Claire

I had been sitting in the family room knitting when some knocked on the door. My hands trembled in anticipation. I knew it wouldn’t be long until the city guards showed up at my door, it’s not like it was a secret that I had been visiting that demon girl’s cell with Ryaa.

I put aside the yarn and smoothed out my apron before standing. I squared my shoulders, inhaled then exhaled before crossing the room and pulling back the dead bolt. I was knocked backwards as the door swung open with such force that it bounced off the wall with a loud thud. My heart rose in my chest as I stared at the five armed men rushing through my doorway with guns.

“Claire, who’s at the door?” I heard my mother say before she yelped as one of the men went into the kitchen. “Who are you? What’s going on?”

“Sal, Bern, check the back rooms. Where’s the demon?” the guard said as he pointed his hand gun at my mother. My blood turned cold as I stared at the iron barrel resting against her throat. At that range he could kill her. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out as I stared at the last two guards who had begun to tear apart the kitchen. Dishes were broken as the cupboard where they rested was thrown to the ground causing the floorboards to tremble.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Isn’t the demon being held in the temple?” my mother said. The guard swung his gun and the buttstock collided with my mother’s jaw. She grunted and fell to the floor while clutching cheek. A red river began to run down her chin.

My throat swelled shut as I ran forward and threw myself between them. I held my hands up in a supplicating manner. Why were they doing this to us? We weren’t demons, we were humans! Why couldn’t my father be home? He was probably nose deep in his cups by now.

The guard that had struck my mother grabbed me by the front of my dress and lifted me to my feet. “Shephard Stone knows you’ve been visiting that demon. What did it offer you? Eternal life? Riches? Health?”

“N-Nothing! What are you talking about?”

“That fiend managed to escape from its cell during the wedding. No one knows where it is, but the lack of destruction points to outside help. Where’s your boyfriend Ryaa Kane?”

I could feel the spittle from the man’s lips spray across my face as he yelled at me. His breath smelled septic and I gagged before responding. “I don’t know!”

His grip tightened and he threw me to the ground before kicking me in the stomach. “Don’t lie to me demon lover!”

My face felt hot as I began to cry. Why were they doing this to me? I had only helped Ryaa because he had asked me to. I had thought that if that demon left town he would stop thinking about her. Hopefully he would leave her far away from the city and hide somewhere until the temple calmed down. This was all that demon bitch’s fault. I never should have helped her escape. Why hadn’t Ryaa listened to me?

I shook my head and spread my arms to shield my mother. I didn’t know if he would strike us again, but I didn’t want to give him a clear shot at her. “I don’t know where he went,” I said.

“Take them into custody and place surveillance on the house,” the lead guard said to the two others in the kitchen.

“Yes, sir,” they said with a salute.

One turned to me with a dark look in his eyes. “By the power of the priests of Naomi you are under arrest for aiding and concealing a demon. If you fight back or cause any harm to those escorting you, you will be executed on the spot. Am I understood?”

I nodded silently as more tears ran down my cheeks. I felt my mother’s hands on my shoulders and she squeezed them tight. I could feel them tremble against my skin despite the firm grip. “Yes, we understand,” she said softly. We were forced to our feet and lead to a boxlike wagon with a padlock on the door and bars in the window slots. I felt a knot in my throat as they unlocked the door and swung it wide. Inside I could make out thin wooded benches nailed to the floor. The wagon smelled mildly of mold and black stains covered the driver side wall.

My mother covered her nose with one hand and used the other to pull herself up into the back of the mobile cell. I followed after her and sat down on the rough wood of the right side bench. The door was shut, halving the amount of light. I heard the rattle of the metal padlock on the other side as it was locked.

“What did you do?” my mother hissed at me. I balled my hands into fists as I thought of what to say. Ryaa’s plan didn’t account for us being arrested, but I should have expected some interference by the authorities. Demons were dangerous. Every now and then we would hear about a new battle breaking out between humans and demons. Disputes over islands, retaliation for past attacks; the list for reasons we continued to fight was long.

I wiped my eyes. “You remember that Ryaa had captured a demon? Well he decided he wanted to free it…her…”

“He set a demon loose? Why?” My mother had pulled away from me in shock.

“I think he fell in love with it,” I said bitterly. I didn’t see the appeal of the unnatural sheen of that demon’s black curls or the spots along its fleshy tail. She was just a stupid fish demon.

“Fell in love? You must be joking! How could he pass you up?”

“I-don’t-know! He’s been different since he returned from the sea. That patrol mission changed him.” I rubbed my arms as the wagon began to sway. I could hear the clop of horse shoes on the cobblestone street as the wagon pulled away from our home.

I was such a fool. I should have warned my parents. Maybe they could have helped me stop Ryaa and his crazy plan. Maybe I should have gone with him instead? Either way it was too late now to change my decision. I now had to face the consequences for my actions, even if I did not find it appealing.

