Chapter 27: The Last Normal Day

Morning came quicker than I wanted it to. I was the first to wake, the pleasant dream fading as the uncomfortable numbness creeping through my arm finally pulled me from sleep. Slowly, I opened my eyes.

Beams of golden light filtered through my blinds, illuminating the room. A cacophony of soft breathing surrounded me. Sarah was peacefully sleeping on a pillow beside me, her tiny body curled up. Damara and Katrina were on either side of me.

I lay there for a moment, simply taking in the sight. There was something strangely peaceful about watching them sleep, each of them breathing softly in the warmth of the morning.

Gingerly, I poked at Damara’s horns. They were very cool to the touch. Unable to stop myself, I poked her cheek playfully. She tossed a hand up, swatting away mine before squirming deeper into my chest.

Taking advantage of Katrina’s lowered defenses, I reached a curious hand out and stroked a few longer hairs standing straight out of her feline ear.

She wriggled her nose and cracked one eye open. "G’morning," she said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes afterward. "W-why are y-you staring?" she said as her cheeks became flushed.

"Yeah, Sam, why are you staring?" Damara teased, leaning up from my chest. She put one arm behind her head, stretching out the other one as she yawned a sleepy "good morning."

Before I could answer, Micro-Sarah was levitating in front of me with a wide grin.

"Today’s the trip!" she shouted.

My stomach dropped as the cozy morning energy was shattered. Damara’s voice dropped to a low mumble for the rest of the morning.

The note had instructed us to dress before our escort arrived. After a quiet breakfast, we split into our own rooms, but one by one, the women walked into my room, each needing help with her dress.

Once we were finished, a quick glance at the large mirror made my heart flutter.

Katrina looked pristine and doll-like in her tiered ivory dress, the soft chiffon swaying gently through a neat slit as she admired the off-the-shoulder cut.

Damara sat beside her. Her off-white silk dress emphasized her dark complexion. Even Micro-Sarah looked so stunning that the dread of our impending departure momentarily vanished.

Then three loud knocks echoed through the foyer, causing my neck to jerk. Damara’s eyes locked onto mine as she slowly nodded. Stepping closer to the door, the knocks rang out again.

Damara opened the door, revealing four large, armored demi-humans.

"I’m glad they sent you, Oswalt," she said. Her eyebrows shot up. "Zeke!" she shrieked, lunging forward.

Watching her hug another man wrenched at my gut. The feeling faded quickly as she explained Zeke was her youngest brother. Third claim to the throne.

He stood about six foot four and had short white hair. His eyes looked kind as he sent me a nod, grinning afterward. He walked over and shook my hand.

"I finally get to meet my future brother-in-law."

Damara and I shot each other a wild glance, both shocked at Zeke’s proclamation. Though if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t mind it. I lowered my eyebrows and calmed my expression before trying to laugh it off. I rubbed my neck continuously.

"We’ll have to talk about that when the time comes. Right, Damara?" I said, gesturing toward her.

Without hesitation, she agreed. She introduced the others to me as well. Oswalt was a close uncle, and the way she described him, it made sense why they were so close.

The two in the back, however, were all business, no fun, as they scowled when introduced. I’m pretty sure I saw one raise his nose up at me.

"We’re on a pretty tight schedule, Damara. Are you all ready to go?" Oswalt asked.

Once we all grabbed our bags, we left the manor. Outside, a carriage awaited, and two large beasts sat at the front. They looked like draft horses if they came with flame manes.

Massive and broad-chested, their black coats sucked in the morning light. Every breath puffed faint gray smoke, and their eyes glowed like lit coals.

The demi-human escorts packed our bags into the back of the carriage, opening the door for us after allowing us to all climb inside. The driver and the escorts sat in a separate section. Zeke climbed into our side and sat next to me after closing the door.

As soon as the latch clicked, the carriage jerked forward. The force knocked Micro-Sarah off of Katrina’s shoulder. I dove forward and caught her, landing on my chest hard enough that it knocked the wind out of me.

"Thanks, Sam," she chirped, flying away to sit on Katrina’s shoulder again.

After around thirty minutes, the carriage vibrated loudly, forcing everyone to cover their ears. It faded shortly after, replaced by the sound of my thumping heart.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

"Look out the window," Damara said, sliding the wooden cover to the side. "We just entered the demon realm."

"Whoa!" I gasped, taken aback by the sight.

Where I expected fire and brimstone, a beautiful sunlit valley sat. Our carriage, no longer on any sort of road, floated through the air lazily as buildings passed by beneath. Streets filled with demi-humans stretched for miles.

Continuing our drift, a large palace came into view.

"This is beautiful, Damara," I said. "Is that where we’re going?" I asked Zeke, pointing at the palace in the distance. Its four tall obelisks coming into view.

"It is. And we’ll be there soon. Damara, your father is waiting."

I gulped as I overheard. My skin became clammy as I continued to watch the approaching palace. I couldn’t help but hope her father was as nice as she was. But something told me that wouldn’t be the case.

Watching Katrina and Micro-Sarah stare in amazement was enough to help me relax my shoulders a bit. My jaw, however, was firmly held shut. With actual effort, I dropped it and wiggled it around a bit.

The carriage started its descent, quickly landing on a stone pathway. The sounds of hard wood knocking off the cobblestone filtered throughout the carriage.

After vacating their side of the carriage, Oswalt opened the door for us, letting us out and into the courtyard.

"I don’t see Dad. He must have gone back inside," Zeke said, gesturing for us to follow him. "We’ll get you all sorted into your rooms."

"Room," Damara quickly replied. "We only need the one, Zeke. No need for the extra work."

He rubbed the back of his neck before replying. "I will let the maids know," he said, before running ahead of us.

I glanced at Damara, who simply shrugged before continuing after him. Katrina and Micro-Sarah followed close behind, leaving me to bring up the rear.

Taking a slow breath to try and calm my nerves, I realized we were finally here. The Demon Realm. Damara’s home.

My stomach jumped into my mouth as a large hand landed firmly on my shoulder.