Devdan Manor Read online

  “Th…they…arrre…lllike…”

  He covered Ryse’s mouth. She frowned. She wanted to get the words out despite the cold. Cyl couldn’t handle listening to her struggle out her words.

  “I’m sorry. I’m not as strong as you.”

  “They hate you. They treat you like abominations. You can become a part of our family.”

  Soul deep warmth and comfort replaced the cold. The last time he felt this warm Ryse had given him a smile to brighten the entire world. The voices weren’t evil. They wanted them the way no one else did. They would take care of Ryse. She could grow up like Nuall— in a house surrounded by demons that cared about her.

  He was on his feet, at the edge of Ryse’s barrier. When had he stood? Ryse was no longer trembling. He felt her encouraging him. He needed to step forward. One step and Ryse could have a happy life.

  “Come”

  Just one step.

  “What are you doing?”

  The sharp voice tore the warmth from him.

  His senses snapped open. The forest’s scent, his brother, the feel of the ground and his trembling sister in his arms rushed to his heard. His energy hit his feet.

  Cyl stumbled back. He dropped to his knees. He didn’t like releasing Ryse. His weak arms couldn’t hold her. He gently lowered her to the ground.

  “Cyl talk. Now,” Uryl demanded.

  “Voices.”

  Why couldn’t he get more out? He saw everything in his head. Why couldn’t he tell Uryl what happened?

  Uryl sighed. “I don’t like doing this.”

  A burning hand touched Cyl’s head. The connection filled his legs with strength. It calmed the chaos in his mind.

  The soothing sensation left.

  “Cyl, release me.”

  Cyl held his brother’s hand as though it was the only thing keeping him from death. When had he moved?

  He couldn’t get his fingers to release his brother.

  “Relax, little brother. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Cyl relaxed his fingers.

  “Demons haunting other demons the way they terrorize humans. Didn’t think that was possible,” Uryl said.

  How did he know? His burning hand. Uryl had the ability to see the world through another’s eyes. He didn’t like doing this because the effects lasted long after Uryl broke the connection.

  Uryl had many abilities. For some reason, he hid all of them. If others knew he was more capable than most mature demons, they would accept him. They would forget his abomination of a little brother. Why did Uryl hide his power? No one in their family knew Uryl’s full power.

  That warm welcoming voice.

  If Cyl had followed it, Uryl could live the life he deserved. Was it his fault Uryl had to hide himself?

  Uryl smacked his head.

  “You’re thinking of useless things again. Nuall doesn’t take long to pack. She should be here soon. We shouldn’t stay in this forest any longer.”

  “How did you know about Nuall?”

  “Nuall wouldn’t want to say goodbye forever. She’ll travel with us until we find a home. Then, she’ll return here.”

  “You said home, not a new home.”

  Uryl smacked his head again. This time not as hard.

  “You can be such a dense child sometimes.” Uryl dropped a traveling bag in front of Cyl.

  He didn’t sense the presence of the other demons any more.

  What did they want with them? Why did they have to frighten his strong little sister?

  Nuall appeared. She glared at Uryl.

  “What did you do to them? Why does Cyl look like you made him live through one of his worst nightmare?”

  Another one of Uryl abilities. Nuall only knew about it because she had angered him. She still believed this was his main ability.

  Uryl stood. “Cyl can tell you on the way.” He handed Ryse her bag. He grabbed her hand and walked away.

  They didn’t clear the forest until sunset. Nuall complained the entire time about how the trip would be more enjoyable if she had driven. Cyl got annoyed and stopped reminding her that most technology didn’t work outside of Mortaus. They eventually reached a village filled with mud and stone houses. The residents were built like boulders. Despite their boorish appearance, the demons were welcoming. Tula was a farming village known for their meat. They often traded with Mortausian cities. They were pleased to meet demons who didn’t treat them like monsters. Tulaians wouldn’t let them pay full price for anything. The residents offered them a discount on rooms for the night. Uryl didn’t like the idea of sleeping so close to Mortaus.

  Cyl didn’t see the problem. They weren’t being chased. Uryl was being too cautious. The sun was sinking fast. Traveling the demon world at night was dangerous. Uryl was still reluctant to accept the residents’ offer. After some observation, Cyl didn’t like the idea either. The males stared at Ryse and Nuall like they were a tasty snack.

  By the time they left, their bags were loaded down with dried meats, fruits, assorted sweets and an array of breads.

  Nuall started talking again. This time she questioned him repeatedly about the voices that had ensnared him and Ryse. No matter how many times Cyl went over the story, Nuall needed him to tell it one more time.

  The next village was remarkably less welcoming. Thick fog laced with powerful magic ruled that place. It obstructed the senses. These residents were like snakes. They wrapped their cold bodies around them. Only, the bodies didn’t feel solid. Just cold and wet. Another race of demons he was not familiar with. Ryse called them Fari. They were old. Uryl had to tighten his grip on Ryse’s hand. She was so excited she kept trying to run through the fog after those invisible demons. Apparently, being tormented by them was an honor.

  They kept their village hidden. It was supposed to be impossible to stumble across them. They preyed on humans and demons.

