Chapter Thirteen #2
Aurelie didn’t answer right away. It was a gamble to trust him, but what part of this situation wasn’t?
The punishment for being in the sanctum without having earned her robes was death.
The only solace was that there was no chance the king would take her life now that she was bonded.
Still, it wasn’t her preference to have him as her enemy.
Especially not with the fate of her father hanging in his stubborn, spindly hands.
“I’m looking for information on hybrids,” she said finally, lightheaded as she faced him. “Demons who aren’t just lustborn or envyborn, but both. I want to know if there are any other records of such a creature.”
A shadow passed over Severin, and his voice lowered several octaves. “There’s nothing in here that can help you.” So sly that she almost missed it, he repositioned himself between her and the door. “But fortunately, I know more than any of those books could ever tell you.”
A shiver worked its way down her spine as he set a hand on the manuscript she’d been inspecting. The darkness around him sharpened, shaping his hands into claws he curled around the pages.
“Severin.” Aurelie’s eyes traced the shadows that swirled above his head, where two enormous horns misted around his silhouette. She reached for her dagger, blood cold. “What was the name of the velari you studied under?”
Severin withdrew his hand from the manuscript, and with a voice far darker than any he’d used before, he answered, “I haven’t the slightest clue.”
He was ready when Aurelie reeled on him, striking fast with her blade.
She gasped as it shone a brilliant silver, not realizing or even knowing how she’d summoned Glory.
The demon didn’t try to block it, but instead jerked to the far side of the center table, using the heavy oak as a barrier between them.
“I take it you can see the miasma now?” he guessed, but Aurelie wasn’t listening. She vaulted onto the table, gasping when Severin ducked low and heaved it upward. She was sent sprawling back, having to leap from the table to lunge at him again, her blade whistling as it narrowly missed his throat.
“Hell’s teeth! Be careful with that thing!”
“Damned demon!” Aurelie spat, seeing red. “You’re the reason my father’s like this, aren’t you? You’re behind this!”
“I said I’m sorry for what happened to your father,” Severin growled. “Truly, I’m not here to fight you. I want to help!”
“Help?” Glory shone brighter along the blade; the demon’s throat bobbed as he stared at it. “Like I’d ever need help from a filthy demon.”
“I assure you that I bathe frequently. And while you may not need my help, your father certainly does.”
She stilled, and Severin pressed on as if sensing her hesitation.
“If I wanted to hurt you, don’t you think I would’ve done it before you bonded with an angel and wielded a glowing weapon that could kill me?
” There was an honesty in his tone that gnawed at her certainty, but her grip on the dagger remained firm.
Every muscle in Aurelie’s body ached to strike him down.
The fact that this man—this demon—was the only one who could give her the information she needed was all that kept her dagger out of his throat.
“Tell me why you’re here,” she demanded, her voice a low snarl. “And I suggest choosing your words wisely, or I’ll bury this dagger into your—”
“By the devil’s sagging prick, girl, I came to thank you!” He stood taller, but drew back when he saw the threat in Aurelie’s glare. “Remember that trust I asked for? As I would have told you if you weren’t so quick to try to stab me, I needed some way to meet you.”
She scoffed. “Tell me what happened to the velari whose robes you stole.”
“Ah, that. He’s alive, for what it’s worth. Probably getting the best sleep of his life.” Severin jerked back as she slashed at him again, narrowly avoiding a slice to his stomach. “I’m telling the truth!”
“You have nothing to thank me for,” she snarled. “I’ve done nothing for you, so speak true before I jam this into your thick skull.”
“I’ll have you know that my skull is of perfectly standard thickness.
Not that the same could be said for other parts of—would you stop waving that at me?
” He lifted his hands, showing he had no weapons.
No claws, either, for the moment. Still, if there was one thing she knew about demons, it was that they lied.
This one, too, was no normal demon. He masked his powers too well, passing far too easily for a human.
His eyes didn’t even have the barest hint of red.
“You saved my friend’s life,” Severin told her. “Small, blue, missing what was once a perfectly good tail. Ring any bells?”
She went rigid. “I’ve no idea who you speak of.”
“Right. Of course you don’t.” He lowered both his arms and voice, taking the smallest of steps closer. Aurelie readied her dagger. “Regardless, I appreciate it. It’s rare that a knight will spare my kind.”
“And it’s rarer for a demon to spare a knight.”
Severin curled his fingers against the table’s edge. “I’m not your enemy. I came because I thought there might be one blasted human left in this place who wouldn’t try to kill us on sight.”
“That was a mistake I won’t make again.”
“Are you certain?” His eyes had gone hard. “Because if it’s the hybrids you’re worried about, then you and I are on the same side.”
“More lies,” she spat. She didn’t fully understand the powers she shared with her bonded just yet, but figured she might be able to beat Severin when it came to speed.
She could slam open the doors and find someone to help her.
Though, given how well he concealed himself, it was impossible to tell what kind of demon he was.
If he was envyborn, trying to flee would be as good as a death sentence.
“Give me five minutes,” said the demon. “You’re the one wielding Glory. One prick, and I’m as good as dead.”
Curious though she was, Aurelie had sworn she would not hesitate to strike down a demon again. She lunged, but the demon danced back with an ease that only stoked her frustration.
“I really didn’t want to do this.” He sighed, and suddenly the room shifted.
All at once Aurelie’s mind went blank. Every sound—the hum of distant voices, the beat of her own heart—vanished as if sucked into a void.
She lost her footing, and Severin knocked her to the floor before she could gather her wits.
He wrangled the crystal dagger from her grasp, and only then did sound rush back to her all at once, leaving her gasping from a throbbing pain in her ears.
The demon crouched above her, ignoring Aurelie’s thrashing as he inspected the dagger, frowning as his finger traced the blade. Meanwhile, Aurelie lunged upright to bite down on his wrist with all her strength.
“Ow! What are you, some feral badger? Unhand me!” He rapped her on the head with the butt of the dagger, but she held tight. She’d hoped the demon would jerk back enough for her to throw him off balance and free herself, but instead he only grimaced in irritation.
“Are we to squabble like urchins on the street? Have some dignity.” He settled more of his weight on her chest. “Keep gnawing if it makes you feel better, but if you’d kindly allow me five minutes of your time, I promise to return your blade.
You can stab me then, if you choose. But I imagine you’ll be interested in what I have to say. ”
“And if I refuse?” Her words were muffled around a mouthful of his skin.
Again, the world fell silent. She couldn’t hear the end of her question, nor her own breath. Above her, Severin tipped his head, his smile a devilish curl.
Against every shred of her better judgment, Aurelie slackened her jaw and allowed her head to fall back, feeling a flicker of pride at the nasty bite mark she’d left across his wrist. To her surprise, Severin leaned over her to press the dagger’s hilt into her palm.
He curled her fingers around it but didn’t yet release his hold.
“I heard that your father turned.” His skin burned against hers, the miasma around his body growing clearer by the second. “I didn’t know all the details until now, but we really are on the same side.”
She stilled, her stomach twisting. “You’ve seen them before?”
“A few. They’re dangerous, as much to my kind as yours. Hybrid magic is wild. It’s…” He trailed off, jaw tensing.