XXI

Xelloss collapsed. Lina fell on top of him disoriented from the unexpected teleportation.

"Well well." Xelas's voice was rich with amusement. "It seems you allowed yourself to become distracted." Xelas rose from her throne and circled the two piled on her floor. A lioness circling interlopers. A deep chuckle shook her.

"Yes, My Lord." Xelloss gasped the answer. "I let my guard down." He attempted to rise, but failed. He lacked the strength to pick Lina and himself up.

Xelas shook her head and clicked her tongue in a wordless reprimand. She held a hand out to Lina.

"I won't bite." She chuckled again. "I'll leave that to my son." Then she burst into full laughter at the look on Lina's face.

Lina's eyes were wide when she let the Lord Beastmaster pull her to her feet. A moment of pure panic almost smothered her before she slammed it down. She'd known who Xelloss served, and that he was of a very high rank. It was just a little shocking to find out how exalted he really was among his kind. No wonder he was so feared by dragons and lesser demons alike.

Xelloss was slow to gain his feet.

Xelas noted Lina's concern. "It's the time Xelloss fails to make it here that I will worry about him. No matter how wounded he is, once here it's only a matter of time before he is back to himself."

Xelloss made a face at the remark. He did not care to be reminded how much the dragons and holy magic had taken its toll on him today. Granted he'd suffered worse, once at the hands of the fallen Lord Gaav.

Xelas turned Lina. Clearly inspecting her. Lina wasn't sure how to react, so she let the Demon Lord spin her around much like in a dance.

"Not much family resemblance, but she certainly is a powerful little human."

Lina blinked in surprise. "You knew someone in my family?"

"I know your sister, my dear." Xelas put a stress on the tense.

Lina's heart beat faster. Dear god did she dare ask how her sister knows a Demon Lord? Xelas saved her the trouble.

"One of the few reasonable beings in this whole wretched war." Xelas's face crinkled in obvious distaste for all the unreasonable beings. "But I'm sure as one who has been possessed by the Lord of Nightmares that you too will understand, if you don't already."

Lina felt so confused. Xelas was so vastly different from what her previous encounters taught her of Demon Lords it left her head spinning. She'd always considered Xelloss somewhat different from other demons, but she'd never expected to find others that were like him. Then again it did make a twisted kind of sense his creator, his mother, would be similar. Lina hadn't much considered how demons came into being before.

Xelloss possessively wrapped his arms around Lina. His weakness now only betrayed by the fact that he was slightly leaning on her. Lina wondered how many hits of holy magic it would have taken in that holy city before he would have been unable to return here.

Xelas turned walking back toward her throne. "Make our guest at home." The command obviously meant for Xelloss. "I will speak with her more later."

Lina could feel Xelloss nod. Cold swept over her as she realized no matter what it was that Xelas commanded Xelloss would do it, even if he didn't want to.

Xelloss pulled Lina from the room. Lina looked over her shoulder to see Xelas staring at her intently. Lina didn't know how, but she was positive Xelas knew. Suddenly she wondered if this was a safe place or even more dangerous than the dragon temple.

Xelas poured some liquor to mull this new revelation over. It was indeed very fortuitous that she'd let Xelloss go after the girl. Who would have guessed that she actually carried enough innate magical power to conceive a child with a demon? The vast majority of the human race, even its powerful magic wielders lacked the magical power necessary to conceive let alone carry a demon child to term.

It also explained the dragons' desperate drive to destroy Lina. Such a child, the combination of Xelloss and Lina's powers would be fearsome indeed. Xelas could only shake her head.

She chuckled. Xelloss didn't know. She couldn't wait to tell him, but she would wait for the right moment. The look would be truly priceless. Assuming Lina didn't tell him first. Xelas would regret not getting to see his face, but it was the girl's right and Xelas needed to give her the time to make the decision.

Xelas stood and walked out to the balcony. It would require a slight change in plans though. Xelloss was certainly needed, but Xelas did not want to leave the girl undefended here. The dragons would easily guess where Xelloss had retreated to with Lina. She needed a demon strong enough to face any dragons foolish enough to attempt to reach Lina when she and Xelloss were busy facing the army. Her mind roamed over the beasts inhabiting her island, judging and dismissing each for the task.

Xelloss leaned upon his staff as he walked Lina through his mistress's castle home towards his rooms. It would be a couple days before he fully recovered from this. Xelas had been planning on moving tomorrow. He wondered if she'd wait for him to recover or still move out tomorrow.

Lina did not care for the silence. The castle was eerily quiet, and Xelloss was brooding over something. The only hint of noise was muffled calls of the demon beasts outside the castle.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Xelloss stopped. He hadn't actually thought about it. He'd just reacted to his need to get away from the holy city Seillune. Leaving Lina hadn't even crossed his mind.

"I'm not sure." He continued walking. But they'd already reached his rooms. For convenience, they were close to the throne room and Lord Beastmaster's.

"Xelloss," Lina hesitated. She wasn't sure she was ready to tell him. It would require releasing the last remnant of denial she'd been clinging to for weeks.

He looked at her as he held the door open. Obviously exhausted. Lina shook her head and entered the room. It was softer than she expected. Thick rugs covered the floor an odd comfort for someone who would not really feel the cold. The furniture was all overstuffed, and the large bed was laden with soft blankets. Books laid on several of the tables as well as filling a shelf near the fireplace. A chest near the bed drew Lina's curiosity. The wood was bound together with platinum bindings and inlaid with jewels. All in all it was very luxurious and rather human, she thought.

Xelloss headed straight for the bed, lay down, and sighed. Lina spent several minutes staring at him. Lying there like that he looked more human than demon.

By the time she reached the bed, Xelloss was asleep. Lina touched him and wondered what she should do. For the first time in her life she felt truly lost.

Her mind wandered back to the chest. The workmanship was exquisite on it. Opening it she gasped in shock at the contents. It was full of toys, the kind a young child would enjoy.

Lina's gaze wandered back to Xelloss. What would it have been like growing up as a demon child with Xelas, the Demon Lord Beastmaster, for a mother?

The logical thing would be run like hell, hide as best she could from demons and dragons. Yet, part of her yearned for the comfort and security that this place could offer, if only it was real.