I was back in the forest that contained the portal. Following the path back into the city, I ambled through the streets. I didn't really want to go home quite yet but there was nowhere else I could go to entertain myself. With a dejected sigh, I went home. I didn't go inside, though, opting to go to the backyard where Zane and I kept our hellhounds.
Father had a kennel made for when we first got them. Three large cages: one for Hound, one for Malus, my brother's pet, and one for Father's hellhound.
He was a monster aptly named Grim. He possessed two heads with black eyes. He stood on his hind legs, his thick front legs having evolved into long arms that dragged across the floor. His canines, like all hellhounds, protruded from his mouths. He was hairless, a slightly uncommon but not at all unusual trait.
I had very little to do with him; he didn't care for me and I felt likewise. Malus and Hound hated him and the feeling was mutual for Grim.
As I approached the kennel, Grim's small ears pricked and I heard him snuffle before he let out a low growl. He snarled as I got closer, lunging at the cage door. I paused and stared at him, mildly perturbed by his hostility.
"What's gotten into you?" He continued to snarl at me as though he didn't recognize me.
Malus and Hound were doing the same, though not nearly as aggressively. I went to Hound's cage and let him out. No sooner had I done so, I was on the ground with him pinning me down, his teeth bared.
"Hound, off!" I commanded, wincing when his large paw pressed down on my sternum.
He was sniffing my shoulder, I realized, and growling. I gasped in alarm, "Oh!"
The hellhounds could smell Will on me. With an annoyed grunt, I shoved Hound off me and smacked him hard on the head when he went to lunge at me again. Hound yelped and backed off, his glowing red eyes regarding me hurtfully.
"Enough!" I snarled, baring my teeth at him. He whined softly and sat on his haunches, a trace of a growl still in his throat.
I grabbed the cloth of my shirt where it rested on my shoulder and sniffed it slightly. Sure enough, I could smell Will's scent.
"Damn." I cursed softly and turned around. "Hound, come."
I walked and heard Hound trot after me.
Hellhounds are quite large; ranging from the size of a pony to a large horse. Grim was a fine example of just how large they could be; he was at least seven feet tall. Hound's head was level with my shoulder and he was big enough I could ride him if I wanted to. Of course, I was not very tall: just about five feet. I had ridden him before, being light enough he didn't mind it horribly.
I rested my hand on his shoulder, feeling the muscles flex beneath his sleek brown fur. I opened the back door to the house and held it open for Hound before closing it behind me.
The back door opened into the kitchen, one of the larger rooms of the house. Our servants were bustling around, presumably getting dinner ready. Hound stole a soul off a plate, devouring it quickly before anyone other than me really noticed. I continued through the kitchen, being careful to avoid the servants carrying dishes.
As I exited the kitchen, Zane appeared in front of me, looking strained. I startled and scowled at him. "You know I hate when you do that!"
"No time, come on!" He grabbed my wrist and dragged me quickly upstairs into my room. "Maverick, take the bloody beast back to his cage!"
One of the servants bowed his head and timidly grabbed Hound's collar, forcing the hellhound to follow him back outside.
"Hey," I protested, "I was going to spend some time with him!"
Zane shut my door and went to my closet, rummaging through my dresses. "You'll have to do that later. The King is coming for dinner."
I gaped. "Why? He's never come before!"
He shrugged. "You think I know? Father came home all nervous and immediately began barking orders at the staff to prepare dinner fit for the King. We're expected to dress our finest. Oh, blast it, where is that dress?!"
As he went through my closet, I fisted my hair and muttered, "This is bad, this is bad, this is so bad! Why is he coming over now?! What if Father screwed up royally and we're just going to be slaughtered? I'm not really ready to die yet; I still have a few thousand years left! I'm not even a thousand yet!"
As I fretted, Zane tossed the dress he was supposedly looking for at me. I caught it and groaned. "And I have to wear this one? You know I hate it."
"It's your nicest dress, now stop complaining and get ready! And do something about your smell; you reek of human air." He whisked out of my room, the door slamming shut behind him.
The dress was red with a black, floor length skirt. The skirt puffed out and the bodice required a lot of lacing. The sleeves were short, stopping at the curve of my shoulders. As I held the dress, I sucked my cheek in between my teeth.
I wondered if I could get away with going barefoot, but decided against it. Father would surely notice. I set the dress down on my bed and undressed to take a quick bath. I went into my bathroom and turned the hot water on. When it was three quarters full, I turned the water off and stepped into the tub.
I ducked my head under the hot water, surfacing a few seconds later and pushed my damp hair out of my eyes. I grabbed my soap and sponge and vigorously scrubbed my shoulder until the skin was bright pink and sore. I sniffed the skin there, satisfied it no longer smelled like Will, and washed the rest of my body. I gave my hair a quick wash before draining the tub and grabbed my towel, wrapping it around my body. I wrapped my hair up in a smaller towel.
