Evolution (Demon's Grail Book 2) Read online

  “What's wrong?” I ask. “Are you losing the taste for battle?”

  “I just want us to find our home! And if we have even the slightest clue where it is, we should march there at once. Instead, we've been crossing the Navarian ridge one by one, massing here when we're not at our strongest. We've even been ordered to remain in our humanoid forms as much as possible, so we can communicate more clearly with these advisers. If you ask me, they just want to make sure they can hear everything we say.” He pauses. “One spider didn't make it here, by the way. His body was found on the route, near one of the ridges.”

  “How did he die?” I ask, shocked by the news.

  “It would appear that a sword was used.”

  “Abby,” I whisper, feeling certain that she must be responsible. “If she's in the area, she's most likely heading to Gothos to join the rest of her miserable species.”

  “So she'll be there when we attack?” He smiles. “Good. I wouldn't mind taking down the daughter of Patrick myself.”

  “No!” I hiss, pushing him back against the tent's wall. “Spread the word, tell everyone... If Abby Hart is located at any point, she is to be saved for me. I want to be the one who ends her life. It must be my venom that burns through her body and bursts her heart from the inside. If anyone else tries to kill her, I will treat their actions as treason!”

  “You hate her?”

  “She killed Keller!”

  “Who? Oh, you mean the old man who trained you when -”

  “You know nothing!” I shout, barely resisting the urge to grab him by the throat and squeeze the life from his body. “Keller was supposed to stay with me forever, he was supposed to walk with me into the palace of Karakh. And then Abby Hart killed him in New York and took away that chance. All he cared about was getting back to the ancestral home of our species, he deserved that moment more than anyone else.” Taking a deep breath, I feel the initial wave of anger starting to subside. “She has to pay for his death,” I sneer. “She's mine.”

  “And what about her brother?” he asks. “Do you demand the right to kill him, too?”

  “Jonathan can...” Pausing, I realize that I can't show weakness. “I would prefer to be the one who deals with him,” I continue, trying to make myself believe the words that are coming out of my mouth. “He's not much of a warrior, though. He's a scholar, a man who prefers to study texts instead of fighting. In some ways, he's not like the rest of that miserable species.”

  “You almost sound as if you esteem him.”

  “And you almost sound as if you want your throat cut,” I reply darkly, before taking a step back. “If word about Karakh gets around, I'll know it's because you started spreading gossip. No-one else is to hear even the slightest whisper about the breakthrough, not until my father's advisers deem the time to be right. The situation is still delicate, and it could yet turn out that a mistake has been made, that we don't have Karakh after all. Morale would be destroyed. We have to be certain, so...” I pause for a moment, seeing the sense of amusement in his eyes. “I'm warning you,” I add, stepping closer.

  “As a lover, or as a leader?”

  “As a leader.”

  He stares at me for a moment, before letting his smile grow. “No,” he says finally, “I don't see it. You might make a decent emperor one day, Emilia, but right now you're trying too hard to sound tough.”

  “I mean it,” I say firmly. “Keep your mouth shut.”

  “I'll see you in your tent tomorrow,” he replies, stepping past me and making his way back toward the others. “I assume you'll want another of our sessions.”

  “You assume wrong!” I call after him, but he's already out of earshot and I can feel a sense of frustration rising through my chest. If an idiot such as Kerial doesn't view me as a possible leader, how can I ever hope to command the troops? Keller once told me I'd grow to become a ruler, that I'd feel some inner strength starting to build in my chest, but I've been waiting for that moment and it hasn't yet arrived. I'm still just the same inexperienced girl from the day Keller first found me, and the only thing I've really learned is how to act tough. I'm still waiting for my soul to change.

  Still, for now such matters are academic, because soon my father will return and then he will rule, and I will be able to learn by watching the way he works. I just wish Keller had lived long enough to see this moment. Instead, Abby Hart cut him down. I swear, I will make her suffer before I end her miserable life.

  Emilia

  “Gothos?” I reply a short while later, shocked by the idea. “So soon? Are you sure? Isn't that a huge risk?”

  “It's no risk at all,” Skellig replies, smiling as he looks down at one of the battle maps. “The vampires are weak and uncertain, they're still trying to work out how to respond to the return of the spiders. The best course of action is to commit our troops to an all-out assault on their home. Besides...” He turns to me. “It has long been said that Karakh cannot rise again until Gothos has been ground into the dirt.”

  “Are there enough of us?” I ask.

  “More than enough. Almost one hundred spiders are gathered here, some in their original forms and some disguised as humanoids. We have others on the way, enough to outnumber the vampires twice over. At Gothos, we expect to meet no more than twenty or thirty opponents, and they won't even be their best warriors. Have a little more faith, Emilia. We won't just win this battle, we'll wipe them out. I doubt we'll even suffer a single casualty.”

  Turning back to look at the map, I stare at the marker for Gothos. “Abby Hart will be there,” I whisper.

  “And that interests you?”

  “I want her dead,” I continue. “I want all of them dead, but especially her. I want to make her weep for mercy, I want her to know true pain.”

