The Demon Queen (Otherworld Series #5)

Chapter 1- The Vampire Plan

Nikolai was a prisoner in his own body.

He did not believe Catra when she described the feeling from her own experience but he did now.

Umaya had been the traitor in his midst. She came to his room when he was searching for some pants to pull on that morning.

She cried her crocodile tears and tried to touch him. And then suddenly there was a man who entered from behind.

Umaya screamed but it was too late. Blow to the head and the Demon king was down.

He saw the man shove Umaya aside and escape the room.

Then Lunia was there.

His Lunia.

She thought he died. He tried to convey that he was alive. But he couldn't move. He couldn't even twich his finger.

It was like his body had disobeyed him.

He hate the feeling.

He watched at his brothers broke down. He watched as Lunia was dragged away.

How dare they!? When he regained control of his body he was going to kill them all.

Umaya and those two guards that touched his Lunia.

Alexei and Nikolai would be forgiven in due time. If someone had killed one of them then Nikolai would react the same way. However, Nikolai would first find proper evidence of the crime and take the criminals point of view in mind.

Lunia wasn't given a fair hearing.

But then again, nothing in her life was ever fair.

She was going to be executed in a weeks time according to Alexei and Dimitri. He had to do something.

He had to to save her.

He tried moving any part of his body.

At least wriggling his toes.

It was useless.

He was so confused.

So anxious.

Who was Runeria? What was her true identity? Umaya? Runeria? She spoke of great things, Dragons and magic and Theodorius. Nikolai had studied the great history of the dragons, he knew that there were six eggs of Aurora still to hatch and that the last one had hatched an abnormal Dragon that was cast out.

Runeria/Umaya said that she'd told Lunia to search this abnormal dragon.

What that where Lunia had been for the past weeks?

Had she been to the great land of the dragons?

He had so many questions.

But he was so tired.

And so bored. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

---

He was in a different place.

Floating on thin air, wearing a loose cotton white shirt and brown leather pants similar to the ones he'd worn at his wedding.

He looked around, examining his surroundings.

He was in a tent. A makeshift battle planning room.

Maps were set out over a table, Hanes Vitely and his grandson Pius stood staring down at the maps.

He willed himself closer and was surprised when the dream thingie obeyed and he hovered closer to the two Vampires.

"Let us assume that Lunia is trapped in here. We'll go there in disguise and free her. Casualties must be kept minimal on both sides. If we're not siding with the demons during the war then we do not have to expend our warriors and for them to win the war then we have to let them have enough warriors. A skirmish will make numbers on both sides decrease."

"You want them to win the war?" Pius asked, his eyebrows raised. 

Hanes nodded. "The ghouls are vile creatures that need to be taught a lesson. For them one war was not enough. They want to prove that they're the stronger race. If we're not siding with the demons then we'll be like the Elves, not on this side of the bridge neither on that side of the bridge. We'll be the third neutral species. "

"But the Demons need us to win the war."

"I'm not siding with them if they declare Lunia as traitor. She might not mean much to you, Pius but she's my daughter, how would you feel if someone declare your son a traitor?"

Pius' face turned fierce. "I'd have them hanged."

"I want to do the same but I can't. And traitors? That's what happens to them, Pius, they get hanged. It's the demon law. Lunia is going to be publicly executed in a few days. Inside information says that in a weeks time."

Inside information? Who among the demons was feeding the Vampires inside information. In this case it was good but otherwise it was bad.

"Who is this secret informant you got among the demons. I thought demons were loyal to fault?" Nice question, Pius.

"The brothers' wives' Alicia Shizkov and Lucelle Shizkov. They sent me a missive with that owl." Hanes pointed towards and owl perched on a lamp.

Nikolai smiled widely. It was Shireen. His dear pet owl. She couldn't see him but he waved at her. At least they were using safe means of communication.

Alicia and Lucelle were trying to save Lunia. He was proud of their loyalty to her but they would still face punishment for aiding the Vampire, even if it was for a good cause.

"The point is we will have to try and enter the castle grounds before the execution to free her. We will send the owl back to the women and tell them of our plans, send one of the soldiers discreetly after the owl to mark it's progress and see if it is really reaching to the women tell him to shoot it down if it is reaching someone else."

Damn. Nikolai sent a silent prayer up to the gods hoping that Shireen went straight to Lucelle and Alicia. He hoped that they wouldn't kill her. She'd been a loyal pet for a long time.

"If everything goes as we hope it will, by next week, Lunia will be here with us."

"Let's hope so."

They nodded to each other. Nikolai nodded too.

And image of Lunia smiling up at him come into his mind.

He wanted to feel her heat under him, he wanted her to smile up at him, bicker with him and snore beside him again.

A yearning so sharp filled him.

To see her face again.

To tell her that he was alive.

To tell her not to despair.

And to tell her...that he loved her.

The vision or dream or whatever it was, blurred and disappeared. He was staring back up at the ceiling of his hospital room.

Tomorrow he was going to be shipped back to his room in the castle to recover close to his roots.

He would be closer to his Lunia.

So close but still so far.

The fates were so cruel.

They both had just begun to love each other that they're separated again. Lunia always had such bad luck.

Maybe with all the sex, that bad luck began rubbing off on him?

If so, he was glad.