Demon World

by Balvir Bhullar

  ‘Just hold the intention in your mind that you want them to retract, and they will. They will become a part of you once more, and will come out when you have need of them,’ said Alexander patiently.

  ‘But what happens to them when they disappear?’ she asked.

  ‘They have always been there, I suspect, long before you became a demon. I don’t think you were entirely human to begin with...’ he said contemplatively. ‘You naturally have a lot of power within you, and they sleep within that realm. You effectively shape them, and give them life.’

  Rowanne considered Alexander’s words. ‘The sooner I talk to my grandmother’s family, the sooner I’ll get the answers to the angel blood within us,’ said Rowanne.

  ‘With your permission, I would like to meet them?’ asked Alexander, and held his breath in anticipation of her response.

  ‘That’s a given,’ she replied, amused that he would think otherwise.

  Alexander held her hands and looked at her pointedly, ‘Now calm your breathing and centre yourself. That’s it,’ he said, as Rowanne followed his instructions.

  Looking into his eyes brought a feeling of peace as her eyes changed to violet. She focused on what she wanted, and felt the magic surround her as her wings began to slowly fade away.

  Rowanne opened her eyes, and looked at him jubilantly. ‘They’re gone!’ she said, laughing and grabbing his hands, and added, ‘We did it!’

  ‘Was there ever any doubt?’ he asked, raising an eyebrow as his mouth curved into a smile. ‘Now let’s get off here,’ he tugged on Rowanne’s hands, causing her to fall against him. She was about to protest as he held her close, when suddenly a portal opened. ‘I just thought you might want to go home,’ he said softly.

  ‘But what about Lady Enid and Lillian? They were against the idea.’

  ‘Rowanne, as the future Queen, I think you can afford to break a rule or two. Besides, they said you had to have security. I fit the role perfectly, do you not agree?’ he smiled wickedly as his eyes glinted darkly.

  Before she could answer, he pulled her into the portal, her eyes sparkling furiously.

  Rowanne accepted reluctantly, ‘You are to drop me off, and then be on your way!’ she said sternly.

  ‘Of course, I didn’t think otherwise...’ he said magnanimously.

  The portal closed with a finality, and Alexander’s expression spoke so eloquently that she closed her eyes to shut him out; it was a shame she could not do the same with his laughter.

  EPILOGUE

  It had been five months, since the night that Rowanne had discovered who she was, and who she would eventually become...

  A lot had happened since then. Rowanne had sold her apartment, and had moved in with her grandparents. The day Alexander dropped her off at their home, well to say it was emotional was an understatement. She recounted to them of the events that had transpired in Demon World. Grandfather Hou and Grandmother Angelique had been furious to have been left out of the loop. Rowanne had promised on pain of death to include them in all future endeavours that she might pursue.

  Grandmother Angelique would need time to come to terms with the truth; understandably she had been shocked by all that she had learned, so much so that Rowanne had been worried for her health.

  However, she had not seen the point in delaying any further, having waited her whole life to meet her parents.

  Lillian and Elisedd had come by themselves, while Lady Enid had stayed back to help the Nobles investigate her family. Rowanne had decided to stay away, and had given them time to get to know each other again. Grandmother Angelique had only been a baby when they had left her, so she had never really had the opportunity to form a bond with them; after all, it’s hard to accept two strangers as your parents. However, as Great Grandfather Elisedd had kept pointing out to Rowanne, they have now got time.

  However, Grandmother Angelique had chosen at present not to explore the angel blood within her. When Rowanne had asked her if she would ever consider immortality, her reply had been that it was something that she and Grandfather Hou had decided against; they wanted to live a human span of time, or however long the demon blood naturally extended their life to.

  This had not been received well by Lillian or Elisedd, who thought they would have a long time to get to know their daughter. Grandmother Angelique had slowly built a relationship with them over the past couple of months, and had become quite fond of them. She had learnt so much about their life in so short a period of time.

