Demon Retribution (Shadow Quest Book 3)

by Kiersten Fay

  Ethan stopped at the edge, craning his neck in all directions. “This is the landmark indicated on the map. Some of our people should be nearby.”

  Almost instantly, an odd chill came over them. Kyra got the eerie feeling they were being watched. Anya glanced around curiously, and the others closed in, as if sensing it as well.

  A light breeze fluttered through the high leaves, creating a soft rustling noise. Along with it came a low harmonious musical tone, almost like a flute. Around them, the woods went quiet, as if all noise was sucked away, but for the flute’s song.

  “I don’t like this,” Sonya whispered.

  “I know that instrument,” Ethan muttered ominously.

  Kyra had a vague inkling of familiarity as well.

  That sound—

  “Everyone!” Ethan bellowed. “Anything you see or hear in the next few moments will not be real. Someone is weaving an illusion—

  Kyra sucked in a harsh breath just before her world burst into a burning maelstrom of flame and smoke.

  Chapter 28

  All around her, trees burned, smelling of ash and brimstone. Everything bled as though filled with the blood of her people. The sky turned black as coal. Soot covered every rock and coated her lungs, making it hard to breath. The trunk of a nearby tree buckled, crashing down with a terrible crunch. It was her worst nightmare.

  Her world was being destroyed before her eyes.

  In the background, under the deafening sound of carnage, the flute played on.

  “Illusion,” she told herself. “It’s not real.” Then she called out for the others, realizing no one joined her in this personal hell. “Cale!” she screamed as another tree crashed to the ground.

  She saw him then, staring at her from a short distance away. His lips curled in a hateful grin, his features dark with menace. “Looks like it was all for nothing,” he hissed.

  “No. Not real, not real,” she chanted. This had to be another part of the nightmare spell. Cale laughed cruelly. “You really are pathetic. You thought you could win against a legion of warriors, when they took your home in the matter of seconds and made it theirs. You thought you could help your people? You can’t even help yourself. Your magic is useless,” he scoffed. “Worst of all, you thought I could love you.” He spat the word as if disgusted by having them on his tongue.

  “Stop it!” She covered her ears, hoping to block it out.

  The flute played on.

  “Do you know how many females have loved me? It’s a game I play for amusement, to pass the time. I keep count, and I laugh at them all. I laugh at you.”

  “Stop it!” she screamed again, feeling the beast in her stir. “No, no, no.” She grabbed her chest, telling herself it wasn’t real. Under her palm, her heart sped and her magic shook itself out as though from a long nap. She could feel it growl with hunger. “Cale! Cale! Please, I need you!”

  The dream Cale laughed again, sounding evil and wrong, but underneath was another voice. Another Cale sounding utterly panicked. He was shouting for her, screaming, “Kyra, don’t die! Please don’t die!”

  He must be nearby, stuck in his own nightmare. Outside her illusion, the forest was not aflame and her friends were still close. If she let her magic get free, they could be hurt. She pushed her magic down, forcing it into submission, and straightened her body to stare at the evil Cale. He glared right back.

  Without warning, a pulse of energy knocked her to the ground. Soon afterward, she heard Anya cry out. The desperation in the sound cut at Kyra’s heart. The fire burned higher.

  The flute played on.

  That sound. I know that sound.

  Kyra pulled herself to stand, unaffected as yet another tree crumbled. With flames rising around her, she bellowed into the depths of the forest. “I am Kyralyn, daughter of King Alestar and future queen of the Faieara. I command you to stop this at once!”

  The flute cut off.

  The fire slowly died. Broken trees vanished, and the sky transformed to its natural color. She noticed Cale first, kneeling. Anya appeared next, huddled in a ball. The others came into view, like mist taking corporal form. Each looked shaken, but recovered for the most part.

  Sebastian quickly moved to gather Anya in his arms. Tears streaked her face. Ethan attempted to embrace Sonya, but she gave him her back.

