Demon Retribution (40 page)

“Stop it!” She covered her ears, hoping to
block it out.

The flute played on.

“Do you know how many females have loved me?
It’s a game I play for amusement, to pass the time. I keep count,
and I laugh at them all. I laugh at you.”

“Stop it!” she screamed again, feeling the
beast in her stir. “No, no, no.” She grabbed her chest, telling
herself it wasn’t real. Under her palm, her heart sped and her
magic shook itself out as though from a long nap. She could feel it
growl with hunger. “Cale! Cale! Please, I need you!”

The dream Cale laughed again, sounding evil
and wrong, but underneath was another voice. Another Cale sounding
utterly panicked. He was shouting for her, screaming, “Kyra, don’t
die! Please don’t die!”

He must be nearby, stuck in his own
nightmare. Outside her illusion, the forest was not aflame and her
friends were still close. If she let her magic get free, they could
be hurt. She pushed her magic down, forcing it into submission, and
straightened her body to stare at the evil Cale. He glared right
back.

Without warning, a pulse of energy knocked
her to the ground. Soon afterward, she heard Anya cry out. The
desperation in the sound cut at Kyra’s heart. The fire burned
higher.

The flute played on.

That sound. I know that sound.

Kyra pulled herself to stand, unaffected as
yet another tree crumbled. With flames rising around her, she
bellowed into the depths of the forest. “I am Kyralyn, daughter of
King Alestar and future queen of the Faieara. I command you to stop
this at once!”

The flute cut off.

The fire slowly died. Broken trees vanished,
and the sky transformed to its natural color. She noticed Cale
first, kneeling. Anya appeared next, huddled in a ball. The others
came into view, like mist taking corporal form. Each looked shaken,
but recovered for the most part.

Sebastian quickly moved to gather Anya in
his arms. Tears streaked her face. Ethan attempted to embrace
Sonya, but she gave him her back.

Cale stood then, his face a mask of pain. He
covered it quickly, but there was unevenness in his voice when he
asked her, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she assured. “How about
you?”

He nodded and replied in an off tone, “It
wasn’t real,” as if he were still trying to convince himself.

“No. It was an illusion spell. And whoever
cast it is still watching us,” she said. Cale growled low in his
throat. His eyes darkened with rage, and she could tell he was
ready to go hunting. Anxiety flooded her. “Wait, Cale. Please don’t
leave me. I nearly lost control of my magic before. I need you.”
And she meant it. Somehow, he kept her centered.

Something unfathomable flashed across his
face then. An emotion she couldn’t place. She held out her hand to
him. Without hesitation, he crossed to her and took it, bringing
the backs of her fingers against his cheek. The intimacy of the
action took her by surprise.

“I, um…” Words stuck in her throat.

A nearby noise claimed their attention. From
atop a towering stone, a female with green hair and matching green
eyes cautiously peeked out at them. The woman examined each of
their faces till she came to Kyra. “Is it possible?” she
breathed.

Kyra recognized her instantly. “Hello,
Siella. I see your power has grown.”

“Blessed gods! It
is
you!” Siella shouted.
Then she raised a small rounded instrument to her lips and began to
play once more. The demons tensed, but the tune was different than
before.

“It’s okay,” Kyra said. “I believe she’s
calling someone.”

As Siella’s song ended, she gazed warily at
the demons who were still visibly bristled from the spell. “Please
accept my apologies. We’ve not had peaceful visitors in a very long
time.”

When that did nothing to ease them, Kyra
added, “Siella is a friend. We’ve known her since childhood.
Remember, Nadua?”

Nadua nodded. “Yes, I do. She had the gift
of song, as I recall.”

Siella lifted the instrument. “I have to
filter it through this now, otherwise the illusions can become
reality.”

Kyra shivered at the thought.

Ethan spoke up, his tone
scathing. “Siella, I know it has been a while, but you
are
in the presence of
royalty.”

Siella jumped down from the rock and bowed.
“Forgive me, Your Majesties.”

