Page 29 of Dark Captivation

His smile shone with the kind of charisma that great leaders possessed. Varcus wasn’t what I’d call handsome, but there was something homey about the man, calming even. One look into his eyes made you feel like you were safe to be the real you, not what those in power wanted you to be.

“Where are you going with this?”

“Help bolster our righteous movement. Be our eyes and ears in the palace.” He drew closer. I leapt to the left, and out of the tight church bench. He blocked me with his body, so I had no choice but to face him head on. He hovered over me like an interrogating police officer. “Help us remove Malek as king and prevent him from starting a war that will destroy us all.”

“Is that all you want?” I faked a smile, shooting a glance at the interested onlookers. “Or will you be needing ten pints of my blood to go along with it? Look, I respect your cause and understand your reasoning. But I don’t know or trust you.” I cast my arms wide. “Not to mention the fact that what you’re suggesting could get me killed. No thank you.”

I wasn’t about to let this man control me just like Alpha Prometheus had. I would find a way to stop Malek and I’d do it my way on my own terms, I didn’t need to get involved with Varcus.

Whispers turned to grumbles and Varcus told the congregants to settle down.

“She’s right. She doesn’t know us.” He said to his people before reverting back to me. “But something tells me you may eventually have a change of heart. As a matter of fact, I'm so sure that you’ll come around, I’ve decided to let you keep your memories.”

Raucous dissent abounded; it was swiftly quashed by a stern look from Varcus.

“Come back when you’re ready to save the world.” Varcus unlocked the doors and cast them wide. I thought this was a trick until he took my shoulders and ushered me outside, casting Ferina out seconds later.

I stood outside, confused and not believing how easily he’d let us go. The doors sealed shut and Ferina rubbed her eyes, chewing her lower lip as if waking up from a deep sleep.

“Are you okay, Ferina?”

“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?” She yawned, stretching her arms as passing demons casually bumped into us on their way into the doll shop beside the church.

“Is it six already?” Ferina slapped her forehead, eyeing her watch with surprise. “We were supposed to be getting donuts, right?”

Ferina, seeming to have lost all memory of what had just happened, and gripped my hand. She knifed through the sidewalk traffic, leading the way just like she had before we’d gotten the flyer.

In the donut shop, we ordered one of everything and sat, eating them with iced mocha lattes. Ferina gave a passionate explanation of the demons’ team battle strategy, which was basically guerilla warfare, attacking your opponent with overwhelming force and numbers.

Wiping the foam from her lip, she explained the location of all secret exit points in the palace and the city walls, should we need to evacuate.

I nodded, saying very little as my mind drifted to thoughts of Varcus and the resistance. Did I make the right choice, refusing to help them? It might have been divine intervention, me meeting a group of demons who shared my anti-war beliefs.

I shook off the thought, I did not get a good feeling about Varcus or his followers. My instincts told me not to trust them and my instincts are what kept me alive so far.

I wasn’t about to go running to tell Malek that he wasn’t as popular as he may have thought he was. He’d probably have them arrested.

I’d gotten this far on my own and I simply needed to stick to my guns and continue on as planned. I’d keep looking for info on Malek that might help me to stop his war. Somehow I’d find what I needed to keep this war from happening and I’d do it without Varcus and the resistance.

“You heard what I said about the exit point behind the staircase in the basement of the north wing, right? It’s the most important emergency exit,” she ate a strawberry jelly donut in one bite, licking the powder from her upper lip.

“Yes, most important.” I agreed, taking a sip of my latte.

“Why is it the most important?” her eyes shrank to slits.

I paused for a second to think. “Umm, because it’s near the living and dining rooms. Annd…” I looked to the ceiling. “…and our bedrooms are four floors directly above the dining room.”

“That’s right, you’ve got it!” Ferina cheered. “Now, Mally will never know we didn’t go to the training center.”

She went to go buy some more strawberry jelly donuts and I peered out of the shop’s glass window, onto the busy moonlit street. Watching demons bustle in and out of restaurants and shops, spending time with their friends and families made me realize something for the first time.

I didn’t need to stop the war only for the shifters, mages and humans. The lives, safety and security of demons was also on the line. Death and destruction went both ways in battle and innocent demons deserved to live just as much as everyone else. I may never be the demons’ queen, but I will save them from their king.

CHAPTER NINE

LIVY

Having indulged in well over a dozen donuts each, Ferina and I rolled our swollen bellies back to her car and jetted to the castle.

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