The First Book of Demons (The Book of Demons Saga) (12 page)

Chapter Thirty
Three

“Where are we going now?” Alex called after Balthazar, trying to catch up as he stalked away.  “You’re injured.  We should really stop and….”

“Silence, girl,” Balthazar
said, stopping and turning around to glare at Alex.  “You are more trouble than you are worth.”

“Well maybe if you
clued me in on what’s going on,” she said, a hand on her hip, “then things like this wouldn’t happen.”

“
Be silent,” he said, turning once more and continuing his trek to wherever he was going. 

“Answer my question,” Alex
said, “or I’m not going anywhere.”

“Very well,” Balthazar said as he turned around once more, “we are going to a hot
spring.”

“A hot
spring?” Alex asked.

“Yes,
” Balthazar said, suddenly appearing inches before Alex.  A hand on the small of her back pulled her closer to the demon.  Alex sucked in a sharp breath, a hot tickle erupting in her abdomen.

As Balthazar expected, the girl’s body responded deliciously to his
unexpected touch, sending a wave of her arousal to his sensitive nose.  An imperceptible smirk washed over his face as he tucked his nose into the crook of her neck.  He inhaled deeply, enjoying the noticeable increase in her arousal, and the lingering smell of the Anouri fruit that accented her unique scent.

“We
are going to a hot spring,” he said, his voice thick as he whispered in her ear before pulling away to look at her face.  He wanted to catch every emotion that was to flood over the girl’s features.  “Because you are in need of a bath.  And the stench is offending my delicate senses.”

“How dare you!” s
he shrieked at him as he walked away from her.  “You’re dirtier than me.”

Balthazar allowed a smirk to grace his lips.  Demons were far more in control of their emotions.  The girl was so easy to antagonize, he couldn’t help but have a little fun with her. 
Alex may have been offended by his comments, but it certainly worked to keep her quiet.  The pair continued their journey in silence until they came to the gate of a small village. 

“I thought you said we were going to a hot spring,” Alex whined, her lips pursed in a pout.  She was still sour from the insult, even after a good three hours of hiking
, and though she was loath to admit it, now she really needed a bath.

“This is a province in my Kingdom.  You will be
hard pressed to get into any real trouble here,” Balthazar said.  Alex could have sworn there was a hint of concern in his words. 

A sweet smell
lingered in the air around the small town.  The houses were small, with white washed stucco walls and thatched roofs.  A pounded dirt road ran through the middle of the town, lined with small but well maintained gardens on either side that preceded all the houses.  Alex followed closely beside Balthazar, feeling uneasy at the stares of the demons they passed by.  They followed the main street into the city square, where a silver eyed demon stepped out from the crowd that was curiously watching the newcomers. 

“That is
an interesting creature you’ve got there,” the demon said, his eyes flicking from Alex to Balthazar. 

“
Temel,” Balthazar said, “It has been quite some time.”

“
Far too much time,” Temel replied, his smile growing, “Prince Balthazar.”

A murmur ran through the crowd of demons when they heard the title of the stranger.  They had heard the name, of course, but had never seen him in person.  When they recognized who he was they all bowed reverently. 

“Something tells me you aren’t here for a friendly visit,” Temel said glancing at Alex, “Come, my home is at the end of the street.  I will have a meal, and a bath, prepared.”

Chapter
Thirty Four

After he was clean and his wounds were bandaged, Balthazar sat down with Temel in the conversation room of his modest home. 

“So,” Temel began, “a human.  Are you after what I think?”

Temel was in the same training platoon as Balthazar when they were boys.  Every
demon boy was expected to complete basic military training, and even a crown prince was not exempt.  He had been so different back then though, before the weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders. 

“I need it
,” Balthazar said, a glimmer of his younger self showing through as he let his guard down to his oldest, and probably only real, friend. “I cannot hold my kingdom together without it.”

“But there must surely be another way,” Temel said, his voice hushed and eyes watching the Demon Lord.
“The human doesn’t belong here.  You know that as well as I”.”

“
There is no other way,” Balthazar said.

