The Lord of Shadows

by E E Ewer

  “Disappeared? How long has he been gone?” Nire asked with concern.

  “Eh… he waited for a long time. Eventually he decided that you weren’t coming back, and he’s been down there ever since. It must have been at least a hundred years ago,” Miko said with a shrug.

  “Who in hell has been running the realm?” Nire practically shouted.

  “No one. It’s been chaotic, to say the least. Lord Azael in the South has pretty much gone mad. It’s not safe for humans to travel outside of walled cities anywhere near the border.”

  “What about the North, and the West?” Nire asked desperately.

  “They seem to be holding out okay on their own, but everyone is worried that Azael is planning to march against the East.”

  “Miko, you have to take me to him,” Nire ordered, putting her fist on the table.

  “What? Nire, are you nuts? You can’t go into the Depths,” Miko replied.

  “I have to! Where is Marge? Is she still… alive?” Nire asked hesitantly.

  “Yes, she is. She and Alastor are probably the only two people who can maintain any kind of order around here.”

  “Miko, we need to get Marge, I don’t know the exact way to the Depths.”

  Miko hesitated. “Nire, are you sure? No one knows what’s down there, if anything.”

  “He’s down there, and it’s not like I haven’t been down there before… sort of.” Nire said desperately, her voice trailing.

  Miko sighed. “All right, but walking through the door is a lot different than actually going down,” she warned. Turning her head to Nina, she pointed towards the door. “Go try to find Marge, Nina. Tell her Nire’s back and needs her help.”

  “Got it boss!” the girl said as she quickly ran off.

  Nire watched as the girl hurried into the castle. “Who is Nina, Miko?”

  “My apprentice,” she said smiling. “And who is this?” she asked as she picked the gray cat up off the table and placed him on her lap.

  “That’s Gibson. He followed me here apparently,” Nire said with a smirk. “He helped me harass a goblin into giving me directions.”

  The two girls laughed. “Oh Nire, I’m so glad to see you! We all thought you had changed your mind and decided to stay with your family.”

  Nire’s smile dropped and tears filled her eyes. “I missed you all so much, and… him. I would have nightmares about it when I was younger. I’d finally come back, and he would hate me.” Her voice broke.

  “Oh, Nire,” Miko said softly as she stood to hug the girl. “We’ll make it right.”

  As Miko ran her fingers through Nire’s hair, a crashing sound from the storage closet announced Margery’s arrival. Bursting through the door and shaking a bucket off her foot, Marge was grumbling as usual. The sudden intrusion sent Gibson bounding into a corner.

  “Damn old closet!” Margery shouted before looking up. “Nire! My goodness, where have you been?!” she called.

  “I have a feeling I’m going to be answering that question a lot,” Nire said with a soft smile as she wiped her tears.

  “And how did you get in here? There are guards everywhere,” Margery asked.

  “It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. But listen, Marge, I need to you take me to the Depths to find Lucian. I don’t remember how to get there,” Nire said.

  “The depths?” The old woman sighed as she thought out loud. “Well, I guess it’s our only option right now, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll tell you everything on the way,” Nire said as they turned to leave.

  The four of them walked up through the storage closet, tripping over the ridiculous mess that had accumulated there over the years. Gibson trailed shortly behind them, bounding over obstacles only to have the kitchen door shut before he got there. Hurrying through the kitchens, Marge opened the large main doorway.

  “Marge?” Nire asked as they walked under the archway.

  “Service halls are all sealed shut,” Marge said, knowing what Nire was about to ask.

  Nire would have asked why, but she figured she already knew why. It would be hard to lurk in a large hallway and not be seen.

  “If all the service halls are sealed, how will we get to the Depths?” Nire asked frantically as they hurried through the castle.

  “There is a way,” was all the old woman said as they approached the East Wing.

  “Halt!” the guards shouted, blocking them with their weapons.

  “Oh shove off!” Margery scolded them.

