Page 26 of Crowned A Traitor
Lokey cleared his throat as a hollow-eyed Higher Demon in an emerald suit growled for them to get a move on.
With the lack of attention, Mila struck out, agile as a cat as she slashed her talons at Frendall, slicing through his Commander’s mark.
“Speaking of old friends, how is Queen Lilith?” Lokey asked as Klara gripped the arm of the throne. Blood trickled down Frendall’s cheek and Klara relaxed as Frendall swept Mila’s leg out from under her.
“I did not know the Lilith had friends,” she said, and Lokey placed a hand on his stomach and let out a strangled laugh.
Frendall wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. For a brief second, his eyes flashed to Klara and then to Lokey at her side before Mila bounced back to her feet and snaked her way onto Frendall’s back. Her sharp nails dug deep into his neck until Frendall threw her over his shoulder and Mila flipped to her feet.
“Maybe not a friend but we have made a deal or two from time to time,” Lokey whispered. Lilith was the last person Klara thought had made a deal with a Demon.
Klara was about to respond, but the shouts of the bloodthirsty guests distracted her. Mila was quick, forcing Frendall to keep up but it was clear that his heavy blows were taking a toll on her stamina.
“I will pass on my regards once I return to the Forest. I’m sure she will be delighted to hear from you.”
Lokey clapped in awe as Frendall pinned Mila to the ground. Klara watched Mila twist and snatch a small blade from her boot.
A loud grunt echoed around the room as the blade pierced Frendall’s waist, and he released his grip on Mila.
“Like Lilith, if you should ever need a friend, do call on me, won’t you?” Klara felt Lokey’s peppermint breath against her cheek, but she could barely hear him as Mila flipped and straddled Frendall.
Mila looked to Klara, her face inches from Frendall’s while her blade pressed against his throat. “So easily defeated,” Mila said to the reeling crowd. She brushed her lips against Frendall’s proclaiming victory and Klara clenched her fist so tight she feared her nails would draw blood.
Distracted by the glory of the crowd, Frendall gripped her thighs and threw Mila from the circle. Her slight frame slid into the crowd of guests. The force of the circle’s enchantment unravelling knocked Mila unconscious, her showmanship cost her the fight. Klara remembered Lilith’s warning, a battle isn’t won until the field is coated in their blood or yours.
Lilith? A deal?She went to speak to Lokey, but he was no longer at her side; instead, he had descended into the guests cheering for Frendall.
Klara forced herself to maintain a neutral expression and returned her focus to the duel. Once she announced Frendall as the victor, the attention drifted back to gossip and venom.
“Let there be music,” she ordered to silence the whispers from the King. The Doomed began to play as the guests clapped for the great Commander. Frendall straightened his tie while his hand went to his waist, concealing his wound.
“What a twist of events,” Lucifer thrust his head back in hearty laughter. Two Doomed rushed in and quickly dropped to their knees and began scrubbing away the binding circle.
“Excellent, just excellent. A triumphant way to end the evening,” Lucifer rose, and Frendall bowed deeply as did the room. Klara saw his attention move to Mila still in the corner of the room.
“Take her to the infirmary,” Klara ordered and the Doomed scrubbing the floor rose quickly.
“How kind of you,” Lucifer said, and Klara wasn’t sure if her empathy would go against her.
The Doomed quickly dropped their cloths stained with Lokey’s blood and pus and went to Mila’s side. They picked Mila up, and the guests parted as the Doomed made their way to the door.To be seen like this will be a blow to Mila’s standing.
Frendall moved through the guests as they congratulated him with a slap on the back. Klara saw him in the crowd, but her Father garnered her attention, “How shall we celebrate the rest of the evening?” Her Father whispered to her, and she could see the blood lust in his eyes. “Maybe a duel to the death?”
“The day has been exhausting,” Klara said, placing her glass of untouched venom on the tray of a Doomed standing beside her. “I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I departed early.”
“Yes, take some rest.” The King sounded disappointed, but Klara was afraid that if she remained, the night would unravel into chaos. The King descended the steps and threw himself into the marveling attention of his guests.
The Demons bowed as she passed and the Doomed opened the doors wide as she escaped into the corridor. Around the corner and away from prying eyes, she rested her back against the wall and processed the night’s information. Abadan and Frendall, she felt sick at the thought of sharing blood with her first kiss all those years ago.
Klara straightened up as a group of Doomed brought trays of whiskey and octopus hor d’ oeuvres to the guests.
“I need snacks.” Klara shook off the disgust and ran a hand over her bare scalp.
Her Father’s kitchen was half the size of the Queens and looked more like a kitchen from an old Victorian book that the King had shown her. He was obsessed with the 1800s.Famine, birth of communism, war, what wasn’t to love?
The Queens’ kitchen was a mix of white marble and matching cabinets, while the King’s contained grey cabinets and wooden countertops.
She searched for treats the Queens wouldn’t dare let her have. As she closed the cabinet door, she jumped as Frendall stood beside her.
