Page 56 of The Star's Sword

“It’d be easy to pay off the workers,” Sam said.

“Or threaten them,” Zadis agreed.

“That’s why I have to clean house,” Simon said. “I’ve tried to make this an open community, welcoming to all who want to make a better place together. But if some celestial can sweep in and brain-wash them all that quickly?” He shook his head. “I am disgusted by all my own people now.”

“We still have Mark,” I said quietly. “Even that night at the ball, he was kind to me.” Now that I remembered it, no other vampires had been. Or had my shyness seemed like snobbiness, or like I was holding back?

I rubbed my temples, unable to keep up with this kind of thinking.

“I just don’t get it,” I said. “They are my stories. The things they like about her are things that belong to me. I donate. I fight. I beat the rogue, though that day was heartbreaking, not triumphant. Because Dellen only turned because the ninth realm celestial who came to his village hurt children and Dellen couldn’t stop him. He wouldn’t have gone rogue if that hadn’t happened.” My hands clenched so hard my palms were probably bleeding. But it didn’t matter, I would heal. I always did. “That’s why I can’t give up. While these stupid vampires can’t get who is bad and who is good straight, demons are being attacked and demoralized.” I shook my head. “It may seem hopeless, but we can’t give up on it. I’ll just have to confront Vasara. Challenge her to a duel.”

“Cleo, I told you, don’t confront her,” Simon said. “She doesn’t fight fair, so there is no way for you to win a fight with her. The mob will always win.”

“I’m the Morningstar,” I said. “They can’t kill me.”

“It will hurt your confidence, I assure you,” Simon said. “Which we can’t have right now.” He turned to Zadis. “You went to check on the fae situation. Are they planning to try to prevent the vampires’ attempt to assist the Morningstar’s rise?”

Zadis shook his head. “The fae are complacent. They don’t really believe in the Morningstar, and they hate vampires so they plan to stay out of it all.”

“How were things with your brother?” Samael asked, somewhat guardedly.

“He doesn’t recognize me as his brother anymore. Says I’m just a demon.” Zadis folded his hands sadly. “I guess the celestials did to everyone what Vasara did to Cleo.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well,” Zadis said. “I was raised, like you, Cleo, to think demons were monsters worthy of death. Evil, awful creatures who ruined everything and left nothing behind in their path. But who made us think that? The celestials. They knew everything about humans before the great divide. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I became a demon, and realized nothing I was told had been true.”

“All very interesting,” Simon said, leaning in. “Go on.”

“Yes, go on,” Cayne said.

“You know, if you study human mythology, their gods are usually angelic, with wings. And their representation of demons is usually as destroyers of everything good. Pure evil.”

“And?” I asked.

“So it’s like when the world changed, celestials were ready with the best re-branding. Hell knows what they really are, other than creatures that make themselves look like humans with wings. I never questioned that, when I was a fae. I never had to, because the system worked for me. But once I turned demon, and everyone turned aside, I realized demons as a race had been literally ‘demonized’.”

“What does that mean?” Sam asked.

“Meaning, already made into the villains of any situation with no proof. Made a target of hate.”

“Wearedemons,” Sam said.

“Says who?” Zadis said. “Human representations of demons portray them causing destruction and death and loss. All the demons I have met will fight to the death for the weak, for their families and communities. And unlike the celestials, I don’t see them crossing into other lands to kidnap or torture offspring.”

Sam flinched, and I wondered if it brought up painful memories.

“They’re just fire elementals or blood mages with quick resurrection within a fiery land they call hell. But the names confuse everything,” Zadis continued.

“So you think the celestials aren’t gods and the demons aren’t demons?” I asked.

“I think we don’t know,” Zadis said. “Before the great divide, most of us supernaturals kept to ourselves. We didn’t mingle with humans like the celestials did. We either lived underground or in hidden pods. And celestials kept the humans and animals and shifters with them, allowing us fae only to live on the outskirts. But with demons and vampires on the other side, we never questioned it.”

“Me too,” I said. “My haven would do anything for the celestials, just to keep the vampires and demons from killing us.”

“But when has a vampire or demon tried to kill you?” Zadis asked me. “I mean, other than when I kidnapped you and Samael dished out a much-deserved ass-kicking.”

“But didn’t the blood rubies possess you?” I asked.

---