by Amber Cook
Throne of Blood
The Demonic Pillars Book One
By Amber Cook
Chapter 1
Slender fingertips trailed down her milky skin, leaving irritated marks in its wake. The only thing she could feel was venom. Venom for the people in front of her and the world she was in. Malice towards the people who dared touch her, dared to look at her, without their approval. This body that they had grown, that they had 'blessed' and validated beyond words. When she closed her eyes, she could hear them all. Their touch, their voices, she could never escape them. Their fingers were like bringers of death, coaxing her mind and body to the point of no return. They were all there; all five of them. They all looked at her as if she was some great prize, and they had won her. The Pillars would never leave her. She could never escape. She wanted to escape. She had to escape.
✽✽✽
Adira's eyes sprung open as she jolted upright. The silky sheets that had once lain perfectly organized on her bed were now in a mess, sagging off the sides. Protruding nails had sliced through the silken fabric, and shreds of it stuck to her slick skin. Beads of sweat worked their way down her brows, and her breaths felt like thunder in her lungs. Stray droplets of crimson blood worked their way up from gashes along her thighs, a result of the lumbering beasts that filled her dreams.
For a few moments, all she could do was take ragged breaths and stare outside the window. The crimson sky outside, with a moon of shimmering obsidian, welcomed her to the land of the living. Fingers clenched in the bundles of shredded fabric; she forced herself to breathe deeply. Even her breaths, that's all she needed to be pulled back into this world. Her fingertips gently trailed down the slope of her neck and to the base of her breasts. Even though she knew it had been a dream, she couldn't help but feel their fingertips. She could feel the desperation, the hunger that threatened to tear her alive. She knew that if she were to cast her eyes down, she would be able to see their marks on her forearms. In their eyes, it was the one way to brand her, to let the world know who she belonged to. Adira could have laughed at that. Everyone knew who she belonged to.
Her fingers dug into the mass buried between her breasts; the only thing that gave value to her life. Even being the First Demonic Pillar's heir was nothing when compared to this. This thing buried between her breasts could change the world if she could master it, or that's what everyone told her. But, Adira knew deep down inside that would never be possible. She would never be able to master something that was untamable. That was like trying to tame a wild animal that had never tasted confinement. Instead, she could only wish they would not kill her. She was their servant, who kissed their toes and served their every need, not the other way around. The moment Adira forgot that, she knew she would be dead.
Although sleep was not needed for her kind, she often found herself unable to keep herself awake throughout the never-ending nights. She didn't know if it were because her body was under constant stress, especially with the latest trials, or if she simply wanted to feel human. No, it could not be the latter. It could never be the latter. The thought alone, especially to a demon that would soon stand on the throne, was a sin.
She forced herself out of bed, shouldering off the thin scraps of her nightgown. She had shredded almost every inch of the silky fabric. Without looking, she tossed it into the pile of torn dresses to the side of her dresser that had accumulated over the past couple of weeks. She would have to note that something had to be done; either they would need to be mended, or new ones would have to be made. She doubted there was anything salvageable within that pile of scraps.
Looking at her bare body in the mirror gave her chills. Her milky skin that was sickly pale hung onto her skeletal frame. It wasn't as if she was not taking proper care of her body. She lived under the same regime as any other demon. Compared to others, hers might have been better. She always consumed the ripest, richest souls she could find, and she very rarely left the First Pillar. By all means, staying next to the First Pillar should have accentuated her health, but she knew why.
Between her blossomed breasts was a crude looking rock. It jutted out into harsh, protruding angles as if it had been beaten into submission. The surface was not pale or full of color. Instead, it was a swirling, bottomless pit of darkness. When her fingers would touch the edges, she was always met with a bristling pain. It was enough even to cause her to flinch, sending an electric bolt up her nerve-endings. She could only imagine how it would be for an ordinary demon, let alone a human.
This rock, this Orb, planted between her breasts was her reason for existing. The whole reason she had been created and brought into this world was because of a single idea. For the past forty years, humans had made significant accomplishments in fortifying their weapons and knowledge. Using demons of lower-to-mid ranking, they were able to experiment and figure out defenses to extinguish demons.
To a high-ranking demon, like someone who ruled over a Demonic Pillar, it was of no concern. But, what about their underlings? What would happen if one day, there was no one to serve them and protect them? The most natural solution was erasing the whole human race, but that was easier said than done. Even her father couldn't simply walk into the Human Realm and wipe out their entire population. The main reason was that the Human Realm was like poison to them. The longer they stayed, the more their health deteriorated and their strength.
To this day, no one had been able to understand the reason why. Maybe the angels above blessed the humans; she did not know. Maybe what the humans preached was true; maybe there really was a god. All she knew was that being in the Human Realm could even make someone of her strength quiver on their knees and wish to repent.
The only solution that could come to mind was creating a weapon of their own. The demons needed to come up with a solution to the impending threat. They needed to create something that could slaughter all of humanity within the blink of an eye, and they needed it quickly.
