Chapter 26
I watched the yellow’s trap erupt into action. The heavy axe that she’d suspended between two jutting rocks was triggered by the orange snagging his foot on the trip line.
The crowd ooo’d as the axe split his skull in two.
My brows shot up. I hadn’t paid much attention to last week’s round of Tiers. This was a totally different game.
Incredibly, the demon whose head was just cleaved in two could survive that injury.
The yellow leaped out from her hiding place and retrieved her axe to finish the job.
I, along with the crowd, kept an eye on her progress to the checkpoint.
She was a stronger yellow, and my pick for the winner of Tiers.
The fighting floor was a jungle of traps, mostly hidden in the sharp rocks.
But some were buried in the sand beyond.
I’d never seen so many of the jutting rocks used as weapons.
The yellows and oranges here used almost no power to achieve their ends—and if they did, it may be aimed as a forceful push to move their target into the right place, or perhaps used to saw through the sinew of their opponent’s neck.
The last contestant made it to the checkpoint, and the crowd cheered.
“They’re enjoying this more than I would have expected,” Tyran noted.
He’d been silent all day as I followed him around. Not angry, but contemplative.
“The game is longer.”
He tilted his head as the crowd chanted my name. “That’s part of it, but you are adored.”
Tyran was allowing them to adore me. He was raising me in their regard, something he’d only do if he intended to control me or tear me down.
Yet he still hadn’t, and I could only guess that he hadn’t determined whether splitting his magic between Carmine and me would lessen his control over each of us.
When Tyran stood, I did the same, and we left the arena in the same silence we’d arrived in. He’d been like this all week. No anger. Deeply reflective. I trusted this display less than his fury.
“You will accompany me when we attack the Vissimo tonight,” he said as we reached the fortress. He’d announced the attack before the second round of Tiers.
“Okay.”
I wouldn’t have a chance to write any letter to banish to Tempest, not with Tyran keeping me so close, but hopefully Kyros and Basilia would think to portal Axel in.
Tyran led me to the lounge that I’d always thought was Carmine’s favorite place in the fortress. Now I knew that Tyran just liked to look at the painting that illustrated his clever deception.
Two gems were hidden behind that painting.
“Sit,” he said.
Shit. Had he guessed that I’d know where the gems were?
I sat on the opposite end of the couch.
“I have a proposition for you,” he said, staring at the painting above the cold fireplace.
“The war is nearly won. Once the Vissimo king is destroyed, the Luther pack cannot hope to defeat us. The magus are still in disarray after the death of their ruler. They will be slow to rise to the aid of the Luthers. We move against the Vissimo with full force tonight. The Luthers next. Demons will be victorious. In a matter of weeks, this war will end, and my plans will come to fruition.”
I didn’t reply. He'd eventually get to his point. Since being forced to accompany him everywhere, I’d learned that Tyran enjoyed the sound of his own voice.
“The war will end quicker with your help,” he said.
I snorted. “And why would I help the ancient demon enslaving my mate?”
“Because I can free your mate.”
He— I nearly gave myself whiplash turning to stare. “There’s no way you’d do that.”
“My goal is to conquer and secure the territories of Vissimo, Luthers, and magus.”
“With the interest of forming an elite race,” I finished for him.
His eyes glinted, but his voice remained mild. “Yes. So if the war is won, then I will have what I want. I do not specifically need to inhabit Carmine to achieve that. Of course, there would be a new ruler in his stead, and Carmine could not remain in this realm once freed.”
Consider me surprised. “So you’d just let Carmine go to Earth and trust that he’d never return to challenge you?”
“He could attempt to challenge me, but he would be without strong allies. I will not leave anyone alive that could rise against me, and Carmine’s is the face the other supernaturals have learned to hate.
No matter what stories he might tell them, they would not forgive the murderer of their friends and family. ”
That I did agree with. The whole “I was taken over by the magic of an ancient cult and didn’t mean to do anything I did” had a distinctive “My dog ate my homework” vibe.
“So I would win the war for you, and you’d give me your very believable word to free Carmine after.
” I shook my head. “Free Carmine, and then I’ll help you. ”
“I suppose I should agree based on your very believable word,” he retorted.
“I don’t see how this can otherwise work.” I narrowed my gaze. “Who would you leap into?”
There was no way I’d let Tyran live. But if he was out of Carmine, then I’d have no reason to hold back for fear of killing my mate. Not that I wished to kill some innocent demon, but I’d be less likely to hesitate and fail to rid the realm of Tyran.
“I have a contender,” he replied.
“My son is off limits,” I hissed.
Tyran’s lips twitched. “Assumedly, and I have no interest in a boy thirteen years away from inheriting his demon power. I also cannot be sure how his magus nature would work against me.”
“Owu is off limits too.”
“He is not strong enough to tempt me.”