“I have heard news of the uprising with Baal and Hasan,” Temel began, “but surely you will be able to…”

“It is not Baal that worries me,” Balthazar said.  “He is not the only one that would see me following quickly in my father’s steps.”

Temel waited
for Balthazar to elaborate.  In all the time he had known the young prince, he never knew him to be worried.  But for a split second, he saw the concern in his eyes.

“Lord Krishna,” Balthazar
said, finally.  “There will most likely be war between our Kingdoms.”

“The other Great Lords will not stand idly by and let th
at happen.  They will intervene,” Temel said, shaking his head.

“They
will,” Balthazar said darkly, “and there will be war amongst all the kingdoms.”

“But why would Lord Krishna attack us?” Temel a
sked, his brows pulled together.  “Granted, our bonds have deteriorated but they are still our allies.”

Balthazar w
as silent.  He didn’t want to answer.  He knew that he could stop it by mating the Asuri princess.  But to do that would also be conceding defeat to the elder Lord, and that is something he was not willing to do.

“He wants an alliance between our ho
uses,” Balthazar said, “His daughter to be my mate and Sultana.”

“I see,” Temel said.  He could understand why
Balthazar would not agree to such a union.  The Sultana would bear the first born, and crown prince, of the Lord Sultan.  He would reign after Balthazar was gone, and he would be half Asuri.  His loyalty to Devas would always be in question.  Lord Krishna was trying to gain control of the Devas Kingdom, not an uncommon thing amongst the Lords. 

“But what
grounds does he have for war?” Temel asked.

“It was my father’s last act,” Balthazar said, sadness filling his eyes for a split second at the memory of his father. “
He agreed to the union.  There is nothing I can do but renege, which is more than enough grounds to declare war.”

Temel sat for a long moment
, digesting the information he had just received.  It was troubling times in the Kingdom, and he did not envy the young prince for his position.  He could understand why Balthazar would be seeking what he was.

“So you have come looking for the phoenix,” Temel said finally.

“Her ashes, to be exact,” Balthazar said.

“She hasn’t been seen around the mines for nearly a century,” Temel said.

“I must find her,” Balthazar said. 

“Well,” Temel said, leaning away from the table, “good luck with that my friend.  I do not envy you that task.”

“You know what I need from you,” Balthazar said.  “I must awaken the humans powers.”

“I cannot,” Temel started, shaking his head.

“I will command you if I must,” Balthazar said
.

Temel sighed heavily and rose from the table.  He had learned a long time ago that when Balthazar wanted something he would not stop until he got it. 

“You know she will die,” Temel said, as he led Balthazar into a back room of his home.

Chapter
Thirty Five

A moonless night visited the small demon town, and an impromptu celebration commenced in honor of the crown prince’s visit.  Balthazar occupied the head of a table set up on a makeshift dais with Temel and his family.  Temel’s eldest daughter, though still too young to be considered a woman, gazed longingly at the demon prince down the table from her. 

“
My daughter chooses wisely,” Temel said with a laugh, nudging the young prince.  Balthazar allowed a measured chuckle at his friend’s enthusiasm, but the breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell upon Alex.  Her alabaster skin took on the glow of the lanterns that lit the town square, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she took in the celebrations.  She wore an ankle length gown of simple cloth, provided by Temel’s wife.  The sheer fabric allowed a glimpse of her well-formed but slight curves to show through.  The desire that flashed across Balthazar’s face did not go unnoticed by his longtime friend.

“Perhaps so do you,
” Temel said, watching his friend.

“
Your meaning escapes me,” Balthazar said as he was snapped from the trance Alex held on him.

“Your eyes
linger on the girl,” Temel said with a half-smile. “I don’t believe I have ever known you to care for a female in such a way.”

“You are mistaken,” Balthazar
said, his back straightening.

“Perhaps,” T
emel said.  Balthazar’s denial wasn’t fooling him, nor anyone else, save the prince himself.

“She is a talkative
, clumsy creature,” Balthazar grumbled, his eyes softening as Alex caught his stare and waved back at him with a smile, “and frustratingly troublesome.”