  Grandmother Angelique had also turned down Lady Enid’s invitation to live in the palace in Demon World. She loved her home, and would not trade it in for the world. Furthermore, all her friends and acquaintances were on Earth. It was the world in which she had grown up in, the place she was most happiest and comfortable — in short, the place she called home!

  Although, Grandmother Angelique had agreed to visit between both worlds, in order to form a relationship with her grandmother Enid; that had been another emotional rollercoaster for both women. Especially when Lillian introduced her daughter, Angelique, to Lady Enid. It goes without saying they had a lot to catch up on. Grandmother Angelique had enlightened Lady Enid to the wonders of Earth, but Rowanne could tell that visiting Earth had not really been her cup of tea — it had always felt a bit alien to her!

  Rowanne had been called back to Demon World numerous times in the past couple of months, and had undergone tests along with Elisedd and Lillian, and lastly Alexander. The tests had gone well, and they had not been able to discredit the Morning Star Clan.

  Rowanne found that the process had pushed her further into the world of demon politics, and consequently she had learned so much, but it would inevitably be an on-going process. The demon blood had enabled her to process information at an incredible rate, even more so than when she had been human.

  Rowanne knew the investigation would soon be over, but another had opened: investigating demons with angel blood and especially looking into the origins of this. It was a subject which had long been debated amongst the demons, not to mention, the legends and myths surrounding it.

  Until that moment in the hall, when they had been presented with three demon-angels, the demons had not quite believed that such a thing was possible, especially in their world. Rowanne was interested herself, but she had not yet visited her grandmother’s family, but she hoped to visit them soon. She had thought that they might be able to provide her with the answers she had been searching for.

  Some of the Noble Families had suggested talking to the demons in Prima Stella: the oldest and highest court in Demon World. Truth be told, Rowanne had been reluctant to go there, even Lady Enid and Lillian had felt the same. Her grandfather Hou had suggested to her that it could in all likelihood be a suicide mission.

  What exactly is Prima Stella, and who is really in charge of it? All Rowanne had been told was that it was the abode of the ancient demons. God alone knows how old they must be... It had brought back to mind a dream she had of an ancient place, forged in blood and fire... Did she really want to explore further? Would she even have a choice in the end?

  After all, the time would come one day when Rowanne would have to rule Demon World. Alexander had often been found by her side in the past couple of months, sharing his knowledge with her. It had been a long process, and she still had a long way to go before she was ready.

  Rowanne had been training to fight, but so far she had fallen well below par. She had found it heartening that Great Grandfather Elisedd had decided to help her, for they had both been in the same boat. Kieran and Alexander had both readily agreed to become their teachers.

  Rowanne thought that Alexander had taken a twisted pleasure in teaching her; he had seemed to be in equal parts highly amused and incensed at her slow progress. She had reminded him that she had never been a trained fighter, and had never wielded a weapon in her life. His less than satisfactory reply had been that she needed to learn to defend herself before even attempting to use a weapon,
as she might accidentally hurt herself! She had found it unbelievable, his arrogance had not reduced; on the contrary, he had become more annoying than ever.

  Grandfather Hou had invited Rowanne to travel with him to China, to meet his family. She had been hoping to stay there awhile, and perhaps get him to train her in military strategy, as well as in different fighting styles. Then the next time she met Alexander, he would not be so self assured, especially when he would be looking up at her from the floor!

  Driskell had been a tremendous help over the last couple of months by speaking with the Nobles on Rowanne’s behalf. He was still well respected within Demon World, and continued to hold the position of Enforcer. He had managed to round up half of the demons involved with Evelyn; the others were still on the run.

  Evelyn had received a severe punishment: life in imprisonment, which had been passed by the Noble Court. Lillian and Lady Enid had decided against sending her to Prima Stella, though, they were well within their rights to do so. They had known that the Adara Clan would have opposed the decision, and consequently, would in all likelihood have incited the other First Families into civil war against the Queen.