  “It is good to see such hatred in your eyes,” Skellig replies. “These emotions will serve you well on the battlefield, provided you are able to keep them under control. It's a shame that you weren't better trained as a child, but there is still time to knock you into shape.”

  “I was trained better than you can imagine,” I mutter darkly.

  “By Keller?” He smiles. “Hardly, Emilia. He was an old fool, he knew only of the past. Of course, he did a reasonable job getting you to this point, but now you are to learn the rest of your lessons in the heat of battle. That way, you will be able to one day become ruler of the spider empire, and you will know how to spread your power far and wide.”

  “The spiders were an empire of knowledge and wisdom before the war,” I remind him. “That's what we'll be again, one day.”

  He shakes his head. “The old way led to defeat for your people.”

  “You don't understand,” I reply. “We're fighting because we have no choice. If you don't believe me, ask my father.”

  “I have spoken to your father on this subject many times,” he continues, as more sparks of white light flicker beneath the flakes of his blackened skin. “He sees a new future for the spiders, one in which you spread your might throughout the eight worlds. He has known the pain of a fallen empire, and he sees now that certain changes must be made in order to ensure that such a thing can never happen again. That is why he sought assistance from myself and my brethren. He knows that we can mold your people into great fighters.”

  “My father wants us to become a race of warriors?” I ask, genuinely surprised. Keller always told me that Father valued the old ways, and the pursuit of knowledge, over the petty politics of war.

  “Times change,” Skellig points out.

  “But -”

  “You have such potential,” he adds. “I have seen glimpses of the power possessed by the spiders. An empire built on knowledge alone will fall, as your history demonstrates. Peace must be earned through war.”

  Staring at him for a moment, I can't shake the feeling that he's amused by my lack of understanding. “It's almost as if you think the only way for us to defeat the vampires,” I say finally, “is to become them. To become
as merciless and bloodthirsty as they were in their prime.” Spotting movement nearby, I turn just in time to see several of Skellig's fellow creatures entering the strategy room, and the sight sends a shiver down my spine. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to force myself to feel comfortable around them. It's as if, deep down, my instincts are trying to warn me about something. “I think I should try to contact my father,” I add, taking a step back. “I need to ask him some things.”

  “I spoke to him just a few minutes ago,” Skellig replies. “He greatly anticipates our upcoming victory, but there is one thing that troubles him.”

  “And what's that?” I ask cautiously.

  “There is one among the spider ranks who has been spreading seditious rumors. A spider who perhaps doesn't believe in the path we are taking.”

  I want to tell him that such a thing is impossible, but I think I already know who he means.

  “Your father is very concerned about this development,” he continues, “and he quite rightly wants the trouble-maker to be dealt with. I told him that I could get the job done, but in his infinite wisdom he sees this as an opportunity for someone closer to him to take action. Very public action.”

  “But -” Pausing, I realize what he wants me to do. “I can't order the execution of one of my own kind,” I tell him. “That would be against everything I believe in. It's written in the Book of Karakh that no spider shall ever take the life of another spider!”

  “The book is not to be followed slavishly,” he replies. “There are times when you must deviate and make your own decisions. If you were to take public action against the seditious traitor who dares question our course, no-one would ever doubt you again. You do still hope to be your father's representative to the troops, do you not?”

  “Yes, but -”

  “Then the perfect opportunity has arisen,” he adds, taking a dagger from around his waist and holding it out for me. “You know what you must do.”

  “I can't,” I tell him firmly, feeling a sense of panic coursing through my body. “Kerial is a spider. It would be a betrayal of my deepest values if I hurt a member of my own species and I -” Staring at the dagger's blade, I find myself hoping that this is just a test. After all, neither Skellig or Father can possibly expect me to do this. “I can't,” I add finally. “I just can't.”

  “Then you must learn,” he replies. The energy beneath his skin seems to be rippling and sparking more than ever, as if it reflects some deep sense of anticipation. “To prove yourself to your troops, and to your father, you must find the strength in your soul to be a leader. Either that, or forever shrink back from your destiny.”

  “I can't,” I stammer again, taking a step away from him before turning and finding that the other hooded creatures are watching me intently. “I just can't.”

  ***

  “No spider shall ever kill another spider,” Skellig told me once, long ago. “That is a sacred promise that must never be broken by any of us, do you understand?”

  ***

  Kerial's body slumps forward, landing hard against the mud and shuddering violently as blood spills out from his chest. His arms are bound behind his back and his abdomen has been torn open by the dagger's blade, severing the arterial connection between his humanoid form and his spider core. His own venom has gushed into his heart, dissolving its walls in just a matter of second. This is the only way to kill a spider, and it's a secret that very few outside of our species have learned. As he twitches and finally falls still, I stare down into his eyes and watch as his life fades away.

  In my right hand, the dagger drips steadily with blood.

  “Very good,” Skellig whispers from behind me, his voice filled with a hint of pleasure, as if he enjoyed watching me act. “Now address your people.”

