Caught in the Devils' Hand

by Ruby Duvall

  “Listen to yourself! You’re talking about overthrowing the rulers of this land! You’re talking about taking on the armies of the Damned One!” she exclaimed, turning around again and slashing her hand in a violent gesture.

  “You are the ruler of this land. You have the power of the Divine One resting inside you and you have an immense potential that you merely tasted today on the porch. As the empress, you have the ability to lay low a field of demons with one word from your throat,” Rosuke affirmed.

  “It’s…too much,” she whispered, feeling her legs shake. Grayness began to press in from the edges of her vision, and she had an incredible urge to close her eyes.

  “Vallen,” Rosuke said, a warning tone in his voice. Vallen was off the altar in a flash, surprisingly spry despite the taxing ritual he had just been through.

  There was no way he would let the empress fall to the floor.

  No way he would let Shumei fall to the floor.

  He caught her in his arms as she fainted, her magical stamina still very low, and her mind unable to take any more news and surprises.

  “We need to put her to bed,” he announced, and Rosuke nodded, opening the door of the altar chamber.

  “You take care of the bath. I’ll get the bed and clothes ready,” he briskly responded, leaving hurriedly.

  Vallen nodded curtly, watching as Rosuke exited in the direction of Shumei’s bedroom. He then looked down at the sleeping face of his lover, and his heart surged violently.

  She had been the empress all along.

  A plethora of emotions was crowding inside his heart, and it was too overwhelming to feel them all at once. He was proud, scared, guilty, confused and relieved, all at the same time. He was proud that she was already shaping up to be an excellent magic-user. Though her stamina was her biggest weakness, it was the easiest quality to strengthen and she had already proved her talent with her show of power to Oka and with her completion of the ritual to make him human again.

  He was also scared. If she was the empress, then Majo was the Dark One’s champion. The Dark One was a fan of tempting and turning human magic-users, especially talented ones. Defeating the witch, when she found them, would be a great and dangerous task.

  The worst of his feelings was guilt for the rough and unromantic way in which he had made Shumei a woman, not to mention the callous attitude he had had toward her at the river the next morning. It was an insult that the empress would be treated as such and his gut roiled with regret over it.

  He now wondered, though, how to act toward her. She was his lover, and at one point, he had thought to control her and order her about, but now he was her subordinate, her soldier, and he felt the need to treat her as an empress. It confused him, and he only hoped that her actions would dictate his own.

  The last emotion battering at his heart was immense relief—relief that an empress had finally returned, that the ritual had worked, that his and Rosuke’s magic had been restored and that everyone was temporarily safe behind the estate’s heavily guarded walls. He only hoped that they had time to properly train Shumei and build up her stamina before she had to face Majo. Already, time could be running out…

  They would have much to discuss after she woke.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  A good night’s sleep and a smiling black-haired Vallen to kiss her awake did much to restore Shumei’s good nature. Most of the morning was spent eating breakfast, rejoicing in a successful spell and planning their next move. Oka seemed very excited to be a part of it all, though he had been rather dubious of Rosuke and Vallen’s claims that his older sister was the preordained empress meant to rule the entire continent.

  It took them half an hour to convince him that they weren’t joking.

  Rosuke and Vallen had reasoned that the sudden attacks on human villages were actually Majo’s fault. Jealous of Shumei and having known for many years that her younger black-haired neighbor was destined to be the Divine One’s champion, she had willingly agreed to become the champion of the Damned One. She had figured out the flaw in the barrier charms and with an enormous demon army, a result of three hundred years of preparation, it was easy work to simply recruit human-born demons and exploit that flaw.

  Unfortunately, everyone present agreed that Majo would find them, and soon. Until that time, however, all they could do was wait for others to arrive as well and train for the upcoming battle. So Vallen altered the spells on the path, bridge and walls, allowing safe passage for those who were seeking their empress.

  Around lunchtime that day, Rosuke was to train Oka with a bit of sword practice, leaving Vallen to train his empress in casting non-somatic defensive spells. It was already proving difficult for her.

  “One more time. Okay?” he said, watching her carefully. He raised his hand and aimed it at Shumei, who had both hands up, ready to deflect his spell. His magic filtered up his arm, and he gathered a small amount of energy in the curve of his hand—only enough to knock her back.

  “Kaihou,” he said, loud enough for her to hear and be prepared. The mass of energy, having turned the usual yellow color associated with a House of Summer, blasted away from his hand, shooting at her like a rock flung with a slingshot.

  “Tate!” she commanded, willing her magic to form a shell around her body that the word supposedly invoked. However, she felt only a small spurt of energy from within, and the mass of yellow-colored energy hit her, making her stumble back. She released a disappointed sigh of frustration, dropping her arms to her sides. Inside her belly, her magic moved as if distressed and confused, and she wondered why her magic didn’t know what to do. She said the correct word, right? Something like “tah-tay”?

  Vallen winced then sighed.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, walking toward her from his position ten yards away.

  She nodded, merely grateful that she hadn’t fallen down yet. Not only would it hurt, but she was also wearing what was most certainly the most expensive dress in the closet. Red as blood and made of the purest silk she had ever seen, it was covered with an intricate orange and gold pattern to signify falling leaves. Vallen wouldn’t let her wear anything else, saying that as empress, she should wear only the best.

