Page 11

Eleven

A zreth had never charged an enchantment before, but fortunately, it came naturally to him. It was like feeding in reverse. Raiya watched his hands as he worked on the bracelet, and there was a greedy glint in her eyes that he’d not seen in her before now. Ambition? Jealousy? Perhaps… admiration? A part of him was just relieved to see something other than quiet fear and resignation in her soul.

Her face was still flushed from earlier. His gaze dropped to her lips, which seemed plumper and redder than before. Her eyes darted up to his, and she shifted nervously when she realized she was being studied.

“Are mortals preferable to demons for feeding?” she asked. “Is that why your people come to Heilune? Because we… taste better?” She had many questions. The more time they spent together, the more she asked.

He turned the bracelet in his hands, wondering how he would know when it was finished charging. “They are preferable because they are soft and weak and easily frightened. Your plane is a feast for us.”

“We are not weak.”

He glanced at her.

“We’re not weak,” she repeated, narrowing her eyes.

He was surprised she was so defensive. She could see their physical differences just as easily as he could.

Then again, he wouldn’t like being called weak either, and he didn’t want to anger his only ally. He searched for a better way to put it.

“You are… not strong,” he said, then he realized that wasn’t quite right, either. There was more than one kind of strength. “Mortals are small and easy to break. They cannot put up much of a fight. It is different in the hells. We must fight every day in order to survive. That’s why many try to make their way here, even when it comes with great risk. That, and you taste better.” As he’d just discovered.

“Perhaps other demons would have an easier time if they all behaved like you. It isn’t so bad being fed from when you do it like that.”

He looked up at her so sharply that he almost dropped the bracelet. She gave a nervous smile and looked away, folding her arms tightly over her chest.

It isn’t so bad being fed from when you do it like that.

A hot emotion, alive and vibrating like buzzing insects, filled his chest.

“Perhaps,” he agreed. “Not everyone has such a willing donor on hand.”

The bracelet began to resist his magic, and he got the sense it had drunk its fill. He held it out to Raiya. The runes, which had been dark and difficult to make out, now gleamed with subtle blue-green light.

Her face lit up as she admired their combined work: her runes, and his magic. “Put it on.”

He almost did so, but stopped short. For all he knew, it could have been enchanted with a spell that killed whoever donned it. He held it out to her. “You, first.”

Her smile faded. She took the bracelet from him and slipped it over her wrist. “I can tell you are a man who does not trust easily, Azreth,” she said dryly. And then her skin turned the exact same blue as his own—mocking him. He recoiled slightly. He did not particularly like mortals, but he liked other demons even less. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how much he appreciated her wholly un-demonic appearance.

She continued to change. Her skin and hair flashed violet and red and green and every other color imaginable before finally returning to her natural appearance.

The illusion was simple, but effective. He had not seen this kind of spell before. Demon magic tended to be less subtle and more focused on potential for violence. “It changes your coloring,” he said.

“Yes, and it didn’t even strike me dead in the process.” She pulled it off and thrust it toward him.

The bracelet was dainty and narrow. Feeling overlarge and oafish, he carefully bent the stiff metal until it opened wide enough to fit around his wrist, then bent it closed again. He sensed the magic activate somehow, as though it knew he was there and was awaiting his instruction.

He glanced up at Raiya, using her as a reference. With a projection of his will, he changed his skin and hair to the same tones as hers—pale brown and black. He willed his horns away too, though it made him feel oddly naked. He tried to make himself smaller, but nothing happened. He’d reached the limits of the spell, apparently.

“Your eyes,” Raiya reminded him.

He looked into her own eyes, studying the way her pupils darted with each shift in her attention. He gave himself her eyes—white with deep, dark centers ringed in a shining umber that reminded him of a pretty geode he’d once found.

She gave him her blanket to drape around his shoulders like a mantle, too, because apparently mortals considered it strange to leave one’s torso uncovered.

* * *

If someone had asked Azreth yesterday whether he could ever pass for something even vaguely resembling a human man, he would have scoffed.

The first time they crossed someone on the road after he’d donned his disguise, he was certain they would be caught, but the traveler just gave him an odd look as they went by.

Raiya was taking him to a human city called Ontag-ul, where she said she might find information on how to remove the binding runes on his hand. It was, unfortunately, several days away on foot. He could have flown them there faster, but summoning wings drained him, and it would draw unwanted attention.

Whenever he wasn’t anxiously scanning the plains for danger, he was anxiously watching the mortal woman. She often shivered, pulling her cloak closer around herself. The yellow sun was bright here, but the air was as clear and cool as the water that filled the rivers and ponds. The cold was unforgiving.How long could mortals go without seeking refuge indoors? Would she grow ill if he kept her outdoors too long?

“Are you well?” he asked once after watching her put her hands to her red cheeks to try to warm them.

Her lips tilted into a smirk. “I’m well and strong. Don’t think of betraying me. I will destroy you.”

He sensed she was mocking him again, but he couldn’t be certain, and he didn’t want to make a fool of himself by asking her.

It was not long before he began catching glimpses of movement in the hills around them. Raiya did not seem to notice.

