Chapter 27: Better Than Never

From the outside, Third Prince Malich’s estate didn’t match his personality. I expected gaudy, overwrought design full of clashing elements. What I got instead was white on red with gold accents. Ostentatious, but I he was a Navanaean prince. To his credit, I doubted anything short of a thick coating of rotten slime would be able to properly reflect the shallows of his personality.

I concluded he must have inherited the estate from someone far more reasonable. At least in terms of aesthetic sense.

Unfortunately, insulting the man in my mind did not, in fact, grant me bravery. Regardless of how, the fact was that Malich had at least one greater demon bound to him. He’d be dead if he lacked countermeasures against my kind. I was oddly torn between imagining the entire place on fire and turning tail.

Speaking of tails, I finally had mine back. No point in disguises anymore, so we’d taken a few minutes in an alley to remove them. Hopefully a giant red demon and her binder with an unusual complexion (for the region) would be remembered enough that Aretan could find out where we went.

I’d slipped Nelys’ coral pendant carefully between my breasts. Seyari had shown me the trick to sneak small items way back on the Lady of Liseu. I didn’t intend to undress and no one would search there. At least no one who wanted to remain in possession of all their limbs.

Beside me, Seyari’s eyes were as cold as the dull steel they resembled. By all accounts, Malich should know little of what I could do. Still, his information network was not to be underestimated. He’d arrived at our destination before us after all. Although only because of my injury, the fact that it was the capital didn’t absolve the bastard from suspicion.

We reached the gate without interruption, though it was painfully clear we were watched from the moment we came in view of the estate. The property sat at the hilly edge of Baetnal. Close enough to where the new wall formed a boundary at the rear of the estate. The property sat elevated like much of the surrounding nobles’ district such that, from the inside, the outer wall looked about waist high.

A rather practical metal fence surrounded the rest of the estate which looked to have extensive gardens. I expected Malich’s initials to be in the wrought iron gate, but to my disappointment, there was instead a symbol that probably belonged to the royal family of Navanaea.

I had plenty of time to admire the scenery since Seyari did nothing but glare at the gate guards. Like some others we could see about the grounds, they wore well-polished armor and carried polearms.

The tension was rising, but my station absolved me of responsibility to do anything about it, which gave me some amount of comfort. That I also enjoyed watching two potentially innocent people squirm was not lost on me.

Seyari let the silence stretch on, daring them to do something. Eventually one of them spoke up in stuttering Navvish.

“Yes,” Seyari responded with one of the few Navvish words I could understand.

She didn’t elaborate. After a minute or so of awkward silence, someone who looked of higher station reached the gate. The man wore full armor like the others, but with a distinct-looking tabard. Terse words were exchanged with the gate guards, who looked more than a little whipped.

Following the exchange, the gates opened and we were let inside. The sound of metal closing behind me dropped an anchor into my stomach.

We were relieved of our bags and weapons by surprisingly polite guards who informed Seyari she would get them back before her departure. Our stuff was stashed in a guard house off to the side of the gate. I worried for my dress in its battered suitcase more than I worried about my weapons. Seyari, on the other hand, seemed to care a lot more. Her posture lost most of its surety and recovered very slowly as we walked toward the mansion in the center of the estate.

Without really thinking, I reached out to take Seyari’s hand. She let me and I gave her a reassuring squeeze. Before I really registered the action, Seyari squeezed back. We’d get Nelys back safely and we’d get through this, together.

***

The well-maintained grounds led to an interior that I really should have expected. Malich had done his best to erase any semblance of taste from the décor. From the taxidermy and rugs alone, I could doubtless learn much of large Navanaean fauna. I even recognized some of the displays from Edath and Ordia.

No one had told the man gold didn’t go with silver. Combining that with a riotous disregard for color pairing, the massive foyer alone hurt my eyes. About the only pleasant view was the large mural on the ceiling which depicted a beautiful starry night, lit by a chandelier that thankfully seemed original to the estate.

Twin staircases swept around the sides of a large set of double doors I assumed led to a ballroom of sorts. Down one of these oozed the leering Third Prince Malich flanked by three humanoid demons. His suit this time was a rather vibrant shade of green I’d dare say matched well with his dark features. Malich’s outfit made him look like a bright painter’s error set against the deep orangish-red of the wall behind him.

I recognized the gray demon from earlier to his left. To his right was a crimson-skinned woman whose outfit could conservatively be called indecent. From the way she carried herself, it wasn’t hard to guess she fell into a rather common demonic stereotype. She looked at me as if appraising a piece of meat and flicked her whiplike tail. I returned her look with a glare and she merely quirked her lips up in response.

The last demon behind was the least humanoid looking of the bunch. Spikes grew from his shoulders, his massive horns pointed forward aggressively, and though I could not see them clearly, his arms looked disproportionately large.

