Mortal Demon, page 9
Deruthel’s eyes flickered with interest, but he didn’t move. Riley wondered if Ashkara realized his general would betray him, given a chance. “I understand.”
Ashkara tapped his chest. Halak’s chest. “I have implanted the knowledge in Halak’s mind. If you attempt to betray me, I will kill you and promote him to second in command.”
Deruthel’s face paled. “I will not betray you.”
Ashkara laughed. “Yes, you will. It is only a matter of time, but perhaps I will gain another world or two before I am forced to kill you.”
Deruthel nodded. “As you wish. How should I stabilize the portal if you wish to keep the priestess alive?”
Halak’s eyes flared. “It is your job to figure it out, but do not touch the priestess. Resources are difficult to come by, and hers is rare.”
“I never waste our resources, my king.”
The statement was almost identical to Ashkara’s. It was more than obvious who had trained him. Considering the demon general’s power, she began to fear that of the king. His arrogance and his confidence were far more than that of the general. Ashkara was a new level of evil and though everyone had said it, this time, she believed it. If the king was successful in reaching their realm, there would be no stopping him. He was the source of the demon infection and he overpowered the mind of his subordinate as easily as one would turn on a TV.
The king looked over at his general. “Yes, your military strategy is superior to any before you, but don’t mistake intelligence for power. I can wipe the mind of every demon in here, including yours.”
Deruthel nodded respectfully. “Yes, father.”
CHAPTER 14
Riley crouched down behind the rock wall sitting on the uneven ground. She kept her tone so low the demons wouldn’t hear her. “Deruthel is the king’s son?”
Ferguson crouched down, no longer looking at the demons below. “It appears so. That explains why he has more power than the other demons. There are legends about the demon Ashkara in certain ancient civilizations.”
Riley glanced at him. “What do they say?”
“One account claims he is a king of the underworld and has untold power. Another account claims he is a world killer. A plague that annihilates all that he comes in contact with.”
Riley wiped her eyes. “That second one sounds about right. The first one could be mistaken as king of another world.”
“Yes, that is feasible,” Ferguson said.
Riley got back to her feet, peeking over the ledge again.
Deruthel had his head down in a subservient position as he spoke to the king who possessed Halak’s body. “We are working on other combinations to see if we can speed up the process.” He pointed at the woman fawning at Halak’s feet. “So far she is the only one who has shown promise.”
The king’s gaze narrowed on Deruthel. “Do not fail me or I will wipe your mind and take your body. If you do not create a stable portal, I will release my consciousness in this realm and take yours.”
Deruthel’s eyes widened. “Your power would be diminished.”
The king stepped toward Deruthel. “Yes. It is an inconvenience, but one I have had to utilize in the past. As my power grows it becomes increasingly harder to create a portal large enough to traverse worlds.”
Deruthel stepped back. “You have taken over a previous vessel?”
The king laughed. “Do you think I allowed you so much power because I care for you? You are a tool. In the event of your failure, I will take over your body permanently. Your mind will die and mine will flourish. I will remain as king and yes, I have the inconvenience of having to rebuild my power, but the body I currently reside in is your older brother. I have done this many times in the past.”
Deruthel turned from the king. His eyes were haunted and unsure. “You allow one son to gain power in the event you need his body. My power will become your power.”
The king nodded. “Now you understand. I prefer not to be diminished. As long as you create a portal large enough for my passage, you will retain your body.”
Deruthel turned back to his father. “I will not fail.”
The king nodded. “I want Riley secured immediately.”
Deruthel’s hands fisted at his sides but he visibly calmed himself. “We have made several attempts to acquire her, but the shadows have proven more resilient than we anticipated. We’ll get to her soon. We need her.”
“You need both shadow women to create the breeders we need,” the king said.
Deruthel glanced at the woman at the king’s feet. “There’s a problem with Dannika’s blood.”
The king arched an eyebrow. “You were able to get a sample from the queen?”
Deruthel nodded. “Yes, the traitor was able to procure a sample, but when we tested her blood in the serum, the woman died before transition. Only Riley’s blood has had some measure of success.”
Ferguson turned to Colton with red eyes. “We have a traitor. If they got a sample of Dannika’s blood then it was a member of the wolf clan.”
Colton nodded. “We knew that; we just assumed it was a member of the cougar clan. They went to great lengths to set up Riley.”
Ferguson growled low in his throat. “They want to discredit her. If the cougar clan ostracized her, it would be easier for them to procure her.”
“I agree. Who has access to Dannika’s blood?”
Ferguson was quiet. The king continued to threaten his general as the three shadows watched in silence. “The healer has taken her blood recently.”
Colton’s eyes flared. “Karam would never betray the cougar clan. He has saved countless members from every clan, including me.”
“And yet he is in the wolf caves and the only cougar clan member not tested. Other than you, Raine, and myself, he is the only one to take Dannika’s blood.”
Colton rubbed his chin. “That we know of. If our traitor has another hex bag, he could have incapacitated Dannika and even Raine and taken her blood without her knowledge.”