  She smacked her thigh with a frustrated fist, cursing softly.

  “I don’t understand,” she bemoaned. “Why won’t my magic do what I say? I can feel that it simply doesn’t know what to do, but I said the word, didn’t I?”

  “What are you thinking when you try to create the shell?” he asked, stopping a couple of feet away. He could see Rosuke teaching Oka how to parry out of the corner of his eye.

  “I’m just trying to get the word right. I seemed to understand what I was saying yesterday, but now Mahou is tripping me up again,” she admitted, feeling inconsistent and useless as a new empress.

  She doubted that she could actually call herself that when only two people in the world really believed it…unless you counted Majo—that made three. She didn’t believe for a second that Oka was yet convinced. She wasn’t even sure she was yet convinced.

  “It was probably the same for Empress Suzu. She would start speaking Mahou after communing with the Divine One, believing that she was speaking Common, and not even know it. Then suddenly she would start speaking Common again and not remember how she had been speaking another language. You’ll come to know it as well as Rosuke and I do. I promise,” he avowed, squeezing her arm comfortingly.

  “But did I say it incorrectly? Did I mess it up?” she asked, looking up at him with pleading eyes. She needed to know how to do these kinds of things. Majo would clean the floor with her if she didn’t.

  “You said it beautifully—it’s the feeling behind it that is destroying the spell. You have to really want protection from a blow. Some people use their fear—others use their confidence once they’ve mastered using it—some people even use their anger.”

  “Isn’t it a bad thing to be afraid?” she asked, wondering how anyone could survive a battle a
gainst a horde of demons and be scared.

  “Courage is being able to act even when you’re afraid.”

  “So you’re saying that I should try using my fear to make the spell work?”

  “It’s worth a shot,” he smiled, flashing his brilliant grin at her. She felt her stomach flip, admiring the dashing figure he now made. Today, his outfit consisted of a traditional black shirt with white embroidery depicting a handful of falling leaves (somewhat matching her dress) and his one-of-a-kind leather pants procured in Kaizoku, making him look like some warrior king. Even more, he was now positively gorgeous with his black hair. It accentuated his blue eyes and bright smile, making him look more like a sex demon than ever before.

  He was human again though—that was certain.

  She knew, though, that she would miss a couple of things about his demon status. First and foremost was the Binding. The magic of their sexual connection was dissolved the moment last night’s spell was completed. Since it was created using demon magic, it lost its authority, so to speak, when he became human again…at least, that’s how Vallen could best explain it. It meant that he couldn’t use the Binding to arouse her anymore, but it also meant that he could better control himself during sex, though they had yet to make love together to fully explore all of the changes.

  She was looking forward to nightfall with much anticipation.

  “All right then,” she said, taking a big breath. “Let’s try again.”

  He ran back to his position from before, putting a little more distance between them, and warned her that the next blow would be stronger to give her more incentive to block. Nodding in understanding, she braced her feet apart.

  The ball of yellow energy began to form in his hand again, looking the same size as before, but she knew it would zip at her much faster this time.

  “Kaihou!” he hollered, and the ball flew at her almost faster than her eyes could follow.

  “Tate!” she commanded, feeling a tad of fear now. The shell began to form in chunks, appearing before her as a vaguely opaque white wall, but it was too slow and only deflected the ball by a small angle, forcing it to the right, which punched her shoulder and made her stumble again.

  “What in Oblivion is this?!” an unfamiliar voice shouted.

  Shumei gasped, her heart in her throat, and for a split second, she thought that Majo had just walked in and caught them off guard. With her mouth open in surprise, she whipped her head around to look for the owner of the voice, who stood only a few yards away, and a familiar face appeared before her.

  The feminine figure stood next to a large tree, her hand braced on the trunk. Her black hair was incredibly long. It reached all the way down to her knees, woven into two thick braids. She wore a plain dark blue dress completely void of embroidery, and a single black satchel was slung over her shoulder.

  Her skin was darker than was normal in the mountains and her eyes were the most brilliant emerald color that she had ever seen. The shape of her eyes was almost exotic, upturned just a bit on the sides, and she had the fullest, thickest set of eyelashes she had ever seen.

  It was a woman she had never met before…although she had dreamed of her. She had been the second person who had been behind Oka, running to greet her as she arrived at the estate.

  “Who are you?!” Vallen demanded, his voice full of anger. She could hear his rapid footsteps as he ran to be by her side. It was only a couple of seconds before she felt his hand on her back.

  Her own mouth was still open as she stared at the woman.

  “Is that really the empress?” the woman asked, her voice husky but dripping with sarcasm. If Shumei’s mouth hadn’t already been open, it would have dropped open then. The woman had just called her the empress, and no matter her tone, it made the shocking truth hit home.

  “I say again, who are you?” he repeated. She could tell that he had an urge to put her behind him as protection and it was a testament to his belief in her status as empress that he let her stand in front. Rosuke had no such considerations though, stepping directly in front of her and completely blocking her view of the new visitor. She looked around to find Oka, and spotted him near the main building’s porch, his eyes wide as he watched the events unfold.