  Cale stood then, his face a mask of pain. He covered it quickly, but there was unevenness in his voice when he asked her, “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” she assured. “How about you?”

  He nodded and replied in an off tone, “It wasn’t real,” as if he were still trying to convince himself.

  “No. It was an illusion spell. And whoever cast it is still watching us,” she said. Cale growled low in his throat. His eyes darkened with rage, and she could tell he was ready to go hunting. Anxiety flooded her. “Wait, Cale. Please don’t leave me. I nearly lost control of my magic before. I need you.” And she meant it. Somehow, he kept her centered.

  Something unfathomable flashed across his face then. An emotion she couldn’t place. She held out her hand to him. Without hesitation, he crossed to her and took it, bringing the backs of her fingers against his cheek. The intimacy of the action took her by surprise.

  “I, um…” Words stuck in her throat.

  A nearby noise claimed their attention. From atop a towering stone, a female with green hair and matching green eyes cautiously peeked out at them. The woman examined each of their faces till she came to Kyra. “Is it possible?” she breathed.

  Kyra recognized her instantly. “Hello, Siella. I see your power has grown.”

  “Blessed gods! It is you!” Siella shouted. Then she raised a small rounded instrument to her lips and began to play once more. The demons tensed, but the tune was different than before.

  “It’s okay,” Kyra said. “I believe she’s calling someone.”

  As Siella’s song ended, she gazed warily at the demons who were still visibly bristled from the spell. “Please accept my apologies. We’ve not had peaceful visitors in a very long time.”

  When that did nothing to ease them, Kyra added, “Siella is a friend. We’ve known her since childhood. Remember, Nadua?”

  Nadua nodded. “Yes, I do. She had the gift of song, as I recall.”

  Siella lifted the instrument. “I have to filter it through this now, otherwise the illusions can become reality.”

  Kyra shivered at the thought.

  Ethan spoke up, his tone scathing. “Siella, I know it has been a while, but you are in the presence of royalty.”

  Siella jumped down from the rock and bowed. “Forgive me, Your Majesties.”

  “Ethan, Siella, please. That’s not necessary.” Kyra noticed then that Ethan looked utterly pissed. Sebastian too. Anya still shook with fright. Sonya had slipped far from the group, her expression unreadable. In an attempt to soften the mood, Kyra asked, “Siella, who did you call just now?”

  “My guild brothers and sisters.”

  “Guild?”

  “Yes. The last of the free have gathered into small guilds. Mine is called the Alliance of the Blood. Because, of the forty-three of us, forty are bound by blood magic. Myself and two others being the exception.”

  Nadua inquired, “How many guilds are there?

  “We are unsure of numbers. Traveling is dangerous, and any guild left has only survived by remaining well hidden, even to our own kind.”

  Kyra digested this information. “What of the towns? Do they still stand?”

  “Most do, but the Kayadon control them. Every once in a while, a Faieara will escape. But unless they are lucky enough to come across a guild that will shelter them, they are usually hunted down and recaptured.”

  “Would a guild ever turn away such a person?”

  “I cannot speak for other guilds, but ours would not. In fact, there was a couple that found us a few years back. They escaped from the city near the palace, I believe.”

  That was promising news.
“What of our father?”

  “I know not, Majesty.”

  Suddenly, the ground at their feet began to rumble.

  “Ah, the entrance appears.” Siella gestured toward the crater.

  At the base, a flurry of stone and sand swirled, roots parted, and an impression in the rock burrowed deeper, growing into a cavernous opening. Moments later, five males stepped out, their expressions unreadable.

  “How goes it, Siella?” one asked in a guarded tone.

  As Siella formally announced Kyra and her sisters, the male’s features transformed into a mixture of disbelief and shock. Kyra didn’t recognize any of them, but she thought a couple recognized her by the rise of their brows, or perhaps it was Ethan. One of the men darted inside without a word.

  Siella informed them, “He’s gone to fetch Azule. He’s our guild’s leader. By the gods, Kyralyn, where have you all been? Everyone thinks you’re dead.”

