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Chapter One

Three large demon portals made of thick, swirling black smoke appeared in the center of the city park. Hundreds of fighters from the werewolf, mage, dragon, hybrid, and elf clans surrounded the portal, some shifted, some with weapons, and all on high alert.

Tensions ran high as we waited for the enemy to come out of the portal, to begin this war that we had tried so hard to avoid and dreaded for so long. This is where it would all be decided. This is where the battle for the worlds would end.

From the center portal, the Grand Advisor with a strange staff walked out with Jolmach, King of the Demons at his side. Behind them a wooden cart pulled by two oxen-looking demons carrying my parents, bound in chains, were the first ones to exit from the demon world.

My eyes focused on King Jolmach, Jol as I called him. He wore his full armor, his helmet covering his face and blocking his eyes from me, but I could tell he was not the Jol I had known during my stay. The Grand Advisor had brainwashed him once again and he would not view me as the friend that I was right now. I dreaded facing off against him during this battle. If he hurt me seriously, he would not forgive himself, and I didn’t want to hurt him either, which would make for an intense and difficult fight.

The humanoid demon fighters that had been the hardest to fight last time we had faced them exited two by two out of the side portals. I realized then that they were the members of Jol’s Council. The ones I had spoken to when I had met the Grand Advisor. That all felt like a hundred years ago now.

Five bull-headed demons walked out of the center portal behind Jol and the Grand Advisor, stationing themselves behind them with their axes in their hands, a ready expression on their faces.

Those on our side tensed and waited anxiously for what was to come. Would there be a battle, bloodshed, and possibly death? Or could I still prevent it somehow?

Leona whistled high and loud, the note making me, and most nearby, cringe. Once it ended, the Grand Advisor’s fake appearance disappeared and his true one remained.

I stood alone, front and center, waiting to speak on our behalf and to try to prevent what had been foreseen. Especially the most recent one I’d had. Mason flew overhead, but quickly landed on my shoulder, tensed and ready to protect me if necessary.

Grandpa Nico, King of the Mages, teleported next to me, his staff in his hand. “Greetings, you must be one of my long lost brothers,” he said to the Grand Advisor in a pleasant tone.

The Grand Advisor scowled. “What are you talking about?”

Jol turned to look at the Grand Advisor and growled. “What is this? Where are your horns?”

“He has none,” I announced. “Because he is not a demon. This is his true form.”

The Grand Advisor’s eyes widened when he realized what had happened. “Will you remove my curse, or shall I remove your parents’ heads?” he asked me.

Every single one of our fighters growled at the threat against my parents, myself included.

“You would be wise not to threaten them when surrounded by their family and clan,” I said, and started forward. “I will remove your curse, if you agree to release my parents.”

“I am a man of my word,” he said.

That was a lie that I didn’t even need to feel or smell to know.

“I will come forward to remove the curse,” I said. “I must be near you to do it. Plus, I want to confirm the two in the cart are actually my parents and not a trick.”

He waved at me like a bored king. “Come. Let’s get this over with.”

I looked at Jol, but he was focused on Grandpa Nico. Why wouldn’t he even look at me?

It was likely because he realized that Grandpa Nico was the larger threat, which both irritated and made sense to me.

As I approached the cart, I realized there was another person inside, laying on their back … Talrinir. She was unconscious and I worried dead, but I couldn’t run to check on her.

“Dad?” I asked both mentally and aloud.

“It’s me and your mother,” he responded mentally and aloud as well.

Our mental connection wasn’t very strong, but since I was part of the hybrids, it did exist.

Mom looked towards me and nodded once to let me know she was okay, even though they had a gag in her mouth. It made sense, since she was part siren. But, so was Dad, or did they not know that?

“The woman in the cart?” I asked mentally to Dad.

“Alive, but sedated.”

“She’s a friend.”

“Understood,” he replied and dipped his head once.

“The pup?”

“At the castle. Locked up,” Mom replied.

“Are you satisfied?” the Grand Advisor asked, sounding irritated by my delay.

Why would he have left Dhun locked up at the castle? Was he afraid he would help us somehow? He was only one hellhound after all, albeit a tenacious little pup, but still.

I turned and looked at Jol again, but he was still solely focused on Grandpa Nico.

“Yes,” I said. “Now, I will remove your curse.” Striding forward, I released my powers, allowing the shadow snake out.

She slid along my shoulders, her tongue darting out to test the air for magic and potential threats.

Our thoughts were fully focused on the Grand Advisor and my plan.

If this didn’t work, we would have to go with one of our other backup plans. Some of them I was really, really hoping to avoid using as they meant things had gotten very screwed up.