“And I can’t imagine you having any interest in her,” Temel said with a laugh, to which he received
a sharp growl.  He left the subject alone, Balthazar’s sensitivity of the topic confirming his suspicions. 

“How is Tavi?” Temel asked.  Tavi was younger, so his training platoon was a few years behind them, but as the years passed the three of them had spent much time together. 

“He is the Lord Advisor of the Council,” Balthazar replied.

“
He was always destined for such a position, but I don’t believe anyone would have thought it would be so soon,” Temel said, concern showing through in his eyes.

Balthazar simply nodded his acknowledgement at the reference to his father.  It had
not been long since his father’s untimely death, and yet so many things had changed.  Balthazar knew what he had to do to save his father’s kingdom, to restore his family’s legacy.  But things were becoming complicated.  The girl made him feel things he didn’t understand.  He knew what her reaction was going to be of the events to follow.  He knew that she would never be able to get back to her home if he continued down his chosen path.  He knew that before things were all said and done, she would hate him. 

#

A pair of golden eyes watched the festivities of the town from the darkness that surrounded it.  The townsdemons were celebrating the arrival of the crowned prince, a great honor for such a small and inconsequential village as theirs.  But the golden eyes were not concerned with the demon prince.  They landed on the unusual creature that seemed to be so unusually comfortable with the demons that surrounded her.  It was a human.  Something she thought had long since vanished from this world. Simiri had come in search of her caretaker, Temel.  He had awoken her from her century’s long hibernation, and now she could see why.  To see a human again made her heart leap with joy, and she wanted to run out of the darkness and embrace this girl.

As a phoenix, she wou
ld naturally go through different stages of metamorphosis.  First, they were born as a young chick, from the ashes of the predecessor.  A newborn phoenix would be completely reliant on its chosen caregiver.  Eventually the chick would grow into a bird roughly the size of an adult demon.  The final and most powerful stage of a phoenix’s life was that of bipedal form, the form Simiri was now in.  Although her power was immense at this stage, it would be very short lived.  She would only live long enough to find a caregiver for the phoenix that would follow her. 

The demons, although they often meant well, had become too dangerous to live amongst.
When Simiri set eyes upon the human girl, she had known that she would be the new caretaker.  Now it was only a matter of waiting for the right opportunity.
             

Chapter Thirty Six

All the townsdemons were eager to talk to Alexandra.  They encircled her, jostling each other, trying to gain access to the mythical creature.  A demoness reached out a bony hand, pushing back Alexandra’s stark black hair to see the strangely rounded ears that were so undemonly. A demon boy stuck a claw tipped finger curiously into Alexandra’s bare arm flesh, drawing forth a small drop of blood.  Alex gasped and jumped back from the unintended assault, the townsdemons mimicking her reactions.

“Let us sit and eat,”
an elder demoness said, her arm entangling with Alexandra’s as she led her to a table with several other lady demons.  They scooted excitedly over, eager to meet and dine with the human. 

Alex settled into a
thick cushion, the savory smells of the food on the table filling her nostrils and making her mouth water.  She eyed the many dishes, unconsciously licking her lips, but she hesitated to serve herself until one of the demonesses signaled for her to eat. 

The food provided by the townsdemons was simple, and far from the delicacies offered in the Royal Palace, but it was delicious nonetheless.  Alex was so lost in a plate of smoked meats and steamed greens that she didn’t notice the stares she was getting from the young males in the village.  Balthazar noticed, however, and it was not sitting well with him.  He was fighting the urge to fly across the small town square and tear one of the younger male
’s throats out.

Alexandra
licked her fingers clean of the sweet sauce that coated the smoked meat as a young demon took the empty cushion next to hers.  He was young, with a fresh face and eyes that were fixed on the crevice of Alexandra’s barely visible cleavage.  When a sickly smile spread across his face, Alex huffed loudly, standing from her cushion and leaving the table.  She had enough of all the attention and she really just needed a few moments alone.  Alex found a quiet spot in the darkness of a deserted side street.  She leaned against the stucco wall of a house, letting out a heavy sigh.

