Demon Kings

Holy macaroni. A grey polished, black flecked stone throne room stretches for what seems like a mile or more towards the three centre pieces.

3 thrones.

They are all empty.

"Walk," Lady Grey's sister commands us to start our pilgrimage. We all take a step forward and she hisses in a rush, "Backwards. Do not approach forwards, insolent little children. Turn!"

"Young adults," I whisper under my breath as J, Sky and I turn around and start to walk backwards toward empty freaking thrones.

I smile at J and glance at Sky... who's teeth are loudly chattering. I'm surprised she is standing tall and straight without losing balance from the fear totally consuming her.

Lady Grey's sister watches us as she escorts us, smirking as her bones clink together. She does not walk backward, instead, she observes us like a Guardian would.

We walk and we walk and we continue to walk until our knees hurt and we all start to make huffing breathe's of irritation.

"This is pointless," J whispers to me while Sky hisses at him with nothing but a sharp exhale of air. She's too nervous to form words to scold him. I do it for her.

"Save it," I mouth to J, hoping he doesn't get us killed before we're not even formally introduced.

"What did I do?" J asks, irritated, "We're walking backwards to empty thrones, Syren."

"Shut. Up," Lady Grey's sister growls low, "I'm warning you."

"Can we turn around now?" J asks loudly, obnoxious and on purpose. I think he has a short temper, because he can't keep in a need to talk back to the old hag who's been smirking at us this entire time.

"We're nearly there, please, be quiet!" I yell at J, but apparently my attempt to save all our lives makes him worse.

"Smile," J smirks and I smile. I glance at Sky and she smiles while her teeth chatters -

Until we all hear a crack and a snap, followed by a whoosh and a stinging horrible pain in our backs.

We all jerk forward and fall to our knees, crying out in pain when we all get whipped simultaneously!

"Oh shit," J's forehead touches the polished stone ground as I hear him breathe in a panic, "They're into kinky shit, we're so fuc-"

"Silence! Idiots," I freeze when I hear that voice. J promptly shuts his mouth and Sky stops breathing.

That voice didn't sound like a monster.

At once, we all straighten our backs and turn around, compelled to look.

Foolish or not, all our jaws drop when we see the thrones now occupied by three figures.

Who all look very human, if a little tall and ridiculously handsome for Demons, all wearing robes of different fur. The only non-humane thing are the horns coming out of their heads. All three recline and each holds a Staff with a corresponding stone.

To the right, the silver haired Demon king eyes Sky with disgust, but his stone flickers between reality... and non-existence. An invisibility stone. The king to the left has a shiny metallic staff with an obsidian pointed top which matches the colour of his hair. It doesn't flash but by the belts and trinkets hanging from his torso... I'd say he liked to fight with weapons. He eyes J with a completely neutral, unreadable expression.

And then there is the Demon king in the middle. He holds a staff that is topped with a green emerald but it flashes with lightning bolts within the Gem's structure. His eyes are green but his hair is a bright, deadly red like his horns. Like the crimson sky. He also holds the handle of a deadly whip with three attachments of long leather for swift punishments.

This one eyes me boldly and with a slight smile as his cruelly shaped lips tilt up at the corner.

Even though that might be the more comforting gesture out of all three Demon kings, my heart drops into my stomach.

"Welcome," he speaks when I meet his gaze, "Slaves. Prepare for a after life filled with eternal pleasure. Are you excited?"

"What?" J literally shrieks out in shock, totally confused.

Even I narrow my eyes and Sky looks at me. I turn to her and we lock gazes.

Did he the Demon king in the middle just say... pleasure?

"I was joking, little pups..." the Demon king continues, with an unexpected humour, "...but not really," his tone drops to a scary level of deep... like a real Demon. It's the first hint I get that they are truly evil and not just dressed up in some kind of ridiculous cosplay, "We'll all decide in a moment what you're best suited for. Now, stand up, lower your insolent gazes to your grimy smelly toe nails and tell us one by one... what are your best talents? Girl with the stuttering weak heart," he must mean Sky, "Begin."

Oh, no.

I guess this is where it got as equally embarrassing as it was dangerous.

If Sky's talent was freaking out, mine was thinking too much, J's was a short temper and wit at all the wrong times... as far as I was concerned, we were all doomed.

There was no way this could end in our favour.