“We’ll see. Do me a favor and don’t speak in front of them. If they assume you’re some kind of pet, they may say something in front of you in an unguarded moment.”
“Ah! You want me to spy on them.”
“Who better?” I asked.
“I can do that, but you’re going to owe me.”
“How many bottles of blood?”
Leona stretched out beside my throne, half lidding her yellow eyes to appear sleepy. “Six to start with.”
“Fine.”
The wagons reached us, rolling to a stop thirty feet away. Most of the riders stopped with the gypsy-style wagons, but two came on: the rider with the flagpole and another rider in full plate armor, mounted on a monstrous gray horse the size of a Clydesdale. The armored knight lifted a visor and turned out to be a female fey. Her hair was black, her face fair, and her eyes were the color of amethyst. This close up, I could see that her breast plate had breasts. She wasn’t trying to pass as a male.
The two riders reined in and slid out of the saddles. They dropped the reins. Apparently, their mounts were trained not to wander off. The rider with the flag gave off an aura of competence and experience—and boredom. He leaned on the flagpole and watched me without speaking. The woman came closer, but not too close. The leopard seemed to make her nervous.
She put a fist over her armored heart and bowed to show respect. Straightening, she said, “I am Ursela, first daughter to the royal family of the Nightmare Court. Do I have the honor of speaking to Caine Deathwalker whom some call the Red Moon Demon, the Golden Dragon, and the Great Slayer of the fey?”
Great Slayer of the fey? That’s a new one.
I nodded. “You have that pleasure. What brings you to my home?”
“I come at my mother’s bidding to speak on matters of state. I bring gifts of tribute, and offers of alliance as well as trade. We are willing to recognize your claim to this land.” She made it sound like she was doing me a favor with that last one.
“I thought you might be lost. I normally don’t conduct such business here. I have a mountain keep for that, and a queen who handles many of those details for me while I plot who else I’m going to destroy.”
Her face reddened with anger. “We regret barraging into your plotting, but if you will indulge us…”
I sighed. “Fine. You can camp here outside my garden wall. You can barter with the villagers for any supplies you might need. I will provide rooms for the two of you in the tree.”
“The tree?” She studied the apple trees, clearly confused.
“The great tree. Look over my wall.”
Her stare went to the monster tree that held my lofty mansion in its massive branches. Her face mirrored astonishment. “Oh, I see.”
“Be careful with the gate going in. It’s iron. I wouldn’t want you to burn your fingers. Again.” I was jerking her chain, subtly referencing the many dead soldiers her court had killed by send them against me.”
She clenched her teeth. The muscles at the hinges of her jaw knotted, but she quickly cleared the anger from face, remembering she was supposed to be a diplomat. I wondered if she’d had any real training for this. I don’t think the people of the Nightmare Court get out much, unless they’re waging war or something; I remembered Izumi had said something along those lines.
Ursela glanced to her companion. “Tell the others to set up camp, and have my … my sisters … join me here.”
Odd, that delay over the family description. “You have sisters?” I asked.
“Four of them, yes.”
Was that an equivocation? “And you’ve brought them with you to meet me? I’m thrilled.” But still not convinced.
I watched four fey maidens in filmy silk vails approach. They had the look of expensive whores; beauty aware of its own power, moving with seductive grace I didn’t trust. They stopped behind Ursela, submissive to her authority. They bowed with respect, taking a lot of time so I couldn’t fail to notice their fine cleavage. Ursela gestured to each in turn, naming them: “This is Rosette, Thorn, Mari, and Sharra.”
I nodded, shifting my glance back to Ursela. One more test. “What are their birthdays?”
She stared at me. “You want to know their birthdays?”
If they’re really your sisters, you’d know that. Woman obsess over family birthdays, as if they are somehow important.
The standard bearer—who had yet to be introduced to me—spoke up for the first time. “She doesn’t know. They are new to the family, recently adopted.”
“And their previous occupations?” I asked.
She muttered.
I heard what she said, but I wanted it repeated, louder. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“They are court concubines, having belonged to my father before his death.”
“Basically whores,” I said.
Several of the “sisters” reddened with embarrassment. One remained serene. The fourth looked like she wanted to rip my heart out and eat it raw. I waved them away.
They fled.
I pinned Ursela with a stern look. “And you were going to offer one or all of them to me to tie our kingdoms together?”
Ursela sighed, not quite meeting my eyes. “Yes. It wasn’t my idea.”
“Your mother’s?” I asked.
“I am her only natural-born child. She is very fond of me. She didn’t want to lose me.”
“So you come in her name, wanting an alliance, offering deception? Well, you are fey. I suppose it’s to be expected. Got any more tricks up your sleeve?”
She looked me in the eyes again, striving for sincerity. “I … I can only apologize, my Lord.”
Oddly, I believed her, about that.
I pointed at the grizzled soldier by her side. “And who is he, really.”
“My father,” she said.
“Your dead father?” I asked.
“My new father. That is to say, he is a lord of my mother’s kingdom who is betrothed to her.”
“And he was sent along to make sure you don’t screw up?” I said.
He smiled at me, eyes flashing fire. “My advice is respected.”
I smiled back. “Really? And did you advice for or against the campaign in the mountains?”
“I advised my queen to go to war to keep demon-kind out of Fairy.”
“You got a lot of people killed and achieved nothing. Great advice, dumb-ass.” I pushed myself off the throne. “We’ll speak later. For now, you are my guests, and under my protection. Don’t do anything to make me regret my patience.” I walked away, heading for the garden gate. Leona would catch up later and tell me if they said anything interesting in my absence.
