Bride of the Demon King Page 6

  Harrow had Feir on the ground. The smaller, older, weaker demon lord was on his back, bleeding from dozens of deep cuts.

  “Harrow, I believe that this has been a sufficient demonstration. Are you satisfied?”

  He looked at her, his gold eyes flaring. “He dared to try and take you.”

  “And I would not go. You know how stubborn I am after knowing me only one day.”

  He let out a laughing huff, and he nodded. “I have noticed. How did you stop the battle?”

  “You were all frightened by a loud noise and a sudden snap. And a bit of magic. That is part of being what I am, and why a demon like Feir could never handle a demon queen. This is my house, and I will not tolerate violence, so there will be no violence. Simple.”

  She walked through the wounded and stood next to Feir. “You don’t know what it is to learn to be a man, so I will give you the chance to do it all over.”

  Emrie was acting on the instincts of her magic, so she crouched and pressed a hand into the bloody mess of Feir’s chest.

  He screamed as she pulled the essence of demon lord from him and left him as nothing but a lesser demon. She didn’t like the taste of his magic, but she needed to process it until it was fit for use again.

  He was still screaming when she stood, so she kicked him. “Get up. I healed your wounds when I demoted you.”

  Feir looked at her. “You have no power over me.”

  She shook her head. “No, I have no power over him.” She jerked her thumb in Harrow’s direction. “A demon in my territory is mine to tear apart at will. You have strayed into my home, and you were not invited. If you behave and work for what you get, you will become a demon lord again in ten years. A lesser one but still a demon lord. If you find a strong queen to take you on, you might even rise to king, but abuse women on the way and the queen will stay out of your path. I will see to it. Oh, and your name is now Lesser Demon Dorf.”

  He was hissing so much he was foaming at the mouth. “What power do you have?”

  “I have the power of a demon queen, the first true queen in over three hundred years. I can make demons, and I can destroy demons. I also make an excellent lemon squash.”

  She walked over to Harrow, and in front of those assembled, she went on her knees. “My lord, my husband, my king. You are mine as I am yours. The one man I will bow to, and the only man I will listen to. To you, I pledge myself in front of these witnesses.”

  Instead of lifting her, he knelt with her in the blood and mud. “My bride, my wife, my queen. I am yours as you are mine. You are the one woman I will bow to, and I will always listen to you. To you, I pledge myself, my home, my power, and my honour in front of these witnesses.”

  Their kiss sealed their pledge, and she was smiling at him as a little more power rippled through him. She had no idea where that energy was going, but she knew it was going to end up somewhere fun.

  Chapter Nine

  When Feir’s... Dorf’s men had left, there was nothing left for Harrow and his men to do but clean up.

  She had the very wounded men carried to the new surgery while Jamis and Doryn helped her gather the supplies she would need.

  The beds were arranged in a long line, which was amusing considering the sparse nature of the space the day before, but she liked it. She triaged the injuries and went to work. Part of her brain identified men who would make excellent lesser demons as she stitched, wrapped, pressed, and treated each of the dozen injured men.

  Jamis and Doryn did their jobs admirably. They lifted and carried for her with lovely dexterity, and Jamis’s skill at making pain potions could not be ignored.

  She felt a sense of satisfaction when all the men had been tended to and were on the mend. A few trickles of magic had been let loose to pull some away from the precipice of death, but she had not made any more demons.

  Emrie washed her hands and felt Harrow enter the infirmary. “Has Dorf and his men been seen on their way?”

  Harrow chuckled. “Yes. I cannot believe you renamed him.”

  “I also sent a spell along with him. His men will only call him Lord Dorf now.” Her smile was smug. She tried to make it aloof, but it wasn’t going to happen.

  “I do not know how long he will be in power.” Harrow wrapped her in his arms and rubbed his chin on her hair.

  “Oh, because his property can’t belong to a lesser demon?”

  “Because now he is a jackass with no power.”

