Chapter 13

After a few days, we had already learned to live as a couple, and despite all of Kay's horror stories, everything was going great. Only the full moon was approaching. And it was not going to end well. I opened an old book on demonology that was found on my wish. Old yellowed pages covered strange drawings of repetition. There among them, in search of the scraps of information I needed, I found strange things. Snake hair potion. Demon of desire. Blood of illusions. Such strange phrases were repeated on the first pages, and then I found something more frightening.

Types of demonic mutations. Under it was a burnt inscription. Attention to the performance of each of the listed rituals is punishable by death. For each offender, successfully or not, he will be beheaded by a holy sword. Optimistically. There I saw horrible twisted bodies with snake heads, tails, black matsaks and other various disgusting things. So. The fusion of four demons like those sealed by the Queen of Red Roses does not cause bright external mutations, but at the same time, short-term changes in the color of the eyes appear. But in this method, as in every method described here, the greatest danger is the possible separation of demons from the body, and their deprivation of higher mental functions will be extremely dangerous.

The next page was quite unusual for this unusual book made of human skin. Together, these demons could stop time for certain people and teleport to a distant ice island. Well, this is, to put it mildly, very bad. I folded the book and decided to take it to Adrian. I already came to the door and stopped in front of it. The nervous voices of the man and his ministers made me stop. Maybe they can't accept that their master's wife is a black witch. Only everything was much worse than I thought.

deaths An epidemic of bloody death began. And everything fell on us again. Not being stupid, I immediately ran into the office. I saw their surprised faces. But I have to act before it gets worse. And after reading dozens of treatises, I knew what was causing it.

-And what are you doing here, my dear wife... - he asked me.

- You don't need to build glasses, - I said and pointedly rolled my eyes and took out a pendulum from the neckline. Well, men too. - Yes, yes, yes, - I said and started moving my hand over the map.

- And what are you doing here? - he asked me.

-I'm looking for the source of your infection, it's not visible, - I said and continued my work even more provocatively.

- Thank you, my love, but men are not used to strong women who are able to think on an equal footing with them, - he said, but I thought that it didn't bother me.

-AND? If I am humiliating them in any way, please tell me, - I said and looked at them nervously, - I have a solution to your problem, gentlemen. In the south, to protect against cholera epidemics, ships in the port from countries with outbreaks of this disease are quarantined for 5 days. If you conduct a quarantine on movement and do not release the infected, it should get better.

- This will only solve the problem with the infection, but to get rid of it you need to find Mor, - said Adrian. Thanks, I didn't know that.

- Then it's not much on my topic, I can help with its reduction, but where is Mor in the near north, - I said and nervously rolled my eyes.

- I have the same questions, do they live in warm subtropical zones, a temperate or warm climate, or on the equator. Only where the heat can the contagion spread with sufficient speed to give them the required amount of human energy, Adrian asked me. I understand that everything is not good.

- Well, then I will listen, - I said and sat down on a chair and began to listen with interest. It is still necessary to tighten it all.

