The Burden of Trust

by Nikki Frank

  “What’s going on?” I asked her.

  “Raiders,” she gasped out. “Lord Iya left Lord Tomi’s palace.” She shuddered. “We’re the closest town. They’re punishing us for not having him.”

  “Why?” Pain ran through Iya’s voice.

  She whimpered, sucking in a rattling breath. “They want . . . his throne. You’re akuma.” She choked and licked her blistered lips. “Are you . . . seeking him . . . too?” Her head drooped against Iya’s arm.

  I reached in, feeling for a pulse. Shaking my head at Iya, the look in his eyes surprised me. He lay the satyr gently on the ground.

  “Come on. We’re going to stop this.”

  “But . . . I thought you wanted to stay hidden.”

  The eyes he turned on me sparkled with tears. “Not if innocent people are going to die on my account. You faced the evil threatening your throne. I’m capable of doing the same.”

  He marched on in the direction of the red-orange glow, which I knew had to be burning―either people or the town, or both. Iya stopped at the edges of a clearing. He let out a low hiss of anger. The entire town burned.

  “First test of our combined power,” he warned me. “I’m going to pull a bunch.”

  The draw on my magic tingled. He kept pulling it, though it took a moment before I could see the result. He was putting out the houses, one by one. His own demon fire strangled the natural flames. When he recalled the demon fire, all the flames left the building. Astounding how our power could do that, and that he had that much control over it. But when you grew up playing freely with magic . . .

  Iya moved swiftly, each home being doused in only a few seconds. As the glow disappeared and only the remaining tendrils of smoke curled up to meet the moon, he spread a web of our power over the area.

  “I don’t sense any malevolent beings.” He grabbed for my hand, and I gave it to him. “I want you to go back and get the others. Meet me back here. I’m going to tend to anyone I can find.”

  I dug in the toe of my Hermes shoes and darted back into the forest. Whipping around trees, I tried to ignore the bodies of the fallen. Whoever had attacked the town had used arrows and blades as well. Thankfully the carnage stopped before I closed in on the others. They hadn’t been in danger. Not that Elita and the shi weren’t perfectly capable of fending off raiders.

  I skidded to a stop in our camp. “Everyone on the shi. We’ve got to hurry.”

  “Iya?” Nobi asked as the women climbed on.

  “Fine. But raiders massacred a village trying to find him. He’s healing.”

  “Hold on tight, ladies,” Nobi ordered.

  I slowed myself a smidge, and the shi did an admirable job of keeping up. Round trip took me less than twenty minutes. From Nobi’s back, Elita let out a horrified gasp as we entered the remains of the town.

  Iya stood from the nymph he’d been healing. “I’m going to call all the survivors here. Elita, I’d like you to do me a favor.”

  “Anything. But how are you going to call?”

  Iya reached out and took my hand, extending a web of our combined power over the whole area. “Citizens of Kishin, the akuma lord requests your presence at the west edge of the village. Please assist those who are too injured to walk. Help awaits you.”

  He sighed as he dropped my hand. “Now, we wait.”

  Iya’s whole body drooped. I couldn’t imagine how horrible I’d feel if the minotaur had slaughtered my citizens. I put my arms around his waist and hugged gently. I had nothing to say to make this better. When he needed my help, he’d ask. But I wanted him to know he wasn’t alone. He gave me a swift hug, then pulled my cloak from a pack on Nobi.

  “Secrets.” He kissed my forehead and pulled the hood down to shade my face.

  I would stand out since no other imps lived in the Borderlands. He’d finished my disguise just in time for the first survivors to arrive, weeping and supporting the injured. Iya took my hand and led me to the worst of the hurt. Drawing power, he healed burns, closed open wounds, and repaired broken bones. As he mended, the area around us filled. Ten minutes after the last person arrived, he took a central spot and raised his hands for silence.

  “Good people of Kishin, tonight tragedy has ravaged you. Sadly, the fault is mine. I am Lord Iya. Had I known of the attack, I’d have stopped it sooner. Now I offer what I can. In a moment, anyone who has not been healed by me can raise a hand, and I will see to your wounds.”