  “Who’s that?” one of the guards pointed to Nire.

  “She’s with me, that’s who,” Margery taunted them angrily.

  “She is not permitted here,” the other guard said.

  “Oh bloody…” Margery began to curse, when seemingly out of nowhere Miko blew a green powder into the guards’ faces. The men collapsed to the floor.

  All eyes went to Miko, who smiled sheepishly. “What?” she said with a laugh. “They’ll wake up in about five minutes and not remember a thing.”

  Margery and Nire exchanged glances, and Nire stifled a laugh.

  “All right then, let’s get moving,” the old woman urged.

  It was a longer walk to the East Wing library without the use of the service halls. When they finally reached the door Margery shoved it open with a huff.

  “Come on, this way,” she urged, motioning with her hand for the others to follow.

  They all walked into the library, and as they approached the service door at the back Miko instructed Nina to stay behind.

  Nire stared at the service door with confusion. “But Marge…” Nire began.

  Margery raised her hand to silence her and reached into her pocket, pulling out a skeleton key. She approached the door to the right of the service hall and unlocked it.

  “The records room?” Nire asked curiously, following behind the old woman.

  “Yes,” Margery said as she pulled out a handful of glow dust, blowing it into the air. “There is more than one reason you need a key to get in here.”

  Miko and Nire followed her through the shelves, which were stacked to the ceiling with parchments and books. The entire room was covered in a blanket of dust, and cobwebs were draped from the corners and in between shelves. The entire room was like a maze, with shelves placed sporadically and tightly together.

  Nire coughed and waved her hand in front of her face as the dust was stirred up beneath her footsteps. She wondered if she was about to stumble across a skeleton, from a poor soul who’d gotten lost down here. “How long has it been since anybody cleaned in here?” she said with a stifled voice as she tried to resist a sneeze.

  “His Lordship maintained it himself, so it’s been a while,” Margery said.

  Nire stopped walking. “So… everything he was using his own energy to maintain is… like this?” Nire paused. “Even the gardens?”

  Marge realized where this was headed and turned to face Nire. “No, unfortunately he destroyed those himself a long time ago,” she said solemnly, patting Nire’s shoulder.

  “Destroyed…?” Nire said quietly as tears formed in her eyes.

  “Your old room isn’t in the best condition either,” Miko added.

  The three quietly continued through the maze of shelves until they finally reached what appeared to be a stair well.

  “Miko! Miss Miko!” Nina called from the library, sounding frantic.

  “Who’s there?” a man’s voice called into the records room.

  Margery and Nire turned to Miko. “Don’t look at me, I’m out,” she said with a shrug.

  “Nire you will have to find your way without us,” Margery said. “The guards have no idea who you are and we’ve no time to lose on explanations and formalities.”

  “But, Marge…”

  “You’ll be fine, child, just remember; once you get into the Depths to keep to the right wall. There is a staircase there,” Margery said, reassuringly placing her hands on her shoulders. “We will keep him from suspecting,” s
he added, nodding towards the guard.

  “Hey!” the voice shouted again, closer this time.

  “Go!” Margery whispered, pushing her towards the stair well. “What in all the Realm is it?” she shouted to the guard.

  “This room is off limits!” he shouted as he came into view, his hand placed aggressively on the handle of his glaive.

  “Says who?” Margery asked. “I don’t see you holding the key.”

  Nire crouched in the dark stair well, listening.

  “Fine, get what you need and get out,” he ordered, crossing his arms and waiting.

  “Miko dear, can you retrieve that scroll off the top shelf for me there?” Margery smiled.

  Miko nodded and climbed the ladder. After retrieving the scroll Margery turned to the guard.

  “There, got what I came for,” the old woman stated, shaking the scroll at the guard. He waited for Marge and Miko to leave the room, then followed after, ensuring it was shut and locked behind them.

