57. Ghoul

Chapter 57

Ghoul

I am death.

I was born in death. Blessed to walk in the cobweb-fine spaces between those who live and those who do not.

And so it is the blessing of death that I deal like fate upon this world.

Six serpents and two eagles stand before the king and his full court, their faces downcast, trembling, their very souls quaking .

Their primal fear calls to the dark, predatorial god in me, like rotting meat calls to vultures. Like a carcass calls to crows. It lights up my spirit. It makes me giddy.

Mace Naga sits on his throne of polished black stone, two giant black cobras rearing up on either side of him, their fangs bared towards the sky in rapturous adulation. The court bears an unnatural silence as the gathered serpents look to their king with their breaths held tight in their ribs. Even the children, pressed against their parents, blinking with their wide eyes. Around Mace Naga's right hand is the thick shadow of a cobra, his hood raised, his fangs bared. A trick he learned from me to control the rage.

And today, he is furious.

Every member of the court must watch the king's judgement in the town hall. They must all learn the power of the Serpent Court.

And, standing by the king's throne in line with the six other generals, I watch them all.

The serpent king's black eyes flit over each one of the accused, their faces dirty with the ash and grime of seven days' sweat and blood, their clothes torn and bloody under the ministrations of the court's torture master. He has changed since the death of his son by the hand of Xander Drakos. Now, his only happiness lies in the wielding of a needle-fine, serrated blade.

"Vermin stand before me," Mace Naga sneers. "You failed." He pauses. "You failed me. You failed this court. You failed in our cause."

They know better than to beg. Instead, they pray.

The shadows beckon to me, their song sweet and profound. I let them take me over and cover my body. A child in the court gasps.

"Let it be done," the king says, gesturing to me. My blood stirs at the command in his tone.

I stalk forwards slowly, letting their fear soak through my shadows, into my skin.

They are mesmerised for a moment. Their eyes wide, their hearts fluttering like mice. There will be no bodies for their families to bury. No vessel for the ancient death rituals of the Nagas. They forfeit that right when they failed their king. The two eagles forfeited that right when they were born as avians.

"By the will of the king," I announce.

I save Ben for last, his wife—princess in title only, Charlotte Naga—standing tall and proud, blond hair perfectly curled, red lipstick accurately applied. She refuses to look away, although her essence trembles in terrible fear.

I take off my bone mask, letting them feel the full force of the brutal power behind my eyes.

Hair burns, flesh sizzles, offal spills, and an acrid smell fills the air for just a moment before disappearing completely.

There is nothing left of them but smoke.

Putting my mask back in place, I turn around and command my spine to bend.

Mace Naga inclines his head to me. "I remind you now who we fight against. Beasts who think they are better than us. Beasts who think we should be marked and barcoded for having the privilege, the gift of venom. They are afraid of the power we yield. The power that flows in our veins. The power we have to dominate. And they tricked us. They filled our heads with a narrative: that we are poison. That we are toxic. That we should be locked away and hidden, all because we were born with gifts.

"Well, I tell you now, our time is coming. It is time for our family to rise up. To claim what we are owed. What has been robbed from us for generations. The big predators have run unchecked for too long. It's time for the balance to be set right. We are going to deal to them what was dealt to us for decades."

"All hail the king cobra," I call.

"All hail the king cobra," they chorus.

My king smiles at me, his lips cutting upwards in pleasure—a motion reserved for his most favoured serpent general. "You always serve me well, Lord Basilisk."