Page 15 of The Demon's Discovery
“Sir.” I bowed my head, unsure what else to say.
Henrik nodded sharply, then pitched the note into the fireplace as he passed by. I all but floated upstairs once he vanished into his den. Bea ambushed me the moment I walked into my room, demanding a full report of my visit, launching herself from the edge of my bed.
“Finally! I’ve been here forever waiting for you to get home. I even had to ask Caroline for snacks. And a new cake of soap because yours was looking pitiful, not to mention another towel. I’m going to bring you a new pillow as well, don’t worry, I’ll sneak it past Mother.” She frowned as she rambled, scowling at my worn possessions. “Anyway, how did it go?” Her smile brightened, and she gripped my shoulders with her hands. “Tell meeverything. Was it amazing?”
“It was so lovely, Bea.” I blushed again, remembering my blunder but also the way the campus as a whole had made me feel at home. The sweet touches of concern and kindness.
“You like him.” She clapped her hands excitedly. “And if he’s giving you flowers and inviting you back, he likes you too.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” I sighed, relaying a very short version of my embarrassing misunderstanding about the rat.
“Psh. He likes you, and you’re a shoo-in for d’Arcan. I’m so happy for you, Greta.” Bea’s eyes were moist as she pulled me in for a hug.
In truth, the place had grown on me so quickly, I worried I’d be left utterly devastated when the day came I was no longer invited to return. Until then, I promised I would do my best to enjoy every second I had there.
Chapter 7
Vassago
Thursday dawned with intentions of violence.
To start with, there was no coffee yet when I arrived downstairs. As I glanced out the front windows on my way from the dining room to my classroom, a stone kin man I didn’t recognize landed in the courtyard. He was in his stone form, the large body nude aside from some tattered pants, showcasing skin that was a greenish-gray shade. His wings were out, bone spur points menacing despite them being tucked tight against his back. He paced nervously as though trying to decide where to knock.
I stepped out, the morning air heavy with humidity. “Can I help you?”
He spun, looking me over with a scowl. “You are not the archmage.”
“No, I’m not.” Something about the way he scanned me told me that he would have found me lacking even if I were.
“I need to see Magnus. He’s not up in the observatory or patrolling his usual route. Do you know where I can find him?”
“Not at the moment. Is something the matter?” I crossed my arms as the stone kin man glanced around nervously.
“There’s an issue that requires his attention. I need to speak with him. It’s urgent.”
“And you are?”
“General Gaius Caledon,” he asserted, ego clearly making him feel it was vital that I know his rank. I was happy to play that game with him if it came down to it, especially because I outranked him. “He knows where to find me.”
“What kind of issue,General?”
The way he fidgeted as he scowled left me unsettled. “None of your business,demon.”
His disdain was obvious, but I didn’t rise to his bait. I simply raised my eyebrows and smiled, momentarily showcasing the red in my eyes and my fangs, which seemed to leave him suitably uncomfortable.
Lucky for us both, Magnus himself arrived then, Grace in his grasp. He landed with a heavy blast of wind, and Grace ducked away quickly, clearly avoiding the visiting stone kin. Gaius turned his attention to Magnus, clearly glad to have a reason to ignore me.
“You’re needed.”
“Oh?” Magnus frowned at the visitor.
“Yes, and urgently. A significant demon horde has popped up beyond the edge of the city in the Dread Forest. They’re already causing chaos. They are enough in numbers they could breach the city gate soon, and we all know that can’t happen. As many soldiers as can be mustered have been called to help fight them.” Gaius shifted on his feet. “We were hoping your archmage could join us as well.” He clearly didn’t appreciate having been given that particular directive.
Lower-level demon hordes had been a problem in Revalia for a number of months; my brother had helped the stone kin put several down already. The nearly mindless creatures the size of ten- or twelve-year-old children were only driven to do whatthey were instructed to, but were always bent on destruction. Left to their own devices and unhindered, they could destroy a city like Revalia in a matter of weeks. Plenty of damage could be done in mere hours if they weren’t stopped, and that was all aside from the trouble that seeing such creatures would have on the human population.
Magnus agreed to join, and I offered my services in Rylan’s stead, which earned me a change in Gaius’s demeanor from disdain to surprise. I gloated for a moment over that victory, blessing the stone kin with another wide smile, being sure to show my teeth. It only made him frown harder.
Gaius left us after advising the location for the rally point, a cloud of dust swirling behind him.
