Demon Slave (30 page)

“
My Queen,” Tamir
beseeched. “Let the guard go ahead. This could be a
trick.”

Wren was suddenly in front of her, blocking
her path.

“
No! It must be
her!”

“
We will not risk you for a
wish,” Wren bellowed.

His tone gave her pause and she took a step
back, calming her beating heart. No matter what she wanted to
believe, she had to concede that this could be a rebel trap.

High on the bluff, the two made slow
progress toward them.

“
Then I will take a sword
and a small group of soldiers. We will approach with
caution.”

“
Please, my lady,” Tamir
replied. “Let me go and assess the situation. There is no need for
you to put yourself in danger.”

“
I will not be some timid
queen who hides behind her army. That’s not how my father ruled, it
is not how Nadua ruled, and it will not be how I rule.” She turned
to one of the soldiers at her back and demanded his
sword.

He obliged without argument.

Marching forward, Wren called out names of
soldiers who were to join them. With Wren on her right and Tamir on
her left, Ava started up the hill.

The couple spotted them and halted, seeming
to speak back and forth. Ava realized her men had their weapons
drawn.

She stopped and ordered, “Sheath your
blades. You’re making them uneasy.”

She was now sure that the cloaked one was
not Nadua. Nadua would have come running to embrace her on sight.
The twinge of hope sank into despair once more. She kept it hidden
though, so the others would not view her as weak.

As Ava moved toward them, the male placed
himself in front of the other and bared his fangs.

Tamir pulled his sword again. “They are
demons! Kill them!”

Soldiers rushed forward at Tamir’s command.
The large demon snarled, but the one he protected moved forward. A
blast of distorted air rushed at them, originating from the small
cloaked creature. Her men were launched back. Wren covered her with
his body as it hit them. Next thing Ava knew, she was digging
herself out of the snow. Wren had already stood and was shielding
her, weapon drawn.

The powerful creature removed her hood,
displaying a fierce determination. But that wasn’t what made Ava’s
pulse leap into her throat. Those eyes were Nadua’s, in shape and
color.

“
Stop! Don’t hurt them,”
she ordered.

Wren glanced back, incredulous. Ignoring
him, Ava considered the strangers. The demon was once again using
his body to block the girl, a mirror of Wren’s stance. Though she
wanted to hate this demon as she hated the one who murdered Nadua,
she would wait to pass judgment.

“
They have assaulted our
queen,” Tamir hollered. “They will die this day!”

The men looked torn between the conflicting
demands.

“
I said no!” Ava shouted,
pulling herself to stand.

The expression Tamir gave her was shocking
in its anger. No one had ever looked at her like that before.

“
I am your queen, Tamir. Do
as I command.”

The rest of her soldiers had already backed
away, joining Wren at her front.

“
Your Highness,” Tamir
started. “They are here to conquer us. We mustn’t show weakness
now.”

“
If you will take a moment
to observe, you will see that that woman looks just like our former
queen. She is obviously of Nadua’s race and we are their allies,
are we not?”

“
You dishonor our queen,
Tamir,” Wren warned.

Tamir stepped back. Ava realized she was
being studied with a curious expression by the golden-haired
Faieara.

The male looked uneasy but the female spoke
to him in a soft voice. “All is well.”

Ava recognized the tongue as an off world
dialect. Her tutors had insisted she learn the many outer languages
for when merchants would come in their crafts.

“
I am Avaline, queen of
this land,” she proclaimed. “Declare yourselves and your
intentions.”

“
I am Sebastian, and this
is my mate, Anya. We mean you no harm. We seek a friend of ours who
was captured by a group of your people, and a woman named Nadua who
should be living somewhere on this planet.”

Ava’s stomach sank. “You say you mean no
harm, but this friend you speak of has in fact murdered Nadua, and
is currently evading justice.”

“
Impossible. Marik would
never do such a thing. What proof do you have?”

“
Two of my guards witnessed
the act. If you were not standing here with a Faieara at your side,
I would have assumed you were the culprit. Demons have not been
here in centuries.”

Sebastian tilted his head at that.

Anya spoke. “Excuse me, but you are
misinformed. My sister is not dead.”

“
Sister?”

“
Yes.” She turned her head
as if seeking something in the distance. “Traces of their essence
have been coming and going. I think they are together but every
time I get a read they disappear again.” She turned her clear eyes
on Ava and it felt as though she were seeing into her soul. “Then I
felt you, and was reminded of Nadua. Your energies are similar in
flow.”

“
Nadua was like family to
me. I dare not hope that you are right. I have mourned her loss
greatly and if I were to believe what you say and it turned out you
are wrong, it would be like losing her all over again.”

Anya shivered and Sebastian pulled her
close. The cloak she wore was a heavy fabric but was probably
inadequate for this weather.

“
Please accompany me
inside. I will grant you sanctuary and protection.” Ava repeated
herself in Cyrellian so the guards understood.

“
I must request this man be
kept away.” Anya pointed toward Tamir, whose features twisted with
worry. “His malice is a bitter taste on my tongue.”

Ava hesitated at the odd phrasing, then
ordered Tamir back to his post. “I apologize for him. He fought in
the demon war and still holds on to old prejudices. Please come
with us, we have much to discuss it seems.”

* * *

Anya walked the elegant palace halls—Wren
and Bastian in tow—chatting with the young queen, Avaline. She had
provided her with a marvelous fabric that shielded her from the
worst of the cold.

