Page 59 of To Hunt a Demon King

Chapter 22

We left Carnon’s home in Asterra as the sun was setting. He wanted us to make it to Oneiros by daybreak, and he had warned me that it would be a hard ride. It would get significantly colder and steeper as we neared the base of the mountain range, beyond which Oneiros lay.

“Will we have to climb them?” I asked, looking in horror at the peaks that seemed to scrape the sky. Carnon chuckled.

“If I said yes, would you abandon this quest?” he asked, helping me into the saddle. The horse snuffed as if protesting my weight, and I glared at it.

“No,” I said. “But if climbing a mountain is like climbing a tree, we’re in trouble.”

Carnon laughed then, full bodied and melodious. It made warmth snake through me as he climbed up behind me, wrapping his cloak around us both as I shivered a little.

“There’s a path through the base of the mountain,” he said, voice still full of mirth. “But I’d quite like to see you climb a mountain, Red.”

Akela and Artemis had shot ahead, apparently familiar enough with the road to Oneiros that they knew the way. We followed on the horse, jostled up and down in the saddle as we began to climb. Carnon gripped me tightly around the waist, and it was hard to think clearly, what with the combination of being bounced around relentlessly, and the warm band of his arm across my stomach.

I wondered if Mama knew about the requirements of this bargain she wanted me to make. She must have, and still wanted me to do it, despite the fact that I would be tied to the Demon King. I supposed I could release him anytime I wanted, which gave me some comfort, but if he threw me out of his kingdom as a result, I was as good as dead.

The horse slowed suddenly and I tilted back into Carnon, who chuckled.

“You’re thinking loudly,” he said in my ear. “I thought you might want to unburden yourself.”

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to sound unbothered. Carnon’s arm tightened around my waist.

“Talk to me, Red,” he said quietly, still keeping the horse at a slower pace. “What’s troubling you?”

I bit my lip, trying to decide what to say. “Do you think I should do it?” I asked, turning in the saddle to try to see his face. “Invoke the Demon King’s protection?” The hood covered most of his features, but I could see his mouth.

He frowned slightly. “I think your mother must have had a reason to tell you to do it,” he said slowly, biting his lower lip in thought. “And I know the king won’t hurt you, despite whatever you’ve heard about him from other witches.”

“Is he kind?” I asked, a little eased by Carnon’s assurance.

He snorted. “Gods, no,” he replied. “Kindness is quickly taken advantage of in a kingdom of magical beings. But he’s fair. He treats all with the respect they deserve.”

I noted that he didn’t say everyone was treated with the same respect, and I decided I didn’t want to know more about the Demon King right now.

“Relax, Red,” Carnon said with another squeeze of his arm. “I wouldn’t take you if I didn’t think you’d be safe.”

I frowned. “You’d have to,” I argued. “We made a blood oath, remember?” I held up my wrist where the thin red line of the binding oath still scarred my skin.

“Fair point,” he said, running a thumb over the scar and sending a shiver up my arm. “But I’d find a way around it if I had to.”

“I bet you would,” I said sarcastically. Carnon rewarded me with another chuckle and a peck on the cheek that made me flush.

“Hold on tight, Red,” he said, squeezing me again for emphasis. “Time to go fast.”

We rode at an uncomfortable speed for the rest of the night, and I shivered in Carnon’s arms as we sped toward the mountains, my ears popping as we climbed. The path became rockier as we rode, the horse slowing a little to keep its footing, and the mountains loomed ominously above us.

Finally, Carnon slowed the horse as we approached what appeared to be a stone archway on the side of the mountain. It was intricately carved, the lintel carved with images of strix that looked eerily like Artemis.

“The gates of the Darklands, I presume?” I asked, twisting so I could try to catch Carnon’s expression.

He rumbled a little laugh behind me. “Something like that,” he said, stopping the horse and dismounting. He held out a hand to help me down. “Glad you’ve been paying attention.”

“Why are we stopping?” I asked, letting him guide me toward the stone pillars that made up the sides of the archway. Carnon withdrew his dagger, and I took a step back.

“The gateway to Oneiros demands payment,” Carnon said, putting his dagger between his teeth as he rolled up a sleeve. He took the dagger in his free hand and made a quick, shallow slice across his forearm, right above our blood bargain. Blood welled in the wound as he pressed it to the archway, leaving a rusty smear behind. I noticed that there were a lot of rusty smears, and grimaced.

“Payment for what?” I asked, as Carnon turned to me with the knife. The wound had already healed, like our blood bargain had. This was definitely some kind of blood magic then.

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