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“Welcome back,Your Highness. Group Five are just commencing their session in the HibiscusRoom, if you’d care to join them?”
“Hey, Greg.Thanks, Derick, just heading there now.”
“Your Highness?”Shaw hissed under her breath, clutching at Kaleb’s elbow, trying to slow himdown.
“It’s a long,boring tale, involving Galen being a betraying bastard and going behind my backto have me crowned after he toppled Queen Laynn. Huh, what do you know, not a longstory after all. Come on.” Kaleb shook off Shaw’s grip. “We’ll be lateotherwise. When we get there, you can either join in, or stand at the rear ofthe room and observe. Just keep your scowls and your weapons to yourself.”
Join in? Join inwhat? But Shaw had her answer as Kaleb thrust open double doors, leading theway into a large, eye searingly yellow painted room. In the very centre, agroup of twenty-two Conflict Demons sat in a circle, all dressed in bluehospital grade pyjamas. Seated with them was a rather haughty looking femalecreature wearing a white coat, that presumably meant she was in charge. It tooka moment for Shaw to place her species. The bulbous bald head. The enormousalmost colourless eyes. Thin, pinched features, willowy of frame with hardlyany muscle tone whilst barely topping five feet. A Creight Demon.
Valkyries rarelycrossed paths with them because Creights believed they were above violence andovert physical displays. More interested in the science and medical fields.
Umm, Shaw wasuncertain whether to grab an empty seat and join the group like Kaleb, or buddyup with the three Balurite orderlies leaning against a cheery yellow wall atthe back on the room. Their arms crossed over massive chests as they calmlyobserved the group.
Ohhh, the snottylook the Creight shot her way, scoping out Shaw’s black leather vest, tightmatching trousers and shit kicker boots helped with the decision making.Joining the group it was. Slipping into a spare seat right next to Kaleb, whowas waving and smiling at the other participants. Who to a Demon, looked beyondgrim, unfocused and uncaring.
In the name ofFreyja, what had happened to these Demons? In every case horrific numerousscars criss-crossed any bit of exposed flesh their loose blue trousers and topsdidn’t cover. Even their large bare feet showed damage. In more than one case anose was missing, along with ears, eyes, a jaw, and several had parts of theirscalps and skulls missing.
To a Demon theywere staring at the floor, unblinking. Shaw doubted they were even aware of herclose perusal, noting arms missing, legs gone, and given the way their clothesclung to them, clearly most were missing major chunks of flesh. As if somethingmassive had taken multiple bites from them.
How? ConflictDemons could take a lot of damage, but they were also considered quick andefficient healers. Able to regrow an amputated hand overnight. But this, thissheer amount of damage still evident, it meant these Demons’ healing powerswere focused on much more grievous internal injuries. How long had they beenlike this? What, By the Sword, had happened to them?
“Welcome, Group.Welcome to today’s chat-fest.” The Creight clapped her small hands together inan annoyingly perky fashion. Her voice high and reeking of enthusiasm. It waslike nails down a chalkboard for Shaw. “For those who don’t know me.” Largecolourless eyes looked pointedly Shaw’s way. “I’m Doctor Agl. I’ll be leadingtoday’s session. Now, who wants to go first? Krent? No? Maybe later then.Remember everyone, this is a safe space. Orry? Gerome? Oh, Pacen, you wanted tosay something?”
Shaw watched asthe Demon she guessed was Pacen slid sideways, his battered head coming to restagainst the Demon to his right, who merely shrugged, rocking Pacen backupright.
“Okay then, Chaps,it looks like it’s up to me to get the conversational ball rolling.”
Doctor Agl’spinched face suddenly looked even more pinched. “No. No, Your Highness, wecouldn’t possibly… impose.”
“No bother, Aggy.Lads, do I have a tale for you this week. It features Demon assassins,exploding cars, and a leggy Valkyrie who couldn’t keep her hands off me.”
“Your Highness.”Doctor Agl interrupted shrilly. “We’ve discussed this. No talk of violence,please.”
“Yes. Yes. Iremember.” Kaleb agreed, grinning broadly. “I’ll just mention ever so brieflyone… maybe two decapitations, I promise. Besides, I think it will be much morehealing for everyone if I dwell on the hot sex with the Valkyrie in the linencloset, don’t you?”
Shaw dug her nailsinto her palms to keep from protesting Kaleb’s outrageous lies. Not justbecause Doctor Agl clearly wanted him to shut up, and Shaw was rather likingthe pinched outraged look the esteemed Doctor was unable to hide as Kaleb tookover the group. But more importantly, at least three of the Demons present hadlifted their gazes when Kaleb began talking about assassins. More perking upever so slightly when he mentioned sex.
No wonder he’dmade her promise no violence and no weapons. These almost catatonic Demons werepowder-kegs waiting to go off. Seriously, Kaleb, he was always plotting tensteps ahead. Which should concern her… but she appreciated sneakiness. He wasproving a surprisingly good partner on this to-do list mission. He knew people.Knew how to manipulate them to reach his own ends.
To be brutallyhonest, Shaw didn’t think she would have been able to shift the Darvyn sisters’stubborn position on the baby shower without him. Let alone trick jealousGoddesses into hiring Valkyries.
Smart. Sneaky.Manipulative. Charm for days. But oh, the talking, the never ending talking.
Luckily, Shaw hada developed a technique years ago, when she’d discovered those she was about tokill insisted blathering on and on - about wives, husbands, number of childrenat home, how much they had to live for, how much treasure they had that couldbe all hers - if only she didn’t kill them. Instead of listening, Shaw went toher happy place and re-enacted all the legendary Valkyrie Battles in her head.
She was justgetting to a good part where her grandmother, Ignka, was facing off with thehead Chieftain of the Lugosh Horde, when the double doors banged open and fiveConflict Demons entered, all talking at once. Their conversation abruptlyceasing in mid-word as one of the Balurites leaned forward ever so slightly,flexing his biceps, straining the baby pink material of his uniform.
It struck Shawthat these Demons looked familiar. Older in Demon hell turns but looking aroundtheir late fifties in human years. Three males. Two females. All reeking ofprivilege. Their eyes brightening for a moment as they spied Kaleb. Hurriedlyshuffling into the room, the five newcomers joined the Balurites at the rear.
It annoyed Shawhow the gazes of the newcomers didn’t acknowledge the other Demons: the brokenand battered ones. Snobby bastards, and then it hit her. This lot had been inthe pre-school admin reception area outside Kaleb’s office yesterday, dressedin expensive business suits. Bickering and self-involved, they hadn’t botheredto acknowledge Shaw or notice when she got fed up and headed off to find a lessconventional method of gaining access to Kaleb.
From the way Kalebwas studiously ignoring their presence, she could tell he was unhappy by theirarrival. Interesting, something was definitely going on here. Was it to do withthe King thing? Perhaps these were his entourage, his servants. No, too prissyfor that. Well, she supposed she’d get her answers eventually, if and whenKaleb ever stopped talking. Which fortunately was now, as she tuned back intothe final part of his elaborate tale.
“… which is why Istill have bite marks on my ass!” Kaleb finished with a flourish, lookingDoctor Agl’s way now, smiling, clearly waiting for a response.
“Er… thank you?”
Out the corner ofher eye Shaw caught the slightest of twitches from the biggest, the mostdamaged Demon of the group. The left side of his lip had definitely quirkedupwards for the briefest of milliseconds, though his gaze remained fixedunblinkingly upon the cream linoleum.
