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His fist connects to my shoulder just hard enough to knock me off balance. The heel of my boot catches on one of the uneven floor stones. Cassius reaches for me as I fall back.
There’s a deep thud, an explosion of stars as my head strikes, and then nothing.
* * *
“Are you going to let this vampire kill you?” Varin’s familiar raspy voice asks. The damned demon has once again dragged my unconscious mind down to their cell.
I groan, pressing a hand to my throbbing head. “What do you want?”
“Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.” Dark, skeletal hands splay over the floor in front of me. Varin’s taloned fingers dig into the stone as if it’s nothing more than dry sand, dragging their upper body forward and into the light, illuminating one side of their face. “Bargain with me and quit allowing that sadistic vampire to pummel you within an inch of your life. I can give you all the power you need.”
I laugh. It would be tempting… if making bargains with demons didn’t lead to a guaranteed, painful death… or worse. Nothing good has ever come from such dealings.
“I could have all the power I need, but you would have complete control over me. At best, I would die quickly doing your bidding.”
The demon chuckles. “Perhaps if I were a lesser demon, that would be your fate.”
I step back. Their words, filled with humor and spoken so lightly, fill me with dread.
Varin lifts a hand, each movement slow and graceful as if they’re underwater. Turning a palm up, they unfurl their fingers, once more offering the silver ring that would bind us.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat.
“Take it, Clara. Take it and—”
* * *
Something cool and smooth slides against my cheek.
“Not now, Asmod,” Cassius chides softly.
Fuck, that hurt.
Cold hands pat my cheeks, ripping my consciousness away from Varin and back into the training room. Blinking into the torchlight that seems much brighter than before, I force my gaze to focus on the blurry face before me. Golden light gilds the edges of pale hair.
Cassius’s eyes, the same dark green color of Asmod’s scales, come into focus. He holds me up at my shoulders and looks at me expectantly. “Answer me, or I’ll think something is wrong.”
Demons and saints… he’s too close. His warm breath fans over my cheek.
I shrug him off and plant my palms on the cold stone to steady myself.What did he ask?
He reaches to the back of my head. I hiss from the contact that sends sharp pain searing across my skull. When Cassius pulls his hand back, dark, glistening blood coats the tip of a finger.
“I’m sorry, little bird,” he says, chagrined. “Let me heal that.”
I block his hand away as he once again reaches for my wound. “No. I’m fine.”
It’s a lie. My head throbs, and every word I speak sends more sharp needles of pain through my head.
Looking as if he’s about to protest, I prepare for the pointless argument. We both know I will heal within the hour, but his offer would cut it down to only seconds.
To my surprise, Cassius clamps his mouth shut, pursing his lips. His eyes are downcast as he offers me a hand. I take it and let him help me up. Every muscle in my legs is weak.
“Please, Clara, allow me to heal you.”
“I told you I was tired, but you didn’t listen,” I snap.
The pain only worsens my irritation. Even knowing it was an accident, I can’t stop myself from taking my frustration out on him.