Stepping into my cooler room, I dried myself off and got into clean undergarments before going through the hassle of putting the dress on. When that was completed, I grabbed the matching high heeled shoes and slipped them on.
Someone knocked on my door. I invited, "Come in."
Zane walked inside, nervously adjusting his tunic. "The King's carriage has arrived. Father wants us downstairs."
I took the towel out of my hair and used my fingers as a makeshift brush to get the knots out. My hair wasn't dripping, at least. I followed Zane out of my room and downstairs where Mikayla, Father, and our servants waited to greet the King.
Zane took his place beside Father, his arms folded behind his back. Being older than Mikayla I stood on Father's other side, my back ramrod straight.
"Your hair is still wet." Father accused quietly, his golden eyes glaring at me out of his periphery.
"Yes, I just got out of the bath; Zane informed me I smelled unpleasant and I did not want to offend His Majesty." I replied back, my eyes staring at the door as one of our servants went to open it.
The King was around three thousand and six hundred years old, a demon physically appearing to be in his early thirties. His blond hair was slicked back, revealing a handsome face and vicious looking yellow eyes. He was wearing a black and gold robe and knee high leather boots. On his index and ring fingers he had golden rings with large jewels.
"His Majesty, King Lin XVI." The servant announced.
Zane and Father bowed deeply and Mikayla and I curtsied. I heard him move forward and Father straightened up.
"It is an honor to welcome you into my home, My King." Father simpered, a wicked smile making its way across his face.
"You flatter me, Tavor. I thank you for accepting me last minute." King Lin replied, waving Father's pleasantries away. "Introduce me to your family."
"Of course, Your Highness. My son, Zane." Zane bowed as the King regarded him up close.
"He looks strong. What is your power, boy?" Lin said, his voice sharp.
"Earth, My King." Zane answered, keeping his head bowed. His bicep twitched and I knew he was annoyed by the king calling him "boy" when he was more than three hundred years older.
"A fine element to control. Perhaps you will join my guard." Lin nodded approvingly before turning toward me and Mikayla. "And these must be your lovely daughters."
"Yes; Melanie and Mikayla. Melanie is the one with shorter hair. She is the older twin." Father said, glaring slightly at me over Lin's shoulder.
Behave, He mouthed. He didn't need to tell me twice.
Lin looked appraisingly at Mikayla, commenting, "You have such lovely hair, my dear. So beautiful the way it catches the light."
Her face flushed with pleasure and she curtsied. "Thank you, Your Majesty. It is an honor to hear such words from you."
He stood in front of me. I kept my eyes downcast, my hands clasped gently in front of me. I bowed my head slightly at him. "Your Highness."
Up close, he smelled of death and I felt inclined to put some space between me and him. He was several inches taller than me, making him about Mikayla's height. His boots looked to be made of human skin, I noted as bile rose to my throat.
"I assume you and your sister share similar powers."
I forced myself not to nod, swallowing the bile back down. "Yes, My King. Lightning."
"Interesting. Tavor, didn't your wife wield lightning as well?"
"Yes," Father's voice was strained. He hated when someone mentioned our mother, even if they were a king. I, myself, tensed with subdued fury at Lin's careless mention. "She was very powerful."
"A pity she had to die." Lin didn't sound remorseful at all. "But, she left us daughters as beautiful as her. Although..."
"What is it, Your Highness?" Father sounded slightly worried.
I felt gloved fingers slide under my chin, forcing me to look up at the King's face. His thin mouth was crooked in amusement. "This one likes to hide her face, I see. Come, my child, I give you permission to look upon the face of your king. Your sister was not as timid."
I focused on his nose—anywhere but those venomous eyes—and said demurely, "I apologize, My King, I am not as bold as my sister."
"Indeed." He removed his hand from under my chin and I let my head drop back down, the place where he touched burning unpleasantly.
"Is dinner ready?" Lin had turned to Father, who had an odd look on his face.
"Ah, yes, Your Grace. Shall we move to the dining hall?" Father led the King to the dining hall with my siblings and me following.
Mikayla leaned in and hissed, "What was that?"
I whispered back, "You think I know?"
The royal guards placed themselves behind the King's seat and at the doorways, their heads turning once in a while. The King was sitting in Father's usual seat at the head of the table. Father sat on his left, his expression still off. I was hesitant to take a seat, preferring to wait until Zane and Mikayla chose their seats before I sat.
"You, my dear, why not sit at my side?" The King ordered in the form of a polite offering, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.
I looked at Mikayla in confusion before pointing to myself. He nodded and I mechanically walked over, plopping down in the seat. My shoulders tensed slightly around my neck, feeling my family's eyes on me. Father was hoping I wasn't going to screw up, Mikayla was perplexed, and Zane just seemed uncomfortable if his eyes flitting around were indicative of that.
