Chapter Thirteen
Rainy Nights and Shadowy Delights
I was still convinced the demon lord’s castle was haunted.
As my men and I walked down the corridor that evening, the air was like an icy whisper on the back of my neck.
Dust coated surfaces, cobwebs stretched from corner to corner in rooms long since neglected, and door hinges creaked and groaned.
Onyx told me once that a dwelling reflected the soul that inhabited it.
So, what did his haunted castle say about him? That he was cold and empty. Devoid of light or warmth.
My heart ached for Onyx. I’d seen signs of warmth beneath his icy exterior earlier in the cave though. Part of him wanted to let me past his walls. To let in some light and chase away the cobwebs.
A door shut down the hall.
My soul nearly left my body.
“Easy, sweetheart,” Maddox said, keeping me close to his right side. Amusement rang in his deep voice. “It was only Fane. He’s retired for the evening.”
“R-Right,” I stammered.
“I wonder why Lord Onyx wished to meet with us.” Briar walked on my left, two of his fingers curled around mine in a loose hand hold.
“Maybe he wants to eat the rabbit,” Rowan suggested.
Callum sneered at him.
Honestly, I had no clue why Onyx had summoned all of us to his study that night. A mystery of mysteries. Much like the age-old question of whether we’d end up as some ghost’s late-night snack.
“Is it darker than normal?” I asked, scrutinizing the long hallway. No moonlight shone through the windows. “It looks darker. Like something is gonna jump out of the shadows and steal us away.”
“Like the snake snatched you away in the past?” Callum kept pace behind me, holding the platter of vanilla sponge cake I’d made for the occasion. It was only polite to bring something when invited to someone’s house, er room. “He’s the worst thing hiding in the shadows.”
Rowan scoffed. “Careful before I use the shadows to silence you, rabbit. Then you’ll be tomorrow’s dinner.”
“Cannibal,” Callum shot back. “Always saying how you want to eat me.”
Oreo padded along beside Callum, his tail swishing in the air behind him. Every so often, he lunged at Callum’s boot. Specifically, the loose bootlace that flung around with each of Callum’s steps.
Lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a clash of thunder.
My knees buckled, and I fell against Maddox’s side.
“It’s all right, sweetheart,” he said, pressing a kiss into my hair and tightening his arm around my waist. “The storm is beyond the castle walls and cannot harm you.”
“How embarrassing,” I muttered, clinging onto his arm. Cold snaked through my veins as another flash of lightning broke through the dark corridor. “Almost twenty-four years old and still afraid of thunder.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed over, love,” Briar said, gently squeezing my fingers. “We all fear something, rational or not.”
I smiled. He always made me feel better.
Gradually, I started to recognize our surroundings. Well, kind of. Many of the corridors and sitting rooms looked the same. But the creepy statue with horns holding a shield seemed familiar.
Luckily, my men knew the right way to go.
Unlike me and my directionally challenged ass.
The five of us made our way down the corridor, around a corner, and then toward a door that had been left ajar.
The flickering light of a burning hearth came from inside, as did the glow of the wall sconces that appeared to be floating in midair.
The door opened, the hinges creaking horror-movie style. No one stood on the other side.
“Maybe Bob opened it for us,” I suggested. “Lake and Ro have met him. He’s a nice shadowy boy.”
A figure appeared in the open doorway, the elegant silhouette unmistakable. “Do you intend to stand in the corridor all night? Come inside.”
We entered the room, and Onyx closed the door behind us. And as his red eyes flickered to me, fireworks exploded in my chest. Especially when remembering how I’d peered up into those eyes earlier that day as he fucked me on the cave floor, his silky black hair falling all around me.
“We brought dessert,” I said, awkward all of a sudden.
Nervous flutters that came from first love.
“I was inspired by the grotto melon we found today. It’s a vanilla and orange sponge cake.
I thought it’d go well with the sweet citrus of the melon.
Duke and the others said it was good. They ate a slice before we came. ”
Maddox quietly cleared his throat.
“Oh.” I blew out a breath. “I’m rambling, huh? Just nervous, I guess. If I wasn’t worried about twerking on your couch, I’d probably ask for some wine to take the edge off.”
“Tell me, little bird.” Onyx took hold of my arm and led me farther into the room. “Why are you nervous? Surely it can’t be because of me.”
I cut my eyes at him. He damn well knew the effect he had on me.
Oreo wasted no time before sniffing around the room. After a brief exploration, he found the spot he wanted, curling up on the rug in front of the fire.
