My Demon Warlord

by Carolyn Jewel

  “True.” Nikodemus stayed still. “For now.”

  “I believe in my oath. Given the chance, even knowing what I know right now, I’d swear to you again.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Just telling the truth.”

  “You took a hell of a risk breaking Winters free of her oath to me.”

  “That wasn’t my doing.”

  “Was it hers?” He straightened and put a hand on Kynan’s shoulder. “Something she did to you?”

  “The mage directly responsible for that is dead. Ugo Cifai.”

  “Indirectly?”

  “Who the fuck do you think? Neda Sessani.” He gave Nikodemus the high-level details of what had happened up to and including the events at the house.

  “The way you two are.” He shook his head and softened his tone. “We have a problem. She can’t be hooked up with you the way she is without fealty to me. Her especially. More than anyone.”

  “She won’t swear to me. That’s not going to change.”

  “I can’t cut you loose. I can’t lose both of you. Not now.”

  He didn’t like any of what he was hearing, but what was he going to do about it? Nothing. Exactly nothing. “I understand.”

  “She can stay an employee. If I send her to China or India, Australia, maybe, is that far enough that you two will be okay?”

  “Probably.”

  “Good to know. She can pick her favorite.” He shrugged and smiled brightly. “On the other hand, maybe there’s a way to fix this.”

  “Sure.” He didn’t think there was.

  Nikodemus made the same motion with his chin that he had with Carson and the two demons walked into the living room. Nobody looked happy, especially Vahid. Too many witches, but he’d already identified Addison. “Where’s a place we can close the door and work this out?”

  “The back office is fine,” Kynan said. There wasn’t anything to work out except the part about explaining to Winters what she’d probably already guessed would happen. Wherever she ended up, there’d be magic-using humans who needed her help. There’d be other kin for her to work with.

  “Let’s go then,” Nikodemus said. They waited while Tau and the others inspected the office at the west side of the house. At a signal from Nikodemus, Durian split off from the others and headed outdoors again. The other kin Nikodemus had brought with him were posted around the house and grounds. More patrolled out of sight along the driveway and the road it connected to.

  “Tau,” Kynan said when the others emerged from the office to give the all-clear for occupation. “Keep an eye on the new guy, would you?” He used his thumb to point behind him to where Vahid waited with the others who weren’t going into the meeting with Nikodemus. “That one needs all the help he can get. Maybe he’ll listen to you. If he does, teach him a thing or two about getting along.”

  Tau nodded. “Delighted to.”

  Gray took up position outside the office door while they went in. Addison came along; so did Carson and Winters.

  Inside, Nikodemus kicked away the chair and sat on the desk, facing the rest of the office, legs dangling, hands gripping the edge of the thick wood slab. He was wearing a black T-shirt with evil bit=0x1 in green lettering across his chest. Carson stood beside him, arms folded, a headset flashing blue in one ear. Addison took the couch across the room. Winters straightened up the desk chair and by the window. He stayed in the middle of the room.

  “So. Easy stuff first.” Nikodemus’s grin was belied by his underlying alertness and the fact that he was holding more power than when he’d come in. Every so often his eyes went from black to silver. “Maddy didn’t take you mageheld like we thought. That’s a good thing.”

  “Durian was pretty fucking disappointed.”

  “Yeah. Well.” Nikodemus’s smile vanished. “Maddy, I’ve heard from Kynan. Can I get your side? Just the highlights.” Mainly, she related the facts, but like he’d done, a few opinions got into the telling. Mostly, their stories dovetailed. Nikodemus nodded. “Vahid is an interesting case. Any idea if he’s staying solo?”

  Kynan shook his head.

  “Here’s hoping he swears to one of us.” Again, no smile to take the edge off the words. “Did you hear, sweetheart? His father was Bejar.” Nikodemus returned his attention to Kynan. “Does he know he has a half-brother?”

  “Yes.” Kynan checked Addison, but she was about as fine as you’d expect when people were talking about her biological child. She wasn’t sharing much right now, which he understood. She might have his sanction later. He was just as prepared as she was. More. He was a ruthless bastard and always had been. To keep his bonds with Winters, he’d kill just about anyone.

