Chapter 9 - Demon Lord
Demon Lord
The sky was full of the purple miasma I’d only ever seen from my castle windows.
Breathing it in felt strange, like power coiled in the air waiting to strike.
If I stepped outside, stepped into this book’s world, I’d finally become part of it and people would see who I really was.
A demon trying to act like a lord. I could probably fool normal people by just walking around with a glower on my face, but if I ran into any of my generals, they’d realize I wasn’t who I was supposed to be.
They were strong and terrifying, just like I aimed to be myself, and I was purposefully avoiding them until I achieved the villainy they’d expect. I was their leader, and I refused to let them down.
Honestly, it might be better to stay inside and leave Willow to fend for herself.
Sure, I was partially responsible for her being here, but she was the one who’d run off on her own.
So why was I the one walking outside as if my feet had a will of their own?
Each step felt heavier and heavier and my back tensed up like people were watching me.
I inhaled the magically charged air, staring at the village ahead of me with its crooked rooftops, glowing lanterns, and bustling market full of demons.
If something happened to Willow, I’d never hear the end of it.
Nyssa and Roan would be furious, probably banning me from the library and interacting with patrons.
Actually, that part didn’t sound half bad.
Maybe I should just return to the castle after all. Either Willow would find her way back or I’d finally get out of talking to people. It seemed like win-win.
But before I could retreat, the sound of Willow’s voice drifted over. She was laughing with one of the demons in town, smiling like she’d known them all her life. I couldn’t believe I’d been worried about her. I shook my head as she laughed again, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
A bandage covered her cheek.
Shadows twisted against my skin as something even darker surged in my chest. That bandage hadn’t been there before.
I stormed into town, each step fueling my anger as I searched for other injuries.
Her pale skin was unblemished besides the bandage, but that didn’t mean she was fine.
She was literally surrounded. By demons.
My long strides ate up the distance between us as my shadows swallowed everything in my path. Somebody had touched her. Hurt her. And they were going to pay.
“Hey, look who’s finally back.” Willow’s grin faltered when her gaze fell on my shadows. “I know I probably should have waited for you, but I was just too curious. And it’s totally fine. Turns out these demons are really nice.”
The demons in question froze in terror as I marched up to her. Her cheek was swollen and there was a tiny smear of blood on her skin. I reached out my hand, hovering just over the bandage. “Who did this to you?”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, that? It’s nothing. Just a misunderstanding.”
“It’s not nothing.” My voice was low, full of barely contained rage. I’d only left her for fifteen minutes. How had she gotten injured in such a short time? “Who hurt you?”
A hulking demon with a spear fell to his knees. “I’m sorry, My Lord. If I’d known she was your woman, I’d never have touched her.”
My shadows coiled around him like a boa constrictor before my mind caught up to what he’d called her. Willow was definitely not my woman.
“Well aren’t you two just full of spit and vinegar.” Willow crossed her arms, glaring up at me. “If we’re going to put labels on me, I’d prefer consort.”
“Consort?” My shadows sputtered as my face warmed. “I think I’d remember if we’d....if we’d...”
“If we’d what?” Willow asked. “Got married?”
Being a demon’s consort went far beyond marriage.
It was a sacred bond that formed when two souls and bodies melded into one so profoundly that their magic intertwined.
Whispers about my consort made my face burn even hotter.
I disappeared into the shadows between two houses so none of them saw, especially Willow.
She had no idea what she’d just implied.
I would never have a consort. Not now. Not ever. I was the villain of this story.
Willow stepped into the space between the houses, turning this way and that as if looking for me. “Uh, did you run away or something? I thought it was a good plot twist. You know, a reason for me to be in your castle.”
My shadows licked her skin, testing her, as if the very mention of a consort had them curious. I clamped down on them hard. “This isn’t a game. You can’t just joke about being my consort.”
“Sorry, I was only trying to help.” Her eyes widened when I pulled out of the shadows just enough for her to know I was there. “Is being your consort really that terrible?”
I rubbed a hand over my face, laughing despite myself. “You know nothing about demons.”
“So teach me. If I’m going to write your story, then I need to know everything.”
I peered at her over my fingers. Her bright green eyes met mine, full of curiosity as she lightly touched my arm in reassurance.
That simple touch lit a fire in me, sending my shadows spiraling around us both.
She had no idea what this conversation was doing to me.
Once she understood, she’d never call herself that again and this would be over.
“Being a demon’s consort isn’t like a human marriage.
” I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her against my chest. “It’s a bond so deep that you can feel the other even when they’re not there.
” I traced the curve of her cheek, carefully avoiding the bandage.
“When one is hurt, the other feels it. Like a tether you’ll never escape. You’d be bound to me, body and soul.”
That had to be enough to scare her away, but instead of laughing it off, she moved closer, leaning into my touch and making my skin tingle.
All thought of explaining the bond disappeared as she bit her lip, staring at me with something that looked like longing in her beautiful green eyes.
My breath caught in my chest, and even though I knew better, I didn’t pull away.
I’d been trying to shock her into taking back her joke, but instead I’d gotten swept up in her charms.
“Mating bond,” I blurted out.
She blinked, thankfully pulling away like I’d hoped. “What?”
“Uh, sorry, it’s a romance novel thing.” I scratched the base of my horns and stepped back so I wouldn’t get caught up in the moment again. “Calling yourself my consort is like saying we’re fated mates.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Demons have fated mates? And I just told the whole town that I was yours??”
“Basically, yes.”
There, that’s the reaction I was hoping for.
