Chapter Four #2
“How perfectly like him to drop an enigma at my door,” Sitri muttered as he stood. “You want my protection? Very well. Let us strike a deal. I swear I will protect you, house you, and treat you as one of my own. In exchange, you must not harm me, my kingdom, or any demon in my legions. Sound fair?”
“That’s all? You don’t expect anything in return?” I asked.
Sitri’s jaw tightened. “I named my terms. It would be unwise of you to turn them down.”
The Prince extended his hand, beckoning me to take it. I flinched backward as he did. This was the bargain I’d hoped to strike. Now that I had it on the table, I’d sooner run than accept it.
His ominous offer, his sudden change of tune, the secrets he kept… There was something he wasn’t telling me. Sitri held dominion over lies. Could I even trust him to keep his word? What was a bargain with a lust demon worth?
I glanced behind Sitri at the pitch-black hallway.
It wasn’t too late to run. If I followed his lead long enough, I’d get a head start.
The sigil on my arm might barely cast enough light to guide me.
I’d be out the door, out of his manor, and back on the streets of Lantyca in under a minute if I trusted my navigational abilities.
And then what?
Even if I somehow managed to give Sitri the slip, ravenous demons lay in wait just beyond the manor’s gates.
They hadn’t attacked me earlier, but I had no doubts that the moment Sitri gave the order, every one of those demons would search for me high and low.
There was no reason for me to push my luck.
His terms as stated were fair. Generous, even. I bit my lip and took his hand.
I winced, expecting a show of fire and pain, but none came.
No agonizing magic, no twist in my mind or intrusion of my soul.
Instead, he held me tight and pulled me back to my feet.
I stumbled from the sudden momentum. He scrutinized me as I found my footing.
The mischievous glimmer had returned to his eyes, but he no longer looked like a lion on the prowl.
He was more like a house cat toying with its prey.
Lethal in its boredom, and tame only when entertained.
If I wanted to survive under his watch, I would have to learn to placate him. This time, I’d lucked into a solution. Next time, the same fortune might not bless me.
Sitri ducked back into his chancery, and when he emerged, he held the candle he’d lit earlier. He stepped over the remains of the lantern and waved for me to follow.
“Come now, Lillia,” he called over his shoulder as he sauntered down a hall to the left. I had to sprint to catch up with him.
“Where are we going?” I asked between pants.
“To your room. Unless you’d rather sleep on the floor, that is. I promised to treat you as I would treat my own. It would be cruel of me not to house you appropriately.”
Questions and objections fluttered in my chest. I didn’t want to follow him, much less trust him, after what he did.
My jaw still ached from where he’d held me.
I couldn’t shake the memory of his breath against my neck or his fingers on my skin.
Then again, I had limited options. Zaleos had told me to keep my secrets close, and so far, his advice seemed sound.
I swallowed my pride, fell in line, and kept my mouth shut.
The room Sitri presented me with was nothing short of luxury.
He used his candle to light the wick of a lamp, which bathed the bedroom in a rich, golden glow.
There was a fur rug that resembled the one in Sitri’s chancery, and a finely crafted dresser sat in the corner.
A desk and chair of similar make decorated the place.
On the far wall hung a row of black velvet curtains. The kind reserved for royalty.
And then there was the bed. It was huge, larger even than the king-size mattress I had in my apartment. Four detailed posts rose from each of its corners. Atop it was a collection of embroidered pillows, and a plush, quilted blanket that looked softer than any down comforter.
My body ached for that bed. I had walked countless miles and scuffled with demon royalty. If it weren’t for Sitri’s presence, I would have been asleep already. I didn’t plan to show that weakness in front of him now, though, and forced myself to wait.
“For so long as you are with us, you may stay here, darling. Please come and go as you wish.”
“You mean I’m free to leave?”
The corners of Sitri’s lips curled into a dark smile, exposing his sharpened fangs. My heart sank. Sitri took slow, deliberate steps, closing the distance between us.
“Of course you are. You are my guest, not my prisoner. However, I must warn you…”
Sitri leaned in. I held my ground, refusing to back away until our noses nearly touched.
“Other demons aren’t as nice as I am. If you were to leave my grounds, I’m unsure I could protect you. You had best keep close, or else be very careful, darling.”
With that, the demon Prince turned on his heels, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“Sleep well, Lillia. I shall summon you for breakfast in the morning.”
Sitri gave me a graceful bow before stalking away into the shadows.
He’d left me both his candle and the lamp.
He didn’t need the light any more than Zaleos had.
I didn’t plan on chasing him down to offer it.
If he wanted to haunt the halls of his unlit mansion like a lunatic, that was his problem, not mine.
As I pulled the door closed behind him, my thumb found a key slotted into the handle.
When I turned it, the door locked with a satisfying click.
I felt a little safer knowing that the Prince couldn’t enter my room silently in the night.
If he wanted to get in, no door would prevent that, but at least I’d have some warning while he wasted time breaking it down.
At last, I flopped down on the bed and sank into its soft dressings.
This was not going well. All I’d wanted since I woke was silence, and now that it was quiet, dark thoughts threatened to creep into my mind, infest it like roaches.
Each that popped up found itself squashed beneath a mental boot, swept away into that box where I kept the things I couldn’t handle.
That box got ever fuller, but I had no strength to deal with it after what I’d just been through.
One day, I’d have to open it and face everything inside.
That day wasn’t today, and wouldn’t be anytime soon.
I rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. It was going to be a long night.