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Once, I thought they were all the same. Bloodthirsty. Cruel. Evil. Cherno and Arinah and Asmod and even Varin have changed how I view demons. Victor’s toad and Alexander’s spider were every bit as horrible as their vampires. But I’ve discovered that the personalities of demons are as varied as humans.
It’s not always easy to differentiate between the improbable and the impossible. Many things I once thought impossible have come to pass since the day I met Alaric. And I am counting on my chance to break this curse to be another one of those things.
“Yes?” I prompt.
“You are keeping things from the others.”
It’s not an accusation, but a statement. Still, I cringe. I sit up, pulling my knees to my chest, giving them a place to perch.
“You’re right.” Then, thinking I ought to say something more, I add, “There are things I can’t share with them, yet.”
Cherno makes a plaintive sound. They want to know more but aren’t willing to make demands of me.
“I suppose you deserve to know more than anyone,” I say casually.
Cherno’s head lifts. Hope shines in their jewel-red eyes. Tiny claws tighten their grip on the blanket as they wait.
Swallowing the lump trying to form in my throat, I begin before the fear of judgment can settle in. “I meant it when I said I will do whatever I can to help Alaric. I hope you understand, and if not, all I can ask is that you not tell anyone.”
They scrunch their little body, wariness clear. They offer no promise or agreement one way or the other.
“I have made a bargain with a demon,” I whisper the words so quietly that Cherno leans in to hear. “In exchange for their help to break the curse, I will find a way to set them free.”
“Who?” they demand in a low hiss.
“Varin.” I mouth the demon’s name. I’m suddenly unsure if I’ve ever spoken their name aloud outside their company.
The next thing I know, Cherno is clinging to my face with their leathery wings, tremors rolling through them. “Do you have any idea what you have done?”
Unable to speak, I nod. Cherno glowers skeptically. So, I blow a puff of air against their belly. They take the hint and drop back down to perch on my knee.
I tell them of every interaction I’ve had with Varin, going over the deal we made word for word until Cherno seems mollified.
Just as they are about to question me all over again, Asmod slithers into the room and quickly joins us. I flash Cherno a pleading look, then smile at the dark metallic-green snake. Their tongue flicks out to scent the air.
To my relief Cherno lets the conversation drop, and they hop over to Asmod, greeting the emerald snake.
I settle back under the covers and listen to the crackling fire coming through the open door. There’s the rustle of the bed curtains as the two demons work to untie the silken ropes. The light dims and in seconds, the pull of sleep is too strong to ignore.
* * *
My bare feet pad silently on the thick carpet runner that stretches from one end of the great hall to the other. Inky, impenetrable shadows shroud every corner and alcove. Save for a few sconces that give off just enough light to see. All others have been extinguished.
No nobles or gentry mill about as usual. There’s not even a hint of the human servants bustling through the back halls.
It is as if every living thing has simply vanished without a trace. And the silence left behind sends a shiver crawling down my spine.
Outside, snow has piled up, crusting against the glass of the wrought iron windows. Beyond that, the night is pitch dark. It leaves me with the sense that I am alone in a castle entombed in ice.
I wrap my arms around my middle and rub my hands along the bare skin to chase away the chill. That draws my attention to my clothing for the first time.
I am unsettled to find myself in a diaphanous dress I have never seen before. The material is white and is as delicate as cobwebs. Elegant patterns are embroidered in strategic places to give it the appearance of frost, down to the hem, which is as uneven and tattered as torn moth wings.
Who changed my clothes… and when?
“I should have killed you the moment you arrived,” a feminine voice hisses at my back.
Startled, I whirl. Elise glowers at me with smokey eyes that burn with hate. She’s close enough that she could have wrapped her hands around my neck and snapped it before I could react.
