Chapter 10

As soon as I left the dining room, I went in pursuit of my son. Though I hated being away from Lucius again so soon, his near death far too fresh within my memory, my heart fluttered in anticipation of what was to come. It would only be a few more hours until we were together again. The thought allowed me to walk with my head held high and a bright smile on my face. I knew I looked utterly ridiculous, smiling like a mad woman with my puffy lips from all of the kissing and my hair sitting like a strange birds nest on top of my head.

Still, it earned me a few smiles from the staff I passed. I refused to be embarrassed about it. I felt so giddy; I was one second away from skipping through the halls. Despite how I felt, I somehow managed to keep a small sense of decorum. Instead of wild displays which would certainly set tongues wagging, I settled for humming under my breath as I walked through the hallways. So what if I had to keep my lips together to stop myself from giggling hysterically, or fist my hands around the fabric of my skirt to keep them still. I was happy and I was going to damn well enjoy it.

Our bedrooms were empty and all of the usual places Danny liked to play were empty. After everything that had happened over the past few days, my heart lurched uncomfortably. I picked up my pace, my footsteps clipping loudly against the floors as I pushed myself to walk faster and faster. It took a lot of self-control to stop panic from invading my body.

Stopping one of the staff, distracting the larger woman from her enthusiastic cleaning routine, I asked, "Have you seen my son? He's with Greta."

Looking down at me, she bowed her head in greeting. "Yes, milady," she replied. She lifted her hand and pointed down the hallway. "Greta took him out to the gardens with the others. You just need to head down the corridor, turn right and then keep walking until you reach the drawing room with the glass door. The door on the left will lead you out to the palace gardens."

"Thank you so much." I said politely but the woman had already returned to her chores, lost with in a world of her own.

I followed the path the woman had suggested, feeling uncertain when I came to parts of the castle I had neither the time nor the inclination to visit. There had always been something else to do. Finally I stepped out through the door and suck in a sharp breath at the entirely new world I had stepped into.

It was a small area with beautiful tended plants and trees, a little corner of paradise. There was a large wall covered in climbing purples vines which kept this little corner of heaven, a secret garden at the back of the palace gardens, separate from the rest. It was truly extraordinary. The grass, a mixture of yellow and orange, ruffled in the gentle breeze that was blowing through the garden, bringing with it cool fresh air which helped to blow away some of the cobwebs in my mind.

And then there was Danny. He was sat within a copse, the old trees fanning out above his head in a display of red and yellow leaves. He wasn't alone. There were demon children with him. Their appearances were as varied as the many adult demons I had met so far. Some appeared mostly human, with long waist length hair and soft very human skin. And then others appeared more animalistic.

However, their appearances did not matter. The children were setting the example for the adults. They paid no mind to their differences as they played happily with one another, their laughter carrying through the air, unburdened by hatred or prejudice. I wished it would last for the sake of all of the innocent souls. They deserved happiness and to remain untouched by the taint.

The young maid was sat off to the side on a small tree swing, watching over the children with a smile playing across her lips. Her head would dip down as she focused upon her needlework but it wouldn't be long before her eyes would lift once more to the children. It was peaceful to watch. I felt slightly jealous that the woman was able to enjoy this happy normal moment with my son. All I ever got were brief moments of quiet snatched between the unrelenting storms of death and danger.

I swallowed hard as a heavy stone formed within my stomach. I felt like a failure. My son was growing up too fast and I was missing everything. Once this latest ordeal was over, we would have time as a family just the three of us. I would make sure of it.

Leaving the children to their games, I walked around the treeline and stopped beside Greta. The young woman glanced up from her needlework before setting it down upon her lap.

"Good evening milady." She murmured, dipping her head in greeting.

"Good evening." I replied before giving a mock glare, the expression dropping from my face as fast as it had appeared. "And I've said to you before, there is no need to be so formal with me."

"Sorry milady." The young demon woman murmured, dipping her head just so.

I shook my head and laughed. "So how have they been? Has Danny been behaving?" I asked, turning to watch as the children picked up sticks and started a playful battle, a loud clack ringing through the air as the sticks clashed. "And please be truthful. It does not help to lie."

"He has been fine, milady. He and the children have been causing less mischief than usual." The young maid replied quietly.

"Usual? Maybe I don't want to know." I shook my head as I enjoyed the happiness between them all. "Whose children are they? I've not seen many in the Underworld. I just assumed the ones I did see were like Hermes."

The maid shook her head. "Children born from demon, that is to say both parents are Demon, are exceptionally rare. Demon and Angels can have children with humans to create halflings, but though they can possess great powers, they still are not entirely Demon or Angel. To have this many of the same age is almost unheard of."

I glanced over and shook my head. "But there are only five children."

