Throne of Blood

by Amber Cook

  "The reason I have invited you all here is in regards to the Orbs." At those words, everyone's eyes fell onto Adira. "Although it is not unusual for Drystan to not be present for our meetings, I was certain he would appear for this one. Unless our ideas about his allegiance are true." Kace said, his eyes looking towards where the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Lord would reside. His chair was empty. "I received reports this morning that the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Orb has been stolen. I believe that a demon did not steal it, but that a human retrieved it."

  "A human? That's impossible." The Fourth Pillar's Demonic Lord, Enyo, said. Whenever Adira heard her voice, she could not stop herself from perking her ears. Although some would have considered Enyo a lady, she preferred the title of being a Lord. She did not wish to be viewed as a woman, not when it came to such matters. "A human entering the Demonic Realm and surviving is almost unheard of. I suppose that if the human had been modified, there could be a chance of survival. But how would a human be able to break through the barrier?"

  "You're beating around the bush," Ravana stated, shaking his head. "Surely, you have heard the rumors. I believe all of us have. It's not a secret that Drystan is intrigued by humans and does not believe in Kace's morals. There have been rumors spreading over the past months, even in my Pillar, that Drystan is siding with the humans. If that were the case, it would be easy for him to enter into the Human Realm and give the humans the Demonic Orb."

  "Can humans withstand holding a Demonic Orb?"

  "It's not unheard of. From our research, the Demonic Orb's attack demonic kind when they are touched. The main reasoning behind this is that the Demonic Orb is trying to drain the demon of their Demonic Energy, thus consuming it to strengthen themselves. Humans lack Demonic Energy. If there is no reason for the Orb to attack, then why would it? If the Orbs do not feel as if they are endangered, then they may not intervene. Remember, although we have come to believe that we have control over the Orbs, they are still their own beings. They can decide when and who to harm."

  The Third Demonic Pillar's Lord, Legion, said this. When one looked at him, especially in his eyes, they could see the years worth of knowledge he harbored. It was Legion that had raised the question of combining the Orbs and procreating a suitable candidate. Without him, Adira would have never been created.

  "Adira, you had never heard the Fifth Pillar's Orb call out to you this morning?" Ravana asked, and Adira shook her head. The Orbs were quiet creatures, but in their hours of need, they often called to her. She had heard nothing from the Fifth Pillar's Orb.

  "I've heard nothing from it."

  "And you have not felt its power either?"

  Just as she could communicate with the Orbs, she was able to feel the draw of their power when used in large amounts. She shook her head again. "Nothing. If this had not been brought up, I would have never known something had happened to them. They have all been quiet."

  "It could be true, then. Maybe Drystan has sided with the humans. If he willingly gave the humans the Demonic Pillar's Orb and believed it to be the best option, then the Orb would not have fought back." Legion muttered beneath his breath, and Adira could tell he was trying to connect the dots. "I've always known he's harbored a fascination for the humans, but I would never have believed him to be so foolish. Delivering a Demonic Orb to the humans is too risky. They've already been able to accomplish too much with their experimentations without the Orbs."

  "The only option is to send someone to the Human Realm to retrieve it." Ravana stated, and Kace nodded his head.

  "Just as Legion said, it's too risky to have the Demonic Orb in their hands. Even if the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Orb is of weaker strength, we've done everything to make certain they have no information on them. If they were able to figure out the truth about the Demonic Orb's, then all of our hard work would be for nothing."

  Although Kace did not mention her name, Adira knew he was talking about her. If the humans figured it out, then there would have been no purpose in creating her.

  "The question is, who should we send to retrieve the Orb?"

  Ravana pondered the question for a moment before answering. "My troops are stationed on the edge of the border. If needed, I would allow you to use them."

  "And start a war? Use your mind for once. Sending demons into the Human Realm would start a war that no one is ready for." Legion grumbled, shaking his head in exhaustion.

