Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Vhaena
BLUE SLASHES
Thump.
My eyes flew open. The first rays of light pricked the clouds above, staining them in an array of yellow and orange.
My first instinct was to be pissed that I was still here on this damn island.
But as I thought more about it, I realized I should instead be grateful that I had awoken at all.
Each sunrise I saw here was one more closer to going home.
I rubbed at my eyes with the back of my hand, wiping away the sleep and wincing at the tenderness of my forehead where I smacked it against the rock last night.
Lying on my back, I turned my head to glance toward the source of the sound that had disturbed me.
Inka was pushing up to her elbows into a sitting position as dust kicked up around her—presumably from where she had fallen.
Her brown hair was rumpled, and her legs were twisted together like she had tripped.
She gasped and started scrambling backward toward me while her head remained focused on what was in front of her, but her body blocked my view.
I shook away the haze of sleep and blinked a few times to gather my bearings. I sat up and leaned to the side to glance around Inka, regretting any gratefulness I had felt before. I knew what made her fall, what had scared her so much that she had tumbled to the ground.
A demon. But not just any demon…
The one with blue slashes.
With the dawning sun silhouetting his figure, he looked even more menacing than he had before.
Especially with him so close. He stood only a few feet away.
His hood was pulled over his head just like the others.
He was wearing a long-sleeved, hooded shirt with a leather vest, wraps over his forearms, and boots laced up over his long pants halfway up his calf.
And his mask… I swore there were only two slashes the first time I saw him, but must have not been paying attention because he most definitely had four of them now.
The demon took one long step, closing the distance between us before he was towering above us. It was how I truly recognized him, and knew for certain he was the same demon from before. I’d never get that image of him standing over me out of my head.
I grabbed Inka and pulled her closer toward me, snatching the spoon from my waistband and holding it out in front of me like I was wielding a sword. Though I couldn’t see his eyes, I could feel his stare settling on me.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he spoke in a low tone. His voice was deep and firm, chilling my blood—barely sounding human.
Like hells he wasn’t. I narrowed my eyes and jumped to my feet, pulling Inka behind me while gripping my makeshift weapon even harder. The last thing we needed was to be cornered and on the ground, helpless.
He huffed before reaching to his side and untied a thin leather strap from his waist before holding it out toward me. At the other end of the strap was a leather canteen stoppered with a cork.
“Water,” he said gruffly.
Inka and I shook our heads simultaneously, thinking the same thing. We had no idea if he had laced it with something toxic like nightshade or wolfsbane to either kill us or incapacitate us and do hells knows what.
He sighed heavily before popping the cork, shifting his mask, and bringing the canteen to his lips. He showed us the water going into his mouth and being swallowed, then extended it toward us again.
Did he really think that was going to convince us? He probably had some kind of demon power that let him drink poison or some shit. After seeing what the freaky plant guy could do, I had no idea what else demons were capable of.
“I’m here to help you. Take it.”
“You want to help us? We’re just supposed to trust you? Why the hells would we do that? You’re a demon. This is just some kind of ploy so you can kill us later,” Inka said from behind me, and I could hear the tremble in her voice. At least we were on the same page.
His head twitched in her direction almost imperceptibly, like she was an irritating gnat not worth his attention, before I felt his gaze on me once again.
“If I wanted to kill you, I would have by now. And I wouldn’t have offered you my water before doing so.”
I raised my spoon, still not believing him.
“I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to help you four times.”
That made me pause, confusion flickering across my face. My jaw was so tight I thought my teeth might break.
“Four?” I asked skeptically. I only knew of the one time he had saved me—when he attacked the demon who had me pinned.
He held up his hand and began ticking off his fingers.
“I’m the reason your corpse isn’t covered in plant roots.
I’m the one who diverted another demon who was headed straight for you that you would have never seen.
I’m the one who redirected the demon that was hunting the woman who betrayed you.
And I’m the reason a demon and the felskriecher didn’t tear you apart last night. ”
I didn’t drop my guard, but my posture shifted slightly. Not only had I not known he’d saved us three other times, but I had no idea we’d been in danger that many times at all. He had to have been—
“Wait. Have you been following us?”
“Maybe.” He tilted his head to the side and leaned in closer, close enough that I caught the smallest bit of light reflecting in his eyes but not enough to truly see them. “Regardless, you’re alive because of me.”
I swallowed. “So you expect me to just trust you now?”
“No.”
A long silence stretched between us as we stared at each other.
All of my senses were homed in on him, and I forced everything else away.
