148 Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Eight: Errant’s Little Sister, Part Two (1/2)
The Duke took a very deep breath. He was a servant of Huul, he dealt with fiends, and steeled his heart for more dire news. ”Yes!” he stated grimly.
”Your daughter's nanny is a doppelganger, placed to watch over the Hagchild.” His hand crackled on his Saber.
And then Hazé turned and looked at the Duchess, her fingers spreading in the beginnings of a spell. ”And your wife is a Poison Kiss Warlock.”
Despite himself, he froze. His incredulous eyes turned to the woman who shared his bed, his life, the matron of his family.
”My Lord!” protested the Duchess, taking a step back, her face still calm and composed. ”She is merely using these events to cover a greater lie! Do not believe this!”
”You're a Powered in your prime years, but you no longer have a period, because Poison Kiss Warlocks are sterile. Ergo, no more children,” Hazé continued calmly. ”By Consuming the Duchess, you can imitate her Casting ability... but you cannot improve on it, so you've not improved at all in the past six years. I believe she was a Sorceress? You cannot even swap spells out.” Hazé touched the silver crescent at her throat. ”As she had an Infernal bloodline, your Pact won't react to hellfire, which would normally reveal it. But there will be no concealing the demonfire if you are touched by moonfire, Warlock.”
Her moon symbol lit up, and moonfire shot out from her hand... at the Duke, who was startled enough for it to strike him in the chest.
Instantly the devil chi in his chest roared up at the anathemic energy, enveloping his body and chasing away the white moonfire that tasted of holy energies.
”My Lord...” the Duchess spoke up, worry coming up in her eyes, seeing her husband standing there, now fully covered in the flames of the Damnation Heart.
”Such a trifling will do no harm to my Lady,” Duke Gilderalz said flatly, staring at her with eyes that had lost all emotion.
Her hands came up, and magic sparked, failed as stars went off on Hazé's fingers and stopped whatever magic she was about to wield, and a spray of moonfire washed over her.
Puke yellow-green-black demonfire howled up from her to fight it off, while hollow, empty hellfire flickered at the ends of her fingers.
She knew her disguise was done, and lifted her hands to call on her powers-
The Execution of Nessus came down on her left shoulder, exited through her right hip. Hellfire exploded throughout her body, and demonfire raged up in protest. Her eyes had just enough time to meet his, sparking with anger and hate, and then a swathe of crimson-black flames came across to take off her head.
Hazé watched as the woman fell to the floor. Demonfire pulsed, overwhelming the hellfire and putting it out as it bubbled out of the wounds, and as it did, it pulled away the mask of the Duchess Gilderalz.
For a moment, the woman revealed was short, mousey, face scarred by disease and beatings, clearly someone who had seen much suffering, none of the elegance or beauty of the Duchess visible. Then the claws of the demonfire emptied her out from within, and her skin split, flesh devoured as spectral claws reached up into the writhing mess. For just a second, the woman's face was visible as the claws tore her spirit free from her mortal shell, and as she screamed out, they dragged her down to complete her Pact.
The Duke looked at the smoking remains of the woman who had killed and replaced his wife for years. ”Why would they go to such lengths?” he asked in an iron voice.
”Who says the matters are related?” Hazé asked calmly. She gestured, and the image of the woman arose in illusion, captured in perfect detail, then condensed down to a piece of paper in her hand. She set it on the dresser next to her. ”Find out who she was, and likely your questions will be answered.
”As for the doppelganger, they are often Hag servants. They wouldn't need two minions to watch over a Hagchild. Replacing a Duchess is a far, far bigger game. Indeed, the harm a revealed Hag could do would be minimized in a place such as this, she would likely be killed before she could escape.
”No, the Hag's purpose would be insult and humiliation, bloodshed incidental. Have you crossed a Stormhag before, Your Grace?”
His face was grim as he looked east. ”Zouma the Ill Wind lairs in the mountains to the east. She wrought havoc on the weather and preyed upon the peasants in my grandfather's day. There were conflicts, and they came to a manner of agreement which has lasted most of a century.”
”You may wish to review the wording of that agreement,” Hazé said politely. ”As matters stand... what will you do with the child?”
His grip tightened on his Saber. ”You would bring her away with you?”
”I will.”
”Will you speak of this?”
”Her ancestry? To none here, and I will take her far from this place.”
”Then take her immediately. I will deal with what has become of my wife.”
”And the shapechanger?” Hazé asked pleasantly.
The Duke looked at her, strode to the door, and threw it open.
”My Lord?” the guards on duty asked, eyes flicking past him for a moment, and noting the bedchamber in disarray, the Moon Priestess standing at the far end... and no Duchess...
He said nothing, closing the door, turning his head, and shifting with his gaze, his eyes coming to rest on the matronly woman standing near to his youngest daughter.
Her eyes widened as she read his mind. She started to move-