  Addison might be the only one here prepared for what would happen if Nikodemus tried to take Winters from him. Carson and Nikodemus were the only ones who knew about his bonds with Winters and how his blood-bound agreement with Nikodemus had affected his power.

  If it came to a confrontation, he figured his oath would break from Nikodemus’s side. Either way, if he ended up free of his oath, Kynan would be fighting to keep Winters. For her, he’d take down everyone and anyone who got in his way.

  Nikodemus slung an arm around Carson’s shoulder and brought her close. “You won’t be surprised to know I don’t like what I’m hearing about this Sessani witch.”

  Addison snorted, but there was an additional gravity to her now that she’d heard what Sessani was up to and that the witch was directly responsible for what had happened to her.

  “What do we know about Sessani?” Nikodemus asked.

  “Kynan knew her,” Winters said. “I didn’t have access to my usual resources.”

  Nikodemus gripped the edge of the desk, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he said, “Carson, did Telos get back to us?”

  Unlike Nikodemus, Carson shot a glance at Winters. “I have his preliminary report. It’s in your email. Sensitive eyes only. She contacted Harsh not long ago. He was traveling for us at the time. He says she called him looking for a deal. She wasn’t happy when Harsh told her a deal meant she had to give up her magehelds.”

  “No deals,” Winters said sharply. “She’s running a breeding program.”

  This time, Nikodemus did look at Winters. “My people will take care of the details.” If Winters were still his sworn, for sure Nikodemus would have taken a milder tone with her.

  Winters blanched at Nikodemus going in for the kill like that. “Your people.”

  “People sworn to me. Directly or indirectly.” He held her gaze. “But sworn. To me. You know how this works.”

  “I do.”

  “Now we get to the hard part.” Nikodemus scrubbed his hands over his face. “About those bonds, Winters. Want me to see if there’s anything I can do?”

  “Yes.” She refused to look at Kynan. “But only if it doesn’t make things worse.”

  Problem. Her agreement made everything worse. What he wanted and what Nikodemus wanted were now directly in conflict and stressing all aspects of Kynan’s fealty to Nikodemus.

  Pain sliced through him, and his heart skipped two beats. Carson went on alert and moved in front of Nikodemus. On the couch, Addison leaned forward, but Nikodemus lifted a hand. “It’s all right,” he said. He released Carson and slid off the desk. He pointed to Winters as if he hadn’t just chopped her off at the knees. “Sweetheart.” He meant Carson. “See what you can tell us about these two.”

  The sharp ache through his chest was echoed in an answering shimmer in the wards he’d made in the windows. Nikodemus remained calm, but Kynan wasn’t fooled. Neither was anyone else. They’d all felt his reaction to the threat of losing Winters.

  “Only asking, Kynan.” He lifted his hands. “Nothing else for now.”

  “Shouldn’t you check him first?” Winters said when Carson approached her.

  Carson brushed her dark hair out of her face, a familiar gesture from their days with Magellan. She gave Kynan a thorough and thoroughly dispassionat
e once-over. There’d been a time when the slightest connection with her set him off into his unrequited, fucked-up longing for her. Not anymore. Not for a while. He was over the worst of his screwed-up past with her.

  “Maybe,” she said. “I’m not sure. Mostly, I sever magehelds from the magekind. He’s not mageheld anymore because I already severed him.” She shot a glance at Winters. “Glad to know the rumors that you managed to do that weren’t true.”

  “He’s kin. I’m not, so you should start with him, right?” Winters wasn’t happy about Nikodemus putting her on the outside like that with that crack about his people. She had to have known this would happen. Her being on the outside and staying that way was the only possible outcome that didn’t involve a high risk of others dying. “You’ll get more from Kynan, won’t you?” She swallowed hard and continued in a lower voice. “I thought that’s how it worked for you.”

  Carson gave him a sideways glance. “I’ll check him first if that makes you feel better.”

