. They weren¡¯t like Zarenna¡¯s, but they also weren¡¯t human. ¡°Same reason for both. I feel a little bad for it since I know Renna hates killing, we lost some people, and I shouldn¡¯t enjoy fighting, but damn. We killed Mordwell and sent the Church packing, so I can¡¯t think about anything else.¡±

    Myrna let out a long sigh of relief and looked up into the clouds. ¡°We¡¯ve got time; I can hear it all if you want to talk.¡±

    Seyari kept smiling and started talking. As the carriage trundled onward toward Astrye, Myrna felt the edge of winter¡¯s chill dull and disappear.

 Chapter 213: Demesne

    Warm. I woke slowly, basking in the sensation. Rolling from my side to my front, I pushed up with my lower pair of arms and stretched out, feeling my somehow-not-sore muscles. Top arms, bottom arms, legs, tail. And I capped it off with a tongue-stretching yawn, flicking the tip before slumping back onto the bed, boobs pushed into soft sheets.

    Unfortunately, despite the heaviest sleep I¡¯d had in quite a while, the grogginess didn¡¯t last and my demonic constitution brought me to full alertness in disappointingly short order. I was alone in bed, which meant Sey was either still following or had run into trouble.

    Outside, it already looked like midday, and I silently thanked whoever had let me sleep in. It was only when I got up that I noticed the pile of blankets on the floor. My summoned nightgown was apparently plenty warm on its own. Either that, or I¡¯d heated the room in my sleep. My mana was still recovering, which was a little odd, but that could perhaps be the reason why.

    Yawning more for the performance than any real need, I walked out onto the balcony. Instead of a viciously cold wind, I was met with merely a stiff breeze. Probably colder than freezing, but not by too much. On a day with so few clouds, I¡¯d expect a lower temperature.

    One look down, and the memories of yesterday¡¯s battle came rushing back. I leaned against the railing on two elbows, holding my head in my other hands. Behind me, my nightgown-covered tail wrapped tightly around one leg.

    Below, the once-pristine field was a mess of mud. With my vision, I wasn¡¯t spared the details, either. Broken bits of armor, streaks of blood and viscera. Crows gathered in clusters around pieces of human meat that had been missed. A few figures were walking methodically through the mess, cart full of metal bits trundling behind them.

    Further out, the pass wound up the hill before turning away to the south, to my right, and out of sight. The mud continued up it, churned up by the passing of two armies, in, and out. Such an awful battle, and it was if anything just a prelude to the slaughter Envy would doubtless try to visit upon far more than Astrye. And the Church¡¯s own bloodstained hands would intervene, so certain they were of their own dogma. Not just them, but Duke Ludwig of Norgath and who knows who else.

    I had a sudden urge to feel harsher wind, to stand atop the mountain behind the castle and observe all the March of Astrye. The peak was easy to picture, clearer than I remembered. I blinked, and I was there, flames retreating from the edges of my vision.

    My feet and claws sank into rough, icy snow, and I would have toppled over had my reflexes been human. Instead, I dug in and steadied myself with two hands on a nearby rock. One glance over, and I saw the rock wasn¡¯t just any spur of old stone, but the peak of the mountain.

    And I was somehow atop it, looking down at my castle. Still in my nightgown with its fluffy horn-toppers and fully-enclosed tail pocket.

    Eyes carefully open this time, I thought of my and Sey¡¯s balcony. Flames swirled around me for a fraction of a second, and this time I could feel that I moved through something. Something warm and definitely quite magical. The flames retreated into a familiar view and I was back, leaning on the old stone railing, which was still warm from moments ago.

    When I¡¯d moved, it wasn¡¯t like conjuring fire or wind. It wasn¡¯t like my human transformation or the clothing and weapon I¡¯d recently learned to make. This felt like my magic, but from the outside.

    And the moment I thought of it, I felt the connection. Like thinking about breathing. My instincts told me what this feeling was, this magic of mine that existed outside my body, and I¡¯d felt two similar places before: a demesne.

    My demesne.

    A shudder ran down my body from horn tips to tail tip. I thought back to Lilly¡¯s methods of keeping people out, to Utraxia¡¯s spread-out awareness. We needed trade, and I needed to make sure the people of Astrye, who deserved someone better fit, less dangerous, and more representative than me, wouldn¡¯t have their lives controlled.

    I looked down at a chimney with smoke coiling and tried to see inside. I felt nothing, and I managed to stop myself just a moment before I¡¯d have appeared on their rooftop. At the same time, I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn¡¯t know the inside. Didn¡¯t have any idea what was going on.

    So instead, I thought of the castle. Nothing, at first. Then faint auras started to appear. The longer I focused, the further from me the sensation spread and the weaker the auras it picked up. I stopped when it reached the city, and swallowed.

    Envy would doubtless be able to hide their aura. Right?

    When I tried to feel for Seyari in the direction of the pass, I hit a wall. Feeling along it with my senses, eyes closed and body still leaning on the railing, I moved around the march. My demesne didn¡¯t cover all of it. But it covered where people lived and far beyond that besides.

    When I opened my eyes again, aura sight showed me a faint crimson tinge to the very air. Is that why it¡¯s warmer?

    Somewhere below me, I felt a spike of anger. And the merest thought of following it lit up the entire demesne. Too many!

    I slumped to my knees, cradling my head, trying to remember what I was thinking about and why I shouldn¡¯t just punch the top floor of the castle up over the mountain. I sucked a breath in, grasping the anger, all of it. Then I exhaled and loosened my mental fingers.

    One at a time, until all twenty came undone and the wrath of the people of my demesne resumed its flow. Flow was probably the wrong word¡ªit wasn¡¯t a river. It was like scattered rain on a partly cloudy day.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    And I was in control of the clouds. Bad metaphor, but the weather analogy helped me think while I was staring up at the real clouds. I could feel all the anger, all the wrath, in my demesne. That was something I was pretty sure Envy had under their cold facade, and I was almost certain they couldn¡¯t hide it.

    So long as I could learn to tune out the background noise, I could probably identify incoming demons. Wrath demons with absolute certainty, and others only if they were angry¡ªso most of my enemies and probably also most of my friends.

    My demesne felt malleable, and like something barely grown. Right now I was certain I could only move through my flames within the demesne, and I doubted my influence would significantly cripple Envy. With time, I could do so much more. But it would hardly be fair to the people living here.

    At least for now, it was a way to make Astrye a little safer for everyone if I used it well. Figuring out what else I could do was clearly important, but I didn¡¯t doubt I had much work waiting for me. With a snap of my fingers¡ªwholly unnecessary but also very necessary¡ªI donned some comfortable clothing.

    I almost¡­ teleported? Teleported. I almost teleported downstairs, but I walked like a normal person instead. The castle was still probably full of citizens and to do so would invite some colossally embarrassing situation.

    ***

    I felt the incredibly familiar sensation of Seyari¡¯s anger just a few hours later, close to sunset. I looked up from checking over a timber proposal at Taava who was lounging across from the desk.

    ¡°Need somethin¡¯?¡± she asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°Sey¡¯s close to home. Would you mind finishing the addition here?¡±

    ¡°Ya think I know math?¡±

    ¡°Taava, half of this is your work. And it¡¯s right.¡±

    She snorted and stood up with an exaggerated stretch. ¡°Darn right it is.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± I leaned over the desk to hand her the paper, failing to stifle a fanged smirk. The moment her fingers brushed it, I disappeared in a swirl of flames.

    This time, I didn¡¯t appear instantly. Moving along with the wind and heat, my presence in my demesne could vaguely sense Seyari on some sort of moving bench. Thinking was quite difficult like this, so without hesitation, I coalesced next to my wife in a gout of crimson hellfire.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± someone shouted, and the bench jerked along with the whinny of several horses.

    I managed to get my transformation in place, but not before the vehicle we were on jerked to one side, throwing Sey on top of me and tossing the poor driver off into the snow.

    In an instant, Sey had a blade at my throat. In another instant, she was clambering off me, swearing like a pirate. ¡°Renna! Fuck! What¡ªhow?¡±

    Instead of waiting for my answer, my wife took one look at the road ahead, then dove off after the driver. By the time she got back with a shaken, spluttering woman in heavy traveling clothes, the door to what was apparently a fancy carriage had burst open and a young man tried to stick a sword in me.

    His thrust had good power behind it, and I had to catch him by the shoulder to keep him from also tumbling off when the blade glanced off my clothes. Meanwhile, Seyari and the woman were shouting and pulling the reins, and I caught a glimpse of steep hillside before the whole thing got under control again and the horses calmed down. The entire time, Seyari¡¯s right wing was hitting me upside the head.

    With four of us on a pile on the bench, she was the first to speak.

    ¡°Renna?¡±

    I gulped. ¡°Sorry!¡±

    She put up a hand. ¡°Not now. Later. What on Varra did you do?¡±

    ¡°Teleported across my demesne.¡±

    She stared at me for a moment, and the two humans did too. With a better look, I recognized them.

    ¡°Myrna! Phol! Fancy seeing you¡ª¡±

    ¡°You have a demesne now?¡± Seyari asked. ¡°Like Lillith¡¯s or Utraxia¡¯s?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Weaker, but yes.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to test it, but first.¡± She grabbed my hand, then hit me across the face with my own hand. ¡°Don¡¯t drop on top of a moving cart! You¡¯ll spook the horses and send our whole damn city¡¯s food down into a ravine! When I showed up, I landed and walked over!¡±

    She¡¯s right. I nodded. ¡°I understand. Sorry again, to all of you. Figured I¡¯d make an entrance, but maybe I should¡¯ve thought it through a little more.¡±

    Myrna sighed and took the reins from Sey. ¡°Demesne? Do I even want to know?¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± She glanced over at me. ¡°Your wife¡ªcongratulations on that by the way¡ªwas telling me about all the shit you¡¯re mixed up in now that I¡¯m also mixed up in now. You¡¯re paying me extra for unforeseen hazards.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the duchess pay you?¡±

    ¡°Not for this shit.¡±

    ¡°Point taken. We¡¯ll arrange something.¡± I thought back to the work I was doing just before leaving. ¡°We have timber you could take back?¡± One look behind confirmed two vehicles: one fancy carriage with Duchess Arina¡¯s family crest, and another large, plain covered wagon.

