The First Book of Demons (The Book of Demons Saga) (9 page)

Chapter Twenty Three

Baal’s eyes slid open to
a smooth stone ceiling above him.  He sat up on his elbows, noticing his bandaged torso, and took in his surroundings.  The room was small and dark, with no windows, and a single candle burning by the bed.  A wooden door on the other end of the room cracked open, and a pale skinned demon stepped into the room, bowing at the end of the bed.

“
Master Aelek will see you, if you are well enough to walk,” the demon said, his red eyes avoiding Baal’s stare.

“Where am I?” Baal demanded.  The last thing he remembered was escaping
from Balthazar.

“I am
only here to show you to my master,” the demon responded, “I cannot answer your questions.”

“Fine
,” Baal growled rising from the bed, “Take me to this ‘Aelek’.”

The demon led Baal thro
ugh a maze of narrow passages, void of any light.  Baal expanded his senses, trying to smell or hear another living being but he found nothing. 

“I do not sense any life in this place,” Baal said, his yellow eyes
straining to see through the darkness.

“Master Aelek is this way,
” the servant demon said, glancing momentarily over his shoulder at Baal.  They came to a heavy wooden door and the servant opened it, letting a flood of moonlight into the darkness.  A wave of smells and sounds hit Baal’s senses, and it took him a moment to adjust.

A narrow faced demon sat on a stone bench, a fire burning in the tiled pit set into the floor of the pavil
ion he occupied.  Two demonesses sat at his heels on thick silk cushions.  Their  black hair was so long it pooled on the earth colored tiles beneath them.

“Lord Baal,” Aelek
said, rising from his seat, a smile on his thin lips. “You are feeling better I hope.”

The female demons rose from their cushions and bowe
d deeply to Baal.  They were royalty, the wife and daughter of Master Aelek, but Baal was of a more distinguished race.  His position in society was higher than theirs, and he must be treated with the respect that came with that. 

“Where am I?” Baal asked, a frown wrinkling his forehead. 

“Please, have a seat,” Aelek said, motioning to an empty seat on the other side of the fire. His wife and daughter returned to the cushions at his side, heads bowed. 

Baal studied the demon as he took
a seat across from him.  He was a lesser demon, and his power was minimal.  It wasn’t clear what race he was, there were so many and the Devasi only rubbed elbows with the more powerful of the demon races. 

“Where am I?” Baal asked again, the chill in his voice outweighing the hea
t of the fire.

“You are in
Maracov,” Aelek said, the smile dropping from his face, “Quite a long way from Devas.”

“Why have I been broug
ht here?” Baal asked.  He didn’t have time for this.  He needed to get back to Devas before Balthazar was anointed as Lord Sultan.  He needed to get his revenge on that creature that took his son’s life. 

“She is a human
,” Aelek said.

“What?” Baal’s brows pulled together, forming a deep wrinkle above his nose. 

“The creature,” Aelek said, his bloody eyes fixed on Baal, “She is a human.”

Baal’s eyes shifted anxiously.

“We all have our strengths, Lord Baal,” Aelek said, “Maracovians can gleam the thoughts of others.”

“That is a good strength to have,” Baal
said, leaning back, his features relaxing.  “Invade my thoughts again and I will tear you to pieces.”

“No offense meant,” Aelek
said with a shrug, “but I believe I can help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” Baal
spat, his eyes narrowing at the pale faced demon.  Shikoba motioned for his wife and daughter to leave. 

“I did not say you needed it,”
Aelek said, “But I do hope you will hear me out.”

“
How long have I taken to heal,” Baal asked.  If too much time had passed, he just may need this demons help to put down Balthazar before he was anointed. 

“
Two days, Lord Baal,” Aelek said with a crooked smile.

“That is not
possible,” Baal said, his eyes growing wide in astonishment, “It would take five days to repair my injuries.”

“Have you ever heard of the Magi?”
Aelek asked, his red eyes shining in the moonlight.

“No,” Baal said his eyes narrowed on the demon.

“They are ancient creatures,” Aelek began, “Very powerful creatures, and the natural adversaries of the human you had the displeasure of meeting.”

“Continue,” Baal said, leaning in, his interest sufficiently piqued.

“A demon can never defeat a human,” Aelek  said.  “Even if they are unaware of their powers, as this one apparently is, if their life is threatened their talents will naturally step in.”

“Powers? Talents?” Baal scoffed, “The human has neither.  S
he is a weak creature.  I don’t know where you got your information, but you have been misled.”

“She is weak, and yet she mana
ged to defeat your son,” Aelek said, noticing the pain that burned in Baal’s eyes at the mention of his son.

“Raza let his
weakness get in the way,” Baal said, looking away.  “The girl was simply lucky.”

“And therein lies o
ne of her many talents,” Aelek said.  “The girl will always enjoy a favorable turn of events.  Powers higher than yours or mine reside in her.  I assure you, no demon will kill her.  To do that would require a magic that is truly unique.”

“How have you come to this information?” Baal asked, still unsure of whether he should trust this demon. 

“The Magi posses the power to oppose the girl,” Aelek said.

“And you have one of these Magi under your command?” Baal asked.

“Lord Baal,” Aelek said with a broad smile, “I have the only remaining covenant under my command.”

Chapter
Twenty Four

“You are too slow, girl,” Balthazar called over his shoulder at Alexandra.

Alex grunted angrily
, stopping in her tracks, and resting her palms on her knees to catch her breath. 

“I need a break,
” she said through labored breaths.

Balthazar turned back towards Alex, stalking up to her and
tossing her over his shoulder.

“Hey,” Alex shrieked
, piercing the demon’s sensitive ears.  Her arms and legs flailed wildly, knocking Balthazar in several places at once.

