After more prompting, Gil divulged that Ignak Shatterbone—who else—had given Phaedra the authority to direct Dreadthorn’s smithies and glassworks toward her project. Even textile workshops throughout the city had been repurposed for military use.

Go figure. If it turned out Sun-Domia had a way to deal with Phaedra’s concoction, demonkind would be in serious trouble. But I suppose, when all you have is a hammer, you’d better pray all your problems are nails.

I think that’s how the saying goes, at least.

As I left the storeroom, I spotted Mona talking to a demoness. It was the older woman I’d seen earlier—and now, as I saw them standing next to each other, shoulder to pink shoulder, I realized why the older woman had looked strangely familiar.

I approached them, moving to the side a little, trying to get a better view of them—the older woman had weathered skin and was wearing a jumpsuit like most of the demons working in the smithy. Her white hair was pulled back in a bun.

The woman spotted me looking at her, and began to kneel on the dirty shop floor as I approached.

“That’s not necessary,” I said. Mona turned toward me, looking at me with a slightly guilty expression. There must have been a reason she hadn’t wanted to tell me. I remembered, earlier, she had suggested we summon Ravennest to the tower. I’d been the one to propose we come here ourselves, to see the operations in person. Now her reluctance made more sense. But I didn’t know what had happened between Mona and her mother or why my High Priestess might not wish for me to meet her.

“Ah, Master,” Desdemona said, sounding like she wanted to crawl into a corner somewhere. “Meet my mother, Delilah Fell.”

The woman was still on the floor, so I spoke again, louder and firmer this time, “You need not dirty yourself. Rise.”

She stood, carefully, then looked up at me. “Ah, Dark Lord, it is an honor. You know, when Desdemona first told me she would be High Priestess one day, I must confess that I didn’t believe her.”

Mona rolled her eyes, standing there behind Delilah. “My dear mother did not give me much credit.”

“It would be easy to dismiss such claims coming from a child,” I said. “And yet, here we are. I suppose my Will works in mysterious ways.”

“Of course,” Delilah said. “Well, I can admit when I was wrong. I know she will serve you well. Please protect her, Dark One.”

“I will.” It seemed the right thing to say, even if the words were empty. At the moment, I wasn’t sure if I could even protect myself.

“If you’ll excuse me,” she said, “I must return to my work, or the Guildmaster will be cross with me.”

I nodded. “You may go, then. Be well.”

She bowed again before hurrying away. I looked at Mona and opened my mouth to speak, before thinking better of it.

Mona had a nervous look as her eyes shifted behind me, to where Ilmatar, Lucifron, and the others were standing. Now is not the time to talk about this.

“We’re done here. Let’s return to the tower.” I turned towards Ilmatar, who as always, was hovering just behind me. An awkward moment ensued where we all needed to turn around, but no one wanted to walk before me, so they parted as Mona and I moved past them.

It all felt suitably Dark Lord-y. It made me uncomfortable, but I supposed I needed to become used to being deferred to, even though I didn’t deserve it. But in truth, who did?

When we reached the double doors that led out to the street, Lucifron and his soldiers overtook Mona and I smoothly so that they were the first ones outside. When I emerged, I blinked my eyes as my vision danced with light, and my ears filled with the shouting of a crowd. Despite the haze, only now did I realize how bright it was out here compared to the dim light of the workshop.

A mass of my followers had formed around the door, and they erupted into chanting the instant I emerged from the workshop.

“Great One!” someone yelled from a few steps back, and Lucifron unceremoniously shoved them away from us.

Darkstar looked over his shoulder at me, a grim expression on his face. “Master, we should be swift.”

I nodded and moved forward, trying not to pay too much attention to the crowd on the other side of my guards. Lucifron had drawn his sword, and the guards had farstabs in their hands not too dissimilar to the ones Gil had shown me, though somewhat shorter, perhaps in concession to weight since they needed to be able to fly while carrying them.