And it is not strong and boring. It just seems that smart women are not very popular here. After the meeting, I returned to Adrian's room, where we now slept together. Almost immediately I had the strength to write a letter to Lady Laurent. It was difficult for me, but I was ready to do anything for the sake of my people, even if it meant coming to terms with my proud nature. But since when did all this fall on my head? Maybe I just want to live quietly. But the number of victims of the disease was increasing every day, and I was tired of just sitting in the estate and doing nothing. The army could not find the source of this disease, even with their magicians and healers who did not get sick or infect others. This did not solve the problem, but only slowed down the spread. On the moral advice of her family, Laurent blocked movement in her lands to prevent the spread of the epidemic. But cases of infection still appeared even in the capital. But one night of the people's prayers, the gods heard us, and we found a solution. But it was not as simple as expected. It changed into a swarm, and around it we found several ruined villages. Who hid this information from us. It was impossible not to notice that terrible stench. Pursuant to the royal order, detachments were sent from the capital for cleaning. We also had to join them. Traveling through snowy deserts, we found ourselves in a strange place. The smell was so foul that I had to cover my nose to keep my breakfast from running out of my mouth. I got off my horse and saw how men with cloth masks on their faces loaded the decomposed bodies of the villagers onto carts and then threw them into huge pits. The rest dismantled the houses, dumped the bodies of animals on them, and then set it all on fire. The snow was melting and there was a lot of black everywhere. It was strange to see it in the middle of winter. In the distance, above the largest of all the fires, which rose about twenty meters and illuminated everything with a blue-violet light, I saw how the bodies of the members were burned by the swarm. - Why are the bodies rotting, they were supposed to freeze, it's winter outside, - I said and rubbed my fingers. - This is the power of the swarm. They multiply like this, but how did we not find this place earlier, you pointed it out before this, I sent a group, everything was empty, - he said, - The disease should go down and die out by spring, measures should not be taken out of use anyway we will - Then it will be necessary to send healers and doctors to the area where there were infections, - I said. A good idea, I assure you as the Countess of Cortez. - Then I will listen to your suggestions, but I recommend you, as you have won only by medicine and its reforms. Let everything else be done by us, he said. - Great, - I said. Maybe we'll go, or will you continue to make me look at it. - Do you want to look at everything that happened here? - my husband asked me. - No, the stench will make me sick, - I said and rolled my eyes. - And what happened to you, you lived where it didn't smell like violets, - said Adrian. -The smell of humidity mixed with poverty is nothing against the stench of at least part of the decomposed bodies! - I shouted. They want to smell somehow wrong. The smell, even a little delicious, especially when they are burned in those pits. -The smell of a corpse at this stage of decomposition is not so sweet. Here the stench was supposed to be much worse. This smell is different, and not sulfur-ammonia. Quietly, - he said and took out his sword from its scabbard. A strange giant figure on four dry, tapering legs with large black eyes that oozed a slimy substance approached us. The creature's body consisted of torn flesh, covered in translucent gray skin and large black bones tearing through its flesh. The creature's movements were unnatural to any natural animal, and the sounds coming from its mouth were strange and unexpected. "Whoah... Whoah..." it kept screaming.

The remains of his clothes were torn on him, and Hadrian was already holding his sword. The cleaners froze, not knowing how to react. But they did not interest him. It suddenly stopped, crunching, and the mutant began to move like a cat before jumping. And then it happened. The world seems to have slowed down. One sharp movement of the sword. The monster flew to pieces, and a pleasant frost penetrated my face.

But only blood, ashes and exposed, deformed bones remained from the body. I was about to sit down and examine them in more detail, but Adrian's hand stopped me. He left the bloody sword near him. He helped me up and called someone to take away the body and the sword. They were all wearing rough gloves. Adrian helped me off the horse and we slowly made our way back. I thought my heart would beat out of my chest.

-A report from a spy, Your Highness, - said a man in a strange, even for us, outfit, running into the hall, stomping his feet on the goatskin at the same time.

- Faster, S-ssalazar, faster. Ss-sss-things went wrong today, - she said, her snake-like body shaking with each word, - Mutations began to manifest.

- Our testimony will be useful to you, - he said and bowed and kissed her hand.

- And what did you bring me, my love, - she said and ran her tongue over his face and licked his forehead.

- They found the grimoire of 13 unities, - he said and shook under her terrible gaze, while she only stroked his hair.

- You have such a delicious head, - said another voice, - I would like to eat it, - shouted another, - Shut up you glutton, it is better not to eat like that in her body, - some other voice interrupted him, - But, she promised, - Then the demon quarreled, - Nothing, let's get out and have fun.

Salazar, frightened, fled from the dark room to the loud laughter of the demons, losing his dignity in this shameful moment. I laughed and got out of bed and accidentally woke up Adriana. He woke up and did not understand the reason for my laughter. Maybe at least these demons have a simple sense of humor. But why exactly am I seeing this? When did it happen, or maybe when will it happen? He touched my shoulder, causing me to turn around.

- Well, what happened? - he said and sleepily got up from the bed.

- It seems they know about everything, - I said and nervously looked around and waited for a reaction.

- And? - he asked, looking at me without understanding, - You are my wife.

- I'm not talking about that, - I said and threw a pillow at him, - That grimoire. There is a spy here.

-Get dressed, - he said and threw the clothes at me.

I quickly came to my senses, got dressed and entered the office with him. Gradually, under a cup of tea, all the ministers and everyone who could be involved in this gathered. He looked at them with his piercing gaze, and I stood quietly behind his shoulders. He was looking and waiting for something, as if he pretended to be waiting for his prey. His eyes glittered menacingly with the light, and he needed no words. With those eyes, he knew how to make everyone present tremble. Then a battered man entered, the guard brought him. I let out a weary sigh as a horrible smell entered my nose. Phew! I suddenly covered my nose.

-He stinks, I don't think he's the one you need, - I said and looked around nervously.

- And he shouldn't smell like violets. It's easier for a beggar to disappear and hide, he said.

