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Without another word, Leila left the room and headed straight to the guest house.
Sophie leaned against the wall. She inhaled and exhaled slowly a couple of times, trying to calm down her wild heartbeat. “I hope you’ll forgive me one day,” she whispered to the empty chamber.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sophie was lounging in an armchair, a glass of wine in hand. She was the only human in the room. At least that was what Casimir and his demon guests thought. Alexi and Kain were by the door, making small talk with a tall, lanky demon with long blond hair and golden eyes. Compared to the mansion, the Count’s chalet was rather small, so Sophie was surprised all his guests could fit in the living room. Yes, these were all the guests he had been waiting: a little over a dozen demons of lesser and higher ranks. They would all soon be in Lure Academy’s custody.
Sophie stole a glance at Alexi and Kain, but they had their backs turned to her. They seemed relaxed enough, which meant they had probably taken care of everything and they were ready for whatever was to come. She, however, didn’t feel ready in the least. She took a sip of wine and let the liquid warm her chest. Her heart jumped when she saw Berith step into the room and nod towards the Count, who was standing right behind her armchair.
Casimir cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention and raised his glass as if to make a toast.
“Thank you, my friends, for joining me here.” The crowd nodded and murmured in approval. “It has become our tradition to celebrate the Spring Equinox by gathering in these beaut
iful mountains so conveniently guarded by five villages whose people we have all come to love and appreciate.”
He smirked at those words, and Sophie took a bigger sip of wine to chase down the sickness which was threatening to fill her mouth. The demons laughed.
“At this time of perfect balance between night and day, light and dark, all becomes new and possible. We celebrate the rebirth of life and nature, and we break the chains which have stopped us from getting what we need and crave all year round.” He raised his glass higher, and everyone in the room, even Sophie, followed his lead. “To life and youth!”
“To life and youth!”
The words tasted bitter on Sophie’s tongue. “Yes,” she thought, “To the life and youth you’re about to destroy.” The Count placed one hand on her shoulder and squeezed possessively. She smiled up at him.
“Now, I know you’ve all been waiting for this moment, wondering what Berith and I have prepared for you. The Spring Celebration is the only time of the year when we can afford to let our guard down and indulge in the life force that’s keeping us alive. With the Alluring Ones always on our tracks, always sending their cambions to wipe us off the face of the Earth one by one, it’s getting more and more difficult to travel, enjoy the wonders this world has to offer, and taste the unique energy of humans. As the last of my kind, I was forced to build this luxurious prison and isolate myself from humans and fellow demons alike. The Ke’lets are an ancient race. We’ve been here since the beginning and risen to the highest ranks faster than any other race of demons. The Alluring Ones hunted us down and put an end to our rule, but as long as I’m here, I know… and we all know… they failed. So, let us celebrate today my victory and yours. We’re here, we’re alive, and one day we’ll take back what belongs to us!”
Everyone raised their glasses and drank. Sophie saw Alexi and Kain smile and approve of everything the Count had said. They were playing their roles well.
“I have a surprise for you.” Casimir made a short, intentional pause to let the words sink in and build up anticipation. “First and foremost, demons are hunters. There’s nothing more delicious and fulfilling than the energy of a human whose heart is beating wildly, blood pumping adrenaline into their veins, their tender skin drenched in intoxicating sweat after they’ve run for miles only to fall into the predator’s arms.” His guests approved enthusiastically, and the Count’s chest puffed up with pride and pleasure. Yes, this was the best idea he had come up with in ages. “What I have prepared for you is unique and special. To show you how much you mean to me, my friends, and to thank you for making my isolation easier by coming here every year and enchanting me with your stories and adventures, I have built a safe environment in which you can all enjoy a good old hunt.” Cheers filled the room, and Casimir had to wait a few minutes for everyone to calm down. “I invite you all to step outside.”
They didn’t need a second invitation. Some took their glasses with them, while others preferred to leave theirs in the living room, too eager to start the hunt and have some real fun to care about wine anymore. All they could see and smell was fresh human energy floating in the air, beckoning for them to take it. Sophie was the last to step out onto the porch. She should have felt safe here, with Casimir by her side, his hand resting gently on her waist, but she didn’t. She had to hold back a gasp when she saw the small courtyard filled with the prisoners she had seen just a couple of days ago in the cellar behind the chalet. But they weren’t the only ones there. Sophie spotted Leila in the crowd, Petro holding her tightly against his chest. The maids and cooks she had grown accustomed to seeing around at the mansion were there too, fear and confusion dancing in their eyes. They weren’t sure what was about to happen to them, but they knew they might not get out of it alive.
