Demon Lord VI - Son of Chaos (25 page)

He adjusted
one of his wrist guards. “The Realm Gate is a light god’s only
protection against the dangers of the God Realm. He cannot leave it
open.”

“
But it’s been open all these centuries.”

“
Because he is still in his birthing chamber, and cannot be
harmed. Once he is born, he will be vulnerable, and if he is killed
your domain will die, and all of you with it.” He stopped fiddling
with the wrist guard and appeared to ponder. “Unless you can
provide light and food for all your people, and live in the God
Realm.”

“
Our domain will die? How?”

“
The light will be drawn back into the Oracle, which will
become a realm seed once more. After many centuries the boundaries
would collapse without the wards to strengthen them.”

“
And then what?” She gazed at him, her heart fluttering.
Despite the serious subject of their discussion, his presence
electrified her. “Will the people be crushed when the boundaries
collapse?”

“
No, they are not made of stone. Not all of them, anyway. The
survivors will be released into the God Realm, where usually they
would not survive for long.”

“
Why can’t we be left as we are? I’m sure I could convince them
to stop hunting dra’voren, but my leaders will be angry if Kayos
does this.”

Bane glanced
at her, and she looked away. “Because your people are becoming
wicked, and eventually they will ally with a dark god, who will use
them to further his own ends, quite possibly hunting light gods
with your ships.”

“
But the people who stay outside may still do that.”

“
No.” He settled on the edge of her desk, clasping his hands.
“When a man dies in the God Realm, his soul flies to the nearest
light realm and presents itself at the World Gate. If it is
tainted, it may not enter, and must remain in the mid realm until
it is cleansed.

“
If it is corrupted, like Drontar, it will go straight to the
dark realm to dwell in the Land of the Dead. Either way, a tainted
soul cannot be reborn, so any children born here after the Gate is
closed will have pure souls. Even godless and without faith, they
will not ally with a dark god.”

“
I see.” She gazed at his profile. “Perhaps if Kayos himself
explained this to my leaders, they would listen. They won’t listen
to me.”

“
Kayos dislikes appearing to mortals, especially unbelievers.
Why do you think I am here as his messenger? You have been chosen
as his prophet of doom, and your prophecy will come to pass. Warn
them, and let them do as they will.”

“
I’ll do my best, Lord.”

“
Good.” He rose to his feet and headed for the door.

Nikira’s heart
dropped into her boots. “Lord?”

Bane turned at
the door. “Yes?”

“
I... Where have you been? You’re looking well.”

“
We have found a safe place to rest, and with Kayos and
Drevarin working together to restore my strength, I am fully
recovered.”

“
Does that mean you no longer have any power?”

He tilted his
head, studying her. “No dark power, no. Why do you ask?”

“
I-I’m just curious. Forgive me, Lord.”

“
No matter.” He shrugged and turned to leave again.

“
Lord?”

Bane paused in
the doorway and glanced back, raising his brows.

“
Are you going to disappear again? And how can you, without
your power?”

“
Drevarin has been providing invisibility for all of
us.”

“
Oh.” She lowered her gaze to the carpet. “I-I wanted to invite
you... to... to dine with me, Lord.”

“
To what end?”

“
I... There are some things I wish to discuss with
you.”

“
Such as?”

Nikira bit her
lip, her mind blank. “I’d rather tell you in private, with some
good food and wine. Is that possible?”

“
I suppose so.”

“
In one hour? Do you know where my quarters are?”

“
In your quarters?”

She glanced up
at him, terrified that he had divined her true intent, but he
looked puzzled. “For privacy, Lord.”

“
I see. Very well, I shall find it.”

“
Thank you, Lord.”

Nikira sagged
against the desk as the door shut behind him, her heart hammering
with excitement and dread. Had she really just invited a mortal god
to dinner? Now she knew that she was mad, and what was worse, she
knew that she had every intention of seducing him. Or having a
jolly good try, at any rate. Brimming with excitement, she ran to
her cabin and stripped off the white dress. She had a quick shower,
then applied perfume and makeup, but not too much, so he would not
become suspicious.

Then again,
what did it matter if he did? He would have to find out at some
stage. Surely he would not object? She giggled, taking out the new,
lacy white gown she had asked one of the female cleaners, who had
some skill with dressmaking, to make for her. Putting it on, she
admired herself in the mirror, smoothing the silky material over
her hips. The form-hugging gown was trimmed with lace at the
collar, sleeves and hem, and a silver belt clasped her slim
waist.

After a glance
at the clock, she went into the tiny kitchen and ordered two
precooked meals from the auto chef, along with a bottle of the best
wine. Setting the auto chef to keep the food hot, she ran around
the lounge tidying away any loose paraphernalia and plumping up the
cushions on the couch. Rummaging through her collection of film
data sticks, she selected a romantic one and set up the monitor,
lowered the lights and put on some gentle music. As she set the
bottle of wine and two glasses on the table, the door opened to
admit Bane. She swung around, surprised by his unannounced
entry.

“
Lord.” She fell to her knees.

“
Get up. I told you to stop that.”

“
Sorry.” Nikira rose to her feet, glancing at the door, which
had closed automatically behind him. “You surprised me. How did you
open the door?”

“
I noticed that it did not open by itself, as they usually do.
I was not supposed to come in?”

“
Of course you were, but usually people push the buzzer and
wait to be invited in before entering private quarters.”

“
Ah, I see.” He smiled. “I am still unskilled in the ways of
humans, it seems. When it did not open, I caused it to do so.
Arrogant of me, I suppose.”

“
Not at all. I was just surprised.”

He gazed
around. “You also dislike bright lights?”

“
You prefer dim lighting?”

