Page 80 of Their Demon

“I think I see someone,” our father announced, standing from the chair he'd placed in the middle of his stage.

He’d been rambling the entire time Lilly had been up there. He talked about his dragon and how no one had ever bested him. He spoke about how he thought the whole thing would go down and how the ‘human’ would die. He talked about his wonderful cave of treasures and how everyone here should be jealous because they weren’t the ones getting to see it. It made the wait even more excruciating.

Keir was preoccupied the entire time, saying he could feel Lilly and her fear, but he couldn’t hear or speak to her, not behind all the warding on the door. He was freaking me out the whole time, making me worry even more.

The worst part was when fire erupted from the side of the mountain. We tried to run up the path, but the guards kept us from doing so. Our father threatened us, telling us to stand down or he would kill Lilly regardless if she’d managed to make it out alive.

There was no word strong enough to describe the panic that filled my chest when I spotted my twin marching down the pathway, cradling our girl’s limp body in his arms.

“No…” I said as an unsettling feeling took over.

“Lillian…” Keir whispered at the same time before we both took off up the path to meet them, shoving the guards out of our way.

Our father’s blustering laughter followed us as we ran to her. Nicholas’s face was tight with distress, looking frantic until he saw us coming his way. He stopped short, letting us close the distance.

Keir reached them seconds before I did. He caressed Lilly’s cheek with his hand, murmuring in her ear about coming back to him, staying with him. He took her from Nicholas’s arms, burying his face in her neck.

Her face was splattered with blood, and her nose looked a bit swollen, blood caked beneath it. She looked like she’d been attacked, but there was no way Aridam would have just punched her nose or something, so it made me wonder what happened in there.

“I’ve got you, princess. You’re safe.”

Her head moved slightly as she nuzzled into his body. I swear, we all blew out the same breath of relief. She was alive—tired, but alive.

“She was in the fire.”

“What?” I asked my twin, sure I’d misheard him.

“She was running out of the tunnel, but the fire came out before her. It incinerated the guard, but she came out just fine.” Nicholas shook his head, as if he didn’t believe his words. He rubbed his palm over his face. “And her eyes…”

“What about her eyes?” Keir asked coarsely. He looked down at the woman in his arms, probably hoping she'd open her eyes so he could get a look for himself.

Nicholas shifted his stance nervously. “They were different. They were—one was blue, and one was red.” He looked right at me as he said, “Just like ours.”

“Fucking shit…” I looked between my brothers.

“It’s a good thing the guard is dead then.” Keir’s jaw flexed. “No one can know about this.”

“Nicholas?” our girl mumbled.

Nicholas got close to her, sandwiching her between him and our older brother. “I’m here, baby. I’m right here.”

I stood next to them and placed my hand on her knees. Her eyes fluttered open, catching sight of Nicholas first. She smiled at him then looked at me and said, “Aiden.”

I flashed her my signature smile and wink, thanking the damn universe she was awake.

She seemed to take notice someone else was holding her, and once she looked up at him, she gasped. “Keir…” She reached up a hand and rubbed it over his neatly trimmed jaw. He just stood there, watching her intently, letting her touch him. “I heard your voice,” she said with another smile.

He smiled back down at her, and my chest warmed. I’d been silly to worry that Keir and Lilly getting together would be an issue.

“Can we go home?” she asked in a small voice.

“Of course,” my twin and I said together.

Nicholas shrugged the backpack from his shoulders and shook it, the treasure clanking within it. “Let’s get this done.”

“So she lives…” our father said with a curl of his lip as we approached the crowd and stage. “No matter. It’s not over.” He eyed the bag in Nicholas’s hand. “Where’s the guard?”

“Ash on the ground, thanks to yourpet,” Nicholas bit back before dropping the bag onto the stage at our father’s feet. “There.”

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