20. IMPENDING DOOM
Chapter twenty
IMPENDING DOOM
“You’re saying his wife was found dead in the dungeon?” King Daemonikai’s lips pressed into a frown as he strode through the corridors, Ottai and Wegai trailing behind him.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Lord Ottai confirmed with a heavy sigh. “No obvious cause of death, either. They were slaves; it could easily be attributed to overexertion.”
“Overexertion didn’t kill her before her husband’s attempt on my life, only after. Hmm…” Daemonikai entered his private residence and shrugged off his outer robe, folding the heavy fabric on a table. “And what about the others?”
Ottai took the seat beside him. "Sadly, nothing concrete."
“Well, I’m recovered now.” Daemonikai settled into one of the high-back chairs in the living room. “If someone else is responsible, I hope they’re reckless enough to try again soon. This time, they will not be so lucky."
"It's time to put an end to the crimes happening here in Ravenshadow. In the past, no one would dare bring a crime close to this fortress."
"They know our defenses were weak. I was sick, Vladya was away, you were too busy taking care of me, and Zaiper was too busy being a tyrant." Daemonikai leaned back into his seat, his fingers tapping against the armrest. "Not anymore. Not a single crime will go uncaught… unpunished. I will make sure of that."
"How are those?" Ottai gestured across his exposed forearms, drawing Daemonikai’s attention to the trails of blackened blood. "I actually think they're healing." Ottai leaned closer to inspect them. "They're not as dark as they used to be."
"No, they're not," Daemonikai agreed. He truly was healing. "Who would have thought I could recover from this as well?"
“I never doubted it,” Ottai said, leaning back with a sigh of relief. “I told myself, if you could come through feral, you could beat the damned soul death.”
Daemonikai looked at him, eyes softening. “Thank you for everything you did for me, Ottai. I wouldn’t be here if it were not for you.”
“No need to thank me, Your Grace. I’m just… relieved to see you back.” Ottai’s voice wavered slightly. “You have no idea how worried I was…”
His voice broke, and he glanced away, clearing his throat. “I was terrified.”
Daemonikai recognized the telltale signs. “You are about to cry all over me, aren’t you?”
Ottai barked out a laugh. “You know it!” the grand lord launched himself forward, throwing his arms around Daemonikai, hugging him tightly.
It’s a good thing I was seated for this.
Daemonikai adjusted his position, but Ottai clung to him like an octopus. "I only meant to adjust myself so I could breathe here, Ottai, not shove you off."
The fourth ruler eased his grip a little.
"You really are shameless, Tee." Daemonikai chuckled, shifting so Ottai could sit comfortably beside him, still clinging to his arm.
"I thought I would lose you this time," Ottai said, his voice muffled against Daemonikai's shoulder. "Every time I checked for signs of breathing and could barely detect it, it killed me inside. I could hardly sleep, thinking I’d wake to find you—”
The humor faded from Daemonikai’s face.
Tenderly, he brushed a hand over Ottai’s hair. “I’m sorry, Tee, for putting you through that. It was… beyond my control.”
“I know. And I’m not blaming you, not really.” Ottai finally pulled back, giving Daemonikai a stern look. “But don’t ever do that again. Don’t even think of leaving us."
"Tee—"
"When I lost Uriel, I thought my life was over. But I had Morina. We grieved together." Ottai lowered his eyes. "We still do. Having my bondmate made it just a little bit easier to face another day without my beloved son.”
It was the first time Ottai had spoken about Uriel to him.
Daemonikai had tried not to push him into talking over the years but seeing all this pain in Ottai’s eyes tugged at his heartstrings.
“I have no idea what I would have done if I’d lost Morina too.” Ottai shook his head. “The thought alone tears me apart. I can’t pretend to understand what you’ve gone through, but I selfishly wish… I wish you wouldn’t leave us.” He took a shaky breath, steadying himself. “Don’t leave us, Daemon.”
“I won’t,” Daemonikai vowed, surprising even himself.
It was the first time he had said it aloud, and for once, he truly meant it.
Pushing the shadows of grief aside, he spoke clearly, each word a promise. “Not anymore. I’m here to stay.”
“Good, that’s good,” Ottai said, nodding in relief.
Daemonikai expected to be released, but he was squeezed tighter.
“Now, suffer through this one last hug.”
Daemonikai let out a dramatic, insufferable sigh but didn’t resist. “You do realize you’re a full-grown male now? No longer that little slip of a lad who followed me everywhere three millennia ago?”
Ottai shrugged, unfazed. "Yeah, well, I still need a good hug every now and then."
“No, what you need is to grow up,” Daemonikai retorted with amusement.
Ottai had always been the 'baby' of their group. Not only was he the youngest, but Daemonikai and Vladya had been present at his birth.
He had attached himself to Daemonikai’s side, following him everywhere as a youngling. It was safe to say Daemonikai had helped raise him.
And some things never changed. Ottai was, and always had been, a notorious cuddle-slut.
