My Demon, My Love...: Changes of Heart

When Kane arrived at the dungeon, he did not see Zareb present with the other guards around the entrance, so he figured this meant he was out on rounds. He could only hope that he was patrolling near Azlyn’s cell. He had no desire to speak with anyone other than Zareb. He needed in and out of Azlyn’s cell, as fast as possible. Kane turned the corner and headed directly to where Azlyn was being held.

“Hey, did the Prince just come through here?” One of the guards asked the other, certain that he had seen Kane out of the corner of his eye.

“I didn’t see nothing.” The other guard shrugged.

“Hmm…maybe it was my imagination.” The first guard offered, skeptically.

But in keeping with the laziness that they have become known for, none of the guards bothered to investigate further.

As soon as Kane reached the doorway of Azlyn’s prison cell, he was concerned to see the door cracked open. He pushed it the rest of the way and stepped into the entrance, prepared to face whatever he had to. Azlyn had to be rescued from dangerous situations before and Reve had succeeded every time; Kane was not going to let them down now. As passive as he may have been, he did have the same blood pumping through his veins as Reve, after all.

However, Kane was elated into immediate relaxation upon seeing Zareb was the one who had entered. Zareb sat lumbered over in the cell next to Azlyn, making the space look smaller than it already had. She sat with her head in the toilet as Zareb did the best he could to hold back her hair with his large, sausage-like fingers. Kane cleared his throat, surprising Zareb and causing him to jump up, releasing his hold on Azlyn’s hair. He turned to address whomever had entered the cell, concerned that one the other guards was catching him provide Azlyn with extra care. Zareb let out a deep sigh and dropped his shoulders from a defensive stance upon seeing Kane in the doorway.

“Prince Kane, sire, you startled me.” Zareb exclaimed. “Is it that time already?” Zareb continued, lowering the tone of his voice, considerably.

Zareb had never been more relieved to see Kane in all of his time at the castle. If it had been another guard, then Zareb would have had to react immediately. He could not risk someone seeing him being so caring towards Azlyn, it would have only brought more troubles their direction. He would have been forced to start the escape without Kane’s aid if he had been backed into that kind of a corner.

“Kane’s here?” Azlyn coughed in the toilet bowl. “Where is Reve?”

“I apologize that I startled you. I am also sorry that you are not feeling well, Azlyn. Unfortunately, there is no time right now. Reve and Dalair have gone to rescue Hunter. Zareb and I have been instructed to get you out of here. We will be meeting them as soon as we are clear of here.” Kane informed Azlyn.

Azlyn sighed; she was glad that Reve had gone after Hunter because she wanted her daughter to be safe. However, she could not help but feel a bit sorry that Reve was not with her. Every time that they end up separated during one of these dangerous situations; they found it hard to find their way back to each other again without damage being done. Still, she knew that she would not have had it any other way. Reve and Dalair would both give their lives for Hunter without a second thought; though Azlyn desperately hoped that it would not come to that.

“Are you good enough to travel? We have to get out of here now. You are no longer safe. Gedeon wants blood; he will only allow you to live for so long, especially knowing that you are with child.” Kane bid.

“He is right, Azlyn. The other guards mentioned that King Gedeon has been asking around about you. Questioning your activities.” Zareb added.

“My activities?” Azlyn asked in surprise. “I have been locked in this cell for months. What exactly could I have been getting up to in here?”

“Gedeon believes that Zareb is your lover.” Kane explained. “He intends to have Zareb arrested by the end of his shift tonight. He wants to have you both killed.”

“Why would he believe that?!” Zareb asked in disbelief.

“I am afraid that is, somewhat, the fault of Reve. He has asked you to pay special attention to Azlyn and this has been falsely interpreted as a romantic interest. The rumor is being spread that you are responsible for fathering Azlyn’s child.” Kane informed Zareb.

“That is ridiculous!” Azlyn exclaimed.

“I agree! You show the slightest bit of kindness to a human and automatically you must be sleeping with them.” Zareb sighed, shaking his head.

“I agree. This is an absurd time that we live in. Unfortunately, when the guards were questioned by Gedeon, they made some compelling arguments against you.” Kane explained. “Gedeon wants to charge you with adultery with a royal. He desires to kill you while Azlyn is forced to watch.”

“No! That is too awful!” Azlyn gasped.

“That is the most insane thing that I have ever heard! I knew those useless guards could not be trusted. I will have their heads!” Zareb charged, feeling angrier than he had in a long time.

“Nissa and Blaz are waiting for us with supplies and horses in the stables.” Kane instructed. “Zareb, you may get your chance at revenge, there is a large possibility that we will need to fight our way out of here. If something happens to me, take Azlyn and get her away from here. Her safety is your only responsibility.”

“Of course, your highness, please note that I wish for you to do the same, should the situation be reversed. No matter what happens, Azlyn and the baby must be protected.” Zareb stated.

“You are a good demon, Zareb. Truly one of a kind. I appreciate everything that you have done for our family.” Kane thanked him. “Know that Reve would express the same, were he present.”

“Of course, my liege. Consider myself yours and your brother’s loyal servant until the end.” Zareb said with a slight bow.

