His eyes caught on the small group of children and women before him. They cried out in fear as his gaze landed on them in their locked cage.
“Where are the rest?” he seethed, realizing this was a smaller group than usual.
The Monster King sputtered as his face turned a deep shade of crimson. “You have the moonstone, and I want it!”
Ahh, so this is what this is over,he thought.
Feich must have told him he stole it.
Kalon smirked, even though Teivel could not see it behind his mask, and he pulled the moonstone out of his pocket, holding it up in the air.
Tievel’s eyes flashed, and the ground began to rumble, causing sand to shift beneath Kalon’s black boots. He jumped back as giant cacti burst from the ground, their pointed tips growing long and deadly, threatening to entrap him.
Tievel squeezed the stone within his palm, grinding his teeth together as he hissed incoherent words through the air. His voice was melodious and echoed deeply through the courtyard, penetrating Kalon’s ears and causing his head to throb.
Kalon put the moonstone back in his pocket and snapped his fingers, revealing the same dark tornado that had formed over the area. He transported the people out of their cages, his Amaru, and himself… safely back to Noctrya.
The last thing he heard before the night whisked them away was Teivel muttering and cursing his name.
The caverns werealight with twinkling glowworms that lit the walls in a rainbow of fluorescent colors. Kalon looked up and inhaled the damp air, smelling the scent of fires, cooking meals, andsafety. He could hear children below playing and running through the streets, their joyous melody echoing through the cavern walls.
As he stood upon the dark cliff face, peering down into the depths of the city below, he watched as life flourished. The sapphire-encrusted cave walls glistened in the pockets of sunlight filtering through the holes in the earth far above.
They had erected thousands of buildings here in their time. Humans were creative and innovative, finding ways to collect the glowworms’ fluorescence to power the city with twinkling lights that lit their houses in vibrant colors.
His gaze was fixed on the distant training camps, where men and women, dedicated to their survival, sought revenge against the evils of the world and the terrors unleashed.
Kalon turned to his transparent Amaru. “Find these people some meals and homes. I’ll be back later. I have something I must attend to.” He pointed to the group of women and children who were crying in fear and wore dazed expressions from the transport.
He turned his gaze once more toward the training camps and smiled. She was going to need all the help she could get.
Not only had he successfully built an army for her, under the guise of evil, but he was also collecting all the children he could get his hands on, slowly rebuilding society…for her.
Chapter 28
Seda
The heady sandalwood air around Seda was misty once more, and she immediately knew where she was. She could see snakes slithering around her and hear the distant cries of people.
“Come out, Kalon,” she seethed. “Give me my necklace!” She looked all around her, only seeing the glistening black snakes surrounding her every step. She took a cautious step forward, trying to avoid stepping on one in case it sank its fangs into her.
“I’ll give it back soon,” came his husky voice.
Kalon appeared through the mist, moving slowly with purposeful grace. He wore a torn black tunic that accentuated his muscular abdomen, his corded arms bearing black snake tattoos that swarmed up to his shoulders.
She narrowed her eyes at him, hating herself for noticing his stupid chiseled face and the breadth of his shoulders. He was now just a symbol ofbetrayal.
“Where is it?” she asked with an undertone of acid, taking another step forward.
“It’s in Noctrya,” he replied with a smirk, and her eyes lingered on the cruel perfection of his lips, the same ones he had kissed her with. She sneered with disgust. How could she have fallen for his tricks?
“Why am I here?” She flared her magic once more, allowing it to churn and spark along her fingers.
He looked down at them and smirked. “Oh, Seda, please electrify me again. Last time it felt so good I almost ca…”
“Stop!” Seda yelled, feeling rancor churn in her stomach. “Why am I here?” she asked again. “Why did you steal my necklace?”
He stepped closer to her and slowly raised his hands to her hair, running his fingers through it, his smirk fading as a look of seriousness overtook his features.
