Page 24 of Fated to the Demon Lord

Yet here, beneath the artist's careful brushstrokes, there was something different. Something gentler. The amber glow of the hall lamps caught in his painted eyes, bringing them briefly to life, and for an instant he looked almost approachable.

I had never seen that version of him before.

The second tallest figure looked so alike to Vaelor that they had to be brothers. Though this male appeared wilder, rougher. The hair, identical in its redness to Vaelor’s, had one side shorn and a plaited braid hanging next to his face. He carried himself with a similar rigidness to his brother, but his countenance lacked any sign of warmth. No, it was definitely cold, verging on calculating.

The third Aeria demon was a young female. Her hair fell in soft auburn waves, lighter than both brothers’ deep red, and a long, flowing dress draped around her. She faced the viewer with a gentle expression, her wings unfurled as if offering a welcome. I studied her for a moment. Could this graceful, almost kind-looking demon truly be Lord Vaelor’s sister? Even I couldn’t ignore the beauty in her bright smile.

Moving on from the portrait, I passed a large, unbroken window that overlooked the front courtyard and froze. The gate that served as a bridge was still lowered. I moved closer to the glass and looked out. There were no signs of any spirits. Perhaps Throk had ordered them to follow him outside the gate when he left? Lord Vaelor’s lands extended for miles beyond the wall. However, if they were summoned from the courtyard…

I didn’t know that for certain. It was too risky. Plus, after I passed the gate, I’d be at high risk of getting spotted before I reached the tree line.

But was what awaited me here with Lord Vaelor any better? I touched the cloth binding my aching arm. Despite his moodiness, he’d cleaned my wound, ensured I ate, and answered some of my questions. It was most likely a way to control me. To make sure I wouldn’t hate him too much in order to get me to behave.

I looked toward the side hall. With no knowledge of Lord Vaelor’s whereabouts and some free time to spare, exploring seemed a reasonable option.

I walked down a hallway of statues and frescos that documented Lord Vaelor’s ancestry on this property. Their ferocious expressions and spread wings made them look like the violent demons they were.

For some reason, I felt drawn to the open door at the end of the hall. Outside it, there was another painting. But something was wrong with it. I squinted at it and stepped closer, wishing the hallway’s dim lighting offered a clearer view. When I came close, I drew in a breath. It showed fragments of someone, but jagged tears scarred the canvas, hiding the true image. Resting on a small table beneath the artwork sat a single black rose in a glass case.

I’d seen no other plants preserved in the manor. What was so important about this flower?

Voices in a room next to the painting drew my attention. I picked up on Vaelor’s dark, seductive voice.

“—Throk says it’s impossible. Such a thing doesn’t happen once one is dead.”

“If that is true, what do you think it means?” Erlinen asked.

“I’m uncertain.”

“Do you still believe you will kill her?”

I bit my lip. Her being me? A chill crawled across my flesh like frost spreading over glass.

“Probably. But for now, she can at least be of partial use to me.”

I crept a little closer, holding my breath. Here I could discover the answers I was searching for.

“I don’t see how that weak thing can be of use to anyone,” Erlinen scoffed.

“Possessing her body might give me an early edge in the Final Proving.”

Possession. My heart dropped into my stomach, and I clutched at it as my gut churned violently. No.

Erlinen released a small sound of disbelief at her master’s words. “She certainly won’t like that.”

Vaelor’s voice came across low and gruff. “She’ll have little choice in the matter. Now come to my office and assist me in writing this letter to Lanzin. I must contact him.”

Shit, they were about to come into the hall. As I spun around, I hit a statue, making it crash into the wall. I didn’t think. I ran.

Racing through the house, I reached the front door, gripped the latch, and threw it wide. The demons had most likely departed, and the gate stood open. It was worth the risk. There was a chance of being caught and killed, but possession was a certainty if I remained.

And I refused to endure that again.

Daylight poured down on me, and warmth filtered into my skin as I rushed for the lowered bridge.

Without warning, the mist circled about my feet, and a haziness blurred past me. The temperature dropped so fast that it stole the breath from my lungs.

Two orange eyes formed out of the haze and coalesced. He glared at me with such cold fury that I dared not move.