Queen's Shadow || Kingdom at the End of the World - Book II

[12] An Empty Grave

Gabriel Todd braced her hands against a floor wet with her blood.

Swirling patterns stained the wood, painted in vivid red. They skirted her seated form in a circle of thorny vines. The outer edges were dry. The blood lay fresh inward, still wet where it lapped at Gabriel's toes.

The demon studied the macabre mural with sharp eyes. She staggered to her feet and turned in a slow circle, careful not to disturb the runes. Her lips stretched in a trembling smile.

It was done.

"This is it, darling," Gabriel said.

The corpse laid on the bed behind her did not answer. Gabriel's smile dimmed, then slipped from her lips completely. Her hands were gentle when they stroked through dirty blonde hair. Her fingers cradled a man's sharp jaw, traced cheeks sunken by a decade-long hunger.

"You are a fool," she said. The words were meant for the man as surely as for herself.

A knock had Gabriel snatching her hand back, as if burned. The demon glared at the door. The room was locked against outsiders, which meant that the one who had dared disturb her belonged to her own household.

Gabriel flicked her hand up, nails glinting red. A shadow slipped through the ceiling. It filled out into the shape of a man, as if poured into some invisible, human-shaped vessel. Crystal eyes regarded Gabriel expectantly.

"Who is it that seeks entry?" Gabriel asked.

The shadow-guard's crystal eyes melted into its body. They reappeared a short moment later, blinking into being like stars in the night sky. Laurent, Gabriel heard.

Laurent Duvall oversaw the administration of the Todd estate. Gabriel would wager that the man had come carrying a stack of documents for Gabriel's perusal, hopelessly hoping to instill some sense of responsibility into his wayward lord. Gabriel admired Laurent's perseverance, and marveled at his loyalty. Gabriel would have long turned traitor in Laurent's place, out of sheer spite if nothing else.

"Send him away, then return to me," Gabriel sighed.

The shadow-guard flickered out of existence. Gabriel sat down, legs numb. Her back rested against the dead man's side. His flesh was like stone, solid and unmovable. Gabriel leaned against him and closed her eyes.

The shadow-guard returned. It waited for Gabriel's orders with starved focus. Gabriel's mouth twisted with barely-contained disgust. She swallowed the urge to banish the creature from sight, knowing it to be illogical and rooted in trauma. Reason did little to still the shaking of her hands. The demon clenched them into fists, smearing blood over her palms.

"You will go to Advisor Xiang. You will tell him this, precisely as I word it: The House of Todd is in your care."

The shadow-guard sent his silent agreement. It sidled closer when Gabriel beckoned it forward, as fluid as a wave lapping over a shore. Gabriel extended her hand.

"A heart," she demanded.

The shadow-guard plucked out one of its eyes and silently handed it over. Gabriel cradled the cold gem. It had once belonged to one of Gabriel's ancestors, and now served to ensure the safety of the Todd lineage. Gabriel's blood seeped into the stone. It spread through the crystal like quicksilver, dying it a vibrant red.

"You will give Advisor Xiang this, as well," Gabriel commanded.

The shadow-guard accepted the stained gem and fit it in next to its pair. When it looked back at Gabriel, it did so with mismatched eyes.

"Go," Gabriel said.

The shadow-guard thinned to smoke. Gabriel exhaled in minute relief. Xiang Yi would receive her missive within the hour. The man would arrive at Gabriel's doorsteps in far shorter a time.