  Nire sat in the dark. She couldn’t see anything down here. A tear fell down her cheek and landed on the silver pendant resting against her chest. A glow from below caught Nire’s attention. The moth flew upwards, and began to flutter down the corridor.

  Its tiny iridescence lit the way as Nire slowly followed it. No door. She thought as she carefully walked down the hallway, her hand trailing along the wall. They can’t seal it off if there is no door to seal. She hurried after the moth, following the turns of the tight corridor until she stood at a wooden door.

  The moth perched on it. Taking a deep breath, Nire turned the handle and walked through. Continuing down the corridors her mind began flooding with memories, as she found herself standing in the same circular room with three tunnels leading in different directions. Nire instantly turned and went towards the left hall, the moth fluttering by her side.

  Following the corridor down, there was the distinct sound of water dripping. A right turn and a staircase. The memories filled her thoughts as she walked the familiar path. Suddenly the corridor vanished, and she found herself standing in an open room, with a circular depression in the floor.

  Inching closer to it, the moth’s glow barely lit her feet; the darkness always seemed thicker down here. Finally she found the staircase and walked carefully down each step into the depression. She stared straight ahead at the door that stood in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards it. Her hands began to shake as she drew closer, knowing what awaited her on the other side.

  As she reached the door, the moth fluttered around her head, then landed back on her chest. Gripping the chain tightly, the moth turned back to silver but continued to glow. Nire gulped, and reached for the door. Gripping the handle tightly so she wouldn’t lose it this time, she pulled it open and felt the darkness rush over her.

  The glow from the necklace was exterminated as the darkness hit, and Nire held the handle of the door as firmly as she could. Her eyes were closed tightly and she held her breath as she waited for the strange feeling to subside. When the rush was over, Nire moved her shaking legs towards the door. Pressing herself against it, she inched her way around the wooden frame until she was inside, with her back against a stone wall.

  Keep to the right, keep to the right… she reminded herself. Feeling her way with her fingers along the wall and shuffling her feet, she found the first step. Okay… She swallowed hard.

  “Lucian?” she called out quietly, hoping she wouldn’t have to go too far down. Crap, she thought. She was terrified. Being in a dark room was one thing, but this… The darkness churned around her. It moved against her skin and it was cold. She took another step, and another.

  She could tell after a time that the wall was turning. She was spiraling down to god knows where. “Lucian?” she squeaked again, her voice unable to reach a reasonable volume. It felt as though the fear was squeezing her chest, and wouldn’t allow her to take in enough air to call loudly.

  Another step, and another. The only sound in the darkness was her own breath, and the tapping of her shoes as she descended step after step. It felt like she had been in there forever. How many stairs had she gone down? Maybe she should have been counting. “Lucian?!” Her voice cracked when she tried to call loudly. Damn it, Nire, get it together, she told herself. Where is he? She wondered, gritting her teeth. He said he could feel me here last time. Her entire body trembled as she continued her trek down the endless flight of stairs.

  “Lucian!?” She finally managed to make a decent amount of volume. Taking in a deep breath she took yet another step down, and there was nothing beneath her foot.

  She screamed as she fell from the step into the void below. Darkness swirled around her as she cried out. Suddenly it felt thicker… And then even more so. It became like material… like… cloth… Nire felt her decent slowing, and suddenly the cloth felt as if there was something beneath it.

  Arms wrapped around her and her heart stopped in her chest as she felt hands on her shoulders and back, pulling her closer. She recognized the smell of the cloth as she was pressed against his chest, and she could feel strands of his hair on her face.

  Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to speak. “Lu….Lu….” She choked out.

  “Nire,” The familiar voice curled around her like velvet.

  She threw her arms around his chest and cried. He placed his hand gently on her back, and stroked her hair with the other as she sobbed.

  “I’m so sorry!” she cried out between her tears. “I didn’t mean to stay away. I wanted to come back!” Her breathing was frantic.

