Free The Demon King by Heather Killough-Walden

father’s court.” In truth,
he had been a
messenger in the Demon King’s court, but he was no longer. He’d
been assigned a task most messengers could only dream of. He was
here as the detective’s personal servant now. Bael of the Blood
Moon Valley was officially right-hand to the prince .
    Not that the Detective had any idea, and it
would be a while before Bael would tell him as much because it
would be a while before Steven Lazarus would accept it. So, what
was the point? And the job was becoming dangerous enough as it was.
Bael was beginning to worry. He could feel the detective’s power
swelling, building up. It was so much more than warlock magic. It
was pure and base and primordial, and though Lazarus didn’t know
it, it was capable of the kinds of things warlocks could only
dream. Well focused and developed, it could level a city.
    “ Oh?” the detective asked
with a raised brow. His tone felt like razors along Bael’s skin,
shaving dangerously close. “And if not Marius, who pray tell would that
be?”
    “ My lord Astaroth,” said
Bael without ceremony. “The Demon King.”

Chapter Nine
    Dahlia transported out of the cave with Evie
at her side, then said her goodbyes and headed to her neck of the
Unseelie Realm via another transport. By the time she’d altogether
left the impossible magic that was Evie’s cavern, the
Tuath-fae-vampire was stuffed on everything from cupcakes to
creampuffs to about a gallon of tea and milk. It was a feeling
she’d never imagined she would be fortunate enough to feel
again.
    There was a bounce to her inhuman step as
she made her way down the path that led to her new home. The path
wound through one of the darker forests in the Unseelie Realm.
Around another few bends, she would come upon a copse of trees to
her right that seemed impassable.
    She would push past those trees using magic
that made them part, and a new path would appear. That path would
be lined with some of her favorite blooms, such as the poppies from
the mortal world, and vellum from the fae realms. She would then
take that second path until she was in the Karethlare Swamps, where
her small, private cottage awaited her on a tiny island shrouded by
fog and mists and a thick canopy of overhanging vines and tree
branches that completely blocked out the sun.
    A fenced back yard contained a tiny cobbled
stone path that wound through hundreds of blooms of different
sizes, shapes and colors. It was a paradise, if a tiny one. This
island cabin was a magical place just like Evie’s hideaway. However
it was much smaller, much cozier, and absolutely no one but Dahlia
knew it existed.
    Dahlia’s step slowed. All at once, she
wondered whether she should reciprocate and tell Evie about her
cottage. As a show of thanks and of faith. It wouldn’t hurt her
friendship, that’s for sure. And these days… friendship was
something Dahlia wouldn’t turn away.
    The cottage was protected
by layer upon layer of magic that shielded it from the sun and
scrying spells. Of course, there was the overhang as well,
which looked to
be made of plants, but was actually stronger than thick metal. It
was the perfect little escape for a vampire. Should Evie ever find
herself in need of a quick place to hide, this would do the trick.
And Dahlia wanted to repay the Vampire Queen for her
kindness.
    “ And for the chocolate,”
she added out loud. She stopped in her path and closed her eyes,
imagining the table in front of her topped with mountains of
pastries. She smiled. Then she opened her eyes to find a white stag
standing majestic and shimmering less than ten feet away on the
path in front of her.
    “ Oh, what the-” Dahlia cried, her eyes
wide, her heart thumping.
    The forest was quiet. The stag turned its
head just a little, as if amused by her reaction.
    It was a stunning creature; there was no
animal like this in the mortal realm. Its coat was so white, it
imparted a soft glow and was surrounded by an aura. It was tall,
proud,