Page 14 of Devil's Doom

Someone huffs with amusement behind me. I turn to see a tall, red-haired man, who watches me with a smirk. His startlingly blue eyes are lined with purple shadows, two fangs peeking from underneath his full upper lip. I swallow, remembering Czeslawa in the forest. She looked much more beastly than him, but I know he is the same thing she was.

This man is an upir.

Chapter six

Lech

“Why are you laughing?” I ask sharply, revulsion crawling down my spine.

He might seem civilized, clad in a clean linen shirt open at the throat and a pair of tight leather pants, his red hair curling around his sharp cheekbones in debonair waves. But under the veneer of polish is a bloodthirsty monster.

“Because I adore seeing a mamuna sucking someone dry for a change,” he says easily with a mocking smile. “Word of advice, darling: never crack the egg. You stuffed that one with enough juice for two.”

I glance at the mamuna serving me. She shrugs with a grin, looking completely unapologetic.

“My price is three hardboiled eggs. I’ll consider the excess a tip for excellent service.”

“Your service is always excellent,” the upir says with a smarmy smile, bowing slightly. “By the way, is my feeder available?”

“Wait your turn,” she says, thrusting another egg into my palms. “Very well, dear. Let’s do it right. Try to control yourself this time and put injust enoughto boil the egg. Go on.”

I focus, cutting off the flow of power much faster than before. This time, the egg stays intact, but it’s still hot. The mamuna snatches it and shakes it by her ear, then taps it a few times against her temple.

“Good,” she says. “One more. And watch out for Lech.”

When something cold touches the exposed skin of my shoulder, I turn fast, almost colliding with the upir. He gives me a dazzling grin and retreats a step while I stare at him with alarm. Did he just… nuzzle my nape? Gods, his skin was so cold and clammy.

I shiver with disgust, and he licks his lips with a seductive smirk.

“What are you doing?” I ask, clenching my empty hands into fist. I wish I had the knife or even the pot in my palm, but I don’t dare look away from the bies.

“Forgive me, darling,” he says with mock deference. “It’s just that your blood smells so different. I was trying to figure out what you remind me of. It seems like such a full bouquet, spicy and hot, with a hint of pine, a pinch of moonlight, and something herbal. You caught my eye.”

Ha.Pine and moonlight—right. The bastard thinks himself so clever. As I purse my lips, trying to control my anger, he smirks, his eyes roaming my form as if I’m an object to be appraised. Hungry and exhausted, I lose the fight with my temper.

I turn to grab my pot and raise it in a threat.

“Smell me again and I’ll bash your skull in,” I say in my most pleasant tone of voice.

The upir laughs under his breath, not cowed in the least. His blue eyes twinkle.

“No bloodshed in my house,” the mamuna says severely. “And that applies to you, as well, Lech. Drink from a guest and I’ll turn you inside out.”

“Of course, most respectable Zlotomira. I’d never dare cross you.”

He steps back, and I force myself to calm down, putting my pot down. I fill the third egg with too much force, making it crack again. Zlotomira gives me a sharp grin, swipes the eggs away, depositing them in a drawer, and pushes the key toward me.

“The supper and hot bath will be waiting for you. And since you overpaid, I’ll send in a comb and a change of clothes, hm? Losing an eye is no reason to let yourself go, dear.”

I gape at her for a stunned moment, then close my mouth with a click. She’s right. After weeks in the woods, I probably look awful, and getting offended about the truth is pointless.

“Thank you. Good night.”

She points me toward a set of wide, comfortable stairs in the back of the barroom. I climb them with my last strength, holding onto the handrail. Upstairs, there is a long corridor, the walls paneled with fair wood, dozens of doors on both sides. Each is painted a different color, and I spot the emerald one at once.

I fumble with the key, my hands shaking from fatigue. My magic is significantly depleted after paying the price for the room.

Inside, the first thing I do is lock the door. Then I just lean my back against it, my eyes closed, my ribs flaring with the first deep breath since I was run out of my village. I’m finally indoors, and the simple pleasure of being inside, with walls separating me from the countless dangers of the world, makes my head spin. I slide down to the wooden floor, sitting and breathing.

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