Page 18 of Once Upon a Demon’s Heart
Chapter Ten
ALIRA
The wind dies down as we reach the border between Devicit and Alzhor—an entire week of travel through the grueling cold wears down your soul. Although I’m not sure many places can be more dreadful than the valley of the Fallen Ridge.
Blood was spilled on these grounds from both armies—the red-and-gold-imbued ground discloses as much.
Kalel’s army seems glum as we pass through. Their eyes linger on the broken flag stakes that were driven into the ground during the battle.
It still looks so fresh. Frozen in time until spring will thaw it.
I remember our leading general telling us about this particular battle in a war briefing six months ago.
Our forces held this border for a few weeks, but we were no match for the sheer number of demons.
Part of me thinks that King Borlin was holding out in hopes that the gods would refute the spilling of so much deity blood, but they stayed silent.
They never came. Many of our knights lost what little hope they had left when their prayers were left unanswered.
This was one of the few battles that King Borlin did not send me on. I was to remain in our kingdom and protect the castle in case of a secret raid.
My shoulders slump at the weight of death that hangs in the air here.
It’s rumored that deity blood will stain the land it is spilt on. In small instances of death, it goes unnoticed, but this is something entirely different. I’ve never felt so sick to my stomach before. The horses trample small, wilted flowers as we pass through. Peonies.
Tessa pulls her horse close to ours. “Kalel, we should stay at the battlefront camp until the coming storm passes.”
Kalel considers her briefly and then curtly nods.
He really doesn’t speak much, especially while on horseback. Which is a small blessing I genuinely appreciate. The rides are long, but at least I get to remain in my mind prison for most of the day.
The horses walk across the bloodied field until we reach the opposite end on Devicitian territory, finally crossing the border of the holy lands.
Strange, though, there are no bodies of demigods left behind like I had expected there to be. There wasn’t time for King Borlin to retrieve his fallen army, not when the demons had already run them out. So where are their bodies?
Kalel halts his horse as shouting erupts from the back of the line. A pulse of fear shoots through the air—sticky like pine sap on the tongue. It’s a signature fear scent of the demons, and to say that it puts horror into your chest like quick rot is an understatement.
It’s the kind of scent you experience once and never forget.
Their essence lashes out like a solar flare, striking every living being in a perimeter to let them know that something awful is coming.
It’s a scent I associate with killing them.
Their fear hits your very soul and you can never forget it.
Kalel lets out a growl of distress that slips into my veins. “Tessa, keep an eye on her,” he snaps, leaving me atop his horse and taking off toward the back of the group to see what the commotion is.
Tessa eyes me like she actually thinks I might run away. Which, in any other predicament, I most certainly would. But Kalel is the only saving grace my kingdom has left. Where do they honestly think I’d go?
Kalel’s horse stomps his hoof and starts nodding its head like it wants to buck me off its back.
“Whoa, it’s okay,” I murmur as I slide off the tall black stallion and pat his neck to soothe him.
The horse grunts and tilts its head away from me like it can’t stand the idea of me touching it without Kalel nearby.
I purse my lips at the creature’s indifference toward me. “What’s going on back there?”
“I’m not sure.” Her eyes linger over the heads of the knights as they continue to move toward the back to help.
“The horse is responding to the fear scent, but he’s also just a grumpy beast. You’re lucky he even tolerates your presence.
He kicked Princess Helen off when she tried to acquaint herself with him.
” Tessa changes the subject. She smiles at the memory, making me think she doesn’t like the princess very much.
“I didn’t know the Demon King had a daughter,” I mutter as I move a few steps further from the horse. Just in case it tries kicking me.
Tessa hops down beside me. “Not a daughter—it’s his sister. She was after Kalel’s heart for a few years, but he wasn’t interested in her. He’s never been particularly interested in anyone.” She says the last part with an odd tone that is implying.
I stare at her with tired eyes, not too interested in Kalel’s admirers.
“Helen shouldn’t be a problem, but you should know she’s no stranger to having people murdered.” At least Tessa is thoughtful enough to warn me.
It’s not the first time I’ve heard of royalty using their assassins for personal gain.
I nod. “Thanks for the heads up. Anything else I should know?”
Tessa shakes her head. “Kalel will tell you everything there is, I’m sure. I shouldn’t have even mentioned Helen, please don’t bring it up to him.” She looks away toward the destroyed fields.
“Did you fight here, lieutenant?” I ask, shifting the subject to something other than Kalel. He seems to be the topic of everything and I’m eager to learn more about the others around me instead.
The golden scales tracing her hairline shimmer with a warm hue for only a moment as her eyes soften on the distant trees with sorrow. “I did.”
The shouting from the back of the line increases and draws our attention back to the knights below. What on earth is?—
No.
Dire wolves.
The knights have dispersed and are trying to chase away huge creatures that crash into the groups of horses and try breaking carriages apart. Specifically, the one carrying the demigod captives.
The demigods kept as leverage escape from the caged wagons the wolves pushed over and disperse rapidly.
Some make it to the tree line quickly and others fight for their lives against the beasts.
Fresh blood quickly curls in the winter air.
I search frantically for Hans, the attendant King Borlin appointed to join us to confirm our vows once we reach Devicit.
I don’t find him among the torn-up demigods. A small reprieve, but my stomach curls at the carnage that has unfolded in a matter of moments.
My heart leaps into my throat and my hand instinctively shoots to my side to grab my sword. But it’s not there, I forgot they took it away from me on the first day.
I can’t be weaponless out here. Not with dire wolves.
I’m practically a beacon for them. They can smell demigod blood from miles away.
It’s sweet to them, like nectar of eternal honey.
We eradicated them in our territory long ago, but I didn’t know they still lived in Devicitian forests.
Why are all beasts of this world after our holy blood? I bury my teeth into my lower lip.
Kalel shouts as he impales a dire wolf in the back before it can catch a small framed demigod. It whirls on the commander furiously. The beast is at least three times his size and his crystal sword seems to have barely inflicted any damage at all.
“Dire wolves?” Tessa mutters in disbelief, arming herself before she’s about to charge down to the field to help.
She stops on her right foot and glances back at me.
Her eyes quickly finding my empty hands.
“ Gods ,” she curses, reluctantly unsheathing her dagger with one sharp jerk of her arm.
“Do not make me regret giving you this.”
Tessa shoves the blade into my hands. I blink at her, shocked, but grateful.
She doesn’t bother waiting for a thank you. She sprints off down the field and rushes to help the few remaining demigods left. They’re cowering behind Kalel and his four strongest knights.
My jaw slacks. It’s unheard of to hold off an entire pack of dire wolves when demigod blood has been spilt. They will pursue it to no end—a hunger so deep that they are willing to die to quench it.
Kalel’s eyes flick to mine, hard-set and narrowed with fury and confusion for the dire wolves’ appearance.
It occurs to me just as I feel the vibration of the ground behind me that the demons might not know about the lure the beasts have to our golden veins.
That the aftermath of the battle here may have drawn them from the deepest parts of the forest.
Kalel’s gaze widens and he lets out a piercing shout before teeth clamp down around my entire chest.
One thought rings through my mind. Perhaps through the universe.
A prayer, but not to the cruel gods.
Please don’t let me die, Kalel.