Standing before the Grand Advisor, I didn’t miss the sneer he gave before going back to scowling. He was convinced he was winning already. I didn’t like that. I didn’t like that one bit.

“Here is the promised mana stone with my magic in it,” I said, and held it out.

He held out his open palm and I dropped it in it. A wide smile crossed his face as he gripped it tight, but then he smoothed his features out so quickly I thought I might have imagined it.

“To remove the curse, the snake has to bite you, so please stay still,” I said calmly as the shadow snake flared her hood and hissed, showing off a bit.

He dipped his head. “I shall stay still.”

“Withdraw,” I ordered her. Subconsciously, I made sure to order that she only withdraw the pain curse and left the infection curse as it was.

She struck immediately, biting into the side of his neck, and removed the tiny bit of shadow power that was the pain curse. Done, she released her hold and moved back to my shoulders.

The Grand Advisor sagged forward, gasping in a shuddering breath, then straightened with a smile. “The pain is gone! Finally!”

With a deep breath, I drew Mason’s sword from where it was hidden on my back, and swung it with all my might, the blade arcing to slice his head from his neck.

Before my blade could find purchase, my vision went dark and when I blinked again, I was on my back. Jol stood over me, his foot on my chest and club hovering above my head. Dad had a sword at Jol’s neck and Zoman had a sword at Dad’s neck.

“How disappointing,” the Grand Advisor said with a deep sigh. “I thought perhaps we could come to some peaceful resolution, but clearly I was mistaken.”

“You are mistaken,” I wheezed. “You have used your powers, your hybrid siren powers of this world, to take over a world that is not yours, to manipulate and brainwash the demons. As Princess of the Hybrids and Demons, I will remove you from my peoples’ worlds permanently. That is the only resolution in your future.” Softening my voice I said, “Jol, look at me. Jol, you can break his hold over you. You can remove the mind-altering spell the Grand Advisor placed in your brain.”

Jol’s eyes moved down until they met mine, though his head did not move, and he said, “He has opened my mind, shown me how you have manipulated us. You are the enemy.”

“You are sworn to protect the royal bloodline!” I snapped. “I am Princess Liliana Rubyserpent, a descendent of Third to Reign. I am your royal princess. You are sworn to protect me. Now, remove your foot and set aside your club!”

Jol scowled a moment, my words registering with the vow, connecting with the part of him that even the Grand Advisor’s brainwashing could not touch.

The shadow snake appeared, flared her hood, and hissed at him. Dark shadows spread from me, covering the ground beneath me, Jol, Zoman, and Dad.

Zoman’s eyes widened and he took a hesitant step back.

Jol’s eyes pinched in pain and he put a hand to his head before stumbling back several steps away from me, his club lowered.

“Do not listen to her!” Grand Advisor yelled and started to whistle.

Dad grabbed me and teleported us next to Grandpa Nico, who stood beside Mom and Talrinir, who was, thankfully, looking well except for a bump on her head.

Talrinir hugged me and I hugged her back. “I’m sorry you were hurt because of me,” I whispered, but the Grand Advisor’s whistle grew louder and caused extreme pain that made me clutch my head.

His whistle was cut off as Dad, Nana Jolie, and Great Aunt Leona all began to sing the same song, their voices carrying over the entire field.

Goosebumps broke out all over my body at their beautiful and terrifying song. Images began to flit across my vision. Images of the demons uniting with those of our world, all of us living happily together, while the Grand Advisor was chained and killed.

Dad’s voice grew louder and a new vision played, one of Jol and I wearing crowns and standing before happy and healthy demons at houses in a dark forest, houses built by the hybrids.

“No!” Grand Advisor screamed and shattered the visions.

It was too late, though. Jol was free of the Grand Advisor’s hold. He roared and shook his head. “How dare you! You used us! Manipulated us!”

The Grand Advisor backpedaled, heading at an angle away from the portals. “I protected you! Your land was ravaged, dead, and your people on the verge of extinction!”

“Lies!” I shouted. “You destroyed the land to coincide with your lies, with the diatribe you were spewing to make yourself seem important.”

“There is a section of the land, hidden by wards, that is thriving. Your land isn’t dead or dying. We can help you revive it,” Dad announced.

“I already started! I brought two plants to life with just a bit of water and sunlight,” I added.

“You are hereby banished from the demon world and your title is removed!” Jol bellowed.

A bright red burst of magic surged out of one of the portals and hit the Grand Advisor in the chest. He gasped and clutched at the spot, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water as he tried to breathe.