the elf army along their borders.”
Vail held his gaze as calmly as he could manage when what he really wanted to do was claw the demon’s eyes out and then dig a hole in his chest to extract his black, still-beating heart. A heart he would crush before his eyes so he could see the fear and the light of life drain out of them.
“I know nothing of troop movements,” Vail stated, sure that the king wouldn’t believe him even though he was speaking the truth.
Demons were thick-headed. He had learned that the moment he and his brother had set foot in Hell to build their new kingdom. Vail had wanted to take three legions of their army to teach the First and Second Realms of the demons to respect the elves. Loren had suggested a more diplomatic approach of venturing into those kingdoms and speaking directly with their kings. It had almost got him killed. His older brother had always been painfully obstinate and irritatingly diplomatic, wanting to see the good in everyone, even those who held only darkness in their hearts.
Like him.
Vail closed his eyes.
He didn’t understand why his brother fought so hard for him. Could Loren love him still, after everything he had done to his kingdom and his people?
His strength faltered, his fight leaving him for a heartbeat of time before he dragged himself back to his present location and away from the past and his brother.
Bruan was studying his face with a shrewd eye, one that Vail didn’t like and that set him on edge. He had underestimated the intelligence of this particular demon and had to tread carefully if he was to convince the male he was of no use to him.
The demon king lowered him to his feet but retained his hold on Vail’s collar. “You are not a soldier?”
Vail shook his head. The king eyed him closely, looking him over from head to toe and back again.
“I admit you are scrawny and weak, but you do not look like a civilian. There is a little too much pride in those eyes and a little too much courage.” The demon released his collar and stepped back, as if needing to view all of him in one go in order to make a decision about his profession and whether he believed him. He eventually shook his head. “You fought well against my men. You are a soldier.”
“I am no soldier, although I have done my share of fighting and killing as one of them. I left that life behind long ago. If you see pride and courage, it is born of that period of my life and nothing else. I have wandered the earth since leaving my homeland and have not set foot in it in many centuries.” Vail straightened his spine, standing as tall as he could manage while the demons behind him held his neck and waist under their control. “I have no allegiance to the elves or Prince Loren.”
“An elf with no allegiance to his kind, who has done his share of killing…” The king moved a step closer again, a glimmer in his eyes that Vail recognised. Madness. The loss of his brother had driven him mad, crazed by a need for vengeance. The male narrowed his green eyes on him and smirked. “I thought you a soldier we could question for intelligence on the prince and perhaps the Third King.”
Bruan moved so quickly Vail wouldn’t have had a chance to shift backwards to evade him even if he hadn’t been held by two guards. He grabbed Vail’s jaw, his fingers pressing into the left side while his thumb dug into the right, and shoved his head back. He stared down into Vail’s eyes, his smile growing.
“Forgive me… your highness… I did not recognise you at first.”
Vail tensed and barely bit back the growl that curled up his throat. He hadn’t expected the demon to know him. He had never seen this male in his life, had never ventured this deep into the interior of the Fifth Realm, and the male was young. It wasn’t possible that they had met.
The king’s smile held. “You are thinking in there… calculating… you do not hide it well, Mad Elf Prince. You wonder how I know you.”
Vail
Vail held his gaze as calmly as he could manage when what he really wanted to do was claw the demon’s eyes out and then dig a hole in his chest to extract his black, still-beating heart. A heart he would crush before his eyes so he could see the fear and the light of life drain out of them.
“I know nothing of troop movements,” Vail stated, sure that the king wouldn’t believe him even though he was speaking the truth.
Demons were thick-headed. He had learned that the moment he and his brother had set foot in Hell to build their new kingdom. Vail had wanted to take three legions of their army to teach the First and Second Realms of the demons to respect the elves. Loren had suggested a more diplomatic approach of venturing into those kingdoms and speaking directly with their kings. It had almost got him killed. His older brother had always been painfully obstinate and irritatingly diplomatic, wanting to see the good in everyone, even those who held only darkness in their hearts.
Like him.
Vail closed his eyes.
He didn’t understand why his brother fought so hard for him. Could Loren love him still, after everything he had done to his kingdom and his people?
His strength faltered, his fight leaving him for a heartbeat of time before he dragged himself back to his present location and away from the past and his brother.
Bruan was studying his face with a shrewd eye, one that Vail didn’t like and that set him on edge. He had underestimated the intelligence of this particular demon and had to tread carefully if he was to convince the male he was of no use to him.
The demon king lowered him to his feet but retained his hold on Vail’s collar. “You are not a soldier?”
Vail shook his head. The king eyed him closely, looking him over from head to toe and back again.
“I admit you are scrawny and weak, but you do not look like a civilian. There is a little too much pride in those eyes and a little too much courage.” The demon released his collar and stepped back, as if needing to view all of him in one go in order to make a decision about his profession and whether he believed him. He eventually shook his head. “You fought well against my men. You are a soldier.”
“I am no soldier, although I have done my share of fighting and killing as one of them. I left that life behind long ago. If you see pride and courage, it is born of that period of my life and nothing else. I have wandered the earth since leaving my homeland and have not set foot in it in many centuries.” Vail straightened his spine, standing as tall as he could manage while the demons behind him held his neck and waist under their control. “I have no allegiance to the elves or Prince Loren.”
“An elf with no allegiance to his kind, who has done his share of killing…” The king moved a step closer again, a glimmer in his eyes that Vail recognised. Madness. The loss of his brother had driven him mad, crazed by a need for vengeance. The male narrowed his green eyes on him and smirked. “I thought you a soldier we could question for intelligence on the prince and perhaps the Third King.”
Bruan moved so quickly Vail wouldn’t have had a chance to shift backwards to evade him even if he hadn’t been held by two guards. He grabbed Vail’s jaw, his fingers pressing into the left side while his thumb dug into the right, and shoved his head back. He stared down into Vail’s eyes, his smile growing.
“Forgive me… your highness… I did not recognise you at first.”
Vail tensed and barely bit back the growl that curled up his throat. He hadn’t expected the demon to know him. He had never seen this male in his life, had never ventured this deep into the interior of the Fifth Realm, and the male was young. It wasn’t possible that they had met.
The king’s smile held. “You are thinking in there… calculating… you do not hide it well, Mad Elf Prince. You wonder how I know you.”
Vail
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