The Demon King's Destiny Read online

  A noise off to the left caught her attention. A wolf stood not twenty yards away, staring at her. She wasn’t surprised. She’d met a wolf today, so her mind was creating images of the familiar.

  Evelyn’s mouth stretched, thinking of when their younger sister, Nora, came barreling into the room and stole the show, or, in this case, the wolf.

  There was something terribly romantic about finding the one being the Universe created just for you, especially when you were of a species who did not have fated mates.

  The tiniest pang of jealousy had crept into Evelyn’s heart and she quickly froze it out. Their poor father had been beside himself and it would only make things worse for him if he thought Evelyn was unhappy.

  A twig cracked to her right and she swung her head around. She was met with a vampire’s hypnotic gaze. He was as tall as the trees and carried a flame in his open palm.

  It was further proof she was in her dreamworld. No vampire was this size in real life, nor could they wield fire. Her sister, Eden, could. It was her greatest power.

  The elements vibrated across the meadow, moving and shifting of their own accord.

  Evelyn quickly realized this dream was not going to be like the others. She forced herself to pay attention, to commit it all to memory. Magic was speaking and she would not discount it’s story.

  Up ahead, Evelyn could make out the outline of an elderly male. Long, scraggly, hair framed the face of what had to be Theron, the temple priest of Sanctus Femina. He’d visited her dreams before. Slowly, he raised his finger to his lips in a silencing gesture.

  A shadow stepped out from behind the priest. It grew bigger as it strode confidently towards her, showing the distinct outline of a warrior’s figure.

  Through the glimmering light, she saw the reflecting shine off dark hair. So dark, it gave off an almost bluish tint. Tanned skin stretched over toned muscles. The shirt he wore did nothing to hide his physique.

  He was exactly as she’d remembered. Well, maybe a little less enraged.

  Moonbeams danced upon his face, revealing obsidian eyes. She didn’t like it when his eyes fully dilated, covering what she knew were golden irises. Evelyn had only seen eyes bleed black like that once. Once had been more than enough.

  “Hello, poppet,” his abnormally deep voice rubbed like velvet against her skin, taking her by surprise.

  “My name is not poppet. It’s Evelyn.”

  “Bold as ever, I see.”

  “You—you remember me?” she stammered, surprised he recognized her. Much had changed on her body since she was six.

  It had been nearly a decade since she’d seen him in her dreamworld. Even then, it had only been the briefest of encounters.

  “How could I forget?”

  His voice was laced with some emotion she couldn’t name, causing her to blush. “I suppose you would recognize your surroundings. They’re always the same here. Nothing ever changes.”

  Marrok ignored her misinterpretation of his wording. His eyes wandered while he spoke, noting both a wolf and a vampire were close.

  “It’s your dream, little one. I imagine you can make anything happen here.”

  “One would think,” she scoffed.

  Marrok’s steady regard swung back to the female, studying her intently. The girl was an elemental. She was a teenager now, but there was no question she was the same female who had summoned him that night a decade ago.

  The same long auburn hair now hung in loose braids. Her mismatched eyes were ones Fate would never allow him to forget.

  One eye was green, the shade of the spring fields in the Westland. It was the coloring of the elementals who lived in Gwydion.

  The other eye was of a color he’d only seen on a demon. Amber with flecks of gold and russet, identical to his own. Even her skin was darker than other elementals. Bronzed—like a demon’s. Like his.

  If not for her one green eye and the color of her silky tresses, he might think the female a she-demon. The hair of both Sundari females and males only came in two colors. Black or white. Never any other variation.

  Her long locks of auburn were striking. Her peculiar eyes fascinating. Yet it was the attraction of his soul to hers currently tying him in knots.

  His saatus was a vision, one he’d studiously avoided, refusing to seek her out. He’d been tempted to check on her many a night, but he’d kept his shields up, trusting his iron will to hold.

