by Nikki Frank
“I’m sorry for the unpleasantness. The body doesn’t like to share with additional magic. You’re already overloaded with two of your own.” He rubbed at his chin. “Do you want the truth?”
I scowled at him. “No, lies will help me sort this out better.”
He shrugged. “You’d be surprised how few people want the truth. I don’t know if I can help you. If you aren’t already aware of the severity, let me be clear: you are turning into a demon. Your magic is putting up one hell of a fight, but I imagine you’ll cross over within a year. The problem is that an imp is a gray-area for the demon magic. You are malevolent enough to have naturally picked up the contract with the death of the previous demon lord. But the fact remains, you’re not a demon, and the magic serves demons. It’s changing you to fit.”
“This absolutely cannot happen.” I nabbed his hand and squeezed it for emphasis. “I’ve brought peace, prosperity. What if I can’t control the demon power and destroy what I’ve created? What if my friends get hurt?”
He sighed and rubbed his head. “Fixing you might take a while, and I’m not promising any results. I’ll do what I can to slowly separate the magics, but they’re going to keep fusing. At the same time, you’re going to have to build your will to contain the demon magic, or we need to find some sort of storage vessel.”
“Let’s get started. Where do we get a storage vessel?”
“Slow down, Mistress Olivia. I’m not even sure that’s the best way to do this, or if such a vessel exists.”
“Is there any way to find out?” I begged.
He glanced up at the clock. “Mistress Olivia, it’s after midnight.” He yawned with a twinkle in his eye as if playing his fatigue up. “There’s an ancient library at the boundary between Hakushi and the Goblin Kingdom. We could start there, but you are completely unique. To my knowledge, there has never been a demon lord who was anything but a demon. We might find nothing.”
I drooped, not wanting to hear my condition might be permanent.
He patted between my horns. “Before we do this, I need to know a couple things. First, are you sure it’s safe to leave your throne? You will be unable to repay me if you are usurped.”
“I’m sure. Do you seriously think I left my throne unguarded?”
He shrugged. “Second, this may be extraordinarily dangerous. Is your bodyguard up to the challenge of protecting you?”
“An imp and an assassin by training can handle herself. I survived the onslaught sent by my predecessor, Zaemon.”
“Lastly. I’ll be leaving my throne and duties to someone else and dedicating a good deal of time to your care. You need to put more pressure on the Lord High Governor to get trade deals passed.”
“Why?” Suspicion instantly flared. “What kind of trade do you have in mind?”
His eyes gleamed red before he could cover it.
I shook my head at him. “No trade deals get a yes until I’ve had a chance to review the terms. I will protect my district.”
He shot me a challenging look. “And you will make sure I’m adequately compensated.” He gave me a low bow. “Shall we leave after breakfast?”
“Perfect.”
As soon as the door shut, Velor slunk over beside me, heat radiating off his green-scaled side. “He’s planning something.”
“Thank you for stating the obvious. I need to figure out what and stay one step ahead.” I sighed and turned toward the bed. “If only we knew another demon healer.”
Velor nudged his head against my back. “You can do this, Mistress. You are far stronger than I ever anticipated. Serving you has been surprisingly pleasurable.”
I turned and grabbed his snout, hugging. “You see. This is why I can’t turn into a demon. You were a horrible killer a year ago. Now you’re nice. Everything is changing for the better.” I slumped and leaned against the side of the bed. “Sleep in the room with me. It’s lonely here. I’m frightened of these changes and scared we won’t stop them.”
“As you wish.” Curling himself for the night, he lifted a wing so I could climb up on his side to sleep. “Sometimes, you seem like you’re a child.”
“I’m only eighteen,” I mumbled through a yawn. “Being an adult all the time is hard.”
“You’re not alone.”
His rumbled reassurance ran all through my body.
Chapter 3
Iya and Tomi stood with their backs to me. They obviously hadn’t seen me coming. I caught snippets of a hushed and serious conversation.
“You can’t go running off with her, we have a timeline to adhere to,” Tomi said.
“We need into the Central Borderlands. Healing her could speed the process up. I must do this. It’s in everyone’s best interests.”
“I don’t . . .”
One of them must have heard the rustle of my gown. Both spun. Iya gave me a sparkling smile. Tomi pasted one on.
“Good morning, Mistress Olivia.” Iya pulled out a chair for me. “I hope you slept well.”
“Like a baby. Thank you.” Matching his smile, I hid my eavesdropping.
Tomi took his seat at the head of the table, and Iya went to the far side and sat across from me. What could those two be scheming? Their plans might simply be trade. But then again, they were demons.
“It’s pork bacon.” Iya winked at me from across the table as he pushed a plate in my direction. “I specifically requested it, thinking pork might remind you of your home on Earth.”
I blushed. Iya had made the excuse for Tomi and his wife. He’d remembered last night, a surprisingly kind gesture coming from a demon.
I took a slice and bit the end. The bacon tasted the way it should. He’d told the truth. “Thank you. It’s perfect.” Despite probable schemes, I needed him right now, and the best way to keep him around was to keep him happy.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this.” Tomi sipped coffee so strong the smell made it to my nose several chairs away.
