Page 27 of Dark Captivation

Going to a meeting filled with demons critical of Malek’s leadership was one thing, but going in with Malek’s sister? That was dangerous.

On the other hand, Ferina was an ancient demon and presumably quite powerful. I had Mellow should I need to shift and fight.

Even though I still felt uneasy, Ferina’s stride was confident and unafraid as we entered the church.

I counted seven rows leading from the pulpit, trailing down to the back wall of the small, intimate structure. All but the back row was fully stocked with attendants.

The smell of centuries old dust made the air in the small space musty. The scent wasn’t heavy enough to irritate the senses though, and it added to the mystique of the cobble stone walls and floors.

We sat in the back row nearest to the aisle so that I was in the aisle seat and Ferina was boxed in between me and a teenage demon in a black baseball cap on her right.

A tall, cloaked figure blew in from outside, drifting down the aisle like a spirit with unfinished business. The air grew colder with every inch he moved and the congregation’s chattering immediately muted.

He closed in on the pulpit. All eyes locked on him as if ensorcelled by his slow fluid motion.

The cloaked figure stopped behind the pulpit, turning around to face us so slowly it gave me chills.

His hood fell and I was a bit disappointed to find that instead of a beastly ghoul, a man stood before us.

He was rugged, tall and muscular with several lines on his face that seemed more a result of a hard life than age, as he didn’t look a day over forty. He was the class of demon that appeared human, but the smell of sulfur was so strong on him, I could smell it from the back. So there was no mistaking what he was.

“Brethren, thank you for coming.” His voice was steady, authoritative and loud enough to reach the back. “As always, your courage is highly appreciated here. For all newcomers, you are especially welcomed in the keep of the Black Phoenix.”

His bright green eyes flitted to the back row, falling on Ferina and I, then moving to the row ahead of ours.

“If you’re here, it can only mean one thing. You long for a world where your opinions are valued, a place where all demons are equal, whether you are thraxy, an ancient or a ‘soft skin’ like me.” Reaching out his arm, he pointed at the thraxy woman in the front row and the demon beside her who appeared human. “You long for a home that is peaceful and not under the constant threat of destruction from senseless wars. Wars orchestrated by a callous leader who hides behind the high walls of his luxurious palace!” His words rang out like thunder, electrifying the masses who now applauded and stamped their feet on the floor, shaking the room.

“Callous? Who the hell does this guy think he is? Does he have any idea about the sacrifices Mally has made for them?” Ferina wrung her fingers together craning her head to hide her fangs that now protruded in rage.

“Quiet.” I whispered in her ear. “They outnumber us twenty-five to one. We can’t afford to piss these people off.”

Her head jerked up and down mechanically, blood lust transforming her face, wrinkling it with hundreds of fine lines. She was a few disparaging comments away from ripping this man in two. And after seeing her brother do the same in the forest, I wouldn’t put it past Ferina to kill him right there at the pulpit.

“Yes, you and so many silent voices across Demon City are sick of never knowing when the world as you know it may come to end. All because our king has made enemies of the entire fucking world!” he shouted, casting his eyes to the east. “He sits on his throne with all his protections as he undermines the safety of all his people.”

“We can’t even leave the city anymore without being spat on by wolves and mages.” A thraxy in the second row grumbled.

“The wolves hate us now and the mages want us all dead!” A random person yelled from somewhere on the far left.

Ferina folded her legs tightly, biting her tongue as more people voiced their grievances about Malek’s leadership and the breakdown of demon relations with the shifters, mages and humans.

I couldn’t believe most of what I was hearing. For the last several years, Malek had been inching his way into several wolf packs, seizing control of them with the help of moles planted on the inside. This is why making a deal with demons was my pack’s most abhorrent crime. Because the minute you did, Malek could command you to steal secrets from your own pack to help him infiltrate.

But this entire time, I thought demons were all on board with it. I thought they all wanted to rule the world. But these bitter complaints made it very clear that many didn’t agree with Malek’s ambitions.

“Off with the tyrant’s head!” An old woman shook her fist above her head, and many applauded her. “Steal his royal horns and give them to Varcus as a crown!”

This went a step too far for my liking, and even I wanted to punch the old lady for that one.

Ferina cursed a string of expletives, digging her heels in the ground. She’d heard all she could take.

She shot up like a weed, pointing an accusing finger at the old woman. “You! How dare you threaten your king’s horns! Those horns are what helped create most of your ungrateful asses.”

“And you, coward, hiding behind your cloak and the thick walls of your church.” Ferina stared the cloaked man down fluttering her fingers about mockingly. “You think you would make a better king? Ha! You haven’t the shoulders to carry a king’s burden. The fact that you think you do only shows your pig-headed arrogance.”

Time stood still, the room so quiet that Ferina’s heavy breathing and the sound of my racing heart went unchallenged.

This was bad. We were sitting ducks, entrenched in a room filled with demons hostile toward Malek, and presumably his supporters.

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