To my surprise, the cocky glare he gave me turned into a look of shock. Quickly, his expression shifted into a mediocre attempt at impassiveness. I hoped I didn’t let my surprise show.

“You’re late.” Malich’s words dripped venom.

“You have someone of ours,” Seyari stated coolly.

“And you have something of mine.” The smile the Third Prince directed at me was anything but friendly.

A shiver ran up my spine. Gray looked at me with unnerving stillness. Succubus licked her lips, and Spikes visibly struggled to keep a neutral face.

Malich filled the silence before it could grow. “Despite your lack of both manners and sense, I am nothing if not magnanimous. I am certain we can come to an agreement.” He smiled for effect. “A trade, perhaps?”

Seyari looked over the assembled demons. My eyes followed her gaze and only now did I notice the sheer number of armed guards in the room. There had to be at least a dozen on top of three mostly unknown demons. How on Varra were we going to get out of this?

Seyari clenched her jaw. “You know what we want.”

“We?” The prince laughed harshly. “You have such interesting opinions about your pets.”

I wanted so very badly to wipe the smile off his face, but I held my gaze level at him, though the animosity in it was obvious. I felt Seyari’s anger blaze to life next to me. I doubted it would dim while we were here.

“Get. On. With. It.” Seyari’s patience was diving negative.

“Hmm? No friendly discussion? Such a rude house guest, you are.” Malich waved his hand dismissively. “Fine. We can negotiate over dinner. You must be famished.”

Seyari and I shared a glance. With the firepower in the room, now wasn’t the time to take our chances.

“Come. Gods know you’ve kept me waiting long enough.” The Third Prince gestured to a large door at one side.

Surrounded by an abundance of guards, we reluctantly followed and were corralled down a wide, garish hall and into an equally garish dining room.

Malich, flanked still by his three bound demons, took a seat at the head of the table. Before him was a lavish looking meal.

Our seats, far down at the foot of the table, had the sad remains of lavish meals. Everything was cold and solidified. The vegetables and fruit were limp and smelled notably off.

“I apologize, but your meals may have gotten slightly cold while I was waiting,” Malich grinned viciously.

“What about yours?” I couldn’t help but fire back.

“Seyari! Keep your pet on a tighter leash.” The Third Prince deftly dug into his meal. “Then again, I’ll soon teach it proper discipline.”

“How do you know my name?” Seyari’s tone was, somehow, even.

From my position across from her, I could see her hand shaking slightly.

“You give my connections too little credit.” Despite the quick reply, Malich’s tone wavered. “And to answer your pet’s rude question, I ate my meal the night of, of course.”

Silence filled the air until Malich decided to replace it with the grating sound of his own voice.

“Your friend is very far from the ocean, you know.”

Seyari and I shared a look of confusion for a moment before we could hide it.

“Oh, you didn’t know? How very interesting. I wonder how close you—"

“Cut the bullshit Malich. Where’s Nelys?” Seyari, like me, refused to touch the rancid meal.

“Watch your tone, wretch!” Malich’s face contorted. “You do exactly what I say or your friend dies.”

I felt a spike in his anger.

“What do you say, then?” Seyari choked out.

“Simple.” The prince paused and made a brief show of enjoying his meal. “You give me what I need to transfer Zarenna’s contract. Once she’s mine, you can take your friend Nelys and leave.”

I don’t think either of us believed that for a minute. Still, we needed him to give us an opening. We still didn’t know where Nelys was held. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard, but we all knew damn well that killing him would bring the whole of Navanaea down on us. Fucker was still the Third Prince after all.

“Fine. I agree,” Seyari replied eventually.

“Wonderful! I have important business after dinner, but I’m quite certain you won’t mind waiting until later this evening.”

“Of course, Third Prince.” Seyari said, bowing her head.

Only I could see the middle finger she made at him out of his view. Her anger roiled away in a tight knot. Malich’s anger still simmered. I wondered if I could push him into a rash decision, but I worried it wouldn’t get past Gray.

Seyari’s acquiescence couldn’t have sounded any more fake, but Malich seemed to buy it completely.

Malich tapped the base of his goatee. “Oh, and do give an order to your pet so I can be sure of your sincerity.”

Seyari made a show of frustration before turning to me. “Zarenna. I order you to comply with orders given by Malich and his bound demons as though they were my own. Their orders supersede my own.”

“Understood,” I replied simply.

Of course, I had no intention of following any order I didn’t want to.

Malich clapped his hands. “I’m so glad we could come to an agreement. Zarenna is truly a magnificent specimen. She’ll be much better off in more capable hands, don’t you think?” Malich let the silence hang.

Seyari made a show of eating her rancid meal rather than respond. Malich frowned briefly before, I imagine, determining that he was still winning the exchange and resuming his meal.

The Third Prince ate in silence while Seyari and I did our best to figure a way out in our own heads. At some point, she managed to mouth “Don’t worry about me” without getting seen. For my part, hungry as I was, I ate the curry that still seemed edible and a good portion of the stale rice.

