El-i-miir’s eyes shot open in the pitch-black of night. The sky was covered in cloud, leaving the campfire as her only source of light. A cloth-covered hand flew toward her face. Gasping, El-i-miir snatched for the Ways, but the cloth has already pressed against her nose. She gasped and inhaled. A sharp pain jabbed at her lungs and her forehead ached. El-i-miir felt her head hit the dirt as she faded from reality.
*
Jakob’s heart pounded furiously as he choked on fearful gulping breaths. She’d woken. He couldn’t believe he’d succeeded. Glancing across the fire, Jakob was relieved to see that both Seteal and Ieane were sleeping peacefully. Only Seteal’s creepy little baby watched him through unblinking eyes.
After regaining his composure and tucking the poisoned rag into his pocket, Jakob snatched at El-i-miir’s arms and dragged her into his arms. Grunting and stumbling, he made his way over to the horse. He’d been travelling with the women for a number of days and was certain the southern gates of Belos were close. He threw El-i-miir over the large animal, took the reins and climbed up behind her.
‘Jakob?’ Seteal called groggily behind him. He turned to see her standing several strides away rubbing her eyes, the firelight shining through her tattered dress and outlining her narrow frame. ‘What’re you doing? Is that . . . El-i-miir!’ she cried.
‘Ya!’ Jakob kicked the horse into a gallop, leaving Seteal crying out in protest behind him. He’d killed the second animal with larger amounts of the same poison he’d used to knock out El-i-miir. The others would have no way of catching up. Jakob had grown quite fond of El-i-miir and her friends—but, of course, he was under no delusions as to who or what he was. And Jakob was a survivor. If he was good at nothing else, he was the very best when it came to that.
When Jakob found the southern gates of Belos, he pulled his horse to a stop, preferring not to get too close for fear of being questioned about the unconscious Elglair strapped to his horse. The hours dragged by and Jakob found himself becoming increasingly impatient. Finally, he snatched the rag from his pocket and pushed it over El-i-miir’s nose a second time out of concern that the first dose would soon wear off. Still, he waited. When the first light of a new dawn touched his flesh and there were still no sign of Ilgrin or Noah, he couldn’t help but worry that he’d made a mistake.
Squinting into the south, Jakob tried to make sense of the strange occurrence taking place before him. The trees were quivering, their leaves showering to the earth in mass. Demon faces appeared, great wings flaring and feet snatched at branches as the creatures leapt away from the tree line.
*
Ilgrin beat his wings through the night sky. He looked to his left and smiled at Teah. To his right, Ilgrin admired the deep purple and red light of a new dawn. In the distance, the city of Belos glittered with the first rays of sunlight. With a single hand gesture, the entire legion swooped so that they flew low through the treetops, thereby lessening their chances of being noticed ahead of schedule.
The woods came to an abrupt end only slightly south of the city. Ilgrin leapt from the safety of the branches, his crown bouncing softly against his hip. It came from nowhere. His presence was completely unexpected. Two giant grey silt feet snapped around Ilgrin’s torso and together the beast and he plummeted. The silt legion cut its journey short, ceasing their travels through the trees outside the southern gates. Ilgrin came to a stop on his back in the dirt. Noah pinned him down beneath one heavy foot.
Belos had not been blind to the presence of a legion and the watchmen in the towers started firing arrows. Of course, such feeble defences were easily overridden by a handful of Ilgrin’s soldiers. Several demons leapt to Ilgrin’s rescue, but Noah simply battered them away. Many others watched in curiosity from the trees. Perhaps Ilgrin hadn’t secured the confidence of his legion quite to the degree that he’d thought.
‘Noah,’ Ilgrin gasped for air. ‘What’re you doing?’
‘I am not Noah,’ the impossibly tall demon rumbled, tossing his head irritably . . . or perhaps in order to draw attention to his horns. ‘I am Sa’Tan reincarnated. I am the true Devil and you are an imposter.’
‘We’ve been through this.’ Ilgrin got to his feet, Noah having released him. ‘You cannot touch the crown.’
Noah turned to the gathering crowd. ‘And how many of you have challenged this? You’ve all so blindly trusted a false prophet. Fools. Narrow and difficult is the path leading to Hae’Evun. Wide and easy is the path to destruction,’ the beast quoted the Holy Tome. ‘You have taken the easy path, but I’m here to offer you a second chance.’
