Chapter 1

One

~ Princess Blake ~

Ifold my arms across my chest and stare at the male prisoner slumped on a metal chair. Trey, his name is, according to my intel. He’s positioned in the middle of the dank cell, his fine black suit torn with blood smeared on his sleeve cuffs. A distinct tattoo of a blade is visible on his collarbone, the black ink half obscured by his shirt, but still easily identifying him as a member of the Fallon Blade clan. Since when are the demons of the Fallon Blade clan traitors? I know they have a knack for causing trouble in the city, but I didn’t expect them to side with the witches. Then again, I didn’t think any demon would be dumb enough to ally with those genocidal maniacs, and yet, Trey isn’t the first traitor we’ve caught in recent months. Something seriously fucked up is going on here.

“Again,” I instruct the burly demon guard hovering before Trey. Without hesitation, Hansen smashes his fist into Trey’s jaw. Blood sprays, and Trey’s head whips to the side at the impact. One of the traitor’s golden teeth flies from his mouth, falling to the floor and almost disappearing down the small grate situated beneath his black cap toe boots.

There’s a moment of silence as Trey stares at his tooth like he can’t believe what he’s looking at, and then he meets my gaze with hate-filled eyes. Huh. Who knew his teeth would be his weakness? He glares at me like I’ve just killed his lover rather than dislodged a tooth, but then he schools his expression, and his mouth stretches into a crazed smile. Ah, there it is. All demons show their inner psycho eventually. Even the ones who like to pretend otherwise. It’s in our nature.

Even mine. Though, unlike Trey, I make it a point to own my craziness. Being the daughter of the most feared demon king in history comes with expectations. High expectations. I wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t learned to claw my way up and prove to the demons that I’m more than the half-angel trash they’d believed I was when my mother had dumped me on the palace doorstep. They hadn’t accepted my mother either, which is why I suspect she’d never taken her place as queen. Well, that and the fact that she’d disappeared soon after the king had proposed to her.

In any case, I’m pretty sure Trey is actually a half-decent guy, and the thought of torturing him is leaving a sour taste in my mouth. It doesn’t help that I was called from my bed in the middle of the day for this. Dad usually handles these situations, but on this occasion, I’d had to step up. In fact, I’ve had to step up a lot lately, taking over increasingly more of the king’s duties, and it’s starting to make me worry.

“Is this all you’ve got, princess?” Trey goads, spitting blood onto the floor. “I’ve been in street brawls worse than this.”

“Now that’s probably the only truthful thing he’s said so far,” Shade’s sarcastic comment sounds in my mind. Perched on my shoulder, the crow’s clawed feet grip the leather shoulder pad I had designed just for her. “What’s your angle here, Blake?” she continues. Her beady black eyes lock onto Trey as she speaks in my head, the pair of us having a silent conversation. No one knows Shade and I can speak to each other like this. Sure, they’re aware I can control the crows and use them to spy in the city or attack when needed, but not that I can have full conversations with the birds in my mind. Although, half the time I forget to think my response and end up saying the words out loud instead. Which is probably why the demons think I’m crazy.

“You’ve been at this for a while, and this cell smellslike something died in a giant’s asshole,” Shade complains. “I’m pretty sure our new friend couldn’t tell you anything useful even if he wanted to. He’s too oblivious to be the head of this operation.”

I’m tempted to ask whether she actually knows what a giant’s ass smells like, but I only nod my head at Hansen. The guard hits Trey in the face again, and this time, I hear a crack. For a moment, I think Hansen has broken Trey’s neck, but then the demon lifts his head and starts to laugh hysterically.

“What’s the bet he’s about to say something stupid?”Shade chimes in again.

I ignore her, but only because I’m too busy thinking about the king’s most decorated general who’s shifting impatiently behind me. If I don’t get something out of Trey soon, General Josek will take matters into his own hands, and that would not be pretty. General Josek isn’t just crazy, he’s downright unhinged, which is probably why he’s my father’s favorite. No doubt, the traitorous demon in the chair before me doesn’t realize I’m the only one standing between him and unimaginable torture. General Josek had wanted to start this interrogation with much more creative methods, and I’m the one who talked him down. Partly because I enjoy irritating the fuck out of the general, and partly because despite his strange attachment to his teeth and the damning evidence against him, Trey seems reasonably harmless. He’s also young, only eighteen, which is practically a baby in demon years, and he likely just got caught up in the plans of his clan. His gift, the unique power that all demons get as they mature, is also one of the least useful ones I’ve heard of. The male has the power to change his hair color at will, and while that might be handy when it’s time to hit the nightclubs, it’s not going to help him now.

