The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon (12 page)

Scarlet Hyacinth

couldn’t have modified Tyrell’s personality and goals even if he had

tried. Yes, Paris had made the attempt with his mother, but it had

resulted in failure, which would have undoubtedly been the result

should Noah have followed his example. Noah couldn’t say what

would have happened had he not killed Tyrell then, but he was

convinced that Tyrell’s mere existence had left a deep mark within the

common consciousness of the warlocks and witches, a wound that

could not be healed without the disease being eradicated.

His real mistake had been not understanding his responsibility and

clinging to the past when the future was far more important. He had

not realized just how much Rhys’s love meant to him, and because of

that, he’d nearly lost it. He’d lost himself.

It was truly strange and humbling to think that an illness that

could have killed him had been healed in such an anticlimactic way.

Because Noah had no doubt that it was, indeed, gone, and that in itself

represented the most important lesson of all. Had he opened his heart

to Rhys earlier, none of this would have happened. He wouldn’t have

been forced to keep himself apart from Rhys. The incubus wouldn’t

have refused to feed. They wouldn’t even be here right now. In the

end, Rhys had been right from the very beginning. They were stronger

together, and it was truly awful that it had taken the intervention of a

stranger for Noah to realize that.

“Don’t think about it anymore,”
Rhys whispered in his mind.

“You think too much.”

Noah chuckled.
“You have a point there. No more thinking. Just

feeling.”

He was distracted from the exchange when Kieve interfered in

their conversation. “Well, finally. It looks like our warlock has

learned.”

“We very much appreciate your help.” Noah got up, looked at

himself, and realized he was still naked. Suppressing his

embarrassment, he grabbed his clothes and started to pull them on.

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“Oh, don’t do that on my account.” Kieve snickered. “Both I and

my people enjoy the sight very much.”

Noah wished he could resent Kieve for that, but he truly owed the

pixie. Ignoring the flirty comment, he continued to dress and asked,

“What did you do back there?”

“Ah, well…I transformed Rhys’s love for you into pure healing

magic and attacked your injury with it. Basically, I acted like an

intermediary. Rhys’s emotions did all the work.”

“But a Sidhe or another demon couldn’t have done what you did,”

Rhys concluded, also pulling on his clothing as he spoke. “It took a

person who understood both black magic and healing powers.”

Kieve shrugged. “Pixies have their talents, as do other species.

I’m just glad it worked out in the end.”

“You’re always so humble, my son.” The shaman walked toward

them, grinning widely. His expression sobered. “Now that your

problem is solved, we might have a little one of our own which you

can assist us with.”

Noah frowned. “You said all we needed to do was—”

Abduk waved a hand dismissively, interrupting Noah’s words.

“That was merely a means to help heal you. The real favor comes

now.”

Kieve rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Let’s not get them into this,

Father. Noah, Rhys, our request is quite simple. I humbly request that

you to take me along when you return to the Sidhe island. I need an

audience with King Sterling Tomacelli.”

“We could never presume to make decisions in King Sterling’s

stead,” Noah replied. “I’m not sure this is wise, or respectful, for that

matter.”

“Alas, time is of the essence,” Kieve answered. “I believe King

Sterling is already aware of our intentions, which is why he sent you

here in the first place.”

Noah remembered Sterling’s advice upon their departure, and an

image began to form in his mind. Sterling had told Noah to defend his

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mate bond with Rhys. Noah had done so, which had oddly earned

some respect in Saaze’s eyes and facilitated their meeting with the

shaman and Kieve. Sterling had also said the pixies could surprise

them pleasantly, which had, indeed, happened. The king had also

mentioned new friendships, which could be considered a reference to

Kieve’s request.

In a sense, Noah felt irritated. He disliked being treated as a tool,

and hated the fact that Sterling always played his little games and

never told them outright what they needed to do to get a desired

result. He wondered if Sterling had truly sent them here because of

Noah’s tumor, or for his own inscrutable purposes.

“I don’t think he deliberately deceived us,”
Rhys said through

their bond.
“He might be manipulative, but he’s not cruel. He’s

probably just working for the best outcome, in his own strange way.”

“I suppose you’re right,”
Noah replied. The Sidhe king had

shown a propensity toward doing that on previous occasions, after all,

so Noah shouldn’t be so shocked.

With that in mind, Noah nodded at Kieve. “Very well. You can

come with us. But I don’t want any more secrets. You have to tell us

exactly what you plan to discuss with the king.”

The shaman grabbed Noah’s arm and led them away from the

center of the grove and back to the tree Noah had designated as

belonging to Abduk. He ushered away all the pixies, speaking in that

strange language Noah didn’t understand. Upon his command, the

pixies scattered, returning to their previous activities and giving Rhys,

Noah, Abduk, and Kieve privacy. Other than the four of them, only

Saaze remained, lingering in the tree’s shade.

“It’s quite easy,” Abduk whispered. “We believe that some of our

people might be involved with this new attack on the vampires. This

is very disturbing because we have always kept a neutral stance, and

we want that to remain the same.”

“But I take it not everyone shares your ideas,” Noah answered.

