Chapter 15

After walking up about a million different sets of stairs, I found myself back in the ballroom from last night, except this time there was only a single round table in the center of the room. Five chairs were spread evenly around the table. Food and glasses were piled on it in an extravagant display. Though I was hungry, I couldn't help but think this was another test or trap. A group of soldiers all held the chairs out for us, and I took one. Tendreece sat across from me with drops of water running up and down her bare arms like she'd just gotten out of a pool. Her blue horns stuck straight back from her head like two spikes. Malotte and Kelda, the other girl from the Air Clan, sat next to her with clouds dancing between the two of them. Their horns were curved in twisting spirals back from their heads that looked like pearl colored seashells.

I pulled my chair in closer to the table, afraid to touch any of the food just in case Tendreece got to it first. The others all seemed to be of the same thinking because no one touched a thing. We are all going to sit here in silence. Tendreece cleared her throat, getting all our attention. "Really, what is Lily doing here?"

"Fuck if I know." I shrugged.

"Do you even want to be here?" She rested her elbow on the table and held her hand up. A stream of water ran around and between her fingers.

Malotte rolled her eyes and held her hand up and blew across her palm. A stream of freezing air flew from her palm toward the water. It froze into a twisted piece of ice around her hand. "You pry too much. We all know no one wants to be here as much as you, Tendreece."

She shook her hand and began to whimper when the ice wouldn't dislodge. She slammed it on the table, and the ice shattered to pieces and scattered in all different directions. "You act like you know everything, Malotte."

"I know enough." She reached to the middle of the table, took an apple from the pile, and took a big bite out of it, making a point to look directly at Tendreece. "But we all know life outside this castle is challenging at best . . . so an opportunity to ease some of that for our clans or ourselves isn't something any of us are going to pass up."

The rest of us dove for the plate of apples like it was the last food in the world. I pulled one close to my chest and held it there for a moment. "You two know each other? From before you all turned into demons?"

Malotte sighed. "Unfortunately."

"Couldn't agree more." Tendreece sat back in her chair and flicked her long blue hair over her shoulder.

"Why are only the Swamp and Tempest Clans represented here?" This had been bothering me since this whole thing started. "Why not the Slate Clan or Cinder?"

They all glanced at each other and Malotte leaned closer to me. "Dacio already rules the Slate Clan. He needs ties in the ones closest to him. We can be here because the castle is high enough from the ground that the magic doesn't kill us right away for not being in our lands. It's difficult for us to be here but not impossible. I can't walk out in the open on the Slate Lands, and neither can Tendreece. Even though she'd tell you she could. And, well, as for the Cinder Clan, we're just too far away. None of their people could survive here."

"None but Avalon," I pointed out. I'd seen him use fire time and again with no problems.

Lizvita smirked. "I heard the bottom of his feet are covered with slate. But It's just a rumor, not yet confirmed. Plus, we've all seen him use wind and air. The only places he can't go . . . are the Swamp Lands." She said it as if it was something to be proud of.

Malotte nodded. "It is true. He is one of the strongest and most able to move. But I heard that the leader of the Cinder Clan was a bit offended that none of her demons were invited here."

"Why?" My brow furrowed in confusion.

"Because being invited here to make a tie with the King who rules us all is an honor, or more importantly, a benefit to whichever clan he chooses." Malotte sighed. "You know very little of our world, Lily, but the demons . . . they need help. We're all just trying to take care of our clans."

Her words struck a chord with me. I knew something about taking care of people who needed help. It was what I did for a living and was more like a calling than anything else. "I can understand why you're here, why you'd want to do that."

Kelda reached across the table and grabbed another apple, then a pear, then a roll, and put them all on her plate. "I'm just here for the food."

I chuckled. "At least you're honest about it."

She shrugged and motioned to Tendreece and Malotte. "These two are more likely to get the King's attention than I."

"Do you want his attention?" Because I definitely didn't want it.

"Not for me to say." She took a bite of her roll. "But the food is good."

It reminded me of how the demons in the underground of the Slate Lands looked to be thin and close to starving. "Is food a problem in all of your clans?"

They all fell silent, picking at their plates but not saying anything. I took a bite of a piece of bread and swallowed it down. "I'm going to take that as a yes."

"We do not speak of such things within the walls of this castle." Lizvita chided me and smoothed her hand over her puffy bun, then looked down her nose at me. "We are grateful to be here."

"When I met Linford, he mentioned how difficult it was to get resources from one clan to the next. I wondered if you all felt the same way in the Tempest and Swamp Lands." Again, my words were met with silence. "So, this is going well."

Tendreece waved my words away but looked toward Malotte. "Everyone knows Linford is a fool."

Malotte slammed her hand down on the table and the wind whipped around us like she couldn't control her anger. "He is no fool. And your opinions don't matter here."

"Aww, did I strike a nerve." Tendreece puffed her lip out in a pout. "Did I upset daddy's little girl?"

Daddy's little girl? What?

"Enough!" Kelda snapped and the wind suddenly died. "You shut your mouth, or I'll shut it for you. And I promise you the pain you deserve."

Tendrecce sat back, looking a little shaken. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be." Kelda picked up a knife from the table and licked the blade, looking half-deranged and half-teasing. "I'd love to play with you."

"She's stopping, Kelda. Okay? She's stopping." Lizvita elbowed Tendreece. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm stopping." She rolled her eyes. "You can put your psycho away."

She lowered her voice but still spoke loud enough for all of us to hear. "I don't know why she's here anyways. No one wants a crazy wife."

"They would if you were the most powerful of your kind . . . as we all are. Or has that not occurred to you?" Malotte rested her hand over Kelda's and made her put the knife down on the table. "Kelda, you're fine."

"Am I?" She glanced around at the rest of us. "Am I?"

What the hell did I miss about Kelda and why was everyone so afraid of her? I met her eyes. "Yes, you're great. You know that, right?"

Her eyes went from distant to completely focused in a split-second. She leaned back and smiled. "Of course I am."

They all collectively let go of a breath and fell into silence as we finished our food. The doors flew open, and Avalon sauntered into the room. He took in our silence and the way we didn't look at each other. "You are summoned by his majesty the King."

Tendreece popped to her feet. "Lead the way, Lord Avalon."

I barely stifled my groan. This could not possibly get any worse . . .