Chapter 85

Chapter 85: Chapter 85

The thought of that was always at the back of his mind but now, it weighed even heavier. He wouldn’t have a solution by the time they arrived at the palace, but even if it meant going to the Hells himself, he would make sure Kath’tan got the chance to visit his mother.

The carriage was punctual, and by mid-afternoon, they were riding through Boussiney, on the final stretch of their journey.

By sundown, the coachmen slowed to a stop on a quiet corner of the street they were on, one of them walking around to converse with the passengers of the carriage.

"We intend to ride through the night," The coachman stated plainly, "Would you like to stop at a tavern for supper?"

"Just keep riding," Kath’tan said gruffly. It was odd for the Fiend to be so quiet, but he had only spoken a handful of words since the messenger from Ashford left - including the words he just spoke.

The decision was a unanimous one, Demons didn’t have to eat so often but no one would turn down a decent meal offered to them. With the decision, the carriage kept rumbling through the night.

As the night grew late and the streets quiet, silence fell over the interior of the carriage as well.

Ruoxi gingerly placed his head on Dulce’s shoulder, ignoring the piercing stares his actions brought. He slept peacefully, the only one fast asleep in the carriage.

The Incubus didn’t rouse until the sun came up, yawning as he did, his unbound hair scattering like fine strings.

The carriage eventually came to a stop at mid-morning, stopping them at an inn so the horses could rest for a bit, as well as the coachmen and passengers.

By mid-afternoon, they were on the road again. The station master hadn’t been making tall tales about the vitality of the horses because by the end of the fifth day, they were riding into Aysel.

The desert city was covered in a haze of brown, the cloudless sky felt so distant, it was unsettling. They had arrived at sundown, so they felt the obvious shift in temperature. It fell abruptly without warning, the hot winds cooling into a whistling breeze.

It was the first night they would be getting proper rest since they arrived at Boussiney, as efficient as the horses were, it also meant that the passengers were deprived of rest.

Ruoxi had slept every night of the journey, and when he didn’t sit next to Dulce, he slept with his head resting on the cushioned seats.

Dulce booked separate rooms this time, aware that everyone needed ample rest. They wouldn’t be leaving Aysel for a day or two so there would be enough time to do that.

The coachmen went on their way after dropping off their passengers. It was difficult to tell if they were also going to rest for the night or if they intended to resume their harrowing journey back to Boussiney.

Dulce ordered meals for everyone and then retired to his room. He expected Caedos to follow him but even the Hellhound had gone to his own room. Finding out that the inn featured a bathhouse was good news, it was relieving to know that the Demons would be able to properly clean up after the lengthy journey.

He didn’t offer to join them again, sinking into the bathtub in his room. It had progressively gotten dustier the closer they got to the desert, and even before they arrived at Aysel, small dusty whirlwinds were a common sight.

The sun’s strength didn’t bother Dulce, it was more the dust that clung to his hair and made it a faded brown. After washing all of the dust off him, he returned to his room to find his meal already brought up by the inn.

He ate absently... it was far too quiet. After eating, he sat and waited. Fireplaces were a rare sight in the lowlands of the east, the temperatures were usually high to moderate so they had little use.

The night grew late and quiet and yet there were no hulking figures in his room. Dulce rose to his feet after a few more hours had passed, his worries buried deeply in his calm silver-blue eyes.

When they got to his palace, Asael would leave, then Kath’tan... he pushed the pesky thoughts away, pattering his way to Kath’tan’s room. The Demon had insisted on being the one to feed him and although he would rather not burden Kath’tan when he already had his own troubles, he went anyway.

Hoping that the Fiend would turn him away and then he would go procure sustenance for himself. There were barely any Vampires in the lowlands of the east, with good reason - the sun. But getting blood was an easy task, Dulce wasn’t picky, he would take whatever option he found.

He knocked gingerly on the door, a foot behind him, ready to leave. "I apologize for..." He started uncertainly as soon as the door opened.

Kath’tan knew what the Vampire was there for as soon as he opened the door. He should have noticed earlier that the Incubus needed to eat which was the only time Dulce concerned himself with blood, the one thing Vampires would die without. The only other times he bothered to feed was when he was at death’s door.

Without waiting for what was about to be a lengthy apology and explanation concluded by Dulce offering a way for him to opt out, he caught the Vampire by the wrist and pulled him into his room.

He led the way to the bed, rolling up his sleeve, his coat already thrown somewhere in the inn room. "Lay on the bed." He said shortly, not wanting a repeat of the last time.

Dulce timidly kicked off his shoes and got on the bed, unable to say more after his words were cut off. He sat at the headboard, his back propped against the pillows, his hands clasped politely as he waited.