Page 42 of Of Night and Blood: Special Edition

Not that great of suiters actually.

Henry chuckled, placing his hand on my mid back. I flinched away, hating how his hand reminded me of Sterling’s. The demon did not miss my reaction, but chose to say nothing while he removed his hand. More than likely, they all knew what had happened to me.

“So, since everyone seems to be privy to my life, tell me about yours,” I said as Henry began walking down the many stairs.

“What could you possibly want to know?” Henry asked, his tone full of surprise.

“Everything.” I shrugged, giving a shy smile. A short pause had me eying Henry, whose bewildered expression almost made me laugh. Then, in an instant his eyes narrowed in suspicion. I just continued to smile expectantly. Finally, he caved.

“I am going on my two hundred and thirty-ninth year, I have no siblings, I enjoy riding horses, and I rather like when you pretend to hit on me in order to learn more information that you hope to exploit later on,” Henry said, flashing a smirk. I clenched my teeth to prevent myself from saying something snarky in return.

Henry’s orange hair was particularly vibrant under the strange demon light now that darkness had fallen. The sharp cut of his jaw cast a slight shadow on his neck, nearly hiding what looked to be a small scar. If it was enough to scar a demon, then whatever attacked had to have been gruesome.

“What cut you there?” I asked, not attempting to mask my blatant interest in the matter.

Henry stopped suddenly, then side-stepped so he was directly in front of me. I looked up into his eyes, the green irises suddenly alight with fear. I felt that if I looked into them long enough, I might be swallowed whole by the mere memory of the creature.

“There are some things that even your magic cannot manipulate, one of those is an afriktor. Our lands are mostly safe from creatures that feast on flesh and revel in fear, but even so, you would be smart to stay out of the Forest of Tragedies.”

With that, Henry turned and continued walking, effectively ending the discussion. At least my plan tonight did not involve the forest, which was so poetically named. Though, I would take on whatever nightmare stood in the way of me and the Fae Realm.

I had to speed up to maintain Henry’s quick gait, his long legs taking strides twice the size of my own. I let out a quick huff of annoyance, but he only sped up slightly, chuckling.

“So you like horses? I have never ridden before, but I hear it is exciting,” I said, attempting to maintain some form of communication as we wove our way through the seemingly endless manor.

Henry ignored me, pressing on. We stopped in front of an open entryway that housed a grand kitchen, which was the same black and red that Bellamy seemed to favor. The wrap around red cabinets and glossy black countertops housed an assortment of tools and foods, with both demons and fae rushing around in what could only be described as organized chaos.

I spotted the head of the kitchen quickly, her booming voice demanding attention and obedience. Her cropped black hair and lavender eyes paired well with her high cheekbones and long eyelashes. She appeared almost ethereal, as if she were not a demon or a fae, but something entirely other. Her rounded ears made me assume demon.

“Hello, Calista,” Henry cooed, causing the female to groan.

When she turned, her face was pinched in annoyance, which gave me the impression that Henry enjoyed irritating everyone rather than just me. Calista opened her mouth as if to retort, but then her eyes met mine. At the sight of me, she immediately paled, her throat bobbing as she swallowed back what I assumed was fear based on the way she stumbled.

“Um, hi, my name is Asher,” I said, giving a slight wave.

My introduction snapped Calista out of her trance. She blinked repeatedly and shook her head, as if trying to clear it. Looking over at Henry did not help me. His face was perfectly neutral, bored even.

“Hello, Asher, it is so very nice to meet you,” Calista said, her voice breaking midsentence.

Something was strange about the way these beings viewed me. I had always been feared, but the openness of which they showed that terror here surprised me. I knew I should take advantage of it, but I had always hated the way the fae cowered in my presence, had been raised not to capitalize on it unless in the pursuit of justice.

“You as well, the kitchen smells divine,” I offered, smiling. “I was hoping to snag some food so I could have alone time, would it be okay if I took a plate as well as a bit extra?”

My attempt at flattery worked, because Calista nodded eagerly, running around to collect what looked like enough food to feed me five times over. Perfect. I hoped some of it was nonperishable, this trip would take a long time.

Calista came back with a basket full of food in her hands, a smile now on her face.

“Here you are. I added a few treats in there for you,” she said with a conspiratorial tone. Then she turned towards Henry, a scowl forming. “You, go get Asher a cup of my famous cocoa. I already have an entire barrel in the dining area.” Calista waved toward the door.

Henry betrayed his annoyance with the tilt of his head and the narrowing of his eyes. He stared at me for a moment, then allowed his gaze to bounce between Calista and I. She shooed him off with her hands, and finally he relented, leaving the kitchens. I let out a soft chuckle, reveling in Henry’s sour mood.

Suddenly Calista cleared her throat. I turned to face her fully, the purple of her eyes bewitching me for a moment.

“I know the waters well. I implore you to rethink your plan,” she whispered. I stepped back, my mouth agape. The surprise hit me so swiftly I was unable to speak. “Please, use your power on me; there is something I need to show you.”

I was nervous to use my power again after my incident earlier, but her wide eyes seemed to beg me to do so even more than her words had. When I finally caved, entering her mind was easy. Like cutting through butter.

Flashes of a view underwater, so clear it was unnerving, ran through her mind. She showed me images of a squid the size of a house and fae-like beings with fishtails instead of legs. Then the image became darker, though still eerily clear. A thick, red haze could be seen in the distance, with flashes of white that seemed to charge the water. Shadows, large enough to swallow the giant squid whole, crept within the confines of the red haze.

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