Night Lords

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The gates were closed when I came upon them, and at least two Night Lords shouted at me to stop, but I would not. Clearing the gates, I gently landed on the other side and placed Max on the floor. 'He needs help!' I called, but suddenly, I was kicked hard in the chest and flown back into the wall, causing it to crack. Two spears were pointed at my neck, one actually piercing my skin. 'Please, you must listen to me.'

Someone came for Max. 'He was cut by a Deemon on the stomach. He's lost a lot of blood.' They didn't reply to me, just nodded. Holding Max tenderly in their arms, they sped off into the heart of the town. 'Please help him!' I called after him.

'Silence! You were banished! You are not welcome here!'

'Leave her be!' It was Belun. Dressed smartly in a long navy coat, she pushed her way through and growled at the spears. 'Lower them, I wish to hear her out, and someone go and get Thrin and Greatorex, now!'

Shaking, I stood but tried to stay as near to the wall as I could. 'The earth and water Deemons have banded together. There was a trap on the road; they wished to force most of you in there where there were spikes waiting to impale you at the bottom. They then wished to wait until sun up and watch you all burn.'

Belun put a calming hand on my shoulder. 'How do you know this, Petra?'

'I've tried to explain this before but hear what I say. I can understand Deemons.' There was a sharp intake of breath from several of my race around me. It made me feel abnormal and not a true Night Lord.

She blinked, puzzled and glanced around in thought, trying to understand what I had said. 'You mean, you understand their actions; you saw them digging the trap and assumed that-'

'No! I mean, I went to the caves system Thrin told me to hide out in, it was occupied by a nest of earth Deemons, and I heard them talking. I can understand their speech. I heard their plans; they want to kill all of you. Then during the day, when the humans are not safe, kill them.'

Belun gave a childish laugh. 'You are mistaken. Deemons have never killed humans during the day.'

Irritated, I took a step towards her. 'Then tell me this? Since you have banded together here, how many humans in this town and indeed in a fifty-mile radius have gone missing?'

'Why, none, of course. Since being established here some decades ago, the human population has thrived. No one has been killed by Deemons-'

'Wrong!' I snapped. 'There are at least twenty human bodies in that cave system.'

Belum laughed shrilly. 'Petra, do not be so naive as to say they did not kill humans far away and brought the bodies to this cave you stumbled upon. We cannot save every human that wanders freely in this world. If they were from the village, we would know.'

I shrugged, 'Maybe they were killed far and brought to the caves; maybe I am wrong in that sense. However, you cannot deny that they do attack humans during the day. I heard them say so.'

She frowned and took a step back from me, uncertain of my statements. How could I be clearer? Why were my words not sinking in? 'You cannot say that Deemons would kill during the day, no one has ever mentioned this before, and Deemons and Night Lords have been on this earth now for nearly two-thousand years. Mind what you say, Petra,' she warned.

Groaning, I moved away from her, collecting my thoughts. The spears, though lowered, still followed me, the guards watching my every move. Banished or not, they still saw me as a threat which hurt. 'I will speak plainly,' I began. 'Humans cannot see Deemons. We must therefore assume that if we know that they cannot see them during the night, then they cannot see them during the day, yes?' Belum folded her arms and motioned for me to continue. 'Can we then assume that Deemons can use this invisibility to attack during the day? At night a Deemon would willingly come out to attack us when we are protecting humans. What's to say that-' Greatorex, Brett, Tasha and Thrin, along with some of his guard, then arrived, cutting me off.