“
Be still,” he growled, taking a kick to the stomach. 

“I just need to catch my breath,” Alex said, her face already turning red
as the blood rushed to fill her skull.  “Put me down.”

“We do not have time to wait for your feeble human body,” Balthazar said.

“I don’t know why I even have to come,” Alex huffed, as she struggled to get more comfortable on the hard shoulder.  “I would rather stay.”

“
That is something we agree upon,” Balthazar said, a heavy sigh echoing his words. “Unfortunately it is required.”

“Require
d for what?” Alex asked.  “Where are we going?”

“Be silent, girl,” Balthazar said
, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.  If the girl insisted on asking question after question, it was going to be a long journey. 

“Don’t tell me to
‘be silent’,” Alexandra huffed, propping herself up on her elbow against Balthazar’s broad back.  “And stop calling me girl.”

A smirk flashed across Balthazar’s lips
, disappearing as quickly as it came.  A heavy hand flew up, smacking Alexandra square on the butt cheek.

“I said be silent, girl,” Balthazar said, as he suddenly began to speed through the landscape.
  Alexandra growled at the assault, and Balthazar found himself wanting to laugh at the human’s attempt.  Even a child demon’s growl was fiercer than hers.  If she meant it as a threat, she was certainly wasn’t scaring him.

It wasn’t long
before the blur of the landscape made Alexandra’s head swim.  She shut her eyes and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible.  In spite of the speed they seemed to be going, the ride was surprisingly smooth.  She just had to get used to the awkward position.

They
finally came to a stop and Balthazar let Alex down.  It was just after sunset and Alex could see the stars coming out, twinkling like a million candles in the blue black sky.  She stretched her aching muscles, pushing her chest out and trying to ease the ache that had settled into her lower back.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Alex asked as she rubbed at the small of her back.

Balthazar sat at the base of a thick tree, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. 

“I must rest.  Be silent now,” he said.

“No,” Alex said, sitting down right in front of him.  “Tell me where we are going.”

“Will you shut up if I do?” Balthazar asked, his eyes rolling open and glaring at her.

“Fine,” Alex said, crossing her arms.  “Tell me where we are going.”

“The Aska Bluffs,” Balthazar said.  “Now shut up.”

Alex narrowed her eyes at the demon prince, his eyes once again closed to her.

“That doesn’t tell me anything,” she said, her lips tight.

“We seek a griffin egg,” Balthazar said, peering at her through heavy eyelids, “and that is where the creatures dwell.”

“A griffin
?”  Alex said, her eyes lighting up.  “There are real live griffins?”

“I believe the agreement was you would shut up, girl,” Balthazar said, tilting his head back to rest on the tree, making himself more comfortable.

Alexandra’s jaw flopped open and shut, searching for a response but coming up blank.  She finally just scooted away from him, muttering under her breath.  She crossed her arms over her knees, looking up at the sky.  The stars were so bright, they felt so close.  It was a beautiful sight and peacefulness washed over Alex.

Balthazar sensed the sudden shift in her aura and he opened his eyes to see what had caused it.  Alexandra’s olive eyes sparkled as the moonlight danced off them, her lips parted as she scanned the sky above.  She gently sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, biting it softly as she enjoyed the view. 
She was beautiful, and Balthazar realized he was staring.

“You enjoy the stars,” he said, startling Alex with the softness that had crept into his voice.  She looked at him, blinking a couple of times before turning back to the stars.

“They are not as bright where I am from,” Alex said.  Balthazar watched her for a moment more before he leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

“Can I ask you a question,” Alex asked softly.  Balthazar cracked his eyes open again, and considered her for a moment.

“You may,” he said finally, crossing his arms over his chest and waiting curiously for her question.

Alex hesitated for a moment, suddenly too nervous to ask.  In that momen
t Balthazar felt different, he felt warmer.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted to risk upsetting him.

“Ask, girl,” Balthazar said, although the authority behind his words felt somehow forced.

“Why do you want more power?” Alex finally asked, “I mean, it seems like everyone already listens to you.”

“You know nothing of demons,” Balthazar said, looking away from her.

“So tell me,” Alex said.  She moved closer to him.  Sitting with her thighs pulled to her chest, she rested her narrow chin on her knees. 

“I am the first born of my father,” Balthazar said, “He was a noble Lord, and it is my duty to keep my family’s kingdom and legacy intact.  My enemies are many and strong.”

Alex could see the look that glossed over Balthazar’s eyes when he spoke of his father.  A mixture of sadness and pride, with a hint of anger. 

“What happened to your father?” Alex asked.  Balthazar blinked at the unexpected question.

“He was assassinated,” he said, his voice and eyes suddenly hardening.  “In his bed, while he slept.  His protection was Baal’s responsibility, and he will pay for his failure.”

Balthazar looked away from her, his jaw tensing.  Alex felt a sharp pang of sadness.  She knew more than anyone how he felt.  Memories of Aunt Tamy flooded her and she felt a sting grow behind her eyes.  The demon smelled the salty mixture of tears and turned back to Alex.

“Why do you cry, girl?” he asked, puzzled.

“Because I know how it feels to lose someone so important to you,” Alex said, a tear dropping down her round cheek.  She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.  Balthazar said nothing more, and the two fell into a comfortable silence. 

“The last conversation I had with my father,” Balthazar said, suddenly shattering the quiet, “I was disrespectful.  I will regret that for the rest of my life.”

He wasn’t sure why exactly he felt compelled at that moment to tell her
.  It was something he thought he would never divulge to anyone. But once he had, he felt instantly better.

“I will help
you,” Alex said, “I promise, in any way that I can.”