  How easily he’d forgotten her show of strength. As a youngling, she’d managed to keep a rogue demon out of this clearing. Her shields and magics had been impressive, even in sleep.

  It was no coincidence he’d not been able to prevent her from pulling him into her dream again. Feeling the presence of the old man at his back, he wondered if she’d had help.

  “What am I doing here?” he asked, stopping inches from the transparent forcefield separating the forest from the small meadow.

  “You tell me.”

  “I’m not the one summoning people in the middle of the night.”

  “I did no such thing.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  Eden’s chest rose and fell. Prickles of sweat seeped from her pores. His voice was magic itself, pushing against her, cocooning her in its warmth.

  “Stop doing that,” she commanded.

  His eyes narrowed. “I’m not doing anything to you.”

  “You are. Your voice … it’s …” she couldn’t finish. The things his timber were doing to her were too embarrassing to articulate.

  Marrok couldn’t see the flush under her olive skin, but he was sure it was there. It was the early signs of the saatus bond. The moment he had first seen her, even though she’d been a small child, he’d known what she was to him.

  He should try to keep his magics out of his intonations. Demons naturally released power when they spoke. Being an elemental, and his mate to boot, it probably had a greater impact on Evelyn than was fair.

  Fate was in no way subtle with its signs of matehood, especially with the demons. No, when a demon saw his saatus—his true mate—he knew. She might not realize it, but she would feel something when his magics touched her.

  Now that she was closing in on adulthood, he could feel the mild pull. Luckily, the little witch was still too young for it to push either of them into the mating frenzy.

  It was dangerous for her to be dragging him into her dreams. He wasn’t sure how powerful the draw would be while their bodies weren’t touching, or if it would matter while he dreamwalked. If this was any indication, it would become a problem if she was but a little older.

  If circumstances were different, in a few years, he would bring an army to her father’s doorstep and demand her hand. Nothing, not even the Goddess herself, would keep him away from her.

  Alas, he did not have that luxury. It was starting to look like he never would. His past being what it was … coupled with the troubles of the present? He couldn’t afford to look hopefully into the future.

  The Sundari Kingdom was in the middle of a crisis, one he was barely containing. His worst fear was this calamity would spill over the Southland’s borders and spread throughout Imperium.

  His drastic measures had barely made a dent. At least the madness hadn’t gone further than the Corak Peninsula. Minus the random rogues showing up here and there, or the ones making it past the wall.

  He’d resorted to setting up a penal colony on the southernmost tip of Sundari. He’d built a blockade, cutting off the isthmus from the rest of the kingdom.

  The cliffs around Corak held ancient magics originally created to protect the area from invasion. No one could cross through the invisible partition to reach the land. This also meant no one could leave the land to reach the water.

  With so many demons falling into madness, he didn’t have anyplace else to put them. He was discovering more rogues with each passing day and his life had become one of constant battles in his determination to maintain peace. His days were spent hunting rogues, killin
g them, or transporting them to Corak.

  Life was too dangerous in the Southland for an elemental. It was better for the girl to forget she’d ever met him, even if only in a dream. His demon soul protested and, with effort, Marrok silenced it.

  “What’s wrong?” she questioned, taking a step towards him. She noted his thick lashes and how starkly they demarcated the shape of his eyes. Females would be jealous.

  “Nothing. Why do you ask?” He hadn’t so much as blinked while wrestling with his inner demon.

  “Your pupils constricted. Usually, they’re so big I can’t see the amber of your eyes … or, they were the last time I saw you. I think it’s because you’re easily agitated.”

  “Then what, pray tell, am I if not agitated for being dragged here? Unwillingly, I might add.”

  “Sad? At the very least, you’re unhappy. Whatever it is, you’re lamenting. It’s not your best look.”

  His lips quirked. She was precocious, especially for a female of her age. Females rarely spoke so informally in his presence, if they spoke at all.