Besides, usually when faced with the idea of excruciating pain, demons will just blab anything to save themselves. You probably wouldn’t know the truth from the lies. At that thought, my mind wanders to the she-demon I encountered not too long ago. Scarlett. She’d obviously been through a lot by the time I’d found her using her power to extract the truth from her disloyal brother. The ability to use magic to determine the truth is a rare gift that I could use in this very situation, and I’m likely going to have to get her help sometime soon.

“You have to know this is going to end badly for you unless you tell us what the witches are planning,” I say to Trey. “And why we found you with a crate of illegal explosives that are clearly of witch origin. Give us something useful, and you might just survive this.”

Trey sneers, though I see a flicker of fear in his coal-black eyes. “Even if I knew their plans, I wouldn’t tell you, you half-angel bitch. For all we know, you’re not even a true heir to the throne. Your mother probably dumped you here knowin’ you’d get a free ride. No, the demons deserve whatever the witches bring down on them.” He laughs again like he thinks he’s accomplished some great feat by saying that to me, but all it’s done is ensure his death. Oh, Trey. I sigh inwardly.

I sense General Josek starting to move behind me, probably readying himself to cut out Trey’s tongue for his blatant disrespect. It’s one thing to curse me, but another thing entirely to question my legitimacy to the throne. The seasoned general might hate me, but he swore an oath to protect me and my father, and he won’t let this slide. I unsheathe my blades, knowing I should get to Trey first. If I hesitate, General Josek and Hansen will see it as weakness.

Neither of us make it to Trey before the demon shouts another slur at me, and he grinds his jaw with force, detaching another one of his golden teeth. There’s a wild look in his eyes as he chews, and his vibrant yellow hair seems to drain of color, changing to a pure white. Within a matter of seconds, green froth starts bubbling from his mouth. Well, shit.

“Huh. I guess they weren’t just teeth after all,” I send to Shade.

“It’s some kind of pill!” Hansen shouts, gripping Trey’s jaw like he intends to remove the tooth, but before he can shove his fingers into the demon’s throat, Trey’s body turns to ash and the only sound is the clatter of his horns hitting the stone floor. The long-curved horns are the only part of Trey that’s left. Well, that and his clothes which crumple to the ground.

“Now that I did not expect,” Shade comments.

I frown at the empty chair. “You and me both.”

Clearing my throat, I wipe the look of shock from my face. “That wasn’t just a suicide pill,” I say aloud, feeling the gravity of what we’ve just witnessed. “That was another weapon.”

General Josek steps up beside me, and his voice is a harsh rasp in my ear. “We need to alert the king.”

I don’t acknowledge him as I move to collect Trey’s horns. They’re still warm and the feel of the knobbly ridges against my fingers makes my stomach churn. It’s weird to think that Trey’s gone, but his power, the power that’s stored in his horns, is now in my hands.

As I go to stride from the room, General Josek calls out, “Princess Blake.” It’s the first time he’s said my name in a long while, and it sends a prickle of unease down my spine.

“The prisoner didn’t know anything,” I say bluntly as my only explanation of what happened. Twisting my head, I peer back, taking in the severe expression on his face. “Make sure this gets cleaned up, then take Hansen and as many as you need to the Fallon Blade clan house. See if you can get anyone else to talk. He wasn’t working alone.” I know I should consult with the king before giving the order, but this is too important, and if Dad is intent on letting me handle this, I’m going to show that I have my shit together.

“Yes, your highness,” General Josek replies, his thin lips curving upwards at the sides, and his dark eyes flashing with satisfaction.

“Great. I’ve just let him loose on the Fallon Blade clan,” I mutter internally to Shade.

“While normally I would sympathize, I think it’s safe to say they deserve it,” she replies, and I know she’s right. Because the clan should have known better than to work with the witches. Even a demon as young as Trey.

