Page 46 of The Magic of Eternity
“I shouldn’t shift again until after we get those vaccines from the guys. I might have been able to break free from Asrael’s mental hold, but I think the only reason I was able to shift again was because I flew far enough away. I’d rather not chance it and get stuck in that form, unless it’s necessary.” Which, in the end, it very well may be.
“Well then, let’s get those vaccines as soon as possible.” She squeezed my hand, and our pace quickened.
I was lucky. I’d gotten to spend time with her over the past day, and just being near her made me feel like the best version of myself. I knew how it felt to be isolated, so I knew exactly what the other guys must be feeling right now. Desperation. The kind so intense that all you could do was think about that person. Try to remember the feel of their hand in yours. The smell of their hair, the sounds they make in the dark. Those were all the things that kept each of us going.
The grass along the creek bank was tall and hid us well as we crept closer to the castle. An idea hit me as I trailed my fingertips over the swaying stalks, and I pulled a few pieces of the foliage, tucking them into my pocket. It was still dark, with only the sounds of the running water over the smooth stones and the gentle wind through the reeds filling the air. It should have been calming, soothing. Instead, it was the opposite. Silence meant plotting, which I knew our enemies were doing every second of every day. Being confronted with that lack of sound as the world continued to turn around us? It was unsettling, to say the least.
We came up to a high stone wall that boasted a large gate blocking the entrance. The sky had started to turn from black to a mix of purples and pinks. I held up a hand to halt Red so that I could take a peek around the corner and see what we were dealing with. I spotted two guards, just on the other side of the gate, talking in hushed voices. I looked back at Saige, holding up two fingers to let her know how many. Turning back to the guards, I cleared my throat and stepped out so that I would be visible to them.
“Who goes there?” one of them called, each of them drawing long swords.
“It’s just me,” I replied, acting as though I had every right to be here. I was dressed the part, after all. My hand gripped the plants within my pocket as they squinted at me, trying to make out who I was, though their shoulders relaxed when they noticed my uniform.
“What the hell are you doing out there?” one of them questioned, sheathing his sword.
“I was looking for a plant for Balor, one of the healers,” I lied, the fib rolling off of my tongue with ease as I recalled the name I’d heard from Saige and Fischer.
The larger guard moved closer. “Well? Did you find it?”
“Yeah, right here.” I held up the bits of the tall grass that I’d plucked as we walked through the field earlier. “Is everything still on track for this morning?” I asked as they moved closer to the gate, the smaller man lifting a large key ring to unlock it.
He shrugged. “As far as we know, yeah.”
I grinned as the gate swung open. “Perfect. Should be quite the spectacle.” My feet carried me through the entrance to the grounds, both guards nodding in agreement at my comment.
“Indeed. Everyone in the castle is to attend. We haven’t had a public execution in decades. Come on, Joris, we need to get back to our rounds. Lock that gate up before we get our arses in trouble,” the larger guard barked at the smaller one.
Excitement danced beneath my skin as Joris moved past me, taking hold of the gate. His guard buddy for the night stood next to me now, watching him. With both males focused ahead and not behind them, I pounced. My arm wrapped around the bigger guy’s neck and I locked the hold with my other arm. He couldn’t even get a sound out with how tightly I was squeezing.
Joris was still fiddling with the keys and whistling now as he went about his task. When the big guy I was choking went limp, I gently lowered him to the ground. He wasn’t dead, just out cold. Fischer had told us there were several demons here that were loyal to Bram, and I didn’t want to take out any innocents.
The sound of the keys hitting the cobblestone ground drew my attention back to Joris. The young male was standing there with his mouth open. “W-what are you doing?” he asked, slowly backing away. I took a step toward him.
“Joris,” I said soothingly. Well, as soothingly as I could manage. “Listen to me. I don’t want to hurt you, and your partner here is still alive, but there’s somebody that needs to come in here now.”
The young demon’s eyes widened as his back hit the bars of the gate. “Who?” he stammered, fear clearly taking over.
“Me,” Red said from behind him, earning an audible gasp as Joris spun around and came face to face with the true queen.
“Your Majesty. Oh, thank the stars.” Joris immediately knelt, bowing his head in a sign of respect and fealty.
“Thank you, Joris,” Saige said sweetly. “Would you mind opening the gate again and letting me in, please?” Joris tried to grab the keys but his hands were shaking so badly, it was almost comical. Finally, he managed to get his fingers around them tight enough, and he stood, opening the gate once again.
“Thank you. So I take it that you’re loyal to Bram?” she asked him, and the young male nodded rapidly.
“Yes, my queen. My family has served the Carlisle family line forever. It was a great honor to be chosen as one of the guards for this castle.”
I studied the boy, not trusting him completely because that would make me an idiot, but I was well-versed in being able to tell when people were being dishonest. It didn’t appear that Joris was lying.
His eyes were still as round as dinner plates as he looked in wonder at Saige’s swollen belly. He’d probably never seen a pregnant female, and my heart softened toward the young demon a bit. He was staring at her like she was an exotic creature—I’d bet that this young male would remember this moment for the rest of his life. This was his chance, and I knew all too well what it was like to want a chance to prove myself, to be a legend.
“Joris,” I said, stepping in. Instinctively, my arm wrapped around Red’s waist as I pulled her against my side. His eyes darted back and forth between us, nervously.
“But who areyou?” he whispered, his eyes eventually settling on me.
“I’m Sloane,” I replied coolly. “One of the queen’s mates.”
“Oh sweet gods,” Joris stuttered. “This is the best day of my life. This is... I can’t…”