Avaline was like honor dipped in purity and
coated with innocence. She desperately wanted to believe that Nadua
was alive but strove to keep her hope buried. Anya loved that this
girl felt so strongly for a member of her family, and envied that
she had been able to spend so much time with Nadua.

At first, Bastian had been on edge, stating
that he didn’t trust these strange people. Anya had reassured him
that their intentions were to find the truth, same as them. It had
taken some time for Sebastian and Wren to stop sizing each other
up. Anya still wasn’t sure if they were through, and neither
realized how extraordinarily similar they were to each other.
Protectiveness fell from them in misty waves.

There were those around that Anya did not
like. A dangerous turmoil haunted this place, filling the corners
with dull energy.

“
You seem to have a unique
gift, Anya.” Avaline’s soft voice was amplified by the structure
around them. “But I don’t understand why you would not be able to
feel your sister at all times.”

“
I cannot say myself,” she
replied. “Sometimes I feel them both and other times it’s just
Marik. The last time I sensed them, a massive storm kept us from
entering the atmosphere.”

“
It could be the caves
blocking you in some way,” Wren suggested from behind
them.

“
Caves?” Bastian
asked.

“
The Caves of Kayata. A
labyrinth of sorts inside the mountains to the south. If the demon
took Nadua alive, I’d have to assume he’d taken her into the
caves.”

“
Well, let’s go to these
caves then.” Bastian sounded as though he were ready to head out
right away.

“
It would be no small task
to search the caves. They are thousands of times longer than the
whole of Sori, and there is no known map of their passageways.
Plus, they are considered to be cursed by the ancients.”

The young queen lowered her head. “Wren is
correct. There would be no hope of finding them.”

Heavy footsteps echoed just before a guard
appeared.

* * *

“
My Queen.” The guard
rushed toward them, bowed. Ava saw his urgency and nodded for him
to speak. “Wren, Tamir has gone mad. He is attacking a young
messenger in the courtyard.”

Wren shot ahead of Ava and she rushed to
follow. Their guests trailed behind them, confused by the sudden
commotion.

Tamir stood in the courtyard, sword out
straight. On the other end of it was a frightened messenger,
yielding a blade of his own. A red line ran down his arm.

“
Give it to me!” Tamir
hollered.

“
What is this?” Wren
demanded, striding forward and drawing his weapon, unsure of who
was in the wrong.

Tamir’s eyes went wide and he looked between
Wren and the group of newcomers. Without answering, Tamir’s metal
lashed out for the messenger’s throat.

A high pitched clang resonated in the air.
Wren stood, blocking the young man, his sword holding back
Tamir.

“
Tamir!” Ava glided down
the small set of stairs that lead from the entryway. “What are you
doing? Drop your weapon.”

He didn’t. He just glared at Wren, their
blades still pushing together.

“
Now!”

With a sneer, he obeyed and stepped back,
yet the hilt stayed tightly in his palm. “I recognize this man,
Your Highness. He’s a rebel. Here to spread lies. I meant only to
protect the kingdom.”

The messenger stowed his weapon and stood
straight. “I am no rebel. I am here on behalf of the royal House of
Dion. I was ordered to give my message to Wren of the guard and
Wren alone. No one else. This person”—he pointed to Tamir—“tried to
take it from me by force.”

Ava struggled to hide her confusion. “On
behalf of the House of Dion, you bring a message to Wren?”

“
Yes, my lady.”

“
Queen,” Ava corrected.
“Queen Avaline, of the House of Dion.”

The man’s jaw dropped. Recovering, he knelt
in the snow and bowed his head. “Forgive me, My Queen, I did not
recognize you.”

A wave of surprise iced through her. She
gaped at Wren then and realized he was not meeting her eyes. “Which
of my family would send a messenger who does not know his queen, to
a person we all see on a daily basis?”

“
Prince Cyrus, My
Queen.”

Ava’s shock was replaced with indignation.
“Prince Cyrus is dead,” she snapped. She had never known her
father’s brother, but had read about him in her history books.
Nadua had always spoken fondly of him.

Wren finally looked at her. A hidden
knowledge blazed from within the stormy depths of his eyes.

Ava couldn’t find her voice. She was so
immersed in the disturbing idea that Wren was keeping something
from her that she hadn’t heard Anya murmur in her mate’s ear, and
she hadn’t noticed Sebastian slip out of sight.

“
Well,” her voice cracked.
“Give him the message.”

Wren stowed his blade and reached for the
small piece of parchment. He was silent as he read. Then his body
went tense and his head snapped to Tamir.

Tamir’s blade rose swiftly and he struck at
Wren.

Ava screamed.

From seemingly out of nowhere, Sebastian
appeared behind Tamir. His fist clamped around Tamir’s wrist,
halting his swing just in time. A loud crack sounded and Tamir
cried out in pain as his blade fell from his grip. His free arm
formed an angry fist aimed at Sebastian, but the demon easily
subdued it and broke his other wrist.

Wren nodded in thanks and called for a
garrison of soldiers to take Tamir to the dungeons, adding that
Nakul should be found and arrested as well.

“
What is going on?” Ava
demanded.

Wren gave her a guilty expression. “We need
to talk.”

Marik hadn’t left his room in four days.

The first day, Nadua left him alone, hoping
he only needed time to cool down. The second, she knocked, but it
was as if he knew it was her at the door and didn’t answer. The
third, she demanded he let her in and kicked at the thick wood but
he yelled for her to go away. The forth, she warned that she would
have Rex knock down the door, but when it came time, Marik
threatened to leave him here to rot and Rex caved.