  It goes without saying that not everyone had been pleased to have Lillian back; the demons were more enraged that Rowanne would become their future Queen after Lillian. It would take a lot for Rowanne to win any supporters at all; hence, security around her had been tightened.

  The Queen had assigned a team of elite royal guards to Rowanne’s security, in fact Kieran had offered to be head of the team, which she had reluctantly accepted, because of Alexander. He had said that it was best that she have people that she could trust around her. She had not liked the idea of anyone endangering themselves on her behalf, but as she was well aware, and Lillian had kept pointing out, these were volatile and uncertain times in the history of Demon World.

  Evelyn had pointedly refused to tell anyone of what happened to Thomas; there had been no news of him from Earth, either. The demons working for Evelyn had remained loyal to her, and had kept quiet. Every day that had passed without any new leads to his whereabouts had been disheartening, and Rowanne had wondered if she would ever be able to give him the justice he deserved. But with Driskell working on the case, who knows what he may uncover. After all, he is called the Enforcer to the Noble Court, for a reason.

  Evelyn had been guarded around the clock, as she had been classed as highly dangerous. Her cell had been shielded, so that she would not be able to use her abilities. Rowanne along with her family could attest to what happened when that psychotic woman had been free... She had heard troubling reports of her gaining support amongst the demons, especially those in favour of getting rid of humans and half demons.

  Driskell had been working with Amanda covertly amongst the demons to find support for Rowanne from the half demons, and those outside of the Noble Clans. Unsurprisingly there were a lot of demons who had been less than satisfied with the way Demon World had been run: especially as they had been treated as second class citizens, and therefore considered beneath the notice of those higher up. Rowanne knew that all of them had a lot of ground work to do.

  This had also been the reason why she had sadly decided to give up on her dream career. Grandmother Angelique had been against her decision, and had urged her to reconsider, reminding her of the hard work she had put in to get to the top in the first place.

  Rowanne knew deep down, that she had made the right decision. As much as she had loved her job, she had not been completely content, if she were being honest. She had always felt that there could be something else out there for her. She had got what she had wanted: Demon World had found her, after all.

  Rowanne would look at this period in her life as a chance to do something really meaningful, and to learn from the sacrifices her family had made. Whether Demon World wanted her or not, she was here to stay, and hopefully be of some service to it someday.

  It was June 1st 2018 and Rowanne had the honour of attending Lillian and Elisedd’s wedding - they wanted to make it official before the Nobles. Especially as, in December, Lady Enid planned to finally pass the crown to her daughter Lillian. She decided it should happen as soon as possible considering the current unstable climate of Demon World politics.

  Lillian as Queen would most assuredly instil fear into the Nobles; she survived Prima Stella, after all, and this will ultimately strengthen her rule. The demons would be in for a rude awakening, and would rue the day that Lady Enid stepped down as their ruler, but the regency moved forward — and soon a new era would begin.

  Rowanne heard knocking on her bedroom door. ‘I’m coming, just give me a few more minutes.’

  ‘It’s not even your wedding, and you have been in there almost an hour. I think it’s only right I come in there and help you,’ said Alexander in his most pious voice, as he leaned against the other side of the door.

  I’m sure you would love to, thought Rowanne. ‘I can manage alone,’ she replied pleasantly.

  She heard Alexander lament as he walked away. She looked at herself in the black mahogany mirror - it was exactly the same as the one she had hanging in her room back at her grandparents home, with demons and angels carved into a frozen dance at its edge. Thankfully her eyes had returned to their normal green; she had not recognised herself with violet eyes, and her hair too had returned to its native deep brown. Her hair was braided into a series of elegant French braids that were pinned back into a messy side bun, and Lillian had insisted on the sparkling hair pins haphazardly placed to complete the look. Here was a bride who was not frightened of being upstaged. She had insisted that now Rowanne was a part of the royal family, she would have to dress the part, if only to appease the Nobles. The Morning Star Clan would appear their brightest tonight in all of their finest regalia; after all, they were making a statement.