After years of experimenting, even with subjecting demons to the First Demonic Pillar's Orb, there was no success. Demon after demon, no matter their ranking, found themself dead in a matter of seconds. The Demonic Pillar's Orbs were a threat in themself. They were essentially the main power-line that demon-kind drew their power from. If they did not find someone worthy, then they had no hesitation in slaughtering them. They did not care if they were a demon, even if the blood that flowed through their veins was similar to them. The thrill of the hunt was the same.
After a hundred and fifty years of experimenting in the Demonic Realm, the Pillar's leaders suggested a proposition. Using lower-ranking demons or mid-ranking demons was unfruitful. But, what if the two strongest demons in the Demonic Realm procreated, thus creating one could only assume was the perfect specimen? All eyes fell on the head of the First Demonic Pillar, Kace, and his wife, Drima.
After fifty years, Adira was created. When she was born, there was no celebration of life. In fact, she was simply viewed as the first step to a grander scheme. When she was younger, naive of everything around her, she had genuinely thought that she could experience love. Initially, she had looked to her parents for it, but all she had been greeted with was cold looks. There was no warmth in their eyes. They did not look at her out of love. The demons around her did not view her as one of them. She was either greeted with scornful looks or looks of fear. Even when she would try and speak, they would lower their eyes and flee from her sight.
It was during that time that Adira had learned what a 'human' was. She had only heard about these 'humans' from her parent's hushed tones during guarded conversation. From their words, she had assumed that they were hideous creatures. The stories she heard were filled with their cruelty and their lust for domination. At the time, Adira had no idea what
either thing meant, but she knew they were horrible. But, when she stumbled upon books from the human world, she didn't entirely believe it was true.
The stories that lined the pages were magnificent. She had never seen anything like it before in her life. Even though she lacked the comprehension to understand the words that littered the pages, she couldn't stop herself from being in awe at the drawings. There were humans drawn as knights, traveling the world, and protecting their people. They were clad in gold and silver, and brilliant swords were sheathed by their sides. In the end, they would always slay the beast, and the townspeople would cheer their names. She wasn't certain if she quite liked that, as all the beasts drawn on the pages looked like demons. But she couldn't help herself from feeling a strange fascination for these creatures that inhabited the other realm. They seemed to be everything she aspired to be.
But, Adira learned soon after that, that humans were cruel. They were the reason for all of her suffering. If she could rid the world of the humans that littered it, then she would be freed from the endless torture. She would be freed from her father, from those hands that were always reaching towards her. This Orb in her chest was a curse, but also her only way to freedom.
Experimentations began to see if Adira could withstand the strength of the First Pillar's Demonic Orb. To everyone's surprise, Adira had survived merely touching its surface the first time. Nobody else had been able to accomplish that. Even Kace had difficulties when it came to handling the Orb. From there, the other Demonic Lord's offered up their Orbs. The Second Pillar's Demonic Orb was inviting, and Adira could press it against her skin as if it belonged to her. The remaining three were easily succumbed, as their strength was nothing compared to the First.
The Orb planted in her chest was the byproduct of all five Orbs. When asked to fragment a piece of their power to Adira, they had complied. It was a scene that left many shocked as the Orbs had rarely listened to them before. Even though their origin was demonic, they did not act the same way. With fragmented pieces of power from all five, they combined to create the orb that resided within her.
Within its murky surface laid Adira's direct connection to the five of them. After that, Adira was tasked with the protection of the Five Demonic Pillar's Orbs. She was the only one who could touch the Orbs freely and could communicate with them, but often her calls fell on deaf ears.
Adira's fingers dug into the puckered, inflamed flesh around the Orb in her chest. By the edges of it, the flesh had already blackened and gave way to lumped muscles. It was a horrible sight to see, but it didn't surprise her. There was no way one body could withstand the amount of power the Orbs gave off, even though they were fragments of their strength. It was the Orb buried within her chest that allowed her to live, but at the same time was eating her alive.
A soft knock rang on the door behind her, and Adira turned towards it, not paying attention to her bare state. It was pushed open, and a meek servant walked through. She did not seem to be the least bit startled by Adira's appearance, and she dipped her head in a welcoming. Adira's eyes narrowed, and she gritted her teeth as she grabbed something out of the wardrobe in front of her. The only time someone was sent for her was when he wanted to see her.
"What do they want this time?" She asked although she knew she would not hear an answer. The thing behind her could not speak. It wasn't even alive. It was a puppet; created from the corpses of humans pulled off from bloody battlefields. Its once pale skin was now an offset blue, and its eyes were no longer there. All there were was empty sockets. Adira was at least thankful that this particular 'thing' was newer, lacking the hanging limbs and rotting corpses that others had. Maggots had yet to set into its skin, and its flesh had not begun to melt of its bones.
Once she finished pulling on her evening wear, a silky black dress that hung loosely off her accented shoulders, Adira walked towards the meek, little thing. "Where are you taking me today?" She asked, but the servant simply bobbed its head. The movement was harsh as if a string jerked its head up and down. Long ago, the servant had lost the nerves that connected its head to its spine. It was a miracle that its skull still stayed on.
