Page 70 of To Dwell in Shadows
“Whoa, I think you need to calm down,” Borias said.
Drath let out a hissing sound. “How can I remain composed when so much is at stake?”
“They’re only games,” Borias replied.
“Games that I am meant to win!” Drath said. “For I will?—”
“Your head wound is starting to bleed again,” Sam interrupted, gesturing at the red stain seeping through Drath’s bandage.
The unexpectedness of Sam’s observation made Drath falter. Cautiously, he raised one limb to the back of his head.
“Oof, looks painful,” Borias added.
“It must be time to change the dressing,” Drath said, backing away. He seemed unnerved by this accidental display of vulnerability.
“Unless you’d like us to make the whole bandage red,” Borias said, flashing a crooked grin.
“He’s right. You’d better go take care of that,” Sam said. With a rough push on Drath’s back, he sent the demon moving in the opposite direction. “I’ll see you at the next trial.”
Drath seemed confused for a moment, then pressed a limb to his oozing gash and began to shuffle away. “Yes. Yes, you will.”
Borias waited until Drath was out of sight before saying, “His arrogance is loathsome. I agree that some things that could be improved here, but the last thing we need is more horror.”
“What did he mean when he said it wasn’t always like this?”
Borias leaned against a nearby column and shrugged. “I’m nearly five hundred years old and this is the worst condition I’ve ever seen the Underworld in.”
“What do you believe is the reason?”
Borias glanced at Sam hesitantly. “Uh… that’s a tough question.”
“You may speak freely.” When Borias continued to look uneasy Sam added, “Please, I’d like to hear your thoughts.”
Borias scrubbed a hand over his wide jaw. “Your father has reigned a long, long time. Sometimes I wonder… well, perhaps it’s a foolish idea… but maybe if someone new, someone fresh, could take some of the burden of leadership off him, things could improve.”
The relevance of his words settled like lead in Sam’s gut. He didn’t respond for a moment, then said, “What would you like to see changed?”
“So much,” Borias said. “The very bones of our realm needtending to—the roads, bridges, caves, and towers. Everything is falling apart.”
Sam nodded, which encouraged Borias to continue. “In a way I agree with Drath that there’s a lack of discipline. I don’t like the way other demons are free to act out their most depraved urges. There used to be more order.”
Just then, a lone spirit drifted past them. It was an old man, barefoot and dressed in a bathrobe, clutching his heart.
Borias pointed up at him. “And that,” he said. “We never used to see innocent souls trapped here. It’s not right. They should be at rest.”
Sam took in the spirit’s lost expression and grief stirred in him. He realized he had been willfully blind to the Underworld’s growing disorder. He had convinced himself it had always been this way, blaming his fading memories for any sense of change. But hearing Drath and Borias echo his observations was sobering.
For the first time since his parents had told him of the Dark Sovereign, Sam began to consider what would happen if he accepted the role. He had always resisted the idea of rulership. Having absolute power over others held no pull for him, and he abhorred pageantry. Yet he had spent little time considering the good he could bring about as king. The positive changes he could command. The many wrongs he could right.
Borias let out a weary sigh. “It’s not my place to question how Asmodeus rules, but sometimes I wish… ”
“What?” Sam urged.
“I want a king who understands he's meant toservethe realm. Not simply exist within it," Borias said. He turned away before Sam could respond, muttering, “I need to fix that door,” as he walked off, leaving Sam alone with the weight ofhis thoughts.
When Sam finished delivering vengeance for the day, he took a long walk around the weedy grounds outside the palace. It was quiet there, and any imps his parents might send to summon him would have a harder time tracking him down. A handful of scavenger vultures pecking at the remains of a rat peered at him but didn’t approach.
He watched a silk weaver spider skitter across the ground and let his mind wander. How would he change the Underworld if he were in charge? First, he would reestablish proper law and order. Perhaps a robust royal guard to patrol the realm and ensure demons stayed within their limits of behavior.
