Page 43 of Deranged Demons

Prince Callan stares at me blankly. “What?”

“Oh, I was just thinking about something. I, uh, once read about humans worshipping cats. It’s nothing,” I blurt out.

“No, no, I like where this is goin’,” Nate says with a grin from a few paces away. Lifting his chin, he puffs out his chest like he’s imagining a statue of himself on one of the pedestals.

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I don’t think the humans worshipped cat shifters,” I point out.

He shrugs. “What’s the difference?”

“Animals don’t talk as much, for one,” Prince Callan drawls. “Even Toralyn has domesticated cats, and I can attest that they’re far more agreeable to be around than shifters.”

Dante smirks, and I get the feeling he’s enjoying the strange dynamic between us way too much.

“Either way,” I say, “I think we can agree something terrible happened here.” I peer back at the scratched ceiling, and a heaviness settles onto my shoulders.“Shade, Seral could have been like this.”

She tucks her wings in tighter.“Why would the witches defile the temples if they were only after power?”

“No one knows what fully motivated the witches. For a long time, I thought we’d never find the truth, but now that we know some of the witches survived, maybe one day we’ll get to the bottom of it.”Stepping forward, I move closer to a pile of the black stones that are sitting atop one of the pedestals. A tiny patch of white is showing on one of them, and I pick up the stone and rub it with my thumb. To my surprise, the black smooths away revealing a glittering white crystal that sparkles and shines, resembling the stones we’ve seen embedded in the paintings around the city. Flecks of color appear in bursts, and I bring the crystal closer to my face.

Dante’s keen gaze is on me, but he doesn’t move from where he’s leaning against a pillar, watching silently.

“What is that?” Nate asks. Leaning down, he picks up a crystal from the same pile. Like the one I’m holding, it gleams when he cleans away the layer of black, and his gaze lights with curiosity.

“I think I’ll keep this for now. For, uh, studyin’ later,” he mutters and slides the crystal into his pocket.

I stare at the small bulge. “You’re going to steal from a temple?”

“Think of it as borrowin’,” he replies. “Who knows. You might thank me later.”

I give him an exasperated look. “If you say so.”

It’s daylight when we leave the temple, the weak sunlight streaming through the layer of clouds above and shining on the surrounding buildings. Aside from the crystals, there wasn’t anything in the temple to explain what had happened there, and I make a mental note to check it out again once this is all over and I return with my exploration party.

Prince Callan steps up to my side. “It’s too quiet,” he comments, his alert gaze scanning the street ahead. “By now I would have expected to find more alphas wandering the city confused and starved.”

“Or dead,” Nate adds.

Dante’s brows lower. “The other alphas didn’t get their hands on provisions?”

“You say that like you haven’t seen anyone else for days,” Prince Callan comments.

The demon shrugs. “The group of us woke up not far from each other around the park. Once we defeated the monsters at the fountains, well,” he smirks, “you saw what happened.”

“We saw somethin’ that’s for sure,” Nate mutters.

I frown at the empty buildings around us. Prince Callan isn’t wrong. There were hundreds of alphas at the ball, but we’ve hardly seen anyone. I stop walking, and my mates halt as well, each of them staring at me.

“I think we should head for the castle,” I say abruptly.

Nate raises a brow. “The castle?”

“It should only take the rest of the day to walk there,” I go on as I peer up at the ancient castle in the distance. Built atop a large hill in the north of the city, the crumbling towers of the castle are visible above the surrounding buildings, the blackened spires tall and imposing. It was probably magnificent once, a gigantic structure of stone and glass, but now it’s just as ruined as the rest of the city.

“Every time I’ve visited Perstalia in the past, King Dalton created a gateway in the castle. That way we could step straight from Seral, and attend whatever conference was being held,” I explain. “So, I think it’s safe to assume that’s where he’ll arrive when he comes. Undoubtedly, he would find us no matter where we are in the city, but we may as well start making our way there.” I think of the enchanted gold ring that allows Dad to open gateways to different realms. Each of the rulers of the five allied realms own one, and when I ascend the throne, the ring will become mine. “At least when we’re back in Seral, the other alphas will be sent home.”If they’re alive, that is…

“I agree with the princess,” Prince Callan says. “We may as well head for the castle and see what happens.”

“And what if you haven’t found all your mates?” Dante questions me, his dark gaze sliding to my face.

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