by Olivia Ash
Damien said, “And I have witches, which would complement Mordecai’s warlocks.”
Things were starting to come together. They had a list of allies to choose from, but Sadie wasn’t sure what they brought to the table as far as skills. Not to mention, there didn’t seem to be a guarantee that any of them would come to their aid. She said, “Tell me what each of your allies can do if they were willing to help us.”
“Succubi are very apt at distractions of the kinky kind,” Steele said.
Sadie forced herself not to roll her eyes. At least she now knew why he and his allies got along so well.
“They are also vicious in fights, especially when protecting what they claim as theirs,” Steele added.
Hmm… maybe they won’t be so bad after all. She should meet them on the right foot, without preconceived notions in her head about what they had done with Steele before she came into his life. But she would be sure to lay some rules down beforehand. The question was of payment options beyond sex with Steele.
“What else can you tell me? What about their powers specifically?” Sadie asked, curious to know more. She wanted to know exactly what she was getting into when it came to his allies.
“Typically, they steal parts of human souls when they have sex with them. When they have sex with demons, they get a power boost. Essentially becoming stronger for about a week.”
“Are you sure they can be trusted here?” she asked.
“If we come to an agreement, they wouldn’t dare break it. They would know better.”
Steele sounded serious and Sadie knew not to press further. She trusted him and believed him. That was enough.
Kaiser said, “My allies are creatures exceptionally skilled at ice magic. They’re also considered harbingers of death. Having them on our side would do more in presentation than in battle, but that’s not to discount their strength. They are ruthless and skilled on the field. Having them on our side would show my father we mean business and may give him a reason to reconsider.”
Sadie liked the sound of them. Ice magic and death. Two things she needed on her side. Especially if they were considered threats against Zagan.
“Besides what I have already shared with you as far as witches and warlocks are concerned,” Damien said, “having both in your arsenal would greatly increase our ranks with sheer force.”
She nodded, remembering what he had shared with her, and she still looked forward to meeting a few.
This could work.
Renewed hope filled her. They had a chance at defeating Zagan if her princes could convince their allies to join them.
“Send the invites at once.”
She called Hobson through her connection with the fortress.
He entered not long after. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Prepare the barracks for the soldiers, and the guest quarters for those who would appreciate and demand a more suited suite.”
He nodded. “At once.” He left to do her bidding as Sadie returned her gaze to her men.
This was exciting. They had a chance. And while her princes worked on gathering their allies, she would train the hounds and with her dragon.
“For the next few hours, I will be training with the hellhounds. You should all rest and focus on training once you are finished with your invitations.”
They nodded, and Mordecai uttered a “Captain” before standing and leaving.
Chapter Fifteen
Sadie
The training with her hellhounds had gone better than expected. They seemed eager to please her and she rewarded them with left over meats from the kitchen. She had trained with them for several hours, both individually and as a group. They were such fascinating creatures to her. She was glad they responded well to her and obeyed her.
After she finished with her training, she needed some alone time to think. She decided to go to the fortress’s back garden. To her sister’s statue. She sat on the bench across from the statue and stared at the likeness, wishing that Blair was with her right then to give sisterly advice, tips on fighting with demons, and maybe even a hug.
“I miss you so much, Blair,” she said, wishing the statue would somehow come to life and console her.
Blair’s statue held a mageblade in one hand, like the one Sadie had used against the demoness Mara, and the statue’s other hand presented an orb—Blair’s last gift to Sadie, which had sent her to safety and condemned Blair to death. Sadie’s chest tightened at the thought, and she held back tears.
Above her, the crystals in the ceiling sparkled and twinkled as the night settled in. She wrapped her arms around herself.
“So much has happened, and I don’t know what I’m doing. Just winging it.” She laughed, thinking that would be something Blair would’ve done. However, since discovering Blair was a notorious demon hunter, she knew better. Her sister was badass and had died protecting Sadie.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. I don’t have any regrets to speak of, really. It’s just so much to handle sometimes. Who knew being queen would be so much work? Those royals on topside make this shit look easy.”
She remembered that the amulet she wore around her neck, the demon queen’s amulet, didn’t bond with just anyone. It had rejected Blair, but why? Her sister had been immersed in this world, of monsters and demons, and she knew how to take care of herself. She would’ve made a formidable demon queen. But from the moment her sister slipped the amulet around her neck and had her whisked off to safety, the responsibility—fate—had fallen to her.
Whatever reason the amulet had for choosing Sadie, the one thing she was certain of was that she would honor Blair’s sacrifice and keep it out of the hands of her enemies. Not only did she have a kingdom to look after, with loyal subjects like the fiery ifrits, but also her men. She loved that they were protective of her, and she fiercely felt the same about them. Hopefully, no more memorial statues would have to be erected in this quiet garden.
