A Shadow's Tale (22 page)

I lay back gratefully on the bench thoughtfully placed in my little garden and gazing up through the leafy canopies, my mask left at the door. Most of the plants were a sort of greyish green, the flowers all red, purple or black, but I didn't mind. Aleth had tried her best to instruct the demons on how a garden was supposed to look from pictures in books brought from Earth, but they didn't have a lot of imagination. They had tried their hardest, even creating a pond with a small waterfall feeding into it, filled with fish. Fish the same colours as the flowers, but I wasn't complaining. It added soothing, unobtrusive sound to the otherwise silent room. There was a knock on the door. I opened one eye irritably as Aleth stepped inside, looking very nervous about something.

‘My Lady, there is a demon here who insists on seeing you straight away…He won't tell us his business, although he has told us that his name is Teran Dementius.'

I sighed, getting up and taking my mask from her trembling hands. ‘I'll deal with it. Better hope he has a good excuse for this.' I muttered, tying the mask over my face. I swept out of the room, lifting my skirts with one hand. I no longer wobbled in the high-heeled boots Aleth made me wear so that I stood equal in height with the majority of demons (because my ‘diminutive' height of one metre eighty was small for a demon). Phantom and Wraith, who had been patiently sitting outside the garden room as always, fell into step with me.

I swept into the throne room and sat myself on the throne, casting an eye over this Teran Dementius. The surname rang a bell. I remembered it from somewhere, but I pushed those thoughts from my mind. Now was not the time. I had to admit that he was a handsome demon. His hair and eyes were a golden colour that reflected the red of the torches illuminating the room. His face was all planes and angles, his body lean muscle and a stance that told the world that he may not look like much, but he could probably best any opponent. Most young demonesses would be panting after this specimen of demonhood. I would have joined those ranks had it not been for the look of extreme arrogance on his face. He knew how he looked and he knew that he could use those charms to beguile any female into doing his bidding. The part of my mind that still retained Holly-like characteristics didn't mind about that though. In fact, the exact words going through my head were ‘oh, I would'. I mentally shook myself, trying to bring my head back into the present. Whoever this guy was, he was trouble and I couldn't afford to lose face. For the sake of my dimension, I had to keep a clear mind to deal with whatever it was he wanted.

‘What urgency that couldn't wait has brought you here?' I asked.

‘My Lady,' he said, a hint of mocking in his tone as he bowed in supposed respect. ‘I know that you have probably not had time to review the traditions of succession, especially since you
have only recently come to us, but I wish to inform you that you are, in fact, not the true successor to Karthragan the Destructor.'

Behind the mask, I frowned. What was Teran up to? It was true that, age wise, I wasn't the direct successor. Vrael and Shaeman were. But the prophecy had named me. Karthragan himself had marked me. I raised my chin a little in defiance, determined not to let this demon think that he could intimidate me. ‘Who else would take the throne?'

Teran didn't answer me directly. Instead, he turned his head slightly so that his left eye caught the light. A scar that mirrored the one I bore curved around his left eye. I clenched my teeth. He smirked a little. ‘He marked me as his first heir. That you bear a similar scar around your right eye means that he marked you as his second.'

I raised an eyebrow. That didn't make sense. If he was truly the first heir, then why would Aleth have come to find me on Earth when he resided in Aspheri, ready to take over from Karthragan? But if he was lying, then why had Karthragan marked him like that? Why did I have the scar around my right eye when it was common knowledge that the devil was always on the left? I softly called my lady's maid's name. Aleth was by my side in an instant, looking a little worried. Of course she did. I never called for her during an audience.

‘My Lady?' she inquired.

‘Could you please summon the council? I need to speak to them.'

Within moments of Aleth's departure, the council congregated in my throne room. A collective scowl appeared on their faces as they clapped eyes on the golden haired demon who was obviously the reason they had been summoned from their other duties.

‘Lucas,' I said, addressing the highest demon of the council, ‘could you tell me about the marking done by scarring? More specifically, that done by Karthragan to mark his succession?'

‘My Lady, the crescent scar that you bear marks you as the first successor.'

‘And if it were to be around my left eye?'

‘Then it signifies that you are second in line for the throne.'

