Page 23 of Reigning
Then I see him. Fire Face strides forward from down the hall, making his way quickly toward his friend.
“We don’t have breaks, Eugene.” Raogh looks at the other demon with complete confusion shadowing his dark eyes.
Eugene. That doesn’t sound menacing at all. It’s a bit of a letdown really. I think I’ll stick with Fire Face for now.
“Then do a perimeter check.” Fire Face Eugene stands with wide shoulders and a narrowed gaze.
“Perimeter checks are for grunts, halfling demons. I’m a superior.”
“I command you to superiorly check the fucking perimeter. Don’t make me tell you again.”
Raogh eyes the other demon for another long moment before turning on his heel and storming past me.
That was…interesting. Is Fire Face Eugene in charge here, or do the other demons just fear him?
“What do you want? Make it quick.” He glances at me with a bored but…frightening expression.
Confident and charming. Total demon package.
“Well, Linden—Prince Linden of the Kingdom of Minden—told me I could ask you if I ever needed anything important.” I pass him a look that only traitors know how to give.
He seems like someone who’s experienced too much pain in their life to ever feel happiness again. He doesn’t smile at me; he barely reacts.
Seconds pass with the thundering of my heart. What if he’s the wrong demon? What if there’s a different demon with just a minor facial wound that I completely overlooked, all because I was distracted by Fire Face McGee over here?
“What do you need?” He tilts his head at me, making me feel slightly like he’s on my side but also not all at the same time.
“There’s a mage in the shifter village of Valencia.”
I wait, but he doesn’t say anything.
“I need you to contact her. I need you to tell her Arlow Winters is in trouble in the Kingdom of Attika and that I need her help.”
Fire Face narrows his crimson eyes on me.
“She’s not going to trust a demon,” he finally says.
“Well, she’s a Sight Seer. It…it should be fine.” I swallow down my worry and replace it with forced optimism.
“She’s not going to trust me, and your kind’s sight doesn’t work with demons.”
Oh. Huh.
Maybe I should have known that. That should definitely be something every mage should know, right?
“Tell her that I said she was right, that Rime was the hardest to lose.” I swallow harshly again, but this time for a more painful reason.
Cold fingers slip slowly into mine, and it just hurts my chest even more with the ache that’s spreading.
I stare so hopelessly up at the terrifying split face of the one person I’m hoping can help me in all of this.
Please. Please help me.
He glances from me to the two men at my side. His attention is this cutting thing that looks like he’s never once seen any symbol of joy.
And he doesn’t seem to give a shit about anyone else’s.
This was a mistake.