Halfway to the carriage, I spotted a woman crawling between a guard’s legs. I tried to move away, but too late—she grabbed at my ankle, and as I tried to keep walking I realized I was dragging her behind me. As I stopped to look at her, I realized she was staring up at me, her eyes wide and desperate. “Dark One,” she said. “Please… Make mine one of the souls you devour.”

My eyes widened at her, and my stomach felt nauseous from the prospect. I tried to keep moving until I felt her hand release me—a guard had managed to turn around and pull her off. Sadly, in so doing, two others had surged past him and were now closing in. Ahead of me, I saw a few other enterprising followers manage to get between Lucifron and the carriage.

Soon, we were entirely surrounded. I blinked my eyes and tried not to stumble over the press of demons that had enveloped me. Their faces stared up as if in disbelief of their good fortune, as if they were grateful for my mere presence, which was a surreal thing to experience.

“Master,” I heard Lucifron yell. I saw him lift his sword into the sky from off to my left, and I watched as lightning surged into the blade.

“Darkstar,” I shouted over the din, though I tried to sound calm. “There’s no need for that.”

He looked at me hesitantly. Though the crowd was speaking in so many voices I couldn’t keep track of them, and jostled me constantly as certain members of the crowd managed to surge forward or lose position, they did not seem intent on harm. Quite the opposite, they had come to ask for my favor. It was worse, because I knew I could do nothing for them.

A woman lifted a baby above the crowd, high into the air, and for a moment, the jostling ceased. The demons had that much decency, I thought.

Mona and Ilmatar had caught up to me and were standing to either side, trying to act as a buffer from the crowd. A ball of fire floated above Mona’s hand, but it seemed to be mainly a threat. I hadn’t seen anyone get burned. Ilmatar had drawn a dagger with a straight blade, longer than the curved punishment knife, that I hadn’t even known he carried. But he seemed wary of using it.

The woman approached, carrying her crying baby, as miraculously the crowd parted before her. As they drew closer to me, I saw the baby’s skin was covered in black blisters. One on the child’s face oozed with fluid.

“He’s sick,” the mother said, her eyes imploring. “Please, Great One, cure him. You may have my soul. Take me to the Void, for sustenance, with my blessing, as long as you save him.”

I took a step away from her, raising my hands. “I cannot heal your child,” I said. “Forgive me.”

As I retreated, my guards had finally regrouped enough to form a line around us as I stumbled back up the steps and into the carriage. The mother had not tried to follow. Instead, her face had collapsed into grief the instant I’d denied her. As soon as I was inside, Mona, Ilmatar, and Lucifron all packed in behind me.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Two guards stayed behind, pushing people away from the carriage and guarding its door. We began to move, and the din of the crowd receded as I watched them in the corner of the window.

The woman lifted her son above her head again, the child wrapped in a red shawl. I couldn’t look away, watching them until we reached a bend in the road, and the crowd vanished behind a building. There was nothing I could do for her. For any of them. They had begged the wrong person.

I had been surrounded by “my” faithful, and all I’d wanted was to scream. Push them away from me and run—not back to the tower but to the outskirts of this cursed city and beyond. I wanted to hide in a forest of towering mushrooms, far from everything, where no one would bow to me. I would sleep in a bed of moss and wear leaves as clothing if it meant I would never have to deal with anyone who worshiped me again.

Sadly, I was beginning to suspect that wasn’t an option.

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The carriage rolled on in silence, but the sounds of the crowd still echoed in my skull. I sat there wondering if I would ever be free again. I had just begun to enjoy the quiet when Lucifron cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well, once again, I’m afraid to say—”

“Be quiet, Darkstar,” I said. “You seem to think you can preempt my judgment by apologizing first. It’s a very annoying habit. I did not expect a crowd to form either. Word of my presence spread quickly. My only annoyance is at the overzealousness of the guard. A woman begging at my feet is hardly a threat to me.”

