“Are you all right?” Torque asks. His fingers brush along my shoulders, and a shiver runs through me.
“I’m fine,” I say, trying not to show him how affected I am by his touch.
Namir comes up to us, bumping his head at my side. A murmur runs through the crowd, and Umbra gasps. Namir growls, but he stays by my side as I comb my fingers through his downy coat.
“The white tyger,” Umbra whispers. Her eyes are as wide as saucers.
“Let’s go, Umbra. We can explain everything.” Uriel ushers her through the hall into a doorway at the far corner.
I get a good look at the people of my father’s court. Most look like regular demons, but some are creatures of the night. Their shadow smoke leaks from their pores while horns and knobbed flesh cover others. This is the Demon Realm they taught us about—not the city under the stars like Torque showed me.
The war room isn’t far past three doors and down another corridor. It’s outfitted like the one in the citadel. There are maps and papers spread on the tables that line the walls, but there’s an obsidian stone table in the middle.
It reflects the torchlight, making it look like it has caught on fire. The effect is mesmerizing. Eight chairs circle it with beautiful carvings of swirling designs, making me think of the midnight sky.
Three guards come into the room, then immediately drop to the ground in front of Nox. He touches each on the head before they rise.
“Your Majesty, it is an honor to see you again. We have missed you at court,” the tall one says. He’s built like a tank. Arms the size of tree trunks and horns that curve up and behind his ears.
“Togmerin. It is good to see you are well,” Nox says, bracing a hand on the demon’s shoulder.
“We are better now that you are here. There have been things that need your attention.” His gaze flicks to Umbra. She’s murderous. Her hands fisted in her dresses and eyes awash with fire. I like her instantly.
“There are more pressing matters,” Torque interrupts. The demons notice him for the first time. All three pull their swords and standoff.
“Put them away,” I command. “We can all measure our manhoods later. Right now, we have a king to destroy.”
I walk into the room, taking a seat at the right of what looks like the king’s chair. Namir sits behind me, rubbing his head on my shoulder. I push him with my own, and he lays down at my feet. He’s too big to fit under the table, so he rests his head on my lap instead.
Everyone has a seat, but Nox remains standing. “Scur has become a problem. He’s violated the treaty by kidnapping and torturing Anima. He will come for war, and we will end his reign.”
He makes it seems like a piece of cake. No big deal—we’re just going to kill a king.
“Start at the beginning. There are too many unfamiliar faces at this table,” Umbra says, a sneer pointed at the Bloods.
“I am Anima, a former assassin for the Tenebris witches in the Mortal Realm. I came here to find Nox. My former high-priestess Rahna is controlling New City. She possesses holy magic, and she wants to reshape the worlds. We need the magic of the Demon Realm to stop her.”
“Holy magic?” She looks to Uriel for an explanation. I’m sure there aren’t many angels in this Realm.
“She stole it. I don’t know whose it was, but I intend to find out and make her pay for it.” Uriel’s power leaks out, and I feel the brush of it over me. It’s soothing.
“We have to end her. She won’t be happy with just New City. She’ll continue into the Demon Realm. Anima is the only one who can stop her,” Torque says.
She turns to me then, measuring me to see if I’m worthy. Her face is a mask of indifference, but if she’s anything like Nox, there is a war of emotions behind it.
“How will you do that, witch?” It’s not condescending, it’s curious.
“I’m not just a witch. I am witch, demon, and angel. A part of all magics lives in me.”
“How is that possible?” Togmerin asks. His hands rest on the black stone. They’re bigger than my head.
“She is our soul-merge,” Nox says, having a seat at the head of the table and slipping his hand inside Uriel’s.
“The creator blessed us with a healthy soul-merge, and Rahna stole it. How—we don’t know. They implanted it into a witch, which gave Anima some of her powers. She’s a tri-bred.”
Shocked faces all stare at me. I shrug my shoulders. I’m used to being the freak. The one whose magic isn’t normal. Nothing they can do or say will affect me. I’ve grown a thick skin.
“I have a niece.” Umbra’s smile stretches across her face. I return it, hoping we’ll have a moment to speak before the battles begin. I want to know her.
“And she’s more than we ever imagined. You should see her shadow smoke. It’s perfectly formed.” Nox’s gushing has my cheeks tinting. I can deal with ridicule, but praise is something I’m not used to.
“How did you piss off the Blood king, not that it’s hard?” another demons asks. His stature is lanky and unassuming, but the knives strapped to his body tell a different tale of blood and death.
“That would be my fault,” Torque admits. “We are in the Demon Realm for Nox, but Scur found out about us before we could cross into the Darklands. Now he will bring war to your door. Anima bested him, and my being alive only makes him angrier.”
“I would have loved to see his face. That asshole deserves to be put into his place.” The last demon says, leaning back in his chair. He’s the prettiest of the three. His golden hair reminds me of Uriel’s. There’s something about him
