by Lexi C. Foss
I didn’t argue, finding my clothes and pulling them on in a similar fashion to him. He disappeared into his closet, the sound of beeps following, before he returned with a set of knives.
“You have an armory in Adrik’s flat?” I asked, somehow surprised and yet not at the same time.
“Pairs well with the demon alarm system,” he replied, strapping a few knives onto his belt and sheathing them in pockets. “Let’s go.”
We started toward the living area when a thump against the front door had Grigory pausing midstep. “Fuck.”
“We know you’re in there, Your Highness. We just want to talk.” A loud voice boomed from the other side.
“Yeah, I’m sure you do,” Grigory muttered, stealing the words from my mind. He glanced at me. “Hide in the kitchen and be prepared for a fight.”
I twirled the throwing daggers against my fingers. “On it.”
His lips twitched at the little show, then a regal mask fell over his features as he prepared to address the demons.
I followed him into the foyer before ducking into the kitchen, which was off to the side of the entry. Once he was comfortable with my position, he opened the door and casually propped his shoulder up against the door frame. “Morning. Can I help you with something?” he asked, his tone all royal arrogance, yet his aura glimmered with red tones.
They’re bowing, Grigory informed me. But it lacks passion. And I don’t recognize the men.
I can’t see their auras, I told him. My position in the kitchen left me only the view of him in the doorway.
“Your princess requests your return,” one of the males said from the hallway.
“My princess?” Grigory sounded amused and glanced toward me. “Zay, baby, you want to go back to Noxia Kingdom?”
“Not really,” I told him.
Grigory shrugged. “Yeah, I think you’re misinformed. And I’m sorry; I didn’t catch your name.”
“Princess Napia requests your return,” the male reiterated.
“Princess Napia,” Grigory repeated. “Odd, I don’t recall making her a Princess of Noxia. Did our wedding go ahead without me? Because I know she was trying to move up the date without my acquiescence. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if she went to the altar without me by her side.”
“Sir, we’re under orders by Queen Lux and Princess Napia to bring you home. We kindly request that you come with us.”
“And I kindly request that you fuck off,” Grigory drawled. “The answer is no.” He went to shut the door, but a black boot appeared, stopping him.
“I can’t let you do that, sir.”
“If you value your life, you will remove your foot and be on your way,” Grigory warned.
The boot remained, causing the tension in the air to spike.
Zay, they’re about to—
A hum of electricity singed the air, followed by a crack as Grigory’s fist shot forward. Shouts ensued, and the energy in the apartment sizzled and popped.
I was moving in the next second, my knife flying as one of the guards tried to shove Grigory up against the wall with some sort of gadget against his throat. Grigory growled, the sound so menacing I nearly froze, but another demon shot through the doorway, coming right at me with a similar device.
My throwing blade sailed into the space between his eyes, sending him to the floor beside his buddy, who had received my other knife to his back.
It all happened so fast, in the span of a handful of breaths, and we suddenly had three dead demons in the foyer. Grigory had taken care of the third, his chest heaving from the assault.
Full-blooded demons were hard to kill and could usually recover from an attack like this. But Grigory’s blades had been laced with some kind of poison that seemed to be bubbling through their blood, ensuring the demons remained dead.
“What’s on the knives?” I asked, my heart racing in my chest.
“Styx stone,” he replied, referring to the pebbles that rested on the bottom of the River Styx. They were deadly and toxic to most creatures of the Underworld. Except those who lived in the river, of course.
I didn’t even want to know how Grigory had retrieved them.
Instead, I focused on the pile of bodies. “They don’t look like Noxia demons.”
“They’re not. They’re from Neptune,” he informed me, less breathless than I was. He bent to retrieve his blade from the demon he’d taken down and looked at the green blood oozing over the metal. “Which means my former betrothed sent her minions to take me into custody.”
“Doesn’t that violate some sort of territorial agreement?”
“It does,” he mused. “Which has me wondering how she located us and why her people would dare to take on such a mission.” He dropped his knife and kicked the door closed. “I think we need to take a trip to Neptune. See what’s going on.”
“Isn’t that the last place we should go?”
“On the contrary, I think it’s the best place.”
“Why?” I asked as I followed him into the bedroom.
He picked up his jacket from the chair, then handed me my own before taking a portal charm out of his pocket. “Because we’ll be hiding in plain sight in the last place they would ever expect us to go.”
Neptune reminded me of a swamp.
Hot.
Muggy.
Murky.
Not my favorite realm in the Underworld, but it definitely afforded us the opportunity to hide.
Many of the demons in the main city wore headgear to protect themselves from the surrounding environmental conditions because the air quality here sucked. I’d purchased two helmets from a shopkeeper near the gate upon arrival, placing one on Zaya’s head and another on mine. It helped us blend in as we wandered the sandy pathways between the shops and pubs.
Everyone seemed to be on edge, something Zaya confirmed by detailing the color array of auras in my head. I was beginning to think they tied to emotions, interwoven with intention.