I leant back in my throne. ‘Lucas, what would happen if I died without marking an heir?'

‘We would seek the demon with the left scar.'

‘Thank you, Lucas, you have been most helpful and given me much to ponder. You may depart, and please take Teran with you.'

Aleth appeared as soon as the council had filed out, having a quick word with the guard on duty outside the chamber before returning to my side. I glanced up at her before taking my mask off. Goddess, I was tired. I had my first major rival. I wasn't sure, but I got the feeling that he wouldn't hesitate to stoop to the lowest available means to gain the throne. I would have to be prepared.

‘Aleth, could you bring me a sword, by any chance?'

‘Of course, my Lady.' A few moments later, I belted a short sword around my waist, concealed a dagger within my bodice and a second up my sleeve. No way was I going to let Teran get the better of me. I hadn't spent the best part of three years trying to repair the dimension left to ruin under my father's reign just to let someone, who was likely to undo all that work, take the throne. I leant back against the elegant chair, rubbing my temples. My vulnerable period was coming up. It always gave me a massive headache and I had a tendency to get rather irritable. Holly used to call it ‘PMS', and joked that although he was a guy, Jamie suffered from it permanently. Sighing heavily, I dropped a hand to scratch Wraith's head. She thumped her tail happily. Suddenly, she pricked up her ears, sitting bolt upright. Her nose quivered. She seemed ready to bolt after whatever it was that had caught her attention, but her sense of duty forced her to stay. I grabbed my mask, tying it over my face once more.

‘Okay, Wraith, let's go see.'

Still quivering with anticipation, Wraith set off at a controlled trot. I strode after her, wondering what had excited the wolf so much. When she darted down a dimly-lit passage, I hesitated slightly. For all I knew, Teran was waiting for me down there. On the other hand, I was probably just being paranoid. I had to start being more like Amarath, sticking my hand into the box even though I didn't know if the contents would be friendly or whether it would bite me. Squaring my shoulders and straightening my spine, I followed Wraith.

My eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom. Being a part demon thankfully brought good low-light vision. A dull torch flickered, throwing dancing shadows across the black walls. A new smell wafted past my nose. A familiar smell. One I hadn't smelt in so long. Just over three years, in fact. It couldn't be…he would have to had really screwed up. Purple fur glinted a little in the firelight. Red eyes gleamed from the shadows. Wraith barked.

‘You!' I spoke the single word, the English sticking a little in my throat after years of only speaking demonic. An air of slight confusion emanated from the figure in the shadows.

‘I don't think we've been introduced,' growled Bart's voice. I couldn't help but smile. Of course he wouldn't remember me like this. Last time I had seen him, I hadn't made the transition to ruler.

‘No, you wouldn't remember me. I shall introduce myself. I am Princess Shadow Wolf Alexai Roth.'

The red eyes widened in the gloom. He tried to speak, tripping over the word ‘princess'. After a moment, he sank into a deep bow. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I placed two fingers under his chin, lifting him out of the position of subordination. For a handful of heartbeats, I studied his face, smiling a little behind my mask.

‘You really messed up this time, didn't you?'

‘Yeah, I really screwed up. I don't even know how I managed
to change dimensions, Your Highness!'

‘Not ‘Your Highness',' I corrected, ‘Shadow.'

‘My Lady?' called Aleth's voice. I turned to see my lady's maid hurrying towards me. She looked flustered. That wasn't normal for her. She was usually so calm and composed.

‘What has happened?' I asked, switching back to Demonic.

‘An ambassador from Alena has arrived, my Lady. Alena is an ice dimension close to ours and he suffers here. It is most urgent that you receive him immediately!'

I sighed, a little irritated. ‘Okay, Aleth. Could you take Bart to the garden hall? I will receive the ambassador in my private reception chamber. It's cooler in there.' I smiled briefly at Bart, but then remembered that he wouldn't be able to see it through the mask. I glanced down at Wraith, motioning for her to follow Bart. Her tail drooped a little, but she obeyed, trotting reluctantly after the Kraferr. An ambassador from Alena couldn't be bringing good news. Relations between our dimensions weren't hostile, but they were far from friendly. Gritting my teeth and preparing myself for the worst, I strode towards my private chambers, Phantom following close behind me.

