Red eyes locked onto Alira.

  Rusk stepped back. Levi yawned. Lilith returned to petting a Dark Horse. Yama sat on his haunches. Botis watched, but didn’t intervene.

  Great help they were.

  Cold radiated from Alira, freezing the air. Her knuckles went white around the ice blade forming in her grip. A murderous glare pierced Vorn. “Say that again.”

  Vorn’s jaw tightened. Alex intervened before he could speak. “Stop! Both of you!”

  Kai agreed with Alex. Letting this go further would be disastrous. Scaring them was one thing, but killing Vorn wouldn’t win hearts and minds.

  Executing him could wait until they’d solidified their rule.

  Smart tyrants played the benevolent ruler before gaining the power to crush dissent. They had enough Demons and Marked to wipe out the few Nivisara soldiers and nobles, but corpses weren’t the best foundation to build on.

  Although Kai could raise them from the dead and put them to work, Alira wouldn’t approve. She’d have gripes about him slaughtering every member of her House.

  It was all or nothing.

  They either killed everyone and employed their corpses, or gained the people’s support.

  Kai and Alira had to present themselves as a better option than maintaining the status quo. Even if the leadership change wasn’t optional, the transition would be smoother if people had hope in the new direction.

  That sweet, deceptive mistress.

  A hopeful populace was a docile populace. False hope played better than harsh truths.

  He had to pacify the Ice Maiden before things went in a direction she didn’t have the stomach for. But they couldn’t afford to back down or look weak.

  He raised a hand, stepping between Alira and her prey. “Betrothed, there’s no need to kill the stupid bastard.”

  “I don’t mean to kill him,” Alira said. Her blade finished forming. “I’ll take his rancid tongue. That’s punishment enough—our House needs every hand it can get.”

  Kai stared. Her suggestion wasn’t unreasonable…

  No. Hearts and minds. Benevolence. Time and place.

  He sighed, stepping closer. The chill bit his flesh. Cold seeped into his bones. He suppressed a shiver.

  His next words were quiet, private. “Not the right move. Not yet.”

  Their eyes met.

  He raised his voice. “Why not let Rusk bind and gag him? You won’t have to hear another word.”

  Rusk straightened and stepped beside Kai. He grinned as if happy to have something to do.

  Alira’s expression softened. She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Her blade lowered.

  Vorn opened his mouth. Alex covered it with a gauntlet. Water flooded Vorn’s mouth and nose. His response came as a gurgle.

  Thank you, brother-in-law!

  Kai inclined his head at Rusk. “All yours.”

  Rusk nodded.

  Kai clarified. “No cutting, no slicing. Just binding and gagging—understood?”

  Rusk’s brows furrowed. “Got it. What do you think I am? Some kinda maniac?”

  Kai didn’t respond. The answer was obvious.

  Rusk pulled a cloth square from his pouch. His fingers twitched. The cloth unravelled into fine threads, interlocking and weaving into multiple lengths of rope.

  He pointed at Vorn. Rope flew, coiling around the soldier’s legs.

  Alex restrained Vorn, who kept kicking against the bindings. Alex let water drain from Vorn’s nose, then addressed Alira. “Freeze the rope or he’ll weaken it with water.”

  He glared at Vorn. “Stop it, you fool! Don’t you see Master Kai has saved your tongue?”

  Vorn went limp.

  His struggling stopped.

  Alira strode toward them, face twisted in disgust. Her fingers stroked the rope binding Vorn’s legs. Ice spread along its length. “Hurry up, Rusk. I’m not gonna make multiple trips.”

  Rusk’s grin widened. He shot finger guns at Vorn. More rope flew toward the hotheaded soldier, binding his arms at his sides. Alex released his hold as a rope wrapped around Vorn’s mouth.

  Alira touched each rope, freezing them solid as steel.

  Alira returned to Kai’s side.

  His attention shifted to Alex. “Can you keep him under control?”

  Alex looked at Vorn. Vorn lowered his head. Alex’s eyes returned to Kai. “That won’t be an issue.”

  Kai nodded. If the rest of Alira’s siblings were as cool-headed, they’d get on swimmingly.

  He sent a mental command to the bowing Demons, then turned to his crew. The Demons rose, moving to clean up debris around the church.

  “The rest of you should get some sleep. Won’t be much downtime when we cross over to Earth.”

  Levi frowned. “Sleep? At night?”

  “Not you. You’ll keep watch with me.”

  A heavy sigh. “Just what I need.”

  “Glad you’re on board.”

  “I can stay up if you need me,” Rusk offered.

  “You’re my ace. I need you sharp. Get some sleep.” He gestured toward the church. Rusk's grin widened as he sauntered toward the side door.

  Lilith stopped stroking the Dark Horse and brushed off her clothes. “If the boss orders us to sleep, how can I refuse?” She followed Rusk.

  Alira glanced at Vorn before meeting Kai’s eyes. Her chilling aura had subsided. They stood less than an arm’s length apart.

