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

“What?!”

Reve jumped up from his bed, scattering his paperwork about. He could not believe it! Azlyn was dying and there was little that Reve could do to help her. How could this be happening to them? Just as his plan to rescue her was finally coming together. As if life had not been harsh enough to Azlyn.

“Do not be so worried, brother. I said POTENTIALLY life-threatening. We will decide, together, how this is best handled and whether or not she should pay the ultimate price.” Gedeon offered.

“I do not understand your meaning.”

“My dear brother…” Gedeon started, shaking his head. “Your wife is pregnant by another.”

Nissa could not contain her gasp as she stood in the corner. Azlyn was in a whole new kind of danger now. Reve shot her a stern look and she did her best to restrain herself from further outburst.

“Azlyn is…pregnant?” Reve could barely force himself to form the word.

“Yes. She is fifteen weeks pregnant. Since I know that you have not been with her, then it is the work of another, most likely that stable slave or one of the guards. I am so sorry…” Gedeon stated, making no attempt to hide his smile.

Reve was unsure of what to do. He sat back down on the edge of his bed. The news had thrown him for a loop and his mind began running a million miles a minute. He knew that Azlyn had not been impregnated by another, he was all too aware of who the father was. He could kick himself for being so careless. He should have taken precautions to prevent this from happening. Now, he did not just need to get Azlyn out of here alive, he had the life of his unborn child to consider as well. This also meant that he needed to put his plans into motion, immediately. There was no more time for consideration and seeking alternatives any longer; it was time for action.

“Do not worry, brother. We will make that little wench pay for her betrayal! The question merely becomes do you want to kill her before or after she has a chance to bring the little bastard into the world? If we do it before then we do not have to look upon the wretched abomination. However, if we do it afterwards, then we could have the pleasure of killing the child in front of her before ending her life.” Gedeon mused, his eyes glimmering with excitement.

Reve did not answer. He was in a state of shock. It had not been long ago that he had discovered that he was father to a daughter that he had never met. Now, he was going to be a father again, and this time his child was in much more immediate danger. He did his best not to focus on the fact that Gedeon had just called his child a “wretched abomination.”

“Can I go see her?” Reve finally asked.

“I will permit it this one time. I am sure that you want to be the one to tell her to her face about her fate.”

“Yes, of course.”

“I will accompany you there. I would like to talk with the guards. Maybe they will have their suspicions on whether or not a demon is responsible for impregnating Azlyn. If it was one of our guards then he shall be made to suffer alongside her as punishment for adultery with the wife of a royal.”

Reve cringed at the thought. He did not want one of his soldiers implicated in this situation. This had been his mistake, however, he decided to let Gedeon enact his investigation for now. If they were lucky, then he would get Azlyn away from here before Gedeon could convict one of the guards as Azlyn’s lover.

“As you wish, brother.”

Gedeon dismissed Emilie back to his chambers with instructions that she was to wait for him there. He and Reve made their way down to the dungeons. Gedeon kept attempting to make polite conversation with Reve; he was eager to determine Azlyn’s fate and wanted Reve to join in his excitement.

Reve did not oblige his brother, though, he was furious about the circumstances that they found themselves in. If he had thought that he could get away with it, he would have snapped Gedeon’s neck where he stood, then grabbed Azlyn and left this place for good. His relation to this demon mattered little to him now; Gedeon was responsible for the threat against his wife and children. Reve had never wanted to see anyone dead more than he did in this moment.

Upon arriving at the dungeons, they found a group of guards gathered by the entrance, deep in conversation. Reve cleared his throat, announcing their presence, causing the guards to jump. Reve eyed them all carefully, disappointed that he had found soldiers, no matter how low ranking they may have been, shirking their responsibilities.

“I would like someone to take me to see my wife.” Reve commanded.

Zareb stepped out of the shadows, emerging from the nearby hall after having just completed his rounds. He had overheard the prince announce himself and, naturally, he stepped up despite the fact that the other guards had done nothing that could be considered work in several hours. Zareb always took the opportunity to escort Reve to Azlyn when it arose. He had made caring for Azlyn his special mission and top priority. He did not let the other guards near her, if he could help it.

