Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Gremory
My little sprite was becoming almost as obstinate as Delphine. Tabitha insisted she join us on the battlefield. I was vehemently against this, but Delphine was giving in to our new mate. If only Tabitha had found us sooner; who knew my alpha could be so agreeable?
Watch it, boy.
A smirk played on my lips. My thoughts were loud, and Delphine was always listening.
But I preferred it that way. There were no secrets between us, until recently.
Well, it wasn’t a secret, but there was information Delphine was keeping to herself.
I trusted her with my heart and soul, and if she wasn’t ready to share whatever it was with me yet, I knew there was a good reason.
My mate brushed her ruby-red nails against my arm affectionately. “Tabitha needs to be there. I’ve seen it.”
I scowled. “She is powerless, Delphine. I cannot command the army and keep her safe.” As the commander of the daemon army for decades, I was now the commanding officer of the army assembled to stand against Belial.
There were several military-minded daemons, lumens, and humans whom I spoke with for many hours, drawing up plans and preparing to lead our people into battle.
Even with the little time that we had back in Stella Terra, I was confident in our plans.
Delphine and Michaela both said there was something coming that we couldn’t fully understand.
Whatever trick Belial had, I was certain it would be terrible.
When we were younger, Belial was a conniving shit.
He was too clever even in childhood, manipulating those around him.
The eldest daemon prince carried himself with such aura, even elders were wary of him.
King Corson was strict, and never particularly pleasant, and when he took a more sinister turn, Belial was right there with him.
The King was a monster of a daemon. Typhon might have been the closest in size to him. The fact that Seraphina didn’t see King Corson when she was held captive in the castle was concerning. Wouldn’t he want to see the prize Belial brought to him?
Seraphina recounted her time there in as much detail as she could remember. Her memory wasn’t entirely credible, considering her conniving uncle and Samuel, the Obscuritas King, were doing their damnedest to influence her thoughts.
“I want to take a trip to see our prisoner.” I stood from the table. We were eating a meal, the last before our journey to the barren lands.
Delphine arched her brow at me, hazel eyes filled with curiosity. “What for?”
I leaned down and planted a kiss on her lush lips. “I’d like to ask him a question we haven’t tried yet. And his reaction to it will be quite telling.”
My mate nodded, trusting my judgment, and followed me to the dungeons.
There were several guards and even more magical barriers to keep the lumen royal locked up.
Lumens could survive on very little food and water, using their power to restore energy to their bodies.
But with the stellatium dampening his power, Halphas was too weak to be a danger to anyone.
“Hello, traitor,” I purred, sauntering up to the bars of his cage. Halphas barely acknowledged me. “I’m looking forward to meeting your master on the battlefield.”
“Belial will destroy you all,” the broken lumen grumbled, his chains rattling.
I crossed my arms, watching him intently. “Don’t you mean King Corson? He is the true mastermind behind this plot, is he not?”
Halphas’s shoulders tensed, and his eyes darted away. He recovered quickly, but it was enough. I dropped down, balancing on the balls of my feet and using a bit of air magic to force the lumen scum to look at me, unable to turn away.
“How is Belial controlling the king?” I demanded.
His body was rigid, trying desperately to fight against my hold. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Sure you do,” I drawled, taking a sharp vine and cracking it across his cheek, drawing blood. “Because it’s not King Corson’s orders you follow. It’s Belial’s. What has he done to my people?”
Halphas spat at me. “Belial is not like you or your people. Beasts and imbeciles. Ruled by soft emotions and small minds.” He heaved a breath mid-rant. “That’s why they were so easily manipulated. Even that idiot king. He never deserved the crown. When Belial wins, I’ll be at his side.”
Curious.
A smile crept across my face. “Sounds like you’re feeling some of those baser emotions. Does Belial know you’re in love with him?”
“Fuck you,” the lumen snarled, but his threat fell away and I turned my back on him.
Delphine’s eyes were glazed over, a look she often got before sketching something only she could see.
I wrapped my arm around her waist and guided her out of the dungeons.
We walked back to our rooms, whereTabitha was resting.
It brought me immense joy that she could sleep on her own.
Of course, I loved having her in my arms, but the fact that she was now able to sleep alone was just another sign of her resilience, her overcoming of the horrors she suffered under the thumb of Laszlo Blackbyrn.
The mate in my arms stopped several paces from the door to our room. “That’s what it is. Belial is controlling them. He’s somehow managed to force his will on the army. Corson is still out of my reach, but some of the others are coming through. I need to see Michaela.”