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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: A WITCH, A DEMON, AND A STONE HOUSE
MARIE
My mind seemed to float in and out, filling the journey with a mixture of old memories and horrific realities.
Julian was…. Julian was dead. It was the outcome I had been trying to avoid. I wanted to curl into myself and cry - wanted to become a spectrcal dust particle that sole purpose was to float around and watch, and it was during those hazy thoughts that I allowed myself to sleep against the Demon, hiding from my reality.
The Demon moved swiftly through the darkness, and when I finally opened my eyes upon his urging, it was to look upon a beautiful stone cottage with vines creeping along the exterior, making it appear far more homely than I thought was possible.
Cortland bundled us in, and although the cottage felt French, it could have been positioned anywhere in the world, and I found that I did not care. Not when I had lost so much.
The Demon bundled me onto a green couch, covering me with a throw that sat conveniently on the armrest before he built a fire, calling the flane sto life in an instant.
“It’s summer,” The first words I had spoken to Cort tonight, and I wasn’t certain he would understand what I was attempting to convey.
“You’re shaking.” The words were a growl of frustration, and as I looked down at myself I realized that he was indeed correct - I was shivering uncontrollably, but I was certain that it wasn’t from the cold. My stomach turned violently, as I forced myself to focus.
“Why did you save me?” I wasn’t sure why his answer was so important to me, but it was, and so I evened my breathing, clenching and unclenching my fists in a bid to halt the shaking as I waited for his answer.
“Because you needed saving.” He scowled at me in annoyance and frsutartion, but I would not relent, suddenly no longer satisfied with half-answers.
“Why are you working with Charl?”
This time Cortland sighed, a hearty sigh that was deep and weary. “Because what is going on at the moment affects the Demons just as much as it affects the Witches and everyone else on this plane.”
I turned his answer over in my mind, examining and re-examining it, until I had the next question formulated on my lips.
“But why do you care, why is it your responsibility to protect the Demons?” The more I thought about it, the more I was certain that a piece of the puzzle was missing.
This time Cort avoided my gaze, humming as he worked the fire, and so I pushed for answers once more.
“Why does a lust Demon care about the others?”
“I also go by the name Asmodeus, which positions me as a leader within my realm.”
I gasped, having heard the name before as part of my studies when it came to summoning.
“You are a King.” I uttered the words, unsure how I could ever mistake him for a simple incubus. Cortland winced at my knowledge, but he didn’t deny it.
“Some only deem me a Prince.”
I shook my head, staring at him in disbelief. I hadn’t just become enthralled with an incubus, I had played with their King.
“Stop looking at me like that.” Cort’s voice was all smoke and frustration. I wanted to prod and question him - wanted to know about his realm and all that it entailed - wanted to discover why he was here, in this cottage, with me.
Instead I asked, “What do we do now?”
“Now?” His gaze took in my expression, my body still wracked with shivers as I noticed that my wrists and ankles had been unbound - no doubt Cort’s doing whilst we fled. “Now we phone Charlain.”