“I can take you to see her, your majesty.”

“Thank you, Zareb. I will return shortly, brother.”

“Take your time. I would like to speak with these guards.” Gedeon encouraged.

Reve and Zareb wandered down the hall towards the cell that held Azlyn.

“I am so glad that you are here, your highness. I am terribly worried about Azlyn’s health.”

“Zareb…” Reve spoke, just above a whisper. “We do not have much time and I need you to listen to me, carefully. Azlyn is not ill; she is pregnant. My brother is aware of the situation. We will have to get Azlyn out of here, if we have any hope of protecting her and the child. Can I count on you?”

“Of course, sire. Anything that you and Azlyn need. I will do what has to be done. I swear my allegiance to you.” Zareb assured Reve.

“Good. I am going to need your support. Things are going to have to change if I ever want my family to be safe. Apparently, sending them to the human realm is no longer drastic enough.”

“What kind of changes are we talking about, sir?” Zareb pressed, excitedly.

Reve stopped and looked at Zareb, a serious expression on his face.

“Big changes, Zareb. The kind that could change this entire realm.” Reve dropped his voice so low that Zareb could barely hear him before he continued. “The treasonous kind.”

Zareb gulped hard at Reve’s revelation. Whilst he understood the need for this and had desired the realm to change for as long as he could remember. The soldier in him was hesitant to commit such an egregious betrayal to the crown. However, he was certain of his resolve to ally himself with Reve and Azlyn’s cause, so he would not allow any prior loyalties to sway his determination.

Zareb opened the door to Azlyn’s cell, processing the information that Reve had just given him. As Zareb looked at Azlyn in a heap on the floor of her cell, any doubts he had about their plans were completely quieted. He had always been on the side of slave’s rights and now more than ever, as he watched his realm crumble around him, he knew that Reve would be the answer. Following Azlyn and Reve to wherever they led him could only bring about a new light to the realm and the beings who suffered within it. No matter what acts they may have to commit to achieve it. No one deserved to be treated so horrifically whether they be demon, human, or any other creature for that matter.

“Stay outside this door, Zareb. Do not let anyone in.” Reve instructed.

“Yes, your highness, of course.”

Reve entered the cell and closed the door, tightly, behind him. Azlyn was sitting on the floor near the toilet, clutching her knees.

“Reve?” Azlyn asked, wearily, surprised by his presence.

“Hey, Az. How are you feeling, love?” Reve asked, as he walked over to her and crouched down to her level.

“Miserable.” Azlyn sighed.

“I am sorry, Az.”

“I suppose that you are here because you heard.”

“Yes…” Reve took in a deep breath. “You are pregnant, Az.”

“I know. I remember how it felt the first time. Do you know how far along I am?”

Reve was slightly surprised by Azlyn’s response. He had not been prepared for her to have been aware of her condition. He believed that it would have been as much of a shock to her was it was to him. Though, he quickly realized that he should have known better.

“Dr. Jayr said that you are around fifteen weeks.”

Azlyn’s eyes, suddenly, filled up with tears.

“What are we going to do?!” Azlyn cried. “King Gedeon is holding us hostage threatening Hunter’s life and now he has our unborn child in his grasp!”

“We are going to do what we should have done a long time ago.” Reve paused before continuing; his eyes narrowing and his horns extending. “I am going to take them down. I am going to take them ALL down. I will end anyone who threatens the safety of you or our children.”

Azlyn nodded her head in understanding and agreement with Reve’s convictions. She trusted that he would do what needed to be done in order to protect their children. Azlyn’s only wish was that both of her children make it out of this situation alive and unharmed. Whatever they had to do in order to achieve that goal, so be it.

Reve stayed with Azlyn a few minutes longer. Assuring her that he would get this situation under control. She made him swear that he would do whatever it took to find Hunter’s location before any other move was made. If they could get to Hunter first, then she wanted her rescue to be the priority mission. Unfortunately, their time together had to quickly come to an end as Reve was reminded by Zareb that Gedeon would be waiting for him.