Iya stopped with a piece of fruit half-way to his mouth, shaking his head. “I don’t have the answers to the questions Mistress Olivia posed last night. We need to go to the library. Besides, our ticket to new trade has asked for my assistance. I doubt she’ll pave our way with the Lord High Governor if we refuse to help her.”
Tomi stabbed at the egg on his plate. “I’ll do my best to keep this quiet if you go. A couple demon lords leaving their palaces to go traipsing around in the wilderness together is going to bring out two types of people. Those who will assume you two are plotting, and those who will try to take your thrones. Good luck to you both.” He shook his head at us.
Iya smiled his glittering grin. “Good. Now that business is in hand, Mistress Olivia and I have a quest.” He tapped his mouth with a napkin. “If you will excuse us.”
~ ~ ~
Iya had given me enough time to pack only a few things in a hurry. He arrived at my door, impatient to get started.
“Are you not bringing a guard?” I asked as we climbed onto Velor’s back, out on my balcony.
“Akuma don’t need guards for benign outings,” Iya said with a smile.
Velor spread his wings, and in seconds we were looking down on the spires of Tomi’s palace. I glanced back. Iya’s flaming hair rippled in the wind. He looked supremely happy.
“This outing doesn’t seem to be much of an imposition for you.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve run off and kicked up my heels. My father died not too long ago, giving me his throne.”
“You killed your father?”
Iya burst out laughing. “No. He died when he used too much magic. The old fool was doing something he shouldn’t in a neighboring province.”
“Oh. How old do akuma get?”
“No idea. I don’t know of any who have
died of old age. But father was five-hundred. Since he killed himself, I inherited the easy way.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Wow, your dad waited a long time for kids.”
He shrugged against my back. “I understand how he felt. Who’s in a hurry to have a son or daughter who wants to kill you and take your place?”
“They might not want to,” I argued. “They might be happy being idle.”
He chuckled. “Remember what I said about demons chasing excess? Do you think a young demon will be satisfied sitting in their parent’s shadow? No. I’m in no hurry to procreate, thank you.”
“Tomi has a wife. Don’t you?”
“Tomi might have a wife, but they have no children. And anyway, Tomi’s almost three hundred. He’s had a pretty good run if Zuanshi insists on breeding. I have no wife and no inclination. Females always seem to want to reproduce. It’s not so scary for them. My mother moved from wife of the demon lord to mother of the demon lord. Of course, I don’t suppose she’ll live much longer with her pair bond broken. Father’s been dead for six months. One more reason to stay by myself. But it’s handy enough if she’d like to stick around. She’s at home keeping my throne for me.”
My heart sank at the thought of having parents to help guard my throne. Thanks to the previous demon lord, mine were dead. My body shuddered with rage. I tried stuffing the magic back down but couldn’t.
“Velor, you’d better head down fast,” Iya yelled.
We plummeted toward the ground. I heaved for breath, desperately fighting the urge to lash out. Iya yanked me from my dragon’s back. Without thinking, I sank my teeth into the arm around me. He slammed me to the ground and placed a hand on my head, right between my horns. His magic washed over me, hot and sweet, making me cry.
“I miss my parents. I want my father to watch my throne for me. But the God damn demon lord before me took that from me. He deserves to die again. I want to feel the revenge.”
Another wash of the power. “Olivia, calm down.”
“Get the hell off me,” I screamed at Iya.
Another wave of power, this time blackness overtook me. When I woke, Velor lay curled around me. Iya leaned against a tree nearby. He gave me a shake of his head.
“After yesterday’s conversation, I had hoped maybe we could simply ease you into becoming a demon. But I didn’t fully grasp the situation. Your already malevolent nature as an imp is compounding the effects. Meaning, you’re turning into one hell of a demon, and quickly.” He came over and crouched in front of me. “How do you feel?”
“Fine. That is . . . normal.” I looked away from him. “Thank you for calming me, and sorry I bit you.”
He chuckled. “If you’re going to bite me, at least make it kinky.” He stopped and rolled his eyes. “Sorry. I forgot my promise not to flirt with you.”
“Whatever.” I stretched and sat up. “Where are we?”
“A few miles from the library yet, but there’s no point in starting now. Your magic took the better part of the day to re-regulate. This is not a forest to be ventured through after dark. Even for a party as strong as ours. We’d spend more time fighting things off than walking.”
“They won’t get us while we camp, right?” I glanced nervously at the forest.
Huge trees, something like oaks but large enough to drive a car through, surrounded us. Strange noises came from every part of the forest. The whole vibe made my skin crawl. My last adventures in the wilds of the Borderlands hadn’t been pleasant.
“I used the time to get us dinner.”
Iya pointed to a skinned animal hanging from a tree branch. Without its hide, I had no idea what the creature was. He guessed my apprehension.
“It’s only a woodperket. Um, something like a human raccoon. No, they can’t talk.” He gave me a wide grin. “I wouldn’t risk pissing you off again. You bite hard.”