“Speaking of my brother, he asked me to deliver a special message, you may consider yourself officially promoted to Major. As a thank you for your service and loyalty; it shall prove to be a most important trait in the weeks to come.” Kane offered with a smile and a bow.

“Thank you, sire. What an honor. Thank you!” Zareb exclaimed, beaming.

“Not at all. You have earned it.” Kane assured. “Now, we must be going. We don’t have much time and the only way to get out of this dungeon is straight past those guards out there.”

“Let’s do this then. No time like the present.” Zareb agreed.

Azlyn stared up at the two demons who stood over her. She could not help but think that they were insane. They were certain to get all four of them killed. How did they possibly expect to walk Azlyn out of here like it was nothing? She wanted to protest against them, but she knew that it was futile, and she did not have the strength.

Azlyn knew that she was not healthy enough to carry a baby under these conditions. She was aware that the only reason their child had survived for this long was the demon-blood that flowed through its veins. She was growing concerned that this would not be enough if she was forced to continue on like this. She did not want to lose her child and that meant that she needed to take the risk to get out of here. She trusted Kane and Zareb to keep her safe, that would have to be enough.

Kane reached down and helped Azlyn up off of the floor. As Kane assisted in lifting her; he realized just how dire the situation had really become. She was light as a feather and frighteningly thin. She had an obvious baby bump, but that was the most definition that her body shown. Kane had not realized how much weight that she had lost, her cheeks had sunken in dangerously and the color of her skin had turned a sickly pale gray. He was, suddenly, glad that they had been forced to rush ahead with their plans. They could not have allowed this to go on much longer anyway; he would be surprised if the child that she carried survives, it was half-human after all.

Kane began to grow angrier than he had ever been before; he hated Gedeon, at this moment, more than he had ever thought possible. His nostrils flared, his eyes went completely black, and his horns began to extend. His teeth sharpened, and his claws lengthened. Azlyn could sense the shift in Kane’s energy; she was surprised to look up and see that Kane had begun to transform into his primal-self. From what Azlyn had understood, this was a rare sight for Kane.

Zareb watched the scene and followed Kane’s lead, allowing himself to turn primal as well. He knew that there would be little chance to change Kane back and Kane marching through the castle in his primal-form was bound to draw attention to them. At least they would already be their stronger versions when they caught the guards by surprise; maybe this would be the advantage that they required to make it out of this.

Zareb’s major advantage in his primal-form was not speed, or even necessarily strength, like so many demons. Zareb’s advantage was his size; the giant of a demon who already lumbered before them began to grow twice his size; causing Azlyn to wonder if he would be able to fit through the doorways any longer. His horns elongated, slightly, and his eyes darkened. He drew his sword from its sheath and prepared to lead the way.

They left Azlyn’s cell and headed into the hall, everything seeming to have fallen quiet around them, for the moment, at least. Zareb trudged into the entry room where all the guards were sitting around together. He immediately drew the attention of every guard in the room, as he had to duck low to get through the doorway.

“Zareb, why are you in your primal-form?” One of the guards demanded.

“A true soldier of the realm would never transform without instructions from a leader before entering into battle.” The other guard charged.

Suddenly, they saw Kane entering into the room, behind Zareb, also transformed to his primal-self. They noticed that the prisoner, Azlyn, was cowering in the back, bringing up the rear of the group. The guards were aware that Azlyn was Reve’s wife, however, they could not fathom why Prince Kane would be helping his brother’s wife and her lover to escape. This did not make sense. All of the guards jumped to their feet and faced the prince, noting that Zareb’s sword was already drawn.

“Your highness, may I inquire as to what you are doing with that prisoner?” One of the guards questioned.

“No. You may not.” Kane growled.

The guards were taken aback by this. They were under strict orders that Azlyn was not to leave her cell; the king himself had commanded this. On the other hand, they were not altogether prepared to question Kane either. The prince had never caused problems within the realm and they were not certain why he would choose now to begin disobeying royal orders. Not to mention, he is a prince and they were merely guards; saying that he outranked them, was a major understatement. Though, at this particular moment, when things were put into perspective, the prince appeared to be engaged in an act of treason as he accompanied two fugitives of the crown in their escape from the dungeon cells.

“We cannot allow the prisoner to leave here, sire. Not without permission from the King. I apologize for the inconvenience; however, these are our orders.” One of the guards spoke up, cautiously.

“I do not care about your orders. As the wife of my brother, Prince Reve, she is a member of the royal family. You will let us pass!” Kane snapped.

“Not if that means letting her leave this castle.” The other guard boldly asserted, as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Who are you to question me?!” Kane commanded, his voice booming.

“We do not wish to oppose you, your majesty. These orders come directly from the King.” One of the guards reminded him. “Azlyn is a prisoner and Zareb is under arrest.”

“We will not stand for this. We are leaving here. One way or another.” Kane hissed.

“I am sorry, sire, but if you continue, we will be forced to stop you.” The other guard, cautioned.

Kane directed Azlyn towards a nearby corner, as he and Zareb stepped in front of her; using their bodies to shield her from the guards. The guards took their defensive stances in front of them.