Ferguson focused on the demons. “That is unlikely. He has direct access to every clan member. You said they’re testing variations of shadow blood. What better way than to use the healer? He may not even know that he is being controlled.”
Colton sighed. “You’re right. Test him to be safe. Steele will insist on it, anyway.”
The king growled returning their attention to the conversation. “The queen should have the strongest bloodline. You must have made a mistake.”
Deruthel shook his head. “We tested five women. All failed to transition, and they died badly. Every serum we created with Dannika’s blood, initiated a cellular destabilization. The women dissolved, for lack of a better word. We did the experiments offsite so our troops would not be disheartened by the results.”
The king glanced around. “And yet you discuss it openly now.”
“Because we are close to producing stable breeders. Even if Riley is the only one, we will keep her until we have a stable breeder pool.”
“Have you investigated this anomaly?”
The demon general nodded. “Her blood does not contain the properties needed to induce pregnancy. The serum is designated to create viable breeders; the women died immediately.”
Riley shivered involuntarily. “Something is wrong with Dannika. We need to tell her.”
Ferguson shook his head. “There’s nothing to be concerned about. Her blood is not viable as a breeder for the demons, but that condition is temporary. If they discover the source of that anomaly, they will not hesitate to procure her.”
Riley touched his arm. “You know what’s wrong with her?”
“There is nothing wrong with Dannika. She simply is not a viable breeder for the demons... at least not yet.”
“Why?”
Ferguson’s gaze flicked to hers. “I must return to Dannika and see if anyone else besides Karam had access to her blood. I assume she would tell me, but she is strong-willed to say the least.”
Colton turned to him. “Are you heading back to the wolf caves?”
Ferguson nodded. “Dannika’s in more danger than I realized. I must ensure she takes some precautionary measures. These discussions usually take some time.”
“I bet. Riley and I will watch them for a little longer, then report back to you. Let Dannika know everything we’ve learned.”
Ferguson nodded then crouched down as he exited the cavern and navigated the tunnel toward the exit.
Riley turned to Colton as soon as Ferguson was out of sight. “Dannika hasn’t looked very good the last few times I’ve seen her. I assumed it was the stress of being queen and the impending war with the demons.”
Colton peeked over the ledge. “I noticed as well. She looks pale. I assumed she wasn’t feeding enough, but Raine assured me that isn’t the case.”
“Could it be some kind of disease?” Riley asked.
“We are immune to all human diseases.”
She frowned. “Are there any shadow ones?”
“Only lack of feeding creates fatigue and the symptoms that Dannika appears to have. I am unaware of any such shadow viruses.”
“There must be something and whatever it is, Ferguson is aware of it.” She rubbed her chest, trying not to be affected by Dannika’s lack of trust in her. Dannika had gone her entire life on her own and had been abandoned by the people that should’ve taken her in. Riley’s parents had left her to her fate. She had to earn Dannika’s trust. She couldn’t expect it.
“We will figure it out. Give it time,” Colton said.
She leaned over the rock wall, attempting to get an accurate count of the demons in the cavern. More had arrived since the king began to speak. “Their numbers have doubled since Ashkara started speaking.”
“I noticed.”
The king stopped mid-sentence. Halak’s body turned, but the eyes were not his as they roamed over the cavern.
Riley and Colton ducked down quickly, avoiding the king’s gaze. “Did he see us?” she whispered.
The king’s voice echoed in the cavern. “Check your defenses now. You have an intruder.”
Deruthel hissed. “Up there. Get them.”
Demons growled as Colton and Riley sprinted into the tunnel. They weaved through the hanging roots as a deep growl emanated before them.
Colton barked a command. “Hold on.” His shadow enveloped hers, but as they entered the pathway, she knew they were not alone. Emotions were amplified in the pathway and there was no mistaking that of their pursuer. Hatred.
CHAPTER 15
Riley turned as they coalesced on the veranda of their home. She could feel the anger and hatred of the demon pursuing them, but as their forms solidified, the breeze whipped her hair against her cheek, and the emotion dimmed. “Is it coming here?”
Colton stepped in front of her. “The demon has stopped. I believe it’s deciding whether it wants to pursue us on shadow land. The moment it exits the pathway the entire clan will converge on this location.”
“Can he hear us?”
“Yes,” Colton said.
Despite her ability to regulate her body temperature, goosebumps formed on her skin. She inched closer to Colton’s back, allowing his body heat to warm her. “You may want to remind our pursuer that Ferguson is making a necklace out of demon claws.”
Colton turned and smirked at her. “Our friend has reconsidered his advance. I no longer feel his presence.”
“I get the impression that the demons fear Ferguson as much as the shadows do.”
“He isn’t really making a charm necklace out of demon claws, is he?” Colton asked.
Riley pursed her lips. “Not yet, but I’m going to ask him to start.”
Colton put his arms around her shoulders. “I had no idea you were so devious.”
She chuckled. “I’ll use any means possible to deter the demons, but considering what we witnessed, they are ruled by fear.”
