Seven Devils and a Rose POV - Excerpt
Hey, Guys. This is an excerpt of Seven Devils and a Rose, my upcoming new release Rever Harem Fantasy Romance. The book will be released on Amazon on Jan 24th. This excerpt is the POV of the Seven Devils.Get Seven Devils and a Rose
Seven Devils and a Rose Excerpt7 Devils POVAcaedien KingdomToday was yet another beautiful summer day for the citizens of Acaedien. In the city, picturesque buildings lined the intertwining streets that stretched as far as the eye could see. Here in this prosperous, growing, and well-protected metropolis, the citizens—of many different manners and natures—ranging from human to elves, beast-people, dwarfs, goblins, orcs, and many more—went about their daily routines, taking care of their business.Sitting atop the hill overlooking the capital was a majestic castle, six stories-high and built from creamy-white Oamaru stone. The grandiose palace had countless quarters, which were further divided into departments where some five thousand staff worked and resided.At this very moment, at the hour of eleven in the morning, seven demon lords were having a conference in a boardroom up on the seventh floor, a level non-existent to the outside world. After all, this secret level was shielded with an immensely high-tier protective barrier, which not only made the entire floor invisible to the naked eye, but only those with authorization—the seven lords—and those with passes, could gain access to. The boardroom was grand and designed with rich color, soft furnishings, and chandeliers, with stately paintings and indoor ornaments made of silver and gold. One side of the room was designed in an open-plan style, stretching out onto the veranda where it had a stately view of the city and mountains beyond.As it was at the moment, bright sunlight streamed into the room where five lords sat around a table, while two more appeared on the magic screen to the left.Sitting at the head, and facing a lovely view of the city, was Lord Geoffrey Lancaster, a demon lord considered the head of the kingdom and a father figure to the Acaedien citizens. As one of the seven lords who ruled Acaedien, the very old and the very young loved him, the mature respected him, the male youth looked up to him, while the female youth both looked up to him and drooled over him. After all, Lord Geoffrey was a wickedly gorgeous man with long, pale blond hair that he tied at the back with a gold hair ornament. His emerald-green eyes, like the gem itself, were beautiful and mesmerizing, while his aquiline nose and sensual lips added to his stunning look, which made it hard for any female’s heart not to flutter at the sight of him, even more so because he wore that intriguing mask with strange signs, symbols, and scripts. Always in white or pale garments, Lord Geoffrey looked like an angel who had descended from the heavens to guide and protect them. And of course, that was exactly what the lord was doing, guiding and protecting the kingdom of Acaedien, along with his comrades and underlings.Sitting to the left of Lord Geoffrey was Lord Noah Wakefield, a demon lord professor and currently the kingdom’s head magic researcher. With light brown hair stylishly cut, hazel eyes, a Roman nose, firm lips, strong jawline, and a pair of specs sitting atop his mask, he was the epitome of a hot, yet stern, professor in a young woman’s sexual fantasy. Always in white or pale garments, like Lord Geoffrey, Lord Noah, too, looked like an archangel who had descended from above to guide the citizens in the research and development fields, thus improving on almost every aspect of everyone’s lives.To the right side of the table sat Lord Felix Worthington, Caleb Harrington, and Aaron Lancaster. All three warriors, as usual, were dressed in dark garments.Lord Caleb Harrington, dubbed The Dark Lord by the citizens of Acaedien because of his dark hair, steel-gray eyes, and stoic and hard-to-approach attitude was alluringly gorgeous. As opposed to Lord Geoffrey and Noah, whom the citizens believed descended from the heavens, Lord Caleb was believed to have risen from the depths of hell itself, and was here to fight evil doers and protect the innocent, which was exactly Lord Caleb’s job description.Like Lord Caleb, who had been awarded a title, Lord Felix, too, obtained one by the citizens of Acaedien. This gregarious lord was known by most as The King of Hell because of his colossally powerful dark qi. According to rumors, he was as powerful as Lord Aslan, the King of the Forbidden Forest, and could destroy an entire city with a flick of his hand if the mood struck him, which was why it was an unspoken rule that Lord’s Felix’s anger should not be tested, despite his easy-going attitude and charming smile. After all, it had happened a mere few months ago, when something precious had been taken from him, thus awakening the rage of this mighty demon lord; and a whole city, in turn, was annihilated.With dark brown hair, unique mauve eyes, an aquiline nose, sensual lips, and an intriguing mask on his face, Lord Felix was a sinfully handsome man. To the