The Demon Queen (Otherworld Series #5)

Chapter 18 - The Calm before the Storm.

Dimitri rushed into the room. The bed was ruined. Everything was destroyed. Nikolai gone.

Feofin held a small twisted body in her arms. She was weeping and stroking the creature.

He stepped closer. Shireen the owl. It's wing twisted, hooted mournfully. "What happened here?"

Afonos and Alexei entered the room. "Gods." Alexei exclaimed.

Feofin let out a sob and threw herself into Afonos' arms, carefully holding the owl.

"It's like a storm came through."

Dimitri nodded. Afonos grumbled and led Feofin out the room.

Alexei stepped closer to the bed. "Nikolai...."

Dimitri looked away. "Someone has taken him away."

"Or maybe he went himself." Alexei suggested. Dima turned sharply. "No. Someone has taken him. This room is the proof. We all know who it was."

Alexei narrowed his eyes. "You think Lunia has taken Nikolai away?"

"I don't think. I know that she has."

Alexei sighed. "Dima you've been obsessed with Lunia ever since she ran away. This isn't her fault. She didn't do it. How can she?"

"Those wretched Vampires helped her. I'm sure of it. " Dimitri strode out of the room, Alexei hot on his heels.

The guards rushed towards them. "Don't go there. You're useless in there." Dimitri stopped them.

Alexei put his hand on Dimitri's shoulder. "Whatever it is you're going to do, just think-"

"Think about what? About how Lunia managed to steal the King, our brother, right from under out noses? Alexei whatever misplaced sense of loyalty you have to Lunia, it's all an illusion. Snap out of it, she's a traitor. I need you right now. You're the commander of our armies." He turned towards the guards.

"Go to the barracks. Wake all the soldiers. We march to Sohue as soon as the first light of dawn touches the grass. " The guards rushed away to obey the command.

Dimitri walked away, Alexei tried to keep up. "DimitrI, listen to me. You can't do this without any proof."

"She tried to kill him before, that's proof enough."

"You're being irrational."

Dimitri turned his head to his younger brother. "You're my brother, why are you siding her?"

Alexei looked away. Suspicion creeped ih's way into Dimitri's mind but suddenly he felt another presence.

He turned towards the doorway of the passage. A female stood in the doorway her face veiled by white, her body draped in the same coloured robes.

Alexei breathed in sharply. "Aunt Renaz."

---

I woke up when I heard someone call me.

I looked around, was Hanes in the room again? That didn't sound like Hanes, the voice was gruff and smooth at the same time, the usual snark gone, I'm pretty sure it was Nikolai's voice.

But it couldn't be true, Nikolai here?

I signed. Maybe I was dreaming. I got out the bed and walked towards the bathroom, I passed myself in the mirror....then I backtracked.

My face had dried spit all over and my white hair was a frizzy mess. My tattoos only made my face look worse.

I laughed and posed like a model. Someone cleared their throat.

I turned in a start.

An unfamiliar female stood in the doorway of my room. She had obisidian hair and sharp blue eyes, her face was stunning but familiar at the same time.

"I heard you were here but I didn't believe it. " The female said.

The line of her jaw and the angle of her eyes.... Who is this...Not wanting to feel lacking in the presence of the stunning Vampire, I changed my appearances to the Demon female.

"Do I know you?" I asked. She smiled, showing fangs.

"You don't recognize me? "

I squinted my eyes. She did look familiar. Then she smirked. She had Pius' annoying smirk.

"Oh." I raised my eyebrows. "You're..You're Penelope, Pius' half-sister"

She smiled this time. "Nice guess. I didnt think you'd know me."

I shrugged. "I recognised that smirk. Gabriel has it, Pius has it, who else would?"

I had never met Pius' sister. I'd heard of her when she had been born but she'd been Gabriel's daughter with another woman, our relationship with Gabriel Valor had ended when Louisa, Hanes first royally recognized daughter had died due to organ faliure, Pius had been our only remaining the to him. I vaguely remembered him having two children with another woman.

"You...came here for a reason?" I asked, wanting to be alone.

She straightened. "I came here to call you down to the Council room. Breakfast has been cancelled. "

I raised my eyebrows. She shrugged. "Nobody knows why. Everyone is down there, waiting for you. Be quick." And with that she left me alone.

My ears burned with anger. How could she order me around? A person with no ties to the King ordering me, a Princess, around? I might be a bastard but I had been raised as a princess, I need respect dammit.

I turned away, muttering in anger. She's just like Pius, an annoying brat.

I wonder why Breakfast had been cancelled and went to wash up in peace.

---

Going into the closet had reminded me of my time in the palace when I had been in disguise. I remember Nikolai passing by and an irration chokehold of fear had taken me by surprise, I had transformed myself into Pius and hidden in their room, just to be extra sure.

Catra had been there, as I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my naked body on show, I remembered that Catra's body had been perfect.

My breasts were small, barely a handful, my body was shaped like an hourglass but it only made my scars and jutting hipbones more visible to the eye.

Catra had supple, full breasts, she had a scarless, beautiful, healthy body. I had been so jealous of her.

I touched the words 'Vel Miorisi' that were carved in her thigh. The reminder if her past and her pain. She was never going to be as beautiful as Catra. She was that she could change her appearance at will, people would be horrified to see this body, the masterpiece of the demons.

"It's all that Runeria's fault." If it wasn't for her then Nikolai would have taken her as wife right from the start. She would have been the Queen of the Demons, and they wouldn't have suffered plagues and droughts, they would be a happy kingdom, Nikolai might have even been a father.

Thought of parenthood made her touch her flat stomach.

"Is there someone in there?" She asked but decided not to dwell on it. There were other matters to deal with.

She donned a simple white, bell shaped sleeve tunic and a brown corset, then decided on brown riding slack and black boots. Today was after all the day she'd set out to do her Queenly duties.

"Girls gotta be ready, ya know." She said to herself in the mirror and then changed into the Demon female.

Because, no matter what the Demons proclaimed her. Her marriage to Nikolai stated otherwise.

She gave herself a confident smile in the mirror. "I am the Demon Queen."