Three Steps From Hell, Pt. 3

250 years ago…

Days turned to weeks spent in the company of King Xander and his court. What had first been merely me taking advantage of having a roof over my head and food in my stomach turned into something more. Something keeps me here, or maybe it’s someone…   

I feel the court’s eyes on me as I enter on the King’s arm. I then branch away, taking my place to the side of his throne. He looks back at me, and catching my eye, he gives me a wink. The corner of my lips pulls up into a smirk, but I look straight ahead, raising my chin and holding myself with the poise fitting of his future queen. That’s right. I have my eye on the prize. Go big, or go home.  

I watch as the masses come and go, laying their problems at the King’s feet, to which he dispenses justice as he deems fit. Xander is steadfast in his ways, willing to lay down the law with an iron fist, and yet he is a fair ruler. He is a far cry from what I expected a king to be like, and it makes me realize just how accustomed I had become to Luther’s endless cruelty.

My gaze follows the guards as they usher out a couple and lead in the next. As a man tall in stature and with the coppery skin of a wood elf walks in, I feel myself freeze. It’s him. The last words he ever spoke to me ring through my head, “My name is Pestis. And when the time is right, the Darkling will find you.”

My nerves frayed, I edge towards Xander, but my eyes never leave the elf, or whatever the hell he actually is. Pestis seems to catch my movement, his gaze snapping to me, almost pinning me down with his eyes, before averting just as quickly. “Keep your eyes to yourself and your mouth shut, little hellion.” I flinch, stopping in my tracks as his voice somehow fills my head. “The last thing you want is for the King to be aware that we know each other. If you value your life, you will trust me on this.”

I swallow the lump in my throat and take a deep breath, attempting to let the tension leave my body with my exhale. He knows too much about me. He knows right where to hit. My need for self-preservation will always win out. You’re not pulling any punches, are you? I think, wondering if he can hear my unspoken reply. The small smirk that crosses his features says he does, unsettling me more.

As he comes to a stop at the foot of the throne, he bows to the King with a dramatic flourish. My gaze flits over to Xander, wishing I could see his face better to determine his reaction.

“It’s not often we see a wood elf in these parts. State your name and reason for being here,” Xander commands, his voice exuding power. Everyone seems to lean in, hanging on their every word.

Head still inclined, Pestis’s gaze comes up to lock with Xander’s as he straightens back to his full height. “My name is Pestis Revolut, and I am here to strike a deal on behalf of my Lordship.”

My brows furrow as a deep chuckle reverberates from the King’s chest, and I glance around the room as the whole court bursts into laughter. I muster a half-assed chuckle, not wanting to seem out of place.

“You want to strike a deal? Vampires don’t make deals with elves,” Xander retorts.

A part for a quirked brow, Pestis’s demeanor remains otherwise unperturbed by the outbursts. “Who ever said I was an elf?”

The room goes dead silent. Everyone’s gazes turn to Xander, some expectant, others almost wary. One individual in particular catches my eye. Worry lines crease the face of the black-haired warrior, the King’s second Scark, as his gaze flits between Xander and Pestis. The air becomes so thick with trepidation that you could practically cut it with a knife. What did they know that I didn’t?

“Reveal yourself, trickster!” My head snaps back to the King at the sharpness of his words.

“As you will.” Pestis inclines his head, and as his gaze comes back up, his brown eyes turn blood red and are etched with that same foreign emblem.

My heart practically leaps out of my skin as Xander jumps to his feet, roaring like a madman. “Guards, seize this demon scum this instant!! I will not have the Darkling’s vileness infiltrating this kingdom!!”

A shiver goes down my spine as his words click into place in my mind. Demon. Pestis is a Darkling demon.

After a momentary hesitation, three guards rush forwards towards the invader. However, as they draw in close, a wave of dark energy shoots out, sending them careening backwards.    

“Now now, don’t tell me you don’t want a taste of the spoils of war, a place back in your homeland,” Pestis turns, addressing the room in a loud booming voice. “May you be the first to know that Luxgard HAS FALLEN to the Darkling! The portal is no more! The Mortal’s World is for our taking!! Now, will you stand beside us? Or will you get left behind?”