Colton led her into their living room, closing the door behind them. “Ashkara is something else. I expected the king to be powerful, but to be able to control his subjects is a new level. His consciousness is so evolved he can literally shed his body and take over another. I have no concept of how that is possible.”
Riley led Colton to the couch, waiting for him to sit so she could snuggle in his lap. The events at the cave had her seeking reassurance. Everything Colton said was true. Ashkara was far more powerful than any of them realized. “Sounds like he’s had to discard his body a few times. Do you think he has to take over a blood relative? Deruthel is his son, and we have seen no indication he has any other children.”
“If he did, Deruthel would kill them. The general seeks power and I think he had every intention of betraying his father. I don’t think he knew Ashkara could wipe his mind and take his body. That is a whole new level of scary.”
Riley laid her head against Colton’s neck. “While he has the ability to take over his son’s body, that appears to be a last resort. I am curious how that works myself.”
Colton was quiet for some time. “Ashkara said he didn’t want to be diminished. I am thinking that his current body has grown and evolved. If he takes over Deruthel’s, he is able to transfer his consciousness but not his power. He would be limited to Deruthel’s current skills.”
“I wonder why,” she asked.
“I’m not positive, but I’m thinking it’s something to do with the container. You can’t place two gallons of water into a one-gallon container. The vessel has to grow in relation to the power within it.”
Riley sat up. “That’s incredibly intuitive, and it makes sense. If we work with that theory, then it’s possible the king would have some skills that Deruthel doesn’t. Deruthel may not be using his vessel as you call it to its maximum capacity.”
“That’s highly likely. This only reinforces our goal to keep the king in his current realm. If he traverses the portal with his current body, we have zero chance of fighting him.”
“We will have to fight Deruthel and the demons and that could go either way as it is. If Ashkara took over Deruthel’s body there’s no telling what powers he would be able to bring with him. While he won’t have the enormous power he currently has, he would be far stronger than Deruthel. We need to cut off his access to this world.”
Colton rubbed his chin. “Deruthel was surprised the king had the power to take his body. He wasn’t happy about it. I think he would betray his king given a chance. Maybe there’s an opportunity to help him.”
“Are you suggesting an alliance with the demons?”
“No. But as you say, we’re fighting Deruthel one way or another. I prefer it to be him rather than Ashkara. We should consider a temporary truce until the portal is permanently closed.”
“How do we propose something like that?” she asked.
Colton’s head fell back, resting on the top of the couch. “I have no idea.” He rubbed his temple.
She leaned toward him. “Are you all right?”
He placed his hands over his eyes. “Just a headache.”
“That’s unusual for you.”
His arms circled her waist, pulling her against his body. His fingers bit into her skin, strong enough to leave a mark. “I just need some time with my mate.”
His lips moved to her neck, and while his touch normally created that fiery burn to which there was no escape; it now left her with a shiver. She couldn’t decide if it were the demons, the king, or just the overall uncertainty, but her body was rigid and her hands were pushed against his chest.
“I want to talk to Dannika. Let’s see if she has any idea what we should do next.”
Colton’s lips moved to her collarbone. “Later. Ferguson will have reported what we saw in the demon cave. We have some time.”
She pushed against his chest, but his arms remained fastened around her. “Let me up, please.”
His gaze met hers. His pupils were like black saucers. “What’s wrong?”
“I told you. I want to talk to Dannika.”
His jaw ticked. “We can’t. She’s in discussions with Raine and Ferguson. They will contact us when they are ready for us to join them. I understand she’s your sister, but she is the queen first.” His arms relaxed around her.
“I understand her obligations,” Riley snapped. It wasn’t that he had said anything rude, or that she didn’t know, but there was an edge to his voice that seemed off. Uncaring. She moved away from him.
He pulled her back to him. “Come on, Riley. Don’t be like that.”
Her eyebrows arched. “Like what?”
“Dannika will do anything for you. If you ask her to drop what she is doing, she will. Keep in mind that the reapers still under her banner, are unhappy she will not lead them into battle.”
Was she being selfish? She couldn’t deny what he said was true. Dannika would do anything for her, and she had a precarious hold on the reaper clan. “You think they would turn on Ferguson?”
“Their fear of him is the only thing keeping them in line. Ferguson will never allow Dannika to go into battle, and the reapers see that as a sign of weakness.”
“Why would they want to risk her?” she asked.
“It’s not about risk. It’s about leadership. No man respects another that will order them to do something they will not.”
Riley shook her head. “Dannika went to battle. She doesn’t back down from anything. It’s Raine and Ferguson who are prohibiting her.” She took a deep breath. “And honestly, I’m thankful for that.”
Colton held his hand out to her, waiting for her to take it. “As am I. Dannika has no fear, and she wouldn’t think twice about putting herself in danger. She is too valuable to risk in a demon war.”
Riley took his hand, and settled in his lap. “I understand what you’re saying. She would drop everything for me. I don’t want her to appear to favor me in front of the reapers.”
Colton kissed her temple. “I’m glad you understand.”
She felt the tenderness in his kiss. “Can we check on my father soon? I would like to know if the herbs are helping him.”