    ¡°Make it free and it¡¯s a deal.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°I want it processed. No root balls, no branches. Bark¡¯s okay if it¡¯s on. Only good trees, nothing bug-eaten.¡±

    My smile deflated. More work than just a quick rampage through some far-off forest. We rode in silence until Phol spoke up.

    ¡°Sorry for stabbing you.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Don¡¯t be. Good, quick reflexes. You should get a magic blade though.¡±

    ¡°It is!¡± he protested.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Am I stronger in my demesne? Unfortunately, the look Seyari was giving me meant that I¡¯d be finding out the answer to that particular question the extremely violent way. ¡°I should probably get back to work.¡±

    ¡°Renna?¡±

    I paused. ¡°Yes, Sey?¡±

    ¡°Duke Ludwig of Norgath has apparently claimed Astrye as his own as you are a demon and therefore ¡®unfit to rule.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Hopefully King Carvalon can clear that up?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bet on it.¡±

    ¡°Should we be hearing this?¡± Myrna asked. ¡°Because I think I¡¯d rather not hear this.¡±

    Stuck between me and Sey, Phol looked up at me and I realized I¡¯d never let go of his shoulder. The moment I did, he retreated inside the carriage and closed the small door¡ªprobably a window, actually¡ªwith a thud.

    Sey watched the bodyguard go and rolled her eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, trust me. Also, Renna, Myrna mentioned the Church might send my father.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat, in a bad way. ¡°Can they even do that?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it happen, but with the inquisition out of commission, they could.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, your father? Are you saying Berethiel, the angel, is your father?¡± Myrna cut in. When Sey glared at her, she held her chin up. ¡°Look, if you¡¯re gonna talk about this right next to me, I¡¯m going to ask questions.¡±

    Seyari huffed, but answered. ¡°I was three-quarters angel, half from my bastard, good-for-nothing, egocentric prick of a father, and a quarter from my half-angel mom.¡±

    ¡°Was?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a full angel of wrath now.¡±

    ¡°And what does that mean?¡±

    Seyari shrugged. ¡°Whatever I¡ªand Renna¡ªwant it to mean. I¡¯m the angelic arm of Wrath, you could say.¡±

    Myrna whistled. ¡°That¡¯s some serious blasphemy.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡± Seyari asked, voice faux-sweet.

    Myrna laughed. ¡°I¡¯d be a shit merchant if I did. I¡¯m Navanaean, remember? We¡¯ve got a whole pantheon¡ªbalance and all that. Everyone¡¯s always blaspheming someone else¡¯s god. You imperial fucks are the ones who get stuck on it.¡±

    Seyari wrapped a wing around Myrna¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Great! And Renna?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I can take on an angel, Sey. They¡¯re¡­ that¡¯s¡­ different. You know? Shouldn¡¯t they be¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not. But Myrna¡¯s right, we should talk about this later, okay?¡±

    Next to us, Myrna groaned.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Great. Look forward to when I get home.¡± Sey showed teeth, distinctly not a smile.

    Some part of me was admittedly excited. ¡°I will!¡± With a quick kiss on the cheek before she could react, I disappeared in a puff of flames.

 Chapter 214: Map & Compass

    Back in Astrye, I chipped away at the mountain of work I had to do before Sey, Myrna, and Phol arrived that night. The small smiles we got when we started distributing the food were a cold reminder of what had happened. I had the trust of most of the people here, but I also had their fear. And a not-insignificant amount of anger.

    Explaining the demesne thing to Razz took some time, but she¡¯d get word out. Eventually, we¡¯d mark a border, although folks could probably feel it if they left. I assured her whatever I was doing wouldn¡¯t warm things up too much, or change people like my daughter¡¯s magic.

    Riding under all of it was a persistent undercurrent of fear. And anger. I couldn¡¯t consider this attack by the Church of Dhias as anything other than unprovoked. I didn¡¯t need the meager political education I¡¯d gotten in Linthel to tell that High Priest Grants was sent precisely to ensure that there would be no compromise or quarter.

    Now there was threat of an angel coming here, and not just any angel. Seyari¡¯s absentee father. A being who stood by while his daughter was tricked into murdering innocents in the name of the god he claimed to serve. Ignorant or not, any presence in her life would¡¯ve prevented the awful future that resulted.

    Was it selfish of me that I considered her better off with me than with him? Yes. Was it equally awful that a small, guilty part of me was truly happy to have died as a human that night so I could have a chance at a life I couldn¡¯t have even dreamed of? Obviously.

    And on top of all of this, Duke Ludwig Reynard was stirring up shit. Were I even more naively charitable than before my death, I could consider his actions in response to a perceived threat to the Kingdom of Edath. But I couldn¡¯t.

    He clearly wanted Astrye. Someone with huge influence, wealth, and power wanted this small extra bit of land simply because he presumed he could take it. That, and the possibility of gold in the mountains. Astrye was littered with abandoned mines, and the civil war had taken down what little mining remained. There were half a dozen places we ought to try if there were ever a chance. If I wouldn¡¯t also feel terrible doing it.

    Just more bad feelings on top of anxiety. I need to get some air.

    I could have just teleported outside, but the physical act of getting up and walking was what I really needed. But the moment I opened the door, I ran into Nelys.

    They jumped a little and looked up at me. Were they crying?

    My first thought of ¡°I can¡¯t deal with this¡± was immediately shoved down. For my friends, I would do as needed.

    So instead, I gestured back inside the office with its merrily glowing fire. ¡°Come in.¡±

    Nelys nodded and slipped inside. I closed the door with my tail and walked over to the desk. Sitting behind it felt wrong in the moment, so I plopped down in front of the fire. Nelys joined me, tentacle skirt curling up around their legs as my tail encircled us.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.

    They took a few moments to respond, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. ¡°I want to¡ªI need to go home, Renna.¡±

    My heart clenched, and the apology was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

    They just shook their head. ¡°No, it was my decision to stay. And I¡¯m glad I did. But if I don¡¯t go now I worry that I won¡¯t be able to. Or that it¡¯ll be too late. If Envy, well, you know¡­¡±

    My demesne. My flight speed¡ªNelys wasn¡¯t fragile. I lot of thoughts shoved their way past all at once and it was my turn to stare into the fire for an awkwardly long time. No point in platitudes, or half promises. And there was no way in¡­ whatever plane I ought to curse as a terrestrial demon, that I was about to ask them to undergo the incredible journey that took us here anxious and alone.

    That left the only reasonable response. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±

    ¡°Renna, I can¡¯t ask you¡ª¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t. I volunteered.¡±

    They smiled up at me. ¡°Thanks. So when could we leave. It really needs to be soon.¡±

    ¡°Now. I¡¯ll write a note. If I fly at full speed, I think we could get all the way back to my island in a day or so, and you lived close-ish to there, right?¡±

    They nodded and stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could find it from the sky though.¡±

    ¡°Right. We¡­ could ask some sailors in Port Princely, or maybe the Turquoise Coast?¡±

    Obviously, Captain Torrez of the Lady of Liseu would know, but finding a specific boat on the ocean just wouldn¡¯t work.

    Nelys glanced at the mountain of papers and back at me. ¡°Are you sure about this, Renna?¡±

    Before they could blink, I¡¯d swept them up in a hug. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. You need this, and I¡¯ve already had you stay here selfishly long.¡±

    They struggled for a moment before going limp and hugging me back. ¡°I won¡¯t be gone forever.¡±

    I let them breathe. ¡°I know. Cliche or not, I¡¯ll support you as a friend in whatever you do.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. And I think Liseu would be the best bet. I¡¯ve been there before and I know some of Captain Torrez¡¯s contacts. They could point us the right way.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me. Do you need to pack?¡±

    ¡°I should be fine with just a pack.¡± They squared their shoulders and looked up at me with a determined gaze. ¡°I packed it already to make sure I¡¯d leave! And once I get home, I¡¯ll make sure my family is on your side.¡±

    ¡°Well since I can conjure clothes with my magic, don¡¯t eat, and don¡¯t sleep often, I¡¯m ready too. Give me just a moment to write this note. Are there any goodbyes you want to make on the way out?¡±

    They shook their head. ¡°Taava and Joisse already know. And I¡¯m worried we¡¯ll end up leaving later than today or not at all if we do.¡±

    ¡°Good point. Sneak out then?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t. Leave a note and maybe tell Seyari.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave a note.¡±

    They bit their lip. ¡°She¡¯ll be mad, won¡¯t she.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll understand, probably. Plus, we¡¯ll only be gone for a few days and with my demesne¡ªwhich I am telling you all about on our flight over¡ªI can tell if something is going wrong.¡±

    ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t get back in time.¡±

    I stopped with my hand on the doorhandle. ¡°I think with my demesne and our allies here I might. And if we wait until it¡¯s completely safe, then we¡¯d never leave. Because I think it¡¯s only going to get worse here.¡± I caught their expression darkening. ¡°And you visiting home is of vital importance! If you really do want to help up there or down here, you¡¯ll need to be at your best.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible excuse.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think a better one exists. Come on, I can see this is tearing you up. Let¡¯s get you that family reunion, alright?¡±

    They nodded, and I hated that I suddenly felt like I was forcing them. ¡°What about the note.¡±

    I looked down at the doorhandle. ¡°Right. Give me just one minute.¡±

    ***

    Five or so minutes later, we were off the upper balcony and away into the sky. In addition to the letter, I had to figure out a sort of harness for Nelys. It wouldn¡¯t be comfortable to be held or do the holding for hours. And since I was unfortunately not well-shaped for riding on the back of, that meant an awkward-looking harness attached to my front and facing down at the ground. Made thankfully from my magic.