"And prior to those, only three wholly demon children have been born within the last century. I believe that there is a balance to it all." The young woman added, looking sadly down at her lap.

I felt a lurch in my stomach. Did that mean I would be affected by the demonic fertility issues? I wasn't Demon but I wasn't human anymore either. I had always thought they would be an option in the future should I choose to have another baby.

I forced back the thoughts and focused on the woman before me. There was no point jumping to any conclusions – it would be futile.

"I have not yet been able to have my own." Greta admitted with such sadness. As the demon blinked her eyes rapidly to prevent the tears from falling, I felt an answering pang within my heart.

Reaching out, I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a consoling squeeze. "I'm sure it will happen. It may take time but I am sure you will be blessed with your own at some point. And even if you don't, there are some Halfling children without parents out there. They've been with the Angels for training and protection but that won't last forever and many of them will need new homes." When the young woman made no response but to sniffle, I said quietly, "I know it is not the same as having your own but only truly special people are capable of opening their heart and home to the children of another. Look at Lucius. He treats Danny as if he is his own and I am forever grateful for that. You could make a difference."

Greta laid her hand over mine, drawing in several deep breaths before she nodded her head. "Thank you for your advice milady. I will consider it. I never got to have a family when I was human. I want to have one now."

I nodded my head and did not speak even though I really wanted to ask her dozens of questions. After a few social faux pas during my first visit to Hell, I knew that asking about a Demon's human life was a bit of a taboo subject. Souls in the underworld arrived for a variety of reasons however, when they chose to remain in hell and become demon, it usually meant that the soul had not had a good life. If they were willing to remain in Hell as a demon, I had learnt that they usually had a very good reason to elect not to drink from the river. A reason which meant they would never return to the mortal world for another mortal lifetime.

"I think it is time for us to get the children home. With all of the tension in the city, I would rather the children are home before the hour becomes too late."

Greta shook her head as she stood from her chair. "No matter what happens, the children would not be harmed by Terran and his followers." The young woman advised. "Children are sacred."

I nodded my head and gave a tight smile. If only I could have that much faith. To me, the demon appeared to be the kind who would do whatever it took to achieve his goals. Yet Greta didn't know everything. She couldn't be blamed for her naïve belief in her fellow demon. The official story so far was that the Lucius had simply fallen unconscious after being struck on the head. They had not wanted to incite any unnecessary panic in the city so the truth about what had happened in Tartarus was being kept to a 'need-to-know' basis. Greta was not a person who needed to know.

"We can never be too careful. They may not attack the children directly but I've been getting reports of trouble in the city from some of the guards. It would be much better if the children are at home and under the protection of their parents." I replied diplomatically before approaching the children.

Upon my arrival, several of the Demon children paused in their play, resulting in a few of them being smacked in the side of the face with sticks. I winced. Danny stared at the small female demon he had accidentally just struck with horror written all over his little face. It grew even more distressed when the little demon child's face screwed up and tears started to leak from her eyes.

"Hey now," I murmured soothingly, crouching down beside the small demon.

She was an adorable little person who would easily be mistaken for a human if it wasn't for her eyes. She had beautiful sepia brown skin, ebony coloured hair which had been braided tightly into an intricate weaving pattern upon her head, and then there were her captivating eyes. She had the eyes of a cat. I reached out and gently rubbed at the sore spot before brushing away the tears.

"No need to cry, little love." I smiled, tapping her lightly on the nose as I did so often to Danny. "It's just a scratch."

"Sorry Leo." Danny apologised, before wrapping his arms around the little girl and pulling her into a tight hug.

The young demon girl looked at him and beamed, showing off white teeth. I noted she had slightly elongated canines. And then she was hugging him back. It was an adorable sight. My heart just about burst from my chest when my amazing little boy examined Leo's cheek, and noting the little scratch, placed a kiss on the wound before announcing. "There, all better."

"Come on now, children. It's time to take you home." I stated, pushing back up on to my feet. When they all started to whine at me, I held out my hands before me in defence. "But if you are all good, maybe you can come back tomorrow to play. How does that sound?"

With a round of cheers from the children, I nodded at Greta before leading the way back towards the palace, the children following within my wake. We had only made it to the entrance hall when the children ran past me, chattering happily as they threw their tiny bodies into their parents' waiting arms.

It was a beautiful sight and, in light of the information Greta had just given me, was rather significant. These children were the future.

Reaching down, I heaved Danny up into my arms and held him close as we watched them all leave. Danny waved enthusiastically, carrying on long after they had disappeared from view. In the end, I had to close the doors to the palace and walk him up to our rooms or he never would have stopped. I was glad my son had found friends in the underworld. I only hoped that we were able to keep both them and their parents safe from harm.

Somehow I had a feeling that it would be out of our control.