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But when I open them, the demon is still there.
This time it’s closer.
Right by my foot.
It tilts its watermelon shaped head at me, as if in thought, and suddenly I know exactly what this hell beast is thinking.
It’s wondering what I’m doing here.
Because we’ve met before. In Venice.
The demon knows me, has seen me as Dahlia.
And now it sees that I’m here, two decades later.
I’m guessing the reason it’s here is either because Valtu befriended or trained it, or it has something to do with the book, since that’s where the demon came from in the first place, summoned out of Hell by Saara.
How loyal is this beast? Will it tell Valtu?Canit tell Valtu?
Is it going to kill me instead?
Yeah. That’s the more likely choice. After all, when it appeared in my bedroom in Venice after I was astral projecting, it tried to kill me. It was created to kill witches.
But I’m no longer a witch. Right?
At the very least, my vampire nature must override it.Right?
The creature looks at my foot and extends its bony leathery hand, the long black curved claws like a demonic bird’s.
I flinch, watching in horror, waiting for it to bite my foot right off. Can vampires grow new feet?
But instead of sinking its claws into my flesh, it takes them to the cuffs and with a quick swipe it cuts right through the metal, like a knife through butter.
Part of the cuff clatters to the floor and suddenly my foot is free, the skin around my ankle aching profusely.
The demon slowly goes around the bed, doing the same to my other foot, then my hand. I can’t help but stare at it with bated breath as it leans in to cut through the last cuff, both horrified and fascinated that this demon creature that once tried to kill me is actually letting me go.
Unless this is part of the game, I tell myself.Maybe it just likes to hunt.
Oh, well fuck that.
I carefully get off the bed, my legs shaking from disuse, not taking my eyes off the demon. I back up until my head hits the wall and I watch as the demon walks around on all fours over to the door, reaching up with its claws and carefully opening it. It disappears out into the hall, swallowed by the darkness, the door left open.
Panic prickles through my scalp and I feel like dry-heaving. I can’t stay here in this room anymore, I have to make a run for it, I have to find Abe and leave this place, but stepping out into the dark void of the house feels just as awful. I know the demon just let me loose, but if it gets off on hunting down Valtu’s guests, I’m going to be in big trouble.
I don’t have a choice though. I quickly slip on my underwear and the sweater and then I’m heading out into the hall.
It feels like a million eyes are watching me as I scamper down the hall towards what I hope is the downstairs where I think Abe’s room is, moving as soundlessly as possible. Yet as I move, I sense something large and dark behind me, tailing me.
It might be the demon, it might be some other horror that lives with Valtu—the company he keeps—but I’m not slowing down to find out.
I move faster and faster until I’m running, my bare feet slapping the floor, and then I’m moving past the music room and down the stairs and bursting out to the living area where I find Valtu and Abe, drinking and sitting by fire.
Both of them get to their feet, Abe looking concerned while Valtu looks completely flabbergasted. I swear that look on his face might have made all of this worth it.
“How the hell did you get out of there?” he asks incredulously. Then his expression grows even more surprised as he looks over my shoulder.
I don’t even have to turn to look.