  Sweat slicked Kai’s palms.

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  Alira looked away and cleared her throat. “See you in the morning.” She entered the church.

  “Sleep well.”

  Levi rolled his eyes.

  “What?” Kai asked.

  “You propose to the Lady, promise her the world, but deprive her of a goodnight kiss?” He shook his head.

  “We’ve only known each other a few days…” A pitiful excuse. Levi didn’t buy it. Botis stood guard, pretending not to listen.

  “A gentleman should know better.”

  Kai’s turn to roll his eyes. If Alira wanted to kiss him, she would have—wouldn’t she?

  He stepped toward the church’s side door.

  “Found your courage, have you?”

  “That’s not—” He took a deep breath. “I’m just gonna check inside. I didn’t have the luxury of looking around last time.”

  Kai stepped into the church. Botis remained beside the doorway. An altar stood at the far end, carved with the symbol of a water droplet. Pews lined the left side, beds lined the right.

  Villagers used to sleep here, safe from abominations prowling the night.

  All but three of the beds were empty now.

  Lilith’s head lifted from her pillow. “Need something, boss?”

  Alira and Rusk were already fast asleep—they must’ve been more tired than they let on. Unsurprising. They’d been fighting by his side for two days and at least one night.

  Kai shook his head. “Just looking around.”

  Lilith offered a knowing nod. “I see.” A smirk played on her lips. “The other two conked out as soon as their heads hit the pillow. If you want, I can wake—”

  “They need their rest. Let them sleep.”

  “Ah. You got it.” She lowered her head again.

  Levi’s stare locked onto him as he walked out.

  “So?”

  “So, what?”

  “How was your first k—“

  “I looked around, like I said I would. Everyone was asleep except Lilith.”

  Levi folded his arms and looked down his nose. “A brave gentleman dies only once. A cowardly swine dies every day.”

  Kai stroked his blade’s hilt.

  “Hmph. Message received.”

  Thank Death God.

  Alex split his attention between Vorn and the working Demons. Some were rebuilding structures with salvaged tools. His eyes widened as Demons hammered and sawed like humans.

  “Not gonna sleep?” Kai asked.

  Alex tore his eyes from the Demons. “I need to watch him, don’t I?” He nudged a bound and seated Vorn with his boot. Vorn looked up with a sullen expression—or as sullen as he could look with his mouth covered.

  “Staying up for a night or two is nothing. Siege training was worse than this. What about you two? Don’t you need to rest?”

  “We’ll be fine. Our special diets keep us energised. We can stay up for ages.”

  “A special diet that keeps you awake? Forgive me if I’m being too forward, but do you mind sharing your secret?”

  “I’ll have to disappoint you for now.”

  “Fair enough. Maybe after you join the family?”

  Kai chuckled. “Maybe.”

  “I’ll take it.” His eyes returned to the Demons.

  ***

  The night passed without incident.

  By the time the red sun rose, the Demons had cleared most of the rubble and repaired several structures nearby. A well and several basic shelters now stood ready.

  No villagers had survived to use them, but Demons needed water and shelter, right? They’d worked through the night without tiring.

  Useful trait.

  But even if they needed little sleep, they probably wanted a private space. He’d have to ask Haggar about the Demons’ habits.

  Hopefully they weren’t too different from humans.

  He wasn’t that different, was he? Although growing up around other Demons could’ve changed things.

  In any case, similarities brought people together. Differences divided groups or strengthened them. He’d push them toward strength.

  Vorn kept quiet and still overnight. Abominations couldn’t penetrate the church’s Domain, but a few had died throwing themselves at the barrier.

  They backed off after that.

  The night’s watch devolved into monitoring Demons like construction supervisors.

  The others slept through the darkness and into the light. Before waking his crew, Kai spoke to Alex.

  “Still think cooperating with Demons is impossible?”

  Alex looked at the Demons sweeping ash, piling stone, and preparing for the village’s reconstruction.

  “I admit, I didn’t expect this.” He gestured at the hard workers. “Who knew Demons were good for anything but slaughter?” A few Demons glared at him, their red eyes dim in the sunlight.

  Alex raised his palms. “Sorry, you know what I mean. You’re doing great work, guys.”

  He turned to Kai. “But a night’s work is one thing. Will they follow you for months? Years? That’s the question.”

  Progress.

  “Hours ago, they were mortal enemies. Now you’re questioning the viability of working together.” He shrugged. “A step in the right direction.”

  “If you can keep this up…you might actually save our House. But my father won’t be so enthusiastic. Neither will the other Houses, nor the ministers.”

  Kai snorted. “Did nobles come to the Darklands to bow to ministers, or to take what you wanted with might and guile? Your father will bend the knee, enthusiastically or not, because he’s too weak to oppose me. In time, he’ll thank me for the privilege. The other Houses will do the same.”

