At last Kari and Eli departed for Sarchelete. They let the griffons run across the grassy plains for a while as the sun climbed into the sky. Once they were airborne, it was obvious the griffons would get them to Sarchelete much faster than the caravan had delivered Kari three years before. They cut south to avoid passing over the Sandur Jungle; they didn’t want to have to land their mounts in the jungle or sleep in its thick confines. They made camp as the sun finally retreated over the mountains in the west, and the griffons were content to let their riders rest against them around the fire.
Kari and Eli shared dinner. Afterwards, Kari waited for Eli to start talking. He thought to himself for a while, and Kari’s first instinct was to believe he was trying to figure out what not to tell her. She fought down the rush to judgment and tried to stay calm. It was just as likely he was trying to remember what he’d already told her to avoid going over the same points again.
He waved off whatever he was thinking after several long, silent minutes. “The entire invasion Ciceria was the head of was on behalf of Sekassus. Ciceria was Sekassus’ high priestess, and he sent her to perform the sacrifices and ceremonies that would eventually open a portal strong enough to allow him through to our world. Ciceria betrayed him with our help: She freed the czarikk prisoners, delayed the portal opening, and ultimately sabotaged the ceremony. What I haven’t told you, though, is how she sabotaged it.”
“You mean she didn’t just botch the ceremony in the end?” Kari asked.
“No, she couldn’t have.” He looked toward the mountains, outlined with the last of the fading light of sunset. “If she had altered or tried to botch the ceremony, the sylinths and other priests would have figured it out. They would’ve killed her and sacrificed her, and then one of the others would’ve finished the ceremony. She had to complete the actual summoning; she just changed what it was she summoned.”
He shifted a little bit. “I told you before that I’ve seen a demon king once, and my assumption was that you’d think I meant Celigus Chinchala, right?” he asked, and Kari responded affirmatively. “Well, I’ve seen Lord Chinchala before, but honestly I don’t even think of him as a demon king. He’s not the one I was talking about.”
“So Ciceria did summon a demon king?” Kari asked, sitting up straighter.
“King Koursturaux S’Bakthra,” Eli answered. “She hates Sekassus, and you have to really think about that for a minute before you just nod your head. Demon kings hate just about everyone and everything, but King Koursturaux’s hatred for Sekassus goes beyond that. I don’t know what the hell the Cobra Lord did to her, but when she came through that portal, she tore the souls out of every one of his followers: The sylinths, the syrinthian priests… hell, even that elestram wizard that gave me the burn scars. The only thing that saved us from the same fate was the dying wish of Ciceria.”
“Ciceria served Koursturaux? Is that whose symbol I have in my office in DarkWind?”
Eli shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Like I said, demon kings don’t share power with anyone. That symbol you have at your office belongs to a god; which one, I have no idea. Ciceria served Koursturaux to help betray Sekassus, though whether out of loyalty or just a common hatred of Sekassus, I’m not sure.”
“That’s why you told me the syrinthians aren’t demons, and that they don’t all serve Sekassus,” Kari reasoned, and Eli nodded. “So, what you were really trying to tell me is that if their high priestess betrayed Sekassus, they’re rebelling against him?”
“Rebelling might be too strong a word, but essentially, yes. They hate him. We think of the underworld in terms of everyone hating everyone else, but it seems to be a lot more subtle and complex than that. Danilynn might know more, which is why I wanted you to come with me to see her. She can tell you more about Ciceria, since the two of them kept in contact through their, um, telepathic bond or whatever. Danilynn will know more about why the syrinthians are rebellious, and why Ciceria trusted something as dangerous as Koursturaux to see to Sekassus’ humiliation.”
“But where did she go after Ciceria died?” Kari pressed. “How did you get Koursturaux off of Citaria before she just conquered the world?”
“Like I said, it’s more complex than that,” Eli said. “The simple truth is that she left on her own. She seemed satisfied that the portal was sabotaged and Sekassus was humiliated. I’m not sure if Koursturaux is unaware of the Temple of Archons, if she just didn’t care to try to take it for herself, or if maybe Emma works for her and that’s why she just left. Then again, maybe she was afraid some of the pantheon’s avatars would forcibly remove her.”
“It’s scary to think a demon king was on our world…”
“Why? There’s one on our world even now… and I don’t think he has the power or the desire to try to conquer it. Then again, who’s to say Celigus doesn’t know about the Temple and isn’t working to learn its secrets, either for himself or the Overking?”
“Kaelariel,” Kari answered. “And I trust his judgment; he’s known Lord Chinchala for a long time. What do you know of the Overking?”
“Other than that he must be ridiculously powerful to keep all the other kings in line? Not a damned thing,” Eli answered. “Maybe Danilynn will know more, but maybe not. Luckily, we never went into the underworld, as I told you before, and we never had any dealings with any of the other kings.”
Kari nodded, satisfied enough with that for the time being. “Is there anything else you want to tell me? You don’t have to tell me Emma is Tor’s mother if you promised not to.”
Eli balked. “What?”
The demonhunter shrugged. “You shouldn’t have mentioned Tor was from Talon Rock when Lord Black mentioned the gnoll shaman. It wasn’t hard to make the connection.”
“Oh, shit! Kari…”
She waved off his protests. “I’ll keep his secret for now. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately, and I may need him in the future if his mother keeps being so elusive. Does anyone in the Order or on the Order’s council know?”
“No,” Eli said. “We’ve taken great pains to keep that secret, even more so than our service to Bosimar. Kari, this can’t get out. It wouldn’t just be Tor’s life that would be in danger if it does. All of us would be in danger of being used to get to Tor, and then to Emma.”
“But that’s why you still consider Emma a friend, even though she told you she doesn’t feel the same way?” Kari prodded.
“Tor is a good man,” Eli said, maintaining strong eye contact. “I figure that didn’t happen entirely by accident. Yeah, he was raised by humans for the most part, and was a military brat growing up, but he’s a good man. If there’s even a part of that in Emma—and there seems to be, given the way she avoids needlessly taking life—it’s possible we could turn her. If Ciceria could betray her master, maybe we can get Emma to do the same. She’s a slave; what would she have to lose?”
Kari was stunned. She knew Eli had a protective nature like a half-guardian, but that it extended to a demon was truly something else. Kari’s feelings were mixed about Emma, but Eli had known the mallasti girl for much longer. Perhaps it would be in her best interest to look at things the way Eli did. He’d suggested more could be learned from Emma being kept at arm’s length than by trying to capture her. As Kari considered that, she realized Emma’s presence was the only reason they knew about Salvation’s Dawn or the plot to open the Temple of Archons.