It Isn't Easy Being Queen

38. The Lovesick Demon

And a line of minion guards with long spears prevented Queen's displeased guests from getting too close. A few had been singed by the dragons' breath, but they held their posts bravely. More afraid of Petronella than an angry supernatural mob.

I pointed at the screen. "What's going on in the throne room?"

"You're not supposed to see that," Xiri said. She pressed a button on her keyboard and the screens went black.

"Hey, I'm the future queen. Shouldn't I be able to see whatever I want?" I said, curiosity burning inside me. Why were all those creatures so mad? And why did I think it had something to do with me?

"Until you take the oath, you don't have the proper security clearance."

"I'll remember your lack of cooperation when I ascend the throne," I warned in my warningest tone. (You and I both know I would never take the oath, but it seemed like an excellent tactic for getting my way.)

She smiled coldly, (i.e., showed me her mouthful of pointy teeth). "You're threatening a demon?"

I swallowed hard. "Um, kind of," I said.

"Whatever. Why should I care anymore? Those are the representatives of the realms who have arrived for your coronation."

"But that's like a week away!"

"It's today."

"Huh? That can't be true."

"Quest-time runs differently than regular time. Didn't anyone tell you that?"

"No. But I'm not ready!" I might've started shaking so hard I created a minor earthquake in the chamber. And I still had a whole quest to do—Inferno's Embrace, (yeah, that sounded fun ... not!)—before I could be safely hooked up to the magic sucking machine. Who knew what would happen if I wasn't fully prepared? Tyra and Olivia said I could destroy the realm, but what if I was so out of control, I took out the entire planet, the solar system, the galaxy, or even the universe? "Why were all those ... er ... representatives so angry?"

"I don't think they believe Petronella's heir is up to the job. Something about her living as a human for her whole life."

"That's me. I'm the heir."

"I know. I was just trying not to call you out. Don't take it personally. The realms don't do well with change. You should've seen what happened when Petronella took over. The castle had to do almost a total rebuild after the melee."

"Get the images back, and turn on the sound. I need to hear what they're saying," I commanded.

Xiri shook her head. "Look, the truth is, I'm not supposed to be spying on the castle. But a demon needs some entertainment after 500 years in a white room."

"If I'd been alone in here for that long, I'd have eaten my own eyeballs by now."

"Been there. Done that," she said. "They just grew back."

"The good news is you can finally leave. I'm here to rescue you!" I said, waiting for her overwhelming expression of gratitude.

"Oh, aren't you adorable? The teenage witch come to liberate the demon from her prison."

"Exactly. If you have anything you'd like to bring with you, grab it, and let's get out of here. I am out of time!"

Xiri went rigid, the muscles in her legs so tense she looked like a bodybuilder who'd just done a tortuous leg day at the gym. "No."

This was not an expression of gratitude; I was pretty sure. I mean, not that I was that familiar with the body language of demons. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not leaving."