Three and a half millennia hadn’t lessened that one bit.
With a defeated sigh, Daemonikai relaxed against the cushions, allowing Ottai to cling to him. "Fine, you may continue molesting me."
“Oh, stop complaining, Ancient One.” Ottai chuckled. "You know you like this.”
He did, though Daemonikai would never admit it. The closeness, the ease, felt like old times.
Before the pain, before the deaths. Before life had dealt them all a hard blow.
Just like old times.
***
The arrows made impact. Mistress Sinai had heard the telltale gasp.
Tucking the bow and arrows securely away, Sinai was almost giddy with excitement as she slipped through the dark garden, searching for her fallen prey. Almost.
She could feel the trickle of blood staining her chin.
Ukrae in hell, how did that little human know how to throw an arrow with such precision, in the dead of night, without a bow, and still strike true?
“I vastly underestimated her,” Sinai grumbled as she prowled between rows of plants, scanning the shadows. “Good thing I shot three at once. At least one was bound to hit her.”
Sinai would be the first to admit she was a bit hot-tempered and maybe just a little impulsive, but when it came to committing crimes, she was nothing short of highly careful. Highly, painstakingly meticulous.
At over two thousand years old, this was far from her first offense. Or her tenth, really.
When it came to murder, she always made sure to leave no trace. No link whatsoever back to her.
But as time dragged on and Sinai failed to locate Emeriel's body, her initial thrill began to fade. Where is she?
She wanted to see the human princess sprawled across the ground, vulnerable and defeated.
She needed to stand over her and gloat over her victory. To deliver a final blow before leaving her to die shamefully, like the slut she was. Where the hell was she, damn it?
The sound of faint footprints broke the silence. Ah, there you are.
“Yes!” Following the trail through patches of soil and broken leaves, Sinai came up to the point where it turned to crawling marks.
“You really wanted to escape that badly, didn’t you? Too bad. ” She laughed, enjoying the show.
"Why didn't I do this sooner?" she mused aloud. "Now you aren’t so smug, are you? All that bravado, and yet here we are.
Sinai followed the blood trail, walking unhurried. As she turned the final corner, her voice lifted into a sing-song mockery.
"And… there… she… is…"
She faltered mid-note.
Her smug expression vanished.
There was no body.
Just blood smeared across the grass and stone, and an empty stretch of garden.
Sinai growled, her eyes darting around wildly. She must have overlooked something.
But there was nothing.
No collapsed figure. No unconscious form. No lifeless body to claim her victory over. Just silence.
Not this nonsense again! Where the hell is—
“The human princess was shot!” a frantic voice shouted from beyond the garden walls, louder than an alarm bell.
Shit, shit.
Gasps followed, panicked voices and hasty footsteps, all coming in Sinai's direction.
Cursing repeatedly under her breath, Sinai adjusted her cloak, pulling the fabric tightly around her face to obscure her identity. Her time was up.
Turning quickly, she melted into the shadows, her cloak billowing behind her as she fled the scene.
***
At long last, Ottai pulled back, straightening his robes and making a half-hearted attempt to tame his mussed hair. A sly, wolfish grin spread across his face. “Thanks, Papa Daemon. I needed that."
“You really are still Bratty Little Tee, aren’t you?" Daemonikai pursed his lips, shaking his head. "Beneath all those heavy robes and titles, you’re still the same young lad who used to run away from his nurses, butt naked, from Mabblewood all the way to Frostfall, clutching his clothes for me to help him put them on.”
“You know it,” Ottai replied with a shrug, his grin widening.
“Brat,” Daemonikai muttered, though a fond smile tugged at his lips.
A thought crossed his mind, and his expression shifted slightly. “Have you heard from Vladya? He returns tonight, doesn’t he?”
“Oh yes, we expect them any minute.” Ottai was excited. “I'm thrilled he's returning to the fortress. Everything is finally falling back into place, and—”
A sudden commotion from outside pulled their attention.
Daemonikai rose, striding to the window. He peered down, scanning the lands below. “What’s happening out there?”
Ottai moved to join him. “Perhaps our people are holding one of their celebrations—”
The door burst open, slamming against the stone wall with a loud crack. Wegai strode in, his face even more grim than usual.
"The princess," he said, his voice tight.
Daemonikai turned sharply. "Emeriel?" His brows knitted together. "What’s happened?"
"The princess…" Wegai hesitated for a second. "She has been shot."
The room fell into a stunned silence.
Daemonikai’s entire body went rigid, and a high-pitched ringing filled his ears, drowning out the world for a moment.
Wegai’s voice broke through, unsteady but pressing on. "Arrows. Poisoned arrows."
“What did you just say to me?” The grand king's growl was dangerously low.
Wegai’s throat bobbed, as he stepped closer. "A patrolling soldier found her collapsed in the southern garden. She’s been brought—"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!?" Daemonikai roared, in a thunderous shout that echoed off the walls before taking off in a dead run.