The shadows within the garden had grown thicker and darker. A light breeze floated around her, carrying the scent of petals and musk. That was Blair’s perfume. Her favorite. A tear fell along her cheek and she wiped it away, the remnants feeling cold as the breeze blew against it.
“Thank you, by the way, for giving me this life. At first, I blamed you. I thought you hated me and cursed me to a tormented life. But not anymore. I then wondered how the hell you kept this from me and the rest of the world, but I have come to understand why you did. People would go nuts if they knew this stuff was real.”
Sadie forced back a giggle as she envisioned the chaos that would consume the world above if demons had become common place. If they revealed themselves. Widespread panic, destruction, and martial law would be the first. But the world would slowly unravel.
Yeah, it’s a good thing people aren’t in the know.
“You did me a favor. Though, I wish you were really here with me, sharing in my spoils of war and enjoying this enormous fortress with me. Helping me keep these men in check.” She sighed. “Now, if I could just keep demons from knocking down my door in an attempt to kill me, that would be a great bonus. But I’ve accepted my job. Both the good and the bad of it.”
Sadie looked up again and thought about all the things she would be missing out on if Blair hadn’t slipped the amulet around her neck and made her demon queen. She was definitely very happy her sister did.
She stood from the bench and slapped her hands on her legs. “I miss you. And I love you very much, sister.”
With that, she made her way back to her room.
She sat on the bed and summoned Hobson. Ever dependable, he was there within the time it took her to remove her boots.
He knocked on the door and entered the room. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
She smiled. “I was hoping for some tea. Are you too busy?”
“Not at all, Your Highness. I’ll fetch it at once.” He turned to leave, but Sadie stopped him.
“Hold on a moment, please,” she s
aid.
His eyebrows rose. “As you wish.”
She leaned forward and studied him for a moment. He seemed tired. She was concerned. “Are you well?”
“Perfectly. May I ask why?” he asked.
She shook her head. “We haven’t had a moment to catch up with all the running around and training. I didn’t want you to think I forgot about you.”
If stone could blush, he just did. The grey of his cheeks darkened as if they were just wet from rain. “I appreciate your concern, Sadie, but I am fine.”
She nodded, accepting his response. “Can I ask you about hellhounds?”
He strode into the room farther and she patted the spot on the bed next to her. He seemed to have hesitated, unsure of what to make of the offer, but she nodded, and he took the seat. “What would you like to know?”
She sat straighter, twisting slightly to face him more directly. “For starters, are there any wild packs around here?”
“There was a moderately sized pack that was known to come within the barrier of the fortress from time to time. But they never venture too close to the gates.” He paused to think a moment then added, “I must inform you, hellhounds are highly difficult to gain loyalty from. The fact that you have done so well with the four you already have is remarkable. That’s a good sign. I don’t see you having any problems acquiring more if you desired.”
“Thank you, Hobson,” she said and rested a hand on his arm. “The hounds that would cross the barrier, do you think they are still there?”
He shook his head and shrugged. “Hard to say, they were last on the eastern side, if that helps.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Hobson. I’ll let you return to your duties.”
He stood from the bed. “Shall I get your tea now?”
“If you don’t mind,” she said.
“Not at all.” He excused himself from the room.
While she waited, Sadie drew herself a bath and had a long soak. Once she was out, the tea sat on her night stand next to her bed. She smiled to herself as she approached the cup, picked it up, and then took a sip.
Still warm. And so, so good.
Just the thing she needed right before bed.
Chapter Sixteen
Sadie
Kaiser held out a blindfold for Sadie, waiting for her to agree to let him put it on.
She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t think so.”
He dropped the hand with the blindfold to his side. “Why? We haven’t had time to spend together in forever, it seems. You’re always so pre-occupied. Let me have this one thing. It won’t take forever.”
His eyes. Those pleading, pretty brown eyes. She couldn’t resist him. But she was just on her way to train, and if she skipped out on training today, she would have to force herself to double the time tomorrow, and she didn’t have the time to do that. Missing training just wasn’t an option.
He cleared his throat. “Please?”
Her eyes widened, and she feigned the look of shock. “Either I’m rubbing off on you or you’re not Kaiser. Who are you? What have you done to my prince?”
He laughed, and she joined in with him. He asked, “So, what will it be?”
She paused to make him sweat a little more as she figured it wouldn’t hurt to miss out on a little training. She would keep the time limit short and that was it. Long enough for him to show her whatever it was that required her to be blindfolded. A hint of disappointment crossed through his eyes, and she almost felt guilty for dragging the charade on for so long. “Very well.”
He smiled and did a fist pump. Sadie chuckled and turned around so he could tie the blindfold over her eyes. Once done, he grabbed her hand and led her through a series of hallways and to one of her gardens.
Eventually, he instructed her to sit, and helped her lower to the ground. A few seconds of feet shuffling and a grunt from Kaiser as he sat down later, the blindfold was removed.
