Page 20 of The Demon Court

Four of her sisters packed up her entire life in the matter of an hour. Selene stood in the center of her room, staring off into space as she faced the fact that she was leaving. She would no longer be one of the sisters. A man wanted her, and now he’d taken her.

She’d never forgive him for that. Already a fire bloomed in her chest because, damn it, she wanted him. She still wanted to touch him, to see if that warm, golden skin was as smooth as it looked. Then she wanted to slap him, to wipe that knowing smirk off his damned face, because how could he know that she wanted him?

Selene could barely feel the lust that he’d sent out into the room, but she could still feel the belated interest. It was like looking through the world underwater. The sensation of his magic was dull enough to be aware of but not feel.

Why was this happening to her when all she’d ever wanted was to be here?

She glanced around her comfortable bedroom one last time and sighed. This was her purpose. She was meant to be the person who would lead her family toward a better future. That’s what her mother always said.

But of course, her mother wasn’t even here to say goodbye.

Minerva had sent Bathilda to tell her the plan. Since they could not trap the demon with the spells they had unearthed deep in the library of the Tower, they needed to go to the second plan. She would go to his castle and she would find whatever information she could to take him down.

Selene would report back to the Tower at every moment she could. They would keep in touch with her through spells and portals, letters if they had to. And that was how they would destroy the demon king. From the inside.

It was her sisters who walked her through the gardens and out the front door. The gate gaped open, an unusual sight for the Tower as they never left the doors open lest someone wander in while they were practicing magic.

For some reason, the sight of it made her stomach turn. Would she ever come back here? Likely not. He’d find her out and then he’d kill her. Perhaps he’d send her head back as a gift for her family.

Ursula pressed a book into her hand and smiled. “For the ride. I thought maybe you would need something to distract yourself, considering... Well...”

The words were left unsaid in case one of Lust’s people overheard what they were saying. It wasn’t a problem, though. There was still enough space in the deep well of her power to hold more of whatever he threw at her. For a while, at least.

She pulled Ursula into a hug. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

No.

She couldn’t be sure. She’d been sold to a demon king.

“I’m sure,” she whispered against Ursula’s shoulder. And then she turned to hug the rest.

Only Bathilda had tears in her eyes. Or maybe that was a trick of the light.

“I miss you already,” Selene called out as she turned to walk through the gate. But some part of her soul whispered that she might not miss them for long. They were her family. Her comfort, of course. But they’d never satisfied her need for adventure. Adventure, which now waited in a gilded carriage.

A footman hopped down from his seat near the roof to hold the door open for her. He grinned, his face overly friendly as she reached for the small handrail to help pull herself in. Selene didn’t look at him. She couldn’t.

Instead, she looked at the interior of the carriage and made a face. Everything inside stank of luxury. The violet pillows glistened in the waning sunlight, likely silk as he threatened to dress her in. Tiny amethyst chips decorated the interior walls as though they were seated inside a geode. Lust reclined on one of the cushions, leaning on his elbow with his leg up, as he nearly laid down on the entire cushion. He took up an entire bench.

Clearly, he meant for her to sit on her own. And that suited Selene just fine.

She clambered in, fluffed out her skirts as she sat, and opened the book in her lap.

She could just barely see him out of the corner of her eye. He’d stiffened the moment she opened the novel and then bared his teeth in frustration. Had he thought their game of wits would continue while they were in the carriage?

It would not. She was angry at him, and the last thing that Selene had any interest in doing was entertaining a brat. He’d rushed her goodbyes, forced her to come with him far sooner than she wished, and she would not fall into his trap to start an argument.

He had to realize there would be punishment when he tried to walk all over her. And yes, that bloom of heat in her core immediately suffered the same fate as any other emotion. She imagined tossing it hard and the resulting numbness that came after gave her little sense of satisfaction. She shouldn’t enjoy the idea of punishing him and yet, there it was.

Stupid man.

She hunched a little over her book, leaning harder against the back of the carriage and trying to make herself look utterly horrid. Perhaps if he thought he’d brought a gremlin back with him, then he’d leave her alone long enough for Selene to get her head on straight.

He struck the top of the carriage hard, and then they were moving.

Away from her home. Away from everything she knew.

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