I paused at the door, letting my eyes adjust to the dimmer light. The usual torches had been replaced by orbs of magic that gave off light, but not heat. I gazed at the ambassador, catching my first glimpse of an Alenan. I had never even heard of them, let alone seen one. He stood on two bird-like legs, the knee joints facing the opposite way to a human's, with four toes apiece, each one tipped with fearsome talons. His upper body and head were human enough, although his hair was composed of long feathers, the back of his arms also lined with softer looking plumage. A pair of wings was folded neatly against his back. His skin shone a little with sweat despite his only clothing being a knee-length skirt that resembled human kilts. What struck me the most, however, was his pallor. His skin was only a couple of
shades darker than his white feathers and, when he turned to face me, eyes that were such a pale green that they were hardly distinguishable from the white. He bowed low to me.

‘Princess Shadow,' he murmured respectfully.

‘Ambassador,' I replied, inclining my head and gesturing for him to take a seat. ‘I believe that we should dispense with the usual formalities. It must be most uncomfortable to be in this dimension.'

‘Thank you, Your Highness.' The Alenan seemed somewhat relieved as he folded his awkward limbs to sit down. ‘My Lord and Master, Prince Melek of Alena wishes to mend the bridges that he burned with your predecessor and hopes to build new, more intimate bridges with you.'

I had to process that information for a moment, but still had to ask for clarification. I had an idea about what he was saying, but you can never be too careful when it comes to diplomacy. That and, if I was right, I really didn't like the idea of what he was proposing. The Alenan ambassador laughed coldly.

‘Why, he means to unite our dimension through marriage.'

Damn, just what I didn't want to hear. Now I had to tread really carefully for fear of starting the war Karthragan had nearly managed to begin. Marriage between dimension rulers was a finicky subject at best, and this was definitely not ‘at best'. ‘Hypothetically, and this is by no means my answer, what would happen should I decide that it was within the best interests of my people to decline his most generous offer?'

The ambassador seemed aghast. ‘No female could refuse my Lord and Master! His wings are strong, his talons sharp and his eyes bright! He is the perfect male! But he has told me, and I shall relate to you his exact words: ‘Should she decide to refuse me, I will raze Aspheri to the ground'.'

I dismissed the Alenan as quickly as the rules of diplomacy allowed. I tried to calm myself, but I couldn't stop my hands from
shaking. Aleth poked her head around the door. She gasped as she saw my state and rushed to my side, grabbing a goblet of
Stykka
. I gulped the sweet, spiced juice as she waited patiently for me to tell her what had happened. She could wait a little longer.

‘Prepare a small bag for me. I will accompany Bart back to Earth and remain there for a couple of days.
On my own.'

‘But my Lady…'

‘Now, Aleth!' I felt my voice take on the deep rumbling of my demonic side. Aleth squeaked and darted away. I listened to her rummaging through my clothes for a good few minutes before she returned with a satchel, looking distinctly unhappy. I took the bag, apologising for my outburst before setting off for the garden.

Another messenger intercepted me, looking harried. I ground my teeth. I had to get away and deal with getting Bart back to Dominique before he managed to get himself into even more trouble. Deciphering the babbled message about an uninvited warrior appearing in the main courtyard, I fought down my anger and turned around, heading towards the doors that would lead onto the courtyard.

What I saw there made me realise exactly why the messenger had been in such a state of panic. The being in front of my eyes certainly looked humanoid enough, but surrounding him was an air of evil so potent I could almost see the darkness around him. Drawing myself up to my full height in an attempt to look in charge, I strode towards the creature, passing through the ring of guards.

‘Who are you, stranger to my realm?'

The being looked down at me through strange turquoise eyes. And when I say ‘looked down', I mean that this creature stood at about my height and half again, a giant, even by the terms of the demons who more often than not stood a good head and shoulders over me. His pale skin seemed all the more pale
because of the spiked, black armour that covered the majority of his skin. A helmet had been tucked under his arm. Dark hair had been left loose to fall to brush his shoulders and, when he spoke, he showed two rows of teeth sharpened to points.