“As you say, Dark One. I will speak with the soldiers. Of course, as you’ve proven, you are most capable of defending yourself.” Lucifron pointedly looked out the window to avoid making any further eye contact with me. “Thank you for your forgiveness,” he added.

I turned to Mona, seated directly across from me. She looked like she had something to say but had decided to hold her tongue. Perhaps she didn’t wish to say it in front of our companions. She did appear somewhat smug, however. Maybe she felt vindicated now that her proposal to bring Ravennest to the tower would have saved us all this trouble.

After today, I felt the tower was more of a prison than a refuge. I suppose it always had been, but I’d managed to be in blissful denial until now. Sadly, reality had found a way in.

As always, the carriage bounced on the road, jostling us even more on its way back up the hill. The tower had begun to appear in front of us and to the right, looming over the tiny buildings. From this vantage point, I wondered why none of the buildings in Dreadthorn, as far as I’d seen, were taller than two stories. Was it a rule that the tower must dominate the skyline completely?

“I suppose you were right,” I said, looking at Mona. Some kinds of conversations, at least, I didn’t care if Ilmatar or Lucifron overheard. And besides, if we never talked in public, it would be strange.

She tilted her head to one side and gave me a sly look. “Oh? About what?”

“We should have invited Ravennest to the tower.”

“Let us not dwell on it. In a way, Master, it is a compliment,” she said with a smile. “Look at the devotion you inspire in them. They love you to their marrow.”

“They certainly do not lack in faith. Some of them seemed, however, to be in a bad way. Lucifron, I want the guards who stayed behind and their reinforcements to make a list of everyone who was there and what they wanted.”

“While I admire your generosity, Dark Lord,” Ilmatar said, “if you stop to help every pox-ridden demon in Dreadthorn, nothing’ll be left of you. Conserve your strength and our resources for the battles ahead. Frankly, saving beggars and orphans is pointless if the city is overrun.”

It seemed like an odd argument to me—that their god shouldn’t try to help the poor, unwashed masses. But I supposed things worked quite differently in Dreadthorn, and my reading of the Book had made it clear demons admired strength and power above all else. Mercy and charity were sins, and if you wanted something badly enough, you needed to be prepared to sacrifice for it. I thought of the mother with the baby again, how she’d looked at me when she’d asked me to devour her own soul as the price for saving her child. The thought made me feel nauseous.

“I know, Majordomo.” It seemed pointless, perhaps even suspicious of me, to argue with him. “Mona, what do you think?”

“Though it deeply pains me to say this, I agree with Ilmatar. Lucifron, could you send me that list once you have it? Perhaps we can arrange for some priestesses to visit these needy souls.” She looked at me rather pointedly. “This way, we do not need to take up the Dark Lord’s precious time and vitality on such trivialities.”

“That will suffice, High Priestess,” I said coldly. “It pleases me that you attend to our faithful so diligently.”

She nodded, a slight twinkle in her eye. She liked it when I leaned into our charade, when we played off each other like this. I had started to see that, and it made sense. This is what she had wanted all along, after all—to be the High Priestess.

As much as I hated everything else, there was something to be said for Mona Fell, something strange I still didn’t quite understand. When I closed my eyes and saw her Will smoldering, I thought there was something in the shape of its burning that I recognized. Somehow, it felt familiar to me.

I needed to see if she was still interested in running away. With her help, maybe hiding out somewhere wouldn’t be impossible. Because if there was one thing I’d learned, more and more each day, it’s that I couldn’t do this for much longer. They were all doomed, and I would be of no great help to them.

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It didn’t take long after returning to our chambers for Mona to reach out and practically drag me towards the bed. “It has been such a stressful day, Master… I thought that perhaps I would worship you again tonight?” She looked at me over her shoulder, a playful look on her face, and I could tell that she wasn’t just doing it for me. In her eyes, there was a hunger that I didn’t understand.

Worship me? I felt dizzy at her words, and I froze. But something else in her tone gave me pause—like she wanted to avoid an awkward conversation.

