I'm afraid that once his hold on decency and kindness loosened, his cruelty manifested, with no reason remaining to rein it in, Zaria informed me. He has always seen the humanoids as less than High Demons. That notion has only grown, until injustice against them is seen as normal and acceptable. How familiar are you with Earth history? Do you recall Hitler and World War II? He convinced much of his country to follow his warped agenda of hatred, and many innocents died as a result.
I read about that—it was one of Morwin's lessons, I replied. I knew about it long before I arrived on Earth. Hitler believed in a superior race—his, I added. He wanted those he considered inferior to be exterminated. I did research into the Shadow personality, too, as a result of that.
The belief that we create a dark version of ourselves when we choose or are forced to choose who we are to those around us?
Yes. I think that's what happened here—that the shadow has risen to the surface in Jayd and Garde, and together they've let those around them know that they don't have to force themselves into a certain mold any longer—that they can allow their deepest desires to have free rein. Killing humanoids is an unfortunate result of that.
I agree, I said. And it makes sense that Liron and Acrimus would choose this slow road to achieve their goals—even after their deaths. If it builds slowly, we become used to it as it goes along—until a tipping point is reached and things take a nasty turn.
Then people die. By the hundreds or thousands or millions. An audible sigh escaped Lexsi's lips.
"Yeah," I breathed. "Exactly."
* * *
Lexsi
It took six days for us to get through the tunnel. Zaria brought in food and water for us, or Kory would have been forced to hunt. Day by day, a trickle of humanoids became a steady stream as they approached and spoke to Kory and me, eventually trusting us as much as Wardevik to take care of their needs.
As for those who'd refused to join us as we left Veshtul behind, only a handful came behind us, before the tunnel entrance was closed off so Jayd's High Demon guards couldn't get in and come after us.
She'd promised we'd bend time once we were out—time was running out on the two eight-days that Jayd promised before his attack on Harifa Edus.
Zaria had left after the first day, returning intermittently to deliver food and provide healing to those who needed it. The humanoids began to look forward to her appearances, because she brought something they'd lacked for a while—a sense of well-being.
As for Zaria's disappearances, she had other things to do while Kory, Warde and I led the humanoids out of the tunnel and onto Foth lands in the Northern Reaches. Aldavik Foth and Fredevik Greth came to greet us on the sixth day and offered asylum before Warde had to ask.
I was grateful; somehow, Zaria or someone else had laid that groundwork for us. The people we'd rescued were more than relieved that their journey was over for the moment and that pallets or beds and baths waited.
"Onion?" Kory came to me as Warde, with Greth and Foth, led his humanoid charges toward Foth Castle.
"I just want a bath," I let my head rest on Kory's shoulder. Extra water in the tunnel wasn't something we could ask for; Zaria brought what we'd need to drink along the way. She was right to do so; carrying the extra weight of bath water would have been a burden few could carry.
"I know." Kory patted my shoulder as I leaned against him. "I do, too," he admitted. "Let's go with the others. I'll see if we can get a turn at the pump."
I wanted clean clothes with my turn at the pump, but decided that wasn't important enough to fuss about. Merely getting the dust off my skin would be good enough to start.
We walked for more than two miles to reach Foth Castle; there, High Demon guards belonging to the Houses of Foth and Greth stood guard, waiting for Lord Foth and Lord Greth to return with the rest of us.
Wardevik and the guild masters he walked with at the front of our line nodded at the guards as they passed. When Kory and I approached, however, the guards thumped their fists on their chests and dipped their heads to Kory.
Troops from one of my patrols, Kory informed me in mindspeech as he dipped his head to the guards in reply.
Kory was their Captain. Or had been, anyway. They had much respect for him; that was easy to see.
I could also see they wished to stare at me, but their manners and their respect for Kory prevented it.
After all, male High Demons, unless they were Heads of Houses or quite important, seldom saw female High Demons.
It made me wish for a solution to that difficulty. Male High Demons were born knowing they'd never be mated to a female High Demon; there were too few females born.
