A dark look crossed his features, but it was gone in a blink. He placed the cloth in the bucket, the water now pink with her blood. Quietly, he said, “There are many of us here. ”
“What do you mean, many demons are here? Are they not in all the kingdoms? And have you lived in this castle your entire life?”
“So many questions,” Caspian said, frowning. “Most demons are from the Underworld and venture here as a kind of vacation, before returning home. I, however, was born in the south of Israr a couple of centuries ago. I was a human, a lowly wretch, and then I was made into a demon later in life. So that is whereIam from.” He paused. “As for the rest … there is a portal here. In Arboras. That’s why there are so many demons here.”
Her breath caught. She gripped the arm of the chair until her knuckles turned white. He was over a couple centuries old. “A portal to where?”
“To my home. To the Underworld.”
“But if there’s a portal, how come the land isn’t crawling with demons? And how many portals are there? Is there only one?” Her mind filled with questions.
“In the beginning, there were two portals. Then, and I am summarizing greatly here, the angels seized control of the portals and didn’t let any demons pass through. A long and bloody war followed, and the portals were captured and lost.”
“Lost?”
“Lost,” he confirmed.
“And you knowwhere they are?”
“I am privy to that information, yes. I know where one of them is. The second is still lost. Perhaps, forever.”
“But what about the demons here? What about that creature? Surely, humans stand no chance against such a beast. Can’t the angels, or the demons for that matter, send him back?”
Caspian paused in his ministrations, meeting her eyes. “Well, you’ve reached the reason why witchcraft remains popular in every country except yours.” He resumed wrapping her arm. “Despite the death penalty, many villagers pay good money for protection against the kind of demons you saw tonight.”
“What about the portals though? Can’t anyone send them back?”
“They cannot.” Caspian nodded as if that explained everything.
She didn’t want her family getting hurt because of demons invading Asteria. “What happens if the portal is closed?”
“We would stay where we are. There would be no more traveling to and from the Underworld. We would need to choose where to be and stay put. There is a war happening right now, back home.” He hesitated as if he didn’t know how much he should disclose. His movements slowed as he ripped the end of the gauze. “There are demons who would seek to seize control of the portals and allow hordes of demons to come through. They want control of them very badly.”
“And you?”
“I think demons have the right to explore where they wish; the same rights the angels have,” he replied, carefully tying a knot to secure the bandage. “However, there are too many demons who would leave this land in chaos and destroy this beautiful place.”
Though he was done mending her, he stayed. Elizabeth pursed her lip and risked the chance to learn more: “So, are you for demons coming over or against?”
“I am, obviously,fordemons being able to come and go, but numbers matter. Remaining undetected and not expending resources or destroying towns matters.”
“That sounds like a complicated position to take,” she mused.
“You have no idea how much so. There is an agent of chaos in our lands who is trying to drum up sympathy for his cause. He wants us to give him full control of the portal. All the older, more powerful demons think of him as a nuisance, but there have been … conflicts.”
“I see. But you are safe?”
He looked at her curiously. “I am safe.”
“And I am safe?” she clarified.
“Yes, you are safe.”
“How did you become a demon if you grew up in Asteria?”
He was silent for so long, she thought he would never answer.
“I was given a new life. I was given immense power and immortality, but it came with a cost.”
