About the normal halfway point some smart aleck in the hall started what sounded like a farting competition. Real farts because demons could do that.

It was just the sort of thing Harv loved and he jumped up and joined. Causing the human delegates to begin breathing heavily through their mouths as the room began to smell rank.

Lita hid a small smile. I shouldn’t think this is funny. Stupid demons.

Actually, she was grateful for the distraction. Dalius wasn’t tempted to look at her as he tried to eat with his nose pinched.

It also meant that the meal finished in a hurry. Laughing and disgusted demons being the first to break free of the now foul smelling room.

Jersard threw down his napkin with a disgusted growl at Harv. His getting up gave permission to the rest of the table and the delegates gratefully started to stand with him.

“Well, that was interesting.” Planking, without any change of expression, finished the last bite of his food and stood up after Jersard. “Do our guests need an escort out?”

“I’m sure we can find our own way, my Lords.” Dalius graciously bowed to the remaining three Brethren.

“You’ll find your animals have been supplied for your return trip.” Jersard clapped his hands. Then without a bow or further acknowledgement, he turned and swept from the room. Followed by Planking.

Harv vaulted the table, nearly kicking one of the human delegates, and ran down the hall to talk to the winner of the competition.

“Lita?”

She looked up from collecting dishes, intending just to stack them on the cart and leave it for another servant to take.

Dalius stood there. He was very convincingly acting awkward as he looped his thumbs in his belt and bounced on his toes. “Can we talk?”

With a deep breath she put the stack of dishes back on the table.

“I’m sorry about last night-”

“No,” she interrupted firmly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let it get that far. I like you, Dalius. I do. But, not enough to be sleeping with you.”

It came out much better than she’d expected.

She tried to smile but the man didn’t answer. His awkwardness melted and his face darkened. Eyes narrowing dangerously. Involuntarily she took a step backward. Then his expression cleared and he sighed while she relaxed in relief.

“I see. I’m sorry, then, for coming on too strong.”

He bowed his head and she squirmed.

“You were right last night,” she said, biting her lip. “I could’ve stopped it.”

“Can I assume that you’re not coming with me, then?”

Oh. She’d forgotten. “Yes.”

He smiled sadly, took her hand and bowed over it. “As I guessed. In that case, should you ever need somewhere else to go.” He looked around, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “Then you are more than welcome to come to Kahnay.”

She forced a smile. “Thank you, Dalius. I’ll remember that.”

***

Aridon looked around Diana’s room. Sparse and controlled, a persona that the demoness had perfected over the centuries. The only hint at anything else in her personality was the cubby he’d found in the wall, removing the outer panel with demon touch.

A surprisingly large cubby.

Stone moved and shifted away, he’d picked up one of the haphazardly stacked piles of papers and parchments, next to a stack of books that must’ve been diaries. Three papers down…

He nearly choked while he’d dropped the pile.

“Voids!”

He’d picked it up as best he could but there was no way he’d be able to put it all in the right order. In the end he’d ended back up on the portrait that had caused him such a surprise.

For a long time, too long, he was unable to put it down.

He brushed fingers lightly over the painted surface. Over the cheeks that looked delicate and soft. The laughing eyes that hid true grit. Red hair that flowed rather than hung around her perfect shoulders.

This was how he wanted to remember her.

It was hard to remember her that way. Not when he closed his eyes and he saw the madness in those eyes, the disheveled hair, the laugh that said, ‘No one is here anymore!’

If a human ever witnessed his tears they’d wonder about his softness. Even if the tears they saw were the angry ones that finally caused him to snarl and push the pile back into the cubby.

He moved along the whole wall, the floor, even much of the ceiling.

Wherever his wife had put the dork it wasn’t in here.

With a snarl he used demon touch to help him yank the desk from the wall and shatter it on the floor.

Out in the corridor Diana Veran peeked into her room through the curtain. Smiled grimly, and walked away. Leaving him to brood.

***

Where would Diana Veran hide the black dork?

The question haunted Lita as she closed her eyes to sleep. When she woke, ate, and exchanged her laundry for Diana Veran’s. When she found the demoness the night after killing a demon. Asleep on the recently cleaned bed. Wrapped in her dirty clothes and travel blankets.

She mulled obsessively over everything she knew about the demoness. For three days she did it. While she cleaned the room, served meals, aided Diana in Contract making, and through relentless sessions in the training hall.

Diana’s immaculate room… and the chaotic study.

The work Diana did, which was disproportionate to the other demons. More Contracts a week than any other demon. Directing the enforcers in their work, both human and demon. Sitting in on Brethren meetings.

Diana’s dysfunctional marriage and relationship with Aridon.

The way she treated humans. Neither calling them rats or vermin, like the other demon, but keeping them at a cold distance. Often pulling in favorites without sheltering them.

Never missing meals but often leaving unattended for trips while other demon would bring servants or other demon with them.

Lita didn’t realize how much she knew about the demoness until she found herself analyzing the creature. And her conclusion for it all?

She didn’t know Diana Veran at all.

Why did she do things? Why did she avoid things? What was behind her anger and frustration? Why would she defend ‘Cheryl’s son’ so vehemently then bow to Aridon’s every other whim? Why keep her bedroom like an empty cave and her study like a garbage pit?