Inka, the forest, the bird above us, even the ground beneath my feet that felt as if it could fall away at any moment.
We remained completely still, and I barely dared to breathe.
Only the breeze from the wind moved, stirring my hair and the edges of his hood.
I searched for what little I could see beneath; the markings of his mask, the bit of hair swooped across his forehead before it was hidden beneath his hood.
I studied his figure, the daunting stillness of his calm, relaxed demeanor that clashed with the rise and fall of his chest. There was nothing particularly recognizable about him.
His stance and his voice were unfamiliar, but something was…
memorable. Something I couldn’t place. And it had nothing to do with him saving me earlier.
It didn’t make him any more trustworthy, though. It only raised more questions.
Was he actually trying to help us, or did he just want us all to himself? Was this just some ruse to keep us from fighting him, or did he have another ulterior motive?
“Why?” Though it was barely above a whisper, my voice sounded like an explosion against the silence.
“Why, what?”
“Why do you want to help us?”
He paused for a long moment. “I don’t.”
I sucked in a breath.
I knew it. He’s just tricking us so we’ll let our guard down—
“But sometimes you’re forced to do the right thing, even if you don’t want to.”
My brows creased, and Inka and I shared a confused glance.
“Not all demons agree with the Hunt. Some of us think it’s despicable and wrong. Just because I’m here doesn’t mean I think it’s right for all these women to die.”
“Then why are you even here?” Inka asked, stepping forward to my side.
Another pause, like he was thinking about his answer. “I have to be.”
Inka took another step forward, being braver and more trusting than I was, and took the canteen from him before quickly stepping back.
My jaw fell, shocked that she would even consider taking anything from a demon.
She opened the canteen, popping out the cork with a grunt, the liquid sloshing inside.
“Wait.” I stopped her before she could bring the canteen to her lips.
Is she insane? Why is she so quick to blindly trust him?
Thankfully, she stopped, and I took the canteen from her.
Between my mother’s medicines and years of experimental cooking, I was well associated with all sorts of herbs and plants.
I wasn’t an expert by any means, but I at least knew what to look for.
Peering inside, I didn’t see any leaves or clumps, and it wasn’t discolored.
I placed my nose just above the opening and took a generous whiff. It didn’t smell like anything.
Inka grabbed for the canteen again, desperate for a drink.
And as much as I was, too, it was a risk that I wasn’t sure I was willing to take, but I knew there was no talking her out of it—and I didn’t want her trying it blindly.
I carefully tilted it against my lips until I felt just a couple of drops, then gathered them on my tongue, tasting it to make sure it really was water.
Blessedly, it was, and I threw my head back, filling my mouth with the cool liquid.
I nearly groaned at the sensation of it running down my throat, and I had to stop myself from gulping it all down.
I handed it to Inka while keeping my eye on the demon, looking for a reaction but failing to find one.
“Got a name?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Yes.”
I raised my brows, waiting for him to continue, but he didn’t. “Care to share it?”
“No.”
The secrecy wasn’t helping me trust him. “Can I know anything about you?”
“I’m a demon, just a hunter in this barbaric tradition who isn’t going to kill you. That’s all you need to know.” He took a step back.
“Well, then, Demon.” His neck muscles tensed at that. “What is your plan, exactly, if you don’t intend to kill us? Stay in the shadows and continue to save us for another four days?” No matter what he said, I was suspicious. He claimed he wanted to help us, but his reasoning didn’t make any sense.
“If I was going to do that, I wouldn’t have revealed myself now.”
“Then why did you?” Inka asked, taking the question right out of my mouth.
“Because I’m done following you around when you seem to do nothing but try to get yourself killed.”
“So, your plan is to just… What, hang around us?” She firmly planted her hands on her hips.
“Not exactly. Most of the women are on this side of the island. Therefore, the demons are as well. You’d be safer across the river, and I can get you there unharmed.”
“Why would we travel with you? I’m not going anywhere with a demon,” I seethed.
Somehow, I felt his eyes narrow, accepting my challenge.
“Because, you either come with me willingly, or I forcibly take you somewhere safe. Either way, I’m bringing you across the river until the end of the Hunt.”
“Why do you even care?” I shook my head.
“What do you have to lose?” he countered.
“My life.”
“Then I suggest you come with me, or that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
I raised my chin, standing my ground and refusing to go anywhere with him.
“Let me make this very clear.” He leaned in even closer. “I’m not fucking asking. You’re coming with me. Now move.”