‘Don’t listen to him.’ Ilgrin shook his head in disbelief. ‘This creature is trying to deceive you. Here, I’ll prove it,’ Ilgrin struggled with his belt until he’d removed the double-horned crown. ‘Take it,’ he waved it at the beast. ‘Go on, take it!’
Fingers as thick as Ilgrin’s forearm reached for the crown and wrapped determinedly around one of the horns. Ilgrin gaped as Noah’s flesh began to boil, but the beast didn’t react in any way other than to laugh. It seemed he was impervious to pain. ‘You see,’ he boomed. ‘It’s fake!’
Ilgrin gaged at the smell of burnt flesh, but the rest of the legion was too far away to have noticed it.
Noah raised the crown between two densely muscled arms and crushed it down to a twisted mess before throwing it at Ilgrin’s feet. ‘Follow your true devil, not this pacifist,’ he snarled. ‘This imposter wants you to live with mankind in peace. But I ask you why? They have hated us since the beginning because they know well that we’re superior to them in every way. Let us take their world and leave not one of them here to challenge us.’
‘Don’t listen to him,’ Ilgrin implored the silts who were now moving about irritably in the trees. ‘Please hear my voice. I am Sa’Enoch, the son of the She-Devil that Noah’s father had assassinated.’ He pointed an accusing finger. ‘Don’t trust his words.’
‘Very well,’ Noah rumbled. ‘If it’s further proof you need . . .’ He laughed cruelly. ‘Jakob,’ he beckoned.
Ilgrin turned to see the man he’d thought was his friend riding out of the trees on a black horse. There was a limp body lying across his lap. Ilgrin traced his eyes along the figure, his heart beating and his breath coming in short bursts. His eyes reached her face and a small cry escaped his lips. Her pale face. Her black hair. The touch of her warm fingers. The smell of her fine perfumes. Ilgrin’s hands began to shake as Jakob dragged the unconscious body from the back of his horse.
‘Show them,’ Noah roared. ‘Show them what she is.’
‘I’m sorry?’ Jakob whispered, his eyes meeting Ilgrin’s for no more than a second before he looked away. He knelt in the dirt and split El-i-miir’s eyelids open with his fingers. A gasp of recognition filled the trees as the legion bore witness to the white pupil of the Elglair.
‘That’s right,’ Noah wrapped a hand around El-i-miir’s body and lifted her into the air like a rag doll. ‘This is one of those with whom your so-called Devil declared war. Not only that, but this particular Elglair was been trained as a gil and she is a master affiliate.’
Demons leapt from the trees to surround Noah, all of them peering at El-i-miir eagerly. An overly ambitious silt leapt forward with a blade in hand, but Noah battered him away and turned to Ilgrin.
‘Sa’Enoch.’ He lowered his hand and unfurled his fingers so that El-i-miir’s delicate body was revealed. ‘If you are the Devil, the one true descendent of the first, then you will do us the honour of proving it. Kill your enemy,’ Noah rumbled, handing Ilgrin a jagged knife.
‘Ilgrin!’ A familiar voice pierced his ears, a scream in the distance. ‘Don’t.’ The legion shuffled uneasily as Seteal hurried boldly down the centre of the road with Ieane stumbling in tow.
‘Do not be distracted by this human diversion,’ Noah grunted. ‘Kill her, Ilgrin. She is only human. These are your people. Prove to them what kind of devil you are.’
Ilgrin squeezed the knife handle
and ran his eyes across El-i-miir’s face. She’d called him a monster and she was right. He was a demon in every way. Ilgrin put a finger to her red lips, before moving his hand slowly to cup her cheek. He lifted the blade, his eyes filling with tears.
‘For Maker’s sake, do it, Enoch!’ Teah cried desperately, having recognised the danger of his position. ‘It’s just one human.’
The sun burned the side of Ilgrin’s face and a droplet of sweat fell from his cheek to splash down on El-i-miir’s forehead. He lifted his chin at the sound of tiny fluttering wings. Seeol stood in the dirt, his piercing golden eyes tore into Ilgrin’s soul and bit into his heart.
‘Pleash,’ the little bird’s whole body shook uncontrollably. ‘I loves her. Please.’
‘Ilgrin!’ Seteal screamed, coming up some fifty strides behind. ‘What’re you doing?’
‘Listen to the human,’ Noah rumbled. ‘Prove to the entire lgion just how weak you are, Ilgrin Geld.’ He sneered the name with contempt.’
‘I’ll bring you back,’ Ilgrin sobbed over El-i-miir. ‘I swear I’ll bring you back.’
