Michael watched from the periphery of the dunes, his silhouette a sharp, jagged line against the violet sky. Frustration burned in his gut, hotter than his own black fire. He was on a lethal time crunch, and every second spent watching this display was a second closer to a political disaster he couldn't afford.
His eyes narrowed as the chaotic storm began to recede, but the visual that replaced it made his breath catch. The powers weren't just settling; they were merging in a way that defied nature. Daniela's emerald essence didn't dissipate; it began to swirl around Jasper's inky shadows like a vine climbing a tree, finding a strange, terrifying harmony in the darkness.
Michael shifted his weight, his mind racing. He had always understood that Daniela held a certain level of political strength—she was a key, a bridge to be used. But if he had known she possessed power this substantial, something truly formidable to offer his kingdom, he wouldn't have been so reserved about her becoming the next Queen. She wasn't just a political pawn; she was a battery.
Then, Jasper leaned in. He claimed Daniela's mouth in a kiss that stopped the air in Michael's lungs.
It was an odd, jarring sight. Demons were not affectionate creatures; to them, the act of kissing was something sacred and sparse, a ritual of deep binding. Seeing Jasper kiss Daniela with such desperate, raw ferocity screamed of a bad omen. Demons were not supposed to love—Michael didn't think they were even capable of it. It went against every grain of their predatory nature. To see it now felt like watching a star collapse.
The sight broke Michael's patience. His body erupted into a pillar of black flame, the heat so intense it turned the obsidian sand beneath him to liquid glass. With a roar of displaced air, the sand whooshed outward in a massive ring as he vanished, reappearing mere steps away from the pair.
The second he materialized, Jasper's shadows reacted with predatory instinct. A wall of inky blackness shot toward Michael, a tidal wave of void ready to swallow him whole. Michael's heart hammered against his ribs—a rare, frantic beat of true terror—as the darkness loomed over him. But a hair's breadth from his skin, the shadows halted. They hung there, vibrating with restrained violence.
Michael let out a long, slow breath of relief. He straightened his spine, forcing his features back into the regal, unflappable mask of a King. He refused to acknowledge the cold sweat on his neck. As the shadows receded, he watched the way the green and black energies continued to pulse together between the two of them. A large, mocking smile cracked across his lips.
"Of all the demons I expected to allow themselves to be neutered, I did not expect you to be one," Michael drawled, his tone dripping with a sharp, melodic edge. He began to laugh, looking between them with a glint of genuine amusement.
Daniela looked at him, her expression a mask of dazed confusion. "What are you doing here?" she rasped.
"We've run out of time!" Jasper snapped, his voice tight as he turned his back on Michael to look at her.
Michael shook his head in mock dismay. "Hurry up! Create the symbols!"
Jasper didn't argue. With a sharp flick of his wrist, his power reached out like a charcoal pencil. He drew jagged, precise lines into the obsidian sand, carving runic symbols into a circle, which he then enclosed within a larger, more complex boundary.
Michael stepped into the center of the array. He began to speak, but the words weren't human. To Daniela's ears, the demon language was a terrifying sequence of guttural roars and rhythmic clicks—the sounds of a beast. The circle ignited, a blinding white light geysering into the twilight sky as the portal tore open.
With one final chuckle, Michael vanished into the light.
Jasper stepped to the edge of the pulsing rift, his hand gripping Daniela's shoulder. "Hold your breath," he reminded her. "Don't pass out."
Daniela rolled her eyes. She wasn't unprepared this time. She summoned her Will, wrapping a dense layer of emerald power around her skin until she glowed with a brilliant radiance. Jasper wrapped his own shadow around both of them like a shroud, pulled her tight against his chest, and stepped into the white void.
They reappeared in the center of Jasper's father's office. The transition was a sensory assault; Daniela's body felt as if it were being stretched and torn apart. Her stomach turned, but she forced herself to remain conscious, fighting the strain that begged her to succumb.
Hermes was already there, pacing the floor, his stringy black hair clinging to his balding, sweat-slicked scalp. When he saw King Michael, he dropped into a deep bow.
"Your Grace," Hermes stammered, his eyes darting toward the heavy doors where raised voices and arguing could be heard. "The Supreme King's guards... they are becoming restless."
"Let them wait," Michael said in a chipper mood, a stark contrast to his earlier irritation. Hermes noticed the shift, his eyes widening slightly.
The portal on the floor continued to glow, the runes pulsing with energy. Quickly, two maids rushed forward, erasing the runic marks to ensure no one from the High Heavens could see the evidence of their magic.
Daniela wobbled, feeling faint and queasy. The portal had felt like a physical violation of her senses, but she stood her ground.
Jasper's hand hovered just behind her waist. He didn't touch her; he couldn't risk the material of her clothing allowing their skin to meet. He knew the moment they touched, their powers would synchronize and explode in a visible wave, exposing everything. He kept his distance, a silent guardian.
King Michael gave a sharp nod of approval before walking toward the entryway. With a flick of his wrist, his guards moved aside.
The doors swung open. Patrick stood there with a dozen guards, looking angry and itching for a fight.
"The King's patience has run its course," Patrick boomed, his blood-red eyes staring at Michael, hoping he wouldn't be forced to start a bloodbath. "Where is the Prince and Princess?"
Jasper and Daniela stepped into view. Daniela looked dizzy and disoriented, but she kept her head high. Beside her, Jasper stood perfectly still, looking completely unaffected by the chaos.
Author's note:
I feel like my author's notes have become weather forecast updates. Lol. But on that same stream. We have been hit with Arctic winds now. It's chilly 😂