Page 21 of The Demon's Fire
Once participants left, Indigo skipped over to her nephew Rein, tucking her arm through the crook of his elbow. “Don’t worry about me, Boyo. I’m tough. And when the tough get going, we … um … get out of here. Ta. Ta.” Releasing him, she strutted out the door.
Braelyn and Rein cast concerned looks at Alarik.
“I know. The river weighs on her mind. I fear what she will do if she misses something important in its waters. She acts carefree, but she’s not. My sister has always carried heavy responsibilities on her shoulders. First me. Then our realm. Anyway, you two go on.”
Braelyn sighed when Alarik placed a reassuring hand on the small of her back. “I feel like a useless cog. I hope my idea pays off. For now, I’m off to my stint at phone duty.”
Rein grabbed her around the waist. “You aren’t useless. You’re smart and sexy.”
She arched her brows. “You know what that kind of talk will get you?”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Ah, youth.” Alarik shooed them out the door.
ChapterSix
Excitedto be starting the tour, Skyler followed Kole through a portal. They exited near a lake where four swans, as mysterious as their mirrored reflections, glided across the water. She drew a slow, deep breath, catching the intoxicating scent of winter flowering honeysuckle crowding the banks.
Moving to the edge of the rise where they landed, she admired the view. Mist wound in and out of craggy hills which bordered the lush valley below, giving the area a hushed peacefulness. Below, forests, cleared farmlands, and clusters of rambling houses appeared and disappeared in the winding ribbons of fog. In meadows, sheep and cattle grazed.
A female as graceful as the swans walked toward them on a steep, meandering path which led uphill to an alabaster building, so bright it glistened in the sun. With each step she took, her diaphanous white dress fluttered, her lithe body exposed beneath see-through layers of fabric.
Covenkirk, like Chicago, was cold, but in this hemisphere of Scath, the weather was warmer. Skyler draped her St. John’s coat over her arm.
Reaching them, the figure offered her hand. “Hello, I’m Juno. You are Chief Maxwell?” The woman’s voice was an angelic whisper, serene like the environment.
“Yes.” Clasping the ylve’s soft palm, Skyler felt loud, large, and clumsy beside the woman.
“Welcome to Aerilon.” She gestured at the surroundings, her arm extended. “You are in the Therion region, specifically, the western foothills of the Lost Souls Range which divides our territories from Knife’s Edge.”
With a more mischievous smile, Juno turned her attention to Kole, flipping her long, blonde hair over a shoulder. “Commander.” She grasped his hand for some time. Too long. “I am happy to see you again. It’s been a while.”
“Juno. Always a pleasure.”
Kole’s eyes softened, small crinkles forming at the edges when he shot a ridiculously sexy grin at the guide.
“Please, follow me to the Greeting Chamber.” Juno glanced at Skyler’s shoes, but her expression remained unchanged, warm, welcoming, benign.
“What is the Greeting Chamber?” asked Skyler.
Juno signaled Kole to walk ahead while she clasped Skyler’s elbow, wrapping her hands around it with unexpected familiarity. “It is where the Triumvirate of the Wise will meet you. The Inimicus Ceremony on your agenda is an ancient ylven tradition. We use it to greet friends or foes. In the past, we have welcomed notable enemies to peace talks, including the demons after their breed’s two-hundred-year war. Those insurrectionists walked into the same chambers where you will stand today. They relinquished their arms to the Triumvirate of the Wise, restoring tranquility to the realm once again. The ceremony has also been used to welcome dignitaries such as you. Your father attended. A formidable man, I recall. Today, you will meet our current Chancellor of the Wise, Laegon.”
“I look forward to meeting him as well as Imperial Secretary Thannor and Grand Commandant Caleth.”
She squeezed Skyler’s elbow. “I am pleased you acquainted yourself with our Triumvirate. They are the honored ylves who will serve as our governing body for fifty years. Afterward, the distinction passes to the next three elected by our breed.”
Since it was a long walk from the portal to the top of the bluff, the trail steep, winding, Skyler accepted Juno’s arm. She frowned at Kole when he glanced back at her, his brows arched in an I-told-you-so expression.
Each time Skyler stumbled, Juno tightened her grip but continued chatting about ylves along with their customs. Reaching their destination, Skyler sighed, appreciating the guide’s assistance. No twisted ankles. No wear-and-tear on her designer shoes.
At the foot of the steps leading to the temple, a group of twenty-five people waited in silence, somber in their black robes. Some had tape over their mouths, and some wore blindfolds. Others clasped hands over their ears.
“What are they doing, Juno?” Skyler asked.
“Protesting.”
Kole frowned, moving aside to let Skyler and the guide climb the marble steps.
