Page 30 of The Demon's Queen

For the first time since coming here, I’m forced to wonder what I would have done if Azazel had come to me with honesty instead of lies. Would I have shut him down? Or would I have seriously considered his offer?

It bothers me that I don’t know the answer to that question.

CHAPTER 14

AZAZEL

Watching Eve unfurl the farther we get from the castle makes my chest hurt. I knew she was unhappy, but it’s so easy to justify the cost when I’m not the one paying it. We could have portaled directly to the village in question, but I chose a spot about an hour’s walk away. My reasons weren’t entirely altruistic—I wanted more time with her—but now I’m even gladder I made that choice.

She walks down the wide dirt path with her head tilted back and her face to the sun. Today, she’s wearing a loose shirt and a long skirt, looking just as beautiful as she always does.

“Tell me about this village,” she says without looking over.

A nice, neutral topic. “The city takes up a decent portion of our territory, but there are dozens of villages in the surrounding area. Most of them have a heavy focus in agriculture and trade agreements with the city to sell whatever they produce that their community won’t need. Those agreements are generous, which benefits both the city and the villages.”

“Hmmm.” She glances at me. “Who put those agreements into place?”

Heat spreads beneath my skin. I keep my gaze forward. “There have been trade agreements since the founding of the territory.”

“I’m sure. But nottheseagreements.” Eve is still speaking as if feeling out her reasoning. “Are the terms of the agreement another thing Brosh is furious about?”

The heat in my skin gets more uncomfortable. “Without farming villages like the one we’re visiting today, the city starves. We have plenty of stores saved up, and there are gardens within the city proper, so it wouldn’t happen quickly, but eventually itwouldhappen.”

Eve laughs a little, the sound strained. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Fine,” I snap. “Yes, I changed the terms when I took over. It’s shortsighted to rule by fear and even more shortsighted to take instead of paying fair prices. And they always took more than the villages could afford to lose. The moment communities start starving, the seed for violence takes root. Yes, the city pays through the nose for that food, but the amount is still less than we pay in trade agreements with other territories.”

She doesn’t say anything for several long minutes. The day is pleasant, warm without being hot, with just enough clouds in the sky to prevent the sun from feeling overbearing. I hardly notice it.

Especially when Eve sighs. “You know, you’re making it very hard to hate you, Azazel.”

I don’t know what to say to that, what answer won’t cause this strange moment between us to fracture. So I say nothing at all. I simply walk next to Eve and slowly, after a while, start pointing out the birds and small animals that flutter and scurry across our path. It’s... nice.

I pause right before the path turns into the descent that will take us to the village. This is always the hard part for me. I leadbecause it’s the right thing to do, because Caesarea was my aunt and so many other members of my family contributed to the harm done under her rule. I decided I didn’t want to live in a world like the one they’d fostered. It would have been easy to say I wanted change and then sit back and do nothing, but that’s not how I’m formed. I had power to change things, had support to make it happen, and so I did. The battle for my territory’s people is one I’ll be fighting for the rest of my life.

This part, though? There’s a reason I delegated the village visits to Ramanu. I inhale slowly and exhale just as slowly. Then I do it again a few more times. I’m aware of Eve watching me, but she asks no questions, and I’m not in the mood to explain myself. Not aboutthis.

It’s so foolish. There’s no reason to be so dramatic. Nothing bad is going to happen, and it won’t kill me to be uncomfortable for a short period of time. “Let’s go.” I start walking again.

It takes no time at all to reach the village. As I expected—dreaded—there’s a welcoming committee. My cousin Alice is first to reach us; she’s a broad woman nearly as tall as I am, with curving horns and deep-purple skin. Her curly dark hair bounces with each step she takes, and her wide grin calms some of my nerves. “Old Man Azazel! It’s about time you came around.” She claps me on the shoulder hard enough that I have to brace myself not to stagger.

“Old Man Azazel,” Eve murmurs.

Alice turns to Eve, her dark-brown eyes lighting up with interest. “Soyou’rethe human who has the old man in a tizzy.” She grins wider. “Can’t say I blame him. Look at you!”

To my shock, Eve’s cheeks turn pink, and she stammers a little. “I, uh, I... I’m Eve.”

“Pleasure.” Alice takes Eve’s hand and bends over it, then places a lingering kiss on her knuckles. I don’t realize I’m growling until Alice gives me a cheeky grin and bounces to herfeet. “I’m just playing. You know I’d never step on your toes like that. You’re family, after all.”

Eve sputters out a shocked laugh. “Did you just sayfamily?”

“Alice is another one of my cousins.” As the baby of the bunch, nearly thirty years younger than me, she’s seemed to take it as her mission in life to loosen the rest of us up.

“That’s right. Youngest of seven, gods bless my saintly mother.” Alice loops her arm through Eve’s and turns her easily to start heading deeper into the village.

Saintly motheris one way to put it. Alice’s mother was the strong right hand of Caesarea. She was greatly favored to become the next leader, and although she wasn’t as bad as Caesarea, she had facilitated the monster’s actions and policies. Fear of that, more than anything, is what made me challenge our leader for the position.

I don’t like to think of that battle. I don’t like to think about how it cost me half my family, how it created a divide that I’m not sure will ever be resolved. Before. After. The old way. The new.

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