Chapter Fifteen
To Eat or Be Eaten: That Is the Question
The demon lord’s castle was definitely haunted.
Glowing sconces that appeared to be floating in midair guided us down the long corridors, the only sound being the creaks in the floor as we walked.
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I caught dark shapes darting from the corner of my eye.
The stone sculptures seemed to be watching us too.
I blamed all the horror movies I’d watched.
Lake and I followed Fane down a staircase before stepping into a parlor with paintings and more of the creepy busts with watching eyes.
On top of the eeriness, the place was kind of dead.
Not a single guard or servant in sight. No demonic knights in black clinking armor who wielded monstrous swords bigger than my entire body.
Because ghosts lived there instead? Wraiths, maybe. The ones who ate people. Onyx did warn me about things lurking in shadows that might want to tear into my soft flesh. I whipped my head around, looking in all directions.
Casper wouldn’t sneak up on me. I’d drop-kick the little jerk.
“Are you all right?” Lake whispered.
“Me?” I squeaked. “Yeah. I’m good. Totally fine and not creeped out even a little bit.”
Fane tossed me an annoyed glare over his shoulder before continuing forward.
Lake had impeccable senses and would’ve noticed any threats. He walked beside me, glancing at the paintings on the wall and the occasional vase. A plethora of tall candelabras lit each room, emphasizing the billowing cobwebs in the corners.
Fitting for a demon lord, I guess. Or Count Dracula.
“Are vampires real?” I randomly asked.
“Vampires?” Lake did that little head-cocking thing I freaking adored.
“Immortal beings who drink blood to survive and can’t go in the sunlight.”
Fane glanced back at me. “You’re speaking of the vampyr. A type of blood demon.”
“Holy crap. So they exist? Is Onyx one of them? Is that why he hides away all day, avoiding the sun?”
The demon frowned. “Lord Onyx is not a vampyr. He loves the sun. And he didn’t hide away all day. He was tending to matters of his realm. As our lord, he’s very busy. You should consider yourself honored to be invited to his dining chamber.”
“Oh.” Not paying attention, I accidently bumped into someone. “Oops, sorry.” Then I noticed it was only a bust. “Oh, I thought you were a person.”
Lake laughed.
“Why is Lord Onyx so busy?” I asked Fane, doing another sweep of our surroundings. “This place is empty. I’ve only seen him, you, and that red-horned lady.”
“Her name is Phantasia, not red-horned lady,” Fane snapped at me. “And she’s the reason your wolf lives, so show her the respect she deserves. Then again, humans are known to be selfish and cruel. Perhaps you lack the capacity for gratitude.”
That stung my heart. He wasn’t exactly wrong about humans, in both this world and the one I’d grown up in. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. Phantasia is a pretty name, and I think her horns are awesome.”
Fane’s ire simmered. “No, I’m the one who should apologize. Since your arrival, I’ve been… uneasy. And irritable. Forgive me.”
Uneasy? Around me?
Lake gently squeezed my hand. As I met his gaze, I recalled how he’d been in the beginning. Reluctant to get close to me and always on the defensive. It’d taken a long time for him to trust me. Even longer for him to trust Maddox and Briar. He had once viewed humans in the same way Fane did.
Cruel. Selfish. Violent. Much like how humans viewed demons and anyone else who differed from them.
A short walk down another corridor brought us to an open doorway. Firelight from inside the room created an alluring glow that bled through the shadows in the hall.
“Here we are,” Fane said, stopping beside the door. “You may wait inside. Dinner will be served shortly.”
Lake nodded to him before escorting me into the room.
The wall of floor-to-ceiling windows caught my eye first, welcoming in the blue and silver hues of the night sky. Trees showed beyond the glass, as did the courtyard I’d seen from the upper floor. Logs burned in a stone hearth.
Not enough heat to chase away the chill in my bones though. Oh, let me count the reasons why. Shadow Realm. The demon lord’s castle. Flesh-eating monsters—maybe—and possibly becoming the next thing on the menu. It’d take more than a toasty fire to warm me up.
Plates, silverware, and empty goblets had been situated on top of a table with six plushy chairs. A setup reminiscent of a fancy dinner party. One platter held assorted fruit. Red and green grapes, blackberries, cherries, and…
“Uh-oh.” I pointed to the apples.
Lake laughed.
“Are the apples not to your liking?” came a silky voice.
Onyx stepped from the shadowy corner, dressed in a deep crimson outfit with silver threading, fitted trousers, and knee-high black boots with buckles.