  Nikodemus grabbed Carson’s hand. “Not a good idea.”

  Carson tugged on her hand, but her focus on Nikodemus was laser sharp. She didn’t much like his interfering, obviously. Like everyone else here, Carson knew how close to the line Kynan was right now. His wards were in a state of agitation, putting everyone on edge. Nobody would be missing that. “I appreciate your concern, sweetie, but don’t overstep, ’kay?”

  He released her. “Stating my objection for the record.”

  She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, and that was no big deal for him. Hadn’t been for a while. “Love you for it.” She straightened. “Now stop interfering.”

  There’d been a time when every incidental sign of affection between Carson and Nikodemus had made Kynan’s soul ache. Now? He was glad she had someone she loved and who returned her love. The tension between him and Nikodemus amped up. For half a second, the window glass turned opaque. Addison didn’t move from her relaxed post on the sofa, but she drew more power. This time, however, the stress came almost entirely from Nikodemus’s side of the oath.

  “I’ll end you if I have to,” Nikodemus said.

  Kynan’s mouth curled, and he touched his chest. If his oath broke from Nikodemus’s side, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. He didn’t think Nikodemus would be that careless, but sometimes situations didn’t come out the way you hoped. Somewhere in the house, one of Kynan’s wards went off and right after that, the wood molding along one wall turned to ash.

  “Dude.” Addison pursed her lips and whistled softly.

  Kynan did his best to de-escalate, but it was harder than he liked. Maybe. Maybe he didn’t have a problem with the current situation. There were upsides if this ended with him free of his oath to Nikodemus. “I’d die for Carson.” He put enough heat into his response for Nikodemus to feel the strain because him even questioning that Kynan would go after Carson? He did have a problem with that.

  Nikodemus pushed back. “You’d take me down to get to her.”

  “That’s right,” he said slowly, drawing it out on purpose. “If I could.”

  Carson stepped between them and patted Nikodemus’s cheek. “I can handle this.” She looked over her shoulder. “You, Kynan, stop baiting him.”

  Nikodemus placed his hand over Carson’s, and Kynan’s status didn’t change. “Be careful. That’s all I’m asking.”

  “I will. You know I will.”

  She approached him, and Kynan braced himself. “Go ahead,” he said.

  Carson concentrated on him, and he relaxed into the contact. She’d released him from his enslavement. There wasn’t enough gratitude in the world to repay her for that. He’d been the one dispatched to kill her parents and bring her to Magellan. He was the one who’d looked after her when nobody else in the house cared what happened to her. And when she grew up? What a mess that had been, with him trapped between obedience to Magellan and his regard and desire for Carson.

  Behind his closed eyes, he saw Winters. Winters, not Carson. For years, he’d been wrapped up in his feelings for Carson and Magellan’s promise that one day she would be his. She should have been given to him the minute the poison the mage had been using to stunt her magic began to make her useless as a source of power for Magellan. She’d figured out something was wrong and escaped, and then that bastard had given him a kill order for her.

  Her power slivered through him, and he concentrated on his breathing. He wasn’t going to react to a damn thing. He wouldn’t. His sworn howled in deafening objection to her examination of the bonds, but he had himself under control.

  After a few minutes, Carson backed away. “This isn’t what I normally deal with. Some of your magic is there, Maddy.” She pursed her lips hard to one side then the other. “You’re anchored to him, kind of what Nikodemus has with the magekind who swear to him. But it’s not the same as being mageheld. There’s no enslavement. I usually see a kind of snarl and how to take it apart.”

  “Great,” Kynan said. “These bonds aren’t like that because I’m not anybody’s mageheld, and that’s not why they were made.” He forced himself to speak calmly. “The question is, can you unravel them?”

  Carson put her hands on her hips, eyebrows drawn together. “That’s the whole problem. I don’t see anything.” She about stared a hole in his chest. “I could poke around. God only knows what would happen if I did that.”

  “No,” Nikodemus said.

