Immortal Heirs

Chapter 6

As the sun woke the sky; the wind woke the princes. Rolling over in their cots with half-lidded eyes, they made their way out of the cave and into the morning light. Kai stretched his arms overhead while Ren left to get some water. Taron grumbled about missing the warmth of home in the chilled mountain tundra; however Kai felt the temperature to be rather homely.

"Who's going to get the Demon Princess?" Taron asked, leaning against the mountain side as Ren reappeared with a refreshed face and matted blonde hair.

"It surprises me that she isn't awake yet, she usually beats us to it," Taron mused as Kai made his way back into the cave, ducking into the darkness.

"Kasdeya! Wake up, we have to get moving!" Kai frowned at the lack of response and moved to Kasdeya's, now empty, cot. A frown slipped across the Icicle's face as he scanned the cave. "Kasdeya!"

With no reply he jogged out of the cave, concern growing in his blue eyes.

"She's gone," he growled, Taron frowned while Ren's eyes widened, "Gone? What the hell do you mean gone?!"

"She's not here hothead!" Ren stepped between the two opposite males as the air between them stirred. "Not now you two."

Taron scoffed but jogged down the mountain calling Kas's name, but hearing nothing but the rebounding echo. Ren wandered off down the ravine and Kai doubled back towards the river. The brisk morning air chilled the hairs on his neck as he made his way along the water's edge. He scoured the rocky ground for what seemed like hours, until his breath caught. A larger piece of rock lay tossed aside, a streak of blood painted along the edge.

The Ice Prince knelt down in the damp river bank and smeared the drying blood between his fingers, bringing it to his nose and wafting in then scent. His eyes narrowed as the blatant scent of hellfire raided his nostrils. Grabbing the rock he sprinted back to camp, finding the other princes with crossed arms and worried expressions.

"Well?" Ren asked, Kai tossed the rock and with a swift movement Taron grabbed it out of the air, his eyes zeroing in on the blood streak. "Don't tell me this is..."

Kai nodded, his teeth gritting, "it's Demon clan blood."

"Whoever did this won't live to see the falling of the sun!" Taron fumed as he discarded the rock and paced the tundra, his eyes engulfed in rage-induced flames.

"She can't be dead, Kas wouldn't go down quietly," Ren said, rubbing his bird call in between his fingers. "Ren's right, Kas is one of the strongest immortals of the land; she wouldn't have just taken it."

"Sneak attack then?"

"Most likely, that means she may still be alive."

"How do you propose we find her? There isn't much evidence to go on," Taron muttered.

As if a verbal cue had called them to this world, Kasdeya's nine hellhound jumped from a freshly opened portal and herded themselves in the tundra, gazing at each prince with demonic eyes.

Taron knelt by the leader of the pack, the one Kas had called Beya, and bowed to the hound. The wolf-dog hybrid responded with lolling out a tongue and awaiting further action. Taron stared at the beast and asked, "Kas is in trouble, is there any way you can find her?"

The hound snorted and howled at the sky, the eight others joining in, the sound filled the tundra, amplifying to a bone-shaking frequency. The princes covered their ears as the hounds continued to roar at the mountain until it was suddenly cut off. The pack leader, Beya, barked to the princes and took off sprinting down the ravine with the others on his heels.