But the great dhemon didn’t so much as glance at him. Instead, he plowed on with greater strength in his words, “I am but one of a dozen who’ve now been reunited thanks to thebravery and sacrifices made by our true King—Azriel the Crowe—and his bonded wife, Queen Ariadne Harlow.”
“Fuck the Harlows!” The shout came from the middle of the gathered dhemons. Again, Madan’s heart kicked into action. Not one of them knew that a blooded Harlow stood before them as they shouted, “Kill the entire family!”
“Ehrun,” Whelan snarled, “get them under control. This isnotwhy we are here.”
Without acknowledging either of them, Ehrun took another step forward. “What Markus Harlow did to us—to my family and yours—can never be forgiven.”
Fuck. This was not going well. Madan’s hand inched towards his own sword on his hip. Despite his declaration for Azriel and Ariadne, Madan’s trust in the dhemon was waning.
“A Harlow will never be our Queen!” Another dhemon snarled, closer now to Madan. He pivoted to glare at the speaker.
“That,” Ehrun said as he turned toward the same dhemon, “is where you’re wrong.”
Ygret stepped forward, disgust turning the corners of her mouth into a frown. “What have these leech apologists done to twist your thoughts?”
Again, Ehrun redirected his attention, now eyeing the woman with a pointed look. “They returned Rhana to me.” A quiet settled at that and, like the influential speaker he was, Ehrun pressed on, “And that is why I owe everything to Ariadne—the Caersan vampire I had abducted, tortured, and assaulted. She is theonlyreason we have the ability to reconnect with Keon and mend our broken bonds.”
“Why would she help you?” Ahn asked, the sharp edges of his expression softening.
At that, Ehrun looked to Madan. “Perhaps her brother can answer that.”
Another series of whispers as the attention turned to him. Madan became keenly aware of the bared teeth and hands gripping weapons.
“It’s true,” Madan said cautiously, “that when we encountered Ehrun a fortnight ago, we were enemies. We fought and we both lost friends. But one thing was ordered by my Queen—my sister: do not kill Ehrun.”
A dhemon called from the back, “She wished to kill him herself.”
“Then why am I alive?” Ehrun glowered at them. “They could have killed me. She’s had plenty of opportunities. Yet here I stand.”
“My sister may never forgive Ehrun, as none of us expect any of you to forgive Markus Harlow or the vampires of Valenul,” Madan continued, “but she is wise. A divided nation of dhemons could never stand strong alone, as we witnessed under the command of King Azazel the Crowe, and that is what we wish to rectify by bringing our armies together.”
Yet more quiet words were exchanged amongst the dhemons. Lies, said some. Impossible, whispered others. Yet no one openly refuted him. No one dared speak against Ehrun, who now stood in front of them with a clearer mind than ever before.
“The Crowe’s son has taken the throne atAuhlawith a bonded Caersan Queen.” Ehrun swept his red eyes over them all. “Their promise is to reconnect us all with Keon, ending our pain. So far, they have delivered. But now they need our help.”
Some glanced at the dragons beside Ahn and Ygret. Yes, the battle-ready cavalry was a highlight, but not the entire reason for their choice to ally with Ehrun.
Taking a deep breath, Madan stepped up beside the dhemon to address the crowd with greater confidence. “You all have experience fighting the vampire soldiers. You have knowledgeof how to best defeat Caersans in battle. We have numbers, but most will flounder without your guidance.”
“You come here,” Ygret said, “and ask us to kill your own people. Why?”
Madan shook his head. “My people are here. Of my near-five centuries, I’ve spent all but a handful amongst dhemons. I’m vampire by blood and dhemon by every other right.
“That isn’t to say I want all vampires dead,” he added quickly. “But their new King, the previous General Loren Gard, is a danger to the entire Keonis Valley and beyond. He must be stopped andourpeople returned to our rightful lands.”
“And what lands do you believe those to be?” Ahn asked, genuine curiosity on his face. “The vampires have taken the entire Valley, and I don’t see them leaving anytime soon.”
At that, Whelan moved up to Ehrun’s other side. “The Keonis Valley is now as much the home to vampires as it is to dhemons. We must acknowledge that they’re not going to leave. The Keonis Tree and the surrounding lands are our goal, but we ultimately wish to live beside them…in peace.”
“Peace!” A dhemon laughed. “They’ve wanted nothing but war for millennia.”
“As have we,” Ehrun pointed out. “And sometimes war is necessary to find that peace.”
Ygret worked her way to the front of the crowd, leaving her brilliant red dragon behind. She searched Ehrun’s face. “You believe these…people?”
“Yes.” Ehrun’s lack of hesitation took Madan by surprise. “As I believe Rhana would believe in their path to peace, I do the same.”
Everyone watched in silence for the cruel woman’s reply. A muscle twitched in her jaw as she clenched her sharp teeth. Then she nodded once. “I fly with you, Ehrun, as I always have. For Rhana.”
