Reign Check

courage, but I restrained myself.

“Wait there,” a woman sitting in a large plush chair said to us abruptly, and Kassandra stopped walking. The conversation continued in hushed tones.

I was close enough now to see who was at the table, and honestly, it was like something out of a nightmare or a horror movie. Fear shot through my body as fast as a shiver. They weren’t all human — or at least, they weren’t all in human form. I knew none of them were human to begin with. After all … it was a demon council, right?

I felt Michael move close enough to me that his fingers brushed reassuringly against mine.

::Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.::

You sure about that?

::I know this must be strange for you, Princess, but it’ll be fine. I promise.::

He sounded so certain that I relaxed a little. Only a little. I wanted to lean against him for support, but I didn’t. I stood, straight as a column, as I waited for the demon council to call me over.

Kassandra turned. “So typical. They’re making you wait just so you sweat it out a bit more.”

“Who are these … these demons?” I asked.

“The one on the far right, that’s my mother — Queen Sephina,” she said, indicating the woman in the tallest chair, who basically looked like a grown-up version of Kassandra. She was, thankfully, in human form at the moment. Dark hair was piled on top of her head and threaded with gold and jewels that sparkled under the lights.

To our left, halfway between us and the table, was a three-foot-tall gold and white stone statue of the queen herself perched upon a marble pedestal. It was a perfect likeness.

“She’s the leader of the council,” Kassandra continued, “and whatever she says goes. She’s superpowerful; her magic is the strongest of any demon I know — except my father, of course. She’s got a soft spot for my brothers, especially Kieran, and gives him almost anything he wants.”

“Almost anything?”

“He isn’t allowed to go to the human world, and it’s something he’s always wanted. That’s where she draws the line. She’s afraid he’d get into major trouble there.”

I wondered what would happen if the queen decided to let him have free rein. Would she be able to force my father to open the barrier so the prince could pass through the Shadowlands to the worlds beyond? And, if so, what would happen then?

“How many brothers do you have?” I asked.

“Three. Two are traveling right now elsewhere in the Underworld — one’s on his honeymoon, actually. And you’ve already met Kieran.” She nodded toward the table.

Prince Kieran was seated to the queen’s left. His attention was fixed on me even though his mother was saying something to him. His light blue eyes glittered.

“I have.” I didn’t expand on that thought because if I did, it would sound like this: I have and I hate his guts.

“Next to Kieran is Groden.” He was in demon form. Ashy red skin, glowing eyes, thick curved horns. Along his pointed right ear he wore a multitude of golden earrings and there was another one through his nose. “He’s usually drunk and mostly disorderly. He’s been on the council pretty much forever — since my grandmother was in charge. Rules and laws are his thing — he loves coming up with new ones. My mother thinks he’s annoying, but she can’t kick him out.”

“So he’s responsible for making the rules?” I thought about all the rules that had made life difficult for both me and my father. Stupid rules that, when broken, could lead to horrible and deadly punishments.

“He’s the one. The woman next to him is Florencia.” She was in human form and appeared middle-aged, with a skunklike streak of white hair in the middle of her shoulder-length dark locks. “She’s the one you have to watch out for. Groden makes up the rules, but she enforces them. A real by-the-books kind of demoness. Another interesting factoid about her is that she was supposed to marry your father years ago.”

That got my full attention. “Really?”

Kassandra nodded. “It was an arranged marriage. It was right before you were born, not that this was known until just this past week, of course. Anyway, rumor has it when King Desmond came back from his trip to the human world to take over the throne of the Shadowlands, he refused to marry Florencia, even though refusal of an arranged marriage is rare. I don’t think she’s ever forgiven him for that.” She paused. “Your father must have really been in love with your mother. I’ve heard he’s never even dated anyone since then.”

I swallowed hard. It only helped to cement what I already knew. “Really?”

“Really.”

This might be the reason for the icy-cold daggers Florencia was sending in my direction with her glare.

“She seems nice,” I said.

Kassandra snorted. “Yeah, as nice as my brother’s hellhound.”

“That was Kieran’s hellhound?”

“Yeah. But I think Fernando likes me better. Hard to tell with hellhounds. They do make great guardians, though.”

“I felt my power drain when it was near me earlier. I thought it was my imagination.”

“No, it’s a trait of hellhounds. They absorb the energy of any demon outside of the family they protect.”

“Only demons?”

“Yes. Or, I suppose, Darklings, too.”

Michael looked at me, his forehead furrowed.

::You lost your power?::

Only for a minute. It’s fine. I’ll just make sure I avoid Fernando for the rest of my visit here. I’m more of a cat person, anyway.

“Okay … uh, who’s the … the last one there?” I asked nervously. It was the council member I’d tried not to look directly at, since he, or she, was totally freaking me out. It didn’t look like a demon or a human. Even though it did look slightly humanoid, with arms and shoulders and a face, it also looked like a cockroach. Seriously.

A wave of repulsion washed through me.

“Oh, him?” Kassandra said casually. “That’s Beasley. He’s my father’s representative.”

“Your father?”

She nodded. “The king of Hell.”

My eyes widened. “Your father is the king of Hell?”

“He is. He’s got so many names that nobody knows what to call him, so most people just call him the king. I call him Daddy. Not that I ever get to see him, since he and Mom got divorced. She hates his guts. She’s not too fond of Beasley, either, but he’s actually really nice.”

Information overload was making me queasy. “If you say so.”

“Princess Nikki can approach the council now,” Kassandra’s mother called out sharply.

My hands started to shake, and I clasped them together. I could do this. I was brave. I wasn’t afraid. The queen had promised I would be safe. All they wanted was to meet me.

Just a meet and greet. Friendly. Happy. All was well with the worlds.

I put one foot in front of the other as I moved through the room. Michael kept pace with me.

“Nikki,” Kassandra called after us. “Servants aren’t permitted to approach the council. You need to have your Shadow wait back here with me.”

“No,” Michael said. “I won’t leave the princess’s side.”

He said it so definitively that she looked surprised. “You’re saying no to me? Nobody says no to me.”

His green eyes met mine. “I will do as Princess Nikki wishes, of course.”

“You’re staying with me,” I said without missing a beat. “That is what Princess Nikki wishes.”

A half smile appeared on his lips. “Good.”

“Fine, have it your way,” Kassandra said stiffly. “Well, good luck.”

I hoped I wouldn’t need it. Luck hadn’t exactly been much of a friend to me lately. I mean, look where I was.