The power inside the traitor’s horns makes my hands tingle, urging me to move, and I exit the cell, unable to shake the sense of foreboding working through me. This is much worse than I thought.

The royal palace is more of a giant fortress than a place of grandeur, with thick reinforced stone walls, six-inch steel doors that lock at the end of each corridor, hidden rooms that house extra food stores and supplies, and finely crafted weapons as the main form of decoration along the walls.

I’m told it wasn’t always like this. According to the scholars in the palace library, there was a time when everything was lavish and tasteful, the large building designed more with the idea of pleasure and seduction in mind. But that was before the war with the witches and the great battle, during which half of the palace was destroyed. When the structure was rebuilt, the king still had the battle at the forefront of his mind, and designs were made to ensure we’d be more prepared if it ever happened again.

Truthfully, I used to think the king had overdone it, especially because as far as we all knew, the witches had been wiped out completely. But now, with the multiple incidents in the city, and evidence that some of the witches still live, I’m starting to think Dad really is the smartest demon in Seral. Guess you have to be when you’re the ruler of this place.

At that thought, my brows lower. Thankfully, demons are immortal, so becoming queen isn’t something I have to worry about for the most part, but there are ways a demon can die, not to mention Dad might one day want to retire. I cringe as I push that thought to the back of my mind.

“So, are we going to talk about what just happened?” Shade asks as we round another corner. Thankfully, she doesn’t hear all my thoughts, but only what I send when I’m using my magic to converse with her.

“General Josek will extract information from the Fallon Blade demons,” I reply as I make my way past a row of axes that look large enough to sever a giant’s head. I turn down another corridor before stopping in front of a tall black statue of a gargoyle. Twisting my head from side-to-side, I make sure we’re not being watched, then I touch the left clawed pinkie toe of the monster. The statue is made from polished black marble, but at my touch, the stone warms beneath my fingertip and a secret door opens in the wall behind the sculpture. Shade and I slip into the dark tunnel, and the door closes behind us, sealing us in. Blinking, I let my eyes adjust to the darkness, the pitch black changing to a lighter shade of gray, and I begin making my way along the narrow tunnel and down a curving flight of stone steps.

“Until he returns, there’s not much we can do,” I say to Shade, continuing our conversation. I could, of course, meet the general at the Fallon Blade clan house, but I’m not in the mood to see him at work.

I make my way down the last steps, then move onto a landing. A thick steel door marked with silver whirls and patterns blocks our path ahead, and I stride over. When I’m directly in front of it, a small panel on the door opens and light streams out, scanning my retina. It’s technology a designer loyal to my father picked up in the human realm, and there’s the tell-tale tone identifying me as an approved individual before a click sounds. I whisper the words that only the king and I know, and the door shudders before sliding to the side, revealing the room beyond.

Lights flare to life like tiny suns dotting the ceiling high above, and invisible streams of power rush at me, reaching out through the open door. Sucking in a breath, I try to ignore the feeling as I walk forward, moving between the high walls packed with rows upon rows of glass cabinets, each housing a different set of demon horns. Shade makes a clicking sound as the door closes shut behind us, but I keep my attention on the path ahead. Power swirls in the air, trapped in the vault, and there’s a strange metallic taste on my tongue.

The glass cabinets keep most of the power encased, but remnants leak out, and with this many pairs of horns, that power builds. I’m surprised none of the servants or guards in the palace have felt it yet. Even if the vault is so far underground.

They’re not just horns, I remind myself. They’re evidence of lives lived. Of the demons who once walked the land of Seral. The vault is a tomb of sorts. Low and high born alike, the horns of the dead are all here. Even the horns of a traitor, I think as I flap my black feathery wings, lifting into the air until I find one of the empty cabinets on a higher shelf. Carefully, I deposit Trey’s horns and shut the small glass door, glad to have them out of my hands.

“You know, if the witches ever find this place and get their hands on all this power…” Shade begins, but I’m quick to stop her train of thought.

“They won’t,” I respond aloud, letting out a deep breath. Then I amend, “They can’t.” In the wrong hands, these horns, this power, could be a weapon, and one that couldn’t be allowed to fall to the witches.

