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The witch’s hair is pulled back into a chignon, and she’s cloaked in a basic brown shift dress. With further inspection, it’s easy to see she’s young. Her garb makes her look older than she is. When she turns in my direction, I find there’s not a line or wrinkle on the woman’s face. Her blue eyes sparkle with ire, but she stays silent, like her companion.
Despite the woman’s plain appearance, she is beautiful, in a girl-next-door sort of way, which makes it even less likely that they could’ve been attempting to sneak around. Which only begs the question—why are they here and why are they shackled?
I shut my eyes and attempt to reach out to Luke, but nothing happens. Could I have imagined the whole interaction earlier? Did I dream him up too?
When my eyes open, they meet a pair of dark eyes. In the corner on the opposite side of the room from me, River sits solo, slouched back, knee perched on top of his other leg. His black Henley shirt sleeves are pushed up to the elbows, showing off his muscular forearms. He appears unruffled by the whole event playing out in front of him, but his eyes remain fixed on me.
We hold each other’s gaze for several tense moments, during which I don’t even think I blink. My heart thunders in my ears and a voice whispers for me to look away, but I can’t. I’m transfixed.
What’s your story?
Thumping ricochets off the walls, finally breaking the spell. At least fifty low demons sit at tables, set up banquet style, pounding their fists onto the tables.
“Quiet,” Nolda bellows, and the noise ceases.
“What is this?” River asks, motioning toward the additional prisoners.
An impish grin spreads across Nolda’s eerie face. He leans back into his chair, arms perched atop the armrests and fingers steepled.
“The Bellamy brothers were invited here as guests.”
“Quite the hospitality, don’t you think?” Lawrence says to River in a tone that sounds more teasing than anything else.
He’s so different from any vampire I’ve ever met. Almost... human.
“Why are they prisoners if you invited them here, Nolda?” River cuts into my thoughts.
Nolda shrugs. “That’s a story for later.”
River’s eyes narrow but he doesn’t press, moving on to the next pair. “And them?”
“Abdiel found those two lurking around the manor. I’ve brought them in so that you can all witness their questioning. Meet Curtis Bishop and Sarah Foster.”
The vampire brothers share a look of confusion at the mention of the other two’s names.
“Who is she?” Sarah Foster has the nerve to ask, tilting her head in my direction.
She’s not quaking in fear at the demons in front of her. If anything, she appears detached from the entire situation.
“That, my dear Sarah, is the woman who has brought Satan to his knees.”
Her head snaps back to mine, eyes now wide.
“Quite a letdown, isn’t it?” Lilith sneers from the doorway.
“Indeed,” Nolda continues.
I don’t pay them any attention. I’ve already had my fun with Lilith. Now, I’m over her existence.
The demon Abdiel rises from his perch, slinking my way. Cold creeps into my bones, deeper than anything I felt when first waking in this hellscape, getting stronger the closer he gets.
“She is the fallen angel Satan has sworn to give upeverythingfor?”
The deep timbre rattles my senses as it washes over me. This demon is the worst of the worst. He’s evil incarnate.
How did Luke manage to keep these creatures at bay?
“He feeds me souls of the corrupted,” he wheezes, bearing down over me.