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    ¡°If this is too awkward,¡± I shouted over the wind as I pushed my speed higher and higher, ¡°we can try something else.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Nelys shouted back.

    I didn¡¯t believe them, but I also wanted to move¡ªat least to the point where I¡¯d lose my bearings if we went faster. My mana wasn¡¯t fully recovered, but what had once been massively draining was now nearly outpaced by my recovery rate.

    Even at risk of being seen, I kept under the clouds. Linthel shot by below us, and I nearly missed the main road winding its way north. The blanket of snow forced me to slow down, but I recognized Gedon and the river next to it.

    From there I kept north, following in only a few hours what had taken around two weeks when last I came through. Eventually, the ocean came into view, Lockmoth at its edge. Twilight was fading, and I realized immediately that we had a huge problem.

    Forget finding Nelys¡¯s home¡ªhow were we going to find Liseu?

    I slowed, then started to circle just south of the city. The only way I could think to take would be a long loop following a path through a forest I seriously doubted I could find through the trees and snow. And that was where there was a path. Beyond that, it¡¯d be mountains and then guesswork to find Baetnal.

    Then more guesswork along the road east to Liseu. All this through an active warzone. Taking a ship to Liseu was out of the question¡ªit¡¯d be slower than flying. In theory, I could just follow the coast west and north, but I didn¡¯t know how long that would take, or the actual shape of the coastline. Nor did I know what Liseu should look like¡ªalthough Nelys probably had a good idea.

    I looked down at my passenger. ¡°We need a map.¡±

    They looked back up at me. ¡°A compass, too¡­ and I wouldn¡¯t mind a chance to stand for a bit.¡±

    I banked to descend, and Nelys shouted. ¡°Human disguise!¡±

    Oh, right. What a bother. Enough people knew of me in the city that it would probably be fine. But descending from the sky with wings of fire probably wouldn¡¯t be helped by also being visibly a demon.

    Changing was as easy as ever, and just as awkwardly constricting. Technically, I¡¯d spent the majority of my life with an amputated tail and two amputated arms and I¡¯d gotten along fine. Couldn¡¯t say how though. How do humans hold open a sack and also put things in or take things out? And how do they balance when they run without just feeling wrong?

    I thought about landing outside the city, trying to walk in without making a scene. And I realized with more than a little amusement that the idea seemed pointless in the face of simply landing where I pleased. So far as I knew, I wasn¡¯t breaking any laws, nor was I hurting a soul.

    Out of pure convenience, I chose the Gelles Company building, though it was more than a little tempting to drop in on Drin and Tren unannounced at what was technically mine and Sey¡¯s house.

    Of course, an unusually tall human landing from magical flight in the middle of the street with a smaller, betentacled human-adjacent person harnessed to the front of her was bound to draw looks. Perhaps it would become a bad habit, but I snapped my fingers when I changed my outfit to a set of comfortable, nondescript traveling clothes. The action just felt right.

    Nelys wobbled for a step, grabbing for a hand that wasn¡¯t there before setting for a fistful of my blouse to steady themselves.

    ¡°You alright?¡± I asked, pointedly ignoring the commotion around us and the people who¡¯d doubtless run off to give Guard Captain Lorton a bad night.

    They took one shaky step, then a steady one. ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s get inside and get out before we have to deal with any paperwork. Firalex will probably have a map we can use¡ªor they¡¯ll know someone who does. Oh, and a compass!¡±

    The two of us walked into the Gelles Company lobby. They insisted they were closed, I insisted they weren¡¯t, and I was soon face-to-face with an irritated-looking Firalex in a small room just down the hall from the lobby. The they sat at was small and rickety, their fiery orange hair was mussed, and their clothes were rumpled. I saw bags under their eyes, and I could taste some long-simmering anger. But we were in a hurry, so I held my tongue to just what needed to be said.

    ¡°Sorry for showing up late and out of nowhere.¡± I took a seat and winced when the chair creaked ominously.

    They looked down at Nelys, then up at me. ¡°I won¡¯t ask about what¡¯s happened there. Good thing?¡±

    ¡°Good thing!¡± Nelys chirped.

    ¡°Great.¡± Firalex sighed. ¡°What do you want, Renna?¡± They sounded exasperated as they slumped back into their chair.

    ¡°A map of the coast from here to Liseu and also a compass.¡±

    They grimaced and massaged their temples. ¡°Compass I can do. Map will be harder.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for the sudden intrusion.¡± I slouched in my chair; it groaned in protest. ¡°If I could have waited for the morning¡ª¡±

    Firalex barked a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s not you, Renna. Well, mostly not you¡ªthis still sucks and I¡¯d rather be catching up on work or sleeping. There¡¯s just been a lot of shit lately.¡±

    ¡°Demons?¡± Nelys asked.

    Firalex nodded. ¡°Not just demons. Folks trying to repeat what Garvin did. Plus, we got the Black Claw tangled up in the smuggling business. We¡¯re not the local guard, but we¡¯ve more or less had our hand forced to deal with this.¡± They hissed through their teeth. ¡°And Rodrick¡¯s not happy about how it¡¯s being handled. But! That¡¯s nothing you need to get involved with.

    ¡°Plus, the Church here¡¯s been cooperating wonderfully ever since Priest Herron had his change of heart.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± I stopped them with a hand. ¡°Change of heart?¡± I remembered the man. Dhias how could I forget him? Called me all my worst nightmares to my face after I¡¯d stopped the demon Garvin had summoned.

    Firalex nodded. ¡°Yeah. Long story short, he had to work with us to take down the rest of Garvin¡¯s gang and this Cavenish demon-blooded girl and one of his own paladins brought him around. Now if only someone could do the same to Rodrick¡­¡±

    I blinked, unsure how to take the news. Could that girl be¡­ Regardless, this was great news! Or it would be if I hadn¡¯t just made myself a permanent enemy of the Church. I felt a pit forming in my stomach¡ªhe¡¯d go right back to how he was, wouldn¡¯t he? It was hard to believe otherwise.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Nelys mumbled. ¡°But we really are in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Firalex nodded. ¡°No point in grousing over a stick in the mud boss who wants everything done his way. I¡¯ll go fetch you the compass and see what I can do about a map. Wait right here.¡±

    True to their word, they came back not two minutes later, holding a rolled-up map and a battered-looking compass. In the brief time the door was open, I heard what sounded like a busy lobby down the hall.

    ¡°The map¡¯s a copy,¡± they said. ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but it should work. And I forgot to ask¡ªwhat brought you all the way back up here? The roads are getting dangerous, and it¡¯s no short trip.¡±

    ¡°We flew.¡± I shrugged, standing up to take the items. Firalex seemed shorter than I remembered. ¡°Long story short for that is that I can use my magic to make wings of flame.¡±

    ¡°You got taller too.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°And a lot stronger. Will you need these back?¡±

    They tilted their head and laughed. ¡°Giving anything to you is pretty much guaranteeing it¡¯ll get burned, shredded, bashed, or all three. Keep them. Map¡¯s a copy and Rodrick can¡¯t risk trying to fire me right now. Compass is a cheap one¡ªrelatively.¡±

    I handed the map and compass to Nelys, who unfurled the map with bright, excited eyes.

    ¡°Thanks, Firalex.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. But if you¡¯re headed back this way, I¡¯d love it if you could stop in and maybe take care of some persistent problems.¡±

    I winced. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have the time.¡±

    I wanted to help a friend, but the last time I¡¯d left so suddenly wore heavy in my mind. Do only what¡¯s necessary, then get home.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it then. Look at me¡ªtold you we didn¡¯t need help then tried to push you into it anyway.¡± Firalex mimed smacking themself in the forehead. ¡°Go. And so long as I¡¯m here our doors are always open, okay? And write a letter to the people renting your house, will you? They¡¯ve got no idea how to send you payments.¡±

    Whoops. ¡°I¡¯ll send something to them¡ªmaybe stop in if I have time on the way back. Thanks again.¡±

    They opened the door and gestured. ¡°Go out the courtyard if you can take off from there. There¡¯s a gaggle of frantic guardsmen in the lobby that I think are after you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry!¡±

    They sighed. ¡°Just go, damnit. It was good to see you again.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°You too.¡±

    And with that, Nelys and I ran down the hallway, burst into the courtyard, and took off in a swirl of crimson fire. Pretty soon, they were harnessed to my front again, holding open a detailed-looking map inside an eddy created by my wind magic.

    We shot off along the coast, past at least one fishing village I was pretty sure I recognized. When the road curved inland, we kept on the coast, as it turned hillier and hillier, with grand, sweeping cliffs of dark stone that plunged into frothing waters. Seastacks dotted the landscape, and we passed a few islands with clusters of scraggly, windswept trees clustered on top.

    As the mountains rose, the trees thinned, and once we passed then, the forest thinned drastically, turning to scrub inland where the rain shadow was strong and there was no sea air to hold moisture.

    And those weren¡¯t the only features. In the mountains, the coast had dipped inland with finger-like bays, and we were able to confidently fly over a peninsula that jutted out from the mountains. All told, we were confident as we headed northward along what was now the Turquoise Coast.

