Chapter 13 #2
“And I do best when surrounded by beautiful ladies. If I ever abandon our merry little band here,” he said, shooting a cheeky grin Caspian’s way. “you will find me there, trying to find the next mortal female to turn me good and bring me back to the light.” He gave her mock soulful eyes.
She laughed outright.
Caspian glared at the two of them.
Silence stretched, and she glanced at Caspian curiously, wondering why he was so bothered by their cheerful banter when he added nothing to the conversation.
Guilt clawed at her chest.
How could she laugh and banter with them when those women’s bodies hung in the cellars below, their blood feeding these very demons?
Her expression darkened, the merriment falling off her face. She eyed their red-filled goblets with distaste and felt her stomach twist into knots. Suddenly not hungry anymore, she pushed away her plate.
Elizabeth smoothed her skirts, wondering if it would be rude to excuse herself so early into the meal, when Caspian suddenly spoke, “My servant tells me you wish to see the city of Veridas.”
“Er, yes.” She quickly forced a smile to her lips. “I would love to see more of Arboras while I’m here. Only if you’re alright with it, of course.”
He looked bored and nodded noncommittally. “Alright. Perhaps the day after tomorrow.”
“That would be lovely.” Her tone sounded curt to her ears, so she added politely, “Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?”
“Not a worry. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.”
Awkward silence settled between them.
She grimaced and tried another bite of potato, trying to convince her mind that their goblets contained nothing but wine. Her stomach rolled, but it would serve no one to starve herself, so she forced down a few more bites of food.
Unable to eat another bite, she set her plate aside and turned to Asmodeus. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “So what is this curse?”
Asmodeus’s expression instantly soured, the easy grin dropping off his face.
“Is it not obvious? I can't change my form. Cursed to look like a demon for eternity. I can’t hide what I am anymore.” He angrily swept a hand to indicate his figure.
Admittedly, though, she had gotten used to him; the first time she saw him had been unsettling to her human heart.
“Finnigan is working on a cure, or to find the witch responsible,” Caspian cut in.
“Could the witch undo it?”
“No,” Asmodeus said flatly. He took a long swig from his cup. “But killing the witch would lift all her spells.”
She couldn't suppress the shudder that ran down her spine.
***
To her delight, Fiza offered to join her for a walk through the trails. They meandered through the forest and found a lovely clearing by a stream. Fiza had the foresight to pack a red picnic blanket and a modest lunch of figs, cheeses, and bread. It was thoughtful and kind of her.
Perhaps becoming friends with Fiza wouldn’t be the worst idea. Elizabeth was trapped in a web of spiders, and her list of allies was painfully short. A friend would be good—helpful even—to stave off the loneliness and patch the hole in her heart where her friends and family used to be.
They lunched in the valley surrounded by more of those flowers with glossy black petals. Elizabeth touched one to admire it, cringing as the flower, once again, fell apart at the slightest touch.
“Tell me more about your friends and family,” Fiza said, drawing her attention back to their conversation.
“Well, I grew up an only child and—”
“Look!” Fiza cried, pointing to a large white bird circling overhead.
The bird suddenly dove straight for them. Fiza scrambled to her feet, Elizabeth following suit, and Fiza started hurriedly grabbing their belongings and shoving them in their saddlebags.
The bird plummeted towards the ground. As it neared, Elizabeth realized it was not a bird at all, but a man.
A man with wings.
He had large, cream-coloured wings and stood beside their picnic blanket, surveying them with a skeptical eye.
It couldn’t be.
If her eyes didn’t deceive her, she was looking at an angel.
The man had blond hair swept out of his face and piercing blue eyes. Though he wore loose-fitting white robes, she could tell he was lithe and fit. His face was perfect and ethereal. His skin glowed and was slightly blurred at the edges. Behind him, large-feathered wings spread out impressively.
“Hello, underlings of the dark one,” the angel purred.
“Hello, Ambriel,” muttered Fiza. “We are on the borders of our lands. We are not trespassing.”
“Oh, but you are trespassing, little demon. You are not supposed to be in the mortal realms.” The angel frowned and narrowed his eyes at her. “At all.”
Fiza’s lips thinned in anger, but she said nothing.
The handsome being turned his attention fully to her. “And who is this? You, I don’t know.”
“Er, hello,” she said, smiling sheepishly. “My name is Elizabeth.”
“Ambriel. At your service.” He bowed to her deeply.
“What are you?” she asked, not sure she believed her eyes. Hope fluttered in her chest. Could this being be her salvation? Her way out of this nightmare? A way out of her deal without breaking her contract with Caspian?
“One of the angels. We are the protectors of this land.”
She curtseyed and bit her lip, unsure if it was the proper way to greet an angel. Beside her, Fiza stood, frozen and straight-backed.
He touched a finger to Elizabeth’s chin, lifting her from her curtsey. Blue eyes as pale as ice stared at her.
“A human surrounded by creatures of the Underworld.” His voice was solemn yet calming. “Tread carefully, Elizabeth. If you need me, I will help you.”
Without further comment or explanation, he shot to the skies and left them staring.
Fiza hurried to pack their things, her fingers trembling in her haste. She threw their belongings into their saddlebags and clambered onto her horse. “We must leave here at once,” Fiza said, her expression serious.
Bewildered, Elizabeth mounted and followed her. When they were far away from the clearing, Fiza warned Elizabeth, “Be careful. Don’t trust an angel. Caspian would be livid if he knew Ambriel was talking to us. We must get back to the castle immediately.”
“Don’t trust angels?” Elizabeth asked weakly. She thought that angels were supposed to be good and help those in need.
“Yes, winged things that are full enough of themselves to think they are the guardians of this land.” Fiza’s tone was sharp.
“Oh,” Elizabeth whispered. Everything she had ever heard about angels said that they were kind and benevolent creatures. She couldn’t imagine that angels could be her enemy, even if she were currently living among demons.
“You should keep away from Ambriel. Caspian does not like him.”
Shocking, Elizabeth thought wryly. Caspian didn’t like anybody.
“If I see him again, I’ll bear it in mind,” she said with a smile, wondering if there was anything to her warning, or if demons and angels hated each other on principle.
Fiza returned her smile, and they began the trek back to the castle.
As they walked their horses, Elizabeth couldn’t help but wonder if living with demons had placed her on the wrong side of good and evil. Would she face consequences someday for turning her back on an angel and choosing to stand beside a demon?