24. Livy

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

LIVY

" I should shift and rip out your larynx for the shit you pulled at the community center. You nearly killed Malek. I don't want a thing to do with you, you're a danger to him." I wrung my fingers together, trying to hold myself back from doing just that.

I watched Varcus stand there, daring to continue to occupy space after what he'd done. When I first met him in the church, some of his grievances made sense. But to resort to terrorism was way past the line. Innocent people could have gotten hurt.

"Yes, I nearly killed him, and I would have succeeded had you not gotten in my way. And if you think I'm still a danger to him, you vastly underestimate the Demon King. He's on high alert now that he knows I've resurfaced. I couldn't get within five feet of him and live to tell the tale." Contempt made his eyes go charcoal black, but he quickly unclenched his fist as he remembered why he'd come to me.

"You're in love with him. I get that," he said.

I sunk within myself as if he'd accused me of doing something wrong.

"Don't look at me like that. You're wearing his scent like perfume. You're even starting to look a bit more like a demon as his essence rubs off on you."

"Get to the point." I bit out, having had enough of his poking into my business.

"Okay." He relented, folding his legs and casually leaned against a tree. "My point is that we're coming to a crossroads. Soon, you will have to make a choice. Malek or the world. And I don't just mean Demon City, I mean the shifters, the mages, and the humans. Your boyfriend is on a direct course to destroy this world and you are the only person who can stop him."

"Why me?" I avoided direct eye contact.

"Funny that you didn't see the need to disagree with me about the horrors on the horizon. And it has to be you. No one has been able to get as close to him as you have. Not even his sister or his stupid bird familiar." His eyes scrawled circles over my face and neck as he seemed to try to read what I was thinking.

I haven't been able to stop pondering about the chaos that Malek's war would bring to the world. But every time I looked into his big, beautiful eyes something brought me to believe that there was no way he could bring that kind of terror. There was goodness in him. I saw it more and more every day.

A fly perched on my cheek, and I batted it away. "You don't know Malek or the kind of man he truly is. He will come to his senses. You haven't seen the changes I've seen in him. He's- he's..."

"He's a monster and he has been one for centuries. Sorry to have to put it so bluntly but you are the one who doesn't get it." He stalked closer and the air took on a sour odor. My senses heightened as the essence of Varcus's demonic power surged around like a whirlwind.

"The king is cold. He cares nothing for his demons. Even those of us made by his own hand are little better than disposable objects to him." Sadness ebbed at him as his head dipped.

Was he made by Malek? Is that why there was so much tumultuous tension between them ?

The annoying fly hovered around Varcus, and he swatted it angrily. "He's about to drag us into a war that no demon wants. Thousands of us will die. Don't you care?"

"Of course I care." I blurted before looking around to make sure we were still alone. "Malek doesn't hate his demons. He's been allowing more and more demons into the castle every day. He's softened so much. He's changing."

"He's doing it to gain your trust. It's just a pretense. He wants your heart so he's making himself out to be a kind and loving ruler." Bobbing his head, his voice took on a high pitched, mocking tone. "Oh, look at me. I'm making friends with my subjects. Who cares that I kept them all at arms length since the city was founded."

"Enough." He could hate Malek if he wanted, but I wouldn't let him mock him in front of me. "Look. I don't know the whole history or demon politics. All I can tell you is that the Malek that I know is a good man and deserves a chance to change. I believe in his goodness. And I know he will make the right choice." I said with such conviction, that I'd even managed to convince myself.

Too bad I was the only one. His lids went limp, and he looked at me like I was either the most na?ve, love drunk shifter in the world or I was crazy.

"He's a dictator, Sunny. All demon descent is squashed here, usually violently." He slapped the back of his hand into his palm. "Look at what he did to us. Where's the resistance right now? He had his soldiers hunt every one of us like vermin. Everyone but me is in prison."

"For taking everyone in the community center hostage. That would get you locked up anywhere." I reminded him emphatically.

"And how many innocents did we hurt?" he replied. "Answer me that."

"Actions have consequences, Varcus. Welcome to the real world."

"And what will be the consequences of his actions?" His eyes flicker to the palace, rage burning beneath them. "Thousands of demons will be slaughtered when our enemies come breaking through our gates. They'll want revenge for the carnage he will bring to other territories. He will conquer and bend the world to his will. He'll set the world on fire and happily rule the pile of ash left behind. Don't you get it?"

The palace's doors opened, and three maids came outside to smoke cigarettes and chat.

"I need to go back inside. Malek will soon wonder where I am." I turned away and he grabbed my arm like he wasn't done with me.

"Wait. Please. Before you go take this." He reached into the waist of his pants and withdrew a golden dagger. Its waviness resembled a serpent's movements.

He placed it in my hands and I tossed it back to him.

"Careful with that." He caught it. "This is the Angel Song Dagger. The only weapon in the world that can kill the Demon King in one blow."

"Well now I'm sure I don't want it!" I ground out.

Adamant, he returned it to me, welding it to my palm with his own so I couldn't hand it back to him.

"Just keep it with you. Think it over. If the moment arrives that you realize the fate of the world is in your hands, I hope you'll use it."

"Did you hear me? I said I don't want it." Conflicting ideas competed in me like a boxing match. On the one hand, I didn't want Varcus to have a weapon that could kill Malek. But on the other hand, the thought of me taking this and Malek catching me with it made my heart set ablaze. Malek said he could forgive me for just about anything, but there was no way he could ever forgive me for carrying the only weapon that could easily end his life.

I dropped the dagger and he caught it, snarling. The palace doors swung open again, and I looked to see if it was Malek.

To my relief it was just the maids going back inside.