“Ethan, Siella, please. That’s not
necessary.” Kyra noticed then that Ethan looked utterly pissed.
Sebastian too. Anya still shook with fright. Sonya had slipped far
from the group, her expression unreadable. In an attempt to soften
the mood, Kyra asked, “Siella, who did you call just now?”

“My guild brothers and sisters.”

“Guild?”

“Yes. The last of the free have gathered
into small guilds. Mine is called the Alliance of the Blood.
Because, of the forty-three of us, forty are bound by blood magic.
Myself and two others being the exception.”

Nadua inquired, “How many guilds are
there?

“We are unsure of numbers. Traveling is
dangerous, and any guild left has only survived by remaining well
hidden, even to our own kind.”

Kyra digested this information. “What of the
towns? Do they still stand?”

“Most do, but the Kayadon control them.
Every once in a while, a Faieara will escape. But unless they are
lucky enough to come across a guild that will shelter them, they
are usually hunted down and recaptured.”

“Would a guild ever turn away such a
person?”

“I cannot speak for other guilds, but ours
would not. In fact, there was a couple that found us a few years
back. They escaped from the city near the palace, I believe.”

That was promising news. “What of our
father?”

“I know not, Majesty.”

Suddenly, the ground at their feet began to
rumble.

“Ah, the entrance appears.” Siella gestured
toward the crater.

At the base, a flurry of stone and sand
swirled, roots parted, and an impression in the rock burrowed
deeper, growing into a cavernous opening. Moments later, five males
stepped out, their expressions unreadable.

“How goes it, Siella?” one asked in a
guarded tone.

As Siella formally announced Kyra and her
sisters, the male’s features transformed into a mixture of
disbelief and shock. Kyra didn’t recognize any of them, but she
thought a couple recognized her by the rise of their brows, or
perhaps it was Ethan. One of the men darted inside without a
word.

Siella informed them, “He’s gone to fetch
Azule. He’s our guild’s leader. By the gods, Kyralyn, where have
you all been? Everyone thinks you’re dead.”

Momentarily thrown, Kyra looked to Cale. For
some reason, she didn’t want to admit to hiding on a far away
planet while her people suffered under Kayadon rule.

Cale seemed to read her and stepped forward.
“She’s been with us under the guidance of the King.”

Not exactly a lie, although it made her look
more knowledgeable than she had been. Kyra gave him a grateful
smile.

Azule emerged with an entourage of Faieara
taking up his flank. Kyra quickly counted fifteen, all dressed in
ill-fitting green and brown outfits, same as Siella. She got the
impression the colors were deliberate camouflage. Against the
backdrop of the forest, Siella could virtually disappear.

Siella directed them to a hanging vine used
for scaling the wall of the crater, and then slid down to
demonstrate its safety. These vines had always been strong and
often utilized as rope.

Ethan descended first, followed by Cale and
then the others with Sonya the last to join them at the bottom. As
soon as they hit the ground, the demons took up a defensive
position. Kyra blushed at that, worried they would insult Azule or
his guild, but she understood the necessity for caution. These
might be her people, but that didn’t automatically make them
trustworthy.

“Your Majesties.” Azule bowed, and his long
raven-colored hair reached for the ground. “It is an honor to
receive you.”

“Thank you. We’re relieved to have found
your guild,” Kyra replied.

“I can’t help wonder where you’ve been all
this time.”

“The story is a long one,” she offered. “As
I’m sure is yours.”

Kyra noticed Azule had yet to extend an
invitation inside and assumed it was because of the demons. Their
demeanor was naturally predatory and their horns cried,
“Beware.”

She took the lead and introduced everyone in
her party, making a point to emphasize the marital status of Nadua
and Anya. The other Faieara took note with unrestrained
surprise.

Azule took a long moment to assess them all
with a keen eye as though a debate battled in his mind. Finally he
said, “We welcome you all. Please do come in, and we can speak
within the safety of Evlon.”

The demons looked uneasy about entering the
unknown territory. Kyra turned to her youngest sister and
whispered, “Do you sense any malice?”

Anya had recovered from the illusion spell,
but she still clung to Sebastian as if he might evaporate without
her. “No. Mostly, I feel kindness from them.”

“Mostly?”

“Some are apprehensive.”