female citizens of Acaedien, he was the personification of an out-of-my-league lord; his dark, sensual demeanor featured in their sexual fantasy.Where Lord Felix exuded the aura of dark, intense sexual appeal, Lord Aaron Lancaster, on the other hand, emanated a boyish charm. This came with soft features, a slender frame, and average height. Sitting at five-foot and seven inches, he was the shortest of the seven lords, which of course didn’t bother him since his unique physic enabled him to be the fastest and deadliest in the battlefield. With pale blond hair stylishly cut, twinkling emerald-green eyes, a straight nose, and lips that seemed to always smile, females—both young and old—adored him.At the moment, all five lords were listening attentively to Lord Ethan Sherwood and Victor Rutherford, who were appearing in the magic screen attached to the wall on the left side of the room. These two lords were currently in a lavish airship flying at a leisurely pace, heading toward the kingdom, back from their diplomatic journey to the Wulin Kingdom.On the screen sitting to the left side was Lord Ethan, who had golden blond hair, blue eyes, and a strong jawline. Today, he wore a blue garment—his favorite color—which enhanced and complemented his eyes and tanned skin. Wickedly striking, he was dubbed the Golden Prince of the Acaedien Kingdom. Next to him was his best friend Lord Victor, dubbed the Silver Prince of Acaedien because of his pale, charming appearance of silver hair, which was stylishly cut, and silver eyes that looked as though they could see right through your soul, which they could because of the lord’s unique magical dark qi.“That’s all the information we’ve gathered,” Victor said, his voice deep yet soft to the ear. “It’s understood that there seems to be an abnormality going on with the Aurora barrier, not only in Acaedien, but that of the Forbidden Forest, Wulin, Yamato, Lyria, and many other smaller kingdoms as well.”Ethan said, “I’ve been in contact with Aslan, he’s putting his best people to the task in researching the phenomenon.”Folding his arms across his chest, Aaron said, “I hope this isn’t a sign of shit happening again, like it did two thousand years ago.”Geoffrey glanced at his younger brother, his handsome face grim. Of course, they all knew that Aaron was referring to the apocalypse that had nearly destroyed their world.Noah said, “At this point, though without much evidence, I can confidently say that it’s very unlikely. This feels more like someone naughty is experimenting with the barrier.”Felix folded his arms across his massive chest and asked, “What are you implying, Noah?”“That someone powerful is tampering with the barrier?” Caleb cocked his head to one side.“Why would anyone do that?” Aaron stated. “The barrier has been stabilizing our world for two thousand years now. Without it, we’re all in deep shit. Why would anyone risk another world disaster by tinkering with the barrier?”Geoffrey said, “There are all sorts of powerful beings out there, and not all of them have the Aurora Realm’s best interests at heart.”“That is true,” Victor said from the screen. “Speaking of which, congratulations on succeeding with The Bandits Suppression Campaign.”Ethan said, “According to the report, Prince Philip was involved again? What the fuck is wrong with that bastard? He seems to be stirring shit up every so often.”Felix shrugged his board shoulders. “He’s probably still pissed off with us for what we did.”Caleb sighed. “That was two thousand years ago. It’s not like she wanted to stay with him, for God’s sake.”“He’s a narcissistic bastard,” Noah said. “Who’d want to stay with a narcissistic bastard?”Geoffrey said, looking at Felix, “It can’t be helped with what’s already been done. Personally, I’d like to think he’s pissed with you, who destroyed his entire city a few months back, Felix.”Felix shrugged his shoulders again. “Hey, he fucked with us first. What a petty man, going as low as to steal...” The lord had a dark expression on his face. “I just gave him a warning. And besides, it was a crap, impoverished city. His people were starving and dying and Phillip didn’t give a fuck. I ordered my men to evacuate the residents before I unleased my rampage. Furthermore, we were kind enough to offer them our kingdom as home.”Geoffrey said, “Which they happily accepted and increased the population of our nation. Did I tell you that it added quite a bit of a work load onto my staff?”Victor said, “It’s great that Felix’s untamed rage and his inability to think about the long-term consequences of his rash actions actually helped those poor citizens of McFarland, but I still think it’s unreasonable to destroy a whole city just because of a necklace.”“It was hernecklace,” Felix said. “It’s all that we have left of her. It was a part of her and when she was gone, with Philip taking her body with him, I... Yuki was important to us and I just can’t...”The moment that name was said aloud, all seven lords tensed and a dark atmosphere descended the room.Felix said, “Sorry. I just kind of...” Everyone understood that when it came to this woman named Yuki Hoshi—dubbed Beautiful Snow or known simply as Snow because of her strangely alluring beauty of dark hair, pale complexion, and blood red lips—all seven lords would be affected. Felix being the most sensitive because he had always been the closest to her. After all, they were like yin and yang, with Felix retaining so much dark qi while Yuki so much pure qi.