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His magic lingered another moment, then slithered away from her skin. He rose and she could feel his eyes boring into her back like a hot iron. Arianna almost cried when he turned toward the bathing room and slammed the door in his wake.
She refused to move, rooting herself to the wooden floorboards as if they were her lifeline. She took a breath, willing her heart to slow. Then she took another. And another. She was alive. The Demon hadn’t killed her. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t. She had to get herself under control.
Arianna had never found the smell of fear pleasant. It left a strange, metallic tang in the air, like blood. She hated the scent and the way it burned her nose and constricted her throat. Arianna wondered if The Demon hated it too, or perhaps it fed his urges. She shivered. Either way, she needed to keep that scent to herself and prevent it from invading his space.
Cold sweat rolled down her back by the time he emerged. He didn’t slam the door this time. Instead, he padded across the room on near-silent feet.
Arianna remained still for several moments, concentrating on keeping herself calm in his presence.Just don’t disturb him and everything will be fine. But what was he doing? She couldn’t hear so in what Arianna considered the bravest act of her life, she tilted her head to the side.
Arianna half expected to see weapons strapped across his torso and blood still staining his clothes, but The Demon wore a plain pair of black, baggy pants that hung low around his waist. He knelt, tossing logs onto the dying fire. She tried to ignore the way his muscles flexed with the motion.
Deadly. Monster.
If she attacked him, it’d be like a child attacking a seasoned warrior.
He shifted, tilting his head back to glance at her, and Arianna’s body stiffened when she met his cold, unyielding gaze. He didn’t waver and the intensity of those eyes forced Arianna to close hers and press her forehead back to the floor.
Keep calm. Breathe. In, out. In, out.
The Demon rose, the old floor hardly creaking beneath his weight, as if he knew the location of every weakened floorboard. Arianna could sense his gaze burning into her as he stood there in silence.
He was a ruthless killer. Brónach’s greatest weapon. History claimed he could tackle over a hundred Fae warriors alone and live to tell the tale. He was brutal and commanding, never took prisoners, and loved what he did so much that he searched for every opportunity with the most bloodshed.
The Demon growled and the sound shattered what little control Arianna had gained over her fear. Her body began trembling again, but instead of wrapping his magic around her, the creature turned toward his bed. It creaked as he climbed in, but Arianna didn’t risk looking at him again, not when she knew he still stared at her, debating if he should let her live.
She scented the air, ready to be assaulted by blood, but that particular aspect of his scent had vanished. Now he smelled of sandalwood and something, spicy? No, that wasn’t right. Warmth perhaps. It smelled like a soul rooted in who they were yet wild enough to shift like flame.
She counted her breathes and studied his, waiting for them to turn long and even before curling onto her side.
ARIANNA TRIED to sleep despite the chills sweeping through her body. She shivered, curling tighter into herself, but the cracks in the cabin let in too much brisk air. If only she’d chosen the corner closest to the fire. Or had more clothes on.
Her bladder begged for release halfway through the night, but Arianna remained where she was. One wrong move and she’d be another forgotten casualty in this god’s forsaken war.
She stopped trying to drift off when the outside birds stirred. The beginnings of dawn illuminated the tiny window beside the door, and she tried imagining what it might look like beyond that dirty windowpane. She’d seen plenty of sunrises and sunsets, but seeing the sun rise when one thought they’d never see it again was another experience entirely.
She’d slept beneath the same roof as The Demon and lived to see another day.
The bed creaked and Arianna’s heart jolted. Her skin prickled when she scented his magic stir, like an ancient creature woken from its long slumber.
His bare feet settled on the wooden planks, and she swallowed her fear, still praying for a miracle. He sat there for several moments, but Arianna didn’t look at him again.
The Demon didn’t growl, nor did his magic reach out to her. He merely stood, a movement that had her shuddering, and padded into the bathroom.
She still didn’t smell blood, aside from the faint scent that drifted from the bathroom when he closed the door. His clothes, she realized.
It surprised her. After all the stories she’d been told, Arianna half expected his scent to be soaked in it, or for blood to be part of his scent altogether. He was said to be an abomination. An unnatural thing that should have been eradicated at an early age.
She chewed her lip. What would Talon tell her to do? Run, of course, but she didn’t have that option right now. But if Talon came to save her, would he stand a chance against this creature?
Despite his young age, her father recognized Talon as a gifted warrior with promise. It wasn’t simply his physicality or aptitude with magic. He was a brilliant strategist, and he’d proven himself time and time again while studying beneath the older generals. Her father claimed he possessed an uncanny ability to track and predict his enemies, making him a valuable asset in the war.
Talon had shifted into his animal form two years ago at eighteen. It was for that very reason she feared she might not be able to hide much longer. The Demon hadn’t killed her yet, but he undoubtedly would when he discovered where she came from.
Though she feared it in her current situation, the shift was usually a joyous moment in a Fae’s life. A celebration of transitioning into adulthood. Talon had earned a set of wings and with it, freedom. He’d soared the skies as a bird of prey and she’d never forgotten the way the morning sun glinted from his feathers, giving them a golden hue that matched his eyes.
A glorious eagle. Ellie, her younger sister, had laughed at him endlessly, claiming his name made him seem like a pet.
The Demon exited the bathroom and she jolted away from the memory. His pants hit the floor a second later. Arianna kept her head down, her knees suddenly the most interesting thing she’d ever laid eyes on. She tried to keep her breathing even so he wouldn’t scent her discomfort though knew it was likely impossible to hide much of anything.