  She snuggled back against him and sighed at the feeling of warmth that flooded through her. “Right. That could be a problem for him.”

  “What will his people do without a leader?” Harrow asked her softly.

  “Have a party?”

  “Seriously. They need a demon lord to lead them.” He nudged her head with his jaw, and she was soon staring at Doryn.

  She blinked until she caught on. “Oh, come on. I just made him!”

  “And it was for a purpose. You gave him a lot of power, and as it finishes integrating with his body, he will be stronger than Dorf ever was.”

  She snickered. The spell was holding.

  She watched as Doryn went from bed to bed, caring for the wounded and making the men laugh. He had a knack for it.

  “I would have to ask him. He has fealty to me and is loyal to you. I was hoping to develop him a bit.”

  “My dearest queen, you had wings ripping out of his back and horns shooting out of his forehead. I think he has had enough development.”

  She leaned back against him. “Fine. I will ask him.”

  “Please. The less issue that the folk have and the sooner they can recover from Dorf’s reign, the better.”

  “What will he have to do to Dorf?”

  “He will have to kill him.”

  “Right. Of course. That idiot wouldn’t take fuck off for an answer.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose with a finger and thumb.

  She looked up and pasted a bright smile on her face. “Doryn, come here, please.”

  Doryn looked at her and came right over, bowing low to her and Harrow. “How may I be of service, my Queen?”

  “I know today has been a busy day for you, but how would you like to have your own demesne?”

  He looked at her and blinked. “My own demesne?”

  “Yes, Demon Lord Feir is no more. He is now a lesser demon, and he was not a good master to begin with. I did not think of it, but if I put a weak demon in charge of a people, they will be targets for other demon lords to prey on. I am offering you his home and space.” She cleared her throat. “You may have to kill him.”

  Doryn smiled slowly, his fangs were showing. “I look forward to it. Thank you for this opportunity.”

  Harrow spoke. “I will send a dozen men with you to back up your claim, but I can feel the demons stirring, so you had best get new armour and get on your steed.”

  “Can I wear armour with wings?”

  Harrow pressed a kiss to Emrie’s cheek. “Excuse me, but I need to explain some of the finer points of being a demon to Doryn.”

  “Of course. Just one thing.”

  Emrie stepped up to Doryn, and she whispered a spell of protection against his cheek. “Be brave, be safe, be wise.”

  He smiled at her, and his eyes flared brightly for a moment before his gaze shifted behind her, and it dimmed. “Thank you, my Queen.”

  “Stop glaring at him, Harrow.”

  She heard a chuckle and continued her spell work. She wrapped Doryn in everything she could think of to protect him, and she realized she may have gone too far when he darkened to a deep purple. “Oh dear. I think I overprotected you.”

  Harrow gently pulled her away. “Stop mothering him. He will be fine. I have seen him fight.”

  Emrie sighed and stepped aside, watching her mate lead her new demon lord away.

  She looked over at Jamis, and he held up his hands. “I am fine like this, mistress. I would rather learn the healing arts from you than sprout wings and rule.”

>   She cocked her head. “There must be something you want.”

  “I want to learn, and I want to do it quickly.”

  She smiled and reached out for him.

  Jamis ducked away from her hand and held his palms up. “Really, mistress. I am fine the way I am.”

  Emrie pouted. “I really wanted to give you something. I have a lot of extra energy after taking power away from Dorf.”

  Jamis gave her a wary look. “Fine, mistress, but nothing that alters my mind or changes my physical appearance. Please.”

  Emrie pursed her lips and thought. “May I give you something that will increase your ability to serve me, as long as it meets the criteria?”

  He sighed. “Yes, my lady.”

  She placed her hands on his shoulders and focused. The energy went into him, and it went dormant in his body. It would be there when he or she needed it.

  She pulled her hands back. “There. Thank you.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “What did you do?”

