“Why?” he asked as he tried to step away. “I haven’t done anything. I just arrived.”
“Exactly. You’re a stranger.”
“Look, if you could just point me in the direction of my mother, or even someone who can open another portal for me to use to get back to the human realm, I’ll be on my way. I promise I’m not dangerous and that I’m not here to start trouble.”
The demon flicked his fingers, and two of the other demons stepped forward. Justin’s first instinct was to run away, but something told him he wouldn’t get far. Hell, it might even trigger them to attack him, which was the last thing he wanted.
So, he allowed the two demons who moved forward to grab him by the arms. They didn’t hurt him. They didn’t even drag him forward. They just stood there, holding him as if to prevent him from doing precisely what he’d been thinking earlier.
He wasn’t going anywhere with them clinging to him the way they were. He supposed he should feel lucky that they weren’t hurting him, but they might.
The demon in charge nodded and turned. He started walking away, and everyone followed him, including Justin, who didn’t have a choice. He looked around, wondering if he should call for help, but if these demons were officials, no one would come to help Justin even if he asked.
He swallowed. Some demons were still watching from their windows, but they were careful not to let the soldiers notice them. What did that mean?
Probably that Justin was in even more trouble than he’d expected.
Chapter Three
They didn’t have to walk far for things to change drastically. It was as if one moment, the area they were in was poor and neglected, and the next, they were standing in front of a luxurious palace that looked so out of place here that Justin wondered how it had ended up in the middle of a city like this.
He didn’t think he’d find out, even if he asked. The demons escorting him still hadn’t said anything to him. They weren’t hurting him, though, which he took as a good sign. Still, that didn’t help much.
He suspected they were taking him to whoever was in charge. Maybe Justin could ask them about his mother, or, even better, about a portal back to the human realm. Right now, he wasn’t sure he wanted to stick around.
Finding his birth mother wouldn’t bring Caitlin back. Justin realized that was what he was looking for, but it was also a distraction. He desperately needed not to think about Caitlin and her death, or even his brothers.
The guards walked through a side door, and of course, Justin went with them. The palace was as beautiful inside as it was outside, all white stone and ornate carvings. The furniture told Justin that whoever lived here had money, which left a bittertaste in his mouth, considering the state of the rest of the city. It wasn’t like he could bring it up, though. He didn’t want to die today, or anytime soon. He was nothing but a guest here, even though part of him belonged here. He had no right to say anything about what he’d seen.
The guards dragged him up and down hallways, to the point where he doubted he’d be able to find the door through which they walked in again.
When they stopped in front of two massive doors, he knew that this was it. He had to make a good first impression on whoever was behind these doors, so he straightened his back and raised his chin. The demons surrounding him barely reacted. When the demon in charge gestured, the two still holding Justin’s arms let go, and Justin quickly took a step forward, eager to be away from them. They might not have hurt him, but they’d still dragged him around like he was a puppet, and he didn’t like that.
“Quiet,” the head guard ordered.
He pushed open the doors, revealing what Justin knew had to be a throne room since there was a throne right at the center in front of him. It was empty, but it looked like something a king might sit in. Justin thought it was wood, but every inch of it had been covered with gold. It had a plush cushion to make it more comfortable, and it was on a raised platform so that everyone in the room could see the person sitting there. The rest of the room was pretty much empty, as if the ruler expected everyone to stay on their feet. A long carpet connected the doors to the throne, and the guard walked down it, Justin hurrying to keep up with him.
A side door opened, startling Justin because he hadn’t noticed it. A demon poked their head through, frowning when they saw Justin and the guard. The guard made a sign for Justin to stay where he was, and Justin obeyed. How could he not?
The head guard quickly walked toward the other demon. Their skin was pale gray. Justin looked down at himself. He was pink, just like every other human, which was probably good for him while he was in the human realm, but here, he wasn’t too sure. He felt out of place—which he was—but also like everyone could tell that he was.
The head guard and the other demon had a hushed conversation. The other demon kept glancing at Justin before they disappeared back through the door. The guard came back to Justin and stood next to him, crossing his arms over his chest. He still didn’t say anything to Justin.
He wasn’t surprised when the back door opened again, but hewassurprised by the demon who came through.
She was beautiful. Her long black hair flowed around her shoulders, and her yellow dress moved with every movement of her legs. She was barefoot, wearing enough jewelry to pay Justin’s rent for a year, and was staring at Justin with dark eyes lined with black makeup.
There was something about her that made Justin feel like prey. He had to resist the urge to scream and run away. It wouldn’t make a good first impression, which was what he needed to avoid getting kicked out—or, worse, killed.
The demon went to sit on the throne. That had to mean she was the queen, right? Was Justin supposed to bow? Would she be offended if he did, or if he didn’t?
“I was told you were looking for Anya Onemo,” the demon said. Her voice was soft, but there was an edge to it that made Justin uncomfortable.
He glanced around the room, but there was no one there to support him. “I am,” he confirmed.
“Why?”
Justin told himself that these people were just curious about him. It was clear he wasn’t from here, so they wanted to knowwhy he was there and who he was looking for. “Because she’s my mother.”
