Page 10 of Demon's Prey

But my voice is swallowed by the darkness surrounding me. I'm alone, being consumed by the unyielding ground. Tears stream down my cheeks as I finally give in, letting the cloying earth pull me under.

Just as the last slivers of light disappear, a hand clamps down on my shoulder, jolting me awake with a violent start. My eyes fly open, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs as I gasp for air. It was just a nightmare...but it felt so real.

My eyes flutter open, struggling to focus on the unfamiliar surroundings. Soft furs caress my skin, a stark contrast to the cold forest floor I last remember. A fire crackles nearby, casting dancing shadows on high-vaulted ceilings. Where am I?

"Where... where am I?" I croak, my voice raw and unfamiliar.

I try to push myself up, but my limbs feel like lead weights. My head throbs, each heartbeat a painful reminder that I'm alive. How? The last thing I remember is...

Mariel. The arrow. The fall.

My hand flies to my chest, expecting to find the arrow wound. Instead, I feel smooth, unbroken skin. Impossible. I distinctly recall the searing pain as the arrow struck me. How could I be healed?

Panic rises in my throat. Nothing makes sense. Am I dead? Is this some twisted afterlife?

A floorboard creaks, and my gaze snaps to the doorway. A tall figure steps into the room, his presence commanding attention. Silver hair cascades down broad shoulders, glowing eerily in the firelight. But it's his eyes that freeze the breath in my lungs.

Crimson. Burning with an otherworldly intensity.

A demon.

My heart pounds so hard I fear it might burst from my chest. I've heard stories of demons, whispered warnings around campfires. But to see one in the flesh...

He takes a step closer, and I instinctively press myself back against the headboard, ignoring the protest of my aching muscles.

"Stay back," I warn, but my voice comes out as little more than a hoarse whisper.

The demon's lips curl into an amused smirk. "Is that any way to thank your savior, little human?"

The demon grins, leaning against the doorframe. "You were almost dead when I found you." His voice is smooth and lazy, yet it sends a shiver down my spine.

He sweeps into a low bow, the tips of his horns nearly touching the floor.

“My name is Lord Dazirus. Tell me, why did you come to our realm?”

"My sister..." The words tumble out before I can stop them, my emotions swinging wildly between fear and fragile hope. "I need to find my sister...Claudia. She was lost in the demon realm, and I’m trying to find her.”

“Interesting,” he says, strokign his chin with clawed fingers. “And how did you come to be in our realm?”

I swallow, suddenly nervous. What if he doesn’t like the idea of humans trying to sneak into their realm?

“My friend and I heard rumors of a demonic portal opening in the forest. We searched for it, she…didn’t make it. I was injured, and I fell, and quite honestly that’s the last thing i remember before you found me.”

“It seems that you may have found your portal after all.” Dazirus raises an elegant eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "That's quite the tale."

I narrow my eyes, shoving down the tremor of unease.

"I'm telling the truth. Claudia...she's here, with Saturus,” I say. “I need to see her. She can help me."

The demon regards me with an unreadable expression.

"You can't just waltz around the demon realm, human. You don't belong here."

Anger flares in my chest and I clench my fists, the blankets bunching under my grip.

"I don't care if I belong here or not. I came here to sister and that’s what I’m going to do. I'll find her."

I try to move, to swing my legs over the edge of the bed, but my body refuses to cooperate, still painfully weak.

---