  He waved an arm around him. “Your village is lost. I currently do not have time to see to its rebuilding, but you will not be homeless on my account. My friends Elita and Emmett will escort you to Tomi’s palace. There you will have two choices. You may stay under his protection until Kishin can be rebuilt, or I will personally offer you a fresh start in my own capital city if you prefer to move on.”

  He crooked his finger at Elita, and she joined him on the side opposite me. “Please treat Elita with the same respect you’d show to Lord Tomi or I. She’s an official representative of the Central Borderland’s Lord High Governor. You will be safe in her care. Now, raise your hands if you need healing.”

  I touched his shoulder. “I’m going to take the others and look for any last survivors.”

  Iya nodded and I waved the shi, Emmett, and Katriane after me. Elita could heal as well, so she could stay and help Iya. The five of us split up and went to cover a third of the town. I kept Katriane with me and paired Emmett with Nobi for safety.

  I had no need to tiptoe as no one was there to hear me. Only the ghost of peace and happiness still haunted the cooling ruins. Despite the cloak, I shivered and tried not to internalize any guilt. If Iya and I hadn’t gone to Earth, I could have done this to a village single-handedly, and probably would have. The ends still justified the means. I had to believe that.

  A sharp wail pierced my thoughts. Climbing over debris, I followed the sound to the source. Problem was, when I got there, I couldn’t find anyone. Lifting away a piece of fallen metal, I uncovered a tiny infant sphinx. The down on her silvery wings was singed and streaked with black. She kicked her arms and legs in distress. I scooped her up and tucked her in my cloak. She had some burns on her torso, and the last of her clothing fell away in my arms. Her survival had been a complete miracle.

  I pushed aside some other pieces of debris, looking for any of her stuff, bottles, diapers, anything. All I found was the blackened body of one of her parents. With the little bundle in one arm, I kept up my search. By the time we got back to Iya, our group had saved five others, including the infant.

  Iya healed the sphinx first, and while he worked on the others, I handed her off to Elita. “I don’t know if they’d be interested, but take the baby to Ferika and Omri once you get the group to Tomi. Maybe they can raise her with Ferika’s eggs.”

  Elita pulled off her jacket and wrapped it around the baby. “She will be just the thing.” Elita gave me a sad smile. “Ferika’s been depressed. Her eggs didn’t take. She and Omri can’t have children.”

  “Then I’m glad some good will come out of this horrible night.”

  “Elita,” Iya called. “We’re ready.” She and I joined him. The town’s folk already waited, huddled together. When Iya spoke, it was to everyone. “The journey will take the better part of a day if you go slowly. Those of you going on to my province, leave your name at the palace, and I will place you when I return home. Good luck to you all.”

  He put a hand on Elita’s shoulder. “Take Nobi just to be sure.”

  “But you guys won’t have much of a guard for Katriane.”

  Iya smiled. “The male shi look fierce, but females are the hunters. Katriane can make do with Seinaruhi. The forest between here and Tomi’s ought to be relatively safe. Don’t linger and find out. If you could keep them at our pace, you’d reach Tomi’s just after lunch. See if th
at idea can’t keep them moving.”

  Elita gave me a hug. “Good luck, you guys. We’ll wait for the good news.”

  “You be careful,” I told her. “I love you guys.”

  Iya put a hand on my back and led me in the opposite direction of the survivors. No one needed to say out loud that we wouldn’t be sleeping nearby. Who knew how far the thugs had traveled before taking a rest themselves? Though after everything I’d seen, part of me wanted to run into them. I’d give the demon magic free rein.

  Chapter 17

  Our group had been cut nearly in half; four seemed like such a small number. Iya led a forced march until lunch. After a quick meal of berries and nuts, to spare our rations since we’d sent some with Elita, I found a dense thicket where we spread a bed for ourselves. Katriane chose to curl up against Naruhi. I had the sneaking suspicion she might be scared after last night, but she never uttered a word of complaint.