Noah leaned forward to whisper, his tone insidious. ‘It’s silver.’
‘Ilgrin, don’t do it,’ Seeol pleaded.
‘Leave her alone,’ Seteal screamed, her voice and face red and raw.
‘Enoch.’ Teah’s face flushed with desperation. ‘Hurry up and do it.’
Ilgrin stretched out quivering hands and put the tip of the blade against El-i-miir’s chest. ‘I can’t,’ he breathed.
‘And again, so everyone can hear,’ Noah chuckled.
‘I can’t!’ Ilgrin shouted, dropping the knife.
‘No!’ Teah cried out in frustration.
‘Tell your people why.’ Noah threw out his arms victoriously and spun in a slow circle, shaking El-i-miir about as he went. ‘Why?’
‘Because,’ Ilgrin sobbed, ‘I love her.’ The words echoed in the silence that followed.
‘Ilgrin Geld.’ Noah’s laughter filled his ears. ‘You are human. Now.’ He turned to the demons surrounding him. ‘Kill everything. You can start with this,’ he roared, tossing El-i-miir high into the air. Ilgrin stumbled back a few steps: stunned. He threw off his royal cloak and leapt into the air as El-i-miir’s limp body started falling back toward the earth.
‘Kill everything!’ Noah shouted a second time to the sound of thousands of wings beating into the air.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
DISUNITY
Seteal grabbed Ieane’s hand and dragged her across the road, but before they could reach the tree line, the girl was snatched away in metal talons. Seteal threw her arms protectively around Parrowun and hit the ground as a demon dove for her. The silt missed her by a handswidth, but Parrowun toppled out of his sling and hit his head on the road. His scream made Seteal’s heart break as she gathered him up in her arms and kept running.
A mangled corpse toppled through the trees and became tangled in the lower branches in front of Seteal. She gagged, catching a glimpse of Ieane’s lifeless eyes and blood spattered face. Seteal gasped as branches whipped at her and pulled on her dress. A look behind told her that she wasn’t being pursued. There were plenty of humans for everyone within the city walls. Parrowun screamed, his face flushed red, his pink gums flashing as he wailed.
‘I’m sorry,’ Seteal held him tight. ‘I know it hurt. I’ve got you,’ she moaned as a droplet of blood fell from her nose and landed on his sling.
‘Please!’ Seteal cried desperately, rocking him and patting his back. ‘Please stop,’ she begged, falling onto all fours in the mud and coughing up a spray of blood.
*
The silt swooped through the air swinging El-i-miir about like a trophy. Ilgrin swept down over him and slammed a dagger into his neck. He put his arms around El-i-miir and patted her face as they fell through the sky.
‘Wake up,’ he begged. ‘Wake up.’
‘Showing them who you really are?’ Noah’s voice filled Ilgrin’s ears as the beast wrapped each of his feet around his captives respectively. Ilgrin’s wings ached as Noah squeezed. El-i-miir dangled from the other foot, her eyes remaining closed. ‘Kin slayer.’
‘Stop!’ an avian voice cried as Seeol dove toward them. The elf owl thrust out his tiny feet and latched onto Noah’s nose and lip. ‘You is a bad monster!’ he shrieked before proceeding to rip out small chunks of Noah’s face with his beak.
Noah growled as he swooped and spiralled dangerously. He swatted at Seeol, but somehow each time he missed his mark. A storm gathered quickly in what’d previously been a clear sky. Noah fell into the throngs of battle, but refused to release Ilgrin or El-i-miir. Seeol leapt and dipped about his face, biting him again and again.
‘What is this?’ Noah roared, unable to make sense of his inability to crush a miniscule bird.
Noah fell out of control, bowling through the legion as they dipped and flew. Blades accidentally scratched at his back and jabbed into his side. Talons raked his arms and legs, leaving gouges that rained blood on the city below.
‘Get it off!’ Noah shouted, slapping at his face to no avail.
Thunder and lightning lit up the green sky and hail stones began to fall, the largest and most dangerous never failing to hit Noah.
‘Let my friendlies go!’ Seeol raced across Noah’s face and ripped off his earlobe. ‘My friends.’ He took a bite of his nose. ‘My Miish Miish!’
He bit the beast’s eyeballs and finally with a cry of defeat his toes unfurled and El-i-miir fell.