“We need to talk, Mona.” I walked to the bed and sat down, patting a spot next to me, which I assumed wasn’t the position she’d had in mind when trying to drag me there a moment earlier.

But she followed my lead anyway, sitting there, her body turned towards me alluringly. She raised an eyebrow. “Well, what is it?” she asked.

“You didn’t want to tell me about your mother.”

She rolled her eyes. “What difference does it make? I’m your High Priestess, Master. My family is hardly relevant.”

“I…” I shook my head, not knowing what to say. “I guess, if we’re going to be so cold about it.”

“Cold?” She smirked and reached forward, placing her hand on my leg, and squeezing gently. “There’s nothing cold about us, Master. We seem to possess plenty of heat.”

“Sure, we do both love to worship. But I meant, pretending like you don’t have a life is kind of cold. You don’t seem to want me to know anything about you. I didn’t expect a big introduction, but you could have said, ‘Oh, by the way, my mother works at the Guild, so we’ll see her there.’”

She looked at me for a moment, her eyes still, as if she was still processing what I had said. Then, she nodded. “Sometimes I forget who you are.”

“I don’t see how you possibly could. I don’t think I was very convincing today—”

“You ruled convincingly. You tried to help your faithful. You did well today, Master. Do not let the trouble with Princess Nymphyra, or that crowd of beggars, get to your head. I can think of a few ways to help you relax…” She looked at me meaningfully, her lips ever so slightly parted, her eyes roaming across my face as if daring me to kiss her.

“So I’m a foolish human? For wanting to know more about you? I mean, your mother obviously messed you up somehow, so—”

Her eyes hardened, and she began to glare at me. “Yes, you might say she’s a sensitive topic, which is why I didn’t tell you. Obviously it was foolish, because I knew you might run into her. But I suppose I kept waiting for the right time to tell you, and it never came, and then before I knew it, you were standing in front of her.” She crossed her arms and turned away from me. Her face still looked angry, and her lower lip quivered.

Perhaps I should have said nothing at all. If I hadn’t mentioned it, we’d probably be entwined on the bed by now and would both be happier.

“You don’t need to say anything else,” I said. “I shouldn’t have pried into your business. I’ll drop it.” There was more I wanted to say. But if things were going this badly, I was even less confident about the other thing I desperately needed to ask her. Run away with me… Let’s not wait for Spring.

She fixed her eyes upon me. “I give you everything that I am in every moment I am with you. But the times before my service to you began or after it one day ends are none of your business.”

“Do you tell your god that very often?” I asked. “That something is none of his business?”

Her eyes danced with fire, and she looked like she was about to yell at me but couldn’t think of the right words.

“I don’t wish to fight with you, Mona,” I offered. “I suppose I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

She stared at me for a long moment as if collecting herself. Then, at last, she sighed and shook her head. “I don’t want to fight with you, either. She is just a sore subject for me.”

“I shouldn’t have pressed you.”

“Such a human thing to say,” she said, smiling at me now. “That you shouldn’t have done something after you’ve already done it. What a useless sentiment.”

“I try to avoid doing things I’ll regret later. But I don’t always manage it.” I ran a hand through my hair, then along one of my horns.

“You worry over problems that have not yet occurred?” she asked. “All that exists is the present. The Book teaches this lesson—if you had bothered to absorb it.” Her eyes twinkled. “But I have an idea, Master.”

“Oh?”

“We’ve had a challenging day, but admittedly that day is still young.” Mona smiled at me without any hint of her earlier displeasure. Now all that was behind us, or so she wanted me to think.

She stood from the bed and held out her hand to me. “I know a way we can blow off steam. A way we can be ... present.”

Mona still hadn’t told me anything, and I still hadn’t asked her my only real question. I knew it was only a matter of time before this all blew up in my face. But for now, I was tired of the argument. So I took her hand and followed her to the elevator.