  I curled in next to Iya, running a hand across his chest. “Do you feel bad?”

  “If you’re asking whether I feel guilty, not really. If you’re asking if I sympathize with them, yes, I hurt for their suffering. Since the raiders were after me, I put them in harm’s way―inadvertently. Not using my power to better their victims’ fate would be cruel on multiple levels.”

  “You did a very kind thing. I’m impressed.”

  “Because I’m a demon?”

  I gave his shoulder a gentle bite. “No. Because I’ve never seen you in action as a ruler. I would have assumed you were all right. Your province borders my district, so I’d have heard of chaos. Not to mention, you’ve been on the throne for less time than I have.”

  “Ah, but I was raised at the foot of my throne. You’re an Earth-bound import. I think that gives me a leg up.”

  ~ ~ ~

  I could have crisped all the birds for waking me the next morning. My body needed sleep so badly that I felt queasy. When I tried to eat the herbs and crackers for breakfast, they came right back up. I refused to tell Iya this. I didn’t want to worry him, or worse, slow us down. Our hike was silent, and not just for security. What did we have to discuss? The morbid encounter in town a day and a half ago? The danger we were walking toward? Silence was better.

  By now, evergreens made up nearly all the forest around us, and the red sun had a much harder time getting through to the ground. The light stayed dim even at mid-day. Thankfully nothing had messed with us so far. My previous trips deep into Setmyth had been unpleasant. Of course, those had taken place before I became a demon lord.

  Iya sighed and consulted his map. “We’ll be at the library tomorrow morning if we can keep this pace up. Can you ladies handle it?”

  “Lunch, please?” Katriane asked wearily.

  Iya sighed. “We should go another hour or two before we eat.”

  My stomach growled in agreement with Katriane.

  “Fine. I’ll hunt.”

  “Want my bow?” I offered.

  “I’ll be fine. I want to hunt with fire so that I can bring it back already cooked. Too bad Katriane can’t eat the meat raw like the rest of us.” He left through the bushes we’d chosen to shield us.

  Part of me wanted to be appalled; I’d never eaten my dinner raw. Thinking about it, I guessed I could. Living on Earth, we ate as humans in order to blend in, but imps were technically predators.

  Iya returned in less than half an hour. He tossed one raw creature to Naruhi and pulled out a dish to set the cooked one on.

  Naruhi broke the silence of our chewing. “How long are we supposed to wait for you at the library?”

  Iya pulled out the map of the Goblin Kingdom and studied it for a few minutes before speaking. “Two weeks. And that’s the longest. If we do this right, we ought to be in the Goblin King’s palace in three days. One more to kill the king and kidnap the prince, and then three more to get out. But we’ll likely need to hurry if we’re being pursued.”

  Naruhi and Katriane both nodded.

  “I’ll make you ladies a store of magic rations,” I told them. “Enough for two weeks. If you run out . . .” I swallowed hard. “Naruhi, if things go badly and we don’t make it back, please take Katriane to someone capable of making a gateway to Earth. If I die . . . she deserves to have a shot at her old life on Earth.”

  We finished our meal in sober silence, then hiked deeper into the forest. Fallen needles muffled sound and held moisture, making the forest floor a sad place to be. The damp also held a depressed mood. I caught up to Iya, taking his hand for comfort.

  At the gentle pressure of his grip, my mind started spinning. I really did feel better with him at my side. A quick sideways glance sent my stomach fluttering. Lean muscle held his balance perfectly as he walked, a gait self-assured and slightly cocky. He wasn’t a skilled fighter like Talon, but he’d had access to surplus magic his entire life and radiated confidence.

  My feelings toward demons had softened considerably, adding to the attraction. Iya definitely didn’t fit the mold. Tomi had proven far more civil than I’d expected, especially regarding the matter of our pair bond. Perhaps the prevailing attitudes in the Central Borderlands toward demons were wrong.

