Raising my arms, I summoned magical power, running it from the bottom of my feet through to the palms of my hands. I could feel the earth tremble beneath me, this world heaving from the magical exertion I was placing on it. The demon realms took little note of my magical draw, but here it was obvious that I was not quite human and therefore a bit too magical for the normal constraints of the realm.

  "Careful, Mistra," Feros warned, his words coming distorted through the magic swirling around me, "we don't need to cause another earthquake."

  I stopped drawing on the magic of the realm with a sigh, leaving me feeling only about a quarter of my true potential. It always felt distinctly unfair that the only realm in which I was likely one of the most potent magic wielders at any one time had to be so magically devoid that a misstep could collapse the magical capabilities of the world entirely. It was really no wonder why human and demon hybrids were practically unheard of in either the human or demon realm. If not for the pleasant position I currently found myself in, I would have already begun the search for a realm more appropriate to accommodate my unique magical needs.

  Casting aside my frustration, I heaved what magic I had drawn from the core of my body to my hands. My fingertips, usually a warm bronze, began to redden and glow, growing exponentially brighter as the magic coalesced. With a sharp, cutting motion, I dropped my left arm, sending a slice of magical power through the air, extending from my fingertips. The current of power cracked and crackled like a whip constructed of lightning, tearing the training dummy before me into shreds before alighting the broken pieces on fire. With a slice of my other hand, I neatly severed the head of another dummy, singing the fabric, but restraining the power from catching anything alight.

  "You are gaining more control," Feros commented, his grumbling voice not belying if he felt the progress was enough. "I think it best we break now and let the magical forces around us regenerate."

  With two sharp flicks of my wrists, I commanded the magic away, leaving me feeling both energized and wantonly empty.

  "It will not be much longer until we might be able to start training in the demon realm, we can slowly acclimate you to the intensity of the magical potential."

  Feros moved awkwardly to the stump he had been using daily as a resting spot. His humanoid glamour was impressively realistic, but he was prone to moving awkwardly with the necessity for frequent rests, like the air of the realm was much heavier than he was accustomed to. He flicked his long brown hair from his eyes and wiped the sweat off his brow, despite the fact that I had been the only one doing anything remotely active.

  "I would like to prolong moving our sessions to the demon realm," I said as I wiggled the last of the fading magic from my fingertips. "My brothers are... let's say not so forgiving of the fact that I am not a full demon. Any misstep or evidence of my weakness takes eternity for them to talk of anything else. It was not just fortuity that I have dwelled most of my adult life outside of the demon realm."

  "Mistra, the dark consort of the dread Queen Yser, backs down from familial needling?" His face curled up into a knowing grin.

  Feros had been acquainted with me since I was very little and knew exactly what to say to push my buttons. Luckily for him, usually the pushing had some positive outcome in mind.

  "I have a reputation to uphold," I chastised. "The less ammunition those empty-headed fools have, the better my life is overall."

  The strange gentleman leaned upright and let out a chuffing sound that somewhat imitated a laugh. "Those fools, as you have said, will run the demon realm one day."

  "Yes, straight into the ground," I said with a sharp flick of my right hand. "Any of them could have been the consort, Laric in particular. I know Toria thinks he is handsome and I'm sure considered him a potential consort, but he was too arrogant to understand that Toria is much more clever than him. His obvious ambitions excluded him from ever being a safe choice for her. If he cannot cement a simple political move such as a partnership, what chance does he have of conducting a more intensive political strategy?"

  "Ah, so your powerful position was just an effective political strategy?" Feros' eyes gleamed with mischief.

  Stolen story; please report.

  I should have known better than to speak seriously to him. He had more than once been cast from a meeting with my father for failing to stay on topic, especially if it was a serious subject. The creature seemed irresistibly drawn to twisting conversation back to whatever topic amused him most. The only reason he was still a strong ally of our family was due to his uncanny magical abilities.

  "Mostly, yes." I tried to leave my answer there, but his grin widened. "I will not speak about my private life so openly with someone who still brings up things my father said or did decades ago that all of us would rather forget."