“Yuki, eh?” Geoffrey said. “I’ve not spoken her name for so long.” He sounded nostalgic. “And yet, I still think of her constantly.”Aaron said, “And you still sound like a love-sick pup, even though it has been two thousand years, and you’re one of the masters of a kingdom.”Geoffrey chuckled. “It can’t be help. Yuki was... just Yuki. It can’t be denied that she was special, not only to us, but to everyone who survived the apocalypse. Thanks to her and all of the Great Ones, our realm was saved from an imminent end.”All seven lords agreed with that.Fact was, they all had loved Yuki Hoshi of the Kingdom Yamato once, not simply as someone who was dear to them, but as a woman they were willing to give their hearts, souls, and lives to. But of course, Yuki’s own heart was taken by that narcissistic Prince Philip McFarland, of the McFarland Kingdom. Before any of them could confess their love for her, she was announced engaged to the bastard. Then again, none of the seven lords had been confident in the fact that she’d ever return their love, due to numerous reasons. Aside from the fact that the seven lords had never gotten along until two thousand years ago, their physical appearances back then were anything but something to be admired. Well, they were demon lords, after all, and the mere sight of their tanned, bulky bodies, two prominent horns protruding from their foreheads, sharp fangs, and demonic tails sticking out of their backsides was enough to send most running in the opposite direction. Comparing them to what appeared to be the handsome, charming Prince Philip McFarland had been like comparing a pile of dirt with a polished diamond. Despite that they’d had their hearts broken, the seven lords continued to treat Yuki with love and care. Of course, after her marriage to Philip, she had always come running back to them when she couldn’t bear the man’s overwhelming, arrogant behavior, and it’d be either Felix or Caleb who’d volunteer to beat the crap out of the prince to keep him in line.When Yuki had sacrificed herself for the greater good, Philip had blamed the seven lords for using her as a pawn to gain world dominance, which was, of course, bullshit. Without the seven demon lords’ dark qi, along with King Aslan McTavish of the Forbidden Forest and Prince Maximus Kavanagh of Lyria, combined with the pure qi from the nine Great Ones, Yuki being one of them, who had volunteered to sacrifice themselves, Aurora Realm would have disappeared into nothing but dust and gas, floating in the cosmos. But of course, Philip had refused to believe that their world was ending, despite the fact that the realm was breaking, collapsing, and exploding, killing hundreds and thousands of creatures right before their eyes. Now, what remained of the Aurora Realm was only one-fourth of its original size.Ethan said from the screen, “Okay, let’s stop talking about ancient topics and that bastard Philip.”The other six lords nodded in agreement. After all, discussions about Prince Philip always left a bad taste in their mouths.Victor asked, “How’re Aria and Brenna doing?”Of course, he and Ethan had read the report about them being captured during The Bandits Suppression Campaign.Noah said, “They seem fine. They’ve been attending their therapy, as suggested, since arriving a week ago. Aria is strong mentally so there’s no sign of trauma, though Brenna is young and has never gone through something like that before. She’s still a little shocked from the experience.” He sighed, and rubbed his temple. “It’s my fault, I asked her to join the team on the mission because I wanted her to gather the Black Widow herbs.”Aaron said, “But she seems fine to me, especially when she’s with Alfie.”Noah raised his head and look at Aaron. “Alfie? Oh, the boy with pure qi Felix and Caleb found in the woods? I have yet to meet him.”From the screen, Victor asked, “Who’s Alfie? That name is not in the report.”Everyone turned to Aaron, who was responsible for that particular task. Well, more specifically, he was responsible for dictating which part of the campaign was considered important and needed to be reported.Aaron said logically, “Hey, I directed my staff to report the most important episodes, didn’t I?”Caleb said, his hands folded across his chest, “And the fact that Philip tried to get his hands on Alfie, who has pure qi, isn’t important?”Ethan said, with a deep sigh, “We’re back to bastard Philip, again, I see.”Felix said, “The bastard did seem to work very hard on it, going so far as to risk his own life going head on against Caleb and me, which I must admit is rather unusual for him. He’s generally the first to bolt the moment he sees trouble. Why would he want Alfie, who has such a weak qi, that much? It’s rather suspicious to me.”