“They can be trying,” a
soft voice behind the darkness said. 

Alexandra
peered into the blackness, trying to see who the voice belonged to.  A pair of golden eyes burned in the darkness.  Her heart began to race, and she took a step back, looking around her.

  “The
demons.  They can be trying at times, can they not?” Simiri said, stepping out of the darkness and flicking a lock of crimson hair behind her shoulder. 

“Who are you?” Alex asked, taking another cautious step
back.  “What do you want?”

“
I am Simiri,” she replied with a smile, showing off her pearly white fangs, “and I would like your assistance, dear little human.”

Alex watched Simiri cautiously, her eyes studying the creature before her, not sure whether to
trust her or not.

“I do not have much time left
,” Simiri continued, her eyes shining with kindness, “and I’m afraid I can no longer trust the demons.”

“
What do you want from me?” Alex asked, still shying away from Simiri. 

“I want you to be my caregiver,” Simiri said, her eyes lighting up as she stepped closer to Alex.

“Caregiver?” Alex asked, “What do you mean?”

“
Before I am reduced to ashes,” Simiri said.  Her crimson tinted lips curled into a smile.  “It can be only you.”

“
The girl has no choice in the matter,” Balthazar said as he stepped out of the dark.  Temel and several others followed, encircling Alex and the phoenix.

“Temel,” Simiri said, her brows pulling together in confusion.  “What is happening here?”

“I apologize Simiri,” Temel said, and his eyes full of sadness.  “I must do what I can for my kingdom.  I did not want this for you.”

“You intend to contain my ashes,” Simiri said realization washing over her. 
He was her caregiver, and the last person she thought would betray her.  She felt suddenly crippled by the unexpected betrayal, but quickly realized it was Temel’s caretaker influence that was binding her from moving. 

“You can
not do this, demon,” Simiri hissed at Balthazar, as he moved behind her.  He grasped her wrists and bound them with a small link chain provided by Temel.  It was forged with the fire produced of Simiri’s own feathers, something that Temel had been privileged to own because he was her caregiver.  It was the only thing that had the power to restrain her through her fiery death.  

“What are you
doing?” Alex asked, turning to Balthazar for answers.

“
You make good bait,” he said mockingly, turning to walk away.  He did not want to see the anger that was displayed so clearly on her face.  The strange discomfort he felt at seeing her upset confused him.

“You used me as bait,” Alex said, her fists balled at her frustration with the demon prince.  She thought they were gaining a respect for each other, and she felt oddly hurt that he would betray her in such a way.

Balthazar said nothing his broad back to Alex as he continued down the dimly lit street to Temel’s house, the phoenix in tow.  She hissed and cawed as she was dragged along, hands bound behind her back.

“Why is she tied up,” Alex asked,
following after him and stopping Balthazar as she grasped his thick arm and pulled him to face her.  “Answer me.”

“Do not,” Balthazar growled as
bent closer to Alexandra, “presume to give me orders, girl.”

Her lips tightened as she drew a hand back.

Balthazar saw it coming, and he certainly could have stopped it.  But he was surprised at how much it actually hurt him.  The sting of Alexandra’s feeble slap traveled from his cheek, down his neck and straight into his heart, constricting his chest in a strange sensation he had never before experienced.  He wrapped his clawed hand around her slender wrist.  Her eyes widening as he pulled her roughly to him.  

“I h
ave tolerated you thus far,” he said, “but my patience has limits.”

Balthazar
pushed her away from him and she stumbled back, falling to the ground with a thud.  Alex tried to form words, but none would come.  Her cheeks fired red hot as Balthazar glared down his nose at her.  His sudden biting treatment struck Alex, and she couldn’t stop the tears that spilled over her eyelids, rolling down her cheek.  Balthazar turned away, the salty smell of her tears swirling in his nostrils.  It was better to crush any feelings he had developed for the girl. 

“C
onsider yourself lucky,” he said over his shoulder, even as he hated himself for doing so.  “Most would lose their hands for daring to assault my person in such a manner.”