Page 106 of The Demon's Discovery
“Let her go!” I demanded, slicing at him carefully with my blade, unwilling to risk her getting injured.
“No,” he answered, smiling over his shoulder as he did a trick similar to what I could with the mist, disappearing only to reappear somewhere else in the room. “Been a pleasure this time as much as every time before, Vassago. I look forward to having Lilith’s book in my hands again. How’s that curse treating you?”
I roared, letting out my demon no matter who could see. I knew it wasn’t the right response, knew that doing so risked us all, but I couldn’t stop it. Naturally, my aggressive reaction only amused him further.
He surely thought I’d become the mindless, curse-driven beast he’d created. But that version of me was gone. All that was left was a demon who had absolute control over his actions. Full intent over what death and destruction I caused. And I intended to destroy him in the most painful way possible.
Wings extended and fangs aching, I followed him out into the yard, my heart pounding over my rage as I struggled to keepup with him. He was fast when he ran, but even faster when he employed his unpredictable vanishing act.
I growled with frustration as he led me into Greta’s maze. I couldn’t see him through the hedges, and he was getting more and more of a lead on me because I didn’t know the pattern of it. The path suddenly spit me out in the center, and I blinked over to the far side as he stepped backwards directly into the wall, Greta clasped against him, her back to his front, his arms around her middle.
The last thing I saw as they vanished into the doorway in the hedge were Greta’s wide eyes, her panic and my failure reflected in their depths.
Chapter 41
Greta
Ihad never traveled by portal before, but I couldn’t say I’d recommend it. In addition to being fully out of sorts from his rapid teleportation all over the backyard of the manor, our landing had been rough. My body slipped out of his grip as we arrived in a heavily wooded area, and I hit the dirt with such force my breath was knocked from my lungs. My hip dug into the earth as my head snapped hard against my outstretched arm. Thankfully, the ring had stopped feeling like it was sinking through my flesh and into my bone, but that finger still ached.
“Don’t even think about running,” the man growled at me.
As stars danced in my vision and my stomach was one minor lurch away from turning itself inside out, I had no intention of doing any such thing. I focused on getting myself vertical as he staggered to his feet.
“Where are we? Who are you?” I asked, the color of the darkness in this part of the forest appropriate of the time of evening it was, but somehow… still not right. I heard the distant sound of heavy wings, and the way they echoed made it sound as though the wood was swaddled in heavy cotton.
This place was much like Earth but was also not like it at all.
I patted my thigh as discreetly as I could, happy to find my new weapon still with me. It was a thing of beauty, my Dark blade. It would leave a terrible wound behind if it were ever turned on me, but that meant it was exactly what I’d hoped it would be. The little nick I’d given myself while Vassago gave me a crash course in using it had required attention wildly disproportionate to the size of the cut. He’d applied a drop of the healing elixir, just to be safe, and I’d been scared enough by the red streaks quickly leaching across my skin from the cut to let him.
The blade itself was black, with tiny veins of red and gold remaining as evidence of the essence I’d made for it. The handle was inset with the same type of opal as my jewelry, and I had no doubt that Imogen had done that on purpose, not just for aesthetic reasons. Calla’s items all matched, too, and I knew there was surely some important reason for it, even if neither of us were aware of what that was.
“This?” He gestured widely with his arms. “This ismykingdom,” he spat, grabbing me by the arm again to pull me along behind him as he started to tromp through the underbrush. “After all my careful planning. After all I did to ensure everything lined up just so.” He shook his head, clearly upset. “The timing isn’t right, but I suppose it will have to do, won’t it, Libelle?”
I flinched at the sound of that name on his lips. “Whoareyou?”
“Who am I?” He stopped walking and laughed in my face, the sound a terrifying shriek that made my blood run cold. He was very clearly unhinged, as well as dangerous. “I’m the rightful heir of this place. And you? You’re going to help me claim it once and for all.”
I kept my mouth shut as he dragged me along at his side, carefully stepping over downed limbs and rocks while countingmy steps. If I could get back to the right section of forest, I might be able to find the doorway again. I rubbed at my opal with my thumb, hoping it would help communicate to Vassago where I was, even from another realm.
The trees began to thin until they opened into a wide meadow. Off to one side, there was an impressive manse—not large enough to be a palace, but still an impressive structure of wood and stone, reaching into the sky with tall windows and wide balconies.
Instead of going in the front doors, he pulled me around to the back and down a damp, concrete stairwell into a cellar. We passed through no fewer than three iron gates on our way, and I was sure I’d seen a mouse skitter past my feet in the low torchlight.
“Your accommodations,princess,” he sneered, that eerie smile back on his mouth as he flung me into a cell and slammed the door shut. I stepped forward and grabbed the bars, then hissing, I yanked my hands back as they began to burn. He laughed. “Enjoy your stay. When I return, you’ll earn your place as my queen and help me finally claim my throne.”
With that, he was gone, and I was left in the dank cellar of a mansion, in a realm I was a stranger to, all by myself.
Once I wassure he was truly gone, I’d called out, but there’d been no response. I heard the rhythmic dripping of water from somewhere nearby, the sound reminding me that I was impossibly thirsty after my travels, but nothing else.
I approached the bars but didn’t touch them again. The dungeon was one big circular room with cells lining theperimeter. There was a gated hallway that led to the stairs and outside off to one end, but no other passages that I could see.
Frustration set in that I’d allowed myself to be taken like this. That I had frozen instead of fought back, instead of… anything. I tried to clear my head, to think through things so I could get myself home as quickly as possible. Vassago, no doubt, was furious on the other side off the doorway, so at least I had faith that someone was coming for me, provided they could figure out how to open the portal.
I took a deep breath and called on my gargoyle form. I was still unpracticed at moving between my skins, but iron and injury bothered me far less outside of my human body. It took several long minutes of effort, but my body finally transitioned to the greenish-gray stone version of itself. With the increase in size, I heard a few threads pop and grimaced.
It seemed truly unfair that I was wearing my gifted bridal dress in this situation. Any other day I would have been in my utilitarian trousers and shirt, much more capable of movement and far less afraid to damage my clothing. I mentally prepared an apology to the aunts for any damage done.
Thankfully, the access to my thigh sheath hadn’t been the only modification Grace had helped me to make. She’d also installed little pockets in the pleats where the skirt met the bodice so I could carry vials of elixir around with me.