“Oh?” Noah pushed his glasses up the bridge of masked-nose. “Could he be up to something?” He clasped his hands together suddenly. “Right, that means I must meet this boy Alfie immediately. I need to study him and his qi. Hmmm... I must ask him many questions, too.” He sounded excited at the prospect of a new subject he could lose himself in. Thus, he hastily stood up. “I believe this is it for me, gentlemen. I have work to do.” He was about to head over to the door when Aaron got out of his seat and rushed to block the man.“You’re going to see Alfie, aren’t you?” Aaron asked. At Noah nodding his head, the younger demon lord said, “You can’t meet him yet. He’s busy recovering.”Noah cocked his head to one side. “So?”“What do you mean, so?” Aaron muttered. “Like I said, the boy is still recovering from the trauma of the shit that has happened to him during the Bandit Suppression Campaign and doesn’t need anyone bothering him right now.”Geoffrey couldn’t help himself at witnessing his younger brother’s unusual behavior and started chuckling. He said, “First you omitted Alfie’s name and his involvement in The Bandits Suppression Campaign’s report, and now, you’re preventing Noah from meeting Alfie. Is something up, Aaron?” He cocked his head to one side. “Although, come to think of it, I haven’t seen Alfie since we arrived. I might personally go and visit him this afternoon to see how he’s settling into his new environment.”Aaron fired a glare at his brother. “I told you, he’s still recovering and he’s busy studying our language, so don’t bother him.”Of course, Felix and Caleb, who were looking at Aaron’s strange behavior, became suspicious as well. They, too, hadn’t seen Alfie since they returned to the palace a week ago, due to work. Training their soldiers, protecting the kingdom, and dealing with the nation’s affairs as part of the seven rulers of Acaedien were their top priority, after all. Thus, visiting a boy with pure qi they had fatefully encountered and ensnared in the woods would have to wait until they had a moment to spare.Felix said, “Let’s end the meeting here.” After all, he personally had wanted to see Alfie since yesterday morning. If they could end the meeting early, he’d have a few stolen moments to demand a few owed kisses from the youth. Technically speaking, Alfie did owe him seven kisses, including today.Oh, yes, Felix had been keeping count. Furthermore, he had thought about adding an interest rate. A seven-days missed kisses would procure an extra kiss as interest sounded like music to his ears. He had decided that he’d declare that newly added clause to their contract when next he saw the boy.Geoffrey said, “Then, that’s all for today, gentlemen.” He waved his right hand and the crystal sitting in the middle of the table, which documented their meeting, blacked out, indicating it had terminated the recording. He then looked up to the screen and said, “See you two soon, then.”Ethan and Victor nodded. Both said, “Bye, now,” and then the screen turned blank.At this point, Aaron was already at the door and was trying to escape when Felix asked, “By the way, Aaron, Alfie is still staying with the girls, right? You haven’t dragged him to live in your quarters just because you self-proclaimed that he’s your best buddy, have you?”Aaron chuckled nervously. He said, “Of course not. Why would I do such a thing? They wanted him in their quarters, after all, and Alfie agreed.”“That’s good to hear, then,” Caleb said. “Because who knows what you’d be up to if Alfie were to live with you in your quarters? Especially since the boy has pure qi.”Aaron turned around and snapped in outrage, “How rude. I like Alfie because he’s Alfie, not because he has pure qi. I have no underlying agenda whatsoever. The boy is cute and there’s just that something about him that draws me to him. It’s fate, I tell you, that we met.” He narrowed his eyes and continued, “Aside from that, you all should just return to your duties now. I understand that you have got a shitload to do before the national conference in Wulin next month, so there. Shoo.” He waved his hand for them to leave.Felix said, “I can spare a couple of moments to visit Alfie. It’s no problem.”Geoffrey said with a sigh, “Unfortunately, I can’t, and Aaron is right. I have a lot to do before the conference. Now if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen.” With that, he gracefully headed out the door in a swirl of white.Caleb said, “Me, too.” Then he was gone, following Geoffrey out the door in a whirl of black.Noah said, “Meeting Alfie will have to wait then. I have a shitload of reports to finish before the national conference, after all. I’m sure the other leaders would want to know the latest findings regarding the Aurora barrier.” With that, he exited the room, his beloved magic tablet—loaded with endless important data and information—clutched against his chest. Felix said, “Well, I suppose I can visit Alfie tomorrow morning.” With the extra kisses piling up on his mind, and a grin on his face, he too, headed out the door in a swirl of black smoke.* * *Seven Devils and a Rose will be released on Amazon on Jan 24th.Get Seven Devils and a Rose
