Page 1 of The Demon King's Destiny

Prologue

“Come closer, little one,” thehoarsevoice reverberated through the woods.

The hairs on Evelyn’s neck and arms stood at full attention as the demon’s ensorcelled vocals echoed off her skin. Thankfully, his voice was the only thing he’d managed to get through her protective barrier.

She ignored the male, lowering her head and concentrating on her doll. Her long auburn hair fell over her shoulder, like a dark silky curtain hiding her face from the insidious creature.

More and more he had been visiting her dreams. With each visit, he grew bolder. Tonight, he’d ventured all the way to the edge of the clearing, watching her from the tree line. It was the furthest he’d ever dared.

In this dream, she was sitting on a blanket, playing with a handful of toys. Her two sisters were nearby, chasing each other through the tall goldenrod of the small field beside their home. Evelyn didn’t bother calling to them. They weren’t capable of seeing the demon when he visited.

He wasn’t like her sisters in this dreamworld. Eden and Nora weren’t actually here. They were pieces of Evelyn’s subconscious, intangible and incapable of being anything other than what her imagination deemed them to be.

The demon was real. Corporeal. He’d meant to be here. He had somehow broken through and now lurked in her forest.

She’d yet to get a good look at him, but she could sense his magic. Dark and dangerous, matching the exaggerated bass of his speech. Demons were known for their low tenor, but this one’s was aberrant, almost otherworldly.

The first time he’d broken through, she reached out with her senses to get a feel for his power. It felt cold and crude when he pushed back, like a cold wet tongue testing her flavor.

It had made her feel sick. Something about it was … wrong.

“Let me into the meadow, girl. I only want to talk.”

It was obvious he was lying. Her magics whispered to her and warned her to keep him away.

Evelyn wanted him to go away forever. She’d never been able to make him, no matter how many times she wished him gone.

Being unable to control her dreams was maddening. All she could do was put up a barrier and wait him out.

The demon had shown every night for a week now. Evelyn was worried he would eventually figure out how to reach her in the clearing.

Tonight, before she closed her eyes, she prayed to the Goddess of Sanctus Femina to either keep her safe or to make her strong enough to keep him at bay. She had an ominous feeling she was getting ready to find out if either of her wishes would be granted.

The male growled in frustration and Evelyn’s grip on her doll tightened. Still, she refused to look up.

Silence stretched as she sat on her gold and black blanket. She knew he was still there, probably pretending to be gone. Evelyn was not to be tricked. She could still feel his ugly magic.

Demons could use their powers to creep into the minds of others. They could control those they held under compulsion. Evelyn believed such powers were unnatural.

Her father, King Edward, had assured her she could shield against an attack, that her will was strong and she would not be vulnerable. Evelyn wasn’t keen on testing his theory.

Her strategy was to figure out how to simply make the demon go away, or to learn how to wake herself from her dreams.Despite herstrong will, she hadn’t been able to do either. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t continue trying, or that she wouldn’t stand her ground when push came to shove.

Evelyn waited patiently for him to leave. Staring at the worn and ragged figure in her hands, her fingers itched. Her powers were swirling, waiting, anticipating a confrontation.

Though she was young, only six years of age, she was not weak. If he broke through the barrier, she would be ready.

Something hummed through the atmosphere in the distance. Steadily, it grew louder, reminding her of a fast-approaching storm. The air thickened with electrical currents and Evelyn raised her face to the heavens.

A blinding light shot across the sky. She tracked it with her eyes until it disappeared, landing among the treetops, somewhere behind the trespasser.

The bad male growled again and ran towards the place where the traveling light vanished among the greenery. It was just beyond her line of sight.

Tempted as she was to investigate, Evelyn remained on her blanket. The sounds of her sisters’ play vanished, replaced by the echoes of snarls and grunts coming through the trees.

The noises disrupted the quiet of the forest. It sounded like two ferocious beasts locked in battle. A loud crash echoed, then silence fell.

Evelyn stood, concerned. Through the break in the trees, she could now see the shadow of a form rising to its feet.

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