To be chosen as a mate for a female was the rarest of rare things on Kifirin. Like winning the lottery, only with much worse odds.
How had Kory been chosen for me?
Who had chosen him for me? Not that I wished to argue with the decision now, but truly, I couldn't see Jayd making such a decision. If he had, he wouldn't have had my well-being in mind, I was sure of that.
The Mighty Heart and Li'Neruh Rath chose for you, the Library whispered in my mind. They knew you would love him.
I tripped over my own feet when I received that information. "Onion?" Kory's hand gripped my arm and kept me from falling in the tall grass surrounding Foth Castle.
"I just tripped," I breathed, attempting to bring my heartbeat back to a normal rhythm.
Kory had been chosen for me, not I for him. By the Mighty Heart and Li'Neruh Rath.
The Mighty Heart. She would know love before anyone.
Had my mother known of this?
Your mother knew, or she'd never have agreed to an arranged marriage, Aunt Bree's voice sounded in my head.
There. You have your answer from the Mighty Heart herself, the Library informed me. I almost tripped again.
I'd asked Aunt Bree to get me away from my arranged marriage, when she'd been the one to arrange it, knowing I'd love Kory.
She'd sent us to the same place, to meet and fall in love, like most couples did. And, if we happened to be in the proper place and time to defend the timeline, that was just a bonus.
Wasn't it?
You were uniquely qualified, Aunt Bree said, a smile in her sending. I couldn't bring myself to call her the Mighty Heart. She was Aunt Bree.
Wasn't she?
I will always be your Aunt Bree, she confirmed. Stop worrying about nothing. Li'Neruh may require a price for requests made to him, but I do not. If it is deserved, I will answer.
Thank you, I whispered my sending.
Just get through this, she replied. So much is riding on it.
* * *
Kordevik
In the castle courtyard, food and water was handed to all the refugees from Veshtul, while a multitude of High Demons helped parents with children, leading them to stone troughs that had been cleaned and filled with warm water to bathe small ones.
I wondered at the fact that Lord Foth had the vision to lay in sufficient supplies to care for all those who'd shown up at his gate.
"Come." Lady Greth had come for us, motioning for Lexsi and me to follow her. Already, Warde and the guild masters had gone inside Foth's massive home to sit and speak with Foth and Greth.
Lexsi and I had brought up the rear, just as she'd done through the tunnels. It made me wonder whether Jayd's troops had blindly attempted to follow us, either below or above ground.
It wouldn't take many brain cells to determine where we'd gone, actually. He already knew Foth and Greth had deserted Veshtul, with much of both Houses going with them.
"I have baths and a suite prepared." Lady Greth, accompanied and guarded by four of the Greth clan, spoke as she hurried us along.
A side door into the massive, stone structure of the House of Foth opened and we were led inside. Two of Lady Greth's guards remained outside, to watch the door.
"We're expecting Jayd's forces, to put it bluntly," Lady Greth hissed as she led us toward a se
t of wide, marble steps. "The forge has been going day and night since Fredevik and I arrived. Flying Thifilathi have been sighted in the distance. Jayd's spies, no doubt."
They were making blades, because Jayd had most of the weapons available locked up in Veshtul's armory.
"How many do we have, Lady Greth, to defend Foth Castle if Jaydevik's forces come?" I asked.
"Nearly three thousand."
I didn't reply. Jayd had twenty times that, at least. I understood what the odds were in this battle, as did Lady Greth.
We need help, I sent to Lexsi.
I watched as her shoulders tightened before she nodded slightly. I'll ask, she said. I can't say a request will be honored, but these people need whatever we can give.
Yeah. I sent the word in English, rather than in the High Demon language.
"Your baths are inside this suite," Lady Greth waved us toward an open door on the castle's third level. "Take as long as you like; I know you're tired."
"Thank you," I said and nodded respectfully to her. I followed Lexsi inside the suite and shut the door behind us.
* * *
Lexsi
Mom? I sent.
What is it, baby? She replied immediately.
Kifirin needs help.
I know. Where are you?
