Tempting Fate

136 Chapter 136: The Demon Culprit

After the steamy night shared between Reed and Emy, Reed kissed the girl before he left the bed. He left her after he put on his clothes. When he left the room, he noticed the four soldiers guard their room.

“No one can enter. Not even the former king, is that clear?”

“It’s clear, my king.”

“And when the queen comes out, you will immediately accompany her wherever she goes. No one will take their eyes off her. Is that clear?”

“It’s clear, my king..”

“What’s the news about what I’m looking for?”

“I haven’t left my place yet, my king, but one soldier said no one is still confessing, so everyone who was a guest at the gathering is in the dungeon. And there is one more, my king. There is a demon who wants to talk to you.”

Reed turned to see one of his servants in the kitchen. It immediately approached him.

——-

.....

All the soldiers he passes by pay homage to him. He went down the stairs and saw his father, who was talking to the mages. When he saw him, everyone immediately faced him.

“What happened? Is that demon still not caught?” Reed asked.

“No one admits the crime,” Eldron said. “You are sending our guests to the dungeon is causing trouble. It might even be a source of trouble.”

“There wouldn’t be trouble if no one tried to kill my queen.”

Reed walked towards the dungeon. Inside the palace, there are stairs leading down to the dungeon. And because he protected the entire kingdom, no demon could use power in and around the palace, which is why the attempt on Emy’s life was not from magic but intimidation. They walked through a dark area, but it brightened when the torches attached to both sides of the wall suddenly released fire. They spent a few more minutes going down the stairs before they reached the very bottom of the dungeon.

When everyone saw him, they started making noise. They are full of complaints.

“After inviting us to your prepared feast, you will lock us here?”

Reed turned toward the demon. “You saw what happened,” said Reed. “If I tried to kill your spouse in front of you, what would you do?”

Reed released smoke and immediately wrapped it around the demon’s wife. It surprised him by what Reed did. The female demon’s foot lifted off the floor of their prison.

“Stop it,” it said

Reed cleared the black smoke from the woman. He didn’t care if her body fell to the floor.

“You know I did that thing. How about we do it?”

Reed turned and glanced at one of his soldiers. It surprised the demon when his wife’s feet lifted off the ground again. It turned to the mages, the soldiers, the former king Eldron and Reed, but no one was using power on them. They were just looking.

“That’s enough, stop.” said the demon. “My king, I know what you mean.”

Later, his wife fell in front of him. Reed just looked at them and then walked to another cell there.

“Now, confess the crime and everyone will leave the dungeon,” Reed said.

“How can you be sure that we guests have the motive to hurt the queen? Could it be that one of those attached to you is the culprit? Why don’t you punish them as well?”

Reed smirked, then turned to the demon. “Before you even thought about that, I already did it. I’m not as slow as you think. And none of the mages, the soldiers, and the former king attempted to kill my queen.”

Those who were there could not speak. Everyone just looked at each other. “But I discovered something and the annoying thing still won’t admit it,” Reed said.

“Who? Which of us insults the queen?”

“He intimidated the palace servant into doing his bidding. Cut off a finger as a warning, but eventually slain with an arrow as well.”

The whispers started around. No one confesses the sin committed. Reed looked at his soldiers.

“Free everyone except the soul eaters,” Reed ordered.

“In that case, they are the ones who did it? The soul eaters?”

“What else can we expect from soul eaters? Their nature is to eat souls. But they wouldn’t have tried the queen. She’s the queen.”

“Quiet. Get out now.” Reed said.

The soldiers immediately escorted everyone out of the dungeon and, after a while, they left behind the soul eaters. Reed spoke again, but he wasn’t looking at his companions.

“Leave too. I need to talk to these four soul eaters privately.”

“But my king...” said the soldier.

“My king...” said the mage.

“My son...” Eldron said.

“Leave now,” Reed said again.

His father took a deep breath, then turned to the mages and invited them out.

“You three stay here,” Eldron said to the soldiers.