  All demons, especially she-demons, could intuitively sense the emotional state of others. Their powers were rooted in the energies of the mind. Though those around him could sense his mood, they knew better than to call him out on it. Marrok was King.

  Little Evelyn—a virtual stranger—had been able to do it with a single look, and she’d had no difficulty saying it aloud.

  “Observant little thing, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  Marrok chuckled, tempted to continue the conversation. She was captivating. He could tell her mind was sharp. A beguiling intellect was a very dangerous thing. Demons valued mental prowess above all else, even physical beauty. That she possessed both was a temptation he might not be capable of fighting.

  Standing this close, mere feet apart, his nostrils flared. Even through the barrier he could pick up her scent. She smelled like midnight dew on a desert rose.

  He shouldn’t be here. Marrok needed to make sure she didn’t call to him in her sleep again. If, by some miracle, he found a way to quell the insurrection occurring in Sundari, he would consider seeking her out once she was of age.

  If not, well, he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he and his people turned rogue. He needed to be very clear with Evelyn to stay away from him.

  Fate was playing a perilous game bringing them together. Marrok would never do anything to endanger his mate, even if it cost him his own sanity. She didn’t deserve to be caught up in his struggles.

  “Listen to me carefully, Evelyn. Do not call for me again. This game, it’s not one you can win.”

  “What game?” Her eyebrows drew tight, irritated by his incessant presumption she was somehow responsible for his arrival.

  “The one you don’t even know you’re playing,” he clipped.

  Marrok turned and marched into the forest. Evelyn wanted to call out to him, but Theron drifted back into sight, his kaleidoscope eyes swirled with shades of violet and silver.

  He pointed towards the wolf, who was now standing next to Nora. Then to the vampire. Eden stood at his side. All four were focused on the demon’s retreating back.

  Theron’s eyes sparkled with magic as he once again made a silencing gesture. Saatus he whispered in her mind.

  The pieces clicked into place and Evelyn smiled.

  Chapter 2

  Evelyn, Age 18

  “Again,” King Edward commanded.

  Evelyn exhaled harshly. Her father was taking his daughters’ training far too seriously. What, exactly, did he think was going to happen where they would need to use their powers in such a way? It was always better safe than sorry, but still.

  “There are only two left, Father,” she pointed towards the straw targets across the courtyard, eight of which were either riddled with precisely-made burn holes, missing their heads, or blown to smithereens.

  “I’ll have more made.”

  Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut to stop herself from rolling them. They’d spent the entire morning fighting hand-to-hand with Nora. Her training was their father’s primary focus these days.

  The youngest sister’s hands or a physical weapon were her only defenses because of her lack of magic. Admittedly, Nora had become quite proficient and the payoff was evident.

  Edward had recently decided all three of his children should sharpen their skills. So, this morning, Eden and Evelyn were forced to join Nora. He’d sent them out behind the barn where many of his men trained.

  After getting tossed on her backside one too many times, Evelyn chose to cheat and sent a current of air to distract her opponent. Unfortunately, her opponent happened to be Eden, the one least likely to appreciate Evelyn’s humor.

  The oldest didn’t think having her own hair attack her face was as funny as Evelyn thought it was. Eden retaliated by singeing off one of Evelyn’s eyebrows. Eden grew even more frustrated when Evelyn only laughed in response.

  Their father’s men had watched in amusement. Edward simply made them start over, muttering under his breath about the Goddess giving him such ill-behaved daughters. His eyes were alit with merriment, betraying his true feelings on the matter.

  Hours later, however, he was no longer amused. Evelyn thought he might be a little disturbed by his offspring’s show of aggression.

  “Eden, this time aim for the heart,” Edward ordered.

  “As you wish, Father.”

  As the oldest, Eden was the most serious of the three. Yet even she had grown tired of today’s training and started burning holes in the targets where no male would want to be burned.

  The guards stopped laughing. Evelyn, however, could hardly stop snickering over the glorious attack. She was liking Eden more and more with each round.

