Page 30 of Dancing With Demons
Eth’tak lets out a bark of laughter, returning my smile, and that old familiar easiness between us settles in once again. The relief of the situation being dealt with is short-lived, however, as Eth’tak speaks again.
“So what happens now?” I shrug, choosing my words carefully. I never anticipated this situation, and having to determine any conclusion without Piper seems like overstepping, but I guess Eth’tak and I need to be on the same page anyhow.
“We’re demons. Matrons don’t bind themselves to a single partner, so I see no reason Piper should have to, either. Besides, the more partners she has, the better for the race in terms of our… repopulation.”
Eth’tak blinks at me for a minute before roaring with laughter, nearly doubling over with the force of his guffaws. I bristle at his reaction, having expected for this to be a more than desirable outcome given everything that’s happened, and am about to tell him as much when he looks up at me with tears of laughter in his eyes.
“That’s not what I meant, but good to know whereyourhead is at,” Eth’tak says, still catching his breath.
“That was a perfectly rational leap,” I grumble as he reigns in his laughter.
“I mean, what’s going to happen with Piper? King Asmodeus wants her for something, and with her chaos magic burgeoning, his plans will likely come to fruition soon. What happens once we know what he has in store for her? Is she going to be whisked off to the palace, are we going to lose her?”
A solemn air falls between us as I contemplate Eth’tak’s words. I haven’t allowed myself to think too much about what the future will hold for the two, now three, of us. The Hooded One is notoriously crafty and self-serving, and his preoccupation with Piper has been the source of much anxiety for me.
I settle into the chair behind my desk as Eth’tak sits across from me. We sit in silence for a few minutes, the weight of what’s to come looming over the both of us.
Piper has been coming into her magic quickly, and while a part of me couldn’t be more proud, the closer she gets to having full control of her abilities, the closer we all become to whatever the Hooded One has in store for us.
The thought of Piper being taken away from us sends cold dread skittering down my spine, and I force myself to take a deep breath.
“I don’t know what comes next,” I finally admit, forcing myself to meet Eth’tak’s gaze. He nods grimly, flexing his hands into fists as if he could simply fight away the shadow hanging over Piper’s future.
“I figured as much,” he replies. “Does she know? About Asmodeus’ summons?”
“No,” I admit again. “I haven’t hidden it from her, but I haven’t exactly told her, either. I keep waiting for the right time, for more answers to be able to give her, but I have none. Telling her without having any information may only serve to scare her and shut down her growing abilities.”
Eth’tak hums thoughtfully, considering, before nodding again.
“Would that be such a bad thing? Shutting down her abilities, I mean. If she isn’t as powerful as the King thinks or hopes she is, that could prevent him from taking her from us.”
I blink, surprised by Eth’tak’s jump. I hadn’t considered that avenue…
“We can’t just shut down her abilities, especially when they’re as powerful as they are,” I say slowly, pieces in my mind clicking into place as I speak, “but we might be able to slow their progress. Just until we know what the Hooded One’s plan is,” I add quickly, a touch of shame blooming in my chest.
“If we can stall her progress and delay her testing, we both would get more time with her, and have more opportunity to find out what’s in store so we can prepare. Together, as a team,” I finish.
Eth’tak nods his agreement, rising to his feet. “Stalling, then.”
“Stalling,” I repeat.
I can only hope it works.
15
Ulstrath
Ahand falls on my shoulder as I approach the training ring. I turn to see my training master, Pyr’iot, standing there. “Not the pit today,” he grunts. Many say he is the training master because he doesn’t have the brains for anything else. Either way, he’s a damn good fighter.
“Tolmond has summoned me?” I ask, and he nods, walking past me and leaving me alone in the hall leading to the pit.
I turn on my heel, feeling a little too excited for the task in the tall twisted tower. I can’t help it, though. I’ve been working so hard to be noticed by a more powerful demon, and I’ve managed to catch Tolmond’s eye.
It bodes well for me to have a good relationship with a soz’garoth, so I’m grateful for his calling on me.
As a bonus, I get to spend a lot of time with Piper. Between her calling on me for company, the card games–as I’ve been teaching her more than the gambling games Tolmond knows–and her training, I’m with her daily.
Maybe it’s a death wish for me to want to be near her considering how the other two watch her, but I can’t help it. She’s funny and witty and I love being around her. Not to mention how beautiful she is.