Soaking in hot water after walking through a tunnel to Foth castle, I told her. We got as many humanoids out of Veshtul as we could convince to come, but Jayd, I didn't finish. I didn't have to.
Mom showed up and sat on a stool beside my bathtub.
Mom is beautiful, and as she's High Demon, she's immortal. She barely looks older than I do. I got my silvery-blonde hair from her. My blue eyes I got from my father. Still, we look so much alike it's uncanny.
"There's trouble on Earth in the past, and trouble here," I said.
"I know. Lissa and I talked about it."
"I shouldn't be surprised you know about it. You probably knew where I was the whole time, what with Aunt Bree choosing Kory for me." I closed my eyes, placed a soapy hand across them and sighed.
"Who told you that?"
"Aunt Bree confirmed it." How could I tell her that somehow, I bore the information contained in the Library, like a duplicate copy in case the original was lost.
"If she confirmed it, then I have no problem with you having the information," Mom gently pulled my hand away from my face and offered a dry washcloth to wipe away the soap before I opened my eyes.
"What else don't I know?" I blinked at her.
"Well, Glinda is on Le-Ath Veronis; her daughters and your sisters are on Campiaa. Jheri had to be rescued from Jayd and Garde because she ran back to them the minute she learned that Glinda wanted to abdicate, in order to remove Jaydevik from the throne."
For a moment, I forgot to breathe. "Who?" I whispered. Mom understood that I wanted to know whom Glinda chose as her replacement.
Which of her daughters—or my sisters—had she picked?
"She chose me," Mom smiled.
"But," I said.
"If we win this war, and it will be war, I intend to accept," Mom's expression and her voice hardened. "It's time for Kifirin to come out of this narrow-minded, tunnel-visioned attitude and evolve."
"There'll be a second war after the first one," I said. "To convince the humanoids that High Demons aren't so terrible after all."
"I know. We'll work on it, provided we make it that far. Come on, baby girl, get out of that tub. You're clean and we have things to do."
* * *
"Uncle Nenzi." I felt tears pricking my eyes as I was enveloped in his arms. He and Uncle Farzi had come, as had Edward, Aurelius and several others.
Daddy had come, too, with Uncle Sal.
"Hi, baby," Daddy pulled me away from Nenzi.
"Daddy, things are so terrible right now," I said as I hugged him back.
"I know." There was a sadness in him—he was troubled by something, and I'd never seen that in him before. Yes, I'd seen regret plenty of times, but this went far beyond that.
"Kordevik," Daddy pulled away from me and nodded to Kory, who'd walked up behind me.
"I just left the forge—the weapons they're making are barely serviceable for blade practice," Kory said after offering his hand and shaking with Daddy.
"No surprise—that forge hasn't been used in centuries, if not millennia," Daddy agreed. "There really isn't time to make better weapons, either," he added. "I've asked my mother for help—we'll see what the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis can do for us."
"I think we can use that tall grass as a cover," Mom said. She'd skipped away for a moment, but was now back with Edward beside her.
Daddy's shoulders sagged as I placed an arm around Uncle Edward. Sighing, he spoke to Mom, who hadn't offered to hug him. "As a cover for what?" he asked. "It won't hide a humanoid; their heads and shoulders will be obvious once they stand up straight."
"Kooper is sending two squadrons of Amterean Dwarves," Mom said. "I asked for them. Technically, they're not supposed to come, but I managed to convince Ildevar Wyyld to declare this an attempted coup, so they're sending in troops to side with me, as the prospective new monarch of Kifirin. Seems they like the gishi fruit Kifirin provides, and without Kifirin being a member of the Alliance, they can't bargain for its produce."
I recalled Morwin, armed with a single ranos pistol, taking down several High Demons in Adelaide. She was right about the gishi fruit, too. "Mom, that's genius," I said.
"Thanks, baby. How much time do you think we have, Auri?" She turned to Uncle Aurelius.