“
More so when I have my power.”

“
Right.” Nikira found that she was wringing her hands and hid
them behind her back, then remembered what she was supposed to do
next. “May I take your cloak?”

“
Certainly.” The clasp opened by itself as she went behind him,
and the heavy cloak fell into her arms. She hung it on the hook by
the door, her hands lingering on the silky material that was made
of inert dark power, a mind-boggling concept her scientists could
not explain. Turning, she found him studying her, and was glad the
dim lighting hid the hot blood that rushed into her
cheeks.

“
That is a pretty gown.”

“
Thank you, Lord. Will you sit?”

Bane glanced
around at the couch and two chairs, a table situated conveniently
between them. Without his cloak, he lost some of his looming
menace. Its absence revealed him to be more slender than she had
thought, his broad shoulders tapering to narrow hips. He was out of
place amid her modern furnishings, with his long, gleaming hair and
old-fashioned, well-tailored clothes. He sat down on the moulded
dark blue acrylic couch, and she wondered if there was any shred of
sanity in her plan. Realising that she was dithering, she joined
him on the couch, keeping a reasonable distance between them, and
poured the wine. The bottle neck rattled on the glass, and she
cursed her nerves.

“
You are nervous?” he enquired in his soft, husky voice. “You
think I still harbour ill will towards you?”

His
old-fashioned way of speaking and perfect diction made her blood
race. “Do you, Lord?”

“
No. You accepted your punishment, and you have been
cleansed.”

She handed him
a glass of ruby wine. “So you’ve forgiven me?”

“
Did you want to kill me?”

Her hand
shook, so she put her glass down. “No. I wanted to keep you alive,
even when Drontar ordered your death. How much of that was your
influence?”

“
None. I merely made you more curious than you already were,
and gave you a wish to study me further. Then I made you think you
had done so.”

“
It would have worked, except for Enyo.”

He nodded,
sipping his wine. “He was beyond my influence. The walls prevented
me from touching his mind.”

“
So you do have limits?”

He smiled. “I
suppose so, when I am unable to use some of my powers.”

“
But I was outside with Enyo when I decided that I wanted to
study you more.”

“
I had already planted the seeds in your mind.”

“
I see.” She picked up her glass and sipped the wine. “So it
hurts when you read people’s minds, but not when you plant thoughts
in them.”

“
Yes, but it does not have to hurt. If I touch the person, they
feel nothing.”

“
So you could plant anything you wanted. You could make someone
love you.”

He gazed into
his wine glass. “Why would I do that?”

“
To save yourself?”

“
Then I would use pity, but this power has only come to me
recently. Before it did, I had to rely on my charm, such as it is.”
He shot her a smile, and she swallowed hard, managing not to choke
on the sip of wine she had just taken.

“
Why didn’t you do that to stop Artan putting the shackles on
you?”

“
I was unconscious.”

Nikira topped
up their glasses and settled back a little closer to him. She plied
him with more questions about his past, uncovering a tale about a
domain he had saved. She had to pry the details out of him, for he
tended to summarise his adventures in concise, clipped
sentences.

After a couple
of hours she brought out the food, which he seemed to enjoy, and
she fetched another bottle of wine when the first ran low. By that
time she had edged considerably closer, and her hand kept creeping
towards him as if it had a mind of its own. Mostly she longed to
run it through his hair, and on several occasions was so distracted
that she wondered if she was making sense.

The wine
seemed to relax him, and he laid his head on the back of the couch,
closing his eyes. He was certainly not picking up any of her cues,
oblivious to the signals she sent. She had not had trouble seducing
men before, but he remained unmoved by her charms. Did he find her
so unattractive, or was he just old-fashioned? She was jerked from
her thoughts as he lifted his head and opened his eyes, turning to
her.

“
What did you wish to discuss with me?”

“
What...? Oh, right. It’s about this prophecy thing.” She had
decided to use that as an excuse if necessary. “Should I tell the
leaders at base, or go to the central government in
Bayona?”

“
You know your people. I would say both, if
possible.”

“
Right. And should I put it in writing, send it out on the com
system, or go and see the leaders?”

He shrugged.
“I leave it up to you.”

“
I think it would be a lot better if you told them.”

“
I disagree. They will not believe a stranger, but you have
standing in your community, and you know how to persuade them. They
will also be more inclined to believe the words of a god they
cannot see than one who stands before them as a man. I am
too...”

He glanced
down, and she followed his gaze, horrified to find her hand on his
thigh, and snatched it back, her face growing hot.

“
Sorry, Lord.”

He stared at
her, his expression enigmatic, then put his glass down on the
table. “Are you attempting to seduce me, Nikira?”

She gulped,
not daring to meet his eyes. “No... Well... Not unless you want me
to.”

He looked
around. “Now I understand the soft lights and music, the wine, the
meaningless banter. It seems I am naive in the ways of your
society. You planned this?”

Her heart
raced with excitement, and she raised her eyes. “Are you
angry?”

“
No.”

“
So... will you stay? Have some more wine?”

“
I think I should go.”

Her heart
sank. “No... Please stay. We could just talk, nothing more.”

“
No.” He stood up. “It will be better if you do not see me
again.”

“
Please don’t go.”

Bane took his
cloak from the hook and donned it, shot her an inscrutable look and
left. Nikira sagged against the cushions, cursing herself for a
blind, idiotic fool. What must he think of her now? Not much, she
was sure. She would probably never see him again, thanks to her
clumsy attempt to lure him with her doubtful charms. Even though
she knew it was foolish and probably hopeless, she also knew she
would try it again, if given half a chance. She just could not seem
to keep her hands off him, or her mind, for that matter.