  “What has happened?” Rosuke asked in a low voice, his question directed at her.

  “V-Vallen and I were sparring and she suddenly showed up. That is all I can tell you,” she answered, still shocked. She was really the new empress?

  “I’ve come to answer my empress’s call and this is what I find?” the new arrival said with incredulity. “She can’t even use a simple blocking spell? And she’s—what, barely past twenty?”

  “Give me your name, woman, before I lose my patience,” Vallen thundered, feeling insulted on Shumei’s behalf.

  “I’ll only answer her questions,” the woman retorted and she could hear the sound of the woman’s dress moving as she undoubtedly pointed at her.

  “Move aside, Rosuke,” she softly commanded, realizing that she didn’t look like a very effective leader when she stood behind another like a coward.

  The time for being cowardly was over.

  She straightened her shoulders and spine as Rosuke reluctantly stepped aside and made eye contact with the new magic-user once again. The woman’s condescending gaze studied her and her distaste made a crinkle of dissatisfaction between her eyebrows.

  “What is your name?” Shumei asked calmly. The other woman’s face smoothed just slightly.

  “Mai.” Her answer was as simple as her dress, as straightforward as her manners. Having grown up with the idea of always having to speak politely to others, she wondered how this Mai could have developed such a blunt way of speaking.

  “My name is Shumei,” she said to introduce herself.

  “Why is it that you are so inexperienced, Shumei?” Mai asked.

  “You will address her as empress,” Vallen interrupted with a warning.

  “I’ll do no such thing,” she promptly slung back, her response fast and harsh.

  “What did you just—” he began, his voice now sounding incredulous.

  “How well would you handle magic if you had discovered it only a few weeks prior? If you had found out that you were supposedly an empress, how well would you be able to lead others the very next day?” Shumei asked, cutting Vallen off and answering Mai’s question with two of her own.

  “Y-you mean…” the other woman stuttered, looking flabbergasted.

  “How old are you, Mai?” she asked, trying to gauge the woman’s age.

  “I’m but twenty-five,” she responded, still seeming confused.

  “And how long have you been able to use your magic?”

  “It…it emerged when I was fourteen,” she answered slowly. Shumei watched as a deep shadow passed in front of the older woman’s eyes. It made her skin grow cold, and she actually shivered.

  “You’ve had eleven years with it then,” she surmised, resisting the urge to rub her arms for warmth. “That’s a great deal more than a few weeks.”

  “But this is unacceptable! You are the empress! You should be more powerful than this!” Mai vehemently declared, her frustration replacing the sudden stillness that had briefly come over her.

  “You have no right to question her power,” Rosuke interjected, his voice now raised as well. “She has an incredible potential that I have seen with my own eyes.”

  “Potential?” Mai parroted, looking even more frustrated. “Demons are running amok and she has potential?” She stepped forward a few paces, and Shumei felt both men on either side of her stiffen in readiness.

  “Prove it to me,” she challenged, looking directly into her eyes. Shumei felt her shoulders trying to curl into her body but forced herself to continue standing straight, to hold eye contact with the overbearing person in front of her. Not only was this newcomer taller, older and more confident than her but also more experienced, and she wanted “proof”?

  “Why should your
empress have to prove herself to you? You insult her by even asking it!” Vallen said in her defense.

  “I’ll not accept an empress who is so weak!” she insisted, her hands fisting at her sides. “I came here with such high hopes!” she professed, motioning toward the main building that stood a few yards away beyond a handful of trees. “The path, the bridge, the wall and the gate were all enchanted against evil, but not with her magic, am I right?” She now pointed at Shumei, looking just as disappointed as she sounded.

  “And what do I find? Do I find a contingent of black-haired magic-users like me, all training for battle? Do I find a grand estate brimming with activity? Do I find a fearless empress with the presence of a deity and the mind of a leader? No!” she said, slashing her hand to the side. “I find an empty, run-down building, two men, one blondie and a weak child empress that looks frail enough to be blown away by the slightest breeze!

  “I shall challenge her and unless she proves her worth, I am leaving!” she finished, her throaty voice shouting with much more authority than Shumei felt she could ever convey with her own higher voice.

  Vallen and Rosuke both gathered a breath to begin arguing with the woman, but Shumei’s soft voice stopped their words in their throats.

  “Fine,” she agreed.

  “But empress—” Rosuke began.

  “She’s right, Rosuke. How would I react if I were in her position? The world seems to be suddenly falling apart, and I’m hoping that somewhere, someone can fix everything, but when I find that someone, my hopes are dashed. Wouldn’t you be angry, Rosuke? Wouldn’t you be disappointed?” she reasoned, looking up at him from her shorter stature.

  “Nothing about you disappoints me, empress,” he softly responded, looking wondrously at her.

  “Because I proved myself, did I not?” she prodded.

  “I’ll be here if you need me,” Vallen said, pointing at the spot where he was currently standing. She looked at him with appreciation, feeling grateful for his instant support. Rosuke’s face hardened as he looked at her, his reluctance obvious, but he backed up a step, conceding to her wishes.