Ilgrin followed. In that moment, the battle ceased for him. Not a soul existed, but for hers. Her face was placid, dress billowing up around her and arms flailing lifelessly. The earth rushed up to take her and Ilgrin stretched out his toes. Elglair eyes burst open, sky-blue with white spheres of cloud at their centre. Her face was one of sordid disbelief. The city streets came closer and El-i-miir’s expression was one of terror. She screamed as Ilgrin dipped toward her. He snapped his feet unevenly around her waist and lower leg. His wings flared, Ilgrin braced himself for impact. The tallest buildings rose up above them. He pushed his wings against the fall and tumbled along the road.
A human soldier raised his sword about to plunge it into Ilgrin’s chest, but his eyes glazed over and he ran away screaming like a child.
‘Thanks.’ Ilgrin turned to find El-i-miir limping toward him, having affiliated his attacker.
She narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. ‘Get inside.’
‘What do you . . . ?’ Ilgrin trailed off as his mind fogged over and he felt himself moving toward a small building on the corner.
El-i-miir hurried along beside him. She glanced at him intensely and immediately Ilgrin knew what he had to do. Unquestioningly he slammed his shoulder against the door so that it burst open. Only once El-i-miir had entered the dark interior did Ilgrin follow. He peeked around the door to make sure no one had seen them before closing it carefully. El-i-miir and Ilgrin opened their mouths simultaneously and spoke the same words in perfect harmony.
‘Do you want to tell me what the torrid is going on here?’
‘Well?’ El-i-miir added after a short pause, releasing him from her possession.
‘Oh . . . I’m sorry,’ Ilgrin shook his head uneasily. ‘I thought I asked the question. You affiliated me!’
‘I’m not sure whether I can trust you.’ El-i-miir waved her hands about frantically. ‘How did I get here?’
‘It was Noah,’ Ilgrin said in despair. ‘He played me like a fool. And Jakob . . . I can’t believe I trusted him.’
‘Jakob?’ El-i-miir gaped. ‘I knew there was something off about him. Tell me everything.’
‘Jakob is my friend . . . or, at least, I thought he was,’ Ilgrin said sadly. ‘He’s the Sa’Tanist who helped me overturn Du’Korah, the previous Devil.’
‘Oh, Ilgrin, you are a fool!’ El-i-miir cried. ‘Your parents must’ve warned you about demon worshippers. They must have! You know their kind cannot be trusted.?
??
‘Well, yes, of course,’ Ilgrin said back, ‘but they also told me that my kind were entirely evil.’
‘Aren’t they?’ El-i-miir replied somewhat hysterically. ‘Look around you.’
‘It wasn’t meant to be this way.’ Ilgrin sighed. ‘I didn’t want anyone to die. It worked in Kintor and I’ve heard we’ve had the same results in Sotrel and Sham.’
‘What?’ El-i-miir gasped.
‘It’s true.’ Ilgrin smiled. ‘We took Noble in Shinteleran as well. Compared to the kind of war Far-a-mael was hoping to start, there’s been relatively low loss of life. Only the armies were destroyed, but the average citizen has only had their weapons confiscated.’ Ilgrin shuddered at the sound of screams being cut short in the streets.
‘Have you been to Sham, Ilgrin?’ El-i-miir said slowly.
‘Well, no, not yet.’ He frowned. ‘I’ve been leading the primary legion.’
‘Have you been to Noble?’
‘No.’
‘Sotrel?’
‘No.’
‘Oh, Ilgrin.’ El-i-miir covered her mouth. ‘I’m afraid you’ve trusted too much.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Ilgrin grumbled. ‘You’re just assuming the worst.’
‘Look how easily they’ve turned against you,’ El-i-miir pointed through the window at one of the city walls. ‘How do you know that they weren’t only being loyal to you on account of their steadily diminishing faith in the Holy Tome? They’re all too willing to turn back to murder at the flip of a hat.’
‘It wasn’t like that,’ Ilgrin said furiously. ‘Noah held the crown. He tried to get me to kill you. I wouldn’t and so they believed him and . . . um . . . they’re not all evil. They can’t be,’ he finished weakly.
‘Crown?’ El-i-miir cocked her head. ‘I don’t know what in Maker’s name you’re talking about. All I know is that someone you called your “friend” kidnapped me in the dead of night and offered me up to a legion of demons. From where I’m standing, you don’t seem to be a very good judge of character.’
‘I . . .’ Ilgrin’s jaw worked up and down. He was dumbstruck as to how he should reply to such a perfectly made argument. But then again, he could scarcely remember what they were even arguing about. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said at last.