  “Shhhh….” he urged her to calm. “Nire…”

  “It fell off!” She tried to explain herself. “I was in the street, and got knocked to the ground, and I lost it! But I wanted to come back!”

  Finding himself unable to calm her hysteria, he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her from his chest. A hand cupped her chin, and she felt Lucians lips press against hers. Her sobs quieted as he kissed her, and his hands cupped her face, wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

  His left hand trailed down her neck and found its way to her breast. Nire gasped at the touch. She felt him lean her backwards, and she sank into what felt like a bed of pillows. Her panic was reduced to quiet tears as his lips trailed kisses down her neck and his hands worked to remove her clothes.

  Nire felt her cheeks burning in the darkness. She couldn’t see a thing, but she was sure Lucian could. He lifted himself from her for only a moment, and when he returned she felt his skin against hers as he continued to kiss her body. He allowed his hand to glide from her breast down her stomach.

  Her body was tense, and her breathing shaky. She quivered at his touch and took in a sharp breath. His hand continued downwards to rest atop her thigh, and Nire’s heart began beating wildly. She could feel his body against her, and his right arm braced his weight while his hand rested on the side of her ribcage, circling with his thumb.

  He moved back to her lips and kissed her deeply, pressing his tongue into her mouth and tasting her. Locks of his soft black hair fell all around her, and she moaned into the kiss. Down below she could feel Lucians desire for her greaten, and it caused a warm sensation in her lower stomach.

  “Nire…” he breathed into her ear as his left hand parted her legs and he placed himself between them. She whimpered as she felt him press against her.

  “Lucian, I… I haven’t…” she stuttered.

  “I know,” he said softly, not needing her to finish. He put his lips to hers as he gently pressed into her. Nire let out a strange sound that resembled the combination of a whine and a groan. Lucian ceased his movement.

  “Should I stop?” he asked gently.

  “No… No…” Nire winced.

  Lucian continued until he was completely inside of her, and then held his position, kissing her softly. Tears had again returned to her eyes. He gently wiped them away as they fell down the sides of her face. He placed his left hand on her chest
and could feel her heart beating rapidly. Moving his lips against hers he waited for her breathing to calm before he began to move.

  Slowly, he pulled himself away from her and Nire whimpered softly. Kissing her jaw line he moved his lips to her neck as he slowly guided his hips towards her again. She moaned and lifted her hands to his chest. Wrapping his arms around the small human beneath him he held her closely as he moved against her, a low growling sound vibrating deep within his chest.

  Nire suddenly cried out a sob and put her arms around his neck, holding tightly as he pushed her into the pillows. The feelings were so overwhelming she couldn’t identify individual emotions anymore. Moving one of his arms he placed his hand on the side of her face and guided her lips to his. His tongue slid into her mouth and she quickly raised her own to meet it.

  Lucian put his hand behind her head and deepened the kiss. He held her hair gently in his fist, as he moaned and rocked her body against his. Nire moved her hands from his shoulders to his neck, and upwards still until she took hold of his horns. Lucian growled fiercely into her mouth at the touch, and his lips pulled back from hers ever so slightly as he barred his teeth. The demon gripped her tightly as his arousal flared, and his muscles grew tense.

  Nire could feel a hot sensation rising between her legs. The feeling only intensified, and moments later she broke the kiss and moaned loudly, holding tightly to Lucian’s powerful frame. Reclaiming her mouth he began to move more quickly, finding it difficult to restrain himself from being overly rough. Holding her backside with one hand and placing the other on her breast, he growled deeply into her mouth as his body tightened and he pushed himself forcefully into her.

  His growl turned into a roar before he collapsed at her side, and the two lay still for a moment trying to catch their breath. Nire shivered in the darkness and Lucian wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his body.

  “Nire, my love,” he whispered to her.

  “I love you, Lucian,” Nire said quietly as she lay curled up against him. “I wanted to tell you for so long.”

  Leaning in he kissed her gently. “I thought you had left me,” the demon confessed to her in the darkness.