This was the part of the job he hated the most. If he’d known how much time he’d have to play referee for minor demons bitching about someone screwing them over in contract negotiations, or listen to some Lord or another wax poetic about how he thought the Kingdom should be run—or, stars forbid, try to curry favor with the prince—there was no way Kesh would have helped his brother claim the Americas.

“Right. Send him in,” he growled, motioning for the man guarding the door to open it.

The guard obeyed, pulling the painted-over glass door open with more pomp and circumstance than the situation required. Kesh swallowed his annoyance—the guy was doing his job. Ceremony was part of the illusion needed to claim a kingdom.

The man who entered looked like your standard low demon, more muscle than true power. Not exactly known for their interest in contracts. And one hundred percent not capable of having the sort of problems that’d be worthy of Kesh’s attention.

“What do you want?” Kesh growled, staring holes through the demon’s skull as he imagined hanging him from the rafters by his tongue.

“I… I bring you a gift, your Highness.” The slight quake in his voice betrayed his unease at standing before the prince.

“A gift?” an outraged voice squawked. “What the hell do you mean, a gift?”

Kesh blinked, focusing on the human girl he’d barely noticed when the demon first entered. She was plump with unkempt dark hair, dark circles under her eyes and something between terror and fury plastered across her pale features.

“A gift?” he parroted, turning his attention back to the demon. “You demand an audience with the Prince of Demons to give me a human? Have you lost your mind?”

“She’s a Breeder, Highness,” the demon said. “I wouldn’t have disturbed you from your important work if she wasn’t in desperate need of your protection.”

Kesh blinked again, his gaze turning back to the female. “A Breeder?”

“Yes, my Lord.” The demon pushed the girl forward, despite her obvious reluctance. “I… found her. She sees us for what we are.”

“And you didn’t keep her?” Kesh arched an eyebrow, but kept his gaze on the girl, who was staring back at him, chin thrust out in defiance despite her wide eyes betraying her terror.

“N-no, my Lord. That would be treason. I would never—”

Kesh silenced him with a raised hand. He knew the fucking laws—his brother had written them.

A Breeder.

He sent his sister-in-law a less than grateful thought. She might be the new Queen, but she was also a gigantic pain in the ass. And the reason for the whole bloody war.