  Carson ignored Nikodemus and concentrated on him and Winters, which he deeply appreciated. They were getting her full attention to the problem. At last, she looked up, and there was nothing hopeful there. Her gaze darted to Winters then back to him. “I know you guys wanted me to say something else, but to be honest, I’d be afraid to try.”

  Kynan said, “What if you try anyway?”

  Winters’ silence filled up the space in his heart.

  Nikodemus stood. “I said no.”

  Carson shook her head, a sorrowful expression in her eyes that told him everything he needed to know about whether he should be hoping for anything. “I’m not experimenting on you or Maddy. I’m not taking that kind of risk.”

  Kynan let out a breath. “You haven’t checked her yet. Take a look at Winters. Maybe there’s something you can do on her side.”

  “Maybe.” Carson went to Winters, and Kynan bit back a growl even though it had been his idea, and he recognized the necessity. If they were going to decide there was no solution, he’d have to spend the rest of Winters’ life half the world away from her. They better be fucking sure there was nothing anyone could do. “Maddy?”

  “Do it,” she said. “Should I stand up?”

  “Can’t hurt.”

  Not that long ago, Carson had needed to touch to do her thing, but now she almost never did. Still, she stood in front of Winters for a lot longer than she did when she was dealing with magehelds. He’d seen her sever five magehelds in less time than it took to blink.

  The air thickened while Carson probed at the bonds from Winters’ side, and his sworn howled. Every atom of him demanded that he put a stop to this. He resisted because Winters deserved every possible chance.

  Only the soft rattle of the windows interrupted the quiet.

  At last, Carson stepped back. Maddy frowned. “Well?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry.” She kept shaking her head, frustrated. “I don’t see anything. A mage or witch didn’t do this.” She glanced at Winters and then at him. “This isn’t my area.”

  He’d thought he was prepared for this, but it turned out he wasn’t. He still had a shred of hope that something could be done. Nikodemus and Carson were a formidable pair. If anything could be done, it had to be one of them who could do it. Had to be. “Try.”

  That didn’t make anyone happy, least of all Carson. “When it could make everything worse?” She was so much more confident now than in the early days. Nikodemus was good for her. “I’m sorry you don’t like my answer, but this isn’t a risk I want to take. My answer is
no.”

  “Options?” Nikodemus said to the room at large.

  Addison gave a hard sigh. “Why are you dicking around with this, Nikodemus? Carson says no. That leaves one option, and it’s got your name all over it. You tell us, what do you see as their options?”

  Nikodemus extended his hand to Carson, and she returned to his side. He looked from Winters to him and back. “I’m between a rock and a hard place, and I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t like it?” Winters sounded dangerously bland.

  If Nikodemus noticed, he gave no sign. “Kynan and I had an agreement, and he didn’t keep it. I could still terminate him for that.”

  “The consequences triggered,” Winters said. “You can’t punish him again.” There was more than a hint of acid in her response, but Nikodemus didn’t seem bothered by it.

  “Not your say, counselor. Especially now.” Nikodemus stood on the desk. He used the toe of his boot to move a lamp and a steel statue of a horse so he could pace the length of the surface. “Speaking theoretically, if I end Kynan, your problem is solved.”

  “That’s not a reasonable option,” Winters shot back.

  “Why not?” Nikodemus’s curt tone returned. Winters walked to the desk and stood there, looking up at him. He stared down and said, “It’s safer than me trying to break those bonds.”

  Winters shook her head. “You’re actually serious.”

  “You’re damn right I’m serious.”

  “Do I really need to point out, again, that what happened with those bonds wasn’t his doing?”

  “The bonds exist. That’s his doing, and he suffers all the consequences of making them. He’s lucky I didn’t end him when it happened.”

  “And you suffer the consequences of not doing so.” She put her hands on her hips. “Forget the bonds,” she said softly. “Forget this entire ridiculous discussion we’re all pussyfooting around. The only thing we should be talking about is what we’re going to do about Neda Sessani and her breeding program.”

  Still from his considerable height above her, Nikodemus said, “I told you, my people will take care of Sessani.”