“Smart girl,” the demon purred, venom mingling with the chilling amusement dripping from his words.
Finally, he released her curl, watching as it fell back into place. The blood-stained blade of his axe glinted as he raised the steel toward her throat. She swallowed uselessly around the growing lump, fingers buried in Alruna’s fur.
Instead of dragging the blade across her flesh, he pressed the flat of it into her chin, tipping her head back. His looming figure towered over her.
If this were to be the moment of her death, she refused to show fear. Her jaw ached as she clenched her teeth. She forced the tumbling feeling in her stomach to shift into a burning resolve that made flames lick her palms.
Through thick lashes, she met the demon’s gaze. Flecks of polished obsidian mixed with the brilliant colors.
“I don’t have much, but whatever you wish is yours. All I ask is that you leave my father unharmed and spare our village.”
The trees and surrounding mountains blurred as her vision tunneled on the man before her. Someone who held her fate at the tip of his blade.
A predatory smile slid across his features, sending her heart plummeting into her stomach. What gleamed in the recesses of his gaze didn’t bode well for her.
It had been reckless, foolish, and there was no going back.
Whatever this demon wanted, he’d get.
“Oh, little flame. You have made a dangerous offer.”
Staying quiet, Elara focused on steady, even breaths, not wanting to give him any satisfaction. A chorus of high-pitched cries carried on the breeze. Followed by mocking laughter making her wince.
The creases around the braided man’s eyes faded, appearing to find no humor in her reaction. He lowered his weapon, gaze flicking once more to Alruna before settling on Elara’s.
“You wish me to call off my warriors?”
His warriors. Her eyes darted to the gold cuffs on his arms and the jewels in his hair. This demon wasn’t a mere raider. He was their leader. Chief. King. Whatever they called him.
Their king. Her devil.
Strong fingers tangled in the hair at her nape, tugging her. Hot breath fanned over her lips. Pain prickled out from the spot, and she inhaled a harsh breath.
“Yes,” she hissed, snarling at him.
The pad of his thumb feathered over her lower lip, and an unfamiliar feeling heated at the base of her spine.
Something that burned like betrayal and regret.
“As you wish. But what I want in return is you. You are mine, little flame.”
Three
Elara
Blood receded from her fingers, leaving her hands numb. Even worse, Alruna vanished in a wisp of black smoke. Without the draugar nearby, the panther deemed her presence no longer needed.
Elara wanted to cry out for her familiar, needing the creature’s reassuring comfort now more than ever.
Foolishly, Elara hadn’t realized what might happen when she offered anything to a man like this bearded warrior. The anxiety pumping through her overrode rational thought, leaving her standing here, regretting her decision.
However, there was no going back.
“No,” her father snapped.
“Papa,” she hissed, spinning and holding his face in her hands. “Don’t worry. If this is the price for keeping you safe, so be it.”
“I forbid it,” he spat, shaking his head and glaring over her shoulder. “They slaughtered your brother. Your mother is gone. I will not allow them to take you.”