For lack of a better response, I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Wha?”
His confusion made me giggle. “Something human children do when they’re irritated with one another. Of course, you wouldn’t get the gesture. Speaking of which, have you ever been to Earth?”
“No. I’m an akuma and a demon lord. I’d need a pass signed by both the Goblin King and the Lord High Governor to go without starting an international incident.” He stood, gathered a small curl of fire on his palm, and shook it off onto the ground. The next moment a happy campfire crackled. “I’ll start dinner. It’s going to take a while to cook this way.”
“In which case, may I go hunting, Mistress?” Velor asked me.
“Yes, go.”
My dragon took off above the treetops. I never asked Velor or Vixaria what they ate. I simply stipulated they could not eat any benevolent or mildly-malevolent beings who spoke. Those rules should cover anyone I might want to know.
“So you do trust me.” Iya had somehow appeared beside me.
“If you wanted me dead, you’d have killed me when I passed out and posed no threat. So yeah, I guess I trust you.”
He chuckled. “Well, there’s a shining vote of confidence.”
“I don’t know you. It’s the best you’re going to get for now.”
“I hope to have a long and profitable trade partnership with you when this is over, so trust will be important for some time to come.”
~ ~ ~
I sat on my balcony, looking up at the stars. They shone perfectly clear against the velvet purple night. A shaft of light fell across the darkened stone. Looking back, a scream stuck in my throat at the sight of a familiar silhouette.
I turned and ran, throwing myself into Talon’s arms. “I didn’t expect you back for a couple weeks yet.”
“Dad is finishing up and will be back when the diplomatic mission is over, but I couldn’t stand to be away any longer.”
His arms curled around me, pulling me close. His first kiss came to the tip of my nose. But one wasn’t good enough. I turned my face, so he had to meet my lips, drinking in the taste of him. My friend. Tonight, my lover. The moment wouldn’t slip by this time.
I ran my hands up his shirt and across his back. He gave a happy sigh and tightened his grip with one arm. The other hand smoothed back my hair . . . and abruptly stopped.
He wrapped his hand around my horn. “What’s this, Livy?”
I reached up and to my horror felt full-size horns curling gently toward each other. “It’s nothing.” The reassurance was as much for myself as Talon. “I’m still me, still Livy.”
His face grew sour and angry. “My Livy is not a demon. You’re not my Livy.”
I clutched at his shirt, but he pulled my hands back as he shoved me away. “You disgust me. You’ve become a monster.”
“No,” I cried. “I’ll fix myself!”
“You can’t fix the damage. It’s already done.” He turned away from me and walked toward the door. “I can never love a monster. Good-bye.”
He walked out the door, letting it slam behind him. Left alone on my balcony, I knew my other friends had gone with him. I had no one. They all feared me, felt disgusted by me. Sobs tore from my chest.
“Don’t leave me. I love you. Come back. Please, come back.”
Strong arms held me. “Olivia. Wake up, Olivia.” A wash of cinnamon-bear magic followed the words.
I sat upright, screaming. Cold sweat dripped down my head and the back of my neck. “Talon. Talon?”
“It’s Iya.”
“Iya?”
Confusion still hung heavy, but reality crept slowly back in. I still lived in a nightmare, but it hadn’t gotten quite so bad as the sleeping version—yet. Iya tucked me against his chest and gave me more cinnamon power.
“You have to calm down. B
efore you go nuts on us again.”
“I’m alone.” My breathing came ragged and uneven. “Everyone is leaving because I’m turning into an effing demon.” Red rage welled up, bringing a snarl with it.
He pulled me tighter, pinning me in a hug. “You’re not alone. You’ve got Velor with you.”
“Because he has to be.”
“You have someone watching your throne for you.”
“They won’t be my friends if I change.” Even my breath grew hot. I wanted to rip Iya into little pieces.
Another wave of power brought the darkness back.
~ ~ ~
Velor and Iya cleaned up breakfast, leaving me sulking against a tree. “Why am I so unstable?” I challenged Iya yet again. Suspicion raged, suggesting he’d caused my loss of control. He did this to me on purpose.
Iya gave a low hiss in my direction. “I will answer your accusations one last time. After this, you will get my anger instead. Prodding the magic with mine last night unsettled it and sped up the change. You’re volatile, but it’s up to you to try to control yourself. I told you at Tomi’s palace that you’d need to do this. Don’t blame me for your own shortcomings.”
I hissed back at him. His answer pissed me off. Probably because deep down, I knew he spoke the truth. But my anger needed an outlet.
“We’re walking, right?” I snapped.
Iya nodded but said nothing. He’d been surly ever since I’d woken from my second sleep. As if knocking me out was some big inconvenience to him. I stood and rummaged through the bag Velor had packed for me, pulling out a bow and slinging it over my shoulder. A few arrows and a dagger on each thigh followed.
Iya had spent breakfast expounding upon the growing wickedness as we approached the Goblin Kingdom. Supposedly, even friendly creatures in this area could attack without warning—like me. He didn’t need to babysit. I could handle myself.
Iya looked me over with a smirk.