We waited for Lin to take the first bite before eating as well. I kept my bites small and took a while to chew, fearful of the King asking me questions.
The texture of a soul was peculiar. It was smooth on the outside, but very fragile. The inside was stuffed with a flavorful filling based off of the human's dominant characteristic. The soul I was munching on was filled with happiness; one of the most delicious flavors a demon could taste.
"Melanie, was it?" I gulped down the food in my mouth and nodded.
When I realized I had nodded, I hastily verbalized, "E-er, yes, Your Highness."
"Lovely name. How old are you?"
It was difficult to keep from fidgeting! I wanted to twiddle my thumbs in my anxiousness. "804."
"Ah, just a baby!" He sounded vaguely disappointed. "What is it you like to do for fun?"
I pushed the soul on my plate around with my fork. "I like to read in my family's library and wander the forest."
"I suppose you have seen the portal to the Human World?" Zane stiffened beside me, as did I.
"I suppose I have, My King."
I heard him snort politely. "Come now, you won't be punished for seeing the portal. Tavor told me of your encounter with the Angels of Life and Death when you were summoned by a human. Why don't you tell me about it?"
Father seemed ill at ease now and I was hoping he'd say something, but he held his tongue. Mikayla and Zane were staring at me, both with differing expressions on their faces. Mikayla seemed like she wanted to throttle me, obviously disliking the attention the king was giving me. My brother had more of a smug look on his face, as though pleased the king would learn of just how poor my fighting skills were.
"W-what would you like to know, King Lin?" I asked, looking up at him for a moment.
"Well, did you get your payment for whatever it was you had to do? What were the Brothers like? Lucifer told me you were quite beaten up when you returned."
"Ah, yes, I did get my payment, but I didn't get much time to enjoy them." I sulked, morosely thinking of the wasted rolls my Summoner no doubt enjoyed in my stead. "As for the Brothers...uh, they were pretty powerful."
"What did they look like?" He sounded honestly interested and I realized with a jolt he probably had never left Hell, let alone seen an angel.
"The Angel of Death is ghastly. He has this gas mask on and is completely white. His scythe is something to be reckoned with. If you so much as touch it, you get frostbite and your wounds will not heal if he slices you." I shuddered as though I could feel Luke's presence in the room.
"Zane was the only one to be able to face him because he had his gauntlets." Mikayla quipped cautiously, worried the King may turn on her for speaking out of turn.
Instead, he looked at her, intrigued. "Fascinating. Melanie, did you not have your weapon with you?"
My face flushed in embarrassment. "I do not make a habit of carrying my dagger with me, King."
He shook his head in a chiding manner. "I hope you learned your lesson. And what of the Angel of Life?"
At the thought of Will, I felt warmer and recalled him giving me the rolls and introducing me to muffins earlier. My heart seemed to quicken as I remembered the genial way he looked at me.
"He's fast. He didn't have a weapon on him when I faced him, but he was no less dangerous. He has hair and eyes are the color of fire. He discovered me first." I said softly, looking down at my lap.
Lin leaned forward, eyes wide with intrigue. "Red hair? That's unusual...So, your siblings came to your rescue then? Did your Adsecula do nothing?"
I was partially amused he was as enraptured by Will's hair as I was, though my description of it didn't do him justice. Zane seemed to have lost interest in the conversation as he resumed eating, popping a yellow soul in his mouth. Father was watching our interaction with an uncomfortably keen gleam in his eyes. Mikayla was pushing her food around her plate.
"She got me away from the area and toward the portal after the Angel of Life intimidated my Summoner; he convinced the human not to send me back. Unfortunately, we got intercepted by the Angel of Death. Then my siblings arrived."
I left out the part I keep Rayi under staunch control. That I dread the very idea of losing my personality to her. Lin was rubbing his chin with one hand as he shoved a soul into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully before inquiring, "You have had training in fighting, though, correct?"
"If I may, Your Highness," Father said before I could say anything, "Melanie has never been a strong fighter. She may be on par with a Lesser Angel but certainly not an Archangel. She's always been more of a bookworm. Mikayla and Zane excel in fighting, however."
At that moment, I felt ashamed of how poor my fighting was. I didn't like to fight, preferring to talk my way out of trouble rather than skipping diplomacy. I was grateful, though, for Father's redirection of the king's attention from me to my siblings.
Lin was conversing with Zane, telling him more about the Royal Guard Academy. I managed to get through dinner under the radar, stomaching the remaining food on my plate. Mikayla attempted to strike up a conversation with Lin, but he'd coolly answer her and return to speaking with either Zane or Father. I almost felt sorry for her when I saw her disappointed face.
I'd rather the King be interested in her than me, too.
ns 15.158.61.52da2