    The land was largely dry, with fields and vineyards backing up against coastal hills and pockets of small trees where the land dipped out of the wind. More than once, we flew over a ship far below us, tiny dots against the midnight blue of the ocean at night. Above, stars glittered, not a cloud in sight.

    One of my lower hands held the compass, and Nelys kept us on target as we flew slowly and low enough to keep our bearings. Just as the pre-dawn light was drowning out the stars, we could see Liseu ahead.

    The city was massive, sprawling. It struck me immediately that I¡¯d never seen a city so large except perhaps Ardath when I was a child. And this city might be larger still. Liseu covered dozens of low-lying islands in a sheltered bay, and yet more of the city clustered the mainland coast and ran down along the hilly sheltering peninsula to a lighthouse at the end that burned with magical fire.

    Ships crowded the harbor, and clusters of buildings dotted the rolling hills inland, thinning as fallow winter fields interspersed the landscape. At this early hour, candle fires and magical lights still glowed in windows and lampposts, making the city twinkle like starlight. From the air, it looked nothing like the rotten center of villainy and ruthless mercantilism I¡¯d been told of.

    But I¡¯d be the largest fool in the world if I of all people were taken in by looks alone.

    ¡°Where should we land?¡± I asked Nelys.

    They pointed to one island in the north, opposite the peninsula and unevenly lit compared to its neighbors. ¡°There! That¡¯s where we¡¯d dock.¡±

    I nodded and banked down, changing to human form just in case. With open skies, someone was going to see us. And I¡¯d rather explain once we were in the city than have to argue my way in from outside.

    It was only when we drew closer that I saw a familiar ship sitting beside the last dock on the end.

 Chapter 215: Secret Princess

    In the harbor, at berth, was the Lady of Liseu. The very same ship whose captain, Torrez, had plucked Nelys from their home to sate their wanderlust. Who had taken in Seyari and given her purpose, and who had been the first person other than my wife and Nelys to truly accept me as a demon.

    Though it was only for a few days, every moment of my time on the Lady was a treasured memory. Including my conflict with the Elnie, the elf on board. Even the fight where Aarsh, Seyari¡¯s then-rival-slash-friend of sorts died and I met Mereneth had a sort of rosy tint. I killed my first humans on that deck right there. Learned Cavenish in a small cabin. Made the choices that would put me into contact with Lillith and set me on the path I currently walked.

    Of course I probably should have considered what I looked like landing. Human form or no, it wouldn¡¯t be interpreted as the friendly gesture it was. Rather it could be considered an attack.

    When I landed, Nelys stumbling to stand next to me, I found a familiar hand cannon pointed at me, the barrel squarely aimed at my center of mass. And that wasn¡¯t all. Several figures, including one pointy-eared one that I recognized, all had weapons pointed my way. Not all of them were on the ship either. Figures that looking human wouldn¡¯t excuse flying in on wings of fire.

    Slowly, I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender.

    The man behind the hand cannon, a mountain of a human who was nearly as tall as I was, eyed me from behind a long, bushy beard.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned!¡± Captain Torrez boomed in Turquoiser. ¡°Looks like someone picked up a few new tricks.¡± He looked down at Nelys and grinned. ¡°Or someones! Good ta see ya! ¡®Cept I¡¯d like it if ya didn¡¯t draw the whole damn city¡¯s eyes this way.¡±

    He gestured, and the weapons lowered. ¡°Get aboard now, ¡®fore I need ta explain the big flying lady to the fine folks of the Liseu city guard.¡±

    Nelys and I nodded, then followed the captain aboard. The Lady of Liseu was just like I remembered it, in a way that suddenly made everything vivid. Blood on the deck, nights learning both Cavenish and Turquoiser¡ªmostly the latter¡ªin a hammock-swaying, too-small cabin¡­ Positive and negative the memories rushed back, and with them a flash of discomfort.

    Of unsurety in myself, my future. I still had both in spades, but they weren¡¯t the same sorts of concerns. In a way, the future was more worrying for all I knew, but I felt like I could manage with the friends I¡¯d made and the truths I¡¯d learned.

    As for myself? Well, I was walking aboard in human guise, but I wasn¡¯t worried about it slipping. Instead, I listened to the whispered snippets from the nearby crew, mostly old telling new who¡ªand what¡ªI was.

    ¡°So,¡± Captain Torrez started once we¡¯d entered his quarters, ¡°you¡¯re back, with no Seyari. I¡¯ll get straight to the point¡ªif ya need me to take ya somewhere, I won¡¯t do it. World¡¯s gettin¡¯ dangerous of late, and I won¡¯t be throwin¡¯ my crew to the sharks.¡± He didn¡¯t sit, just leaned against his desk.

    So I stayed standing, along with Nelys. I inclined my head to defer to them, and they took the lead.

    ¡°We¡¯re here for directions¡ªa map if you have one. I¡¯m going home.¡±

    Both of Captain Torrez¡¯s eyebrows shot straight up, and his put-on frown slackened somewhere in his bushy, dark tangle of a beard. ¡°Home, ya say? Never thought I¡¯d¡­¡± He heaved a sigh. ¡°That I can do.¡±

    He finally gestured for us to sit, and we did so, watching as he rifled through the cabinets along the walls. It didn¡¯t take long before he found what he was looking for: what I assumed to be a rolled-up map, and a small, engraved abalone shell with pearls affixed to the holes.

    ¡°This chart¡¯s the best I¡¯ve got,¡± he said, handing the shell to Nelys. ¡°And you know what this is.¡±

    Nelys took the shell reverently, with shaking hands. ¡°How¡­¡±

    Torrez laughed, the sound booming around the office, and sat down to unfurl the parchment map before us. ¡°Ya didn¡¯t think yer folk¡¯d trade with just any old merchant of the seas?¡±

    Nelys held the shell to their chest, the first tears rolling down their cheeks. ¡°They¡­ did my parents¡­?¡±

    ¡°Aye. Ocean¡¯s a big place, but it¡¯s easy to be isolated in.¡± Torrez took a quill and carefully filled it with ink.

    ¡°So they knew.¡± Nelys¡¯s voice was a whisper as tension left their shoulders, only to ramp up again. ¡°But I¡¯ve been gone for so long!¡±

    Torrez laughed again, holding the quill safely above the map. I snuck a look¡ªit was hand drawn, a scattering of islands in a literal ocean, which itself was filled with markings and warnings. The edges were faded and yellowed.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for a few years at best!¡± Torrez boomed. ¡°Took me longer ¡®n that to figure out that bein¡¯ straight-laced wasn¡¯t for me. And I¡¯d say that¡¯s pretty damn obvious, ain¡¯t it?¡±

    Nelys smiled a little, and I took the chance to lean over and put an arm around them.

    Torrez continued, more quietly this time, ¡°So don¡¯t worry about a bad welcome home. Just make sure your flyin¡¯ friend knows you¡¯ll need to show that crest.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need it?¡± Nelys asked.

    Torrez shook his head, a bit of melancholy seeping into his voice as he replied, ¡°Not soon, anyway. Not with the war how it is. All the jobs¡¯re ¡®smuggle this here, get this aid here.¡¯ Not to mention there¡¯s more demonic¡­ stuff goin¡¯ on lately. Summonings, illegal bindings here in Liseu, attacks here and all over Ordia. Can¡¯t risk my crew on such a long trip.

    ¡°But if ya do get up there, and if ya get the chance, let me know how they¡¯re doin¡¯. I¡¯ll get ya a place ya can send a letter to that I¡¯ll see.¡±

    Nelys nodded. ¡°Okay! Um, Renna, could you do that? Letters are hard from home.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°I can work something out. Probably won¡¯t have time to stop by, but even if I don¡¯t I¡¯ll send a letter.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now just give me a minute here to get this marked up¡ªdon¡¯t worry, this chart¡¯s all wrong anyway. For the sailing stuff, that is. Since you¡¯re flyin¡¯, it won¡¯t matter and I won¡¯t need it back.¡±

    Together, Nelys and I watched him work. Outside, I could pick up a commotion back on the dock¡ªguards probably. But the crew looked like they were keeping a handle on it. More importantly, I spied a certain small island along one edge of the map.

    Korzon Island. My island.

    It looked out of the way and isolated, even on the parchment, but it was closer to Nelys¡¯s home than I¡¯d expected. More importantly, I could use this map to get there again, especially with Port Princely down in the corner for reference.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    I wanted, selfishly perhaps, to know more about my predecessor. To see if there were any secrets that could be of help. And also more than a little just to visit, as the person I am now, the place where I¡¯d spent two years in isolation.

    Torrez finished with a final, sweeping arrow, and he handed me the map. ¡°Follow the coast up north, then there¡¯s an island chain ya should be able to see goin¡¯ northwest. The last one¡¯s here.¡± He pointed to port Princely. ¡°Biggest city in the region¡ªonly city in the region if ya can only breathe air. Then just follow these arrows, lookin¡¯ for these islands. Shapes might not be quite right¡ªbut look for the bays and sea stacks. Those¡¯ll be right.

    ¡°Up here, this island, that¡¯s the reef. If ya land on the island, someone¡¯ll find ya. Just be sure ya show ¡®em the crest. They might not recognize ya at first look, Nelys.¡±

    ¡°Do I need to have a human guise?¡±

    Torrez looked up from the map to me. ¡°I would, yeah. There¡¯s a good chance none of this has reached ¡®em, but if it has, then the last thing you¡¯ll want to be¡¯s an unknown demon.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Understood. Oh, do you mind if I give us some privacy?¡±

    Torrez waved his hand dismissively. ¡°No need.¡±

    I shrugged, but I wasn¡¯t about to second guess a captain on his ship, especially when I wasn¡¯t exactly divulging earth-shattering revelations. ¡°These demon attacks, Envy and Avarice are behind them. I think Envy¡¯s the one who orchestrated the war in Navanaea.¡±

    ¡°Envy and¡­¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°Demons strong enough to take those names, aye?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Something like that. If you want, I can¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Captain Torrez waved. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good idea, I think. Demons above demons and all the legends like that. All I need to know is if I can stay clear.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be a target,¡± I answered honestly, after some thought.

