“Was that creature real? Or a demon assuming the shape, like the lion at the front of the sect?”
“I don’t know about the lion, but the dragon was a dragon. They might call it something different here, but it was a dragon. No demon could mimic those scales. My sword couldn’t even scratch them. Do you think that fog is there to keep the dragons a secret, like the unicorns?”
“There has to be more to it than that. If it wasn’t for the effect of unicorn blood, they wouldn’t have to be guarded and kept secret.”
“Not to mention the importance of the part they play in creating new vampires.”
“That as well.”
I watched the subtly changing landscape for a while, noticing the trees becoming denser and adorned with more foliage. “Whatever the reason for that fog, I doubt it’s targeted at humans. That’s not the thing that erodes at humans’ mortality down here. The other heirs of Lucifer were able to get past it, but still ended up dying.”
“I agree. Without that fog, humans might be able to get in for a time, but I doubt they would be able to stay for long. How long depends on their power level, I imagine, but only a certain type of half-breed human can survive down here. They must have a lineage of immortality on their human side. For you, it is the bloodline of the gods passed down through your mother’s side.”
“What about the other species with that bloodline? Like elementals? Why couldn’t Lucifer breed an heir with them that would last down here?”
“Each species poses their own challenges for reproduction, but it seems, unlike strictly magical people, humans are able to handle almost anything.”
“We can basically breed with anything magical?”
“A great deal of magical species, yes. As far as I have seen.”
“Weird.”
“Regardless, whatever Lucifer is hiding, I want to know what it is. Vlad is probably already trying to find out. Right now, I am leading the race. I want to cross the finish line first.”
“Ah. So it all boils down to: you are competitive, and want to beat Vlad.”
Darius was quiet for a moment as he ran through the trees, not once flinching despite a couple of last-minute saves from running headlong into various branches and a tree trunk. I, on the other hand, flinched a great deal. I wasn’t used to running at those speeds without the adrenaline from battle pumping in my veins.
Finally he answered. “At the heart of it, yes. But I do wonder what is being kept from me. And how I can get in to discover it without being noticed.”
“Your suit, obviously.”
“I am wondering if the suit does less to hide me than you do. When the clown demon, as you called him, realized someone must be carrying you, he could see traces of me. Until that instance, no one even tried. The suit cannot fully contain what you are, so you’re easily noticed. Before they can look around and notice me, you’re ripping them apart in some way.”
“You really need to stop with that. It was just a couple of occurrences, but I don’t like to talk about…” I chewed my lip. “I hope the rage issue wears away when—if—I get out of here.”
“You will get out of here. There is no doubt. The question is, will you make the situation worse rather than better?”
“Wow. Talk about a truth bomb.”
“If you weren’t with me, I wonder if people would notice me more easily. I’d be granted admission—it seems all one needs to do is get through the fog for that—but I wonder if I’d be met with hostility.”
“And if you were?”
“Magic works down here, so most of the demons wouldn’t pose a challenge. Some of the more powerful ones would. If they wanted me dead, especially if they were willing to work together to that end, I have no doubt they would make it happen. Which would greatly put you at risk.”
“Why? I wouldn’t be here with you.”
“What would you do if a demon killed me?”
A stab of pain pierced my heart and spread fear, remorse, and then, as was usual down here, rage throughout my body.
“Yes, mon ange. You would blow apart the gates of hell and teach them what terror really looks like,” he said softly, and gave me a squeeze. “Which would draw Lucifer to you. You would deliver yourself into his hands, since you are no match for him. Not yet.”
“I’m learning, though. The magic. Their weaves are really complex, but with the memory upgrade, I am building on everything I’m learning. I feel like a bionic woman.”
“Keep analyzing. Learn all you can.”
The landscape changed. Gradually, the dark, muted colors of the forest morphed into tones of purple. The ground lost the grassy look and changed into soft tufts of something like lavender, all blooming. Puddles formed and merged as we traveled, eventually forming a small stream. Strings of leaves dripped down from the trees, some brushing the ground. Instead of green, like a weeping willow, they were all a vibrant shade of purple to complement the overall look.
“Wow,” I said, amazed by the transformation. A haze formed over the ceiling, disguising the overhead rock like a sheer drape, but not covering it entirely. It felt like a decoration, not the bending and manipulation of reality itself, something that made me want to smile.
After another few minutes, glowing lights resembling stars popped into the haze above, glittering and beautiful. The stream enlarged slowly, now about two feet across. The tufts of flowers were crushed when stepped on, like I’d expect, but they sprang up again in Darius’s wake. Beside the stream, the bank and rocks took on a grayish hue to counteract all the purple.
“Wow,” I said again as Darius slowed. “This really is…beautiful. It’s nice knowing that this side of my heritage isn’t as…horrible as I’d feared.”
Not all the trees wept, now. Some climbed high into the sky, the trunks and branches dark, offsetting the vivid purple leaves.
“Ja spoke of these places. They are for travelers to rest or idle.” He stopped at the curve where the stream turned into a lagoon. Small rivulets and currents created movement in the water. “She spoke of them fondly.”
He put me down and took my hand, entwining our fingers and taking it all in. It reminded me of when we were at the hotel in Seattle, sitting above the water and sharing a quiet moment.
Rustling caught my ears. I jerked my head to the side and immediately went on high alert.
“Be still,” Darius said softly. “These are peaceful zones. Fighting is prohibited. If a demon cannot calmly enjoy this place, it must move on.”
“Remember that your information is super old.”