“We are being followed,” he told her.

He half expected her to explain that this was a normal feature of her land, and that perhaps it was usual for other humans to follow each other like this, because she always seemed to have an explanation for everything. But when he spoke, she looked alarmed.

He moved closer to her, scanning the hills to count the approaching figures. If it was her husband coming to get her, he would protect her as he’d promised.

But Azreth didn’t see Nirlan among them as the figures came closer. It was a group of humans riding on large, four-legged beasts with antlers, which shocked him. The kin never had such close contact with animals unless they were fighting. But these antlered creatures and the humans appeared friendly with each other.

There were half a dozen of them approaching, towering on their mounts. They wore bright silver armor, and hanging from their belts were swords, daggers, and quivers of arrows.

“Paladins,” Raiya told him. “Followers of the god of justice, Paladius. They hunt demons, among other things.”

He’d heard of them. Many of the mortal slaves in the hells had once been itinerant knights of their god Paladius. They wandered the planes searching for monsters to kill or mortals to rescue.

But here, the Paladins were in familiar territory. He suspected they would prove more formidable than they did in the hells.

“I know what they are,” he said. He touched her arm, pulling her to a stop.

She peered up at him, suspicious. “What are you going to do?”

He just arched an eyebrow at her, because he assumed it was obvious. This was different from the farmhouse. These Paladins were armed and clearly had ill intent. How did she expect him to defend her and leave their enemies unharmed at the same time?

“Azreth, don’t do anything rash. Paladins fight for good. They help people.” She winced slightly, then added, “Supposedly. They are capable of seeing reason. If we can convince them you don’t mean anyone harm, they won’t hurt you. Maybe they could even help us. Don’t do anything until I say so.”

He bristled. “You do not command me.”A part of him wondered if she would betray him to them. It was possible that allying with a demon hadn’t been all she’d hoped for.Maybe these Paladins were better equipped to help her.

She quickly amended the order, grasping his arm gently. The touch sent a nervous prickle over his skin. “I’m asking you. As a favor. Please don’t hurt anyone.”

She was desperate again, like she’d been with the family in the farmhouse, her eyes wide and shining. It was an expression he’d only seen on her face when she was worried for someone else. Mortals cared for each other in a way kin didn’t. Or at least, Raiya did.

Something twisted in his chest. When she begged him like this, like it was something important to her and he was the only one who could help, he felt an alarming desire to obey her.

He had to think rationally: she understood this land, and he didn’t. He should accept her guidance. He wasn’t foolish enough to make the same mistake twice.

So he turned to face the Paladins, his arms at his sides in a nonthreatening posture.

That lasted about two minutes.

To be fair to Raiya, she could not have known that these particular Paladins had been bought and sent by Lord Han-gal, and were not simply a wandering patrol.

She was in the middle of trying to negotiate with them when Azreth spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked up just in time to see an archer in the distance and an arrow already in flight.

He spun, pushing Raiya down and stepping in front of her. She made a startled sound as he caught the arrow in midair just before it hit him. A rank, metallic scent hit his nose, and he scowled, looking down at the arrowhead. Iron, of course.

One of the Paladins urged his mount forward and sped toward Azreth, his sword swinging low. Azreth sidestepped him, grabbing the man by his gauntlet and yanking him off his mount. He took hold of the collar of the man’s cuirass with one hand, grabbed the base of the cuirass with the other, and smoothly used the momentum of the fall to fling the man twenty strides down the road. The sword nicked him in the process. He winced, looking down at the angry, dark slice in his forearm. Iron again.

He let his glamour fade. The mortals balked at the sight of him, even though they’d already guessed what he was, but they recovered composure quickly. They surrounded him, but they only attacked him from behind, so he was constantly spinning to fend off attacks. It was still not much of a fight. He evaded their iron weapons and took them down one at a time, knocking out some with his fists and kicking or throwing others.

After the blows stopped coming, he looked for Raiya and spotted her on the side of the road. He drew in a sharp breath. She was prone in the dirt, and a Paladin was on top of her, his arm locked around her neck, strangling her. Her skinny fingers clawed at his arm without effect, and the Paladin kept squeezing.The armored man was so much bigger than she was. How much pressure could her body take? How long could she go without air? Did he know he might kill her?

Of course he did. He had chosen to attack Raiya instead of Azreth because she was the smaller opponent. He had jumped at the chance to hurt someone who wouldn’t be able to stop him.

Azreth’s vision tunneled. He crossed the road rapidly, and the man looked up in surprise. He started to scramble up, reaching for his sword. Raiya gasped, sagging to the ground.

Azreth grabbed the Paladin and lifted him off his feet before he could move.It was as easy for him to kill the Paladin as it had been for the Paladin to attack Raiya. It was fitting, he thought, as he crushed the Paladin’s chest and back between his palms. The man wheezed as his ribs snapped and caved in. The rich smell of fresh blood filled the air.

As Azreth dropped the Paladin’s mangled corpse, Raiya stared up at him in horror, touching her throat. Her cheeks were speckled with red blood—not her own.

