Page 32 of Pain

After one final sniff, I took a bite. He was right. It didn’t taste bad. It didn’t really taste like anything, actually. It was just … not terrible tasting.

“It’s called blankberry jelly. It’s literally a flavorless berry found on some desert bushes. The cookies are high in protein, made from Hell Cricket powder. Again, they taste like nothing.”

“I’ll take nothing over that other thing I ate. Why do you even have that in your cupboard?”

“Magsith doesn’t taste as bad once you cook it. It’s practically inedible raw—which is how you chose to consume it—but cooked it’s not terrible. Those crackers though, those are stale as fuck. Throw them away.” His smirk pulled out one of my own, and I glanced around the kitchen in search of a trashcan, finding one in the corner. “What’s a ‘magsith’ anyway?”

“Looks like an elk, but it’s got two extra legs that have pinchers like a praying mantis, and webbed back feet. It can swim really well. They’re herbivores, despite their nasty appearance. They farm them down here.” He smeared more of that blankberry jelly onto another cookie and passed it to me. “You getting on all right sharing a mate with a vampire—Howar’s cousin, no less—and an unhinged fire-mage?”

I shrugged and popped the cookie and jelly into my mouth. “It’s not ideal. But she mated me first, and I’m taking comfort in that. I also know it’s not like she—or any of us—chose this. I’m just glad to finally have a mate—even if I have to share her.”

“That’s one way to look at it. What can you tell me about the mage anyway?”

I shrugged again, reaching for the knife in the jar of jelly as well as a cookie, and fixing myself some more. “Don’t know much. Haven’t really had time—or the desire—to get to know him. Why? Do you know something?”

Kevin shook his head. “No … though, he looks awfully familiar. What’s his last name?”

“Rane.”

Kenvin’s eyes went wide. “Rane? As in Gwinn and Nulon Rane?”

“My father had the same reaction. Who are Gwinn and Nulon Rane?”

“Dark-mages. They were part of a large organization—mostly made up of mages—who were preparing to unleash a deadly plague on humans, committing a mass genocide some three hundred years ago. Both of them are imprisoned here in Hell after standing trial. They’ve been here for centuries.” He shook his head, worry in his gaze. “I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.”

“Yeah,” I murmured, deciding that I would make a stockpile of jelly-coveredcookies and then devour them, rather than slather and eat one at a time. “I wonder if Omaera knows?”

“Do you think there’s reason to be concerned about this mage? That he’s gone dark like his parents?”

“If we were continuously worried about offspring following in the steps of their sires, we wouldn’t have had the peace that came with King Donovar, or the peace that came with King Howar, would we? Their fathers were tyrants. Not all traits are passed down. Some children choose to break the mold.”

Kenvin’s head bobbed. “You are very right, young prince. So, will you confront the mage to learn of his intentions? Or speak with the Queen first?”

“I need to think about it for a bit. I’m curious if he’s going to try to see his parents while he’s here. Is the prison far?”

“Half a day’s drive there and back.”

I scraped the last bit of blankberry jelly from the jar with the knife and spread it over the final cookie. “We’re carless. So it might take a bit longer.”

“We can sort that out.”

“You’re not as grumpy as my father said you would be,” I mused, picking up the first cookie and popping the whole thing into my mouth. “Did we just catch you on a good day?”

That made the old demon snort and something almost akin to … hope—maybe?—glimmered in his blue gaze. “When I saw Moloch’s Sacrifice, it confirmed it. But I suspected she was his heir before that. She has his eyes. I’ve never felt such relief. She’s pure of heart. I can feel that. I can sense it. She’ll be a good queen for the Realm. Her father was a fair and noble leader, but he became almost too cautious as the years went by. Too afraid to rock the boat of peace and establish any kind of progress. There might be a truce between the species, but there’s still a lot of underlying hatred, racism, and animosity. He should have addressed that more. I have hope that she will.” He shrugged. “Maybe when she is accepted and comes to her full power, I’ll consider moving back to Earth. I do miss strawberries.”

“It will be hard not to establish true peace in the Realm with all the species, given that her consorts are the other three species.”

Henodded again. “Perhaps this was the Fates’ reason for giving her three. To finally establish true peace, and not hostility veiled in a white flag.”

“It still might be a hard sell given that she’s half human.”

“That’s true. How does your father feel about her being half human, half demon?”

The mention of my father brought a smile to my face. “He doesn’t care. He’s just excited for grandcubs, and that I finally get to experience the joy of having a mate.”

“Ryden’s getting soft in his old age.”

“Soft, but still grumpy.”

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