  Ryse kept bending down every couple of paces to pick up rocks. They were unusual shapes and colors. Ryse said you could buy a house in Mortaus with just one of them. If they were so valuable, why hadn’t he heard of them? Ryse seemed to enjoy herself. Cyl decided to keep his mouth closed and let her collect her rocks.

  The sun had gone down by the time they found their way out of that hole.

  He should’ve been happy there. Nuall had been quiet.

  He knew as much about the whispering demons as she did. Why did Nuall believe he knew more than he was telling?

  Her voice was giving him a headache. Telling Nuall to shut her mouth would only cause her to talk more and louder. Why did she have to be so spoiled?

  Nuall opened her mouth. No sound came out.

  “Finally,” Uryl said.

  Another one of his brother’s abilities.

  Nuall stared wide eyed at Uryl with her mouth open. Her shock turned to anger. Her mouth moved. If she had a voice, she would’ve been yelling. That wasn’t helpful.

  “They’re still following us,” Uryl said over his shoulder.

  The whispering demons’ presence appeared well behind them. They matched their pace, but kept their distance.

  The other demons they passed ignored them.

  Darkness pressed on all sides. They didn’t see light from a house. They didn’t sense a town or village nearby.

  Demons not fit to live in the light- those who couldn’t transform into a more appealing appearance- hunted at night. In this world, those that looked like humans were treated as beautiful. Those that couldn’t hold a human-like form were cast away. Banished into dark territories where they became monsters.

  Those beasts went off to play in the human world. Some remained here to feast on demons stupid enough to travel at night.

  The four of them needed to find shelter.

  Glowing red, green and blue eyes stalked them. They weren’t the problem. Th
e silver and red eyed beasts were Korc. Violent monsters with more teeth and muscle than they knew what to do with. They weren’t fit for society. They killed for fun. He heard stories about them wiping out villages. One had managed to worm its way into Mortaus using flattering and jewels. It had eaten its way through four stores before being put down.

  Now, ten of them were approaching. Slowly.

  They should’ve thought this through.

  Growl, hissing and howling overwhelmed his senses. The noise above that was worse. The Korc emitted a cry that sounded like millions of demons being tortured to death. It was nothing but cries of pain, anguish, despair, anger and prayers for death. The sounds could reach inside you. Make you feel like you were the one being tortured. Listen long enough and you’d feel physical pain.

  The darkness opened to a tall mansion. Most of the building was built inside the cliff. Cyl didn’t like it. Why was there light only on the one building? What was it doing so far away from town? The hard and dry ground wasn’t suited for planting. The cliff fell into a cluster of trees. He couldn’t smell water nearby. This was a house where no house should be.

  The eyes approached faster. The predators’ noises assaulted his ears. He couldn’t think. He needed to move. He was running. He hadn’t told his body to. They were all running. Toward the mansion.

  They had no choice. Cyl lifted Ryse without stopping and raced up the hill. Demons were naturally fast. Demons with more than two legs were faster. They had to make it. He wouldn’t let them get Ryse. The mansion height was imposing. By right, it shouldn’t be able to stand.

  Uryl slashed his hand through the air. The door opened. They dove in.

  The door slammed. Ryse jumped out of his arms and raced to the door. She pressed her palm to the wood and whispered words in a language he had never heard. The words made her voice stronger- made it resonate throughout the house.

  She stopped chanting.

  Uryl grabbed Ryse and shoved her behind him as he looked around.

  This place was wrong. It didn’t have a scent.

  The furniture was old. They should at least smell dust and mold. The place had been occupied at one point. He couldn’t smell the previous residents. He couldn’t even smell outside. The mansion had cut them off.

  Ryse’s spell would keep them safe from the demons outside. What about whatever monster created this place?

  A blue glow washed through the room. Nuall held a ball of light in her palm. Creating light was a basic ability. Every demon could do it.

  “There are markings on the wall,” Nuall said.

  He created his own light and shone it around. It appeared to be a language made of lined characters. He had known older demons to use symbols to represent words. He had never come across these lined markings. The words were arranged as though they had been copied from a book. They had a purpose. How long did it take to do this? The markings weren’t that large. The room was immense.

  He didn’t like this.

  “Ryse, do you know what it says?” Cyl asked.

  She shook her head.

  This was bad. The markings weren’t speaking to her.

  Nuall walked to the wall and ran her hands over the writing.

  The room growled. It came from Ryse.

  She was hungry. They hadn’t eaten since they left Tula.

  Uryl dropped his bag. He turned to Ryse.

  “Create a protective circle here and sit in the middle of it while you eat. The rest of us need to check this place.”

  He opened his bag and pulled out dried meat, a bottle of water, a piece of bread and a thick pen.

  Ryse grabbed the pen and started drawing.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to take her with us?” Nuall asked.

  “No,” Cyl said. “Ryse has been using far too much power. She needs food and rest. We cannot relax in this mansion without checking it out.”

  Rye finished the circle, sat in the middle of it and started on the meat.

  Uryl slid his finger over her head. “You’re going to be a monster when you get older.”