  “I gave you speed. It won’t activate unless you will it to. I would recommend you experimenting outside so that you can work at scaling your actions to your speed.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She grinned. “The worst thing that will happen is that you will go for a run in a pasture.”

  “Fair enough. I will try it later. For now, I need to tend to our patients.”

  Emrie grinned. “Excellent. Call me if you need me. You merely need to whisper my name, and I will be on my way.”

  He blinked.

  She winked. “New feature. Enjoy.”

  She walked out of the infirmary and was on her way to the main hall when she caught the scent of ogre and Tyda.

  “Yosh, Min, are you going already?” She paused and bowed slightly.

  Min grunted and jutted out her lower jaw. “My lady, would you do us the honour of naming our child?”

  The baby was thrust at Emrie, and she took it carefully. “Of course. Let’s go into the courtyard and do the naming in the light of day.”

  The ogres grinned, and Tyda nodded.

  Emrie led the way through the halls until they passed the dais and ended up in the bright sunlight with the sun sparkling down on them.

  She turned and smiled at them with the baby blinking in the bright light.

  “Yosh and Min, I don’t know what brought you here, but I am delighted that you were here for me. Distracting me on my first day let me know that there would be a place for me here, and while I know that the labour was far from convenient, it helped me a lot.”

  The ogres inclined their heads but remained quiet.

  “Since you have given me this, this place in a new world that I am going to shape around me, I will give your daughter the name Tekka. The goddess who shapes the earth.”

  Yosh blinked, and then, he grinned wide. “My lady, how did you know we came from a clan of potters? Tekka is ideal.”

  Emrie held the baby up and gave her a tiny flicker of power. “Tekka, I give you a keen eye and steady hands. You will be a master artisan, and I will defend your right to practice your craft.”

  She pressed a kiss to the scar on the child’s head and leaned back before the baby could land a bite. “Well done, little one. Be well and be strong, Tekka.”

  She handed the child back to her mother, and the ogres bowed and bowed again, thanking her for the name.

  “It is my pleasure. I know that pottery is traditionally male in your clan, but she will take on the challenge. If any of the guilds or clans have an issue with her skill, call on me. I will defend her right to craft her own future.”

  Emrie could feel Harrow approaching. “Have you concluded your business with Lord Harrow?”

  Yosh nodded. “We have constructed a trade agreement and a path for our merchants to travel.”

  “Excellent. I didn’t want that lost in between the excitement.”

  Min put little Tekka in a carry sling. “Why is there so much blood about?”

  “Ah, there was a territorial dispute. It was settled.”

  Min blinked. “Which territory?”

  Harrow came up to them and put his arm around Emrie’s waist. “Demon Queen Emrie.”

  She blushed. “Something like that. A demon lord thought he could oust Lord Harrow, and he found out he was mistaken.”

  “He also thought he could claim a grown demon queen, and he will never make that particular mistake again.”

  She scowled. “Did you make sure of it?”

  Harrow nodded. “I did.”

  She huffed. “I would have liked to have said goodbye.”

  “He will be fine. You loaded him up with so much magic you turned him purple. He will be fine.” Harrow laughed.

  She leaned into him. “Fine, but if my creation gets a hangnail, I am blaming you.”

  Yosh and Min were looking at them, and slow smiles spread over their features.

  Emrie blinked. “Where are my manners? Harrow, you know Yosh and Min. This is baby Tekka.”

  He inclined his head. “Congratulations on the safe arrival. Do you require an escort to your home?”

  Yosh shook his head. “No, we are meeting our trading caravan in a few hours. If all goes well, we will have product to show you when we return to this stronghold.”

  Min chuckled. “Tekka might be walking by then, but I look forward to seeing you again, Queen Emrie.”

  “You are welcome, Mother Min.” Emrie bowed. “Be kind to your family and care for them as well as they deserve.”

  The ogres grinned, bowed, and backed away before turning and heading for the stables.

