Demon Slave (Shadow Quest Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

top metal bars, he slipped inside the tiny entrance feet first and the door was closed behind him. “Don’t I get a pillow or something? These accommodations are a little bare for my taste. And if you were wise, you’d get the hungry demon some breakfast.”
    Ignoring him, the guards went about their business, secure in the thought that Marik wasn’t going anywhere. He slumped against the bars, and quietly observed his captors.
    What was left of the camp was torn down and stored within various wagons. Whenever an order was shouted, Marik paid attention to how it was carried out. Already he was beginning to learn certain words, associating them with the actions.
    Marik craned his neck to see what that woman was up to, but she was gone, and so was her creature. A bit later, close to the edge of the gnarled woods, Marik caught sight of the two guards from the night before, speaking far away from the rest of the group. He didn’t like that.
    Before long, they were on the move. His ride was bumpy and he made the inconvenience known, but of course no one understood him. They wouldn’t have paid any attention if they could.
    Around midday, pellets of snow began to drift in the air.
    At the same time, a familiar ragged beast trotted up beside him, with an equally ragged body riding atop it. “Morning, demon. How fare you?”
    “ I’m dandy, how polite of you to ask. Could use a fresh set of clothes, and hot meal though.”
    “ Oh, absolutely, I’m here to serve. Would you like to look at a menu?”
    “ If you’ve got one.”
    “ I’ll get right on that, right after you give me the truth of your intentions here.”
    She rocked slightly as the beast kept pace, and Marik could almost make out the shape of her body under all that mess. His shaft took note as well. He’d obviously been far too long without a woman if that mere hint of a female form was turning him on.
    “ If you don’t believe what I’ve said already, then I don’t know what to tell you. Anything else I say would be a lie just to get what I want.” He paused, waiting for a response. When he didn’t receive one, he continued in a sarcastic tone. “Fine, here goes. My friends and I hail from a galactic-fun-ship, and we came to this planet in order to fill it with candy and cheese.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “Cute. I don’t even know why I tried. The deception of your kind is legendary.”
    “ Have you actually met one of my kind?”
    “ Aside from you? No. But you’ve already proven the stories to be true.”
    Marik couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that.
    They rode in stony silence for a moment. The only sound was from the crunch of snow, and heavy snort-breathing from the weird, furry monster. Its wrinkled gray face was the only part that wasn’t covered in tangled brown fur.
    “ What’s that thing you ride?”
    “ This is an edisdon.
    “ It smells.”
    “ It’s not that bad. Edisdons are a traveler’s companion of choice. They’re strong, and can endure long trips in the harshest weather. They don’t eat much and their fur keeps them as warm as they need to be.” The woman scratched the edisdon’s neck. “And she’s loyal. Aren’t you, Sweetie?”
    “ She? It looks too ugly to be a girl.”
    She covered what must be its ears. “Shh, you’ll hurt her feelings.”
    “ Oh, forgive me. Let me amend. She’s dazzling in her dreadlock do, her step, so light and dainty.”
    The edisdon let out a grunt as if protesting his sarcasm.
    “ And I’m sure the smell would grow on me eventually. How you match her radiance, lady, the two of you must be sisters.”
    Her posture straightened. “What a tongue you have.”
    “ Oh, you have no idea what my tongue can do.” Marik smiled as he sensed her unease. His teasing backfired and he inconspicuously shifted in his pants.
    “ Maybe we’ll see what it can do once I’ve ripped it from your head, hmm.”
    “ You’ll need to put your finger in my mouth first.” Marik flashed a