Page 145 of The Demon's Pet

At the side of the room, huge windows reached up to the high ceiling, giving a view of the graveyard and the willow outside. A large stained-glass window topped the room, showing a beautiful view of a lion and a deer amidst a forest.

The windows were somewhat hard to see through, due to age and the foggy weather. On the opposite side of the room from the bed, a large fireplace stood, unlit.

“So what do you think of my brother’s home?” Sam’s voice startled me, and I turned to see Orpheus helping him into the bed. He was naked, except for small black boxers.

I looked away to give him privacy and heard a snort of amusement from him.

“Oh, Cleo, so innocent, so sweet. Good to see you haven’t changed.”

“This human is the reason you are hurt?” Orpheus asked disapprovingly.

“No,” Sam said sharply. “A fairy prince dabbling in blood magic is the reason I was hurt.” He sighed, and I watched him melt into his incubus form before my eyes, his hair growing long and red, his large horns growing from his head. The slight white and pink shadows on his face.

His red eyes.

But what stood out more were the deep bruises all over his body, covering his face, shoulders, neck, and chest, at least what I could see of it.

He sighed, slumping back in the covers, letting out what sounded like a low groan of pain. “Cleo, come over here. I want to see you.”

Orpheus moved back. “Will you need me, master?”

“No,” Sam said. “See that Os and Mor are given a place, if they’re staying.”

“Of course.” Orpheus made a slight bow. “It will be done.”

He disappeared, closing the door behind him, and I heard the click of a lock shortly thereafter.

We were locked in. Maybe Sam wanted to kill me to punish me?

I cocked my head at him. “I just don’t understand. You handled Zadis like it was nothing. Why did you let Zarris hurt you like this?”

Sam didn’t say anything, just turned his face, which was still gorgeous despite the bruising, to look out his window at the willow. “I missed this place. What do you think of it?”

I looked around me. “Honestly?”

He nodded.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said. “I could stay here forever.”

“Don’t tempt me,” he muttered.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t tempt me to lock you up here forever, where fae princes can’t blood-bind you.”

I flushed, and my hands tightened into fists as I took another step closer to the bed. Sam was already looking out the window again, his expression somewhat peaceful.

“Sam, I’m so sorry—”

His eyes met mine sharply, and the red there was so much richer and brighter than Simon’s. Like the petals of a red rose but liquid. “What? You’re going to apologize for betraying me? For running to the exact man I kept warning you about? For nearly getting yourself into a fate worse than death?”

I nodded slowly. What was the point in denying any of it?

“I suppose there haven’t been many men you could trust,” he said.

I nodded.

“Still, I saved you from execution. I gave you pleasure. I don’t know what I did to earn your mistrust—”

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