  “It may be as you say, but the ministers—“

  “The ministers are busy with Earth. Holding the Sectors. Defending against other nations. They don’t have the luxury of preventing us from working with Demons instead of slaughtering them.” He smirked. “And they’re smart enough to see the bigger picture—humanity’s survival. They’ll look the other way.”

  “I guess we’ll see.” Alex smiled. “Although you’ve come to usurp our lands like a scoundrel, I must admit…I’m rooting for your success—our House has floundered for too long. Good luck marrying my sister—you’ll need it.”

  Kai mirrored his smile. “I look forward to calling you ‘brother’. Bring news of our plans to the castle. Tell your father it’s in his best interests to step down peacefully.” His expression hardened. “Under no circumstances may anyone send word to the other Houses. Violating this order will incur my wrath. Understood?”

  Alex scoffed. “Only a fool would do such a thing. Broadcasting our House’s weakness would ring the dinner bell for the scavengers. Why help a drowning enemy when you can step on their head and steal everything they own?” He shook his head. “Father’s stuck between bad options. He’ll choose the one that allows his House to survive.”

  “And that is…?”

  “The option where he abdicates to his daughter instead of surrendering to his enemies. At least our bloodline will survive.”

  “Good choice.”

  Vorn tried to speak through his frozen gag. Only a grunt escaped. Alex shook his head. “I hope the next time we meet will be under more pleasant circumstances.”

  Kai nodded. “Likewise.”

  Alex’s fist shattered the frozen bonds around Vorn’s legs, but left his mouth and arms bound. Prudent. He hauled the brute upright.

  They headed for Nivisara Castle.

  “Finally. I thought they’d never leave.” Levi stroked his red blade. Blood rose from the sword, streaming into his mouth.

  His eyes closed. His lips curved upward. He groaned with pleasure.

  Kai didn’t admonish the gluttonous vampire—he’d maintained the act well enough until now.

  He let Levi feast while he entered the church. “Alright, time to get up. We’ve got work to do.”

  Three heads looked up at his announcement. “Meet me outside in five.” He stepped outside. Haggar stood waiting, foot tapping.

  Perfect timing.

  “How many Demons can we bring to Earth without weakening our position here?”

  Haggar scratched his head. “Ah, that’s not the issue…”

  Kai frowned. “What is?”

  “Growing up on Earth, being Death God’s heir—you wouldn’t know this, but...”

  He could see where this was going. “Spit it out, old man.”

  “You see, only Demons who’ve possessed a human body can cross over.”

  “I figured that part out already. How many can we bring?”

  Haggar spread his palms. “One.” He pointed to himself. “Me.”

  Kai’s jaw tightened. His stingy bastard of a Father didn’t give him any Demons who could back him up on Earth.

  Botis sagged.

  “Well, the wolf can come too.” He gestured to Yama, sitting beside Levi. “He’s a different kind of Demon than the others—Earth won’t reject him as strongly.”

  He’d expected more backup than an old Demon and one wolf. This threw a wrench into his plans.

  Time was running out.

  Renzo would be preparing defences and plugging his weaknesses.

  The longer they waited, the harder it’d be to reach him.

  “How long will it take to get bodies they can use?”

  Haggar shook his head. “It’s complicated. The system forbids us from leaving the Darklands. Only the strongest Demons and those with special Lineages can cross over without possessing a human.”

  That explained Kai’s exemption.

  “Death God gave us a loophole to bypass the restrictions. We can possess human bodies when they fail the First Trial. To do that, we need a tracker. Second, we need to find a suitable match.”

  “Let me guess—my generous and magnanimous Father didn’t give us a tracker?”

  Haggar winced. “It’s…not that simple. Demons with the [Tracker] attribute are rare. Your wise Father said collecting or training specialised Demons would be a useful experience for you.”

  Just like dying was a useful experience for him.

  Kai sighed. “And how long would it take to train a tracker or find one?”

  “For a Demon with talent and passion…weeks, maybe. For most, it’d take months or years.” He wrung his hands. “To find one…your best bet is hunting down one of your siblings.”

  “That bastard gave them trackers but not me?”

  Haggar wagged a wrinkled finger at him. “You shouldn’t speak ill of your Sponsor. He might decide to withhold other advantages.”

  Kai took a deep breath. “My wise Father truly knows how to test me.”

  Haggar nodded sagely. “Indeed. He said obstacles like this would strengthen you.”

  Being Death God’s chosen heir was as much a disadvantage as an advantage.

  “So I have no Demons—except you and Yama—at my disposal on Earth?”

  “Yes, but you must understand—only the most adventurous, bored, or vengeful Demons bother with crossing over. Most Demons want to live a peaceful life, but the invaders force them to fight for survival.”

  They didn’t sound much different from humans. That mindset was useful for future integration, but unhelpful for the imminent assault.

  Before he could complain further, someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned to see Alira, Lilith, and Rusk.

  Alira met his eyes. “I can’t go with you either.”

  How will Kai fight against Renzo without his Demons or Alira?

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