    ¡°Good enough for me.¡± Captain Torrez whistled. ¡°And damn, that explains it. I won¡¯t ask how ya know all this, but I trust ya. We¡¯ll keep up the careful watch then. Oh, d¡¯ya think they¡¯ll go after the Coast on the whole?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably at some point? Maybe they already are?¡±

    Torrez laughed. ¡°Ya know, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this damn city were run by demons already. Ya got a point. Anyway, you¡¯d best head out now, make the most of the daylight while ya can.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Nelys?¡±

    They looked up at me, still clutching the crest. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I stood up. ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡±

    He took my hand and shook it, firmly for a mortal. ¡°Good luck to the both of ya. And don¡¯t forget that letter. I wrote where ya can send it on the back.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. But I can¡¯t promise how soon.¡±

    With that, the two of us made to leave Captain Torrez¡¯s quarters.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t take off from the deck. My crew should¡¯ve paid off the guards already¡ªI won¡¯t make ya pay us back¡ªbut don¡¯t give ¡®em a reason to come sniffin¡¯ around again. Get some distance before ya go.¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± I replied, chuckling.

    ¡°Thanks, Captain,¡± Nelys said as we left, holding a fine salute.

    Torrez responded with a wide, toothy smile as the door closed. Before we¡¯d made it past the first mast, a dimly familiar voice called out to me.

    ¡°Demon.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t an accusation, more of an address in place of a name.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Zarenna.¡± I turned to look at the speaker.

    The speaker had pointed ears and a familiar willowy figure. Elnie, the elf whose anger I¡¯d broken, then fixed, and who definitely absolutely hated my guts. She was smaller than I remembered.

    ¡°I have a task for you since you can fly,¡± she said with one blonde eyebrow arched. ¡°A missive for you to deliver to the royal palace in Thiliel, Aloria.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m in a hurry¡ªa big hurry. I can¡¯t¡ªnot now, and probably not any time soon.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No. I need to get home before it¡¯s attacked again¡ªI can¡¯t just fly to Aloria. And didn¡¯t you hate my guts? Why would you ask me?¡±

    Her brow furrowed. ¡°This concerns the succession war. It could bring a measure of stability to the entire region. And I¡¯m asking you only because you can fly, demon.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s that important, why haven¡¯t you found another way to deliver it?¡± I looked at what she was holding. ¡°And why does it look hastily scrawled?¡±

    Elnie rolled her eyes. ¡°Because you can¡¯t just send a message from human lands to elven royalty. But you¡¯re strong enough to get there, and I know you have a hero complex.¡±

    I blinked again and crossed my arms, wishing I had a tail to lash at the moment. ¡°I had a hero complex.¡±

    She pointed at Nelys and smirked. ¡°What are you doing right now, then?¡±

    ¡°Fulfilling an overdue promise for a dear friend.¡± I pulled Nelys into a side hug, and they blinked up at me in surprise. ¡°Which you are not.¡±

    Elnie took a step closer, leaning in to whisper. ¡°Listen, demon. My idiot brother is going to take the throne after our six older siblings managed to let themselves die. I left Aloria to not be a liability, but unless I make a declaration and return, then he¡¯s going to¡ª¡±

    I shook my head to cut her off. ¡°I can¡¯t, Elnie. Not soon anyway. You¡¯ll need to find a ship. The Turquoise Coast has to have connections with Aloria, and you know Captain Torrez knows people.¡±

    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t tried?¡± she hissed. ¡°None are going right now! It¡¯s this moronic war over useless sand!¡±

    I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to focus on the promises I¡¯d made and needed to keep rather than add another one to the pile. Elnie, the¡­ unpleasant elf on Captain Torrez¡¯s ship was apparently a literal runaway princess, and by ignoring her request I could endanger the succession of the elves.

    Or by granting it, I could put her on the throne. Actually¡­

    ¡°Do you want to become queen or something?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Fuck no!¡± She swore some more in what was probably Elven. ¡°But if my idiot brother is going to be a puppet for those stuck up, overconfident, fuckhead imperialist advisors, then I¡¯d rather go there, kill them all myself, and keep us from bashing ourselves against the damn Ordians.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± A cold shiver ran down my spine. ¡°Imperialist, bashing against the Ordians?¡±

    Elnie rolled her eyes and jabbed a finger up into my chest. ¡°Yes. They think the humans¡¯ infighting is a good time to conquer them, but they¡¯re stuck two hundred years in the past and don¡¯t understand how fast the mice multiply. Or the strength of the actual angels on their side.

    ¡°It would be an awful, brutal war, as you can doubtless imagine. And you can prevent it, by delivering this missive.¡± She shoved it at me.

    Even though my head was swimming, I managed to keep from grabbing the hastily written letter, instead letting it fall to the deck below. We both stared at it, and I had a horrible, creeping realization.

    ¡°Elnie, how long ago did all your siblings kill each other?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She sneered. ¡°News barely makes it out to the short-lives. But I¡¯d say a year, hence that missive!¡± She pointed at the ground.

    I don¡¯t have fucking time for this! And now she¡¯s got me fucking swearing like a sailor again, too!

    But a year ago or less. No way, that was too much of a coincidence. If Envy had already kickstarted the war in Navanaea, and they were putting more work into Ordia now¡­ then they could have been targeting Aloria in the gap. Or it could be what Avarice was up to. Shit.

    And Elnie didn¡¯t know enough to give me concrete details. If Aloria invaded through the eastern forests while Ordia and Edath fought a rekindled civil war¡­ it would be disastrous. But I also was not about to abandon Astrye for a piece of paper and the word of an old.. enemy? Friend? Frenemy?

    ¡°Elnie, I¡¯m sorry, I really am, but I can¡¯t take the time to do this, especially if there¡¯s no guarantee. And I don¡¯t care if they¡¯ll recognize handwriting or a magical seal. And I know the point of me delivering it is to show you¡¯ve got a powerful backer.¡±

    The elf in front of me winced.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t deliver this.¡±

    ¡°Then fuck you!¡± She stomped a foot on the missive sitting on the deck. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have a lot of deaths of those humans you like so much on your hands!¡±

    It took a second to reign in the flash of white-hot fury her comment sparked, but it gave me an idea. I leaned down and forward, unable to stop a toothy grin spreading across my face. ¡°What if you had the power to go there and take the throne?¡±

    She could be lying about all of this, but her anger is different than I remember. Raw and personal.

    She pulled back from me and threw me a quizzical look. ¡°Then I¡¯d do it of course. Why?¡±

    ¡°One moment.¡± I walked back inside of Torrez¡¯s quarters after a quick knock. ¡°Is Elnie¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. ¡°You two were right outside my door, ya know. And yes, she¡¯s Alorian royalty and you should have seen how she acted for the first few years. A right damn princess.¡±

    ¡°I heard that!¡± Elnie hissed from behind me.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re one o¡¯ the crew now!¡± Torrez fired back.

    I felt stuck in the middle, and shot a glance at Nelys who was rubbernecking with an increasingly frustrated look on their face, still tucked under one of my arms.

    I closed the door and turned to Elnie. ¡°Fine, so you¡¯re really an Alorian princess. And you want to take the throne and not invade Ordia, or anywhere, correct?¡±

    ¡°I make no promises if Navanaea falls and there¡¯s land for the taking.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ fine, I suppose.¡±

    Aretan had Lilly¡¯s protection, and if Envy were taken out, there was a probable chance to get rid of the instigators and let the two sides come to peace in Navanaea.

    With that, I lifted my chin and put on a more imperious voice, heedless of the crowd of crew watching us. ¡°Would you like to make a contract, Elnie?¡±

 Interlude: Unlikely Allies

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± the demon in disguise asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± Aretan replied, pausing at the entrance to the cave. Tool markings and foot-worn stone hinted at a long history. ¡°And were your mistress uncertain, she would not have sent you along.¡±

    Mereneth frowned, the expression looking out of place to Aretan, almost pout-like on the young Navanaean face she wore.

    The ex noble, ex soldier, ex mercenary took a deep breath and steadied himself, offering a small prayer to the Eight.

    ¡°If what Isidore and I uncovered and what your mistress was able to corroborate are correct, then much of the history of Navanaea as I know it is untrue. Or at least incomplete. We owe it to the Formid to try to restore that cooperation.¡± He stepped inside, feeling the sun on his back recede as he stepped into darkness.

    ¡°What will you tell them?¡± Mereneth asked, following, eyes moving from side to side, glowing briefly in the darkness. ¡°That you¡¯re sorry your ancestors drove them from their homeland to the edge of the mountains?¡±

    Aretan winced. ¡°There is no apology that is sufficient. I will continue as I have in my letters, earnestly and with the interest of the greater whole.¡±

    ¡°And you can¡¯t tell me what that plan is?¡±

    Aretan shook his head. ¡°No. But you will know soon.¡±

    Mereneth side-eyed him as they came to the first bend in the narrow cave. ¡°Because you can¡¯t trust me?¡±

    ¡°No, because they are already listening, and it is best the plan is heard by only those whose need is certain.¡±

    The demon in disguise sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°You could have told me on the way over.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Up ahead, the passage brightened, several side tunnels branching off into the shadows. The pair headed for the light, emerging into a shaded chamber, open to the sky and surrounded by cliffs. A few gnarled trees took root by a small, muddy spring in the center, the water flowing off underground to one side.