  Momentarily thrown, Kyra looked to Cale. For some reason, she didn’t want to admit to hiding on a far away planet while her people suffered under Kayadon rule.

  Cale seemed to read her and stepped forward. “She’s been with us under the guidance of the King.”

  Not exactly a lie, although it made her look more knowledgeable than she had been. Kyra gave him a grateful smile.

  Azule emerged with an entourage of Faieara taking up his flank. Kyra quickly counted fifteen, all dressed in ill-fitting green and brown outfits, same as Siella. She got the impression the colors were deliberate camouflage. Against the backdrop of the forest, Siella could virtually disappear.

  Siella directed them to a hanging vine used for scaling the wall of the crater, and then slid down to demonstrate its safety. These vines had always been strong and often utilized as rope.

  Ethan descended first, followed by Cale and then the others with Sonya the last to join them at the bottom. As soon as they hit the ground, the demons took up a defensive position. Kyra blushed at that, worried they would insult Azule or his guild, but she understood the necessity for caution. These might be her people, but that didn’t automatically make them trustworthy.

  “Your Majesties.” Azule bowed, and his long raven-colored hair reached for the ground. “It is an honor to receive you.”

  “Thank you. We’re relieved to have found your guild,” Kyra replied.

  “I can’t help wonder where you’ve been all this time.”

  “The story is a long one,” she offered. “As I’m sure is yours.”

  Kyra noticed Azule had yet to extend an invitation inside and assumed it was because of the demons. Their demeanor was naturally predatory and their horns cried, “Beware.”

  She took the lead and introduced everyone in her party, making a point to emphasize the marital status of Nadua and Anya. The other Faieara took note with unrestrained surprise.

  Azule took a long moment to assess them all with a keen eye as though a debate battled in his mind. Finally he said, “We welcome you all. Please do come in, and we can speak within the safety of Evlon.”

  The demons looked uneasy about entering the unknown territory. Kyra turned to her youngest sister and whispered, “Do you sense any malice?”

  Anya had recovered from the illusion spell, but she still clung to Sebastian as if he might evaporate without her. “No. Mostly, I feel kindness from them.”

  “Mostly?”

  “Some are apprehensive.”

  “I suppose that’s to be expected,” Kyra mumbled. Then she glanced up at Sebastian. “I think we should go with them.”

  Sebastian eyed the group of Faieara with the same scrutiny they’d received, before saying to Ethan, “What do you think?”

  Ethan nodded. “The king has led us here for a reason.”

  “Well, your king has not been wrong thus far,” Sebastian replied, turning to Cale and Marik for their opinions.

  Cale shrugged. “I trust Kyra and Anya.”

  Marik agreed.

  Kyra took Cale by the hand, partly to show appreciation for his statement, but also because she knew he would insist on being by her side as they followed Azule inside.

  The entrance to the cave was dark and naturally ominous, but with Cale squeezing her hand, she felt secure. Until they’d taken a few steps inside that is, and the cave door closed up behind them. Their only exit morphed into same rough texture as the rest of the cavern, looking as if it had never existed. Thankfully, small fire crystals embedded in the wall lit the way.

  Seeing their worried faces, Azule assured them, “It opens and closes with the use of a spelled amulet. We all wear one.” He revealed a trinket from under his neckline. “Whenever you wish to leave, just let anyone of us know. Stay close,” he added. “It can be easy to get lost if you don’t know the way.”

  The cave wasn’t as musty as Kyra expected. It was almost as though there was a constant stream of fresh air flowing around them, although where it came from, she couldn’t decide. The path was even and smooth, clearly manufactured. After a moment she realized they were walking a gradual slope, heading deeper underground.

  They came to a large area that reminded her of a common room, with arching passageways that branched off in all directions.

  News traveled fast. Folks had already gathered, eager to greet the princesses. Colorful heads bobbed up and down over the crowd and poked around corners, trying to get a glimpse. Kyra couldn’t get a read on their expressions.

