Free A Demon's Wrath by Alexia Praks Page B

war with other kingdoms to
conquer.
    The Demon Kingdom was one of those prized nations, with its fertile soil excellent for farming, lakes
with an abundant supply of fresh water, woods full of wild animals,
ocean copious with sea creatures, and mines rich with precious
metal ore such as silver and gold. For centuries, the humans had
their eyes on the demon land, their hunger for it driving them to a
feverous pitch that led to numerous wars and millions of deaths.
When they failed in their attempt, they spread lies and rumors that
demons were monstrous creatures born to destroy and kill.
    For the last few hundred years, the war
against the demons had turned into a Holy War, brought about by the
human Holy Knights to eradicate these nightmarish, malevolent
beings from the nine kingdoms. They failed spectacularly, and now
fifty years since that war ended, many still believe the demons to
be these grotesque murderers the humans portrayed them to be.
    Though Drake himself didn’t dislike the
humans as passionately as his demon citizens, he still regarded
them with disdain and preferred to interact with them at arm’s
length. He understood that all races were of the same make, that
the urge to lie, steal, or kill was fueled by the need to survive
by some, passion by others, and greed by a fair few. Of course,
this included those who were here to steal his treasure, and there
had been many since this kingdom became his after the death of his
parents.
    As with anything, there was the exception of
the very selected few whom he’d encountered and found very amiable.
One of those was Lord Peter Van Zandt, the Earl of Rosevalley, whom
he had met many years ago during one of his sea adventures. The man
and his beautiful wife showed him the true meaning of being alive,
being a part of a loving family and friends, and how one should
always be true to oneself, whether a powerful king or a poor
farmer. Of course, the earl had taught him the art of viticulture
and viniculture as well. These were lessons that Drake cherished
and knowledge he kept with him since.
    He was currently sipping the fruit of one of
those lessons now. The dry and sweet taste of the wine swirled
playfully in his mouth as he carefully analyzed the current urgent
state in which they were. Marcus Arthurs, who had escaped the dark
prison four years ago, was now gathering troops, preparing for
imminent war, with the help of what kingdom Drake had yet to find
out.
    As a young king, Drake had to show his demon
followers his strength and capability to protect them from the
continuous threats of wars that raged across the nine kingdoms. It
was a hard job, one that required constant late nights, an alert
and sharp mind, and wise decision-making, of which Drake possessed
in abundance.
    Now, however, it wasn’t that threat of war
that put him on edge, for they had no fear of such things. Drake
and his comrades were skilled, ruthless warriors and had trained
their demon armies, which counted in the hundreds of thousands, the
art of battle to perfection. They were always ready for any combat,
and none were afraid to die for their country. Marcus Arthur, a
demon and Drake’s ex-comrade, wouldn’t be able to withstand them,
regardless of the influential and powerful help he managed to
acquire from outside.
    It was the imminent need for a blood heir
that worried Drake. He was ready for marriage, but his pearl of
life was still dormant, hadn’t yet informed him it had found a
suitable bride for him to mate and bear his children. Such was the
fate of a true demon king, for if the bloodline wasn’t suitable,
the power within would die, and along with it the kingdom.
    “Your scowl is darker than usual, Drake,”
Julius said from the other side of the library. He had a book in
his hands, his eyes scanning through the ancient text as he stated
his next query. “Are you worried about the pearl?”
    Drake, perched on the step of the stairs
above, gazed off into the distance through the