  I’d have to do something to change that bias after we finished our mission. The Central Borderland’s citizens would have to trust Iya as well as myself because we would be pair bonded for a very long time. They were getting a good ruler in my partner, but my hard-won reputation could be lost over bias. Iya deserved their respect.

  Our march lasted well into the night, and again, we set camp in an exhausted daze. We snacked on mushrooms, saving the rations for the library. All four of us turned in before we’d even finished chewing.

  A low growl rumbled through the night. Instantly, I scrambled up, a sword in my hand. Fear had every nerve in my body on high alert. Iya bolted up, looking alarmed.

  “That’s a dragon’s growl,” I hissed. “Have you ever faced one in a fight?”

  Iya shook his head.

  “We have to kill a dragon from the underbelly. But we’ll need a distraction so we can get low and close.”

  I scanned the forest around us, thankful for my new night-vision. For the first time, a dark and dangerous situation didn’t leave me helpless. But nothing in the gloom stood out.

  My pulse accelerated. After working with them daily for a year, I knew dragon behavior. This one was hunting, and we were the best thing on the menu.

  “Naruhi,” I ordered quietly, knowing she would be wide awake as well, “put Katriane on your back and stay within earshot, but way back.”

  After a scramble into the bushes, they were gone. I crouched, hunting the hunter. Suddenly, I saw the beast. For a brief second, the glow of fire between its lips lit the night. The creature crouched to our right, its belly low to the ground. Far too close for comfort. We’d have to go for a distraction. The dragon’s location prevented us from sneaking around and outflanking it. Who did this creature serve? If it served a good master, like me, we might be able to talk reason. But a feral dragon would be completely vicious, and one with a bad master even worse.

  Pulling Iya close, I whispered, “You’re a fire demon. You distract the dragon head to head while I go under it with the sword.”

  He gave me a worried look. “I don’t like this plan, you could . . .” He fell silent.

  We’d heard the same thing: a soft scrape of scales on rock as the beast moved closer. Holding up fingers, I counted for us. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

  Iya sprung in front, lighting up the night with the flames of his hair and fire on each palm. At the same time, I dashed in the other direction. The very thought of a fight with a dragon left me struggling to breathe. I’d done this once before with disastrous consequences. But two things were different this time. First, Iya could heal me if things got rough. Second, I was
a demon lord with a lot more power at my disposal. I focused my mind, pulling carefully-measured power from Katriane. If I pulled too much and went crazy, then Iya would have to fight me, too.

  Flames danced back and forth as Iya and the dragon tried singeing each other. Gripping my sword, I raced toward the dragon from behind. The dragon dodged an attack from Iya, and its scaled tail lashed my direction. It was much bigger than Farak had been. This beast easily measured twenty feet, which left a lot of tail to avoid. The heat of the flames both were using assaulted me. I had to stop this before one of us ended up barbequed.

  I needed to pin down the lashing length of tail. But by doing that, I’d lose the element of surprise. The scaled tail flew back my way, forcing me to dodge. I didn’t really have a choice.

  As the tail started the other direction, I leaped up onto it and threw my whole weight and a little magic into driving my sword downward. The blade penetrated scales and flesh, sticking in the ground.

  A blurred image of fire and teeth roared and twisted on me. I threw up a wall of flame and held a new sword in the direction of his mouth. But the attack never came.

  “An imp who uses demon magic?” the dragon asked in a deep, masculine voice, which quivered my insides in fright. He had stopped moving and stared at me with one of his great, black eyes.

  “Yes?” I answered without dropping my guard.

  “Are you the demon lord Olivia?”

  Shit. He recognized me. I braced myself, expecting an opportunist. He must want my throne.

  But the dragon bowed his head in my direction. “I humbly ask for employment.”

  “What?” The sword fell from my hands in my surprise.

  “Olivia,” Iya yelled. “He’s a dragon. This is a distraction.”

  “No distraction.” The dragon rolled so that his belly faced up. “I submit if you will spare me and allow me to work for you.” He winced as his tail pulled against my blade.