The night smelled of blood and smoke.
The last howl had faded minutes ago, but the cries of the wounded still echoed through the streets. Broken carts lay in the mud. Houses were torn open, their walls clawed apart.
The battle was over.
I stood near the west gate, staring at the massive corpse of the three-headed wolf demon. Its black fur was already fading into grey, like the life was being drained from it even after death.
My shoulder burned where the right head had bitten me. The wound was deep, but the Demon King's power was keeping me on my feet.
"You should hide," the voice in my head said calmly. "The longer you stand over the beast, the more questions they will ask."
He was right.
I stepped back, wiping the blood from my face.
Knights were moving through the square, checking on the injured. Some were dragging demon corpses into piles. Others were pulling bodies of villagers from the rubble.
I wanted to help, but I also wanted to disappear before someone asked the wrong question.
I slipped into one of the side streets, away from the main crowd. My legs felt heavy now that the fight was over. The black markings had faded completely.
It should have been the end of it.
But whispers followed me.
Two knights standing by a broken wall glanced at me as I passed. One leaned toward the other and muttered something. I caught only a few words.
"…not possible… no mage mark…"
I kept walking.
Near the fountain, a woman was tending to a wounded man. She looked up, saw me, and then quickly looked away.
"They saw you," the Demon King said. "Not all of it. But enough to know you are not what you claim."
I clenched my fists. "Then I'll lie. Simple."
"You may have to do more than lie, boy."
Before I could answer, a voice called my name.
"Coker!"
Reko was walking toward me, his wind-cloak fluttering in the night breeze. His face was hard, his eyes sharp.
"I was looking for you," he said, stopping a step away. "You weren't in the shelter when I checked after the fight started."
"I went to help people," I said. My voice was steady, but my heart beat faster.
His gaze flicked to my shoulder, where the bite wound was hidden under my torn shirt. "That's a bad injury. How are you still standing?"
"I guess I got lucky."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "I saw you, Coker. At the gate."
My mouth went dry. "Saw me… what?"
"You moved faster than any unawakened should. And you hit that thing hard enough to break its bones."
"I… grabbed a weapon from the ground. It was already injured. I just finished it off."
Reko didn't reply right away. He just studied my face, searching for something.
Finally, he said, "Be careful. People are talking." Then he turned and walked away toward the knights' camp.
When he was gone, the Demon King chuckled darkly. "Your brother is no fool."
I ignored him and made my way to the far side of the village. I needed somewhere quiet — away from the stares.
The small storehouse where I'd first met the Demon King was still standing. I slipped inside and shut the door.
The room was dark except for the faint moonlight through the cracks in the wall. I leaned against the far corner and slid down until I was sitting on the floor.
"That could have gone worse," the Demon King said.
I let out a sharp laugh. "Could have gone worse? Reko's already suspicious. If he finds out—"
"If he finds out, then we kill him," the Demon King said, as if it were the simplest answer in the world.
"No," I snapped. "He's my brother."
There was a pause. Then the Demon King spoke in a softer tone. "Attachment is weakness. I learned that when my own generals betrayed me. The ones you trust most are the ones who will cut deepest."
I didn't answer. My shoulder throbbed, and I could feel the heat of the wound.
"You are hurt," he said. "I can heal you fully. But the more I do, the more you will rely on me."
"Then do it."
A black warmth spread from the bite mark, seeping through my chest and down my arm. The pain faded, replaced by a strange lightness.
When it was done, I pulled my shirt back into place and stood.
Outside, the village was still busy with repairs. A few fires burned low, but most of the danger was past. The knights had gathered in the square for a meeting, their captain shouting orders.
I stayed in the shadows, watching.
"Tomorrow," the captain was saying, "we send word to the capital. This attack was too large to be random. We need reinforcements."
One of the younger knights stepped forward. "Sir, about the west gate… someone saw a man fighting there. He killed the beast before it could break through."
The captain looked interested. "A mage?"
"No, sir. No mark. But his blows—"
"That's enough," Reko cut in, stepping between them. "Whoever it was, they're probably injured or dead. We don't need rumors right now."
The captain frowned but didn't argue.
I turned away before anyone noticed me. My brother had just covered for me… but I couldn't tell if it was out of loyalty, or because he wanted to find the truth himself.
"You are walking on a knife's edge," the Demon King said. "It will cut you, sooner or later."
"Then I just have to make sure I'm the one holding the knife."
The Demon King laughed. "Spoken like a ruler."