“I promise you, Az. I will be back soon, and next time it will be to get you and our baby out of here.”

“I know you will. I trust you to protect us, all of us.” Azlyn assured Reve as she rubbed her hand over her lower abdomen.

They embraced for a moment, risking a quick kiss. Then Reve leaned down and pressed his lips to Azlyn’s stomach.

“Daddy will be back soon. Don’t give mommy too much trouble.”

Reve smiled at Azlyn who felt overwhelmed with joy seeing Reve turning into the doting father. She had never gotten to experience this side of him with Hunter, as they had been apart throughout her entire pregnancy. It warmed her heart seeing him behaving in this way. She desperately wished that he could stay with her now and comfort her through this stressful time. But she knew that this was not possible, no matter how much she wanted it to be.

“I love you, Az.”

“I love you, too.”

With that, Reve turned and left the cell. Zareb locked the door tightly behind him. Reve hated leaving Azlyn in there, but he would still need a few days to exact his plan. He did not want to be forced into having to fight off the entire palace to find Hunter and get Azlyn out of there. Not unless he was forced to.

Gedeon was nothing but smiles when Reve joined him again. Reve could not fathom what had Gedeon so excited about this situation. He was eager to find out exactly what caused Gedeon’s sudden elation. As soon as they were out of the earshot of the guards, Reve decided to question him about his enthusiasm.

“What has you so giddy?”

“I have found him, brother.”

“Found him? What do you mean?”

“I have discovered the identity of your wife’s lover.”

Reve was taken aback by this. He had been so swept up in his brief time with Azlyn; he had completely forgotten that Gedeon had convinced himself of Azlyn’s infidelity.

“Who do you believe it to be?” Reve asked with a clenched jaw through gritted teeth, attempting to sound as angry as possible.

“The guard by the name of Zareb. He was the one who escorted you to your wife’s cell.”

Reve was surprised by this allegation. Why would Gedeon believe such a thing about Zareb?

“I know of Zareb. He is a fine soldier.” Reve asserted. “What is your proof for these accusations?”

“The other guards were informing me that Zareb is very possessive over Azlyn. He does not allow anyone else to patrol her cell when he is on duty. He is the only one who delivers her daily meal and they suspect that he has even been sneaking her extra food rations. He has been seen, on several occasions, speaking to her through the window of her cell-door; offering words of friendship and comfort.” Gedeon explained. “The guards say that he is the only one with enough access to Azlyn to have impregnated her. No one else would be able to get close enough under Zareb’s watchful eye.”

Reve was so angry at himself for implicating Zareb in this situation. It had never occurred to him that his orders for Zareb’s diligence as Azlyn’s body guard would ever incriminate him as her lover.

“I suggest that we kill both of them, in front of each other, forcing them to stare into each other’s eyes as they die, painfully. Unless you would rather that Azlyn is forced to look at you while he is forced to look at her. In a way, that is almost crueler.” Gedeon babbled with delight.

Reve tuned him out; he had to think. He had very little time and very important tasks to accomplish. He had to ensure Hunter’s safety. Then he had to, somehow, free Azlyn from prison; saving the life of her and their unborn child. Now, on top of everything else, he had to get Zareb out of this dangerous situation that Reve had gotten him into.

“We will arrest him tomorrow at the end of his shift.” Gedeon declared.

That settled it then. Reve and Zareb would have to get Azlyn out of here tomorrow. Reve would have to get be more creative to get to Hunter in time. There was no more time for planning or consideration; too many lives were now at stake. The time for action was now.

Reve walked directly towards his quarters without bidding Gedeon farewell. He did not feel that pleasantries between them were necessary any longer.

“Nissa.” Reve bid, standing outside of her door.

A few moments later, Nissa cracked open the door in response.

“Yes, sire?”

“Go to Zareb. Tell him to wait for Kane to come to him tomorrow night. Do not allow anyone to hear you speak to him. The time has come.”

Nissa understood Reve’s meaning immediately; she entered the hall and quickly rushed off towards the dungeons.