Six Rulers

9

Chapter 9

Dylos

He knelt on the cold marble floor, staring at the place where it had happened. It felt a bit wrong, but he'd grown accustomed to this place and the atrocity that was the mortal world. He found himself hating it more and more every day–the day before, he'd discovered a place called 'Canada.' He hadn't minded it until he found out they put their milk in bags, and passed off slices of ham as bacon.

If there was time, he'd attack them too.

But there was no time.

"Master," the cloaked figure approached him, his steps clicking on the stone floor. "I have returned."

"And the other one?"

"The Queen got him."

He stood. "Retrieve Rohr."

"Yes, Master."

Minutes later, his lackey returned, pushing a wheelchair. Rohr was pale, his face bloodless from the loss of his right arm. The bandage on his stump of a shoulder was marked with a splotch of bright red where the blood had soaked through.

"Good thing I'm left handed," Rohr joked. He looked barely able to keep his head up.

The mortal king screamed at him. "HE SHOULDN'T BE THERE! HE SHOULD BE ASLEEP!!"

"Shut.Up." He growled, rubbing his temples.

"You called for me, Dylos?" Rohr asked.

"How hard did you fight her."

"What?" The Grand General sounded bewildered.

"I said, how hard did you fight her."

He turned to face the newly one-armed man. Rohr's muddy brown eyes were wide, and full of watery nervousness. "I-ah"
"ANSWER ME, YOU SNIVELLING COWARD."

"She showed up halfway through the battle."

"And?"

The General hung his head. "She cut down a hundred soldiers by herself just to get to me."

He inhaled. "Did you fight back?"

Silence.

"Your Majesty, maybe you should let the General rest for a while." a silky smooth female voice sprang from the corner of the ballroom. He watched as Jayra stepped from the shadows, her light blue gown glowing against the darkness.

"GAH!" Rohr jumped. "How long have you been standing there?!"

"Long enough." Jayra's red lips formed a snake's smile. "Leave us, General."

"But-"

Jayra waved a long-nailed hand. Rohr's wheelchair rolled backwards out of the ballroom, the doors banging shut once he was fully out.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "You attacked her? Twice?"

"You told me that I was to anger the Queen enough that she would enter military altercation with you. You never instructed me on how to anger her, so I did it how I thought was best."

Jayra clenched her fists. "You were supposed to do it somewhat inconspicuously! Olivin is Dylos' friend. They've been friends for some time. This is a mess."

"You gave me sparse instructions, mortal. This fault is yours."

She glared up at me with pale eyes. "This is my plan. You will follow my plan. I summoned you. You obey me."

He flung out his hand, catching her throat and lifting her up. "I obey no one. Not you, not Lillithe, not even Death herself. You might have summoned me, but you relinquished control over me when you let me out of the summoning circle and gave me this body to inhabit. You gave me free will when you did that."

She writhed in his grasp, choking and gasping for air, clawing at my hand with her long fingernails.

He held her for a moment longer, then let her fall to the ground. She crumpled, coughing and holding her throat.

"Stop standing in the shadows, woman." he spun on his heel and stalked out of the ballroom, his shoes clicking on the marble.

"Stop," Jayra said, her voice no longer the smooth silk it had been. It was as rough and raspy as a smoker's. "Stop-"

He stepped out of the room, cutting her off.

The first chance he got, he was going to kill her.