- And then how would he find out about the rest. Only a guard or a servant could know this... - I spoke and Adrian covered my mouth and spoke softly in my ear.

- Quiet, dear. I know it. The main thing now is to follow well. And we will find his subordinates, - he whispered with a slight smile, looking at everyone about whom he had even the slightest suspicions.

He looked at them with his gaze and waited, like a predator waiting for its prey. And he got what he wanted. One of the maids began to run away, ignoring the order. Two guards grabbed her and dragged her in front of us. She was a young peasant woman with dark blond hair, gathered in a thick braid and cut at the end. She had dark naive eyes, but it was just a mask. When she opened her mouth, an incoherent, almost childish babble came out of it. One of the guards lifted her from her knees to her stomach and turned her blue shirt inside out. A large tattoo glistened on her back, a seal similar to the one on the assassin who had tried to kill me earlier.

With regret, I looked at my husband, and he understood everything. His warm hand wrapped around mine. So warm. He silently signaled to take her away. A passing man, in rags, quickly watched us. But when ours met, he almost stumbled from fear. He did not begin to speak even when the permission of the executioner came and, for Adrian, some left the event. crackle One finger was broken. crackle And one more. crackle crackle Two more. And only the pincers grabbed his thumb when he wanted to start talking.

But he was silent. He opened his mouth, but could not say a single word. And that made me smile, which I tried to hide under my palm. Don't let them think I'm a sadist. But the seal... Well, and this scene. He was drawn to us. And then Adrian stood up. He approached with quiet, barely audible steps. Next to him, the spy seemed very small and even smaller than me. He was held by the hand of a guard who was even ashamed to be near him. He bowed his head slightly and said something. Indescribable horror flashed in the spy's eyes.

-It's ready, take it away, - he said and turned his gaze to the window. The sun was rising - you will continue to stand like that. All are free.

-No. And now you will have to explain a lot, - I said and cut my gaze into his face.

- I saw the smile on your face. You can't do much with the profession, I didn't guess much, you had to be a first-class executioner, - he said and I looked away nervously.

- You also blurted out something so that he almost died of a heart attack. Then to that mercenary, now to this spy. Is there anything else I need to know about you? - I said and nervously looked away and said irritatedly, I was thinking what.

- Do you want to eat? - he asked me. It was five o'clock in the morning, and I only had a salad for dinner, of course.

"Well, I'm going to starve to death," I said, annoyed, and calmed down a little, showing the aromatic and warm food.

- Then we can go and give the servants an opportunity to clean up that pool of blood in the center - he said quickly throwing an indifferent look at her.

As the sun rose above the forest, we sat at a long table and enjoyed our meals. Today everything tasted better than before, maybe because of the arrival of new workers in the kitchen, or because I did not find it properly in the evening, it remains a mystery to me. After everything that had happened, there was no point in talking, and while digging through my plate I couldn't find any interesting topics to talk about. Only somewhere in my head were incomprehensible words said by an unknown author: "If you don't know - keep quiet, if you don't know how - learn." But I wanted to make some corrections to both parts of this unique statement. When you don't know something, it's better to ask, and when you don't know how, learn and strive to become better for others.

- Why are you silent, you always liked to talk about everything in the world, - he said, and I just kept my eyes down.

- I think so, but I don't know what to talk about anymore. Something terrible is coming and it scares me, - I said and continued to sort through the remains of peas, sticking my teeth into them and eating the rest.

He, noticing my anxiety, even trying not to start a conversation, seemed to feel something terrible approaching. There was something inexplicable in the air. Sensing this, Kaya and I packed our things as best we could and headed to our oceanfront mansion to await the events. What was happening made me a little lonely among these cold walls, and remembering the past was not always pleasant. I left something pleasant in it, including memories of the time when I had to sleep in a fur coat or even worse situations. And it was then that the fire became my enemy, because one day it took our home from us, and everything was so bad that my father even considered the possibility of giving me away for fame to many families or making me a court lady.

Therefore, I understood very well that this period in my life is the best of all that was before it. To every aristocrat, my life seemed like a fairy tale, beautiful with a young man, not with some old grandfather, who was often imagined, fixed in a golden cage, and with all the obstacles that the men of the empire did not understand. For them, a woman who had at least a drop of power was an inexplicable threat.

But I had an important business. I packed up for the trip and left the mansion, walking towards the carriage. I had an important mission. I had already entered the city and, passing many streets, reached the nunnery. I didn't like the high mortality of patients in hospitals within thirty kilometers, so I decided to take it into my own hands. After getting out of the carriage, I entered the premises of the monastery.