    Winter flowers were blooming, pink and white against the dark orange-brown of the rocks. Several large, flat stones sat in a circle on hard-packed dirt above the spring, looking like the stools of an audience chamber.

    Which, in a time long past, they probably were. And they would fulfill such a purpose again here today. Standing above those stones, tall and unreadable, were two Formid. The taller one had reddish-black chitin, while the smaller was closer to a sand color. They each stood seemingly stiffly on long legs, with the taller¡¯s lower pair of arms held back near the base of a giant hammer and the shorter¡¯s arms crossed gently around the narrow pinch of their waist.

    The smaller wore a red-orange sash, the larger a mantle. And both of them were staring at Aretan and Mereneth with solid black eyes¡ªtwo main ones and four smaller above and below. With mandibles in place of jaws, Aretan looked to their antennae for lack of a facial expression, but he couldn¡¯t get any sort of read.

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    However, from the letters sent back and forth these past weeks, Aretan guessed the smaller of the two to be Scribe, whom he had been the longest in contact with. The other then, the one whose solid eyes seemed to shift between him and Mereneth, would be Hammer. The one who had met Zarenna and who had asked to be present.

    More were doubtless waiting in hidden places, and from the way Mereneth tensed, Aretan could guess there were more than a few. After all, who would not be wary when an exiled descendent of the people who so viciously betrayed your kind offered an olive branch?

    ¡°Stop,¡± Scribe commanded in uncannily perfect Turquoiser. There was no accompanying raised hand, no step forward, no shift in posture. Just a slight turn of their head toward Mereneth.

    Aretan stopped. He replied with the coded phrase, the real one not the decoy. If the pair relaxed, they didn¡¯t show it. Hammer¡¯s lower hands kept near the base of the large hammer on their back. Mereneth looked as calm as a sheltered oasis, somehow.

    ¡°Who is the other?¡± Scribe asked.

    ¡°Mereneth. She is a representative of Lust, allied with Zarenna, Sovereign of Wrath.¡±

    Scribe took a single step forward, though Hammer did not move. ¡°You mean for us to follow the same as your vile elite?¡±

    ¡°I am not bound,¡± Mereneth said simply. Her clothes were light, loose, and showed her neck and collarbone in full.

    Scribe inclined their head toward the demon, antennae twitching. A few tense moments later, they spoke again. ¡°So you are not. You wish then to free your kind?¡±

    ¡°Some,¡± Mereneth answered with a too-wide smile. ¡°Others should die.¡±

    ¡°So your letters spoke truth.¡±

    Aretan nodded.

    ¡°But we find it difficult to believe your sincerity.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± He bowed, formally.

    ¡°We know that you had forsaken your title, however. Long before this war. And you have brought no army to this place.¡±

    Aretan did not move, letting Scribe continue.

    ¡°And this one vouches for your friend Zarenna, though they only met briefly. As such, we will hear your plan that ¡®could not be risked through a letter.¡¯¡±

    Aretan blinked at the unexpected sarcasm. For a voice so uncanny to¡­ no, now was not the time. He stood up straight and looked at the pair in front of him. To come closer to whisper, to ask for privacy now would cast into doubt his sincerity. He needed to be made vulnerable, to tie Lillith and her ilk to this conflict they had largely stayed out of.

    The thought twisted his stomach. This was not the responsibility he had for his mercenary company, this was more akin to his family¡¯s actions and he struggled to keep painful memories from forming, from thinking of their awful demise.

    Before he could convince himself otherwise, Aretan spoke. ¡°I believe it necessary to remove the ruling family of Navanaea, and to end the practice of demon summoning and binding by any means necessary.¡±

    A faint hiss emanated from Scribe, though Hammer stayed silent. ¡°You mean to betray.¡± Their words ended with a click.

    ¡°I mean to make right.¡± Aretan clenched his hands, hard enough to hurt. ¡°I never supported binding demons; I never supported our expansion to drive your kind out.¡±

    ¡°You would see your kind subjugated under ours.¡± Another click.

    Aretan looked up¡ªScribe had moved closer, and the only sign of emotion came from their quivering antennae. ¡°No,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I would see an end to the war and the first step toward a future of cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Hopeless.¡± Click. ¡°Idealism.¡± Click.

    ¡°This one disagrees,¡± Hammer said in a hissing voice, speaking for the first time. ¡°This one believes that we should judge the now, not the past.¡±

    Scribe froze, then jerked their head toward Hammer so sharply that Aretan could barely follow the motion. ¡°And forget their horrid crimes?¡± Click.

    Hammer stepped forward, and Aretan realized just how tall they were when they towered over Scribe from not half an arm¡¯s length away. ¡°And not become what we hate.¡±

    Aretan and Mereneth shared a glance as the two faced off, antennae twitching. Whether it was a silent contest of wills or a conversation neither could understand, the shadows had moved down the walls by the time the pair backed down and Scribe turned back to face Aretan and Mereneth.

    ¡°We will hear the how of your plan.¡± They gestured at the stone seats, hiss and lick gone from their unreadable voice. ¡°If you dare entrap us, you will not leave this place alive, demon ally or no.¡±

    Aretan nodded and stepped forward. ¡°Should I do such a thing, death would indeed be a fitting punishment.¡±

 Chapter 216: Port in a Storm

    Elnie looked up at me with narrowed eyes, but I couldn¡¯t read her expression. I could, however, taste the flash of anger behind them.

    ¡°A contract? With you?¡± She seemed to be fighting a sneer.

    I dropped the transformation on just my eyes, getting far too much enjoyment from her sudden flinch. ¡°Can you sense auras?¡±

    Elnie¡¯s brow furrowed, but her eyes glowed¡ªand she gasped, the sound turning into a hiss. ¡°Damnit.¡±

    A commotion at the docks behind us perked my ears and made Elnie and Nelys look. Immediately, I made my eyes look human again and fervently hoped no one else was looking my way enough to see two pinpricks of Sovereign demon aura.

    ¡°Belowdecks, now,¡± Elnie hissed.

    ¡°So you¡¯ll make a contract?¡± She didn¡¯t get to see my smile¡ªshe¡¯d already turned on a heel and was walking away. ¡°Is it okay if I do this?¡± I asked Nelys.

    They thought for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s a few minutes¡ªI can wait a few minutes.¡±

    But they had to think about it. Alright, Renna, make this quick.

    We hurriedly followed Elnie belowdecks, stopping only once we¡¯d crammed me into a room I¡¯d swear was smaller than in my memory. Not the exact same room, but Elnie¡¯s was of the same sort with a plush-looking hammock strung up in one corner and an assortment of books piled on and around the small, battered-looking desk and chair. A floral smell, incense probably, lingered just thick enough in the air to drown out the ship¡¯s pervasive brine stench.

    I sat down on the floor, and raised an eyebrow at Elnie¡¯s odd look. ¡°What? The ceiling¡¯s too damn short, I¡¯d crush your chair, and I¡¯ve no intent to plop myself down and test the strength of your hammock¡¯s hooks.¡±

    Ever the gracious host, Elnie took the chair and left Nelys to stand. ¡°What¡¯s the cost to me? And don¡¯t give me bullshit.¡±

    ¡°The cost? Easy. A promise, unilateral, in the spirit of the intent, to prevent in whatever capacity you can, be it ruler, advisor, rebel, Aloria from taking any militarily aggressive action against Ordia or Edath. Defensive action notwithstanding, of course.¡± She looked like she was about to speak, so I held up my hand and continued, ¡°And should you or Aloria you be in a position to make such a decision, you will enter at the very least a defensive pact with myself and those who are also allied to me and mine. Fair?¡±

    She blinked, exhaling through her nose. ¡°That is rather a lot to ask, contingent on many factors outside my control and at great risk to not only myself but to my homeland.¡±

    I gave her a hard glare. ¡°A homeland you abandoned¡ªregardless of how true you may think it, I¡¯m sure those you left behind would consider it truth.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Teeth showed, and not in a smile before she regained her composure and looked at Nelys with glowing eyes. ¡°All for that much power?¡±

    ¡°More, if I can be convinced.¡± I tapped my tail on the floor¡ªwhen did that slip out, oh well.

    ¡°How much more?¡± She watched carefully as two arms became four and I drummed the floor with my claws.

    ¡°Will you agree to the above conditions?¡± I fought the urge to scratch at a horn.

    Elnie was tense now, thoughtful. Anger simmered within her, but I knew it wasn¡¯t at me. ¡°What if I break them?¡±

    ¡°Your soul would be mine.¡± I smiled with a mouth full of razors.

    ¡°What would you do with it?¡±

    The question caught me off guard, and my constructed illusion of the dangerous, deal-making demon fell apart as I blinked and spluttered, accidentally biting my tongue. Before I could lose any more face, I gathered at least a couple stray thoughts and put voice to them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, it depends.¡±

    Wow, great job me.

    ¡°You¡¯re still a softie then.¡± Now it was Elnie¡¯s turn to smile wickedly. Her canines were just a little more pronounced than a human¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯m still merciful,¡± I corrected. ¡°Such as my strength provides. I am no longer the naive woman of a year ago.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± She made eye contact, lingered, then took a deep breath. ¡°And perhaps I should consider that as true.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d offer you time to think, but I don¡¯t have enough to give you any. So decide. Now.¡±

    ¡°How much power?¡± she repeated.