“I suppose that’s to be expected,” Kyra
mumbled. Then she glanced up at Sebastian. “I think we should go
with them.”

Sebastian eyed the group of Faieara with the
same scrutiny they’d received, before saying to Ethan, “What do you
think?”

Ethan nodded. “The king has led us here for
a reason.”

“Well, your king has not been wrong thus
far,” Sebastian replied, turning to Cale and Marik for their
opinions.

Cale shrugged. “I trust Kyra and Anya.”

Marik agreed.

Kyra took Cale by the hand, partly to show
appreciation for his statement, but also because she knew he would
insist on being by her side as they followed Azule inside.

The entrance to the cave was dark and
naturally ominous, but with Cale squeezing her hand, she felt
secure. Until they’d taken a few steps inside that is, and the cave
door closed up behind them. Their only exit morphed into same rough
texture as the rest of the cavern, looking as if it had never
existed. Thankfully, small fire crystals embedded in the wall lit
the way.

Seeing their worried faces, Azule assured
them, “It opens and closes with the use of a spelled amulet. We all
wear one.” He revealed a trinket from under his neckline. “Whenever
you wish to leave, just let anyone of us know. Stay close,” he
added. “It can be easy to get lost if you don’t know the way.”

The cave wasn’t as musty as Kyra expected.
It was almost as though there was a constant stream of fresh air
flowing around them, although where it came from, she couldn’t
decide. The path was even and smooth, clearly manufactured. After a
moment she realized they were walking a gradual slope, heading
deeper underground.

They came to a large area that reminded her
of a common room, with arching passageways that branched off in all
directions.

News traveled fast. Folks had already
gathered, eager to greet the princesses. Colorful heads bobbed up
and down over the crowd and poked around corners, trying to get a
glimpse. Kyra couldn’t get a read on their expressions.

Azule shooed them away and then gestured to
a seating area that cornered a large fireplace. Inside the pit,
freshly broken fire crystals burned brightly, giving off a pleasant
heat and warm glow of orange light.

Azule waited till they were all seated—all
but Sonya, who remained standing with her arms crossed—before
claiming a spot himself. “As you can see, everyone is shocked to
see you, Your Majesties. You’ve all been missing since the day of
great sorrow. Presumed dead. But there had been some rumors of an
escape, and…a prophecy.” He gaze flickered to the fire on the last
word.

As a culture based in
magic, prophecies had always been plentiful, but Kyra sat back in
her chair as a sense of foreboding gathered in her gut. “By your
tone, it doesn’t sound like a
happy ever
after
prophecy.”

Azule took in a breath and let it out
slowly. “When the heir to the throne returns, the Kayadon will
quake and Evlon will shatter.”

Nope. Definitely not happy ever after.

“Cryptic,” she muttered under her breath,
then added more loudly, “But we have reason to believe my father
has foreseen our victory against the Kayadon.”

Azule took a moment to absorb that. “You
plan to battle the Kayadon then?”

“Yes. We have called out to our allies and
merely wait to hear from them. Would you and your guild fight with
us when the time comes?”

Crossing his arms, Azule chose his words
carefully. “We have been weakened over time. The people are divided
like never before.”

“I’ll take that to mean you’ll think about
it.”

A new voice echoed from a darkened corridor.
“We may be weakened, brother, but so are they.” The speaker
approached. His hair was the color of a stormy sky and tied into a
thick braid.

“This is Luric,” Azule said. “My
brother.”

Luric bowed.

“Please explain your statement,” Kyra
bid.

“I believe the Kayadon have grown weak over
the last few millennia.”

Azule elaborated, “It’s a theory some of use
like to indulge in. However, the only evidence is that we see less
of their kind in the woods. They stay near the cities and
outposts.”

Kyra glanced back at Luric. “And why would
that give you cause to believe they’re growing weak?”

“They used to patrol in large groups with
their beasts, deep into the forest. Over time, the expeditions
dwindled to only a couple, and they ceased going out as far. In the
last twenty years or so, it’s become a rare occurrence to see any
this far out at all. Also, a couple who escaped the inner city told
us the Kayadon seize anyone who shows a gift for healing.”