Page 13 of Demon Bound

She couldn’t stay here now. Everyone knew what she’d done. If the demon didn’t kill them all, they would come for her.

She had to run. Now.

Her legs were still trembling as she stepped over the puddles of blood on the floor. She paused to take the lightning baton from its hook on the wall, then followed the sounds of screaming down the tunnels.

She nearly tripped over another body in the stairway up to the castle. Leaning close to the wall at the top of the stairs, she peered into the dim halls. To the left, she heard the sound of metal hitting stone, and another scream. To the right, she heard Nirlan’s voice. She recognized it instantly by the harsh, snapping tone he took when he was angry. She strained to make out what he was saying.

“…getting out… find her…”

Her stomach twisted. She went left.

She moved slowly at first, afraid of making noise and drawing attention, but fear made her pick up the pace. Soon she was running.

She had nowhere to go, no time to gather her things. She hadn’t planned this far ahead when she’d released the demon. She had thought she’d be dead by now.

Gods, what had she been thinking? What had she just done? She’d upended her entire life in a matter of seconds.

She sprinted down the hall to the parlor. Months ago, she’d packed a tiny satchel and hidden it away there, where Nirlan wouldn’t find it—one thing she’d done right, at least. At the time, it had been more of a fantasy than a real plan to leave. She’d never thought she would actually be brave enough to do it.

Looking over her shoulder, she pushed aside the rug behind the sofa in the corner, then jiggled a loose floorboard. Her bag was right where she’d left it, nestled in a crevice beneath the floor. Digging out the gray, fur-lined cloak and a pair of warmboots that took up the majority of the bag, she hurriedly put them on and shoved her slippers back in the crevice, then slung the bag over her shoulder and slid the floorboard back into place.

It was a start, but she had no clothes other than the robe, trousers, and undershirt she wore. It was not enough to survive outside without shelter for long.

She paused at the doorway, listening. The castle had gone oddly quiet.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

She jumped. Nirlan emerged from the shadows in the hall. Raiya took a step back into the parlor, which had only one exit.

“Did you think I didn’t know about your little cache?” he sneered. He looked her up and down as if he’d never truly seen her before. “Why did you do it? Why sabotage everything I’ve worked for?”

Did he really not know?

Raiya clutched her bag on her shoulder, backing up another step. “The demon’s coming for you, next,” she said. “You should run while you can.”

“Oh? Do you know that for certain? Was this your plan all along? To make a deal with the demon and have it kill me and serve you, instead? Clever. I wouldn’t have thought you capable of it.” He slowly moved toward her, blocking off her exit. “How long do you think that will last? The demon might not have killed you yet, but it will. You’re not strong enough to control it. Or do you think you can keep it satisfied with your body? I assure you, that won’t take you as far as you think it will.”

“Get out of my way.”

“You have blood on your hands, you know. Eunaios and the others are dead because of you.”

“It’s wrong to bind a sentient creature.”

“So they deserved to die?”

“Perhaps they did.”

He arched an eyebrow, surprised, and perhaps impressed. “I had no idea you were so bloodthirsty, Raiya.”

She snarled. “Nirlan, get out of my way. We’re done. I’m leaving you.”

Fury sparked in his eyes. “We’re done when I say we’re done, you treacherous, useless—”

He lunged for her. Raiya pulled her baton from the back of her belt and jabbed it toward him. The runes on the metal shaft lit up, and lightning exploded out of its tip with a blinding flash. Nirlan shouted and convulsed.

He collapsed on the floor, twitching, and for a moment, Raiya thought she might have killed him. But then his eyes opened and focused on her. He growled. Unsteadily, he rolled over and started to get up. Raiya leapt over him and ran, her arms and legs pumping wildly.

More blood spotted the hallways here and there, but she saw no one else. Everyone had fled. She was out of breath and clutching her side by the time she reached the front of the castle. There had been a point in her life, back when she’d been spending her time exploring dangerous ruins in search of old enchanting tech, when she could have run a mile without stopping, but it had been a very long time since she’d run anywhere.

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