Where would Diana Veran hide the black dork?

“You’re not concentrating, human.”

Lita pressed her lips together, limping toward the bench and sitting down. It was the third time Diana had managed to hit her in less than five minutes. Two of them had landed squarely on her thigh and it burned.

Lita imagined that it had penetrated right into the bone.

Maybe it would have if Diana Veran had morphed into her other shape and given the blows more power.

There had been several demon who’d laughed as the last hit struck her hand and she cried out in agony. The pain lasted only an instant. Now the limb didn’t burn. It was numb to somewhere between her elbow and wrist and she cradled it close to her chest.

It’s probably broken, she thought numbly.

“Let me see it.”

Diana didn’t wait for permission, grabbing Lita’s wrist and pulling it toward her. Lita winced, pain shooting up to her shoulder and making her light headed. The demoness pursed her lips.

“We won’t get much more practice out of either this hand or your leg if we don’t do something about it.” The demoness looked at her sideways, eyes slitted. “May I fix it? On Contract, of course. You’ll finish this session without complaining.”

Do I ever dare complain? Lita had to fight back a scowl.

“Why do you make Contracts like that?” she blurted instead.

“Like what?”

Lita opened her mouth but the look Diana gave her made her snap it closed.

Diana Veran smiled and Lita winced as the demoness squeezed her hand. Proving again that it still had the capacity to feel something because a sharp, unbearable pain raced up her arm and she gasped.

“Good girl. Stop asking so many questions. You’ll live longer. Now, can I fix it? Or are you going to be so distracted it won’t be any fun?”

Lita ducked her head. “I’ll do better, Mistress.”

Diana closed her eyes and the pain briefly sharpened both in Lita’s hand and in her leg. Then there was nothing.

“Come! Now that you have an advantage, human, you’d better keep up.”

It was Diana who now limped back out to the mat and Diana who couldn’t use her right hand. Forcing the demoness to molest Lita with only her left hand. It did give Lita a slight advantage, which she used as best she could.

She just couldn’t concentrate.

She had to get that dork.

The dagger would change everything. Absolutely everything. No more being assaulted by Clophas. No more near enslavement to the demons. No more massacred villages.

If Aridon had had it in his rooms there would have been no way for her to get it.

But, Diana was different.

With a leap she barely dodged the last attack and tripped, landing on her back and side.

Sweat soaked her clothes and skin. She was glad she was wearing her pants instead of a skirt. Even though it smelled and would need to go to the laundry as soon as possible.

It was with an effort that she managed to force her tired and aching muscles to roll her to her knees.

Then she winced when the staff tip hit the mat, hard, next to her knee.

Diana flexed the fingers on her right hand, the injury apparently almost done healing because she tossed the staff to that hand.

“Better. Your mind’s still not here.”

Diana used the staff as a support while she leaned down to Lita’s face. Lita swallowed and looked away.

“What would you do if someone really tried to hurt you, Lita? What if you weren’t under Contract and I could pull you apart, piece by piece?”

Now her attention was fully on the demoness. Chin shivering a little, Lita opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Still Diana waited, eyebrow rising.

“I’d… I’d probably die, Mistress.”

“Probably.” The demoness stood up and stretched. “Stay there.”

Lita didn’t move, staying on her knees while Diana returned the staff to the wall and pulled down a knife. It was about half as long as the dorks. Lita felt a thrill of fear in her stomach as soon as she saw it.

Seriously? She’s going to use a real knife!?

Lita clenched her hands on her thighs, keeping her eyes on the demoness’s feet.

“Stand up.”

Once she got to her feet Diana pressed the knife into Lita’s hand. Lita looked first at it then at Diana, confused.

“Try to stab me, human.”

With a real knife? So far they’ve been using the wooden ones and a shield. She bit her lip and looked at it again.

What’s her game? Why’s she trying to provoke me? Ah, maybe it’s that.

“It’ll be a breach of Contract for me to attack you with this, Mistress.”

Diana smirked and motioned to the other side of the training yard, where a group of ten human enforcers were sparring with five demons. “Not if you’re commanded to do so. Now, Lita, I hate repeating myself. Do what we’ve been practicing and stab me!”

Half heartedly Lita lunged at Diana, the weight of a real weapon heavy in her hand. Only to wince as the demoness grabbed her wrist, twisted it and the knife fell with a thud to the mat.

“Pick it up and try again.”

Again. And again. And again.

Each time Diana would disarm her. After about five attempts she also began to pointedly tell the ‘stupid human girl’ what she’d done wrong.

It was never enough.

No matter how hard Lita tried to adjust to Diana’s criticism she couldn’t get past the demoness’s reflexes. Her hands began to shake with weariness and her clothes were soaked and smelling strongly of sweat.

Abruptly Diana tired of her game.

With a fluid motion she disarmed and tripped Lita, making the girl once again land on her back.

The knife skidded only a couple of feet.

Too tired to do anymore, Lita watched dully as Diana walked to the knife, picked it up, and came back to her. The demoness leaned down and pressed the tip of the blade against Lita’s throat.