Back before the ordeal with the witches, a demon was buried, horns and all. A demon’s power remained in their horns, even after life, but we were unable to harness this power, so instead we buried the dead. The power would leak into the ground like tree roots, giving life to the land until that power naturally depleted. But then the witches figured out how to steal the power for themselves. They started robbing our graves and taking the horns of the recently deceased. By the time the king realized what was happening, nearly all of the grave sites had been defiled, and the witches were enjoying their new gifts.

Everything escalated until the witches started murdering demons to obtain more power. They were willing to destroy demonkind, and it was only because King Dalton managed to convince the other five realms to ally and join the fight against the witches that the demons survived. I was born centuries after that, but I’ve heard all the harrowing tales.

Now when a demon dies, it’s law that their horns are to be delivered to the king. And with the horns in these sealed cabinets, the power never goes back into the earth. It never depletes.

I stare across the vault, at the varying shapes and colors of horns, a twinge of envy pinching in my gut. Reaching up, I brush my hand over my head and comb my fingers through my raven-colored hair. I wouldn’t have to worry about making an addition to this tomb. I was born without horns or a tail, and I don’t even know where my power comes from. It’s different for angels, the king has told me, and we both assume that when it comes to this, I’m a little more like my mother.

Shade pecks my neck lightly as I flap my wings, slowly dropping to the ground, and I scrunch my face at the ticklish sensation.

“Hey, cut it out,” I laugh.

“Not until you stop feeling sorry for yourself,” Shade replies, pecking me a few more times. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about what that scum traitor said about you.”

“What? No,” I reply, but now that she’s mentioned it, I replay Trey’s words in my head. No one has had the guts to speak to me like that for a long time, and hearing it was a reminder that no matter what I do, I’ll never be enough for the demons. No matter what I do, I’ll always be different, and in their eyes, that means I’m not fit to be a royal.

“Well, he’s not entirely wrong,” I say, feigning indifference. “I am a half-angel.” I sometimes wish that the king would have found a demon mate rather than my mother, but it’s not like we get to choose our fated mates. I just try to remind myself that Lady Fate must have her reasons for matching those two, even if I can’t see it yet.

Demons don’t believe in the gods and goddesses that are worshipped in some of the other realms, but many do believe in destiny and the idea that our fates are determined by an actual female entity we name ‘Lady Fate.’ I figure she must be real, because someone has to be responsible for the matchmaking mess that sometimes goes on.

“Hmm, yes he has a point, and sometimes you are a bit of a bitch,” Shade teases.

I’m about to swat her from my shoulder when a rush of power slides down my back, thick invisible fingers brushing along my skin and making me shiver. I spin, turning to the small black door situated at the other end of the vault. There’s another retina scanner, but this one would incinerate me if I moved within range. It’s the only place in the entire palace that only the king has access.

“What do you think is in there?”I say to Shade curiously. We’ve debated the question many times over the years.

“I’m still sticking with my answer. A sex room,” she answers bluntly.

I snort a laugh.“We both know the king isn’t shy about his many fetishes.” In fact, I wouldn’t mind if he did become a bit more secretive in that department. Demons as a general rule, are very open, but when it comes to family there are some things a daughter doesn’t need to see.

My thoughts sober as more power radiates down my spine. “Well, whatever is in there, it’s something incredibly powerful.”

Shade ruffles her feathers like she can feel it, too. “And by that, you mean something dangerous.”

“Precisely.”

Unease goes through me as I turn my back on the door and begin striding toward the exit. I’ve only made it two steps when I swear I feel a fingertip brush along the shell of my right ear. I hear the faintest whisper, the voice reminding me of the crashing waves of the ocean, but the words aren’t loud enough for me to make out.

“Did you hear that?” I ask, speaking aloud as my eyes flare wide. I spin back around, and a glimmer of light outlines the frame of the door. It’s gone again an instant later, and I’m not sure if I imagined it.

“Hear what?” Shade replies as I continue to stare.

I blink but the glowing light doesn’t reappear, and I don’t hear the voice again. Sooo I’m hearing other voices now? Great. I hope it’s something to do with my power, like how I can speak to Shade, but something tells me it isn’t.All I know for sure is that whatever is behind that door, I probably don’t want to find out.

I remain there until Shade questions me again, then I mumble that it was nothing and leave the vault. But even as I climb the steps, I can’t stop thinking about what’s behind the black door, and what the king has been hiding all these years.