  Evelyn watched Eden blast the straw man from fifty yards away with a smooth and meticulously created beam of fire. She cut out a heart-shaped hole, nearly perfect in symmetry. Impressive, Evelyn thought.

  Before Edward could give the next order, an arrow shot through the shape Eden had made. Evelyn clapped at Nora’s perfect shot.

  “Well done, Nora!” she praised.

  Nora took a dramatic bow then turned to her father and asked, “If I remove the last one’s head, may we end this for today? I’m exhausted.”

  “Nora, why do you continuously insist on decapitating the targets?” Edward sighed.

  “I—”

  “It was rhetorical,” he said without feeling. “Let’s end here for today. Don’t think any of you are off the hook.”

  “I’m not leaving Gwydion for another four years, Father. I think we have time.”

  Edward patted Nora on the shoulder. “We always believe there is time, daughter. Sometimes things come at you that you never saw coming, and you wish you had been better prepared. Trust me in this.”

  Nora’s face dropped and she nodded. Evelyn felt a pang, knowing her father was referring to their mother’s murder. Nora was the only one who didn’t know it wasn’t childbirth that had killed Queen Elora.

  An ancient brotherhood, Sephtis Kenelm, had banded together to ensure a balance of power was maintained across Imperium. No single kingdom could be more powerful than the others. Elora was the most powerful elemental to ever live—and she paid for her natural talents with her life.

  Their father, along with King Kellan, whose own father had lost his life to the group’s misguided mission, had long ago hunted them down and avenged his queen’s death.

  Evelyn didn’t agree with his keeping the truth from Nora. She hoped someday, he would see Nora’s inner strength and tell her the truth.

  “Come on, Nora,” Eden cajoled, pulling Evelyn’s attention back to her youngest sister.

  “I’m famished,” Eden put her arm around Nora. “I’m sure breaking for sustenance will do us good. Evelyn, are you coming?”

  “I’ll join you later. I have something to see to first.”

  As the group scattered, Evelyn headed to one
of the larger paths at the south end of the tree line. She followed it until it turned near the small creek.

  Several boulders sat in the bend of the stream, worn with time. She climbed to the top of the tallest one and sat, staring at the lazy current below.

  She closed her eyes and listened to the melody of the bubbling brook. Gradually, her muscles relaxed and her spirit settled.

  Evelyn’s strongest power was her affinity with water. For the past few days, the creek had been calling to her. All Gwydions had some connection to a specific element. Evelyn had control over many, but water was her greatest bond.

  She’d had a restless mind lately. More and more she had been unable to focus, feeling uneasy. There was no explanation for the knot of anxiety she felt.

  Even her dreams had been affected. Mainly, she wasn’t dreaming. For the first time in many years, she wasn’t being pulled into the clearing nightly.

  As she drifted off each night, she was met with darkness. It swirled and danced around her in murky shades of grey and black. She could see nothing beyond the force holding her in its clutches.

  Concerned by what it meant, she’d remained close to her sisters instead of coming to the stream to meditate. Yet the water called for her.

  Trusting her connection to her element, she returned today. As always, it calmed and centered her. She found herself drifting off to sleep, lulled by nature’s symphony.

  “You probably shouldn’t fall asleep up there,” a male voice suggested.

  Evelyn’s eyes popped open and she swung her head to the right. She recoiled when she realized she was only inches from the sometimes annoying, yet unfairly attractive, face of Jasper Rollands.

  She bolted upright, his presence too close for her comfort. Jasper was a young man from town, training to be a soldier in her father’s army—training hard from the looks of him. His body bore the fruits of his labors. Tall and muscular, he was the center of much attention, particularly from the young females.

  Evelyn, much to her dismay, wasn’t immune to his charms. She kept her distance because of it. She had plans for herself, and they didn’t involve a roll in the hayloft with the gorgeous male beside her.