Prince of Demons 3: The Order of the Black Swan by Victoria Danann Page A

I’m human from Loti Dimension.” She doubted they had a version of the Geneva Convention, but since she didn’t have a rank or serial number, she hoped name, species and world of origin would do for identification when captured by an enemy. “Do you speak my language?”
    The one nearest her seemed to study her more intensely than the others. “I know your language. I’ve been to Loti Dimension once.” He sneered and looked deliberately contemptuous. “There was nothing there to draw me back a second time. We’re looking for the son of Roanald. Where is he?”
    “A human?” They looked at each other then back at her. “Why do you want him?”
    “Female. I will ask questions. You will answer. I know you were with the son of Roanald. I smell him on you.” He sniffed and narrowed his eyes. “Is he leaking life fluid?”
    “Bleeding. Yes. He was hurt.”
    “I’ll ask you one more time. I strongly suggest that you answer this time. Where is he?”
    “I don’t know. His friends took him into a pass. That’s what you call it, right? I’m human so I couldn’t go with them.”
    The Reinlitegen narrowed his eyes. “If you can’t travel the passes, how did you get here?”
    “Special potion.”
    They turned to each other and conferred in murmurs as if they thought Lana could understand what they were saying. The mouthpiece turned back to her.
    “Are you his female?”
    Lana thought about it and decided that the best answer was, “No.”
    “If you are not his female, why is his life fluid on your clothing?” She remained silent. “We’ll see if you are or are not. You better hope he thinks enough of you to come back.” He leaned in so that she could feel the menace then said, “We won’t wait forever.”
    By sunset she was being thrown back into the same prison where she’d met Brave, while loudly declaring, “Hey! All I’m saying is give peace a chance!” Only that time there was no discernible bright spot, like an appealing companion. The Reinlitegen found it most amusing that the Callii had provided them with a place to hold human captives. Prisons were not often found on demon worlds.
    What would be the point since none of them could be held by walls?
    The biggest problem was that Reinlitegen didn’t understand anything about the care of humans. Like for instance that the species requires food and water. Since Lana had gone for nearly two days on one energy bar and only the water she took in involuntarily when she was dunked in the cold river, her body had reorganized its priorities and was telling her that hunger pangs were going to override everything else until she was fed.
    The Reinlitegen were beautiful and brutal, but they weren’t especially smart. They retained Lana as bait, for the purpose of luring Brave back to claim her, then left her in a cell and walked off without understanding that humans require fuel.
     

CHAPTER 4
     
     
    During the hours when he was conscious, Brave had not stopped shouting about Lana being left behind since he’d been forcibly brought to the Callii secret stronghold. His personal physician, whose job it had been to learn human physiology for the purpose of caring for Brave, finally administered an elixir that contained a sedative. She kept him asleep for two days while she boosted his own body’s repair mechanisms.
    When he woke on the third day, he was healed, but he was also furious about Lana having been left behind in the hands of the Reinlitegen.
    Brave pushed Fortuity, his physician, aside. She called after him, but he ignored her as he stormed down the halls toward the regent’s temporary Court. He barged in to find a Council meeting in progress, but couldn’t have cared less about insult or impropriety.
    “Have you sent someone to retrieve her?” Brave demanded.
    Abide dismissed the meeting and the council members left quickly, while Perry gave Brave a disapproving look.
    “The cell where she’s being held has been warded. We can’t get