Seven Devils and a Rose Excerpt7 Devils POVAcaedien KingdomToday was yet another beautiful summer day for the citizens of Acaedien. In the city, picturesque buildings lined the intertwining streets that stretched as far as the eye could see. Here in this prosperous, growing, and well-protected metropolis, the citizens—of many different manners and natures—ranging from human to elves, beast-people, dwarfs, goblins, orcs, and many more—went about their daily routines, taking care of their business.Sitting atop the hill overlooking the capital was a majestic castle, six stories-high and built from creamy-white Oamaru stone. The grandiose palace had countless quarters, which were further divided into departments where some five thousand staff worked and resided.At this very moment, at the hour of eleven in the morning, seven demon lords were having a conference in a boardroom up on the seventh floor, a level non-existent to the outside world. After all, this secret level was shielded with an immensely high-tier protective barrier, which not only made the entire floor invisible to the naked eye, but only those with authorization—the seven lords—and those with passes, could gain access to. The boardroom was grand and designed with rich color, soft furnishings, and chandeliers, with stately paintings and indoor ornaments made of silver and gold. One side of the room was designed in an open-plan style, stretching out onto the veranda where it had a stately view of the city and mountains beyond.As it was at the moment, bright sunlight streamed into the room where five lords sat around a table, while two more appeared on the magic screen to the left.Sitting at the head, and facing a lovely view of the city, was Lord Geoffrey Lancaster, a demon lord considered the head of the kingdom and a father figure to the Acaedien citizens. As one of the seven lords who ruled Acaedien, the very old and the very young loved him, the mature respected him, the male youth looked up to him, while the female youth both looked up to him and drooled over him. After all, Lord Geoffrey was a wickedly gorgeous man with long, pale blond hair that he tied at the back with a gold hair ornament. His emerald-green eyes, like the gem itself, were beautiful and mesmerizing, while his aquiline nose and sensual lips added to his stunning look, which made it hard for any female’s heart not to flutter at the sight of him, even more so because he wore that intriguing mask with strange signs, symbols, and scripts. Always in white or pale garments, Lord Geoffrey looked like an angel who had descended from the heavens to guide and protect them. And of course, that was exactly what the lord was doing, guiding and protecting the kingdom of Acaedien, along with his comrades and underlings.Sitting to the left of Lord Geoffrey was Lord Noah Wakefield, a demon lord professor and currently the kingdom’s head magic researcher. With light brown hair stylishly cut, hazel eyes, a Roman nose, firm lips, strong jawline, and a pair of specs sitting atop his mask, he was the epitome of a hot, yet stern, professor in a young woman’s sexual fantasy. Always in white or pale garments, like Lord Geoffrey, Lord Noah, too, looked like an archangel who had descended from above to guide the citizens in the research and development fields, thus improving on almost every aspect of everyone’s lives.To the right side of the table sat Lord Felix Worthington, Caleb Harrington, and Aaron Lancaster. All three warriors, as usual, were dressed in dark garments.Lord Caleb Harrington, dubbed The Dark Lord by the citizens of Acaedien because of his dark hair, steel-gray eyes, and stoic and hard-to-approach attitude was alluringly gorgeous. As opposed to Lord Geoffrey and Noah, whom the citizens believed descended from the heavens, Lord Caleb was believed to have risen from the depths of hell itself, and was here to fight evil doers and protect the innocent, which was exactly Lord Caleb’s job description.Like Lord Caleb, who had been awarded a title, Lord Felix, too, obtained one by the citizens of Acaedien. This gregarious lord was known by most as The King of Hell because of his colossally powerful dark qi. According to rumors, he was as powerful as Lord Aslan, the King of the Forbidden Forest, and could destroy an entire city with a flick of his hand if the mood struck him, which was why it was an unspoken rule that Lord’s Felix’s anger should not be tested, despite his easy-going attitude and charming smile. After all, it had happened a mere few months ago, when something precious had been taken from him, thus awakening the rage of this mighty demon lord; and a whole city, in turn, was annihilated.With dark brown hair, unique mauve eyes, an aquiline nose, sensual lips, and an intriguing mask on his face, Lord Felix was a sinfully handsome man. To the female citizens of Acaedien, he was the personification of an out-of-my-league lord; his dark, sensual demeanor featured in their sexual fantasy.Where Lord Felix