Her skin was as red as her hair as she stumbled back.
My shadows reached for her as the pleasure of hearing her call herself mine, even in jest, pulsed through me.
I should be happy she understood enough to never use that phrase again, but something about her reaction irritated me too.
Being my mate wasn’t that awful of an idea, was it?
No. Thinking like that was dangerous. If I got my hopes up for any kind of partner, let alone a true mate, the end of my story with the hero would be the least painful part of this adventure.
I was the villain, and villains never got a happy ending.
“You need to tell everyone the truth,” I said. “Before this gets out of hand.”
She shook her head. “No way. The demons already don’t trust me, so if I go out there and tell them I was just kidding, they’ll write me off entirely. I’ll never get any answers out of them then.”
“And who’s fault is that?” I asked with a groan. “They’ll think I’m weak if I take a human as my consort. So just tell them it was a cultural misunderstanding or something.”
“That’s a terrible idea.” She glared at me, eyes bright with defiance. “If you want me to write your book quickly, then I need to be in a position of power here. Being your consort gives me that. It also explains why I’ll be in your castle when nobody else has ever been there.”
I opened my mouth to shoot back a witty retort, but nothing came. Her logic was sound. The deadline for the competition was looming and she needed to be as immersed in my story as possible. Even if it meant pretending to be my consort.
“Fine, what else do you need?” I took a deep breath, ready to do whatever it took to help her on this mission.
Her eyes widened. “Well that was easier than I thought. I mainly need to talk to the hero. It’s his story, so that should be our main objective.”
That blasted hero again. Everything always came back around to him. I ground my teeth, dragging Willow back out by the townsfolk. My gaze landed on the soldier who’d wounded her. He was still on his knees where he belonged, awaiting punishment, which suited me perfectly.
“You there, stand up,” I commanded him. “You dared to point a weapon at my consort. You even drew blood. That cannot be easily forgiven.”
He gulped. “Yes, sir. I understand.”
“What are you doing,” Willow whispered, leaning close so nobody would overhear. “I said I need the hero, not some macho show of force.”
I ignored her, focusing on the soldier in front of me. “You have one chance of redeeming yourself. Kidnap the hero and bring him to me. Alive.”
The soldier slammed his fist against his chest, bowing low in fealty. “I will not fail you again.”
“Wait a minute, that’s not what I meant at all.” Willow shook her head, reaching for the soldier’s arm. “I’m sure you have a family and friends who will worry about you if you do that. You’d be going on a suicide mission.”
“I’m stronger than you think.” The demon raised his head and met my gaze straight on. “And I’m honored to be trusted with this mission.”
Willow sighed deeply before glaring at me. “Do something about this. You can’t just let him die over a silly scratch that’ll heal in a few days.”
My chest tightened. Willow might not really be my consort, but the world was about to believe she was.
I couldn’t let anyone think hurting her was a way they could get to me.
It was my fault she was stuck in here and I’d be damned if I let her get hurt again because of it.
If I couldn’t get her out right away, then I had to protect her.
Maybe the soldier could come in handy another way. ..
“Fine, if my consort wants you to live, then you’ll live for her. From now on, you’ll be her bodyguard. Your life will protect hers. Don’t let anyone harm her again.”
“As you command.” The soldier bowed so low his forehead slammed against the ground before finally standing up. “Looks like I have a new job! The protector of the Demon Lord’s Consort!”
A few demons dared to walk up to him, patting him on the back and congratulating him like he’d won some big prize.
Willow even joined in, chatting with them as comfortably as when I first saw her outside.
It was like she had an innate ability to put people at ease and talk like they were old friends.
They even started handing her gifts like bread, jam, and vegetables.
They all seemed thrilled to meet my consort.
It was such a joke, but seeing them welcome her like that warmed my heart a little.
This wasn’t what I’d expected when I walked outside, but she was safe, and the town had seen my leadership in person. That had to be good enough for now.
As I turned to leave, a small demon with antlers bowed to me. “Thank you for saving me, My Lord.”
“I don’t remember doing anything of the kind.” I frowned as a few more villagers bowed, saying the same thing. Apparently they thought I’d saved most of the town, rescuing them from humans, but that had to be wrong. I was the villain, not a savior. Plus, I never even left my castle.
Willow moved beside the demon child, wiping smudges of ash off his cheeks. “I’m glad you’re safe. Who brought you here?”
The boy’s eyes lit up. “The Demon Lord sent his most trusted generals to rescue me after I got snatched up by humans!”
“His generals, huh?” Willow frowned, moving closer to me to whisper. “Do you think those are the big fights in the previous books? Could the generals be rescuing captured demons to grow this village of yours?”
“Of course not,” I scoffed. “They’re pillaging towns and destroying armies.
They’re not saving children.” Except, there did seem to be a lot of demons here all thanking me for saving their lives.
“No, if that was true, it would be in the previous books, right? They couldn’t skew it so far as to make saving children seem like an evil deed, right? ”
Willow shrugged. “Maybe they’re doing both. Pillaging and saving? There’s always two sides to a story, after all. I need to see both sides if I’m going to write the ending.” She glanced back at me, her eyes softening. “Don’t you want to know too?”
More than I thought I would. Before, all I’d wanted was to live up to the author’s expectation of me.
To be the villain I was always meant to be.
But if there was something missing, I had to know what it was.
Maybe it would finally explain why I was so disconnected from my role.
If it helped make the ending memorable, I’d do whatever it took.
Even meet the hero if Willow required it.