As I turned back around it burned me to see that Varcus had gone, leaving his damn dagger on the grass in front of me. This was way too dangerous a weapon for me to just leave there, so I was forced to conceal it inside my blouse, using my bra strap to hold it to my side.

It was late and I knew no one would think it strange if I went to bed. Doubling back to the ballroom, I yelled to Malek from the door letting him know I was off to bed.

He dropped the work he was doing with the decorators to blow me a kiss and wish me sweet dreams. I went up to my room and withdrew the dagger.

This dagger exuded a kind of power I'd never felt before, the energy signature it emitted was both celestial and malevolent.

As my fingers touched it, a beautiful song played directly into my mind, it was so faint I almost couldn't hear it. It sounded like a choir singing glorious harmony. Still, I wanted nothing to do with it.

I hid it under my mattress. After a quick shower, I climbed into bed, squeezed my eyes shut and tried in vain to pretend I'd never received the dagger or seen Varcus tonight.

I tossed all night, not sleeping much before a hacking laugh coming from the hallway outside my door woke me. The clock next to my bed read 9am.

It was the day of the big ball and I heard unfamiliar voices outside. I ducked my head out the door, eying Ferina as she gave a tour of the hallways to five teenage demonesses. There were several old paintings on the walls and she explained the history of each one and the teens hung on the princess' every world.

Not realizing some guests would have arrived so early, I dipped back into my room before they could spot me. My hair was a mess and I haven't showered or brushed my teeth yet and I wanted to make a good impression.

Last time I was in the ballroom there was still so much to do and so my help might have still been needed before the party officially started tonight.

I showered, combed my hair and got dressed. After a quick chat with Ferina and the tour group, I went down to the ballroom.

A bundle of workers clogged the door stalling my entrance. Once I worked my way past them, I was stunned to see how far they'd come with the decorations. This place looked amazing, everything looked well organized and expertly decorated.

There was a dance floor area in front of the band's stage. The food and dessert station to one end and a sitting area to the other. It was all so perfectly set out.

A single detail hadn't been forgotten. Brightly colored streamers dangled from the ceiling and chandeliers. The bar was well equipped with dozens of shelved bottles and the bartenders wiped down the glasses preparing for the guests to arrive.

"You're awake. I was hoping we'd be finished before you came down." Malek strolled up to me, out of breath. His handsome face glistened with sweat, and his clothes had patches of dirt all over.

"This place looks incredible. Wait. Have you been working on this all night?" I questioned.

"I'm going to show you the greatest party experience demonkind has ever put together." He beamed with pride, the look on his face said that to him this was so much more than a party, this was everything.

"You really don't have to push yourself so hard on my account. I'm already impressed, I've never seen anything like this." I marveled at the room.

Malek cupped my cheeks and his eyes sparkled like the sun. "I want this to be really special for you. Tonight will be a night we will both remember for the rest of our lives. So it must be perfect."

Suddenly everything in the room took on an all new meaning. Everything in here, down to the last detail was all done for me. All the staff, all the work, all the expenses, he did it with me in mind.

"Why? Why do all of this just for me? "

"Because you're mine." He said as if my question made no sense. "You are the only true love I will ever have, and I want you to know how much I treasure you, Sunny."

"Then, you would do anything for me?" I asked.

One of his brows drew down but his twinkling smile didn't falter. "Name it, anything you want."

"Forget your war plans." I said.

"Name anything else," he replied.

"Malek."

"Sunny," he laughed as if we were playing a game.

His posture was so relaxed, it was clear that as far as Malek was concerned, all was right in the world and tonight's party was the only thing worth thinking about.

I still held onto the hope that Malek could be reasoned with. He may have been stubborn, but he wasn't evil.

"I think it's your turn to see the fitters." Malek alerted as a bold demon holding an oversized pair of scissors approached us. He had a young demoness behind him with three dresses folded over her arm.

I gave Malek an intense look that said this conversation wasn't over and he pressed a delicate kiss to my forehead. "Come on, you'll want to make sure your dress fits just right. Now go."

"Please come with me, Lady Sunny. We're ready for you." The tailor said and I followed him and his assistant out of the ballroom and into the living room down the hall. A dozen even spaced rolls of brightly colored fabric were set out against the wall like a satin rainbow. The tailor asked me to choose my preference and I chose the bright red one.

"Raise your hands please," the tailor instructed, and I obeyed. He wrapped the red silky fabric around my waist and the assistant fitted it in place with pins. They discussed what the style and length should be, getting my input as needed .

I became distracted as I spotted Ferina through the large bay window. She played with children outside in the gardens. It was some kind of playful tussle, almost like wrestling. The teenagers I saw earlier joined into the fun, unafraid of getting their dresses dirty.

This was such a merry occasion. The palace was more lively than it had been since I arrived. Even the air was light and sweet. I wished I could freeze this moment and nothing would change.

A muffled scream stole my notice. It wasn't coming from the direction of the ballroom, or outside the palace. Where was it coming from?

"Did you hear that?" I asked the tailor as he flittered the hem back and forth, trying to figure out how long the dress should be.

"Hear what?" He asked.

"That scream." I insisted, and the tailor tugged at his ear, his gaze going cloudy with confusion.

"I didn't hear any scream," the assistant continued pinning up my left side.

They both drop the issue, believing it unimportant. They carried on with pinching, creasing and pinning the fabric up to form a style.

Were my compounding thoughts making me hallucinate, like when I hallucinated seeing Chasten the other night? Or maybe I'd just let Varcus get too deep into my head and now his crazy was rubbing off on me.

I needed to relax. Malek said that tonight would be a night that we would both remember for the rest of our lives. I was determined to enjoy it to the fullest, Varcus be damned.