Page 122 of Demon Food

Her eyes slid to me, and whatever was written on my face was enough to make her jaw clench tight. Then she bowed her noble head, her voice deep and decisive as she said, “You have my word, Prince.”

“No,” I said, clenching my fists around the blankets when she started toward me. “No, look at him. We can’t just leave him. We can’t⁠—”

She clutched my elbow and yanked me effortlessly from the bed.

“Let go of me,” I said, twisting against her grip, but she hauled me forward. “Fucking let go! Alek! Tell her to let go⁠—”

“Wait,” Alek said.

Amara halted instantly, and I staggered behind.

“I have a confession, too, Snow Fox.”

I tried to rush back to him, but her grip tightened on my arm. So, there I stood, waiting helplessly as he caught his breath.

“I’m not sure I know what it is to love,” he whispered. “But I do know that if I could spend forever in your company, it would not be long enough.”

The air rushed from my lungs.

“And for no other reason, Feloré, than because you are who you are.”

Time. It wouldn’t just stop.

Alek smiled that smile of his. It was sweet and time was cruel and it was just so very him to say, “Since the moment you stabbed me, human. You captured my heart the moment you stabbed me.”

All I could do was whimper as I let the moment pass, let it slip through my fingers. Because then he was nodding at Amara, and I was feeling my body pulled toward the window when my heart was here. It wanted to be here.

No. NO!

I was screaming inside—begging, scraping at the walls of my mind.

“We have to go now,” Amara said, with the placid tone of a trained warrior. “It’s only a matter of time before they will be here on their search for your brother.”

“I’m not going anywhere without him,” I said, yanking my arm in tugs, prying my shaking fingers beneath hers. “Fucking let go of me. I said I’m not going⁠—”

“You don’t have a choice, human.” She stepped into the nook, hoisting me up by my arm as my feet kicked and dangled, but she yanked, and I stumbled to her side. “You heard him. It is my prince’s dying wish that you are safe.”

“Look at me,” I said, gritting my teeth as I tried to tug free, but she kept me pinned to her side without effort. “Please just fucking look at me.”

She finally swiveled around, pinning me with a cold stare with her slate-colored eyes. “If you don’t come willingly, then I will force sleep upon you.”

My eyes rounded in a glare.

“Is that what you want, human?”

“Of course, not.”

“Then stop fucking fighting. There is not a scenario where I leave you behind⁠—”

“I can save him.” I heard myself say it. What was absolutely remarkable was that I believed it as I followed up with, “He won’t hurt me.”

She grumbled in a low snarl as she unclipped the rope attached to her trousers and began yanking it in a skillful knot around the crank handle of the window.

“Did you hear me?” I asked. “I said I can save him⁠—”

“He doesn’t want to be saved.” She bit the rope between her teeth and tugged on the knot. “He wants you safe.”

“I will be. Look, I know I sound mad,” I said, squatting beside her, fighting for her eye contact. “But last night, he was able to feed on me a little, and look. I’m still here. No harm came to me. Do you know why?”