Page 59 of A Bond So Deadly

Chapter Twenty-Two

~ Shade ~

The next night my mates and I sit around a roaring bonfire in the academy forest. The clearing is filled with students and demons, and it’s so strange seeing the demon generals mixing with the shadow warriors as though they’re all good friends. Some even look like they’re more than friends, and I watch with amusement as Sebastian awkwardly approaches Satine with two drinks in hand. Satine sits with a small group of students, and she doesn’t look pleased to see him, but she ends up taking the drink offered.

“Well, look who’s here,” Raith rumbles, and I’m distracted when Blake and her mates approach us. “Our salvation,” he jokes. “Get over here.”

Nate grins and claps Raith on the back before they all sit with us around the fire. Blake plops down next to me, smiling at the demons and students enjoying themselves.

“Well, they’ve come a long way. Looks like everyone’s having a good time,” Blake comments.

Alaric places a drink in her hand. “Yeah, a little too good if you ask me,” he says gruffly.

Giggling comes from the darkness of the trees behind us, and going by the grunting noises, I’m guessing the general, Thores, and the student I saw him leave with not too long ago, are really celebrating tonight. “Thores wouldn’t have used his demon powers on her, would he?” I ask Blake.

“Don’t worry, the generals were warned,” Callan replies, tucking in his wings. “Whatever happens tonight is consensual.”

More moaning comes from the trees, and I laugh. “Okay, well I guess it’s better that they’re friends rather than enemies. You get it girl.” I hold my drink in the air as if to salute them and take a sip.

Thane, who’s sitting on my other side, rubs his hand on my thigh, and I try not to think about the fire racing through me at his touch. He draws lazy circles on my leg, edging his hand up higher.

“And speaking of enemies,” Thane growls, peering at Blake and her mates, and not at all acknowledging how his slow rubbing is working me into a frenzy, “how was your audience with Queen Krosia?”

Okay, so hearing her name was like being doused in cold water. I turn to my friend, equally as concerned. Xera and Ravyn had arrived a few hours earlier to escort Blake and her mates to the shadow palace, for one last meeting before the demon generals are to return to Seral.

Blake pulls her drink away from her lips and stares out at her generals. “It went as well as can be expected. Mostly more posturing on Queen Krosia’s behalf, and nothing we couldn’t handle.” Blake’s free hand thumbs the hilt of the shadow dagger at her side. “She’s convinced the Xalgrith are going to attack in full force in the near future, and I don’t doubt she’s going to be expecting our demons on the front lines, but we’ll be ready.”

“Your generals have done well learning the art of shadow combat,” Galen drawls, the light from the bonfire flickering on his beautiful face. “They might not have our abilities, but they will be powerful allies at our sides.”

Blake gives him a tight smile. “We’re happy to fight. Anything that stops the Xalgrith from spreading to the other realms, but I just wish we could figure out what the Xalgrith and Queen Krosia are both after.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t learned anything helpful from the zenali creatures,” I say. Borshoz told me that Queen Krosia and the Xalgrith are both after the same thing, but none of the other zenali creatures I’ve questioned seem to have any idea what it is. Either they don’t know or they’re not telling me.

Nate picks up a stick, poking at the fire, and embers spark into the air. “For all we fuckin’ know, they’re both chasin’ a fairytale. It’ll make no difference when we’re on the battlefield staring down each other’s swords. We work with what we know. The Xalgrith want to take the shadow realm, and we can’t let them do that. The demon army will be ready when the time comes.”

That’s followed by silence, and my heart races at the thought of battle. To distract myself, I pick up a stick and conjure a massive pink marshmallow on the end. Yeah, baby.

Tarlaz and Elgen have been hiding in my shirt, and they peek their heads out to see what I’ve got.

“It’s a marshmallow,” I tell them. “It’s like a fluffy cloud of sugary happiness.” I reach forward, placing the marshmallow near the flames, and Elgen shrieks in my head like a banshee, nearly making me drop the stick.

“What are you doing?” I say as my marshmallow dips into the fire and bursts into flame.

Oh crap. I quickly yank it out of the fire, because I want my marshmallow toasted, not charcoaled, but when I jerk my hand back, I flick the stick and the melty treat flies into the air, soaring into the trees behind us.

A moment later, a woman screams and flees into the clearing, completely naked, and General Thores roars as he crashes through the trees. My flaming, melty marshmallow oozes down one of his bare butt cheeks, and he breathes heavily as the blob of sticky gloop slides to the ground. “Who did this?” he snarls, and I avoid his gaze, because the guy looks scary.

Nate and Raith are the first to laugh before the rest of us join in, and the demon general walks off in a huff.

“Oops,” I say to the others with a sheepish smile. “That’s my bad.”

Blake grins. “Don’t worry about it. Thores has a temper, but he’ll cool down. Now, where’s my marshmallow bitch?”

My lips curve into a smile, and I grab another stick, conjuring a marshmallow for Blake before creating another one for myself. Thankfully, Elgen doesn’t scream in my head this time.

“So what realm are you going to first?” I ask Blake as I carefully rotate my marshmallow.

“Toralyn,” Callan answers simply, naming the realm of the angels. “They’re likely to be the most reasonable and sympathetic to the cause. If they agree, we’ll send a couple of our generals there, to help train their army on the battle tactics and information we’ve learned here.”