Casimir led Sophie to the edge of the porch, from where they could dominate everyone in the courtyard, humans and demons alike. Sophie saw Irvene standing between the prisoners and the guests. She had instructed the hellhound to follow the Count’s orders for now, except in the case in which he would have asked her to harm someone. She gave Irvene a discreet smile, and she was almost sure the hound nodded back at her.
“Dear people,” started Casimir, his voice dripping with fake concern and compassion. “You must all be so confused… Just a couple of weeks ago you applied for a job in hopes that it would help you find your own way in life, in hopes that I, your devoted protector, would provide a stepping stone for you to finally leave your villages and poor families behind and build a new future for yourselves in the city. I truly hope you’re not too disappointed… The outcome might not be exactly the one you’ve expected. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to give you all a second chance.” The Count spread his arms, pointing to the woods surrounding them and indicating freedom was waiting for those who were determined enough to claim it. “If you reach the edge of the forest and make it into one of the villages, then you are free to go and I promise you you’ll never hear of me again. So go! Go and be free!”
No one budged. Some prisoners were staring at the Count, while others were carefully studying his guests and every move they made. They didn’t know whom they had to fear most. Bored and eager for the hunt to begin, Casimir nodded towards Irvene. Sophie made sure to mirror his gesture, as she knew the Ke’let demon wanted for the hound to scare the humans and force them into the woods. Irvene got the message, turned around and bared her fangs at the prisoners. A couple of barks, growls and snaps, and the people scattered around the chalet in different directions, too frightened and confused to even know where they were going. Deep down, they probably knew there was no escape and this was just one of the sick games the Count liked to play.
“Have fun, my friends!” Casimir encouraged the demons who were intentionally allowing the humans to get a head start. “Make the best of it!”
Sophie saw Kain and Alexi clench and unclench their fists. The wait was killing them, but they couldn’t be the first ones to start chasing after the prisoners. Two painful minutes passed, then two more. Sophie was barely breathing and her chest had started to ache. Then, one of the demons took a step forward and another one dashed right between the trees. The next thing Sophie knew was that Casimir’s guests had left the courtyard, some running, others strolling casually. The hunt was on.
“Come on, lovely Sophie.” He pulled her back inside the chalet. “We have a couple of peaceful hours all to ourselves. It’s time for you to give me all the delicious energy you’ve been taunting me with all these weeks.”
?
Leila ran through the forest. Her heart pounded hard in her chest and her head buzzed with the sound of her own blood pumping more adrenaline and strength into her exhausted body. She had lost Petro minutes ago, although they had promised each other they would stay together. She jumped over a bush and tried to find some kind of path. She had spent her whole life in these mountains, and still she had no idea where she was. Someone appeared from behind a tree, a tall, broad-chested man with dark hair and even darker eyes. She screamed in fear and ran the opposite way only to bump into someone else.
“You’re okay, you’re okay…”
This man was even taller than the one who had been chasing her. His hair and skin were as black as ebony, and his muscles felt like smooth, chiseled stone under her fingers. He had a good grip on her shoulders, and she knew there was no way she could escape now.
“Please don’t hurt me, please…” Leila started sobbing and slowly sinking to her knees, not because she was trying to beg him harder, but because her legs were giving out and there was nothing she could do about it.
“I’m here to help.” He pulled her back up to her feet and held her there. “I’m Tengu. You’re safe now. No one is going to hurt you, okay?”
Tengu? What kind of name was that? Regardless, she nodded weakly. The way he talked to her… He truly made her believe she could trust him.
The incubus stole a glance behind her, but the demon who had been on her tracks had vanished. There was nothing to worry about, though. The woods around the mansion were filled with Spprigans. It had been difficult to convince Mikal to let him take some of the small, ugly creatures from Lure, but with Lilith’s support, he had managed to force Mikal’s hand and take half of them. The moment a demon got close enough to a Spprigan, the little elf would start draining him of energy, which made it really easy for Tengu, Nyame, and the four cambions they had brought with them to catch the demon. Alexi and Kain were helping with the men and women scattered all over the forest. The plan was working like a charm. The hunters had become the hunted, and they weren’t even aware of it until they were caught.
