Page 18 of Demon's Dark Love

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

He leaves me at the courtyard and I follow a few wisps of servants and other human slaves who refuse to meet my eye as we walk out the castle gates to the lake.

Demons are already sitting in chairs next to the shore in the dim light of the overcast day. Some have binoculars. Some have small picnics with them.

I look back toward the castle and see Bethana standing on one of the highest balconies holding binoculars to her eyes.

I take a deep breath and look out over the dark water, its surface smooth as glass. I take off my shoes and walk through the black sand toward the water.

"Wait!"

Enoch strides toward me, waving the enormous goggles. All around him demons began to laugh.

As he slides the goggles over my head, his fingers brush my bare arm and warmth blooms beneath his touch. A strange iridescent mark appears where he touched me.

"There!" he bellows to the crowd, turning me so that the demons can see my ridiculous big eyes.

Raucous laughter erupts from the spectators on the shore.

Enoch turns and looks up at his mother. He holds up a hand and she waves back.

"All ready," he says, and then more softly so that I can hear says, "I won't let you drown."

He steps back and makes a sarcastic half bow, waving me into the water.

With a deep breath that steadies my resolve, but which I hope isn't my last, I wade into the unnervingly warm lake.

From the shore I can hear sarcastic cheers and calls of "Swim little fish!" or "Enjoy the bath. You need it!"

Enoch’s voice carries over the jeers as he pretends to mock me.

“Who knows? She may be naturally aquatic!” His sarcasm veils genuine concern.

I glance back at him and look down at where he touched me. I put a hand over it and suddenly I feel braver.

Soon my feet can’t touch anymore. I slip the ring on my finger before taking one last breath and let the water close over my head.

I test the ring, putting it to my lips. I can breathe in small gasps of air. It's not great, but it works.

The goggles are as Enoch promised. I can see in the dark water. Where I assumed there would be weeds and demonic horrors, there is only a wasteland.

I realize I was anticipating a healthy ecosystem, but the demons had created as much of a wasteland under the water as over it.

Well, I think, taking a sip of air from my ring,it will make finding the ring easier.

I kick up to the surface, hearing the jeers of the demons as my head appears and I tread water for a moment.

I go back under, trying to scan the gray lake floor.

The place Enoch touched me seems to shimmer and glow. I feel strangely warm when I touch it, both in my body and my spirit.

I shake it off as I bob to the surface again. I have a job to do.

After a half hour I'm getting tired, but then I notice something glimmering.It's wiggling in the dark sand, as if it's a snail trying to make its way through the dirt to more shallow water.

There's a flash of red.

It's the ring. I know in my gut that Enoch is calling it toward him. I can almost feel his voice.

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