  Azule shooed them away and then gestured to a seating area that cornered a large fireplace. Inside the pit, freshly broken fire crystals burned brightly, giving off a pleasant heat and warm glow of orange light.

  Azule waited till they were all seated—all but Sonya, who remained standing with her arms crossed—before claiming a spot himself. “As you can see, everyone is shocked to see you, Your Majesties. You’ve all been missing since the day of great sorrow. Presumed dead. But there had been some rumors of an escape, and…a prophecy.” He gaze flickered to the fire on the last word.

  As a culture based in magic, prophecies had always been plentiful, but Kyra sat back in her chair as a sense of foreboding gathered in her gut. “By your tone, it doesn’t sound like a happy ever after prophecy.”

  Azule took in a breath and let it out slowly. “When the heir to the throne returns, the Kayadon will quake and Evlon will shatter.”

  Nope. Definitely not happy ever after.

  “Cryptic,” she muttered under her breath, then added more loudly, “But we have reason to believe my father has foreseen our victory against the Kayadon.”

  Azule took a moment to absorb that. “You plan to battle the Kayadon then?”

  “Yes. We have called out to our allies and merely wait to hear from them. Would you and your guild fight with us when the time comes?”

  Crossing his arms, Azule chose his words carefully. “We have been weakened over time. The people are divided like never before.”

  “I’ll take that to mean you’ll think about it.”

  A new voice echoed from a darkened corridor. “We may be weakened, brother, but so are they.” The speaker approached. His hair was the color of a stormy sky and tied into a thick braid.

  “This is Luric,” Azule said. “My brother.”

  Luric bowed.

  “Please explain your statement,” Kyra bid.

  “I believe the Kayadon have grown weak over the last few millennia.”

  Azule elaborated, “It’s a theory some of use like to indulge in. However, the only evidence is that we see less of their kind in the woods. They stay near the cities and outposts.”

  Kyra glanced back at Luric. “And why would that give you cause to believe they’re growing weak?”

  “They used to patrol in large groups with their beasts, deep into the forest. Over time, the expeditions dwindled to only a couple, and they ceased going out as far. In the last twenty years or so, it’s become a rare occurrence to see any this far out at all. Also, a couple who escaped the inner city told us the Kayadon seize a
nyone who shows a gift for healing.”

  Unconsciously, they all looked at Ethan.

  “Are you a healer then?” Azule asked. Then with the tilt of his head, said, “You look familiar. Should I know you?”

  “I am Ethanule of the old guard.”

  “Ah, yes. There are not many of the old guard left. Most of them fought to the death long ago. I was but a fledgling at the time.”

  “I recall. You assisted in smuggling many of our people away from the palace. Although I remember there being more in your care.”

  Azule’s lips thinned slightly. “Some were captured. Others went back for loved ones and never returned.”

  Sonya’s tail flicked, drawing attention. “What do they do with the healers?” she asked.

  “According to Ina and Ru, once a healer was taken, they would never be heard from again.”

  “Are Ina and Ru the ones who escaped?” Kyra asked. Azule nodded, and she added, “I’d like to speak with them.”

  “They’re out on a hunt. They will return by nightfall.”

  “Perhaps tomorrow then,” Sebastian urged. “We should return to our ship.”

  “You are welcome to stay,” Azule offered. “We have room for you all.”

  Sebastian shook his head. “Thank you, but our crew would worry if we didn’t return.”

  Both Azule and Luric nodded, understanding. “I will be sure Ru and Ina are here in the morning, if you plan to return.”

  “That would be great. Thank you, Azule.” Kyra smiled at him.

  As they left, she had one final question. “By the way, who was it that foretold the prophecy of doom?”

  Azule stilled. “The question, Majesty, is of all the soothsayers, seers, and oracles, who has the prophecy not been foretold by?”

  Kyra’s response was neither eloquent nor was it understood by anyone beside herself. “Bummer.”

  Chapter 29