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Chapter 28
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The Demon Chapter 29
It all started when Uncle decided to hold a joust in honor of my return and in Count Torne’s memory. I would have offered him two barrels of moonshine for the latter, but nobody had asked me. Instead, Uncle told us the good news in a rather cringe-worthy tone. “Andre, Alex, there will be a joust in ten days. I hope you won’t disgrace our family’s honor?” “Of course, Father.” In public, Andre played the role of a dutiful son. “As you command, Uncle.” “Come on, boys. Doesn’t it make you happy?” “We’ll be overjoyed,” I said passionately. Both Tommy and Rene reacted the same way to the news about the joust—by swearing like a sailor at my uncle. Fair enough; a joust required a set of armor, a weapon, a horse... Getting them just ten days before a tournament, when half the capital was doing the very same, seemed impossible. Could one participate without that? One could. But judging by Abigail’s warm smile, there was going to
The Demon Chapter 30
Andre was clearly becoming more and more anxious, and when he tore off his helmet and threw it aside, I knew that it was time to act. Once again, I dodged his blow, and deftly scratched my cousin’s cheek. Blood started flowing, and Andre stopped, in utter disbelief.I sneered.“I hope I haven’t offended you, Cousin?”With these words, I made a bee-line for the exit from the tiltyard.“Alex!”My demon senses were tingling like crazy. I dropped down, rolled back, took a look around...A short crossbow bolt was sticking out of the crimson sand of the arena. If I hadn’t dodged, I would be done for. I traced the bolt’s trajectory with my eyes. Someone was getting a good walloping over there.Good.Let’s hope they don’t kill him, but if anything happens.“Alex!”Tommy and Rene ran to me. I quickly gave Tommy my instructions, and he disappeared from the arena. Meanwhile, Rene took me by the shoulder and started to examine me.“Are you alive?”“Don’t count on me dying just yet...”Viscount Mo
The Demon Chapter 31
Should I even mention that nobody noticed me? I didn’t interrogate Chartreuse’s spirit that night, and the next morning, things got really messy.The marquise woke up in the same bed as a corpse and started screaming bloody murder, drawing the attention of the entire palace, including her husband, who pulled her out of Chartreuse’s bed by her hair, slapped her, and dragged her to their room.Alas, he didn’t make it, getting apprehended by the guards, who took the lady away. After all, she could have been the murderer. Abigail was weeping over her brother’s body, Chartreuse the elder was wiping a few tears from his face, while the rest of the family watched, and I was in stitches. It was a hoot.The bolt was the same. I remember it. It’s a conspiracy. First me, then the queen’s brother, who’s next?I’m so afraid.We need to assign guards to everyone—Uncle, Auntie, the cousins. This is a dis
The Demon Chapter 32
It happened on the sixth day of our journey. I remember it so clearly, those huge bright stars in the autumn sky, the last drops of the departing summer. It was already too cold for sleeping on the ground, and we decided to stay overnight in a roadside inn. It was called Golden Thistle.Sometimes, I dream about it, that low-hanging ceiling, beams stained with smoke, ropes of onion on the walls—and a scarlet dress against that squalor—coal-black hair…and her voice. I don’t hear anything except for that voice. Deep, a bit husky, flowing like honey and wine, it was fitting for a royal audience rather than that place.We had just sated our hunger when she came on stage, and I was lost. I held my breath as she sang, her voice flowing, enchanting, beckoning. As she passed through the hall, nobody dared even to move, let alone touch her or stop her. She dazzled, she ensorcelled, she bewitched. Don’t be angry with a bird who’s flying. For s
The Demon Chapter 33
I liked Altverin—an old castle of huge grey stones, sharp spires, roofs of scarlet as if stained with blood, and ivy that climbed up the walls. It was a breathtaking sight. Inside, however... Is this noble poverty?Yeah, right.More like utter destitution. Still, everything was scrubbed so clean that you could see your reflection in the stone walls—not a fleck of dusk, not a cobweb. There were half a score of servants, all looking like they were forced to wear corsets. As for the steward, Sharen Clate was a tall, silver-haired man in his fifties who welcomed us on the doorstep of the castle, bread and salt in his hands. I broke off a snug of bread, like I was supposed to, and ate it, pretending I was content. I didn’t really want to start acting up before I knew what was what.The bread was the cheapest one could find, grey coarse flour with lumps—at royal court, they wouldn’t even feed the dogs with such stuff.And then the
The Demon Chapter 34
Naturally, we got attacked two days away from Altverin. After all, my lands had peasants living on them, and peasants could simply beat the bandits with their clubs, not giving a care about nobility and honor. We also had some idiot minstrel singing songs about a noble thief who stole from the rich while completely forgetting that stealing was a crime no matter who you stole from. And of course, we could never put up any resistance, with only a score of guards.Therefore, the bandits—almost two hundred strong—surrounded our carts, aimed crossbows at my people, and ordered them to throw all they had on the ground and disarm themselves. Tommy did disarm, followed by Rene, and then the others.“Where’s the prince?” the bandit leader, who had been cautious enough to put on a mask, asked, finally noticing my absence.“He had to return to the castle for a bit.”The bandits paused to think. Apparently, they had been orde
The Demon Chapter 35
The fourth act was started in the prison. I broke the lock and set my people free. Their reactions varied, from Tommy’s friendly and worried.“Are you all right, Alex?” to a guardsman’s respectful and admiring.“Your Highness!”I shrugged and clapped Tommy on the shoulder. Apparently, that annoying gesture was contagious.“You couldn’t break me if you threw me against the wall. Do you think that a bandit castle is worse?”Tommy calmed down and started to smile. Rene, however, was looking around in surprise.“Alex, how did you manage to do that?”“I can be quite persuasive sometimes.”He was surprised even more when he saw bodies scattered across halls and corridors, their faces frozen with horrified expressions.Everyone was dead... or mostly everyone. Some had simply gone mad, two or even three people.“Alex, how the hell did you
The Demon Chapter 36
The frump was waiting for me in the bedroom, apparently mindful of her failed attempt with Tommy’s intervention. She was sitting on the bed, and I silently unleashed a stream of earsplitting profanities, trying not to say anything out loud.If anybody stumbled upon that scene, I would never be able to wipe that stain away. What were my options?“Ruthie? What’s wrong?”“Alex, we need to talk.”It all looked so fake that I barely stifled a laugh. Even brothel girls looked more sincere, and Ruthina was making such a face that I really wanted to splash her with water to bring her to her senses. I couldn’t, however, or she’d bleed makeup all over the place.Mistress Eliza had told me a lot about that, summoning her girls and showing how a shark could be turned into a mermaid. A dash of paint here, a trinket there...all in all, an interesting experience.“I’m listening.” I didn&rsqu
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