Page 41 of Soul Forge

“You didn’t know what he was,” Reiner replied. “You would never have accepted his proposal if you knew the truth.”

“My father would have ordered him dead on site before he could make his pledge,” the princess agreed. “But once we left Eden and I learned what he was, I could have chosen to run. I could have told you the truth and fled with you on Atlas.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Elda held the valkyrie’s gaze, refusing to be intimidated by her temper. “The same reason the wraith wasn’t what stopped you killing him in that field. You don’t believe he’s a monster either.”

“He’s a demon,” Reiner said again, but the venom was gone, the realisation sinking in at last. She sat heavily on the mattress, dropping her head into her hands. “No wonder he has such strength.”

“I’m afraid of him,” Elda admitted. “Sypher warned me that the demon is dangerous, but he didn’t kill me in that field. I’m not stupid enough to believe it’s perfectly safe, but I believed I was safe enough to try and help him with his wounds. That’s all it was, I promise.”

“I don’t trust him, Elda.”

“I don’t expect you to. I’m asking you to trustme.”

The captain sighed through her nose, then nodded. “Alright. But the second I believe you’re in danger, I’m stepping in.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Elda chuckled. The sound was hollow, and when it ended, she frowned. “I’m not a child,Reiner. I need you to stop treating me like one. Starting with telling me the truth about Malakai.”

“Fine.” Reiner bent to unlace her boots, kicking them off and starting on her bracers. “You know we classify our demons as lesser, mid, and greater, yes?” Elda nodded. “Most of the demons we see wandering around are lesser. They’re abundant in number, varied in size and shape, and relatively stupid. They work in simple packs or alone.”

“You told me this last summer when you caught me following one of them through the forest.” The princess smiled. “Why didn’t you just drag me home?”

“I don’t believe there’s a benefit to sheltering a future queen from the realities of our world. You needed your first taste of life outside the walls.” Her bracers dropped to the ground, followed by her shin guards and pauldrons. “Had I known this was your future, I’d have done more to prepare you. The demons you’ve come across so far are lesser, but you know very little about the mids. Have you heard of Harbingers?”

“Yes. My father has a book on them. I’ve managed to sneak a glance at its content.”

“Then you know they’re hounds, highly intelligent, and one bite is deadly. They’re good at tracking targets across the continent, and they’re relentless. Their smarts and lethality gain them a higher rank than the rest.” The captain’s chest plate hit the floor with a clunk. “To date, there aren’t any other species in the same class.”

“So that would make the Behemoths and Leviathans greater, right?”

“Wrong.” The captain’s voice was muffled by the intricate chainmail she tugged over her head. “They don’t come into the class system because we’re not really sure theyaredemons. They don’t fit the conventions of a normal demon. All we know about them is that they’re huge and powerful, and there are twotypes – those on land are Behemoths, and those in the seas are Leviathans.”

Elda frowned. “So, how do you identify a greater demon, then?”

“There’s only one greater that we know of.”

“Malakai?” Reiner nodded, sitting on the bed. “You think Sypher is the same as him?”

“Lord Malakai is cunning, capable of speech and thought like any other sentient creature on Valerus. He’s powerful enough to use magic, and he’s had enough influence to turn some of the wielders to his side.” The captain crossed her legs on the mattress and laid her palms flat on her knees. “He also has wings. Just like Sypher.”

“But even if he is a greater demon, he’s the opposite of Malakai,” Elda argued. “Everything he does is for the good of the continent. Even the Spirits trust him to do their work.”

“We’ll see,” Reiner muttered. “We should sleep. We have a long flight tomorrow.”

Elda stood to remove her cuirass and bag, unfastening her bracers before ducking into the small washroom to wash the dirt from her skin and change into a clean nightgown. When she returned, Reiner had a bedroll on the floor of the room. She gestured for Elda to take the single bed, then disappeared into the washroom herself.

When Reiner returned and lay down, sleep seemed to come to her quickly, but Elda lay awake long after the captain’s breathing evened out. When she did finally fall asleep, she dreamed of eyes darker than sin.

The next morning, Sypher was sullen. He said nothing to the captain and barely glanced at Elda, letting the shadows of hishood hide his face the moment she tried to greet him. Reiner rolled her eyes and grabbed a bread roll from the basket Edward offered her, passing a second one to the princess.

“You did threaten him with a knife last night,” Elda pointed out.

The captain snorted. “And? He’s a grown man. Brooding doesn’t suit him.”

She didn’t try to tell Reiner that broodingdidsuit him, nor did she chase after the Soul Forge to try and get him to speak to her. Instead, she bit into her bread and flashed a bright smile at the half-orc behind the bar.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” he greeted. “I see our saviour is in a fine mood today. Will you be leaving Kilmarthen?”

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