A Demon's Wrath: Part I (Peachville High Demons) Read Online Free PDF Page A

ceremony.
    The King of the North had been known as one of the
greatest kings of all time and the demons of the Northern Kingdom
loved him with a ferocious passion. When Lazalea was born nearly
fifty years ago, the people had come from all over the kingdom to
send prayers of love and light into the sky in celebration.
    She was their great hope for the future and they
loved her just as much as they had always loved her father.
    I could see it in the eyes of the demons in the
street below. They all shared looks of joy and love, their loyalty to
the royal family so true and resolved.
    Seeing the villagers who had traveled so far to be
here to witness our promise ceremony, it suddenly hit me how
significant this moment really was.
    How much it would hurt everyone if I walked away.
    I leaned against the wall, feeling so defeated and
lost.
    “In time, your brother will learn to live
with his sorrow, and when he does, he will come back to us. Just wait
and see. He has made a great sacrifice for you today,” she
said. “For both of you. Honor him by doing what is right and
following through with your commitments. Bringing shame on all of us
will not do him any good. Either way, he was going to lose her. You
have to see that.”
    I lifted my head and looked at my mother. She was
a good woman, but at that moment, for the first time in my life, I
understood that she cared more for her place in this kingdom than she
did for the happiness of her own children.
    I would find no sympathy in her eyes.
    “Come, Mother.”
    I stood and held my arm out to her, resolved to my
fate even as my heart was breaking.
    She nodded and wrapped her arms around me.
    “Thank you,” she said, whispering
against my forehead as she hugged me close.

What Was Expected Of Me
    The walk to the castle was like a funeral march.
    Every step had weight, as if my shoes were filled
with sand and stone. I wanted to reach back in time and take it back,
but it was too late.
    I had to find a way to be strong.
    I thought of my brother sitting alone in his room
in the early morning hours, pouring his love into the heart stone,
knowing that the woman he loved would believe they were my feelings.
    What kind of strength did that take? What did it
feel like to love someone so much you would sacrifice everything to
make them happy and keep them from pain?
    I would never know that same kind of love.
    My parents had taken that chance away from me the
moment I was born into this world.
    My mother’s hand squeezed my arm and when I
turned to meet her gaze, her eyes widened, reminding me I had a role
to play.
    We paused just outside the archway that led into
the throne room. We had been through these steps a dozen times in the
past month, and I knew exactly what was expected of me.
    I buried my regrets and my worry deep inside, then
straightened my shoulders.
    There was no use going through it all in my head
over and over. This was my destiny, and I would embrace it with
courage and strength.
    As I looked on the faces of the demons sitting in
the throne room, I vowed to put aside my own selfish desires. I would
dedicate my life to the kingdome. I would do whatever it took to
honor my brother by becoming the mate Lea deserved.
    Somewhere high above, bells rang to signal the
beginning of the ceremony.
    An excited hush fell over the gathered crowd.
    My mother’s grip on my arm tightened and I
swallowed down my regrets and my secrets.
    The doors to the king’s chamber room opened
on the opposite side of the hall, and all eyes focused on the light
streaming through from the royal chambers.
    A chorus of shadowlings poured forth from
somewhere in the back of the room, their ethereal forms swirling and
dancing upon the air. They flew around both sides of the throne,
floating high up toward the ceiling.
    A single shadowling girl took form on the bottom
step leading up toward the platform. Her voice flowed from her, a
sound so heart-breakingly pure no one dared breathe or move as