  To signal my desire to end the conversation I turned away from him, towards the path back to the castle.

  "I do not like him as much as you," Feros said in the most earnest tone he could manage. "He is impulsive and easy to anger, the anger blinds him more often than not. You, however, are always calculating, even in your most intense of rages. I believe that you would make a much better monarch. Honestly, I think consort is beneath you and, deep down, I think you agree. So the question becomes: why have you settled for the position?"

  "Who says I have settled and do not have higher ambitions in the works? Is this some sort of conversational run around where you're trying to get to a point in the most absurd, convoluted path possible?" I huffed and pointedly did not turn around. "If you do indeed like me more than my father, why don't we get to your point in a more expeditious path?"

  Feros let out a long, low, grumbling laugh, clapping together his hands once as if he enjoyed my annoyance about his mischievous way of making a point.

  "Ah, that is what I so love most about you, my dear demi-infernal child," he said with glee. "You are still cool and regal, even when you're ready to have me drawn and quartered. I will skip to the point, think of it as a reward for your superior temperance. Are your brothers' potential opinions on your magical prowess truly the only reason you wish to avoid training in the demon realm?"

  I turned back to look at him, he held his right index finger up, pointing to the castle. My lips pursed as I lined up where he was pointing as a large window on the second floor. I would glance often to that particular window during training as Toria could commonly be found staring out, observing the session.

  "She is interested in what skills I bring to her kingdom, especially with an eventual war on the horizon," I answered with an incline of my head. “It is only natural that she would want to ensure that I am up to the task.”

  "Ah yes, that is why both you and her linger, long enough for you to sometimes gaze just a bit too long." His words were smug, the grin on his face never fading.

  "I take offense to the idea that I have ever lost focus during our training," I sniffed. “I have been a good student thus far, you have said as much yourself.”

  I began to gather power again, willing it through my feet and legs. Despite my show of the progress I had made thus far, Feros merely returned my example with a shake of his head.

  "I never said that you lost focus, but I will take your immediate defense as a confirmation of my suspicions."

  "I encourage her growing infatuation with me," I explained, "it will afford me leverage when I wish to execute my plans."

  "Again with the idea that it's all simply political," he chuckled. "It is no matter, as long as you are aware of your own feelings. I would suggest that for the betterment of your progression in magic you reconsider your hesitance about moving our sessions. I assure you that your queen will be much more impressed with your skills once you return."

  I met his gaze and judged that he was actually trying to give sound advice, as strange as it sounded coming from someone known for his love of the absurd. I did not appreciate his consistent insinuation that I was making questionable choices based on emotions, but I could not deny that I did feel some sort of pull to stay in the human realm. Perhaps those longing looks I would catch Toria in were having some sort of sway over me. I wondered if it was part of some bigger political plot or if she were truly letting her guard down. Either way, it was important for me to note and not let any effects from our interactions hinder my progression.

  "I will make arrangements for me to stay in the demon realms," I said, conceding to his point. "I do not think my feelings or my queen's holds any weight in the matter, but regardless I admit that my training will be greatly improved in a magical atmosphere that is not so woefully inadequate."

  Feros clapped his hands together once more and carefully stood up, the joints in his legs cracking loudly. Despite it sounding like it should have been extremely painful, his face did not flinch away from his perpetually jester-like disposition.

  "Fantastic, I shall make arrangements as well," he chirped. "The sooner the better, this terrible human shell has been nothing but trouble from the start. I will thoroughly enjoy a bit of a vacation, not that the demonic shell is much better."

  The thought of asking him about his true form crossed my mind, but I was already exhausted dealing with him, he was the type of person that one could only take in small doses, large would require prolonged recovery of sanity. Instead, I bid my farewell and began to make my way back to the castle. A strange pang of resistance drilled into my chest as I looked over the outside of my current kingdom. I had not expected to become attached to anything in the realm, but for the second time in my life I felt like I was leaving my home and that came with a sense of soft sadness, even though I knew I would return.