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“Indeed.” Kieve sighed deeply. “Because of our dual natures,

there are bound to be conflicts of interest and ideas. Our tribe and

many others like it have managed to find balance within nature since

it is not in itself good or evil. It is beyond those limitations. This is

what we seek to preserve, at all costs. But other tribes have taken

either the path of the Sidhe, or the path of the demons.”

“So what happened to them? The demon tribes and the Sidhe

tribes?”

“There was a war which the Sidhe tribes lost. Eventually, we

intervened, taking in the believers of the old Sidhe ways. However,

the demon tribes linger, less numerous than us, but still very present.

Their involvement in the outer world is a bad omen for all of us.”

“Your magic could have awakened the Yamamoto vampires,

then?” Rhys asked.

“Pixie magic can do a lot of things,” Kieve explained. “Unlike

other types, it can be molded into whatever shape its master decides.

We are not restrained by the boundaries or the discipline of other

species. But if the demon tribes have allied themselves with the

fiends, I believe I do not have to tell you how dangerous the situation

is. Should their cooperation work, we here will be the first to fall. The

incubi will most likely be targeted, as they have been considered for a

long time the odd one out among the demon races. Kaname

Yamamoto and his vampires are an unknown factor.”

“Which was why he was targeted. Of course.” It made so much

sense. But who would have guessed pixies were the ones behind it?

Had Sterling known about this all along?

Noah shook his head to clear it. In the end, it didn’t really matter.

They had one more piece of information, yes, but how did that help

them? There were two alliances building, but only one, that of the

demons, knew how to find the members of the other.

“You’re right,” he told Kieve. “This is very dangerous. We must

bring this intel to King Sterling and the other leaders at once. We can

only hope to win if we stand together.”

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A small smile slipped onto Kieve’s lips. “Ah, yes. I couldn’t agree

more.”

* * * *

“They’re coming.”

The voice of the Oracle echoed in Sterling’s ears, unheard by

anyone except himself. He smiled to himself. Good. The meeting he

had planned so carefully would at last come to pass. In a way, he had

suspected the demon pixies would make a move soon, and he was

relieved they’d done so during his rule. He wanted Winter to inherit a

safer world, so that he could have the opportunity to learn how to lead

without having to make hard decisions.

“Kaname and his brother are on their way as well,” she said, “as

are Abbott Whitaker and Byron Cunningham.”

From his seat on the comfortable bench, Sterling glanced around

the gardens, watching his nephew play with Lamont. Normally,

Sterling would have preferred to keep Lamont away from the Sidhe

island until he could shift into a humanoid form, but circumstances

kept Winter and his family here.

Predictably, Corbin and Winter had noticed the preparations being

made for the arrival of the guests. “King Sterling, may I ask who is

coming?” Corbin inquired.

“Noah and Rhys are returning and they’re bringing along some

friends,” Sterling replied. “Worry not, Corbin. Winter and Lamont are

perfectly safe here. I would not allow them to be in danger.”

At that, Winter pinned him with a glance. “Uncle, what game are

you playing?” He sounded concerned. “I know you and you would

not have sent the two of them to the pixies for no reason. Are they

involved in the recent attacks?”

“Your intuition is as always very good, nephew,” Sterling

answered. “Yes, they are, and I’m organizing a meeting with every

party who has an interest in this matter to deal with the situation.”

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“Uncle…If I may.” Winter bit his lip, as if trying to find words.

“You seem so knowledgeable in many things. Couldn’t you simply

find out where these culprits are and dispatch troops to defeat them?”

Sterling sighed. If only it were that easy. “Alas, nephew, as much

as I seem omniscient, I am not.” Even the Oracle’s power had limits,

which was one of Sterling’s greatest concerns in this matter and the

reason why Sterling had to eliminate this threat as soon as possible.

“The source of my knowledge is being blocked. You must not

underestimate our opponents, Winter. This is like nothing we’ve dealt

with before. Remember that, and please, insofar as you can, stay out

of it. I don’t want you and Lamont harmed.”

Corbin and Winter shared a look, and Sterling knew they were

talking through their mind bond. He always liked seeing it, witnessing

the proof of his nephew’s happiness. In moments such as these, he

could truly grasp that all his efforts had not been in vain, that he

hadn’t disappointed his dead brother and Jayna.

To a certain extent, he was not surprised when Winter narrowed

his eyes at Corbin, seemingly upset. Corbin turned toward Sterling,

his expression a picture of stubborn determination. “With your

permission, Your Majesty, should there be an incursion against the

enemy forces, I would like to come along.”

“You understand I cannot guarantee your safety,” Sterling

warned. There were many potential futures forming due to Corbin’s

choice, flashing through Sterling’s mind’s eye through the Oracle’s

knowledge.

“Of course,” Corbin replied. “But the Sidhe are my people now,

and my family, both Sidhe and shifter, are involved in this. I want to

build a safe world for my son to live in. I can’t just stand idle and

watch.”

“Quite understandable. Very well, Corbin, if you’ve made your

choice, I will not stand in your way.”

“Uncle!” Winter hugged his son in his arms, his gaze begging for

Sterling to intervene. “You can’t. He’ll get hurt.”

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It crushed Sterling to have to refuse Winter, but he had already

gotten involved in too many things. “I can only promise I will do my

best to keep him safe.” He got up from the bench and smiled. “For the