I rubbed my palms against my knees in frustration. My mother grabbed my wrist and I stopped. “How did he escape with the demon?”

“I gave him some of my spare clothes and he snuck her out of the temple during the reception,” I replied. My cheek stung as my mother slapped me. I clenched my jaw and held still, waiting for her to strike me again.

“How could you betray us like that? Our priests have kept us safe from these demons by killing them on sight, and you let one go?” Her hand came down on my shoulder in a fist as she flailed like a small child. “Have I taught you nothing? The Sanguine Legion, the Brine King, the Silent Night; they’re not just songs, they’re not just stories!”

“I know mom!”

“Thirty years of safety because of our priest’s diligence and you put our city at risk. Demons are vindictive, do you think it will thank you for setting it free?”

I closed my eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry…”

“You’re a terrible child!”

I wished a pit would open beneath me and swallow me whole. Why had I let my heart get the better of me? Was it a false sense of security? The demons hadn’t pushed this far inland in centuries; the divine chasm prevented large armies from invading from the sea. The heartland of Illuria was still at risk from our inland neighbors, but the capital had maintained peace treaties them, ensuring mutual support should the demons rise against us again.

How could I fix my mistake? Would the demon return in force to destroy our city? “I’m sorry,” I said softly. My mother seemed to deflate and rested her forehead against my shoulder. I touched her tear stained cheeks, feeling guilty.

“I know you didn’t do this to hurt us. Love makes us idiots,” she said in a bitter voice. “I hope your father is okay.”

When we reached the temple we led through its halls to the private offices of the head priest, Shephard Stone, and entirely avoiding the wedding party. He was sitting calmly behind his desk while his wife, Rose, sat to the side with parchment and pen in hand. She looked dejected with puffy eyelids and blood shot eyes as if she had been crying.

Stone stared at us coolly as our captures saluted him. “Brother, we have found co-conspirators to the demon release, but have not located Ryaa Kane or the demon within the city.”

“Thank you for your hard work sergeant. We have sufficient reason to believe that the two have already fled the city. I’ve sent a patrol in pursuit of them,” Stone said before turning his attention to me. I felt as if a great weight began to push me into the floor. My knees quaked and my teeth ached as I clenched my jaw. I looked down at the floor boards as my heart fluttered in my chest. While Naomi had a mayor, Shephard Stone was, without question, the most powerful man in the city, and the most influential along Illuria’s coast. If he had not joined the priesthood, our king would have made him a noble and granted him land. Since he was unable to accept the offer, his son was granted the title of baron.

“Claire Bevins, what is your relationship with Ryaa Kane?” Stone asked. My mother grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

“He’s my boyfriend,” I replied softly.

“Are you two still close? Did he seem to be acting strange lately?” he continued in calm, but icy voice.

“We’ve been quite close for years…and he had been acting differently.”

“Would you say that the demon had somehow entranced him?”

I nodded. Ryaa going against his hatred of demons to save one was clear sign he had been out of his mind. A sign that I had ignored in favor of keeping him happy. I was foolish to give in to his lunacy. I burst into tears and covered my face. “I didn’t mean any harm, Brother! I just wanted to see him happy.”

Stone stood up and circled his desk to stand in front of me. I stiffened as he wrapped his arms around me. My senses scream at me to run as a sense of wrongness permeated the man’s body. His breath smelled heavily of mint, but it did little to mask the scent of rot on his breath. His arms tightened around me like a constrictor immobilizing its prey. His embrace stopped short of being painful, but was not comforting in any way. “Poor child, it must have been agony to see the man you love change before your eyes. Rest assured, we will destroy the demon and rescue Ryaa.”

“T-thank you,” I stuttered into his shoulder.

“But… you still need to be punished for endangering your fellow citizens,” Stone continued. He pulled back showing a concerned face, but there was venom in his eyes. “Sergeant, take Mrs. Bevins to the stocks. When you find her husband, he will join her. They will remain there for three days. As for you, Miss Bevins, you will receive thirty lashes and indefinite imprisonment. During your sentence my fellow brothers will ensure that you haven’t succumbed to the demon’s influences and take steps to prevent another act of betrayal.”

“Thirty lashes? That will destroy her!” my mother said. I could hear the shock in her voice. “She’s just a girl, she doesn’t deserve such a harsh punishment.”

“On the contrary, she is a grown woman now. What she did could have jeopardized Naomi. Up until last night, a demon had never escaped from our sacred city. Ryaa was a part of the patrols and knew of the weaknesses and strengths of our beloved city.” He motioned with his hand and the sergeant grabbed my mother by the wrist. “What your daughter has done is treason and deserves death.” He held out his right hand and Rose stood up to place a decorative dagger in his palm.

