Page 8 of A Demon’s Resolve (Demonic Tales and Adventures #3)

CHAPTER 8

Kian winced as his mind fought through the cloud that surrounded it, trying to pull him back from the blackness just below the surface. Something in his gut told him to fight it but the battle to do so quickly drained his already weakened state.

Concentrating, Kian’s mind paid attention to each part of his body for injury. What he did notice was he was lying down on something hard, rough, and cold. With Herculean effort, he finally forced his lids to crack open. At first, he might have imagined opening them as darkness greeted him.

Slowly, breathing in and out, he lay there just listening for any sounds. Still nothing.

Letting out a small groan, he decided sleep was much easier to deal with than this. A part laugh and moan spilled softly from his lips, for all Kian knew, he was already sleeping. Possibly a new twist on the usual nightmares. It was so easy to let the lure of unconsciousness pull him in.

No. You have to wake up.

He jerked awake again as Kian recognized that voice. It had been pushing him the past couple of weeks to do things Kian had never imagined possible.

Danara?

Nothing. Typical. Stupid queen only talked when it suited her. Kian’s mind struggled to remember what had happened. It was because of Danara he’d stabbed Alec’s hand into Kian’s side – forcing their blood to mix. Is that what happened? Was he just waking up from that debilitating experience?

Wait. No .

Memories flooded his mind from the horrors Kian had endured as his body had basically exploded into its tiniest component, individual atoms. The sensation of his body being ripped apart and dispersed into nothingness had been bad enough, but to go through each elemental state had Kian praying for death.

Anything would have been better than what he’d been forced to bear. It was the fire that had been the worst. The heat had consumed until he was sure there would be nothing more than ash. But it had worked. Kian had survived to become just like Alec – a demon.

Stupidly, Kian assumed once he’d come out the other side the problems with the Demon Council would be over. Boy, had he been wrong. They’d had the nerve to demand his presence the moment he’d woken from the ordeal to face them with the intent of having him executed.

That Kian done it to help save the demon’s humanity didn’t seem to matter to certain members of the Council. Thankfully, with a little help from Aticus, their leader, Kian’s life had been spared.

Those who had supported Kian and Alec, threw a party to celebrate. Both them had been touched but if only wanting to be alone with Alec, Kian resented it. In fact, they’d made a plan to leave, so how had…

Visola .

Kian’s eyes flew open. It was still pitch dark but Kian knew he was very much awake.

Visola had begged Kian to meet her fiancé behind the elementary school. Kian remembered not trusting the woman but…

That’s when it hit him. Brant. He’d been there…waiting.

Leaning up onto an elbow, Kian looked around. Not able to see anything, he rolled over, which was when he caught sight of a sliver of light along the ground. Kian squinted, concentrating on that light. A door, the light came through the bottom but nowhere else. It took several minutes for his eyes adjust to it enough to see the room…no, not a room but a…Was it a cave? It appeared to be completely bare and made of stone, which would explain the hard, rough, cold floor.

Sitting up, Kian almost dropped back down as a woozy feeling washed over him. Oh God, I’m going to be sick. Taking deep breaths, he bent his head down willing the feeling to go away.

How had Brant gotten Kian there? More importantly, where was this place? Knowing Alec could read Kian’s feelings, he let himself feel the fear that was creeping inside, crashing through his entire being.

The door slammed open, flooding the room with light.

“Don’t bother,” Brant sneered triumphantly. “Until I want him to feel you, he can’t.” Brant stood towering in the door with a wicked gleam in his eyes that sent fear snaking through his veins at what Brant planned to do. “Although the fear is very justified.” His words dripped with the relish of causing panic.

“Where am I?” Kian might not be able to control the feelings but he’d be damned if he would give into them and let Brant see them. There was no doubt what he was going to do so he wasn’t going to roll over and take it.

“Tibet.”