  Emrie watched the small tasks of life taking place around her. “Is this really where I live now?”

  “It is. Don’t worry. It will become less normal when you pay attention.” He swung her into his arms and carried her back into the stronghold. Apparently, he was interested in helping to anchor her to her new home.

  Chapter Ten

  Pleasure was Harrow’s means of distracting her. She had to admit that most of the time it worked.

  Emrie was standing on the tallest wall of the stronghold and looking out at the sunrise. Two weeks had come and gone since the night of tribute. She had delivered three babies in the city, lectured once at the healing academy, and set four broken limbs. It wasn’t enough.

  Emrie drummed her fingers against the wall, and she tried to think of what she could do next.

  “You are needed in the great hall, my lady.” Tyda appeared out of the shadow like she tended to. It was her mastered skill. She had desired to not be seen, so she wasn’t.

  “Lovely. I am on my way.”

  Tyda bowed and backed into the shadows with a grin.

  Emrie left her self-absorption to head down to the great hall. Lilidara had begun to embroider the wide-sleeved tunics that Emrie wore, and today, she was wearing dark burgundy with gold thread.

  The guards and servants that she passed in the halls bowed with slight smiles on their faces. She had assuaged their fears during that first battle in the great hall. She was on their side, and aside from the cosmetic changes, Jamis was the same man he had been before. That little fact had been a relief for those men who had gone through training with him.

  It was funny that Jamis’s volunteering to be her assistant had reaped such benefits for her relationships with those in the stronghold. He was enjoying learning about medicine, and it had only recently come about that she learned he had been rejected from the healing academy. He had not been wealthy enough to attend. Now that he had a chance to learn, he wasn’t wasting it.

  She hummed to herself as she walked through the halls until she entered the archway that led to the great hall. Harrow was standing and speaking with a high-ranking couple. He turned toward her and smiled when she entered the hall.

  Emrie kept her posture straight and tried to make her expression friendly.

  Harrow held his hand out, and she placed her fingers in his. He pulled her to his side. “Mother
, Father, this is my bride, Emrie, Demon Queen.”

  He turned to Emrie. “Emrie, this is my father, Lord Algus Twell, and his wife, Lady Murian Twell. They have come to meet you.”

  Emrie smiled at the couple, and they were staring at her in shock. “I am pleased to meet you both. You raised a fine son.”

  Her words seemed to break some sort of trance.

  Lord Twell cleared his throat. “Thank you. He was always focused on his mission, and it made him the man he is.”

  Emrie looked at her mate and then back to his parents. “His mission?”

  Lady Twell smiled. “You, dear. From the moment you were born, he was aware of you, and he did what he could to make himself into the kind of man you would want. We did what we could to help him, but he knew what he wanted to achieve.”

  Emrie blinked and felt a blush start on her cheeks. “I see. I... don’t know what to say to that.”

  Harrow chuckled. “I did tell you that this was all for you.”

  “Yes, but you didn’t say that your mother knew.”

  Lord Twell smiled. “I greet you warmly, daughter.”

  He held out his hands, and she placed her hands over his. He was a small man, and she had to lean down considerably to get the kiss on each cheek that he offered.

  “You are a well-formed, lass.” His eyes were twinkling.

  “It comes with the skin colour. I was a scrawny child.” She tried to release his hands, but it was his wife clearing her throat that got his attention enough to let her go.

  “She doesn’t want to hurt you, fool.” Lady Twell smiled. “Could you show me the infirmary, daughter?”

  “I would be happy to... Lady Twell.”

  The older woman took Emrie’s arm. “Call me Murian if you can’t call me mother.”

  “Murian then. I have never called anyone mother.” She smiled to take the sting out of it.

  Murian blinked rapidly, and she cleared her throat. “So, the tour?”

  “This way.” She led the older woman away from Harrow and his father.

  They were just out of earshot and in the corridor past the great hall when Murian began the questions. “Who raised you, child?”