Malich was exactly petty enough to not offer food again.

What I didn’t understand was why he even offered to let Seyari go. On top of that, with how excited he seemed to have me effectively his slave, he made a show of delaying when he’d get the chance. Malich didn’t strike me as the type to put any sort of business before ‘pleasure’. Something else was going on, and I hoped Seyari realized it as well.

With the acoustics of the room and all the people in it, there was no way for us to whisper anything while being so closely watched.

After what felt like an eternity, ‘dinner’ ended and we were shuffled along and down into an extensive basement. Of course, a creep like him would have an extensive basement. Never mind that it probably dated to the estate’s construction and served a purpose. I seriously doubted the torture devices and multiple cells we passed along between the many closed doors were leftovers of a previous occupant.

At an intersection, Seyari and I were separated. Panic set in until Seyari managed to sneak a thumbs-up at me before she left my sight. I should have, but I didn’t expect us to be separated. At this point, my guards were Spikes and Gray with a few humans who kept well back. The Third Prince, half the human guard entourage, and Succubus went with Seyari.

Spikes looked dearly like he wanted to say something, but either his contract or Gray’s presence stopped him from speaking. I looked over occasionally, but the spiked demon didn’t meet my gaze. I did get a chance to look at him more and damn, did his arms and hands look like they could crush boulders. With a bit of a start, I realized they very well could do just that.

My claws sometimes got in the way, but at least I could use my hands much the same way I always had. I also took some pride in the height advantage I had. My horns were only a few centimeters from the ceiling and I had to duck deeply under the doors. After a moment, I wondered why I’d felt such a need to compare Spikes to myself.

Something was going on, but I hadn’t the faintest idea what. I did feel like I could probably take him though, and the thought reassured me.

While we followed the Third Prince, I’d kept an eye out for closed off rooms that might contain Nelys. I also memorized the path we took down here. The place was truly a maze, however, and I wasn’t completely sure about all the turns by the time we arrived at a dark room in the depths of the underground labyrinth.

We’d descended another flight of stairs at some point, and the walls were now carved into the rock. At the end of a hall was a large, reinforced door.

Gray had the hand-sized key. I started to think they was probably at the top of the hierarchy for Malich’s bound demons.

Spike pushed me inside, though I didn’t fight it. An idea had started to form in my head.

Malich could bind me with any contract he wanted, but I was confident I could ignore his binding. There was absolutely no way he was aware of this. Only Seyari and myself knew, and I was confident she wouldn’t let that critical detail spill.

All I had to do was wait for an opportunity and I could get us all out of here. Maybe. Hopefully.

The room I was led to was completely dark. I could see regardless, though as per usual with my darkvision, colors were washed out. Heavy chains and several sets of manacles ran from the floor and ceiling and were the only things in this circular room.

I wasn’t surprised when Gray moved to manacle me. I thought briefly about my chances of taking them out and making a run for it. The problem I had was that I knew so little about Gray and what he could do. Plus, I doubted Malich would want to keep me chained. Right? I thought back to his earlier odd behavior.

There was no way his selfishness would lose out to whatever else was going on. Confident enough, I let myself be manacled. My four arms presented a bit of a challenge, resulting in my body being almost strung up between two sets that were set apart. My two left wrists were shackled by one set and my right to the other. I expected cold, but the metal burned my wrists and ankles.

“Holy magic.” Gray’s voice was unnaturally void of emotion.

I paled. Not only could I probably not break the manacles off, the holy magic burned deep into my ankles and wrists. Of course, the burns inflicted by holy magic negated my regeneration, leaving me with a constant useless drain on my mana due to constant exposure.

The unnerving demon smiled far, far too wide. They turned to leave and Spikes followed, though not without one last glance my way.

I thought about trying to melt the manacles, but even if I failed, the results would be obvious. As much as it pained me to do so, for Nelys sake, I need to keep my rage in check.

As the darkness stretched on, however, I started to lose the battle with my own anger. Who dared to shackle me?

Before my thoughts could turn to visions of fire and death, my sigil glowed green and cast its faint glow around the small room. The color reminded me of Abby’s eyes.

Deep breaths.

Slowly, I calmed myself down. I had to be patient for everyone’s sake. Malich’s ego would give us an opening.

The minutes dragged into hours. I kept my breathing even and my thoughts as clear as I could. To my surprise, I almost grew used to the burning from my manacles. The drain on my mana was only slight, though fatiguing all the same.

I was musing about demonic pain tolerance versus what this experience would have been like when I was human when I finally heard the sound of a key in the lock.

With Gray and Spikes flanking him, Malich strode into the room with a wicked smile on his face. Gray carried ritual implements I couldn’t identify, while Spike glanced up at me before looking down.

I glared down at Malich with anger and fear in my eyes. For as confident as I was in my ability to nullify bindings, the idea of being wrong scared me to my core.