I think I understood why they’d come to me alone, and not to the mountain keep. Trying to bribe me with whores would have totally ticked Izumi off. Especially since the whores are lovely. If I had acted like a hormone-driven fool, and snatched up the “sister”, no questions asked, it could have driven a wedge between me and Izumi. The Nightmare Court probably knew about Izumi’s mom attempting to poison me. They may have hoped to widen an already existing rift. They couldn’t know that Izumi would rather kill her own mom than betray me. After all, they see me as a demon outlander crapping on their perfect little world.
The games are just going to get deeper, here on out.
Oddly, I looked forward to that. If I were to claim any one of these girls, it would be
Ursela. She wasn’t skilled at lying, and taking her would certainly piss off her mother, who needed to be taught a lesson. I wondered what Ursela would look like out of her armor, and in my bed. Entering my private garden, I smiled to myself.
I just might have to find out.
* * *
The sky was amber with sea-foam green clouds. Two pink suns struggling to rise above black, saw-toothed mountains. Winged lizards glided just above the morning fog that blurred the lower forest.
I stood on a tree limb the size of an eighteen wheeler, in a tree that soared a tho
usand feet. Many such trees stood behind me. I studied a clearing in a valley, in a nameless land, in a hell dimension few demons or dragons knew of.
The Red Lady had brought me here. She stood behind me, veiled in red of course, her breasts pressed against my back as she hugged me with unrelenting obsession. Her arms circled my waist like steel bands.
Below, a pool of mucus-looking goo seethed. The primordial ooze bubbled, stirred by inexplicable currents. Sections were the color of frosty milk chocolate. Other splotches were puce, or reddish purple. And there were blue and green bubbles the size of house.
“They are houses,” Selene said. “This is a village of slimes. They’ll be active soon, emerging from the mucus, separating from it to take on the forms of other living things so they can get close enough to eat them.”
“The slimes are intelligent?” I asked. “They have souls?”
“Barely. Mostly, they are driven by hunger and passions that many-celled lifeforms like us would find difficult to fathom. Your sword will not enjoy feasting here. In fact, it would be the equivalent to a human surviving on a diet of cold grease flavored with snot.”
I unleashed my evil grin. “Perfect. This will teach my sword to abandon me in the heat of battle, the cowardly pussy.”
“Have fun slaughtering the villagers, dear. Call me when you want a ride home. I’ll be listening.” She vanished in a starburst of bloody red and I was alone—but not for long.
I reached out with my thoughts and pulled my sword to me. It leaped to my hand, radiating bottomless hunger that I was going to fill today.
“Ready to do some killing?” I asked.
Always, but … aren’t you mad at me? It’s been a while since you called.
I smiled. Oh, I’m not as petty as too hold a grudge. C’mon, there’s a village down there where breakfast is served. I want you to pig out.”
You are too kind.
“Oh, not at all.”
COMING IN 2016
INDIGO TEMPEST RIDER
by
MORGAN BLAYDE
EXCERPT:
Still several feet from the TV lounge, I dropped to my knees, tangled by an unseen force that rattled my body, making my thoughts swim. The smell of elemental energy engulfed me as lines of light appeared on the carpet, a double circle around a conch shell pattern. It was like ghosts were writing with cold, unnatural fire. Runes formed, the details of a spell, some of them looking Atlantean.
The Old Man jumped over the back of the couch. “Caine!” He reached out and his hand flattened against an invisible wall.
Leona tried as well, but was held back as well.
Fighting for focus, I called out, “Old Man, what the shit is this?”
“A summoning. Move a little so I can see the central rune.”
“Oh yeah, I’ll get right on that.” He didn’t appreciate that sheering forces between two realities were making me their chew toy. I was sinking into the floor, knees and wrists straining. It felt like my knees were crumbling, and my wrists were about to snap. The carpet inside the magic circle glowed deep, ink blue, as I leaned to the side. “Can you … see it?”
The Old Man stared, driven mute by shock.
I growled. “Lauphram!” My flesh tingled, paling, growing translucent. I could see veins and arteries, muscles sheets, and bone underneath. Motherfucking hell!
“This is ancient magic, part Atlantean, but I can’t stop it. When you get to the other side, memorize the pattern so you can reproduce it. The key rune needs to be replaced with the true symbol of your soul.”
I glared at him. “And that would be?”
“Caine,” Leona’s yellow gaze caught at mine, “find Woden’s Well, drown yourself, and you will see what you need to.” Leona’s lips kept moving, but words dropped out. “You will need … not alone … drink…”
I closed my eyes as the floor crept up my body, passing my waist, reaching my heart. The spell circle burned my eyes even though it didn’t seem bright. Maybe a lot of infrared or UV. I had the oddest sensation that my legs were elongating and flapping in some demon wind. My hands lost their grip. I opened my eyes and wished I didn’t. A radiation storm vortexed around me, an indigo haze of light striped with black. I tumbled sideways through battering current, was sucked down the core of the funnel, and was popped out into a scream of wind. If not for my dragon strength, breathing would have been difficult. The wind brought the scent of rot and death.
And I was still caught in an indigo haze beaming up from six thousand feet below. I looked down on what would be New York, if the city had been through massive riots, fires, meteor strikes, and a zombie apocalypse. The undead tottered down its streets. Tall as skyscrapers, elven trees had taken over Central Park, the source of the beam pulling me came from a platform in a tree village.
“Hey wake up,” I told my dragon-self. Nothing. “Hey, wake the fuck up, or we’re dead.”
In the back shadows of my mind, he cracked open an eye, then snapped awake. Holy fuck! How did you get us into this?
Demon Lord 5: Silver Crown King Page 29