Sadie settled her eyes on the lavish spread of meats, cheeses, and fruits collected on plates and arranged in front of her on a picnic blanket. “Oh, Kaiser. I don’t have time for a picnic. I have to train so I can be prepared to fight Zagan.”
“There will be plenty of time for training later.” He grabbed a napkin and laid it on her lap.
“There will also be plenty of time to have a picnic after we kill Zagan too. Kaiser, this is wonderful. Truly, it is. But I just can’t afford to miss any training.”
Kaiser growled. “Why is it always war, war, war with you? You’re like a robot programed with that one directive. It’s okay to take a break, you know. Hell, if you don’t allow yourself to take a break, you’ll go insane or be too damned exhausted to fight my father when he returns.”
Sadie’s fist clenched, and a pinch formed in the center of her forehead. “I’ll have you kno—”
Kaiser leveled his gaze on her, eyes turning red. “Just sit down and relax for five damn minutes. Beheading of demons can start later.”
She gave in. Not because he was getting angry, but because he had made a good point. She had been so focused on training that she hadn’t thought about something as simple as food or relaxing. Plus, she had yet to have some time alone with him. Come to think of it, she felt a little guilty for neglecting him. That, and the effort he had put into the lavish display was impressive and thoughtful.
“Okay, but only five minutes.” She winked.
He shook his head and propped an arm over his bended knee. “Deal. Now, let’s dig in.” He pulled out a bottle of wine and a glass from the other side of him and poured Sadie a cup of the sweet, red liquid.
She thanked him and took a sip, savoring the floral flavor that danced along her tongue.
Kaiser took a long swig of blood from a flask. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Sadie smiled at him, unaffected by the fact he drank blood. All of her princes did. It was a part of who they were, and she loved each and every single quirk and weird habit of theirs.
He caught her staring and asked, “Still weird you out?” He shook the flask to emphasize what he referred to.
“Not at all,” she said. “It’s sort of… fascinating.”
He shook his head, smiling. “You are something else.”
Sadie picked up a grape and plopped it into her mouth. The sweet juices squirted in her mouth. “Yeah, well, being thrown into the role of demon queen has forced me to quickly accept that there were changes and lifestyle choices I had to get used to.”
“You did, indeed, adjust rather quickly. I’m impressed. You were suited for this role.”
Sadie shrugged. “I suppose so. But I’ve always been able to think on my feet and roll with the punches. Never made much sense to get snagged on every change.”
“You do get uptight though,” he said and chuckled.
She smiled, knowing that was very true. “Nobody is perfect, Kaiser. Despite how much you think I am.”
He poked her in the side and she jumped. “Yep. You’re real.”
She laughed. “What is that supposed to mean?” She took a piece of roasted meat and stuffed it into her mouth. The spices were robust with a hint of sweetness. She didn’t know what kind of meat she ate, but it reminded her of the roasts her mom used to make over the holidays.
“It means I find that you are too good to be true sometimes. You were never what I would’ve expected for being human. It’s freeing to be so captivated by you and still know you are real and haven’t let this newfound power of yours go to your head.” He ate some of the meat himself. Juices dribbled down his chin and he used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth.
Sadie’s heart swelled with joy and love. He always had a way of making her feel desired by him. Coveted even. She sat the wineglass next to her and scooted closer to Kaiser. He responded by wrapping an arm around her and she leaned in to kiss him.
The way he kissed her always ignited passion within her. Her body warmed, and desire swam through her veins. Sh
e straddled him, pushing him to the ground and kissing him deeper. Pressure built between her legs, and she knew she needed to stop, but her body rebelled against her, pushing for more. Needing more.
But now was not the time.
She forced herself up and laughed. “If we keep at this, the world just may fall apart.”
He reached for her, cupping the back of her neck with his hand and pulled her down. “Let the world fall for just a few more minutes.”
She let him kiss her one last time. Dammit if she didn’t want him to stop.
Once again, she pulled her lips away from his, but instead of climbing off him, she laid her head on his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heartbeats. She smiled, relishing the feeling he gave her.
She knew she had just fallen for Kaiser a little more. He had been with her since the beginning. And because of the devotion he showed, and the way he made her feel, there was no way in hell she would ever let anything happen to him.
Come what may, she would rather harm come to her than him, or any of her princes.
After a few moments of cuddling, Kaiser said, “You need to eat.”
She groaned. “Do I have to?”
He chuckled. “If you want to build up and keep your strength, yes. Plus, it would be a shame for all this food to go to waste.”
She sighed. “You’re right. Too good to waste.”
“Exactly.”
Reluctantly, she climbed off of him and settled into the spot right next to him. They enjoyed the rest of the food and each other’s company, spending the rest of the afternoon in bliss and love.
Chapter Seventeen
Sadie
Just before night settled in, Sadie decided to check the barrier around her fortress herself. On the way, she stopped and grabbed her hellhounds, hoping to get in some extra training with them and for the added protection since all her men were busy doing other tasks.