"Perhaps a day at most," Aurelius said. "I hear from Lissa's spy network that Veshtul is a breath away from declaring war against those who've escaped. Some of those spies have met the humanoids moving toward the capital and warned them away—they'll only be slaughtered and they know now that most of their friends and families escaped to come here. That was an excellent move, young one, to get them away as you did." Uncle Auri smiled at me.
"It was Zaria's idea," I said. "Kory and I—it would have taken a lot longer for us to build a tunnel. By that time, it would have been too late for many of these people."
"But you stayed with them, to ensure their safety," Mom reminded me. "They won't forget that."
I realized the wisdom of Zaria's choice—to allow them to travel for six days with Kory, Warde and me. We'd gotten to know them that way. They'd come to trust us with their lives, beginning with Wardevik.
He'd laid the groundwork. He was now walking toward us, after having seen to the very people we'd escorted through the tunnel.
"Reahrok," Warde dipped his head to Mom and then lifted her outstretched hand to kiss it, rather than shaking it as intended. "I am more than happy to see you," he smiled.
"I can't say it's under the best of circumstances," Mom said, her words dry.
"True, but with you here, things will surely go better," his smile widened into an infectious grin.
"Wardevik Weth, I hope you're right," Mom smiled back.
Daddy ducked his head for a moment before skipping away.
* * *
Kent, England
Zaria
Kiarra, Adam, Merrill and Pheligar had gathered the Saa Thalarr about them—those able to combat Ra'Ak, anyway. Two were recovering from injuries.
My glance about Adam's massive ballroom settled on one in particular.
No, she wouldn't be fighting. Had never fought, actually.
Adam and Kiarra's daughter, Anna Kay.
I recalled so many cartoons, memes and jokes regarding what you'd seen that you couldn't unsee. I read Anna Kay as easily as anyone else. Tragedy for others lay behind the mask of her face.
For the same reason, I hadn't gone to see Lexsi and Reah—not while Torevik Rath was near.
I had no desire to see what could lie in his gaze. I'd read in Lissa that Gardevik Rath, Torevik's father and her mate, had struck Torevik, intending harm or even death.
That's how far his mind had become unhinged.
Lissa hadn't told anyone else what she knew—that Torevik would have died after confronting Garde and Jayd if she, Li'Neruh and I hadn't arrived first.
Perhaps Torevik imagined his father to still be a reasonable man. My concern was this; after Changing What Was for Garde and Jayd, would they be willing to allow their better selves to manifest, or would they continue on the same path, because it allowed their inner demons to rule?
Li'Neruh could have that answer; I was too terrified to ask him.
The evil that Acrimus and Liron planted in the High Demon palace was a lethal, ticking time-bomb, and we'd already seen damage before it well and truly exploded.
"Zaria and Valegar agree—we must direct the bulk of our forces, combined with that of the High Demons, here," Belen pointed at the proper spot on a floating, three-dimensional vid-map.
The spot indicated lay between Alice Springs and Uluru. Depending on where the Ra'Ak and rogue High Demons landed, it would be easy enough to skip or fold space to engage those forces.
My hope was to keep Uluru from harm, no matter the cost. A legend of Uluru that the Aborigines tell is that a snake boy, or Kuniya, was attacked by a group of Liru, who were venomous snakes. The tale says they threw spears at the Kuniya and killed him. Holes in the side of Uluru represent where their spear points hit.
When the boy's aunt learned of his death, she went hunting those who'd killed him. She killed one of the venomous serpents with her stick, after sliding across Uluru's surface. That line can also be seen on Uluru's side, as can the trail of blood left by the poisonous one she killed with a blow to his head.
I wondered if the tale would be played out in real life for all to see, between Ra'Ak serpents, High Demons and Saa Thalarr shapeshifters.
With those three races involved, it would be a ground war.
It gave me an idea.
Chapter 14
Kent, England
Opal
Kell's arm went around me as we sat and watched the news from Australia. There, a young man in his twenties was showing a photograph he'd taken of a wall of metal books. He claimed he'd lost consciousness after taking the image on his cell phone, and woke up outside an old water tunnel.
A Demon's Due: Latter Day Demons, Book 3 Page 18
