From the moment Lord Winter decreed they should save the human, Lily knew she was going to die. She knew it because she was a half-demon malcubus, and humanity hated demons. She knew it because she had fallen out of favor with Lord Winter; he had found another heir. This one was a male, young and pliable, with magic potential. Another half-demon eager to become a scion and feast on power.
Lily had been Lord Winter’s trusted assistant. But now he had chosen to leave his domain and collect another student. He had many students, and many were failures, but Lily knew this time would be different. This new boy was her lord’s kin. Once he was acquired, her treasured job as heir to Lord Winter’s estate would be in jeopardy. It was only a matter of time before Lord Winter arranged for her death. Lily refused to wait.
“Ave,” Lily said in an undertone. Leaving the safety of the trees, she raised her right arm and gave the password. “Hail to the king.”
“Hail to the king, Miss Lilith,” the deceiver said. He looked almost human. His disguise was ruined by soft cloven hooves. “Is our payment ready?”
“Do you doubt my lord’s word?” Lily asked. Wary of the mercenary’s intentions, she put her hand on her sidearm. “Payment will be delivered on completion of the contract.”
“Yes mi’lady. We only wished to see the money beforehand to ensure we are not being manipulated.”
Lily’s well-honed danger sense blared. The last time these mercenaries pulled this trick, the fool middle-man had opened the sealed treasure chest. The mercenaries had killed him, taken the gold, blamed it all on the enemy, and left the job unfinished.
“Your payment will be delivered as agreed.”
“We are far from home and your lord is our way back. We require assurances.” The deceiver looked around for support. He needn’t have bothered: heads nodded.
“I will give you a bonus now, if you perform an additional task.”
“Name it.”
“Do not kidnap the mark. Kill him. Bring me his head.”
“Your lord’s orders are to take him alive.” The demon’s eyes glittered under the stars.
“My lord will pay you regardless, as befits the contract.” Lily took a small pouch out of her pocket. “One obol each. What say you?”
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The mercenary looked around. The assassin, a scaleless fiend balancing one of his daggers on the tip of his finger, nodded.
“It will be done mi’lady,” the deceiver said.
Lily threw him the pouch. It came from her own salary. She was angered to no end to lose even a penny of her money, let alone an obol, worth as much as gold in the underworld. But if this was all she had to pay to keep her position, she would not complain.
Lily mounted the riding spawn and raced back to Winter’s position. Its clawed feet made no sound on the soft moss covering the dirt. She covered the distance in half the time. Winter waited at the base of an enormous tree. He was a gandaberunda, a colossal two-headed eagle. Taller than a man with a wingspan to match, two wicked beaks, and a permanent scowl, Lord Winter commanded respect. Moisture covered him, as the snow and ice decorating his feathers melted.
“My lord,” Lily said, halting. “It is finished.”
“Then the time is now. We strike.” Lord Winter swung a wing like a scythe. Explosions disturbed the quiet woods like thunder on a clear day. Plumes of fire rose into the night sky from somewhere to the west and north. The demons began moving toward the city. Winter raised his voice over the commotion, “Remember. I want him alive.”
Lily followed the strike team through the forest. She held back as searchlights burned away shadows. Night became day. The demons, using their night vision, howled in agony. Knowing what was coming, Lily urged the riding spawn to climb the nearest tree. Her guess proved correct as swarms of angry hornets filled the trees and quick pops like fireworks erupted.
Bullets ripped the demons apart. Lily saw the first row of mercenaries disintegrate into red mist. The next row, a little more cautious, hid behind the trees or rocks. Nothing saved them. Wood shattered. Rocks exploded. Demons fell to pieces. Lily urged the spawn higher, until it was invisible in the upper branches of the tree.
Lily clung to the saddle. The spawn clung to the tree, as if was aware of the proximity of death.
It was over as quick as it began. The humans, while taken by surprise, had reacted with a viciousness Lily admired. They took no prisoners. They showed no mercy. Lily heard a few dying demons begging for mercy.
“We surrender,” a throaty voice pleaded. “Please.”
Lily heard a quick pop. The begging stopped. Shapes moved through the trees. The soldiers were not trained to walk like ghosts. The entire forest heard them traipsing. One of them passed under Lily’s tree. She held her breath.
“Got something weird here.” A flashlight illuminated the many deep gashes left by the spawn’s claws.
“Maybe it’s a bear.” A second flashlight matched the first. Lily’s heart hammered as both lights climbed to the trees. She felt the spawn stiffen. Beams of light hit the foliage. “With claws that wrap around the entire trunk? Must be a big bear.”
“Big alien bears,” said the first soldier. “Well, I don’t see anything. Let’s go.”
The lights swung down. Both men moved away. Lily released the breath she was holding. She felt the spawn relax. She stayed in place another hour, until the flashlights all returned and she was certain they had gone back to standing watch. Like a ghost, she directed the riding spawn to descend. It dropped to the forest floor. She heard a shout. She kicked the beast. It was already moving. A few bullets buzzed overhead like angry wasps. Lily flattened herself in the saddle. She urged the spawn to flee.