exuded the aura of dark, intense sexual appeal, Lord Aaron Lancaster, on the other hand, emanated a boyish charm. This came with soft features, a slender frame, and average height. Sitting at five-foot and seven inches, he was the shortest of the seven lords, which of course didn’t bother him since his unique physic enabled him to be the fastest and deadliest in the battlefield. With pale blond hair stylishly cut, twinkling emerald-green eyes, a straight nose, and lips that seemed to always smile, females—both young and old—adored him.At the moment, all five lords were listening attentively to Lord Ethan Sherwood and Victor Rutherford, who were appearing in the magic screen attached to the wall on the left side of the room. These two lords were currently in a lavish airship flying at a leisurely pace, heading toward the kingdom, back from their diplomatic journey to the Wulin Kingdom.On the screen sitting to the left side was Lord Ethan, who had golden blond hair, blue eyes, and a strong jawline. Today, he wore a blue garment—his favorite color—which enhanced and complemented his eyes and tanned skin. Wickedly striking, he was dubbed the Golden Prince of the Acaedien Kingdom. Next to him was his best friend Lord Victor, dubbed the Silver Prince of Acaedien because of his pale, charming appearance of silver hair, which was stylishly cut, and silver eyes that looked as though they could see right through your soul, which they could because of the lord’s unique magical dark qi.“That’s all the information we’ve gathered,” Victor said, his voice deep yet soft to the ear. “It’s understood that there seems to be an abnormality going on with the Aurora barrier, not only in Acaedien, but that of the Forbidden Forest, Wulin, Yamato, Lyria, and many other smaller kingdoms as well.”Ethan said, “I’ve been in contact with Aslan, he’s putting his best people to the task in researching the phenomenon.”Folding his arms across his chest, Aaron said, “I hope this isn’t a sign of shit happening again, like it did two thousand years ago.”Geoffrey glanced at his younger brother, his handsome face grim. Of course, they all knew that Aaron was referring to the apocalypse that had nearly destroyed their world.Noah said, “At this point, though without much evidence, I can confidently say that it’s very unlikely. This feels more like someone naughty is experimenting with the barrier.”Felix folded his arms across his massive chest and asked, “What are you implying, Noah?”“That someone powerful is tampering with the barrier?” Caleb cocked his head to one side.“Why would anyone do that?” Aaron stated. “The barrier has been stabilizing our world for two thousand years now. Without it, we’re all in deep shit. Why would anyone risk another world disaster by tinkering with the barrier?”Geoffrey said, “There are all sorts of powerful beings out there, and not all of them have the Aurora Realm’s best interests at heart.”“That is true,” Victor said from the screen. “Speaking of which, congratulations on succeeding with The Bandits Suppression Campaign.”Ethan said, “According to the report, Prince Philip was involved again? What the fuck is wrong with that bastard? He seems to be stirring shit up every so often.”Felix shrugged his board shoulders. “He’s probably still pissed off with us for what we did.”Caleb sighed. “That was two thousand years ago. It’s not like she wanted to stay with him, for God’s sake.”“He’s a narcissistic bastard,” Noah said. “Who’d want to stay with a narcissistic bastard?”Geoffrey said, looking at Felix, “It can’t be helped with what’s already been done. Personally, I’d like to think he’s pissed with you, who destroyed his entire city a few months back, Felix.”Felix shrugged his shoulders again. “Hey, he fucked with us first. What a petty man, going as low as to steal...” The lord had a dark expression on his face. “I just gave him a warning. And besides, it was a crap, impoverished city. His people were starving and dying and Phillip didn’t give a fuck. I ordered my men to evacuate the residents before I unleased my rampage. Furthermore, we were kind enough to offer them our kingdom as home.”Geoffrey said, “Which they happily accepted and increased the population of our nation. Did I tell you that it added quite a bit of a work load onto my staff?”Victor said, “It’s great that Felix’s untamed rage and his inability to think about the long-term consequences of his rash actions actually helped those poor citizens of McFarland, but I still think it’s unreasonable to destroy a whole city just because of a necklace.”“It was hernecklace,” Felix said. “It’s all that we have left of her. It was a part of her and when she was gone, with Philip taking her body with him, I... Yuki was important to us and I just can’t...”The moment that name was said aloud, all seven lords tensed and a dark atmosphere descended the room.Felix said, “Sorry. I just kind of...” Everyone understood that when it came to this woman named Yuki Hoshi—dubbed Beautiful Snow or known simply as Snow because of her strangely alluring beauty of dark hair, pale complexion, and blood red lips—all seven lords would be affected. Felix being the most sensitive because he had always been the closest to her. After all, they were like yin and yang, with Felix retaining so much dark qi while Yuki so much pure qi.