  She looked up at Uryl and gave him a smile fit for a demon. Cyl felt the chill in his bones.

  Cyl walked to her and kissed the top of her head. “Good girl.”

  Nuall snorted. “Why are you two praising her? All she did was smile.”

  Uryl slashed her with his glare. “You are in a terrible mood. I don’t care. Don’t take it out on my sister.” His eyes burned. “Or, I will end you.”

  If anyone else had said that, Cyl would’ve found that line laughable. Nothing was funny about Uryl’s expression

  “I cannot tell how many floors this place has. It may take ages to check the entire house. Right now, we’ll walk around. If we sense anything odd, we’ll check it out. Be back here in three hours,” Uryl ordered

  “How can you be sure we’ll sense anything? I can’t smell or feel a thing,” Nuall asked.

  Uryl shrugged. “Instincts.”

  Cyl didn’t look forward to searching this place. The entrance hall opened to two wide staircase. Between them was an arched passageway. Even with his sharp eye, Cyl couldn’t see the room on the other side. To his left and right were wings that probably led to more rooms. He still couldn’t smell anything. The decorators of this mansion seemed to enjoy pointed architecture. The banister was adorned with spiked steeples. The chandeliers and light fixtures had similar designs.

  Cyl pressed his finger to the light stand. Even after years of neglect, it was still sharp enough to impale a demon.

  How did he know it had been years of neglect? He couldn’t smell age. The designs of the furniture looked like something from the Royal Era. Everything here seemed well preserved. A good coat of dust covered everything. Spiders had time to build impressive sized homes in the corners.

  The strange writing was everywhere. Mortaus had the best library in the world. Ryse had spent countless hours among even the best hidden books. She hadn’t come across this language. How was that possible?

  Cyl walked to the arched hallway between the staircases. He turned off his light. He never cared for lights. Footsteps told him Nuall was heading upstairs—Uryl to the right wing of the entrance hall.

  The darkness wouldn’t open for him. He couldn’t see the hallway. Felt like he was walking through a massive hole lined with centuries of loneliness. He could walk forever in this soundless world- feeling nothing. And no one.

  He had never come across such magic. He was a demon. His home was darkness. What kind of power could create a darkness even a demon would despise? Who used to live here?

  He was tired of this. His heart jumped. His ears strained— longing for any signs of life. His skin burned for company. The darkness was playing with his mind—leading him to believe he would be here alone forever.

  Cyl called his light, commanded it to find every light fixture he passed and make a home there until he no longer needed it there.

  Paintings protected by onyx frames taller than he was lined his path.

  At least the markings were gone.

  They weren’t. They were in the paintings. He’d never known someone so obsessed with words. If only he knew what they meant. He saw a pattern. It meant nothing if he didn’t know what the markings meant.

  The beings in the paintings were radiant. The demons he met all had a savage aura. They could be attractive, but never so glowing. Were these beings in these paintings even demons? Maybe they were humans. Why would paintings of humans be in the demon world? No, their eyes were red, violet and deep black. They weren’t human. Male or female. It didn’t matter. They were all beautiful.

  He had heard stories of demons that lived in the light. Whose sole purpose was to protect some land in the human world or a gate between worlds. Could these be those demons?

  Maybe the artist exaggerated the subjects’ feat
ures. That was the only logical explanation. No demon could be that perfect.

  The hall emptied into a kitchen almost as large at the entrance hall. The markings were here too— chiseled into the stone walls.

  Tink, tink, tink.

  Sounded like glass hitting each other. It came from the pantry. He never felt so blind.

  Tink, tink, tink.

  Too consistent to be an act of nature. Sounded like small demons were in the pantry. He couldn’t sense anything. He pointed. The light rushed into the pantry.

  Numerous jars sat on tall shelves. They covered every wall.

  Tink, tink, tink.

  He didn’t see anything more. He needed to go in there. Damn. This was not the best idea. Didn’t have a choice. This was why they needed to search this place. What if this small sound turned into a demon who went after Ryse?

  He let his power bleed out of him to form a skin-tight barrier around him. The shield was as strong as he was. As long as the demon in there wasn’t more powerful than he was, it couldn’t touch him. He shot power out of his hand. The glowing blue line reached the floor. Too much. He still didn’t have much control over his power. Cyl pulled back. The line became about as long as dagger. He created the Antun house dagger in his hand. Silver lines twisted and wrapped around the handle and ran up the blade.

  The dagger could’ve been plain. It had taken him years to master this. He would admit. He wasted precious energy focusing on decorating his blade. Still, seeing it made him smile. Creating a blade with the Antun marking was worth it just to see the horror and disgust in his family’s faces and to feel the pride spilling from Uryl.

  No need to mask his footsteps. The light had announced his presence.

  He gripped his blade and walked to the door. Different sized jars made of glass, wood, porcelain and metal filled the room. They were decorated with those strange markings. This time they were painted different colors. Did the colors mean anything?

  The noise had stopped. The glass jars were steady. They couldn’t have moved without help.

  Wind touched the back of his neck. It felt like a cold wet tongue. It left him feeling violated. Something was here. He needed to find it before it hurt his family.