    And I had to consider her words carefully. ¡°Enough to be stronger than any human mage, with¡ª¡±

    Elnie cut me off with a gesture. ¡°Humans are weak. No. That will not be sufficient. I require at least twice the strength Nelys¡¯s aura possesses¡±

    I could react to how she cut me off, but I didn¡¯t have time or interest to be petty with her. Alorian princess or not. I considered Nelys¡¯s strength. Giving Elnie that sort of power would greatly increase the damage she could inflict, regardless of how that strength manifested. Moreover, her appearance¡­

    ¡°Such strength may change your appearance.¡±

    ¡°Like with Nelys?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know,¡± they shot back. ¡°This change was why I made a contract. You might not change.¡±

    I thought of Brynna, and how she¡¯d changed even without power. But her body had also needed rebuilding¡ªhorns notwithstanding. And I had it on semi-reliable authority someone had given her my last jar of horn polish, so perhaps on some level she desired the change. Then again, my daughter¡¯s magic changed Duchess Arina very much against her wishes.

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    ¡°Truthfully,¡± I replied honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will. And I don¡¯t know how much the power affects it.¡±

    Elnie¡¯s jaw tightened and the tapping she¡¯d been doing with one foot picked up speed. ¡°Will you or will you not give me the strength?¡±

    ¡°Even if it changes your appearance?¡±

    ¡°I can use magic to hide such changes, or get them removed. If any city has such resources, it would be Liseu or Thiliel.¡±

    I made a mental note to check in on Duchess Arina Kapel, perhaps to see about an answer for her in Liseu.

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± I asked.

    She nodded. ¡°As much as it would pain me to lose my nearly perfect appearance, to see the elves of Aloria sink to the level of the short-lived is a depravity I cannot bear to witness. Now will you grant me such strength or not? We are wasting your time here as well as mine.¡±

    Very well then. I stood up and bashed my head into the ceiling with a thud that dented wood. I crouched, pulling my horns out of the two perfect holes they¡¯d formed and sat back down. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare laugh.¡±

    ¡°I would only dare laugh at something unexpected.¡±

    I growled. ¡°You know I will own your soul.¡±

    ¡°Only should I disobey. And I¡¯ve no intention to, although I must say the mutual defense part requires better wording. Unless you¡¯ve no time for such sureties.¡±

    I frowned and looked over at Nelys apologetically.

    They sighed and took a seat on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long, okay?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I promised.

    Alright Renna, you can do this. I¡¯ve had etiquette lessons, learned from Seyari, and this wasn¡¯t my first time. All I had to do was make my terms clear.

    And over the next few minutes we did just that. To my earlier words, the only amendment was to the defensive pact. It would only pertain to threats against Aloria or against me directly, as the source of Elnie¡¯s power. It meant that I couldn¡¯t call on her or Aloria unless Aloria itself was threatened or I was confronting Envy directly.

    Fair enough, all things considered. I¡¯d not want to call the people of Astrye to lay their lives on the line for Cavenze. In exchange¡­

    ¡°One percent of my current strength, though more may be bargained for, with additional terms and costs to be decided case by case,¡± I finished.

    Elnie stared at my proffered hand for a long moment before taking it in a firm grasp. ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Like all the others, the contract¡¯s magic glowed crimson like my gem, throwing dancing shadows about the room before settling down into a faint connection. Not like with Nelys¡ªjust enough to know that the agreement was in place.

    And as the power flowed into Elnie, she stumbled, hands planting onto the desk and knocking books to the floor. Her hair lifted, a glowing crimson outline surrounding her as two small horns pushed their way up from her temples. When she blinked her pupils elongated¡­

    And that was it.

    Oh, I could feel the power, and see it literally with aura sight, but Elnie was still undeniably an elf. Demon-blooded at the most, and even then only barely, with horns I¡¯d describe as cute if they were attached to literally anyone but her.

    Without speaking, she felt a horn and winced, showing one elongated incisor, and dug through the top drawer of her desk, very nearly ripping the handle off with her new strength. Moments later, she pulled out a small mirror with an ornately carved backing.

    She hissed, waved a hand, and I watched an illusion settle over her features. Moments later, the aura of the spell faded, and had I not the connection with her that I did, I doubted I¡¯d be able to tell what happened.

    ¡°Acceptable.¡± Elnie ran two fingers over where her horns had just been and turned to me with human-looking (elf-looking?) eyes and teeth. Teeth which were well exposed from her vicious grin. ¡°This shall be much more satisfying than a letter.¡±

    I stood with a grunt and made for the door, rather than stay and regret the contract. ¡°Remember our terms.¡± It seemed fitting to say.

    Behind me, Elnie laughed as I closed the door.

    ¡°Done?¡± Nelys asked, unsuccessfully hiding their nervousness.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    They glanced at the door¡ªElnie was still laughing maniacally. ¡°Do you think this was the right choice?¡±

    I took their hand in mine as we made for the exit. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯d trust her over Envy or Avarice in her homeland.¡±

    Nelys frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s just go okay? And¡­ no more delays¡ªplease?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°No more delays.¡±

    The two of us kicked off into the sky the moment we reached the top deck. No fires rose as I chanced a look back. The city of Liseu seemed abuzz with life, and the fields surrounding it continued for miles, even as the green faded to brown to sand that tumbled into the sea.

    By evening, hills rose, moisture tinged the air, and green began to bloom across the land. Scrub morphed into a veritable cloud forest, and when we saw a city in the distance, we turned out to sea, following the faint pinpricks of stars showing beyond the sun¡¯s haze.

    With Nelys holding the map and guiding, we left Ivlaet behind without touching down. Somewhere down there was a restaurant where Sey ordered me too-hot food, and perhaps even a merchant who might remember me. For all the war in Navanaea, it seemed its green northwestern coast hadn¡¯t yet been torn apart.

    And as we flew, we zigzagged between islands to ensure our bearings, headed towards Port Princely. And indeed we found it, a jumble of bright buildings against the deep greens of a jungle-covered island. Boats crowded the harbor, and as much as I wanted to stop and reconnect with the tailor who¡¯d made my dress, I didn¡¯t.

    No more delays¡­ but perhaps on the way back? Would a few scant minutes truly be remiss, or would this kind of thinking lead down a slippery slope?

    I wasn¡¯t sure, but I latched onto the certainty of our current pace and didn¡¯t look back. The evening deepened to night and we continued on under a magnificent canopy of stars.

    But the stars were not to last; by evening we were flying through a vicious winter storm, humid and oppressive this far north. Flashes of lightning arced between the clouds. Once certain, we now flew blind.

    ¡°Land ahead!¡± Nelys shouted, straining to be heard over the wind I could barely keep away.

    I followed their outstretched finger and saw a lumpy shadow looming over the waves. ¡°Which island?¡±

    ¡°We should land!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I shouted back.

    ¡°Land!¡±

    ¡°I know¡ªwhat should we¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait the storm out!¡±

    I looked down at Nelys, pushing more of my magic into the wind barrier in the hope of lessening the storm¡¯s roar.

    ¡°We¡¯ll waste more time being lost!¡± they shouted.

    Oh, yeah that¡¯s pretty obvious. ¡°Alright!¡± I banked and flew lower toward the island.

    A mountain of washed-out color rose to meet us, wind-thrashed jungle whipping about as the waves of a half-moon bay crashed well beyond the tide line. At one end, an immense rock jutted out, pounding surf crashing meters up the black stone. As if on some instinct, I headed for this outcropping¡¯s flat top.

    The familiar lip of rock that kept out the worst of the wind. The lookout I could use for ships and threats from the jungle alike.

    Out of the vast, out of all the northern ocean, to stumble here in the dark, driving rain¡­

    A lightning flash lit a familiar clearing. And for an instant, I could swear I saw familiar figures around a long-gone campfire. Now, in the distance, the outline of a very familiar cabin rose through the haze of rain and I made for it. Despite my own warmth, a shiver ran down to the tip of my tail; is this happenstance or fate?

    The roof was damaged, and there were scratch marks by the door where something curious had stopped by. I wondered if the day marks on the walls were still there, if my bed was, or the few other scavenged things I¡¯d left behind. Here, now, my home of two years looked exactly the same, yet a world apart.

    Had it always been so small, so shabby, so unevenly built? I laid a hand on the door, about to undo the sodden rope that held it fast when Nelys¡¯s voice stopped me.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just barge in!¡± they chastised. ¡°We should knock first in case whoever lives here¡¯s around.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I replied with a tired smile, ¡°that¡¯s alright. I won¡¯t mind a guest.¡±

 Chapter 217: How Far

    Two rooms. One shabby thing I could hardly consider a bed. Six hundred odd marks on the wall¡ªhad I really forgotten the number of days?

    The salvaged parts of the shipwreck stood out against the bits I¡¯d made with my own claws and fire. Surprisingly neither were really rotting, though the same couldn¡¯t be said for the roof, which was letting in more than enough rain to turn the entire place into a damp mess. Thankfully, I¡¯d not left any food inside, though something had been using my bed as a nest.

    Out of habit, I closed the door behind us with my tail, feeling the groove I¡¯d worn over so many times of that exact motion. Even the deep breath of wet wood and ash held a tinge of nostalgia. Bitter nostalgia¡ªthis was where I¡¯d met Seyari, and also my former prison.

    Which made me wonder something I¡¯d not really put thought to in a long, long time. Why here? Why across the world, on this island where a former Sovereign of Wrath had built a community literal millennia ago?

    ¡°We should fix the roof.¡±

    I looked down. Nelys was smiling up at me, their hands on one of mine. I blinked, and felt wet on my lashes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay the night here. I can wait another day¡ªbut you need to tell me stories, alright?¡±

    I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. ¡°Alright. The roof¡¯ll be hard to fix in this wind though.¡±

    They tilted their head to one side. ¡°What about your magic?¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Oh. I¡¯d¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡±

    They nodded sagely. ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll clean up in here while you¡­¡± They watched me walk to the door. ¡°Do that. Mind giving us some dry heat? Oh¡ªand is there anything I shouldn¡¯t get rid of?¡±

    I paused with my hand on the door and pushed out a rush of dry wind that banished the mildew smell in an instant. It¡¯s so easy nowadays. ¡°No,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°I took everything with me when I left.¡±

    They nodded and got to work, and I closed the door outside with a sigh, leaning against it to look up into the roiling dark of the storm. Humans could never see the fine details: the way the clouds wisped and shifted, opening and closing portals into the depths of the storm where star or moonlight reflected off water into a thousand colors that weren¡¯t quite black. If I focused, I felt like I could almost see the drops forming in the highest reaches.