  I turn and look out at the gathered spiders, some in their original forms and some still disguised as humans, and I see a sense of great shock on their faces after what they've just witnessed. They know that no spider should ever kill another, that I have crossed a boundary that was supposed to remain forever sacred. At the same time, I can tell that they see me differently now, that any doubts about my determination have been erased. Perhaps Skellig was right, then, and Keller was wrong. Perhaps the execution of Kerial was a price worth paying.

  “Address them,” Skellig hisses. “You've done so well, but you must still confirm their new view of you. Finish what you have started.”

  “This man was a traitor and -” I pause, feeling as if I want to turn and run. I glance back down at Kerial as a sense of nausea grips my belly.

  I killed a spider.

  One of my own.

  I had reasons, certainly, but still...

  I caused spider blood to run.

  The Book of Karakh describes that as the greatest sin of all, yet Father and Skellig both wanted me to do it, to demonstrate my new strength to the troops.

  I guess I just have to trust that they're right.

  “This man was a traitor,” I tell the crowd, before realizing that I need to speak louder and sound more confident. “This man was a traitor,” I say for a third time, but more firmly now, with real conviction. “He was given direct orders by me, in person, to hold certain information in confidence, yet he chose to spread that information far and wide. He also questioned decisions taken by me, and by my father, and by the advisers my father has brought in to help us. Such seditious talk cannot be tolerated, and his death was the natural consequence.”

  I take a deep breath, watching the eyes of the troops, trying to work out if they're convinced. Surely they'll turn on me and drag me into the mud?

  “Any spider who disobeys or questions his orders will face the same fate,” I add. “By my hand, too, as my father's representative. Until he returns to the throne at Karakh, I carry out his orders and anyone who questions me, questions him also.”

  I wait, convinced that they'll all start laughing and telling me I'm a fool, but somehow – amazingly – they actually seem to be listening, almost as if they're genuinely starting to respect me. There's fear in their eyes, too. They fear me.

  “As for the location of Karakh,” I continue, “I know Kerial – I mean, I know the deceased spread rumors and claimed that it had been found, but I can assure you...”

  My voice trails off for a moment.

  “Go on,” Skellig whispers behind me.

  “I can assure you,” I continue, “that no such announcement can be made, not yet. We will find Karakh, but for now our focus must be on one thing and one thing only, and that is the death of the vampires. To that end, I can tell you today that we are massing for a great assault on their leaders at their home. We march toward Gothos -”

  “To attack them?” one of the soldiers asks, with shock in his voice.

  “It's our only option,” I tell him.

  “What about peace?”

  “There can be no peace,” I continue. “They hate us, and if we don't fight them now, they'll get stronger and eventually they'll come after us. Every spider must feel anger at the merest thought of the vampires' survival. While even one vampire heart remains beating, we cannot rest, because they will always seek to come back and attack us again and again and again! We cannot return to Karakh until Gothos has fallen, but I'm certain we'll find our way home as soon as the battle is over. And remember this -”

  I pause, suddenly thinking back to the last time I saw Keller, and to all the stories I've heard about the war between vampires and spiders. Finally, I feel as if my blood is starting to burn with pure hatred, and all that hatred is focused right now on one person.

  Abby Hart.

  Daughter of the foul Patrick.

  Killer of my teacher.

  “Remember this,” I continue, with a new sense of grit in my voice. I'm actually starting to believe my own words now. “There can be no peace between spiders and vampires. Either they prevail, or we prevail, but there is no middle-ground, no chance of reconciliation. So I want every one of you, in what
ever form you've been ordered to take for battle, to prepare for the final march to their home, and then I want you to join with me in tearing that place down and finishing their species off for good. The time will come when we are able to celebrate, to rebuild our empire, and that time will be seeded in our actions at Gothos. If war is what it takes...”

  I take a deep breath as I realize that they're hanging on my every word. For the first time in my life, I actually feel as if I can be a leader.

  “If war is what it takes, then war is what will happen. Our race will evolve to meet the demands of life and we will be victorious!”

  A cheer rises up from the gathered soldiers, and I take a step back as I feel their loyalty and courage swamping me. I've read about war, of course, but I never thought that I would feel such honor and strength in my own chest. Right now, however, I truly believe that we can march to Gothos and destroy the last hiding place of the vampire race, and that we will then go to Karakh and resume our rightful place as the mightiest empire in all of creation. Maybe Skellig is right, maybe we do need to evolve and become stronger, rather than trying to recreate the spider empire of old without any changes.

  After all, that old empire fell. The new empire must survive.

  “You have done well,” Skellig tells me, as the soldiers disperse to begin their preparations. “You have surprised us all. Your father is proud.”

  “Do you really think so?” I ask, turning to him.

  He smiles. “I am certain of it.”

  “Can he see me now?”

  “He watches you at all times,” he continues. “He has longed to witness this moment.”

  Looking down at Kerial's corpse, I feel a brief shudder of sorrow at the thought that I killed another member of my species. I had no particularly strong feelings for him as a person, and as a lover he was nothing more than a distraction, but still... There's a part of me that still worries I've broken a sacred oath.

  “Forgive me, Keller,” I whisper under my breath. “I had to do it. You'd understand if you were here, I know you would.”