He paused for the first time since the fight had started, watching her face. Was she hurt? He began to reach for her, but she recoiled. Something inside him withered.

Setting his jaw, he turned to scan the road. There was only one Paladin left. The one Raiya had tried to negotiate with—he’d heard the man call himself Adamus—was standing a little farther down the road, watching them nervously.

When Azreth started toward him, Adamus quickly dropped his sword and held up his hands in surrender, which surprised him. But these Paladins were clearly not above deception—not that he could blame them, but it made them difficult to trust.

Azreth took him by the collar and picked him up off the ground. The Paladin made a short, choked noise before putting on a mask of calm. His face was unlined and slightly rounded with youth. His skin was pale and his hair was a light yellow-brown, anemic-looking, and Azreth wondered if he was unhealthy or if this was just his natural color.

The man closed his eyes and began reciting something under his breath. He was speaking to his deity. Or, trying to. “Lord Paladius, I thank you for allowing me the honor of dying in your service. I return my body happily to Mother Astra, knowing I have done your will in fighting evil…”

He didn’t sound happy. Did mortals lie to their gods as much as they lied to each other?

Azreth could hear Raiya getting up and running to him, probably meaning to stop him from killing the Paladin. He exhaled softly in frustration.

He didn’t like how he’d felt when she’d looked at him with fear and disgust. He didn’t want her to look at him that way again. So instead of killing Adamus, he looked to Raiya, waiting for her to decide what they should do with him.

The Paladin proceeded to give several verbose but meaningless apologies, and then after very little discussion, Raiya sent him on his way, unharmed. Azreth couldn’t believe it.

“Is this normal on your plane, to simply release enemies just because they ask for it?” he asked flatly, watching Paladin Adamus disappear down the road.

Raiya shrugged one shoulder. “Sometimes, if they’ve surrendered. It’s considered dishonorable to execute someone after they throw down their weapons. There are certain rules for conflict.”

“Rules? Who makes the rules?”

“No one, I suppose. It’s about honor, like I said.”

He understood that word, honor , but it was a mortal concept. In the hells, there was only individual survival by whatever means necessary. His people weren’t tied to each other by a shared sense of duty and pride.

If those Paladins had really been honorable, they wouldn’t have attacked Raiya, and they wouldn’t have sent a sharpshooter to try to kill him. They wouldn’t have attacked without provocation.

It was a silly concept. It seemed designed to punish people who were truthful and merciful, and reward those who weren’t.

Raiya was looking at him, as if trying to guess what he was thinking. Did she consider herself honorable? Did she think that he was not?

“I suppose it’s different in the hells,” she said finally. She sounded sad.

“In the hells, no one would bother to ask for mercy, because no one would ever grant it.”

There was a soft sound—hooves scuffing the ground. The Paladins had left behind their animals, and now they stood alert in the grass on the edge of the road. They were very still, their heads raised as they watched him.

They were tall and cervine, long antlers topping long heads perched on long necks. The antlers made him wary. But their white fur looked like it would be soft and pleasant to touch. Instead of running or attacking, they waited, as if they still expected riders.

They were so calm. He’d never seen such tame animals before.

Something about them drew him in. He approached the closest one slowly, hand raised to touch it. But as soon as he came near, it scrambled away, kicking up a cloud of dirt. The entire group started, edging a little farther down the road. Azreth lowered his hand, frowning. He could have caught it if he’d chased it—but that wouldn’t have been the same, would it?

Raiya came to stand beside him, tilting her head at him. “Do you… like animals?”

Did he?

Do you like…? It was such a mortal question.

What did he like? He liked things that didn’t kill him, and things that fed him. Was there more to it than that? What else mattered?

He thought about how he’d imagined it would feel to touch the animal’s fur. He’d hoped it was soft. He’d hoped the creature would look at him calmly, as if they were allies. He liked the idea of those things. Maybe he did like animals, then, when they weren’t trying to devour him. Maybe he just liked soft things.

He thought of the softness of Raiya’s hair when stray locks had brushed against him. He thought about the warm weight of her in his lap.

There was a scrape and a smear of dirt on her cheek where someone had shoved her face into the ground, but she smiled at him, still in good spirits.

He avoided her question. “Are they in danger here without their riders? Will something kill them if they’re left alone?”

“Possibly.” She gave them a thoughtful look, then looked up at him, perceptive. “You want to protect them.” From someone in the hells, it would have been an accusation, but from her, it sounded like praise.

“Yes,” he admitted.

“Why?”

There was no rational reason for it. He didn’t have a good excuse to give her. “They’re peaceful.”

She just nodded in agreement. “We’ll take care of them.”

Raiya went to gather the animals. She approached them calmly, slowing when they shied away, and when she raised her hand to stroke their faces, they didn’t run. Azreth felt a pang of envy.

They allowed her to pick up their tethers and lead them. Soon, she had all of them following behind her, and she came back to where Azreth waited.

“Thank you,” she said, surprising him. “For defending me.”

If he had upset her before, she didn’t hold a grudge. And for some reason, that made him feel relieved. “We have an alliance,” he said.