    Another thought, a wave of my hand, a reflexive structure born of Seyari¡¯s training, and the wind atop the rock stilled. It stilled so quickly that the taller of the trees, the ones who dared to stick their branches above the rock¡¯s protection groaned with relief as they sagged upright.

    One of them would be a sacrifice tonight. Bark for twine, wood for the broken beam I¡¯d seen, and fronds for the roof. Many hands made light work, and I fell into the motions quickly as I pulled and twisted the twine, sliced and fire treated the wood, and stacked the leaves.

    Without noticing, I found myself humming a song I hadn¡¯t in ages, sitting by the edge of a firepit whose ash had turned into a chaotic bloom of first-year flowers and vines. It was a song Abigail had liked.

    She¡¯d approve of me now. Probably.

    It hurt my heart a little that I¡­ well it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t care. It was that I just sort of didn¡¯t need her approval anymore. Memories and bygone days, and a bygone life in a way. I wouldn¡¯t ever forget her or her sacrifice, but if I lived half as long as Lilly, my time with her, the brief, uncertain kiss we¡¯d shared so certainly¡­ it¡¯d all be autumn leaves in a winter storm.

    Truthfully, she might not like that, even as her final words rang out in my head once again. I smiled ruefully as I climbed onto the roof with a stack of leaves, crude twine, four hands, and a purpose. Sorry, Abby, but I guess I really won¡¯t get hung up on you.

    Coming here was a goodbye in a way. Not to my old life¡ªI¡¯d done so many goodbyes for that I could write a novel about them. No, this was a goodbye to any attempt at a return to that life. I wasn¡¯t quite giving up on a cottage fantasy¡ªor castle fantasy as I¡¯d recently been thinking. Just a few alterations here and there, being one of the most powerful beings on the mortal plane and all.

    Frankly, I didn¡¯t think I was doing half bad these days. Provided this little excursion didn¡¯t somehow lead to Astrye finally falling. That poor town had been through an unreal series of events this past year. Season, even.

    Or¡­ I supposed it was the new year wasn¡¯t it? When that happened, I couldn¡¯t quite place. But the winter solstice was months ago now, so we were well into it.

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    Still, though, as I tightened the last of the leaves and prepared to climb back down, I thought of the risk. We¡¯d hurt Envy in Utraxia¡¯s demesne. And had they been in a position to attack, during or right after the siege would have resulted in an easy victory.

    So they¡¯d not been prepared. Which begged the question: why not? They were toying with me and mine, that much was obvious, but why?

    That was a question I couldn¡¯t answer. Not yet at least. So I took one last look out over an achingly familiar view of the ocean and up into the beautiful storm, then headed inside and closed the door with my tail.

    Once inside, I marveled at the quality of my slapped-together roof¡­ until I remembered that my magic was still keeping out the wind and therefore the majority of the rain. Was that why Nelys had given me an odd look. Well, I¡¯d rather have the full experience, so with a thought I banished my magic and relished the thwap of the intense rain¡¯s return. I¡¯d weathered worse in here before.

    Nelys had long finished cleaning. And I¡¯d seen them running outside and back a few times so I wasn¡¯t surprised to see two beds of leaves: one on the old frame I¡¯d taken from the shipwreck, and another on the floor. I took the floor, sitting down with a huff that turned into a sigh.

    ¡°You can take your bed,¡± they said, sitting down on the bed anyway, before closing their eyes and leaning back. ¡°I think I get why you didn¡¯t want to just use magic.¡±

    I smiled up at them, put my top arms behind my head, and snuggled in with warm tail over legs. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the same.And that bed never fit me anyway¡ªit¡¯s even smaller than I remembered.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure you¡¯re bigger.¡± They smiled back. ¡°Cards?¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Did you really bring¡ª¡±

    ¡°I knew we¡¯d face some kind of setback, Renna. We always do. And besides, these are my cards anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah that makes sense.¡±

    Nelys pulled themself to the edge of the bed, staring down with big eyes under a windblown mop of black hair. ¡°I¡¯ll visit. I promise. More than that if I can convince the right people to ally with you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that.¡±

    ¡°I want to.¡±

    I stuck out my hand. ¡°Alright.¡±

    They looked at it.

    ¡°Deal with the demon?¡±

    Nelys laughed and shook my hand, then swung their legs and blue-ringed skirt of tentacles over the edge of the bed. With a flourish, they started dealing onto the magic-dried floor between us. ¡°Let¡¯s play before we sleep. One last lesson on how to cheat properly¡ªand make sure you¡¯re not getting claws in the way this time.¡±

    ¡°They never get in the way!¡± I put a hand over my heart with an exaggerated flourish.

    Nelys snorted and took their hand. ¡°Sure they don¡¯t. Nope. Never. Now how about those stories? Did you really erupt out of that mountain?¡±

    I took mine and¡­ did they not cheat me? ¡°Oh you bet I did. And that¡¯s not even the craziest part about this island. Did you know¡­¡±

    ***

    Morning came, long after the storm had fizzled to rain. My old cabin had survived the night, but it would need a new roof¡­ again. I caught my claw just before I marked another day next to the others.

    Those marks were older now, faded. Instead, I carved a short message, Visited by Renna and Nelys, and followed it with the date. For now, I let Nelys sleep and wandered into the damp, foggy morning outside.

    A few trees were down, and when I climbed up onto the promontory, I could see the island had taken quite the hit, bent and snapped palm trees lined the beach where debris nearly covered the sand. Further inland, the bright green of overturned branches and pockets of downed trees gave the jungle an almost prismatic look.

    Above it all, the mountain was silent, sending not so much as a trail of smoke up into the sky. Still I committed its shape to memory, taking off for a quick flight around the island to memorize it from the air.

    There were still answers here, a nagging voice at the back of my mind told me. The murals in that ancient ruin were clearly from the Lost Era, but depicting a sort of harmonic relationship with Wrath, at least on this small, isolated island.

    I knew of demonic prominence then, the ruins in the mountains south of Navanaea had shown Seyari and I as much. And those strongly resembled Utraxia¡ªthough not an exact likeness. Did Lillith or Utraxia know of the exact relationship between demons and the Lost Era? Did the Church? Would my two allies¡ªpotential allies, for Utraxia¡¯s sake¡ªtell me? Was the Church obfuscating history?

    Perhaps if I could uncover some truth, I could halt the upcoming conflict the Church was bringing upon me. Or perhaps they knew and didn¡¯t care. And even if I could, how well could I communicate this to the people¡ªand would they care?

    Sometimes, I missed my naivete. Always thinking the best of people was still something I strived for, but it was no longer such a blind comfort.

    I landed just in time to see Nelys exit the cabin, closing the door carefully behind them.

    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked, taking one last look around my former home. With the past night¡¯s memories, this place didn¡¯t seem so stifling anymore. In fact, I think Sey would like the wind currents between ocean and mountain. And there might be a new sort of demonic beast to hunt together.

    ¡°Are you?¡±

    I looked down and got the feeling Nelys had said something else first. This time, I didn¡¯t fight the urge and patted them on the head, chuckling at their blushing, flustered look. ¡°Thanks for letting us stay the night. I think I needed it.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Their bright smile almost made me make the same mistake twice. ¡°But we need to get going now.¡±

    ¡°...I know.¡±

    Before long, I¡¯d turned my head to look one last time at the island in the distance, its mountain already a vague shadow in the humid haze. Below us, the ocean dipped and rose, brightening and darkening as reefs and shoals dotted the horizon with small, windswept islets.

    One in particular stood out: a large, ring-like atoll surrounded by a ring of deeper blue. Like the truncated remains of some ancient mountain.

    ¡°We can land on the atoll,¡± Nelys said. ¡°They¡¯ll know we¡¯re there.¡±

    ¡°Human or demon?¡± I asked back.

    They laughed, the sound bright and pure like I¡¯d not heard lately. ¡°Either!¡±

    ¡°Demon it is then!¡± I smiled my comfortable, razor-toothed smile and angled down for the atoll¡¯s shore.

 Interlude: Acylical

    A flash of pain. Darkness. Fire. Wrath.

    Confusion.

    Eyes snap open under a slate gray sky. Bleeding fingers dig furrows through ash-covered, half-frozen mud. Memories of battle war with memories of home, of expectations and¡­ mistakes.

    Lungs draw breath and sputter, choking on frigid, sulphurous air. Years of training kick in, then out. Clashing lives, spasming muscles, and a flash of flattened, de-barked trees. A desperate fight for air as face turns from sky to churned earth.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Strange weight, strange proportions. Familiar heavy heart filled with unfamiliar reasons. Half-remembered prayers to an uncertain god.

    Unanswered.

    The first damp patter of earth on a hollow coffin.

    A surge, heat, and the sky again. Limbs splayed, jaw slack, heart racing. Light fades, clouds clear, and stars look down through the gaps between light snow that hisses against burning skin, stings at the edges of now-healed limbs, alights on cold weights attached to the head.

    Memories strengthen, memories fade. Identity emerges.

    And with it, recollection. Death¡ªand no proper rebirth.

    Sylvia Frost, former High Priestess of Dhias, former human, screams until her throat gives out.