Page 57 of Fated to the Demon Lord

“I trust you won’t let him do anything too horrible to me,” he said, then chuckled.

I held the finger, my stomach churning at the feel of the bloody, dried flesh. Slowly, I lifted it and put it around my neck. The tables of power had shifted between Vaelor and me remarkably fast. I glanced at him to gauge his reaction, but his face was devoid of emotion. He took in the finger lying on my chest but then turned to Bargoth. “What do you want with us?”

Us.

Like we were a team. Like we were together.

“I don’t want anything with you, sir, except that she wants you here.” Bargoth inclined his head at me.

“Then what do you want with her?”

He touched a tree. “I’m taking you somewhere safe. But it has certain… protections around it, very similar to the inn Namar said he found you at. You will need to place your blood on this tree and make assurances.”

“And that worked so well for us last time,” Vaelor said.

He was right. Whatever places Bargoth claimed to be safe might be full of traps. “I don’t know if it’s for us,” I agreed.

“Try it out. You can leave any time. But it’s the only place that is completely protected from the slavers, ruthless demons, and the warlords that run Misophae,” Bargoth said. “There are even humans there. Free humans.”

Vaelor snorted in disbelief. But I turned to him. “What if what he says is true? There may be a chance it is a big mistake, but…” The thought of there being a sort of sanctuary for humans made me hopeful. A place where I might reside as I searched for Gerand. “I want to see.”

“Denara, he claimed to be acquainted with your mother. He obviously wants you in there, and then who knows what he will do to you.”

“Well, we can find out.” I turned to Bargoth. “You say you’ve met my mother? Describe her.”

“She bears a strong resemblance to you, though she is older. Brown hair, a bit wiry, and short with a spitfire disposition that could match any demon.”

“That’s not helpful,” Vaelor said. “All you did was describe Denara.”

Bargoth shrugged.

To be honest, I did look exactly like my mother. And as for the attitude part… I kind of liked that Vaelor thought of me as fierce.

“What is her name?” I asked Bargoth.

“Maralyn.”

My pulse spiked. “He knows her name. Plus, he went back for you,” I said to Vaelor. I touched the finger around my neck. “He gave me this. I need to see. Besides, you won’t be under the same obligations I am under. If I am in danger, you can possess me or him or whoever you desire.”

He drew his hands into tight fists but nodded.

I grabbed the sword and again made a minor cut in my finger and touched it to the tree.

“Repeat after me,” Bargoth said. “I will not disclose what I see once I enter. My companions will also remain silent, and I accept full responsibility for their actions. I will harm no one except in self-defense, and I will choose words over weapons.”

I repeated his statements, and an energy heated my body as the binding magic took hold.

Bargoth motioned to me, and I stepped forward, sensing a strange resistance. A rush of power moved over me as if I were walking through a waterfall. I pushed through and the pushback ceased, the surge of energy fading away.

The forest still surrounded me. Same trees, same light brush, same fallen tree two feet to my right.

“Wasn’t there supposed to be something different?” I asked.

“Follow me,” Bargoth said.

Vaelor scanned the area as we walked, his fists clenching and unclenching.

I hurried to stay by his side. “Is there something you wanted to tell me?”