Red Blooded
Page 36

“Yes, I’m currently in the Underworld”—I took a step forward—“but I’m not a demon, correct?”
“No, indeed you are not.”
“Then why should demon law apply to me?” I turned to gauge the crowd. “No one would ask a demon to answer to shifter laws.” I raised my eyebrows, glancing directly into the rows behind me. “Or witch laws.” There was an increase in the whispering. “If I did break a supernatural law, I should be judged by those laws, not demon laws—because, as you just told the court, I’m no demon. As a supernatural, I am allowed to defend myself against bodily harm, as well as protect humans if we fear our secret will be exposed. Your imps were out of line. One attacked a human child in view of other humans, the other attacked me unprovoked—”
“Silence!” The Prince’s voice carried to every corner of the huge auditorium. “The imps matter not! They are but a small piece of your infractions against us. You killed our cherished pets and you took the life of a goddess who was under our protection. You will answer for those wrongs here and now!”
“I did you a favor,” I countered. “Admit it. You wanted Selene’s soul and her servitude and you didn’t want to wait an eternity to get it. And she’s the one who traded her soul for your beasts. If anyone should pay, it should be her. She allowed those beasts to roam alone in the human realm.” Audible gasps came from the crowd. “They attacked us on her command far from her home. I challenge any supernatural not to defend itself against a deadly threat. Nothing you’re accusing me of would hold up in any supernatural court except this one.”
The Prince balled his fist as he gathered his power. With supreme effort he pulled himself together. His hand wandered to his tie to readjust the perfect knot at his throat.
Behind me the demonesses grew agitated. They rocked in their chairs as their combined power whipped along my body, pricking me with its pressure. I hazarded a glance in their direction, and one of them made eye contact with me.
Did that demoness just wink at us? I asked my wolf. That can’t be right. But before I could either confirm or deny any wink, the demoness peered forward, hands clasped demurely in her lap.
The Prince’s voice was just short of a bellow. “Bring her out!”
My head snapped to the right as a struggle broke out in the corner, but I couldn’t see anything yet because the giant wood panels were in the way.
“Get your filthy hands off of me!” a voice shrieked.
Oh, good gods, I cried to my wolf. I had hoped Selene was dead due to her own stupidity. I’d imagined her contesting and fighting every order the demons gave her until they finally gave up. Maybe this is not such a bad thing. Let’s use it to our advantage. I don’t think these demons understand the saying, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” but they’re about to find out. Once Selene saw me there were going to be dramatics of the highest degree. She was going to tear this place apart with her fury alone.
They yanked her out from behind the wall of seats. Her face was covered with some kind of cloth. Once she rounded the end of the gallery she stilled. Her head went up. “You!” she screamed. “You will die for what you did to me!”
The Prince put his hands together. “Goddess, you will remain quiet and answer the questions directed at you. Nod if you understand my directions.”
I noticed for the first time that her hands were bound with some kind of black string. It almost looked like dried tar. I’d been right, she must be a hard-to-handle prisoner. The thought made me smile. I hoped she was getting her ass handed to her a regular intervals.
Selene remained still, unmoving.
“Goddess, you must answer the question or you will be punished. Severely. Do you understand my orders?”
One slow nod came down.
“Good,” the Prince continued. “Then we shall proceed.”
“Wait just a minute,” I sputtered. “If Selene is going to testify against me, I want my brother to testify in my favor. He was a witness to this altercation. You can’t bring in one without the other.”
“We will do no such—”
“We will allow it.” The voice behind me was clear and certain.
All the Demon Lords’ faces took on strained looks and they shifted in their seats. The voice had come from one of the chairs behind me. I turned my head, trying not to show my surprise.
“But, Your Highness, this is unprecedented,” the Prince reasoned. “We cannot allow our laws to be manipulated by this being. If we do so, we are setting a precedent we cannot support.”
Your Highness? Was that his wife?
I gaped because I couldn’t help it. Things had just turned in our favor in about seventeen different ways. Relief flooded through me. If the Prince had a Princess, and Lily on the side, this soap opera had just gotten incredibly interesting.
Now I understood the wink.
This demoness was going to use me to her advantage and I was going to let her. She can use us like an old wet rag for all I care, I told my wolf. All we need to do is pay careful attention. My wolf yipped her agreement, her eyes pinned on the demoness in question.
“You will not argue my ruling,” the demoness stated confidently. She sat in the middle of all the others and definitely held a queenly air. Her English was better than most of demons I’d heard. I the demons I’d encountered had understood me, which meant they must have been forced to learn English at some point. “What this wolf has stated is all correct according to High Law as we know it. She is no demon. And you have brought in”—she gestured toward Selene—“an unusual guest to this trial. Our court has never received a guest, so it is you who has made this unprecedented.” The demoness inclined her head at the Prince in a very small challenge. “We all understand the intent, but I am curious to hear from… another who was witness to the events if we are indeed to decide this wolf’s fate today.”
The Prince ground his sharp teeth together, his glamour flickering.
I was utterly astonished. If the Princess could overrule the Prince, the demonesses must be cherished in a way I didn’t quite understand. The Prince was clearly the ruler in Hell. His signature was more powerful than that of any of the demonesses, including his Princess, yet she held sway over him.
My eyes ran over the all the other demonesses. None of them had moved or spoken. But they would stand with their Princess, I had no doubt. Maybe the Underworld was preparing itself for a little women’s lib? And maybe the Prince didn’t want to agree to try me in front of such a huge demon audience, but had no choice?