No longer, Reed complained further. He let the three soldiers stay with him.

When everyone left, they walked away from the four soul-eaters. Soul eaters are those who eat the souls or spirits of living beings, such as plants, humans, and animals. Its spirit is what they eat. He faced again and released black and red-colored smoke.

“Now I want us to talk properly,” Reed said. “Who ordered you to attempt the queen’s life?”

“No one ordered us. She’s human and we’re soul eaters.”

“So, are you saying that you couldn’t control yourself? That right in front of me, in the presence of your king, you attempted the life of my queen?” Reed’s voice was loud. There was anger that shook the entire dungeon.

“We are your allies. We did not mean to hurt and harm the queen.”

The four soul eaters knelt in front of Reed, one after the other.

“No matter what we do, don’t hurt or kill us. We are your allies, my king.”

Reed thought for a moment. He blew his black smoke into the air and circled the soul eaters, just waiting for a command from him.

“Leave first...” Reed said, then turned to the three soldiers who were there.

The soldiers looked at each other but did not complain. When they left, Reed made the soul eaters stand up.

“I will forget what you did, but you have to work for me. You will pay for what you have done and no one should know about it. Is that clear?”

“It’s clear, my king.”

“I want you to do something.”

The four soul eaters listened to him.

——-

Emy woke up with pain in her body. She groped for Reed beside her, but he wasn’t there. She slowly opened her eyes. Emy looked out the window, and it was dark around. There is no difference, even morning or night, in that place. She sat on the bed and immediately looked for Reed. Emy had no covering on her body, so she wrapped herself in a blanket and took Reed’s clothes inside the cabinet, but it surprised her to see women’s clothes there. She smiled, noticing that they were cotton dresses and that they were her favorite color. But because she was in a different world, she was ashamed to wear the dress there. She chose a white dress with a length that was almost half of her thigh. The dress is the right size for her, so she turned around in front of the mirror. He also combed his hair and put it in a ponytail, which is why Emy’s beautiful neck was exposed.

Emy walked to the door and opened it. It surprised her to see four soldiers guarding her room.

“Will you be going out, my queen? We need to accompany you everywhere you go.”

“Huh?”

“Emy!”

Emy looked at Devin, who was approaching her. He smiled at her.

“Hi, my queen!” Devin said. He’s holding an apple. “You like?”

“Oh no, thanks,” Emy said. “I’m looking for Reed.”

“You got too close to him. Do you remember him?”

Emy shook her head. She started walking and was joined by Devin and four soldiers. Devin turned to the four soldiers.

“You can leave us...”

“I can’t, my prince. The king has given orders not to leave the queen.”

“I’m with her.”

The soldiers did not speak yet. They continue to follow them both. Reed took Emy to the library, where there were unique books. Emy marveled at the breadth and height of that library.

“Wow, this is a vast library,” Emy said.

“Did you know there was a book written about humans?”

“Seriously?”

Devin released black smoke, and it flew around the bookshelf, noticing that it stopped on a shelf and a book floated after. It flew into the air and continued to fly until it landed in front of Emy. It stopped and carefully descended into Emy’s hands.

“It’s old, but people don’t seem to change,” Devin said, laughing.

“Why do you have a book about humans?”

“Why do you have a book about demons?” Devin said. “And take note, the things written there are not good, besides not everything is true. Some are just made-up beliefs. Some are even funny.”

Emy opened the book. It even surprised her when the dust from the page she opened spread in the air.

.....

“Damn, the dust is thick.” She even covered her mouth and nose with her hand, then she coughed.

“I told you, that book is old.”

When the dust disappeared from the air, Emy looked at the picture that was there. The picture is still moving and looks like they wrote it during world war 2. The clothes of the people there are old.

“Jeez, dad isn’t alive.”

Devin laughed. Emy continued reading. The book’s narrator has reached the human world and is recounting his encounters with humans.

“I’ve been looking for you for a while. You’re here.”