  "And what would you suggest?" Barked Enyo as she slammed her hands on the table. Her fiery eyes seemed as if they were set ablaze. "Are you suggesting we allow the humans to keep the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Orbs and jeopardize our lives? Unlike you, I am not willing to give up my people's lives over the fear of starting a war."

  "There is no need to start a war," Kace said, waving their attention back onto him. "Legion is right. The resources we have are not quite ready to start a war. In a few months, we will be more than prepared. Even if the humans were to crack the Orbs' code, they would not have enough time to manifest it. The next strike we make, I have no intention of letting a single human live. No, I have no intention of the Human Realm even existing anymore. It's time to rid the world of those parasites once and for all."

  Kace reached to his side, and Adira stiffened as he stroked his hand on the top of her head like a dog. "But you all seem to forget about our little weapon. Out of everyone in this room, who would be the most suited for retrieving the Orb? Who would be the only one able to touch the Orb without being hurt?"

  "Adira." Ravana whispered, lust dripping from his words. This realization seemed to ignite a new hunger in him, and Adira's eyes sharpened.

  "Adira is one of the largest components of our plan. Without her, we will not be able to wipe the Human Realm away from this world. It will be a fruitful test of strength to see if she can harness the power within herself."

  "And what if something happens to her?"

  Kace smirked at Ravana's words. "Are you that keen about her health? Fine, if Adira does not return home within a week, you may retrieve her."

  "Father, are you certain that I'm the right person for this task? What if I fail you?"

  "What if you fail me? Oh, Adira, I wouldn't be thinking about such things." His thumb trailed down her cheeks, stopping to cup her face. He pressed his face close to her own, close enough where she could feel the kiss of his breath against her lips. "I've needed a new servant as of late. I think that even you could fit the part."

  Adira's mouth widened, and she gulped deeply. She couldn't stop the chill that raced down her spine at those words. She knew that he wasn't lying; he never did. He truly would turn her into a puppet.

  "Do all of you agree on sending Adira to the Human Realm to acquire the Orbs?"

  Ravana and Enyo both nodded their heads. Enyo stood, placing her hand over her left breast. "If needed, My King, I will personally go to the Human Realm to aid her if things get dire. I understand the importance of ensuring not only the Orb's safety but her own."

  Legion was the only one who sighed, but in the end, he nodded his head. He wasn't a foolish man. Even if he did not agree with some of Kace's actions, he could not voice that out loud. Doing so would guarantee his death. "I suppose it could be beneficial. It would be better to know if Adira's body can handle the Orbs' power before entering into war."

  Kace clapped his hands together, smiling as he stood. Everyone else soon followed. "I'm glad we all agree on something." The meek servant slowly dragged itself out again, hobbling towards Adira. Without even hearing a command, it already knew its orders. "Adira will leave tonight for the Human Realm. You all are dismissed. Legion, please stay. It seems we will have to figure out how to handle this situation regarding the Fifth Pillar's Demonic Lord."

  Adira's eyes widened at those words. Legion had known her father for many years and had been his entrusted adviser even before taking the Third Demonic Pillar throne. The combination of the two of them had selected the remaining Pillar's Lords and made Kace into who he was. If they were goi
ng to replace Drystan, Kace would be consuming another Demonic Lord's soul.

  As the servant began to usher Adira out of the room, Enyo was behind her. Her chiseled face and body made her appear like the very humans Adira had once read about, but she would never mention that. Enyo was a proud demon. Whatever she believed in, she would voice her opinions on loudly. It didn't matter what she had to do if it meant saving her people. She would allow herself to be stabbed a thousand times if it meant they could see the light of day, even if they were viewed as unimportant by others. When Enyo passed by her, the two of their eyes met.

  Enyo's fiery eyes were lit ablaze by the conversation, her hands clenched by her side. Adira couldn't help herself from backing away by the intensity in their shine. Enyo reached towards her, patting her shoulder as she spoke. "Whatever you do, Adira, return the Orb. No matter who stands in your way, kill them." Her words seemed to hang in the air as if Enyo could see something that Adira couldn't.