I couldn’t think of any other demon who matched Owu and Adeuto’s power levels—that I cared about. “What would you want me to do?”
“Summon your undead army and send them to battle. I can manage the Vissimo king alone. I want to eliminate the royal family tonight. The clan’s misery, grief, and fear will be used to push our gates into key points through Bluff City.
Only the outskirts will remain outside of our power.
For now. Something easily rectified once the Luthers and magus are under our control in the next several weeks. ”
Tyran meant business. He was about to make the biggest move in the war. “The Vissimo will notice that much movement of the gates.”
“The Vissimo will be leaderless, and we will leave part of our army there as a presence to deter any who may rise in the immediate wake.”
“Vissimo clans aren’t isolated,” I told him. “Each clan has autonomy, but all clans are part of a network. Kyros is the strongest vampire in the world—from what I know. Other leaders will move swiftly to claim his clan and territory.”
“The gates will be in place overnight. We will prey upon any who enter that territory, and I will personally deal with any ambitious new leader. They will be nothing but an inconvenience.”
If Kyros was as strong as others had implied, then Tyran’s assumption would prove correct. “From the moment you defeat the Vissimo royals, your army will be divided between Bluff City and wherever you wage the next battle.”
Tyran looked back at the painting. “I will not need the entire army if the Vissimo do not join the fight. If they do, then I can bring the rest of my army too. But I won’t need them, will I, Syera? Because you bring an army of your own.”
“If I agree,” I replied.
“You would be a fool not to. I have never offered to free a king before.”
“And why are you now?”
“Because of the power you present,” he answered easily, then glanced at me.
“The bond between you and this king, and the ability to share dreams, presents complications and a threat to my agenda. I did not expect to find a worthy adversary in the mate of a king, but you are unlike any other demon in this realm. It would be to my disadvantage to have grown so conceited in my cunning that I am unwilling to consider a truce. So this is my considered truce, young demon. A life on Earth, and an agreement to never return to the realm. I will not hunt those you love. Those you love in this realm can be given the option to escape to Earth too. In return, you will help demons to win this war to your full ability. You will never seek to rise against me. Carmine will never seek to rise against me.”
Not for one second did I expect this to be as simple as Tyran had laid out. He had to have an ulterior motive.
But so did I. Once Carmine was free, then Tyran was going down. My mate would live. We would live, and so would my son.
I could use this to my advantage in a big way. “There still remains the issue of trust between us. I’m not going to win this war for you before you’re out of Carmine.”
“Once you aid me to defeat the Vissimo and my gates are in their new positions, then I will free Carmine.”
“Alive,” I stressed.
Tyran sighed. “Alive.”
I leaned back on the couch. “No.”
Ice splintered in his gray gaze. “No?”
“I agree with you. Once Kyros is out of the way, then the war is done anyway.”
“The war is already done,” he growled.
“I think you’ve underestimated magus.”
“I have not. Our spies have confirmed division in their coven. Despite their knowledge of how we feed on them, they feel safe with their protections in place. Safe enough to enter conflict to select a new ruler.”
The magus were being big fakers. And I greatly enjoyed that they were fooling an ancient demon.
Tyran stood and approached the fireplace, then faced me. “What would it take to earn you as an ally?
“Free Carmine before the Vissimo attack.”
“I grow weary—”
“—and,” I stressed, “hold him somewhere until after the battle is won and your gates are in place.”
“You can sense each other’s location. You could free him.”
“Not if I’m stuck to the hip of the new king.”
“You have allies,” he replied. “My ancient enemies number amongst them.”
I met his gaze. “Your ancient enemies care about one thing, just like you. They don’t care if Carmine is caught in the crossfire.”
Tyran’s brows rose. “They said as much?”
Well… no. He seemed surprised that they would too. “Five thousand years is a long time.”
“Do I take it to understand that they’re losing hope? Good. They’ve only lived this long because their efforts amused me.”
Someone was jealous and in denial. “While I align with their views more than I ever will with yours, there are limits to my partnership with them. I want Carmine alive and free to live his life. If we can find a path that both of us feel half comfortable with, then I will take my chances with you.”
Tyran regarded me. “You can sense the ruthlessness of millennia in my enemy, but not in me, it seems. I will not base the success of the Ronj on any risk to appease you.”
“Then no deal.” I shrugged a shoulder. “Win the war yourself.”
“I think not,” he said, walking to stop beside me.
“I would have preferred your willful alliance, but I will have it, nevertheless. You will help me win this war, or I will leave Carmine for my new body, and I will kill him in the doing. If you wanted a choice, then there’s one for you, young demon. ”
My heart pounded. Could he do that? Every previous king had died—or been killed. Tyran may not have the ability to kill his host, but he could surely weaken his host, or lock them in place, for the new ruler to challenge and kill the current king.
Tyran walked to the door. “Come. There is much to do before tonight.”