  Rowanne finished applying her soft summer makeup expertly, but her nerves on the other hand were in a knot for some inexplicable reason. Alexander was right, it was not even her wedding, so why did she feel on edge? Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped out.

  Alexander’s eyes widened as Rowanne stood before him. He admired her beautiful emerald green dress which only served to complement her deep smouldering eyes that were currently trained on him. His eyes dropped to her delicate rosy lips as they curved into a tentative smile.

  She had seen Alexander dressed smartly before, so why should the sight of him in a black tuxedo unnerve her now... He caught her lingering gaze, but try as she might, she could not avert her eyes from his, it was proving too difficult.

  ‘Rowanne,’ he said, and taking hold of her hand, he twirled her around, so he could admire her, before finally bringing her to a stop before him. ‘You look-’ and leaning in close, he watched her eyes widen in surprise, as he whispered softly, ‘beautiful. I am enchanted by you.’ He smirked, as she took a step back.

  ‘Que ferais-je sans toi?’1 she asked, in a daze. Sometimes it was easier to voice your feelings in another language.

  Alexander took a step towards her, not liking the distance between them, especially after that declaration/question! ‘You don’t have to... Je resterai à jamais à vos côtés,’2 he replied, with sincerity.

  ‘Wait... No. I was just remembering the lines to a song. By the way you don’t look half bad in that suit,’ she added hastily, trying to distract him as her cheeks flamed. The spell was well and truly broken. What was I thinking... You look decent, really? That’s the best I could come up with. Her traitorous mind mocked her with a Emily Dickinson quote, ‘“The heart wants what it wants-”’

  ‘“...Or else it does not care,”’ supplied Alexander helpfully, and felt her cringe at him having heard her innermost thoughts.

  Alexander laughed deeply with a satisfied expression. ‘Quite... Now it’s really time we head down.’

  Rowanne had one of her déjà-vu moments: that laughter, she had heard it before... at The Caelum restaurant. Was Alexander there that day? She lo
st the thread of thought, but if she was brave, then one day she would have a long chat with the annoyingly smug man beside her.

  She was feeling nonplussed but determinedly took the arm he proffered. Together they made their way outside, and descended the grand staircase which was strewn with white rose petals that delicately scented the air. Rowanne looked up at the velvet black sky as the stars winked coldly back.

  Alexander and Rowanne observed the extra security that was now in place around the palace. ‘I suppose it has to be this way...’ said Rowanne, as they made their way along the courtyard towards the platform.

  Alexander walked along the white carpet, wary of the demon guests that lined the route on either side; the palace was full of them. ‘We don’t know when Evelyn’s supporters will make their move, it pays to be cautious.’ He squeezed her arm tenderly.

  Rowanne finally made it onto the platform, and along with Alexander, waited for Lillian’s arrival. She politely acknowledged the royal family. My family... she thought, though she had not had the opportunity yet to meet them all. ‘Is that Lillian’s father over there beside Lady Enid?’ whispered Rowanne to Alexander.

  Alexander bent his head close to Rowanne, and whispered in her ear, ‘Yes. He’s been away for the last couple of months. He doesn’t look too pleased...’

  Rowanne did not quite trust Lillian’s father, who wore a disgusted expression as he looked in their direction. Despite his contempt, she smiled amiably but her eyes widened, as he was about to walk towards her, only Lady Enid’s restraining hand on his arm stopping him.

  ‘Don’t mind him. Anyway there’s two of us he’ll have to deal with,’ said Alexander boldly, as he gave Lillian’s father a calculated look; there was the promise of retribution in his eyes, should he even consider harming Rowanne.

  Finally Lillian arrived, and ascended the stairs to the platform, accompanied by Elisedd. Rowanne’s heart melted at the sight of them as they looked at each other with a love so profound.