Chapter 11 #2
As we descended, the heat from the bubbling lava became almost unbearable, and I realized that the winged things I’d seen circling were not birds, but other demons. Their talon-tipped wings were identical to Kaden’s, though there was something menacing about the way they circled.
To my relief, none of the demons crossed our path. They seemed to scatter as we made our descent, giving their prince a wide berth.
My skin was slick with sweat by the time we touched down on a narrow obsidian walkway. The stone was polished to a mirror-like shine, reflecting Kaden’s enormous wings as he tucked them behind his shoulders.
The gold chain attached to the collar rattled briefly. That was my only warning before Kaden strode forward, giving the leash a sharp tug.
I stumbled, neck smarting, and vowed I’d make him pay for this. Kaden was still half fae, which meant that cold iron would cause excruciating pain, even if it wouldn’t kill him.
An ominous black archway yawned at the end of the walkway leading into the palace. Kaden led me toward it, shadows unfurling in his wake, and I knew that in this moment, he was every inch the notorious Dark Prince.
My stomach clenched as we approached the archway, my legs as stiff as bricks. Even with my magic cloaked, my hunter instincts were intact, and they were screaming at my body to run in the opposite direction.
Darkness swallowed us as we stepped into the fortress, my weak mortal vision struggling to adjust to the dim light supplied by the torches mounted in brackets along the walls. The slap of flesh on stone was the only sound as demons threw themselves to the floor, prostrating before their prince.
Some were handsome and pompous looking, dressed in dated mortal garments of fine silk and velvet. Others, the lower demons, were the stuff of nightmares.
Charred skin stretched over horned skulls. Some had claws instead of hands and cloven hooves where their feet should have been. One demon’s face was covered in putrid, rotting flesh that decayed as I watched. Eyes disintegrated into the black pits of his skull before the skin regrew.
The sheer variety of horrors was astounding, but I carefully arranged my expression into one of bored indifference. Surely the demon prince’s whore would be unfazed by his ghastly court.
Though most of his subjects kept their heads down, a few followed me with those beetle-black eyes.
Halfway down the hall, a slimy gray tongue as long as my arm shot out to lap at my bare ankle. I barely had the chance to recoil before Kaden turned, drew his sword, and sliced clean through the flesh.
A sharp shriek of pain echoed off the cavernous ceiling, and I used the distraction as an opportunity to take in my surroundings.
The hall led into an antechamber with walls of molten lava and buttresses carved in the shape of writhing bodies.
The lava flowed toward the floor in a continuous stream — a product of the king’s magic, no doubt.
Another male stepped into our path, and Kaden came to a halt.
The demon was tall and slender in a way that would make it impossible for him to pass for a mortal.
Waxy skin clung to the jutting angles of his bones, and bald flesh stretched over the stubs of a dozen horns, which were arranged like a crown along the outer ridge of his skull.
A pair of slanted black eyes narrowed on me, his nostrils flaring delicately. My skin crawled as he looked me up and down, taking in every inch of my exposed skin with nauseating scrutiny.
Unlike the others, this demon did not throw himself to the floor. He merely inclined his body in half a bow that was anything but deferential.
“My prince.”
“Where is he, Xadorsch?” Kaden demanded, his voice managing to sound both silky and menacing.
“Welcome back, Your Highness,” the demon crooned. “I was delighted to hear of your return. ”
“I doubt that,” said Kaden, flicking an invisible piece of lint off his tunic with deliberate nonchalance.
“Your visits have been too short, my prince. You have been sorely missed in court. They hardly know what to do without you.”
“And yet they muddle through.”
“Yes.”
“I have not come to discuss how my court is getting on,” said Kaden with a bite of impatience. “I have come to see my father.”
“My deepest apologies, Your Highness. But His Majesty has asked not to be disturbed.
“He will want to hear what I have to say.”
“Of course, sire.” Xadorsch spread his long, spindly fingers. “I was only relaying my orders.”
“Where is he?”
“He has retired to his chambers.”
“Then he shall have to un-retire,” said Kaden tightly, the shadows around him thickening.
A low hush fell over the chamber, and I sensed the interest of the other demons buzzing around us.
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible,” Xadorsch replied smoothly. “His Majesty is feeding and . . . not himself. Though I am certain that when he emerges, he will be gladdened to hear of your return.”
“I’m not staying.”
The demon pulled a bland smile that didn’t meet his eyes, and I wondered what position in the king’s household would allow him to address the prince so directly. “Pity.”
With a tug of the chain, Kaden side-stepped Xadorsch, but the demon trailed after him.
“My prince . . . If I might have a word? ”
Kaden’s shoulders stiffened, but he merely gave a long-suffering sigh. “What is it?”
Xadorsch swept past me to stand beside him, his eyes nearly level with the prince’s. “His Majesty the King grows impatient, sire,” he said in a low voice that nevertheless carried across the silent antechamber. “He wishes to understand why you have not yet apprehended the witch.”
My mouth went suddenly dry at those words, and I had to work to maintain my expression of disinterest.
For a long moment, Kaden didn’t speak.
When he finally turned his head, his eyes were full of a cold fire that chilled me to the bone. “You understand, Xadorsch, that it is beneath me to explain myself to a courtier .”
He spat the word with such disdain that the demon before him flinched.
“But since you insist on acting as a go-between, you may tell my father that if he wishes to see the witch apprehended with greater expedience, he should send me better soldiers.”
Xadorsch’s lips became a thin line, but he merely dropped his gaze and gave a polite nod. “My apologies, Highness. It was not my intention to offend. Merely to fulfill the king’s request.”
“Consider it fulfilled,” Kaden snarled. “Now, get out of my sight.”