Chapter Seventeen #2
Damaris’s shadow had stretched across the floor of the tent, snaking into Jasper’s shadow until the bottom of his boots went dark. Through their link, Archie could tell that those tendrils were like ice-cold claws digging into his ankles, a not particularly subtle threat.
Prince Jasper was too refined to show any pain aside from a slight tension around the edges of his eyes. “Nothing nefarious, nor more complicated than the king’s mages might be requested to perform. What would sweeten the idea for you?”
“No more or less than any royal advisory position, Your Highness,” said Damaris mockingly. “An order of pardon, to be held by us, as proof of your word, to start. And a generous monthly stipend.”
Archie and Jasper both stared at Damaris, still lounging insouciantly in the armchair; Jasper recovered quicker. “That sounds so reasonable I almost suspect a catch. I shall have it drawn up immediately if you will uphold your end.”
Damaris laughed. “Very well. Then I shall tell you: your brother Ixthan has been searching for a way for him to enter the demon realms.”
“Gods!” Prince Jasper’s eyes widened. With a quick glance at the tent entrance, he lowered his voice again with some effort.
Archie also struggled to hide his reaction.
He’d assumed that Damaris and Prince Ixthan had been discussing something demon-related in their individual conversations but he hadn’t thought it would be this.
“I told him he was more likely to die than not, but he insists,” Damaris shrugged, as if it was no concern of his whether Ixthan survived.
“Then my first request of you would be to aid my brother in this matter however you can,” said Jasper after a moment of thought.
He said it so agreeably that Archie fought a shudder.
The prince put their new agreement into effect immediately, scribbling the pardon onto a piece of paper and dripping hot wax onto the bottom of the page before pressing his signet ring into it.
“Here.” Jasper handed Archie the pardon. Archie had never seen one before, but it was simple enough when he read through. By the power invested in him by the crown, Prince Jasper hath decreed that Archibald of Russex is granted a full pardon from all accused crimes, magical in origin or otherwise.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” said Archie, trying to keep his voice steady as he folded the letter up carefully.
“Try not to immediately commit any atrocities, cousin,” said Jasper, and it took Archie glancing up to see the amusement in his face to realize that it was a joke.
“I must head out now, the rest of my party for the Hunt ought to be arriving soon. Pleased we could come to an agreement so quickly, gentlemen, do take advantage of my hospitality for the next few days.”
Archie barely had time to jump up and bow as the prince strode away, the two of them already forgotten as Jasper moved onto other matters. Archie waited until the tent flap dropped before turning to Damaris. “You sounded very human then. Like a real Earl.”
“All that time spent pretending to be human is reaping its rewards.” Damaris did not sound overly impressed by his new-found knowledge.
“Where did you even learn about royal pardons? And negotiating terms?”
“Lymond holds a seat in the Assembly of the Lords. He is constantly lobbied on all sorts of documents and proposals.” Damaris clearly considered Damian as some separate entity to himself, but Archie was struck with the idea of people sending letters or meeting with a shadow demon to discuss political matters.
Was that where Damaris had been disappearing to?
He had simply assumed it was all to feed or to have secretive demon-only conversations with Ixthan.
“Are you dabbling in… politics?” Archie asked, stunned.
“It is fun to manipulate humans,” Damaris said, his lip turning upwards in a sneer.
“And a stipend? What can you even do with human money?” As far as Archie knew, it wasn’t as if Damaris could open a box at the bank.
“It is for you, you little dolt. So you may stop concerning yourself with this marriage and inheritance nonsense.”
Oh. The way Damaris said it was careless, as if it ought to be obvious, but Archie’s heart skipped a beat.
It hadn’t even occurred to him, and the fact that Damaris, a demon which was supposed to only be able to be selfish, had thought of that and asked for it on his behalf…
Archie’s chest hurt so much he didn’t know how to breathe. He had to sit back down.
“I didn’t—” His throat closed up. It seemed so ungrateful to say that he hadn’t expected Damaris to think of him. He was a demon after all. “That is, you didn’t have to. I mean. Thank you.”
Archie surged up before he could second guess himself, closing the gap across the tent in two strides and wrapping his arms around Damaris, floating shadows at all.
It felt like hugging a cloud, soft and shapeless under his arms until it solidified against him, and when Archie looked, it was Damaris in his demon form.
Towering above him so Archie was pressed against the hardness of his chest. One furred arm pressed around him in return, clasped around his shoulders, and the other free hand went to his head, the too-long fingers carding through Archie’s hair.
“If you were not incapable of keeping quiet, I would devour you right now,” said Damaris loftily, and Archie blushed.
A tug on his curls yanked his head back and chin up, and Archie rocked forward onto his toes to meet Damaris in the middle for a kiss.
He felt a slight change in pressure, a shift of magic as if — oh!
As if Damaris had lowered his magical shields!
Archie thought he was the one who struggled with words, but he didn’t have to say anything at all as he felt the immense fondness and satisfaction that emanated from Damaris.