  Adira nodded her head like the trained puppet she was, and Enyo's face slackened. There was a softness to it that many demons lacked, and there had been times when Adira had dreamed that she had been procreated from her. The fire that lit her actions was unlike any other. Unlike Enyo, her father never thought of his people, but only of himself. She could only imagine what it would be like to live not for her father but for the people around her.

  Enyo walked out of the room, and like a moth drawn to light, Adira bristled at the feeling of Ravana's slender hands on her waist. "Did you think you could escape me?"

  "I was hoping to."

  "Ah, why the harsh words? Aren't you just delighted to see me?" He whispered close to her ears, close enough that Adira could feel his lips against the nape of her neck. The servant in front of her had stalled, bobbing its head and hands in impatience.

  "Delighted is not the word that comes to mind when I see your face. Disgusted is more like it." She spun, slamming her hand into his chest.

  Ravana's dark eyes seemed to twinkle with delight behind her movement. Seeing her dance like a moth in his hand always brought him amusement. He lazily dragged his hand from her waist, lingering on her abdomen. "Anything else you would like to say?"

  Bristling with rage, Adira clenched her hand in his chest and used her free hand to jam his elbow down. Before it made contact, Ravana abandoned his hold on her abdomen and whistled, sticking the hand that had just touched her in his mouth. His tongue seemed to savor the taste of her skin. "Wooo, that was a close one. If you had landed that on me, you might have done some damage."

  "Next time, I'll go for something more valuable to you." She hissed between her gritted teeth. The servant by her side limply tried to tug at her sleeve, and Ravana grinned.

  "Looks like daddy's calling you." Adira's face darkened, but he continued. "Don't get hurt out there, Adira. I'd at least like a pleasurable face to look at when you return. What am I saying? All that matters is if you can bear me an heir."

  Heat filled her cheeks and ears, and she wanted to kill him. She wanted to do nothing more than to slam her fists into his face and hear him beg her name. But she couldn't. Ravana wasn't just some sleazy demon off the streets. He had been handpicked by her father to become the Lord of the Second Demonic Pillar. He was even stronger than Enyo, who was the closest thing to a Goddess of Death.

  Unable to retort back, Adira bowed her head and followed the meek servant. She could curse him a thousand times in her head, but it would accomplish nothing in the end.

  Chapter 2

  A hundred and twelve years after ascending onto the Third Demonic Pillar, Lord Legion wrote his first paper. This would be the start of a new world of Demonic Kind. Demons had long ago rejected the art of writing and reading, but Lord Legion suggested otherwise. The papers that were produced detailed the life of many but were a fundamental step for his plan. In the seventh paper presented by him, the highlight was reproduction in demons and their goals.

  In the Demonic Realm, time passed differently. A year in the Human Realm was roughly equal to seven years in the Demonic Realm. Demons had an increased lifespan, low-ranking ones living well into their three hundreds. But, the problem was not the lifespan of demons but procreation.

  Conception was easy in humans. Medication had been produced using medicinal herbs to increase the rate of success, versus the demons had yet to find anything. Their 'human' bodies were already long dead; the reproductive organs long rotted away.

  Low-ranking demons had a higher rate of reproduction versus high-ranking. Due to the meager amount of Demonic Energy that resided in their bodies, Lord Legion noted that they could produce an offspring within three-years. Of course, there were many cases where conception took longer or was finished at an earlier date. But, when matters were focused on high-ranking demons, the conception rate plummeted from 79% to 24%. He could only assume that the reasoning behind this was that higher-ranking demons had larger Demonic Energy quantities.

  The high amount essentially made them 'barren.' Only after conducting his experiments did Legion realize that the Demonic Energy consumed any form of life created. It wasn't if the demons could procreate; it was if the fetus could survive from itself.

  -

  The servant waited by her door as Adira collected everything needed for her trip. Unlike her counterparts, Adira did not pack simple things like food. No, instead, her eyes and fingers drifted to the only essential thing she needed.

