Page 31 of Thorn & Ash

“Watch,” the demon said, gesturing to the child.

Sure enough, the child’s body began to seize and tremble, her back arching as she cried out.

Prue jumped. “Do something!” she shouted, panic rising inside her.

The child thrashed so violently that several demons drew closer to restrain her. Inky black shadows oozed from the child’s hands, staining the ground and running along the concrete like blood.

The crowd of demons jerked backward, away from the shadows. Prue surged forward, not sure what she planned to do, just knowing she had to do something to stop this…

But before she could, the child went still. The shadows receded inside her, and her body went limp. Hushed and terrified whispers rippled among the crowd.

Prue could only stare, horrified. Possession. Even the demons here in the Underworld were susceptible to this strange darkness. It was trying to overtake their bodies, just like it had the villagers in Krenia.

Prue’s mind snagged on those horrifying memories she tried to keep buried. Black liquid, oozing along the road, creeping toward its victims. Each one it claimed was killed almost instantly.

“Death shadow,” she whispered, her blood running cold. The same strange black mist had attacked her and Cyrus in the mortal realm.

Trivia whipped her head to stare at her. “What did you say?”

“It’s death shadow, isn’t it?” Prue’s voice gained strength as she glanced from Trivia to the bald demon.

Stunned, the demon nodded. “I—yes. It appears so. We weren’t certain before, but…”

“Death shadow comes from wraiths, correct?” Prue asked, addressing the demon directly now. Cyrus had told her as much in the mortal realm.

“Yes, my lady.”

“Find all the wraiths in the area. Track them down and bring them to me in the palace, unharmed.”

The demon opened and closed his mouth, then glanced uncertainly at Trivia. She waved a hand. “Do as she says.”

The demon bowed. “Yes, my lady.”

More murmurs swept through the crowd. Prue stood a little straighter and addressed the crowd at large. “My name is Prue, and I’m the queen of this realm. I vow to uncover the truth behind these attacks and put a stop to them.” She frowned as she glanced around at the starving and haggard demons. “And I promise to send barrels of food to you as soon as I’m able.”

Surprised gasps rippled over the crowd. Some demons looked skeptical. But others were grinning broadly, a few even bringing their hands together in excitement.

Trivia sighed, her form drooping as she gestured for Prue to follow her. The two were silent as they weaved down the street and back toward the gates. Trivia muttered something to the demons standing sentry before they left the village.

“Why did you do that?” Trivia hissed when they climbed the hill, leaving Erebos behind them.

“Do what?”

“Announce yourself. To them, there is no queen. There’s barely even a king. They’re on their own out here.”

“It shouldn’t be that way,” Prue said sharply. “I intend to change that. This was the first step.”

Trivia shook her head, her eyes burning with anger. “You can’t change generations of tradition in a single day. I know it’s shocking to imagine your beloved capable of something so callous, but the royals view the commoners as less than worthless. They are only concerned with themselves and their rivers of souls. They don’t care what happens after the souls leave the river. It’s been that way for thousands of years, and that’s not about to change.”

“But aren’t… aren’t the demons here immortal?” Prue asked, remembering what Cyrus had told her about not needing to sleep or eat.

“Demons are half-breeds. They contain mortal blood, which keeps them weak. The divine gods made them this way on purpose, to ensure they were inferior.” Trivia’s face twisted in a foul sneer, and Prue understood why she despised the gods so much.

“I’m sorry,” Prue said softly. “I’m sorry your people are suffering so much. And I’m sorry I didn’t speak with you first before addressing them. I know they are part of your domain, and I overstepped. Please forgive me. I only wanted to help.”

Trivia’s expression softened. “It’s all right. After all, I volunteered to serve your court, didn’t I?” She offered a small smile. After a moment, her gold eyes flashed as she looked steadily at Prue. “If you truly want to help, the first thing you can do is wake up your husband. Then, once he’s accepted you as his queen, the real work can begin.” Trivia jerked her head. “Come on, I’ll show you to the throne room. I’m sure he’s waiting for you.”

A flare of hope filled Prue’s chest. Perhaps she could do some good here after all. With this optimism, she hurried after Trivia, eager to put their plan in motion.