When Adira walked through the door, the servant took the lead. Its stride was jarring to look at. One foot drug limply behind it, versus the other one was not pressed against the floor. Instead of walking on the ball of its foot, it walked using the side of its ankle. It was a cruel thing to see one's foot completely smashed, forced into a ninety-degree angle, but Adira thought nothing of it. Seeing things like this was ordinary. To her, it would almost be strange to see someone not in such a horrid state.
The servant's limp hand reached forward as it stopped, fumbling with the door handle. Adira could not help the servant; all she could do was watch. In her early years, she had been willing to help them, but she realized all she would receive was pain. There was always someone watching her, waiting to report back to her father. Helping a servant was a sin. They were human, even if they were nothing more than corpses now. That defied the very laws she had been raised upon.
When the servant finally twisted the knob, pushing the door open, Adira stepped through. At the head of the table was no one other than her father. Kace did not lift his head to acknowledge her, nor did he even seem to give her any attention. Even her mother seemed not to care that she had entered. They were too busy fiddling with themselves and the glasses of wine on the marble table.
As she walked towards them, she noted that all of the Demonic Pillars Lord's were here, save for the Fifth Pillar. That was not a strange appearance. During meetings, it was scarce to see their Lord. Adira wasn't even sure if they had one anymore. The Fifth Pillar was always quiet, secluded from the four others. Months had passed, maybe even years, since she had last met him face-to-face.
If her father wouldn't give her any attention, Adira knew that the Second Pillar's Lord would. The moment Adira had stepped into the room, Ravana's eyes had fallen on her. The lust that filled his features was enough to cause her to grit her teeth and curse his name a thousand times. It was sickening at times.
By most demon's standards, Ravana was a beautiful man. The tendrils of curling black hair that spilled from his scalp were glossy in the dim light. His crimson eyes were full of light, but there was mischief in them that never left. Since the day Adira had been conceived, Ravana tried to court her even as a child. From a political standpoint, it would be very beneficial to both of them. It would be a marriage that would connect the First Pillar and the Second Pillar by more than just a ruler, but by blood. Throughout the history of the Pillar's, that had never been accomplished before.
"Adira," He called, offering her a cheeky smile. "I was expecting something else." He said, gesturing towards the outfit she adorned.
The gown she had picked was rather dull, but that was the purpose. There were only a handful of reasons why a servant would pick her up. The main two were either a meeting was being held, or Kace wanted to have his 'fun' with her. Neither of those reasons warranted her dressing up. Knowing Ravana would be here made her want to look even more dull than normal. Maybe then he would not stick to her like a leech.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. I could say the same about you." She purred, and Ravana couldn't help the chuckle that slipped from his throat.
"Ah, those words do have an effect on me, even if you think otherwise. There doesn't seem to be a seat at the table, Adira. Why don't you come sit with me?" He patted his laps as he said those words, opening his legs in invitation. Adira's eyes darkened as she realized that there were no other seats at the table. All of them had been occupied.
Kace finally acknowledged her, waving away Ravana's words. "I would hate to bother you, Ravana. Adira has a spot beside me."
But, there were no chairs beside him. Anyone would have been able to realize that. The only spot beside him was the floor, and Adira's teeth gritted. She clenched down until she could feel the pressure build-up, causing the familiar taste of iron to flood her mouth. Drim
a covered her mouth to hide the laugh that played on her lips when she looked to her mother for help. She seemed to be enjoying the sight of Adira perturbed, unable to do anything. It was like a mouse dancing in a ring of flames.
Adira's fingers unclenched by her side, and she put a honeyed smile on her face. Anger flowed through every inch of her body, and she wanted to do nothing more than slam her fist into every one of their snarky faces. She wanted to feel their hot, thick blood upon her face and hear their moans of agony. But, all she could do was put that sickly sweet smile on and walk towards her father. "Father is so kind." She cooed and, like a trained actor, she did as he instructed.
She walked to his side, keeping that schooled expression on her face as her eyes sliced into him. Venom seeped from them, and Kace couldn't help the devilish smile that overtook his face. She could make as many faces at him as she wanted, but she would be unable to do anything further. She would never lift a hand against him.
She dropped to her knees, allowing the gown to flutter about her frame. Her eyes barely peeked up over the edge of the table, and she could hear their whispers.
"Like a perfectly trained dog; he does have that monster on a leash."
Adira's fingernails branded her thighs through the fabric, and she lowered her eyes. It wasn't like she could deny their words. Even with the orbs residing in her chest, she was no match for him. Her father had lived for over a thousand years. Over that duration of time, he had slaughtered many humans and many demons. When he was coming up in his power, he had murdered the other Demonic Lords and had placed his selected ones on the thrones. Through the consumption of souls, Kace's power had become untouchable.
Over a thousand years' worth of souls resided in his body, lending him every inch of power. Even if Adira wanted to reach him, it would take her at least a few more hundred years. Even then, the consumption rate that she would have to reach would be too detrimental to her already dying body.
