Scurrying off into the castle, I feel the common pail I hadn’t experienced in what would seem like a lifetime, for a human.
The blood trickles down my gray skin. All demons have stone-cold skin. Mainly present in the arms and legs, along with the middle of the torso. For a human it would be remarkable that demon has heat glands around the cheeks, ears, eyes, and the heart. Other species would say that demon’s also have warm skin close to their napes. Unexpectedly, the Demon Council had announced that the nape of a demon contained no other organs and couldn’t technically be called “heat.”
My skin, being deformed, has freckles that looked like an infection. My freckles were common at the beginning of the elbow, ear, neck, thigh, shin, shoulder and also surrounded my eyes. Freckles, common in humans, we’re supposed to be nonexistent through the demon race. Over the years, humans have slowly bred into demon genes. Therefore, unless there is any type of relation to a human, the demon would be called purebred. As I am the King of Demon Domain, I have never had any relatives with any gene of the human race.
Not a single one.
Not a single strand.
During the course of the coronation, I hadn’t had to worry about it. Coincidentally, the potion had taken care of everything for me.
❊ ❊ ❊
I tug Yehain, or that is the pillowcase, close to my chest. Hoping that the heat around my heart will help her heal. The blood from the Blood Season has stained the cover, leaving my hands in a red tint.
“D-damian?” The boy, I faintly recognize, has fully-grown hair, covering his face. His teeth shine with a stunning glare. His hair is a light tan color, one similar to a human’s, maybe even a lighter tone of Lundo’s. His skin is crystal clear, except for the dirt. The boy looks sweaty, maybe running to catch me? Is there some kind of problem?
I stand still, analyzing the small boy around my age.
The shock which followed afterward all started with a drop of blood coming from a large gash in the boy’s neck. The blood drips on my toes, covering my three claws.
I look back up and down at the boy. Suddenly, he turns his face. I instantly recognize him as Lundo, my brother.
He stares at me and I stare in return. I scrutinize his appearance, now that I know what he looked like before.
His hair has grown dramatically. Now, it’s pulled up into a messy ponytail, with one half covering the rest of his face. Unlike Mr. Bushé’s hair, which had changed a different color, Lundo looks like he’s gotten older. One of Lundo’s eyes has been ripped out, the scar is covered by his hair. Unfortunately for him, the blood still drips down his cheek. I follow the trail of blood back up again. The nasty scar left behind is constantly being covered up.
“Lundo? What happened?”
“Y-yehain... “ He stumbles forward, holding the palm of his hand to his eye. In a quick second, I grab onto him. He wraps his hand uncomfortably around my neck, with a tightening grip.
“What? Why did mother do that?” Lundo jerks his head up. As if that piece of information was never supposed to be revealed like it was a secret.
“In the s-second door to the l-left… Her office. B-bring me with you.” I can’t leave him alone so I have no choice but to drag him along. I tighten my grip around his waist and he makes a quicker grip around my neck, worrying me if we were to fall.
❊ ❊ ❊
My mother’s office looks somewhat different. The walls are lined with letters, pictures, and messages, all taped in a disorderly way, some sticking underneath other’s some on the verge of falling to the floor, which others have already had.
With all honesty, I expected my mother to have a tidy room. Similar to the one I’ve seen before when I was called to the courtyard when everything started.
Out of all the sources on the wall one sticks out. Carless, I read it to myself. The letter, written in gold in states: “When will we see the Prince?” The date marked around five years ago. A red drawstring connects the letter to a picture, one that catches my mind. There is a young girl, wearing a layered dress, standing in front of a large blue tree. Unusual, I thought, the tree’s trunk was pure black compared to its turquoise leaves. I had to admit that the girl was beautiful. Something like Yehain. Her eyes are different: one red, just like Yehain’s and the other blue, this time more of a turquoise, unlike Yehain’s dark blue. The suspicious thing is how the red-eye is on the same side as Yehain. The girl is definitely a hybrid, one with claws, wings, horns, tails, and almost one trait from every creature. She’s definitely something that’s not real. Something that mother’s magic conjured up. The evidence is in her shadow: there isn’t one. Even though the girl stands on the grass with the large tree, both have no shadows. No shadows indicate that the image is not real. Magic can’t duplicate shadows.
The girl in the picture looks empty. The tree behind me would be, as I imagine, the tree Mr. Chari had misspoken about during one of my lessons.
It was the 47th day of the sunshine, a year back. I mean today is the 26th day of sunshine. On that day, Mr. Chari started his basic unit on the origin of humanity:
“Nobody knows what time humans arrived on their planet, Earth.” He slurred past the word, showing no respect for human culture. “Not even humans know-how it happened! Luckily, the demons do. It was because of one demon’s unmistakable acts that they were banished from Euothia.” The fact knocked me awake from boredom. How could such a poor race have their origins in Euothia? Mr. Chari continued, ignoring the fact that only now was I intrigued in any of his lessons. “The demon society is well known for keeping the fact that all humans, of all nature, came from Demon Domain. These humans,” he stopped and put his finger under my chin. His fingernail cutting into my skin, slowly paining me. Then he swiped it away, jerking me back. WIthout caring, he continued, “ had not the slightest idea of what they were thinking about. They assimilated with the angels, a disgust to Euothia. Barely magical enough to be called ‘Euothian.’ A creature that only sees the pure and innocent in things.” He holds his hands up, to act similar to a kitty. I never thought that cats could be a sign of innocence. “Being demons, we could no longer dare to be tied to them! Our lord, King Levecha Von Choclin, your great, great, great, great…” He continued, counting with his long fingers to fifty-three as if trying to do his best to bore me. Then he continued, “He had accelerated in his ideas and spells. He, and only he, had banished the humans to a completely different planet. Pathetic for humans to call such a Lord a meteor. A meteor! What madness were they thinking! Even the Tree of Euothia wasn’t that grand! Who am I kidding? The Tree of Euothia should be a criminal! Creating a monster that could destroy every creature in Euothia?! Creating this world should’ve been enough for her!”
By that time, I had woken up. Bending over the table, I wrote as many notes as I could. Soon, mother had come through the door. Mr. Chari had been caught red-handed.
Mother hadn’t said a word. I didn’t know why that had surprised me. Mr. Chari and Mr. Bushé are best friends. I suppose they were a trio? I imagined it while I was waiting around.
Jaswrie Bushé, Demosa Von Choclin, and Traysis Chari, a group suitable for royals. Mother’s family name wasn’t Von Choclin at that time. That information is kept away from my view. Just in case I had the thought to search for my mother and find her family, along with her past.
While contemplating, something tightens around my neck, injecting something sharp into the side of my throat. The pain hits me while I go toppling to the floor. Causing a loud thud on the cold cement ground of mother’s office. A hand brushes over my face, poking my teeth. I’ve seen these actions before. When ningers are taken out, they are checked before the team lets their guard down.
They’re kidnapping me?
The last thing I heard was mother’s orders, instructing, what seemed to be, Lundo Xavier Choclin.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