That one word made him more afraid than anything else. If Brant didn’t care Kian knew where they were, he knew Alec couldn’t find him. As far as Brant was concerned, there was no way Kian was going to be rescued. Was there a chance of never seeing Alec again? Despite all he’d been through, Kian despaired of ever getting his happy ending.

“Why?” It didn’t really matter but Kian would stand his ground against the monster until his last breath.

Brant’s laugh was spine chilling. The evil demon stepped in the room, not stopping until they were a foot apart. Leaning down with his face just inches from Kian’s, Brant grinned maniacally. His eyes could only be described as dead, chilling Kian to the core. As if knowing his thoughts, Brant maliciously said, “Because I can.”

Without another word, he straightened and strode to the door. “I have a few more barriers to put up so you will be given a small respite. The fun will start shortly though.” He slammed the door closed before Kian heard a bolt being thrown into place.

Tears came unbidden to fall down his cheeks leaving streaks.

Stop it - you have to fight him.

Kian ignored Danara, especially when the former queen of the demons was only speaking to him when it suited her, instead of explaining what it all meant.

Hadn’t he been through enough? Kian was tired of fighting only to be put into another impossible situation. No. There was just no strength to keep battling for the right to live. Instead, he lay back down on the hard rock and gave in to the despair.

Really? Danara yelled with a growl in her voice. You’re just going to give up on being with Alec after all you’ve been through?

Was he?

Kian didn’t have an answer. Then again, what was the point? No matter what he did, nothing ever turned out as planned. Life always seemed to find glee in kicking him down whenever he managed to stand on his own. It was time to admit he wasn’t capable of finding that elusive happily ever after.

You must stop this. Danara’s voice was harsh in Kian’s head.

Leave me alone, he bemoaned in his head. Kian just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

I will not leave you alone. Are you really this weak? I thought you were tough enough to handle being a demon, but maybe I was wrong. Danara’s voice was harsh, but it did the trick.

Sitting back up resolutely, Kian knew one thing, he’d never backed down from a challenge and there was no way he would start now.

Right. You are stronger than that, Danara encouraged.

The pep talk was helping, although Kian didn’t see how it was going to help him out of this mess. No matter what Kian did, Brant was going to kill him. Not just kill him but beating him until Kian begged for death, all the while letting Alec feel the pain Brant was intent on inflicting.

Stop it. Danara’s tone was like a slap in the face and Kian didn’t appreciate it.

Would you shut up? He was scared, something the unfeeling queen probably never knew a day in her life. Why should I listen to you, anyway?

Because I am the one who warned you to change into a demon before this happened. The voice sounded exasperated, kind of like an ‘I told you so’.

You knew he was going to kidnap me and you didn’t tell me that? Pissed, Kian wanted nothing more than to kick the first queen’s ass.

Like you could. The voice in his head taunted.

Frustration built until Kian had to move or scream. Pacing the length of the room, he started to feel a little bit better. Trying to stay calm, he asked, So why didn’t you tell me I was about to be kidnapped?

Because it was necessary for it to happen in order for Brant to be stopped. The tone Danara was using gave Kian the impression the queen didn’t think Kian was very smart, which only ticked him off more.

“Stopped?” he screeched out loud. “In case you missed it, he did kidnap me.” God, it was maddening talking with someone he couldn’t see.

This is not about you. Danara sounded pissed at Kian. This is about demon kind. Brant must be killed and you must do your part.

My part? If that meant dying, he was going to kick the queen’s ass in the afterlife. The bitch let Kian be kidnapped to die. He was a fool to have believed her just because she was the first queen.

Quit being so melodramatic. You are not going to die as long as you fight.

Fight? Right - like he could fight a 200 pound demon with the power of the elements. What was Kian supposed to do, kick him in the shin? He would laugh at the feeble attempts to fight him off.

That might be true if you were human.

Kian abruptly stopped pacing.

I’m a demon. This time, he was talking to himself instead of Danara. Hope flickered within him like a small flame in the breeze; alive, but barely. Soon, that flame grew as hope bloomed even brighter. It was going to take strength to get through this but Kian would find a way to win in the end.