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CHAPTER14
Riley crouched down behind the rock wall sitting on the uneven ground. She kept her tone so low the demons wouldn’t hear her. “Deruthel is the king’s son?”
Ferguson crouched down, no longer looking at the demons below. “It appears so. That explains why he has more power than the other demons. There are legends about the demon Ashkara in certain ancient civilizations.”
Riley glanced at him. “What do they say?”
“One account claims he is a king of the underworld and has untold power. Another account claims he is a world killer. A plague that annihilates all that he comes in contact with.”
Riley wiped her eyes. “That second one sounds about right. The first one could be mistaken as king of another world.”
“Yes, that is feasible,” Ferguson said.
Riley got back to her feet, peeking over the ledge again.
Deruthel had his head down in a subservient position as he spoke to the king who possessed Halak’s body. “We are working on other combinations to see if we can speed up the process.” He pointed at the woman fawning at Halak’s feet. “So far she is the only one who has shown promise.”
The king’s gaze narrowed on Deruthel. “Do not fail me or I will wipe your mind and take your body. If you do not create a stable portal, I will release my consciousness in this realm and take yours.”
Deruthel’s eyes widened. “Your power would be diminished.”
The king stepped toward Deruthel. “Yes. It is an inconvenience, but one I have had to utilize in the past. As my power grows it becomes increasingly harder to create a portal large enough to traverse worlds.”
Deruthel stepped back. “You have taken over a previous vessel?”
The king laughed. “Do you think I allowed you so much power because I care for you? You are a tool. In the event of your failure, I will take over your body permanently. Your mind will die and mine will flourish. I will remain as king and yes, I have the inconvenience of having to rebuild my power, but the body I currently reside in is your older brother. I have done this many times in the past.”
Deruthel turned from the king. His eyes were haunted and unsure. “You allow one son to gain power in the event you need his body. My power will become your power.”
The king nodded. “Now you understand. I prefer not to be diminished. As long as you create a portal large enough for my passage, you will retain your body.”
Deruthel turned back to his father. “I will not fail.”
The king nodded. “I want Riley secured immediately.”
Deruthel’s hands fisted at his sides but he visibly calmed himself. “We have made several attempts to acquire her, but the shadows have proven more resilient than we anticipated. We’ll get to her soon. We need her.”
“You need both shadow women to create the breeders we need,” the king said.
Deruthel glanced at the woman at the king’s feet. “There’s a problem with Dannika’s blood.”
The king arched an eyebrow. “You were able to get a sample from the queen?”
Deruthel nodded. “Yes, the traitor was able to procure a sample, but when we tested her blood in the serum, the woman died before transition. Only Riley’s blood has had some measure of success.”
Ferguson turned to Colton with red eyes. “We have a traitor. If they got a sample of Dannika’s blood then it was a member of the wolf clan.”
Colton nodded. “We knew that; we just assumed it was a member of the cougar clan. They went to great lengths to set up Riley.”
Ferguson growled low in his throat. “They want to discredit her. If the cougar clan ostracized her, it would be easier for them to procure her.”
“I agree. Who has access to Dannika’s blood?”
Ferguson was quiet. The king continued to threaten his general as the three shadows watched in silence. “The healer has taken her blood recently.”
Colton’s eyes flared. “Karam would never betray the cougar clan. He has saved countless members from every clan, including me.”
“And yet he is in the wolf caves and the only cougar clan member not tested. Other than you, Raine, and myself, he is the only one to take Dannika’s blood.”