“Stay where you are Azlyn.” Kane instructed. “Unless things begin to go south, in which case, stick close to Zareb.”

“Do not worry, your majesty. We can take these two no problem.” Zareb assured Kane.

Azlyn believed in Zareb’s assurances as he was now the size of a wall and it seemed that he could take both of the guards out in a single swoop of his powerful arm.

Azlyn was correct in her assessment; while the guard fought well, he was no match for Zareb, especially not in primal-form. Zareb may have moved slower than the guard could, but every blow that he landed was twice as devastating as the guard’s hits were. After only a few heavy-handed hits, the guard crumbled under the weight. Zareb took one more swing and managed to debilitate him.

Kane did not find himself as lucky; he did not have many skills in combat and had very few occasions to lift a sword prior to their current situation. The guard was well trained in Reve’s methods and did not find Prince Kane to be much of an opponent. After a few minutes of sparring back and forth, the guard swung his blade high above his head. Bringing it down towards Kane in a swift motion, Kane attempted to counter the attack, but was not fast enough. The blade went into his arm; causing him to grunt in pain, silently chastising himself for his mistake.

Zareb was, immediately, alerted to the situation and turned to defend his prince. Zareb forced his way between the guard and Kane; knocking the guard’s sword away from the Kane’s fresh wound. He turned his blade and swung the broadside against the side of the guard’s head like a bat. Zareb repeated this assault several times before the guard slumped to his knees and fell to the floor, unconscious.

“Come, your majesties! We must get you out of here!” Zareb encouraged as he led them forward and up out of the dungeons.

Azlyn hurried behind Zareb and Kane brought up the rear, determined to still protect Azlyn and the baby despite the misstep that had led to his injury. The group rushed into the hall and turned in the direction of the stables, but they were unable to make it far before they were confronted by a collection of seven guards; intent on squelching their progress. They had been instructed by King Gedeon to keep Azlyn from leaving the castle by any means necessary and they intended to carry out their task.

Meanwhile, Reve had succeeded in leading Dalair and Hunter toward the stables but stopped short just before exiting the palace doors. He paused, turning to look back towards the interior of the castle. Something was wrong; he could sense Azlyn’s anxiety growing into an overwhelming fear.

“Reve, what is it?” Dalair asked, sensing Reve’s hesitation.

“Take Hunter to the stables…” Reve instructed. “Mount a horse and prepare to leave. Wait fifteen minutes and if we do not come, then take the long route to your family’s estate. No one will suspect that you will take the long way, if they come after you, they will expect you to take the most direct route.”

“Where are you going?” Dalair entreated.

“The others need me. Something has happened.” Reve asserted.

Dalair nodded his head in understanding and gripped Hunter, tighter, against his chest. He turned to head out the large, wooden doors before Reve stopped him.

“Dalair, if anyone that is not a member of our group approaches…” Reve paused for a moment, taking one last glance as his daughter. “You, Hunter, Blaz and Nissa should leave immediately. Do not hesitate. We will find you if we survive.”

Before Dalair could say another word, Reve ran off back into the castle. He had to get to Azlyn and ensure that she, along with his unborn child, found their way off the estate grounds, unharmed. He trusted that Dalair would do whatever it took to secure Hunter’s safety; now he needed to make the same guarantee for the rest of his family.

After several minutes of making his way deeper into the bowels of the palace through the winding corridors that he used to consider home; Reve rounded the corner and found himself disheartened by what he saw. Azlyn was cowered against the wall, her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach, terror in her eyes. Zareb used his large frame to act as a living shield, blocking as much of Azlyn from view as he possibly could. Kane held his sword high, despite the blood gushing from a deep gash on his arm. They were surrounded on all sides and Zareb was swinging wildly in an attempt to keep the guards from closing in their proximity.

Reve, having had sheathed his sword, quickly released it from its scabbard and spun it in the air, dramatically. He drew the sword across his body and balled his other hand into a fist. He made fleeting eye contact with Zareb and noted from the nod that followed that Zareb was now aware of his presence and intentions.

“I am going to rip your throats out!” Reve snarled from behind the guards as he began to rush the scene.

The guards stared on in confusion, uncertain as to whom Prince Reve meant to attack. They knew that they faced off against his wife and brother; however, they were traitors to the realm and his wife had been accused of adultery. On the other hand, they did not know how the prince was handling the news and did not know if he would wish the death of his beloved and the child, supposedly, created from her affair. The guards looked from one another, uncertain if they should assault the group alongside the prince or if they needed to prepare to defend themselves against the demon whom had taught them everything that they knew.

As Reve swung at the guard nearest to him, the group of guards fully realized the threat that they were under. Prince Reve was the most ruthless of all demons when it came to the battlefield and they suspected that he would stop at nothing for the safety of his wife.

“We do not want to do this, your majesty.” One of the guards begged, sincerely.

“Then back down and walk away.” Reve growled, holding the guard that he sparred with at bay.

“We cannot do that, my liege. Our orders come from the King.” Another of the guards cried out, eyeing Zareb closely.

“Then you have chosen your side and shall face the consequences of it, whatever those may be.” Reve smirked.