“You seemed quite fond of them this morning. Fane said you ate two before he delivered your breakfast.”
His presence was palpable. The air felt charged, sparking with his every step toward us.
“Good evening.” The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and the chill in my bones gathered in my spine, slowly snaking its way up. But something else built inside me too, settling in my core. A strange pressure. “Apples are great. I was just… I only meant… um.”
“Trouble thinking up a lie?” Onyx stopped at the head of the table, head slanted and his gaze intense. “It’s all right. Speak your true thoughts.”
“I joked earlier that you planned to eat us,” I blurted out. “And that we’d be the next centerpiece for your feast—flame roasted and an apple in our mouths. Seeing the platter of fruit reminded me of that.”
Lake looked at me, eyes wide. Reading each other’s minds wasn’t part of our fated mate connection, but telepathy wasn’t necessary for me to see the thoughts written all over his handsome face. No doubt questioning my sanity.
That made two of us.
But, to both of our surprise, Onyx threw his head back and laughed. “Rest assured. Eating you is not my intention.” He motioned to the table, a laugh still in his voice. “Please have a seat.”
With a wary expression, Lake pulled out my chair and guided me into the seat before taking the one beside mine. He placed his hand on my leg and kept his eyes on the demon lord, body tense.
“You have every right to be suspicious of me,” Onyx told him, all traces of humor absent now. “However, I’m sure you’ve faced your fair share of oppression due to misguided rumors.”
“Aye. I have,” Lake answered. “But it’s not misguided rumors that make me suspicious. It’s what I’ve seen with my own eyes.”
“Tell me, then. What have you seen?” Onyx grabbed a pitcher of red wine and filled his goblet. Strange that he didn’t have servants doing it for him. Shouldn’t a mighty demon lord have people falling at his feet and doting on him? Terrified of his wrath should he be angered?
“Your demons attacking the ones I love.” Lake’s grip tightened on my thigh.
“The ones you love.” He stared at Lake over the rim of his goblet. “If you’re referring to the incident in the dark wood when a horde swarmed you and your companions, I intervened and called off that attack.”
“Are the demons not under your control?” Lake asked. “You have my gratitude for stopping the horde, but who ordered the attack in the first place?”
“The answer is quite simple.” Onyx reclined in his chair. “No one ordered the attack. The demons acted of their own volition. I rule over this realm but have little control over anything beyond its borders.”
“Really?” I asked, hand pausing on the bowl of fruit. The juicy grapes had tempted me. “But you’re the demon lord.”
“Yes, I’m well aware.” Amusement danced in his eyes.
“As such, I do wield a certain degree of power over demons, which is why they obeyed me that day in the dark wood instead of eating you. However, without my direct interference, those outside my territory roam freely, letting instinct guide them.”
I mulled over his words. “So all the times when demons charged toward Bremloc and attacked the knights, you didn’t play a role in it?”
“Oh, I didn’t say that. We’re at war, after all.” He took a sip of wine, then paused. “However, whatever happens to those who enter the dark wood have only themselves to blame. You can’t step into a lion’s den and expect the beast not to attack you.”
“That makes sense,” I said. “Like going into the ocean and getting mad when a shark bites you.”
“Precisely.”
“But why are you and Bremloc still at war? The conflict started, like, a billion years ago, and the people who started it aren’t even alive anymore. Why continue centuries of pointless bloodshed because of something some asshole ancestor did ages ago? Can’t we all just sit down and make amends?”
“Make amends, you say.” A hard gleam touched his eyes. “You know nothing of the war. If you did, you wouldn’t voice such a na?ve notion.”
“Then enlighten us,” I pressed him. “From what I’ve heard, the conflict started between your father and King Paris, a former king of Bremloc. Have you ever considered making peace? Or at least trying to?”
“My desire for revenge runs too deep for peace.”
“Revenge?” Lake asked. “Against the kingdom?”
“Against the king and his family. The entire royal bloodline.”
A chill squiggled down my spine. Why did Onyx want revenge against the royal family? Did he know I was part of that family? Was that the real reason he’d invited us into his realm—to finally take his revenge?
“I once felt the same,” Lake said, gaze dropping to his goblet. “I hated humans for what they did to my father. Knights killed him.”
“What was his crime?” Onyx asked.
“Existing.” Lake’s voice cracked. “He didn’t hurt anyone or commit any offenses.
All he wanted was to buy meat from the butcher.
And they dragged him to the center of town and beheaded him in front of everyone.
No trial. No proof of wrongdoing. The people cheered as his head rolled across the dais. ”