The Demon Duke and I (21 page)

          The ship had already been docked for some time, but four old men remained on deck, watching the view below. They were dressed entirely in black, with tattered hooded capes over their clothes. Their backs were bent by age, their skin wrinkled and spotted.

          “And so we are back here once again.” Dark, the eldest of them, spoke first. His cold eyes swept the crowd. It was uncanny, the way everyone here remained in traditional Chalysian attire. Having spent the last two decades immersed in the modern world, he could not deny the subtle thrill of pleasure that went through his body as he welcomed the familiar sights of men dressed in coats and breeches and of women dressed in lace and silk. The sound of the clopping hooves of horses as they drew carriages were just as familiar and pleasant, all of it telling him and his brothers that finally, they were
home.

          And that it was time to seek revenge.

          A vow of allegiance had kept them away from Chalys, bound by their word to follow their princess’ every command. It had killed them to let their princess go without their protection, but the four of them believed in Fate and knew there was a reason that she had to venture into the unknown on her own.

          But she had called, and they had come.

          “What do you think of this Duke of Brimstone we have been hearing so many things about?” Storm asked.

          “He is not of our concern right now. Our first priority must be the princess.”

          The twins Rage and Knife nodded, always in accord.

          Dark closed his eyes, and the music from the woods that used to be his home called out to him, humming, weeping, grieving – a cacophony and an orchestra at the same time.
Yes, we hear you,
he answered.
And we have come to seek vengeance. Your deaths will not be in vain.

         
He opened his eyes. “Let us go.”

          They walked side by side, each of them holding a wooden cane, decrepit and slow as they made their way down to the port. No one glanced their way as they made an uninteresting if not depressing sight.

          And so it was planned, for the moment they stepped off the ship, their backs straightened, their skin tightened, and by the time they crossed towards the street where a line of hackneys awaited them, the seconds-long transformation was complete.

          One by one, the brothers shrugged off their ragged cloaks, revealing their true natures. Beautiful, strong, tall, proud, and powerful – they shared the same hair as that of their ancestors, its color changing under the brilliance of the sun and the glow of the moon.

          Ladies tittered at the sight of them, fans fluttering excitedly as they peered at such immensely handsome specimens, their pagan sexuality making the ladies feel as if they were standing too close to a flame that beckoned them closer.

          It may cause their deaths, but it would be an exquisitely beautiful death.

          The teenage coachman swallowed when the four men that had every lady blushing and whispering converged on him. Damn his luck! First day on the job and he had to have these four as customers! If they mugged him, he would not stand a chance.

          He cleared his throat. “Where to, ‘guv?”

          Storm handed the coachman a piece of paper. “Would you take us there, please?”

The gentleman’s tone was perfectly polite and cultured, but Tom was no fool. That voice could be just as pleasant even when he was murdering someone for looking at him the wrong way.

          Tom almost sighed in relief when he saw the address. “Bad luck there, I’m afraid. That is the address of the Duke of Brimstone’s castle. Only specially invited carriages are to be taken there.”

          The tallest of the group nodded.

          Another gentleman stepped forward. “Perhaps this invitation is what you are talking about?”

          The ducal seal made Tom want to cry. “Err, ah, yes.” He looked at his coach. “You sure you want to take my coach, though? It’s smaller than most. If you’ve got some baggage---”

          A third gentleman cut him off quietly, “No. We have none. It is just us.”

          His heart sank. “Let’s get on then.”

          Thirty minutes later, his heartbeat had settled. They had not made a move to rob him. Maybe they really were just nice folks off to see the duke.

          After a short stop at the inn for lunch, where the men had treated him to the best meal he had ever had in his life, the tallest of them insisted on sitting next to Tom. He agreed cheerfully enough, his full stomach making him feel mellow.

          As they resumed their journey, the man asked, “I hear that the Duke of Brimstone is engaged.”

          Tom made an ‘ah’ sound. “So that is why you are traveling to His Grace’s castle then? For the party? Bad luck for you, gents,” he said sadly. “The engagement has been called off.”

Dark stiffened. “What do you mean it has been called off?”

“I got it from a good source, as my cousin is friends with the cook’s assistant,” Tom bragged. “The engagement is definitely off as it turns out that the Duke is…” He scratched his head. “I’m not sure of the word, but they say he’s got another keeper.” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s them nobs’ term for mistress, who knows?”

Dark’s fists clenched.
Brothers.

We heard.
Undercurrents of anger sizzled underneath their quiet tones.

Striving to sound only mildly interested even though his fury had already gone past the killing point, Dark asked, “And what has happened to the first fiancée then, Lady Georgina McCartney?”

“Ah, that one. She ran away. No one knows where she is.”

Thunder broke from the skies before torrents of rain slashed down like bullets, hitting the roof of his carriage as if it were bent on destruction.

“Holy hell!” Tom gasped as he pulled the carriage to a temporary stop, having never seen this kind of weather in Chalys before.

The gentleman next to him stepped off the carriage, and he could see the others doing the same.

“Hey, where are you---” A thousand-dollar note was placed in his hand.

“We thank you for your service.”

And then the four turned their backs on him and headed up, towards the Woods of the Wraiths.

“That’s dangerous territory!” Tom called out.

Only one of them turned, the gentleman who had sat beside him and seemed to be the leader of the group. His smile was all teeth, and it was such a fearsome sight that it had Tom backing up and almost stumbling out of his seat in fright.

“We are home now.”

Rainwater struck Tom’s face, and he rubbed his stinging eyes. When he opened them again, all four men had disappeared.

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