I bellyflopped onto the massive mattress, narrowly avoiding one of the stone pillars that served as a bed frame. Closing my eyes, I drew in a breath and tried to force my lost memories to the surface. A flash of silver danced across my vision—those molten steel irises were always the first to appear. And then vanish. Then came the screams, faces contorted in agony, and dull, glazed over eyes.
I shook my head, chasing away the images. I was an animas demon. Sucking souls was my life. Then why did I feel such guilt every time those memories surfaced? The familiar hunger clawed at my throat. I swallowed hard. It wasn’t time for a snack—not yet anyway. As much as I enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, I couldn’t. When I gave into my she-demon I forgot about all else. Right now, I needed to focus on something more important.
Pushing myself off the bed, I sucked in a breath. I needed fresh air. Too bad I couldn’t get any down here. Or could I? Remy’s magical smoke couldn’t be the only way in and out of this underground dungeon. How were the servants getting around? I glanced up at the clock as I hurried to the door: I had one hour before I was expected for dinner with the dark lord. Plenty of time for an escape attempt.
I crept out into the hall, checking both sides of the long corridor. Why did I feel like a prisoner in my own home? I turned down the left passageway to explore the servants’ quarters of the castle. Thax had specifically mentioned I shouldn’t go down there… It had to be the way out.
I passed door after door, poking my head in each room. Every single one was empty, except for the pounds of dust and shimmering cobwebs. When I reached the end of the corridor, my shoulders sagged in defeat. One more door to go. I tugged on the iron handle, but the thick wood wouldn’t budge.
Wrapping both hands around the metal lever, I pulled harder, throwing all my weight into it this time. With a sharp groan of protest, the door opened to a dark stairway.
Bingo!
Glancing over the railing down the endless spiral, my head spun. Geez, how far down did this go? I raced down the stairs, my heartrate quickening with each step. After a week of being escorted everywhere I went, the idea of freedom sent an uncontrollable fluttering through my insides.
After what seemed like forever, I caught sight of the last floor, only two more levels down. My head was really spinning now. Holding onto the iron bannister, I took the last few steps two at a time. When I reached the bottom, my heart sank.
Dead end.
No doorway, nothing. Just four solid rock walls.
I muttered a slew of curses as steel bands of desperation squeezed my lungs. Leaning against the cold stone, I slid to the floor and hot tears pricked my eyelids. Something wasn’t right. I didn’t belong here. I didn’t care what Thax said.
Burying my face in my hands, I let the tears fall. No wonder I’d let myself indulge in souls so much lately, when my she-demon was in charge, I didn’t feel anything. I didn’t want anything. I only cared about the thrill of the next hunt.
I rubbed my eyes, and the gleaming silver of my bracelet caught my eye. I’d found it around my wrist when I’d awoken. A gift from my cousin, apparently. He said it was my favorite, but now that I looked at the ugly chunky thing, I didn’t understand why. I tried to slip it off my hand, but it was too tight. I tugged at the clasp, but it held strong. Stupid bracelet.
Focusing all my pent-up frustration on the horrid piece of jewelry, I wrenched the bangle off and sent it flying across the room. It hit the wall with a clang and shattered on the stone floor with a satisfying crunch.
A surge of energy rushed through me, like a hundred-pound weight had suddenly been removed from my shoulders. I stood and stretched out, the pressure in my chest gone and the tears all dried up. From the corner of my eye, a faint lavender glow caught my attention.
What the hades?
The demon’s mark on my arm was aglow in purple. I ran my finger over the family sigil and power surged over my skin. There was something so familiar about the sensations, something so right.
I scanned the dark room and my feet led me to the far corner, unbidden. The mark pulsated with light the closer I got. I lifted my palm to the wall and searched the roughhewn crevices. A charred, smoky odor wafted to my nose, and my nostrils flared. I knew that smell. I knew it as well as the heady perfume of a powerful soul.
“Apertum.” The foreign word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
A crack snaked down the stone and the wall shook, making the floor under my feet tremble. Squeezing my eyes shut, my arms shot out to brace for the impending quake as images of tumbling rock and being buried alive assaulted my vision. Instead, the rock shifted, and a door appeared in the wall.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered. Did I just do that? I couldn’t have. Thax never mentioned anything about magic. I was half-demon, half-human, that was it. It must have been a secret passage I’d accidentally stumbled upon. I tabled the thought, deciding to discuss it with my cousin later.
Peering through the opening, I found another long passageway. I crept forward, a few torches haphazardly placed along the corridor providing a sliver of light. Logic told me I was going the wrong way. I seemed to be traveling deeper underground, but my instinct told me to keep going. I’d been abiding by Thax’s rules for long enough. It was time to listen to my gut for once.
Hushed voices filtering down the corridor froze me in place. I backed against the wall and strained to listen. There was nowhere to hide, no doorways, not a single alcove. Slowly, I inched forward. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, they landed on a doorway a few yards ahead. Where the voices were coming from.
I drew in a breath to steady my racing heart as the hushed murmurs coalesced into words in familiar tones.
“You’re positive, Remy?” asked my cousin.
What were they doing down here?
“Yes, my lord. I consulted the oracle last night when we returned to the castle. My visions have changed. Azara no longer poses a threat.”
“It worked, then.”
“Yes, it appears so.” The old seer cleared his throat. “But as I’ve told you many times, prophecies are fickle and constantly changing. What is true today, may not be so tomorrow. I will keep an eye on the oracle as things develop.”
“Very well. Perhaps it is time to push Azara over the edge. Make sure there is no coming back for her.”
My insides churned as I listened, sweat dripping down my spine. What were they talking about? I wrapped my arms around myself as goosebumps puckered my skin.
Silence interrupted my racing thoughts, and I strained to listen once again. Crap! Did they hear me? The smack of Thax’s boots on the stone floor sent my heart leaping up my throat.
I spun around to hide and muttered a curse as I stared at the long, narrow hallway. I darted on tiptoes, hoping I could reach the staircase before they turned the corner.
“Who’s there?” The thundering boom of Thax’s voice halted me mid-stride. I backed against the wall again, hoping to melt into the shadows.
My mark lit up, and a deep glow illuminated the darkness. No, no, no! I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the inevitable.
“There’s no one there, my lord.” Remy’s quiet voice stilled my frantic pulse.
I snuck a peek through slitted lids, and my heart rammed against my rib cage. Thax and Remy stood not five feet away, staring right at me. How could they not see me? How could they miss the giant glowing orb surrounding me?