She saw so much blue here, which seemed to indicate a lot of sorrow. Some were orange—I linked that color to anxiety. And others were red—those tended to be the more aggressive demons, so I considered that an indicator of anger.
Passion, too, Zaya replied, her presence in my head a new fixture I enjoyed. We were so in tune with each other that we barely needed to speak. I turned; she immediately followed. She shifted in a new direction, and I trailed after her.
She kept mumbling in her mind about how familiar the city appeared, yet she’d never seen it before. You’re sure you’ve not been here before?
Yes. But it reminds me a bit of Noxia.
I glanced around, frowning. This dump reminds you of my kingdom?
No, I mean in terms of how I felt when I first arrived. I just sort of understood where things were. Actually, it was like that with Caluçon, too. She fell into thought, allowing me a glimpse of her earlier memories of that kingdom. It was like I’d studied a map before I arrived and just knew the layout.
Which explained how she was guiding us now. Another ability? I suggested.
Or just my intuitive nature, she returned.
She was a fast learner, always picking things up before I even finished an explanation. So intuitive felt right. Makes sense.
What kind of evidence are we looking for? she asked, changing the subject.
I’m not sure yet, I admitted. But the general anxiety of the population tells me something big is going on.
Want to head toward the palace? she offered.
Yeah.
She led the way, her mind resembling a puzzle of knowledge that fascinated me. It was as if she had a manual programmed into the recesses of her mind that she opened as required to navigate new situations.
I prodded a little as we walked, curious.
She accepted my intrusion, our link wide open and allowing me to play in the recesses of her mind. I stroked the mental cords leading to her learning receptors, noting the courage and strength underlying each of those con
nections. It was as though she had all the information stored away in her mind, awaiting the day someone or something unlocked them.
Including her ability to fight.
It’s like someone preprogrammed your existence, I marveled. I realize that’s impossible, but that’s how it appears.
Maybe it’s part of my mortal heritage? she suggested. Created by the Almighty?
Don’t let Lucifer hear you think that, I replied, smirking. He fancies himself as the ultimate creator.
But only of the Underworld, she pointed out.
Shh, I hushed her, amused. He might smite us both if he hears you.
She snorted. Valora wouldn’t let him.
True, I agreed. And I think he’s on thin enough ice with her as it is. Not to mention my mother’s… affiliation. I shuddered at the thought of her love affair with the Devil. Learning Valora was my sister had sucked. Knowing my mother fucked Lucifer himself—often—was worse.
Palace should be a few more blocks this… way… Zaya trailed off, her lips moving without sound at the crowd assembled about a hundred feet from our position. Are those…?
Soldiers, I finished for her, eyeing the demons all standing in a row, awaiting instruction.
There are at least a hundred of them, she whispered, creeping forward along the wall to get a better look and freezing as the entire field came into view.
Thousands, I corrected, feeling and returning her shock.
Rows upon rows upon rows of demons all stood as still as statues, their focus forward. I couldn’t see what they stared at, their stone helmets hiding their faces from view. I wasn’t even sure how they could see through the rocky exterior.
I don’t understand, Zaya said softly. Who are they looking at? She glanced in the direction of where they stared, and I followed her gaze. It’s just buildings.
A few female demons appeared to be trying to talk to the soldiers, but they didn’t respond. One was even weeping, with her hands on the man’s stone breastplate, her mask off to allow her cries to be thoroughly heard.
What kind of aura do you see on the soldiers? I asked her.
None, she replied slowly. It’s like they don’t have energy…
That’s impossible.
I know.
What about the female? I asked, nodding to the hysterical woman.
Blue. Dark, dark, dark blue.
Sorrow, I said, confirming my earlier suspicions regarding the colors’ meanings. I think you’re seeing emotions, Zay. And general energy signatures.
Isn’t that what auras are? she countered.
Yes, I agreed. I’m just deciphering the colors.
She nodded, swallowing. I think I preferred it when I just saw shades of black and white. She flinched as the weeping female fell to her knees on a broken sound. And still the soldier remained unfazed, unmoving. Another woman ran up to her, pulling her into her arms, trying to tug her away.
“Marisol, don’t. You know what will happen if you keep doing this,” the woman chastised her softly. “This is the will of the royals. We can’t fight it.”
“He’s not a warrior!” the other demon screamed, agony ripping through her lungs.
“Shh,” the female hushed her sharply. “Don’t make a bigger scene or they’ll react.”
“Let them,” Marisol wept. “I don’t want to live like this. I don’t want to live here. In this place. I don’t want to go to war!”
A soldier reacted then, his sword slicing through the air so fast I barely caught the downward arc of motion.
Then Marisol’s head rolled across the ground, anguish painted into her features.
Zaya cringed into me, her helmet hitting my chest as she clutched me tightly in response, her emotions slamming into my heart. My arms came around her automatically while my mind played over the events of the last few minutes.
I don’t want to go to war…
What war? I thought at the poor woman. Who is Neptune at war…? My eyes widened. No. Oh, fuck, no.
It hit me then.
Neptune wasn’t at war… yet.
They were planning to go to war.
