Her Royal Holiness Princess LaDressa, Daughter of Lucifer IV
I was looking in the mirror at my smooth waist-length white hair and the emptiness that was my solid black eyes, the eyes of royalty. One solid black eye, without the white to distract. My hair was parted down the middle with diamonds attached by my hair that spun a protective web around the jewels, in no particular pattern. The knock on my door made me break my gaze.
“Come,” I said, not turning to see the large, black iron door’s locks click free. The rounded shape of it was for beauty not security. The idea of beauty down here was laughable. The walls were made of now crumbling limestone. Years of pressure created the rock, just to have it start to break under the same pressure.
My vanity, I assume named because of the giant oval mirror attached to the desk, was my refuge. In the mirror I can still remember him standing beside me. Seeing his deep brown eyes marveling at my striking features and tight gold and pearl dress. The small gold links would burn and scar my skin if I were to step outside my room. Pearls gave me little comfort. I was basically in chainmail.
It flowed down my body. The bottom hitting the floor. The neck high and sleeves long. He would say he knew my body because I was naked bathed in gold. The way he described it, it was as if he had felt the groove of my hip. My skin he knew would be soft as a newborn, for I had not been touched to harden it.
“Your Highness.”
It was Masako. I wouldn’t need to turn to know she was wearing a long black robe-like gown all my servants did. Masako was my favorite for she would pull her hair up in a bun and would wear sandals with beautiful flowers covering the straps. The hair was her outwardly fighting with my family. The sandals were illegal and her silent protest made me envy her strength.
I lifted my hand and beckoned her to me. Her silent movement made my brother nervous but the change in the air around me told me where she was. Looking at the tray, her long sleeves covered the handles so I could not see her fingers.
She was shaking as she placed a tray on the flat surface of the granite top of the vanity.
“What is vexing you?”
“Your Highness, I have received a message for you.”
“That is?”
“Not for my ears, I assume. It came through the fire.”
Her hand reached inside her robes. Pulling out a small animal skin pouch she placed it in my hands. Her fingers touched my hand causing her to pull back and hit the wall. Her body collapsed on the floor, her hands outstretched in front of me.
“I apologize my lowly hands touched yours.”
“Masako, rise. The touch of another is my desire and I would not punish you for this indiscretion. I will also not punish you since I know you are putting your life on the line for my communication.”
This wasn’t the first time she had snuck me a message. Damarion had sent me a dozen when he could manipulate the system enough to get through.
Rising, I walked to the stone fireplace whose fire was licking lightly on the logs. The message felt heavier than normal but I would not let Masako go until I knew if I was to try to respond or not. She held my secret close to her heart. Always having done that I trusted her above all others.
My fingers rose over the fire making its small flame increase, almost hitting the hearth. I threw the satchel into the fire. A blue flash doused the flame and before me was not my love but a woman. Tall with black hair slicked back.
“Your highness, my name is Nemesio. I have been Damarion’s confidant for many years now.” Her body pulled in close. Hands holding themselves while her head lowered. “Sending this message has saddened me greatly for he has fallen.”
A hot poker burned through my chest. My love had less than a year before he’d return to me. Whole. His love for me unwavered. Part of me questioned if my brother had sent someone to kill him. I could feel acid starting to form in my eyes, but I held back. The female tracker continued with her message.
“His life was taken by a Frozen’s other. We are not sure why the Dark One’s other was even allowed to engage with Damarion but the reason will not change the result. His ashes were not scattered. They have been confiscated by the Frozen, but we do not know the intent of their keeping of him.”
My love was confined. Trapped. Our souls were only freed to return here if their ashes dance along the wind. They must see the whole world in which to report back to my father.
“Pivane has taken control of our coven, but I believe this will cause the closing to be compromised. I have evidence he’d been slowly poisoning Damarion, making his skill be compromised. Zuma, another who has fallen by this other, had commented Damarion had lost his sense of smell and mental clarity. Your highness, I beseech you to avenge your love. He spoke highly of you to me. His love for you was great. With his ashes we may be able to bring him back.”
The orange and yellow flames returned. Masako stayed in her corner. I walked to the one window I had. The Lake of Fire was churning today. My brother has heard of the change in power for Damarion’s post. He was reveling in his demise.
A snort came from the corner. “Dearest Praxis, I know. But we shall avenge him,” I said, walking to my dragon curled by my bed. His head had four horns sticking from its skull. The scaled skin was the color of the earth—Ashen brown, rich olive green, and speckled with translucent scales reflecting his surroundings. My hand stroked his cheeks as his chartreuse eyes shined from the fire’s light. “Masako, I will need your assistance.” Praxis’s forked tongue licked at my waist. Pulling me close to him. The closest thing to comfort a dragon knows. The embrace was for me and the one he felt was like a father to him. “I will give you a list of tonics we will both need to take. In addition you will need to get me the names of the replacements to be sent. We shall kill them and take their place. Are you prepared for that?”
Masako’s eyes rose to meet mine. A smile came to her dark red lips. “I am but your humble servant. Here to give you what you desire.”
“I shall be the one to kill this Dark One’s other. That is my only desire.”
The End
Vocabulary
Bantling—newborn demon.
Claustranima—Knife with six blades that come together into a point causing a star-like pattern when stabbed. As a Frozen works off its debt, the diamond handle has cuts formed to count down their time left. Becomes solid metal if they choose to seal.
Coven—group of demons led by a male Yahweh.
Deumos—Female demon.
Frozen—a former suicide that is allowed to absolve their sin of taking their life by protecting the world from demons.
Normal—a human who has not passed on or been sealed.
Other—the mated of the Frozen.
Sealed—Marriage of a member of the Frozen that will make it so they will feel each other’s pain and pleasure. One’s death will result in the other’s death as well.
Sealing—ceremony in which a Frozen is linked forever with another. By completing this ceremony, they shall forever hunt demons.
Tracker—Deumos trained to pick up on the scents of bantlings and bring them into the coven for training, nurturing, and protection.
Yahweh—teacher or leader of the coven of demons. To be treated as a god and leader.
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About Michel Prince
Michel Prince is an author who graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes new adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.
With characters yelling, “It's my turn, damn it!” she tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.
When Michel can suppress the voices in her head, she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.
Michel has been awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press in 2013, the service award for her local RWA chapter Midwest Fiction Writers in 2013 and 2014 and is a PAN member of RWA. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, and dog.
You can follow Michel on Facebook, Twitter, or at her website.