Page 127 of Of Spindles and Nightfall
Everything she was about to do… What would Zarathos think of her? But he’d told her to leave, so maybe he would be happy? She hated thinking he’d feel that way about her going, but what other choice did she have?
No. She couldn’t afford self-pity. The decision was made, and there was no turning back.
Only moments before, she’d slipped out of bed, carefully extracting herself from Zarathos’s tight hold on her body, dressing in the armor he’d given her and taking one of his cloaks from his armoire. Gods, she had enjoyed being with Zarathos. She had seen a new side of him, a side that left her vulnerable.
Which was why she had to leave. Why she couldn’t tell him what she was doing.
She’d waited so long to regain her freedom and now that it had been presented to her, she wouldn’t waste it.
She reached up and knocked on Xaphoron’s door. The only demon she knew with wings. Thankfully, the tear she’d inflicted on his wing in the first trial had healed, as she’d seen during the last trials. Kingdom Aeria must keep skilled healers on hand for their prized champion.
The door to his bedchamber swung open.
His eyes, which glowed an icy pale, narrowed at her.“Kalator. Are you here with a death wish?”
“I’m here with a deal.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”
“Zarathos trapped me in a bargain to be his kalator to assist him in winning the Demon Trials.”
“Yes, I’d surmised as much, so why are you here?”
“I figured if I needed your help to defeat him, that you’d gladly assist.”
He crossed his arms, not impressed. “Difficult to see how you might achieve that, considering your agreement with him.”
“I’m sure you’ve noticed he’s been making himself unnecessarily vulnerable.”
“I did notice that.” He eyed her. “For you.”
She swallowed. “Yes, for me. And now he’s made himself more exposed than ever.” She held up the potion in her hand. “He’s given me a way out. A way to break our bargain without dying.”
His eyes grew round. “If he gave you a way to break the bargain, doesn’t that makehimculpable? Is that Neutrolisis? It’s so rare, I’ve only read about it in books.”
She presented it to him. “Inspect it yourself.”
He looked it over. Then his expression turned calculating, hungry. “Could this be the end of Zarathos?”
“With my help, you can bring him down. All I need you to do is fly me away from here.”
He shoved it toward her. “Take it.”
“What?”
He leaned forward, his lip curling back. “Take the potion, and I will take you wherever you want to go.”
She frowned. “Seal the bargain with me and I’ll drink it right now.”
“Fine.” He stepped close, and Aryana flinched.
“No blood?”
“I don’t do blood,” he said with a wicked smile on his face.
Of course he didn’t. She leaned forward and quickly brushed her lips against his. A shiver ran down her spine and she snapped back.
“Our deal is sealed. Take the potion, vampire,” Xaphoron said.
