Page 37 of The Demon King's Destiny

Chapter 9

As they walked, Marrok explained how there had always been a handful of rogues in Sundari. Some grew ill because of their age and lack of a mate to stabilize them, not because they were corrupted by their appetite for power.

The corrupted demons were his main concern. They fed off of others’ minds, often until their prey lost so much of themselves they couldn’t even maintain a heartbeat.

“Brennen’s leadership created the perfect breeding ground for demons to do as they pleased. In fact, he encouraged his army to follow in his footsteps, thinking the added power would better protect him. Many commoners took this as reinforcement they could do the same.”

“Weren’t you a part of his guard?”

“Sadly, yes, but the majority of us were appalled with Brennen’s actions. We didn’t stick around for long. Technically, we were exiled for daring to question the King.”

“So you packed your things and left?”

“Yes. I couldn’t stand by and watch the kingdom fall apart. Power-hungry demons are the worst sort of beings. Sometimes, they incite violence to encourage severe mental distress. Something about the brainwaves when in such a state is extra powerful. They feed off of their victim’s negative energies. Unfortunately, the preferred targets are typically females who can be physically subdued.”

Evelyn found it utterly disgusting. At least she understood a little better why Marrok was so hesitant to bring her into his kingdom.

“The only thing that seems to prevent the madness is the saatus bond,” he continued. “With the growing number of rogues, all of whom have to be confined, the odds of males finding their mates have been drastically reduced. It’s taken a huge toll on everyone.”

After his exile, he and the soldiers who couldn’t stomach Brennen’s ways spent years secretly fighting rogues and planning to remove Brennen from the throne. Marrok had been dealing with this catastrophe for decades now. The amount of rogues had risen steadily and he felt he’d hardly put a dent in the numbers.

The previous king had tainted everything he touched. Marrok even refused to live in the royal palace, which was situated in the town of Piatra, near the border to Sanctus Femina.

Instead, he took up residence in Terenuskit Fortress and used it as his base of operations while piecing the kingdom back together.

Evelyn could feel the sorrow rolling off of Marrok as he spoke of his people. He was a good male who only wanted to do right by them.

“With this new campaign,” he told her, “we intend to end the rogues. Once and for all.”

“Your going to kill them?” Evelyn couldn’t hide her dismay at the thought of killing so many. He said there were now well over three thousand rogues.

Marrok scowled. “Not if I can help it. Some will have to be put down. Favin and I can read their memories, try to weed out the ones who contaminated their souls for a taste of more power. Those demons must pay for their actions. When we first started rounding them up, it was too chaotic to read them all. Concentrating like that would make us vulnerable, so we simply took everyone we could find. When we aren’t outnumbered and have only a single rogue or two to deal with, we take the time to do it.”

Evelyn pictured some of the crimes Marrok had told her were being committed. She understood his stance.

“And the others? The ones who came by their illness naturally?”

“We’re hoping to find their mates. It won’t be possible for all of them, but many have mates somewhere in the kingdom.”

“How do you plan to do that? Sundari isn’t a small place.”

“No, it’s not. It will take time. I don’t have the exact logistics worked out yet. It’s taken this long just to get the bulk of them confined.”

He was willing to line them up, one by one, to try to find the matches. He knew it could take years so he’d tasked Favin with figuring out the most expedient way to go about bringing together rogues with possible mates, close enough to feel the bond, but safe enough to prevent any harm if they weren’t fated.

“Can the saatus bond settle a demon, after he’s turned?”

“Yes.”

“So, if you went rogue, I could cure you? That’s amazing!”

His mouth quirked. “It is indeed. Lucky for me, I won’t be going rogue. We’ve already begun the process of bonding.”

“Yes, you’re one lucky demon,” she quipped, earning one of his roguish grins.

He really was the most attractive male she’d ever met. Not classically handsome, like the vampire she’d seen in her dreams that night years ago. Marrok also lacked the boyishly good looks Jasper had.

She was attracted toMarrok’srugged appearance, how he carried himself with an intensity that screamed danger. His black hair, bronzed skin, and dark stubble made him look even more dangerous. She could easily picture him taking on a swarm of attackers and coming out unscathed.

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