They’re going to attack Noxia, I realized, taking in the massive army sprawled across the courtyard outside the palace gates. The entire wedding has been a front to hide their intentions.
What? Zaya asked, sounding confused.
Think about it, I whispered back at her. Napia doesn’t want to marry me; she wants to marry power. I’ve known that all along. Neither of us has hidden our disdain for the other. She even brought her damn consort to the court. Who does that? Someone who doesn’t plan to keep her intended husband around for long, that’s who.
Royals often have consorts, Zaya replied.
Yes. I agree. But they’re discreet about it. Napia hasn’t been discreet at all. She swept in with her giant entourage and took over my palace, flaunting all her Neptune ways in front of my people. I stupidly allowed it because I didn’t want any part in the planning, but she’s been introducing my kingdom to her culture… and forcing it down their throats.
I felt the truth of it in my gut.
Neptune was planning an invasion.
I just needed to prove it.
Come on, I said, pulling her toward the palace. I want to take a look around, see if my instincts are right.
And what are you expecting to find?
Battle plans, I replied. Anything tangible I can take back to my mother.
You don’t think news of an army will be enough?
I shook my head. No. My mother will want hard evidence, and frankly, so do I. Reacting on impulse has never been the Noxia way. We require solid proof before we act.
Okay, she replied. So we need to get into the palace.
Yep.
And where do you suggest we start? she asked.
I studied the walls, the amassing army, and the general exterior layout. An abundance of guards seemed to be protecting a certain gated entrance that led to a lone tower, more so than stood at the front of the palace. There.
Why there?
Because the guard ratio is disproportionate, I replied. The only reason for that would be if they’re securing something invaluable.
And how do you plan to get around all those guards? she asked me, incredulity coloring her tone.
I smiled down at her. I’m the future King of Noxia for a reason, baby. Watch and learn.
Now it was time to have some real fun.
And play with a few minds along the way.
Show-off, I thought at Grigory as he marched a series of guards away from the entrance with a simple mind trick.
He smirked but didn’t reply, his focus on the army moving beneath his mental compulsion. It really drove home how powerful he truly was and just how easy he’d gone on me.
There were so many times he could have taken advantage of my mind, yet he never did. The only exception was the night I attacked Yakariah, and even then, he hadn’t forced me to do anything extraordinary. He’d merely taken my knife, led me to his room, and then released me.
How long can you hold the guards? I asked him, curious.
I’ve merely sent them on a lap around the perimeter. They’ll be back in thirty minutes or so and assume it was their commanding officer who sent them on the errand.
They won’t suspect the manipulation? I wondered.
Not with the way I wove the compulsion, he replied. But it’s strange how easy it was to corrupt their minds. Almost as though they were sitting here waiting to be commanded.
I frowned. That’s not normal, is it?
He shook his head. No. There’s something very strange going on here. Let’s get inside and see if we can’t figure out what it is, hmm?
Lead the way, King Grigory.
He winked at me, then crept through the gates, toward the tower. A handful of guards stood at attention just inside, their stances the same as those outside the palace walls.
It’s like they’re statues, I muttered in my head.
Yes, he agreed. That’s exactly what they seem to be. He walked up to one and waved his hand in front of the guy’s face. Their minds are just… empty.
Like their auras.
It’s bizarre. They have orders rolling on repeat to keep whatever is in this tower contained, but that’s all I’m hearing. He went silent for a moment while he rewired their thoughts and sent them wandering outside the gates after the other group he’d sent on a march.
Who’s in charge here? I asked him. Are they all under hypnosis?
I’m not sure, but it seems that way. He glanced at me. It’s strange that yours wore off, yet my mother seems to still be under the hypnosis, and the same with all these guards.
Another ability? I half joked, my stomach churning with the notion. I mean, why not add another to the pile, right?
He gave me a soft smile and pulled me to him for a quick kiss. We’re going to figure this out, Zay.
Keep saying that, and maybe I’ll believe you someday. Because right now, I didn’t feel all that confident where my abilities were concerned.
He pressed his lips to my forehead. Come on, let’s scout the tower. Consider it a distraction.
Okay, I agreed, needing to do just that. Thinking made my head hurt.
He led the way inside, pausing on the threshold. A guard stood by a staircase, staring vacantly at us. This one is missing a helmet, Grigory thought, stating the obvious.
I guess it’s not needed inside?
Maybe. Grigory shut the door behind us, then unlatched the side buckle on his head, removing the device covering his face. He sniffed the air tentatively and shrugged. Yeah, the air is cleaner in here. Smells better, too.
Is it enchanted? I wondered, following his movements and removing my helmet as well.
Maybe. He took the item from my hands, setting both of our helmets to the side. Then he focused on the vapid guard. This is so fucking bizarre.
Same edict in his head?
Yep. He worked his magic, but this time he put the guard to sleep. Don’t want him wandering around unprotected.
How kind of you, I replied.
He shrugged and started up the stairs. Stay behind me.
Yes, master, I drawled.
Cute. Consider using that in the bedroom next time.