“Good boy,” I told the Fenrir puppy. Then said a silent prayer that he didn’t take a piss on the demon lord’s rug.
Onyx guided me to the couch, his hand lingering on my shoulder once I was seated. He smoothed aside my bangs before taking a seat in the armchair. My skin tingled from his touch.
Briar sat beside me, quickly followed by Callum, who placed the cake on the coffee table before joining us on the couch. Lake dropped down in front of me, resting his back against my legs. Rowan took his favorite position against the wall, giving him a full view of the room.
“Why are we here?” Maddox asked, arms crossing. He remained standing in the center of the room.
“Because I summoned you.” Onyx held a goblet. Every room he frequented had a supply of wine at the ready. He was almost as bad as Rowan with his flask of rum. “I thought it best that we… have a chat.”
“A chat concerning what?” Briar took off his glasses and used the bottom of his shirt to wipe at the lenses. After putting them back on, he looked at Onyx. “Have we wronged you in some way?”
“No,” Onyx answered, his usual cool collectedness absent now. Instead, he seemed… well, kind of awkward. “Several matters need to be discussed. Starting with intel I received from Titus earlier this evening on the three mercenaries.”
“What about them?” An anchor of nerves dropped into my gut. Felt like that sucker was constantly dragging inside me, lifting only in the sweet and intimate moments I had with the men I loved. One of them a fiery hot demon lord with the blood of a dragon.
“They are no longer beyond the barrier of this realm.” Onyx slowly turned his goblet. “Nor are they anywhere else in the dark wood. They left sometime around noon today. My scouts followed their trail until it faded completely, leading to the harbor where they must’ve boarded a ship.”
“They wouldn’t admit defeat so easily.” Maddox moved to stand behind the couch, resting his hands on the cushion behind my head. My body tingled from the hints of warm spice and leather wafting from him. “It must be a ploy.”
“I agree.” Onyx nodded. “Which explains why one stayed in Bremloc. My scouts say he’s holed up in the brothel.”
“Stryder,” I said. “He loves those brothel wenches. Before he attacked me and Prince Sawyer in the castle garden, that’s where he spent most of his time.”
The scars along my upper torso prickled at the memory of the fire spell. It had burned through my skin and scorched my lungs and even areas of my heart. If not for the adorable Fenrir pup curled up on the rug who had given me some of his mana to keep me stable until help arrived, I’d be dead.
“The brothel is also how we learned of Stryder,” Briar added. “One of the women saw his ring. It has the Nocturne crest.”
“This is good news, right?” Callum asked. “With two of the mercenary bastards gone and one too distracted by getting his prick wet, we have a chance of sneaking Ev from the Shadow Realm.”
“And take him where?” Onyx regarded the cinnamon roll of a knight.
“You’d have to live like fugitives on the run.
Nowhere would be safe. Not Bremloc nor any of the neighboring cities.
There’s also the matter of Evan’s powers.
Phantasia is brewing an elixir that will help him fully awaken them.
Leaving now would not only be foolish and hinder his chances of unlocking those powers but also place him in even greater danger. ”
“Which danger is greater, I wonder?” Maddox asked. “What lies beyond the barrier or the demon lord keeping him here.”
“Is that suspicion I detect, Captain?” Onyx returned his hard stare, unwavering. A clash of ice and fire. “If you have something to say, say it.”
“Very well,” Maddox responded, his tone deepening. “While I believe you care for Evan in your own way and don’t wish him harm, not directly at least, I doubt your intentions in terms of his powers.”
“Oh?” Onyx steeled his expression. “Pray tell. What are my intentions?”
“To use his power for your own gain,” Maddox said, his accusatory tone biting. “King Silas is desperate to get his hands on Evan, and you’re no better. Taking advantage of the fated bond in order to persuade him to help you enact your vengeance.”
“My vengeance?” A lethal glint ignited in Onyx’s eyes, the red flashing brighter for a moment. Much like Lake’s did when he was overcome with a strong emotion. “Against whom?”
“Bremloc,” Maddox answered. “Last night during dinner, you were persistent in convincing him to march on the kingdom and bring Cedric to heel. For centuries, you’ve been wasting away in this realm yearning for revenge against the humans and what was taken from you.
With Evan by your side, that vengeance is possible. ”
“You know nothing of what you speak.” Onyx’s nostrils flared. “If I truly wanted to set fire to Bremloc, I would have done it years ago. I wouldn’t need his power to do so.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” I interjected before things heated even more. “Both of you take a breath.”