“Treason carries a death sentence,” Stone said. I watched the color drain from my mother’s face as her gaze became riveted to the dagger. “I always try to be merciful, but I can’t afford to show any weakness toward those abominations.”

My mother stood in silence, her eyes glazed over. “Now which punishment do you prefer?”

Her free hand stretched out towards the dagger.

“Mother!” I said. She blinked a few times as if she had woken up then looked at me. Was the dagger enchanted?

Her gazed shifted back and forth between me and Stone. “She’ll take the lashing,” my mother said weakly.

“So be it.” The priest nodded and the guards escorted us out of the office. I felt cold as we were ushered down the hallway. When we reached a fork, the guard grabbed my mother and went left while I was led right. She managed to squeeze my shoulder as we parted.

"We'll be fine, darling," she said to me. I pressed my lips together and nodded. Her eyes were red with unshed tears while her cheeks remained dry. My own cheeks were wet from the tears that flowed unhindered. My parents were lucky to only get the stocks, but what would happen to Ryaa? Would they kill him on sight or hold a trial and execution?

A trial seemed more likely, in order to make an example of his actions. Why did I agree to free that demon? That weak and vulnerable look had just been an act, I was sure of it. I wanted nothing more than to strike that thing in the face. Ryaa just had to become involved with the mistress of a demon lord. They could easily invade the coastal towns since none of the forts had been fully rebuilt.

I was taken to cell much smaller than the one used for the demon in an older part of the temple complex. There was bedroll, tied and upright, leaning on the far left corner, while adjacent was a brass bucket. In the middle of the far wall was a thin window that looked like it had once been used for archers as it lacked any glass and was only wide enough to fit my arm through. The brick around the window was covered in periwinkle colored lichen that was the only source of color besides the bucket and green bedroll.

As soon as the guard closed the wooden door behind me I realized that my only source of light in the room was from the hallway sconces and the moon outside. This was probably to prevent me from building a fire and trying to escape. I didn't want to escape though; escaping would increase my punishment and even my parents.

I wrung my hands as I thought of the lashing that would come. I deserved it, didn't I? I had helped a demon and was paying for it. If only she was here to experience the pain instead of me.

I kneeled by the window and clasped my hands. "Gentle God, please watch over Ryaa and turn him from his path. Remove the influence of the demon so that he may come back to me," I said softly, trying to pour all of my will into my pray. I prayed for a lighter sentence than death and that we would be married and have a large family.

As I kneeled I felt the air around me become chilly and the sounds of reception and the wind faded into nothing. I cracked an eyelid and peeked, wondering if it was just the wind dying down. I a fog spilling through the window in front of me and surrounding me. I opened my eyes fully and watched the vapors swirl around me, carrying an acrid scent.

My lungs burned as I breathed in the vapor. Was this smoke? Had the party goers gotten rowdy and set something on fire? I coughed as I stood up and went to the cell door. "Guard?" I said. I couldn't see anyone right outside my cell. I wasn't a demon so I was considered low threat. "Guard!" I said loudly and struck the door with my fist. There was no response as the fog continued to grow thicker and choked my breath. I banged and kicked the door, trying to illicit a response from the guards, but they continued to ignore me.

Did they think I was just being a nuisance prisoner? (There's smoke!) I yelled, but I couldn't hear my voice. I felt my throat vibrate from the force of my yell, but no sound reached my ears. I yelled, then screamed, but couldn't hear the sound of my voice. I hit the door harder until my hands hurt and began to bleed. By then my whole body was burning and my vision was blurry.

I stumbled backward from the door, feeling dizzy. I made my way to my bedroll with wobbly steps and picked it up. I began to stuff the fabric in the window, trying to block the flow of the smoke. By then the room was hardly visible and my eyes watered so much that I could barely keep them open as the stinging worsened.

I was certain that the smoke had leaked into the hallway by now, why wasn't anyone coming to check it out? Was the whole building on fire? I shivered as the temperature dropped once more. My back prickled and I felt as if someone was watching me. I turned my head slightly and saw that my cell door was open a large demon stood in the doorway with skin absorbed all light that it touched and hair that seemed made of thin metal wire.

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

"I have a proposition for you Claire," the demon said as I sank to floor. The bedroll fell from the window, but I was too shaken to place it back. Had the demon killed Ryaa and come back for me? Was it going to take revenge against the city? "I heard your prayer. I can bring Ryaa back to you in exchange for your cooperation."

"I don't make deals with demons!" I replied.

"Even if it's to your benefit? I am an old god, not a demon. To humans, this form seems monstrous, but is how I am, nothing more," he said to me. He crossed the few feet between us and picked me up by the collar of my dress. My tears were still falling rapidly from my eyes as his face drew closer to mine. Yellow smoke poured from his nostrils and lips and engulfed me.