“Yuki, eh?” Geoffrey said. “I’ve not spoken her name for so long.” He sounded nostalgic. “And yet, I still think of her constantly.”Aaron said, “And you still sound like a love-sick pup, even though it has been two thousand years, and you’re one of the masters of a kingdom.”Geoffrey chuckled. “It can’t be help. Yuki was... just Yuki. It can’t be denied that she was special, not only to us, but to everyone who survived the apocalypse. Thanks to her and all of the Great Ones, our realm was saved from an imminent end.”All seven lords agreed with that.Fact was, they all had loved Yuki Hoshi of the Kingdom Yamato once, not simply as someone who was dear to them, but as a woman they were willing to give their hearts, souls, and lives to. But of course, Yuki’s own heart was taken by that narcissistic Prince Philip McFarland, of the McFarland Kingdom. Before any of them could confess their love for her, she was announced engaged to the bastard. Then again, none of the seven lords had been confident in the fact that she’d ever return their love, due to numerous reasons. Aside from the fact that the seven lords had never gotten along until two thousand years ago, their physical appearances back then were anything but something to be admired. Well, they were demon lords, after all, and the mere sight of their tanned, bulky bodies, two prominent horns protruding from their foreheads, sharp fangs, and demonic tails sticking out of their backsides was enough to send most running in the opposite direction. Comparing them to what appeared to be the handsome, charming Prince Philip McFarland had been like comparing a pile of dirt with a polished diamond. Despite that they’d had their hearts broken, the seven lords continued to treat Yuki with love and care. Of course, after her marriage to Philip, she had always come running back to them when she couldn’t bear the man’s overwhelming, arrogant behavior, and it’d be either Felix or Caleb who’d volunteer to beat the crap out of the prince to keep him in line.When Yuki had sacrificed herself for the greater good, Philip had blamed the seven lords for using her as a pawn to gain world dominance, which was, of course, bullshit. Without the seven demon lords’ dark qi, along with King Aslan McTavish of the Forbidden Forest and Prince Maximus Kavanagh of Lyria, combined with the pure qi from the nine Great Ones, Yuki being one of them, who had volunteered to sacrifice themselves, Aurora Realm would have disappeared into nothing but dust and gas, floating in the cosmos. But of course, Philip had refused to believe that their world was ending, despite the fact that the realm was breaking, collapsing, and exploding, killing hundreds and thousands of creatures right before their eyes. Now, what remained of the Aurora Realm was only one-fourth of its original size.Ethan said from the screen, “Okay, let’s stop talking about ancient topics and that bastard Philip.”The other six lords nodded in agreement. After all, discussions about Prince Philip always left a bad taste in their mouths.Victor asked, “How’re Aria and Brenna doing?”Of course, he and Ethan had read the report about them being captured during The Bandits Suppression Campaign.Noah said, “They seem fine. They’ve been attending their therapy, as suggested, since arriving a week ago. Aria is strong mentally so there’s no sign of trauma, though Brenna is young and has never gone through something like that before. She’s still a little shocked from the experience.” He sighed, and rubbed his temple. “It’s my fault, I asked her to join the team on the mission because I wanted her to gather the Black Widow herbs.”Aaron said, “But she seems fine to me, especially when she’s with Alfie.”Noah raised his head and look at Aaron. “Alfie? Oh, the boy with pure qi Felix and Caleb found in the woods? I have yet to meet him.”From the screen, Victor asked, “Who’s Alfie? That name is not in the report.”Everyone turned to Aaron, who was responsible for that particular task. Well, more specifically, he was responsible for dictating which part of the campaign was considered important and needed to be reported.Aaron said logically, “Hey, I directed my staff to report the most important episodes, didn’t I?”Caleb said, his hands folded across his chest, “And the fact that Philip tried to get his hands on Alfie, who has pure qi, isn’t important?”Ethan said, with a deep sigh, “We’re back to bastard Philip, again, I see.”Felix said, “The bastard did seem to work very hard on it, going so far as to risk his own life going head on against Caleb and me, which I must admit is rather unusual for him. He’s generally the first to bolt the moment he sees trouble. Why would he want Alfie, who has such a weak qi, that much? It’s rather suspicious to me.”