  Her fingertips traced along the hilt of a variety of swords that hung on the back wall. Multiple pristine swords glimmered in the soft light, but Adira's eyes always fell to the simpler things. She reached out to grab the dagger that she had been entrusted to her as a child. Even now, she could remember when she had received it.

  It was during what the humans called the Winter Solstice. Adira only heard the name as she hung by Drystan that night. After he said those words and realized she was lazily striding by him, Drystan did not mention it again. Although Adira had never heard of such a thing before, she could only assume it was during the season of winter. She had seen 'winter' drawn out multiple times. The world was nothing more than a blanket of white, and there were even little boxes filled with gifts and goodies. Adira had never received 'winter,' which she assumed the gifts were, but she had anxiously awaited one. Every year, not to her surprise, winter never came.

  In the Demonic Realm, there were no seasons. The skies were nothing more than blankets of crimson red. There was no such thing as a 'sun.' All that ever hung in the sky was a swirling pit of darkness called the 'moon.' There were no stars. Adira didn't even know what stars looked like. It had been merely another thing that she had seen in a picture book, but they looked like unusual things. A part of her wanted to do nothing more than to see the stars and reach her hand out to the dazzling sky. She wanted to feel their warmth and to understand what made them so bright.

  Kace had been awaiting her as riches and words were poured over him. Drima had been accompanying him, stuck to his hip like a tick that could not be torn away. To this day, she could still remember her disheveled state and how she was draped over him, at his very mercy. She had wanted to spit at the sight of the two of them.

  At that time, she had still been just a young girl. The experimentations had been brought up during meetings, but lengths had not been taken yet. Instead, for the time being, her father had found great satisfaction with using her as a 'toy.'

  When he was perturbed, he would vent his frustration on her. It would appear as if the two were going to bond, but it was never that way. It always resulted in her being tethered, bounded, and gagged, as he would mark her skin with his own finely fashioned weapons. There were many times when Adira would stumble back into her room, holding the strips of flesh and muscle that hung off her bones. The pain would riddle her, especially when the rot and infection would gnaw down into her bones.

  The disgust she had felt towards the sight of them was immeasurable; especially when she knew that one-day she would be subjected to th
e same thing. It was no secret that there were plans to bound Ravana and Adira together. By doing so, not only would they solidify the strength of the bloodline, but the two Pillars.

  Due to the decreased amount of procreation among high-ranking demons, it was recorded that there had never been a point in time when two Pillars had merged. All of the Demon Lords that had come before Kace had either only produced male heirs or had been unable to have an offspring. The current set of Pillar Lords still had no offspring, save for Kace.

  It wasn't the fact that Ravana was older than Adira that disgusted her-he was only fifty years her senior-it was just everything about him. It was the way that he talked, the way that he looked at her. When his eyes would rake up and down her curves, he didn't look at her out of physical attraction. He looked at her out of lust for the power that flowed through her veins.

  It didn't matter what happened to Adira. Tomorrow, she could be found with her wrists slit and beheaded, but he would not ask how she was. No, he would be more worried if he could still force her to produce an heir or obtain the Orbs himself.

  Before she was able to take another step, Ravana was at her side. The feeling of slender and nimble fingers against her waist caused her stomach to clench, and she jerked her head back to look at him. He had grabbed her from behind, bear-hugging her, so she had no way to escape.

  "What are you doing?"

  "I needed to hold you." His fingers seductively trailed up the slopes of her ribcage, along her exposed forearms, and halted as they stilled on her breasts. The tips of his fingers laid only an inch from the swirling pit of darkness that resided there.

  The dress she had worn had been of stark white. Accompanied by her milky skin, steely hair, and vibrant red eyes, Adira looked like a winter fairy. Some might even call her one simply by the way she moved. Each step and movement she made was schooled beyond words. One might look at it and believe it was mesmerizing, but there was intention behind every movement. Every step she took was towards a higher goal, and every lift of her hand was an intent to kill.