Page 19 of Grimoire Omens
“Will Ulseere be okay by himself?” Not that I truly worried. The elf came better equipped than us to fight demons.
“Ulseere wouldn’t have achieved the rank of prince without proving his worth,” Beatrice noted.
“You mean his dad isn’t the king?” I’d assumed his royal title came the usual way, via nepotism.
Beatrice shook her head. “The princes are hand selected for their strength, both as fighters and because of their skill wielding the arcane.”
“He called the dude he’s chasing, Gryvak, a prince, too.”
“Not surprising. It would take someone with a certain amount of power to even attempt a run at the throne.”
“Take it by force?” I frowned. “Wouldn’t the citizens revolt?”
“No, for that is the way of the Infernal. Constant power struggles mark their existence.”
“Sounds unpleasant.” I wrinkled my nose.
“It’s not that much different here when you think about it. Our politicians also engage in less-than-savory acts to advance themselves. In some respects, their dealings can be dirtier, as they lie and gaslight people into believing their ill deeds are actually good. Shadow elves don’t bother with subterfuge and simply attack.”
“I thought this Infernal place had laws against murdering citizens.”
“There are, but that doesn’t stop the struggle between those looking to move classes. They believe if you can’t maintain your position, then you don’t deserve it.”
“What will happen to Ulseere if he returns without Gryvak?”
Beatrice laughed. “Nothing because failure isn’t an option. He must either apprehend or kill Gryvak. If he does neither, then he will remain in exile forever.”
“Fuck off. If he can’t find this other prince, he’d stay here instead of going home?”
“The stain on his honor would be much too great for someone of his stature to endure.”
Meaning Ulseere would do anything to succeed. Flo came to that same conclusion and whispered it aloud after we retired to the cabin Beatrice offered us. “Better be careful Ulseere doesn’t dangle you as bait.”
Would he truly use me as a lure? In a heartbeat. He’d made it clear he didn’t like me. “I’m sure he won’t even think twice about using me if he can’t find this Gryvak.” I grimaced. “Just my luck, two princes and the one who is supposedly good thinks I’m trash and the other is supposedly evil.”
“Says Ulseere. What happened to judging people by their character?”
“Pretty sure a guy who wants to bring over a demon army to take over the world would strongly indicate a lack of.”
“And again, Ulseere is the one claiming that’s his plan. What if he just wants to get home? What if Ulseere is the one being hunted?”
An interesting point. We did only have his word.
I yawned, which triggered one in Flo. “Damn, I’m exhausted You taking the top or bottom bunk?” The tiny cabin contained two very narrow options.
“Bottom, seeing as how I roll in my sleep.”
I thought of changing but had brought only cool chick clothes, no pajamas. Sleeping naked didn’t seem like a good idea, so I unbuttoned my pants, kicked off my boots, and crawled into the top bunk.
Despite the oddity of the location, and circumstances, I nodded off and slept hard. Dreamed too. Of Ulseere.
Only this version smiled at me as he held out his hand and drew me close for a dance. We whirled and twirled, one of many couples on a fancy ballroom floor, with the women wearing dresses of all styles, mine being of a princess version that flared at the hips and spun in a whirl of fabric each time he spun me.
When Ulseere dipped me, causing me to gasp and laugh, he gave me the most devastating smile before he kissed me. A kiss that suddenly led to us being in a bedroom, and well, let’s just say, shadow elves knew their way around a woman’s body.
Wowzer.
Before I could truly bask in the aftermath of my dream orgasm, I woke, utterly disoriented—and disappointed. No dark prince lay naked beside me, and gone was the comfy bed in a chamber fit for a princess. I found myself in a cramped sleeper cabin still lying on the narrow and lumpy top bunk. At least I’d slept enough to no longer feel half dead.