“Oh?” Noah pushed his glasses up the bridge of masked-nose. “Could he be up to something?” He clasped his hands together suddenly. “Right, that means I must meet this boy Alfie immediately. I need to study him and his qi. Hmmm... I must ask him many questions, too.” He sounded excited at the prospect of a new subject he could lose himself in. Thus, he hastily stood up. “I believe this is it for me, gentlemen. I have work to do.” He was about to head over to the door when Aaron got out of his seat and rushed to block the man.“You’re going to see Alfie, aren’t you?” Aaron asked. At Noah nodding his head, the younger demon lord said, “You can’t meet him yet. He’s busy recovering.”Noah cocked his head to one side. “So?”“What do you mean, so?” Aaron muttered. “Like I said, the boy is still recovering from the trauma of the shit that has happened to him during the Bandit Suppression Campaign and doesn’t need anyone bothering him right now.”Geoffrey couldn’t help himself at witnessing his younger brother’s unusual behavior and started chuckling. He said, “First you omitted Alfie’s name and his involvement in The Bandits Suppression Campaign’s report, and now, you’re preventing Noah from meeting Alfie. Is something up, Aaron?” He cocked his head to one side. “Although, come to think of it, I haven’t seen Alfie since we arrived. I might personally go and visit him this afternoon to see how he’s settling into his new environment.”Aaron fired a glare at his brother. “I told you, he’s still recovering and he’s busy studying our language, so don’t bother him.”Of course, Felix and Caleb, who were looking at Aaron’s strange behavior, became suspicious as well. They, too, hadn’t seen Alfie since they returned to the palace a week ago, due to work. Training their soldiers, protecting the kingdom, and dealing with the nation’s affairs as part of the seven rulers of Acaedien were their top priority, after all. Thus, visiting a boy with pure qi they had fatefully encountered and ensnared in the woods would have to wait until they had a moment to spare.Felix said, “Let’s end the meeting here.” After all, he personally had wanted to see Alfie since yesterday morning. If they could end the meeting early, he’d have a few stolen moments to demand a few owed kisses from the youth. Technically speaking, Alfie did owe him seven kisses, including today.Oh, yes, Felix had been keeping count. Furthermore, he had thought about adding an interest rate. A seven-days missed kisses would procure an extra kiss as interest sounded like music to his ears. He had decided that he’d declare that newly added clause to their contract when next he saw the boy.Geoffrey said, “Then, that’s all for today, gentlemen.” He waved his right hand and the crystal sitting in the middle of the table, which documented their meeting, blacked out, indicating it had terminated the recording. He then looked up to the screen and said, “See you two soon, then.”Ethan and Victor nodded. Both said, “Bye, now,” and then the screen turned blank.At this point, Aaron was already at the door and was trying to escape when Felix asked, “By the way, Aaron, Alfie is still staying with the girls, right? You haven’t dragged him to live in your quarters just because you self-proclaimed that he’s your best buddy, have you?”Aaron chuckled nervously. He said, “Of course not. Why would I do such a thing? They wanted him in their quarters, after all, and Alfie agreed.”“That’s good to hear, then,” Caleb said. “Because who knows what you’d be up to if Alfie were to live with you in your quarters? Especially since the boy has pure qi.”Aaron turned around and snapped in outrage, “How rude. I like Alfie because he’s Alfie, not because he has pure qi. I have no underlying agenda whatsoever. The boy is cute and there’s just that something about him that draws me to him. It’s fate, I tell you, that we met.” He narrowed his eyes and continued, “Aside from that, you all should just return to your duties now. I understand that you have got a shitload to do before the national conference in Wulin next month, so there. Shoo.” He waved his hand for them to leave.Felix said, “I can spare a couple of moments to visit Alfie. It’s no problem.”Geoffrey said with a sigh, “Unfortunately, I can’t, and Aaron is right. I have a lot to do before the conference. Now if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen.” With that, he gracefully headed out the door in a swirl of white.Caleb said, “Me, too.” Then he was gone, following Geoffrey out the door in a whirl of black.Noah said, “Meeting Alfie will have to wait then. I have a shitload of reports to finish before the national conference, after all. I’m sure the other leaders would want to know the latest findings regarding the Aurora barrier.” With that, he exited the room, his beloved magic tablet—loaded with endless important data and information—clutched against his chest. Felix said, “Well, I suppose I can visit Alfie tomorrow morning.” With the extra kisses piling up on his mind, and a grin on his face, he too, headed out the door in a swirl of black smoke.* * *Seven Devils and a Rose will be released on Amazon on Jan 24th.Get Seven Devils and a Rose
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