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4
Asmodeus
When we’re finished, Alicepulls a dagger from her hip, using the blade to slice her palm before handing it to me to do the same. Blood wells in the wound, crimson pooling in my palm until it drips from the side of my hand.
Like most of the castles and large settlement structures on the mainland, Grim's Keep has been built over a burial ground. And in order for the spell to be activated for the wall, we must walk the perimeter of it, creating a circle with our blood. Only then will the spell be finished, and bound to the titan bones beneath our feet, belonging to one of the first creatures to ever bless this realm long ago. The magic in the titan's bones fuels the wards and allows me to do as I please without worrying about intruders. Otherwise, without shackling the spell the dead, it would be tied to me at all times, draining my magic by the day, and should I die, it'd crumble, leaving anyone here at risk.
“Who knows what you’re dealing with. That elf woman could be anything mixed with anything, if you truly believe her to be a half-breed,” Alice says as we make our way through the woods. “Mage, fae, dragon… the possibilities ae endless. Until you canbe sure whatever took this wall down is gone or dead, you'll need to be wary. Keep a close eye on it. Whatever siphoned the magic from it took every drop. It's powerful.”
“Yes, mother,” I tease, and Alice shoots me a stern glare.
“You play, but I mean it.”
“I will check the walls. Promise.”
The only light within the dark forest comes from the glowing mushrooms littering the ground. Though dim, we can make out the rough shape of tree trunks. The air is sticky with an eerie stillness that has my nerves on high alert. The forest should never be this quiet, unless something predatory lurks nearby. Animals can sense it. They flee, but not even my magic, nor the darkness whispers of what could be out there.
My blood goes cold just thinking about what foul creature could be watching us, lurking in the shadows. I’ve seen every kind of monster there is, but only a few wield the power to drain an enchanted wall dry. I’d rather not run into any of them.
We finish the circle, and the wards snap up, weaving tight around the estate.
“Sure you don’t want me to stick around? Help you clear the woods?” Alice turns, scrutinizing me from beneath her long dark lashes.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’ll be up until morning rebuilding the keep, anyway.”
She sucks in a breath, letting it out in a deep exhale. “Fine, but be careful. Go slow. Don’t drain your power stores to fix it all in one day—”
Cocking my head, I smirk down at her. “I’m aware of the consequences of using too much magic, Alice. I won’t overdo it.”
She twists her lips, stepping closer to put her hand on my bare chest, just above my heart. “I don’t trust you, so…” Trailing off, she sends a tidal wave of power through her fingers and into me. It fills me up until I fear my skin will split at the seams.
It’s so easy to her, like what she gave me was barely a drop in the well she carries.
“Considering you just came back from the brink of death, a boost will do you some good until you can fully recover.” She pats my chest then puts a solid step of space between us."Use it wisely."
“Thanks, but I wasn't dying. Not directly, anyway.”
“Right.” She smirks. “It just would’ve been imminent the moment you bled out on the floor and the creatures in the woods sniffed you out.” A smile pulls at her lips. “Don’t forget. End of the week. If you’re late, I will hunt you down.”
“How could I forget?” Dinner in Hell Hold.Why would I ever want to miss a family reunion?The sarcasm flowing in every spoken word is thick enough to be syrup, but Alice says nothing, just blinks out of existence and leaves me alone in the dark.
The night somehow feelscolder with Alice gone. It’s not something I can explain and definitely not something I’ll dare to let myself think about. I’m the Prince of Death for fuck’s sake. I’m not supposed to miss people, but if I lived up to my reputation in every way, I’d be cold and heartless. My hands would be as bloody as they are now every waking moment, and that’s not even remotely true.
And as much as I hate being seen that way, it’s for the best, so long as those I care about know otherwise.
It’s not all untrue, either. Ihavekilled people, more than I can count. I’m not sure I can even say it in past tense considering blood is coating my body like a second skin, but I’m the person my brother calls when things need to be handled. That’s who I’vealways been—even to the mad king. I’m the one that can do the things others can't stomach.
Though, to say my hands are always bloody, is a stretch. Most of the time, I opt to use magic. It’s clean and precise. It’s foolproof. Blades are messy, but when one has to clear monsters out of the woods around their home, they’re the go to.
Lots of monsters, especially those that escaped the Realm of Monsters, have become immune to magic. No doubt, thanks to the mad king I used to serve. He bred the ability into them, then surrounded the only side of his castle that wasn’t bordered by ocean with a forest full of beasts no one would dare face. It’s partly why I carry blades dipped in poison. It might be the only reliable thing when facing creatures like these.
Cringing a little at the dark, oozing blood creeping toward the tip of my sword, I daringly wipe the steel clean on the fabric of my pants. It’s the last thing I want on me, but it’s better than having it drip to the hilt. My grip could falter and that could prove to bare deadly consequences than needing to wash my pants.
The lifeless mass of sticky fur and broken bones sits before me on the forest floor. A dread wolf. They’re nasty creatures that descend from the fae, but there’s nothing remotely humanoid about them. Though, unlike the fae, these things only know blood rage. They take pleasure in hunting anything that moves and there’s not a shred of civility remaining within them, making them brutal to take down.
This one nearly took my arm. Its teeth drove into my bicep, split muscle from bone. Thankfully, the wound is healing, just not as fast as I’d like it to, thanks to the poison still working out of my system.
Alice would kill me herself if she knew I was hunting. She’d have wanted me to go back into the keep, shut the doors so the wards would go up, and call it a night, to worry about the resttomorrow. And she’d be right for telling me to do so, but a small part of me needed this. I needed the release just as much as I needed the peace of mind that I didn’t send that woman—as awful as she may be for stabbing me—out to her death. Without her crystal, she’s practically human, and a piece of me wants to believe she stabbed me out of fear and not because she wanted to kill me.
