Read Online The Demon King by Heather Killough-Walden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Killough-Walden
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when the
detective turned, peered down the dark alley, and took off at
another run, no doubt to catch up with the third and final
perpetrator. But Bael had really had enough of this all-too-human
game of crime fighting. It was time to tend to real business.
He followed Lazarus to the end of the alley,
then got close enough to be heard before he cleared his throat.
The detective skidded to an impressive halt
and spun, pulling his firearm and flooding his hands with readied
offensive magic at the same time. Bael dropped the invisibility
around him, which also cleared up his own vision. He stepped out of
the shadows, and Lazarus gazed at him down the barrel of his
gun.
“ Good evening, Detective
Lazarus,” said Bael. “I wonder if I might have a word with
you.”
The detective eyed him with careful
scrutiny, and Bael could sense himself being sized up from head to
toe.
“ Akyri?” Lazarus asked
plainly, but he didn’t lower his gun, and that magic of his was
still throbbing at the ready.
Bael chuckled low and glanced at the ground
as he smiled a smile of secrets. “No, I’m afraid you’re a touch off
there, detective. But you knew that already. If I were an Akyri,
you wouldn’t have to ask. You are, after all, their king.”
The detective grew dangerously silent. Bael
felt the stillness about him, so quiet, so razor-sharp, it was
beyond obvious to him that the man was masses more than he appeared
to be.
“ Fair enough. But you’re
definitely not human,” Laz said. His blue eyes flashed with
knowledge.
Bael smiled, revealing beautiful white teeth
much like the detective’s; his incisors were slightly elongated,
and decidedly sharp. “No,” he said. He moved from his position to
approach his subject, but at a few feet from Lazarus, the air grew
troubled and wrong. It was a palpable warning not to come any
closer. Bael drew to a stop, swallowing past a dryness that had
suddenly formed in his inhuman throat. He decided to talk fast.
“I’ve come to deliver a message, Detective. It’s about your
father.”
Those ocean blue eyes
narrowed on him, pinning him to the spot he’d stopped in. Immense power indeed ,
Bael thought uncomfortably. As his king’s Messenger, he was
supposed to possess special immunities to this kind of thing. They
should have given him at least a fighting chance against the
detective’s inherent magic. Yet Bael felt very literally glued in
place and sluggish in general. He even felt afraid. Maybe he’d lost
his messenger immunities. Or maybe Steven Lazarus was a force to be
reckoned with.
“ You’re speaking of
Marius,” Lazarus plied slowly. Marius was the late Akyri King.
Lazarus had killed him and taken his place at the Table of the
Thirteen.
“ No,” Bael shook his head.
“Not quite. Think bigger. Think badder .”
The detective raised his chin, just
slightly. He said nothing, which urged Bael to continue. So he went
on, still frozen to the spot. “Feel free to stop me at any time,
but I’m guessing that you’re finding your position as the new Akyri
King more and more difficult to justify of late.”
There was a long pause
before Lazarus spoke very slowly and carefully. “What makes you say
that?” What Lazarus wasn’t questioning was how Bael knew he was the Akyri
King. He didn’t question how Bael knew of Marius, the former king. In fact, he
seemed to accept everything that was happening as if it were simply
another facet to his life. As one of the Thirteen, it was possible
this was just
another facet to his life, and maybe he was just very good at
making adjustments.
“ The Akyri have certain
powers. As their king, you will of course have developed these
powers in full by this point. But I’m guessing you’ve developed a
good deal more .”
Now Detective Steven Lazarus seemed to grow
larger, his presence more ominous. His look turned cold as ice.
“Who are you?” he asked darkly.
Bael answered quickly. “My
name is Bael. I’m a messenger in your
detective turned, peered down the dark alley, and took off at
another run, no doubt to catch up with the third and final
perpetrator. But Bael had really had enough of this all-too-human
game of crime fighting. It was time to tend to real business.
He followed Lazarus to the end of the alley,
then got close enough to be heard before he cleared his throat.
The detective skidded to an impressive halt
and spun, pulling his firearm and flooding his hands with readied
offensive magic at the same time. Bael dropped the invisibility
around him, which also cleared up his own vision. He stepped out of
the shadows, and Lazarus gazed at him down the barrel of his
gun.
“ Good evening, Detective
Lazarus,” said Bael. “I wonder if I might have a word with
you.”
The detective eyed him with careful
scrutiny, and Bael could sense himself being sized up from head to
toe.
“ Akyri?” Lazarus asked
plainly, but he didn’t lower his gun, and that magic of his was
still throbbing at the ready.
Bael chuckled low and glanced at the ground
as he smiled a smile of secrets. “No, I’m afraid you’re a touch off
there, detective. But you knew that already. If I were an Akyri,
you wouldn’t have to ask. You are, after all, their king.”
The detective grew dangerously silent. Bael
felt the stillness about him, so quiet, so razor-sharp, it was
beyond obvious to him that the man was masses more than he appeared
to be.
“ Fair enough. But you’re
definitely not human,” Laz said. His blue eyes flashed with
knowledge.
Bael smiled, revealing beautiful white teeth
much like the detective’s; his incisors were slightly elongated,
and decidedly sharp. “No,” he said. He moved from his position to
approach his subject, but at a few feet from Lazarus, the air grew
troubled and wrong. It was a palpable warning not to come any
closer. Bael drew to a stop, swallowing past a dryness that had
suddenly formed in his inhuman throat. He decided to talk fast.
“I’ve come to deliver a message, Detective. It’s about your
father.”
Those ocean blue eyes
narrowed on him, pinning him to the spot he’d stopped in. Immense power indeed ,
Bael thought uncomfortably. As his king’s Messenger, he was
supposed to possess special immunities to this kind of thing. They
should have given him at least a fighting chance against the
detective’s inherent magic. Yet Bael felt very literally glued in
place and sluggish in general. He even felt afraid. Maybe he’d lost
his messenger immunities. Or maybe Steven Lazarus was a force to be
reckoned with.
“ You’re speaking of
Marius,” Lazarus plied slowly. Marius was the late Akyri King.
Lazarus had killed him and taken his place at the Table of the
Thirteen.
“ No,” Bael shook his head.
“Not quite. Think bigger. Think badder .”
The detective raised his chin, just
slightly. He said nothing, which urged Bael to continue. So he went
on, still frozen to the spot. “Feel free to stop me at any time,
but I’m guessing that you’re finding your position as the new Akyri
King more and more difficult to justify of late.”
There was a long pause
before Lazarus spoke very slowly and carefully. “What makes you say
that?” What Lazarus wasn’t questioning was how Bael knew he was the Akyri
King. He didn’t question how Bael knew of Marius, the former king. In fact, he
seemed to accept everything that was happening as if it were simply
another facet to his life. As one of the Thirteen, it was possible
this was just
another facet to his life, and maybe he was just very good at
making adjustments.
“ The Akyri have certain
powers. As their king, you will of course have developed these
powers in full by this point. But I’m guessing you’ve developed a
good deal more .”
Now Detective Steven Lazarus seemed to grow
larger, his presence more ominous. His look turned cold as ice.
“Who are you?” he asked darkly.
Bael answered quickly. “My
name is Bael. I’m a messenger in your
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