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Presco adjusted his glasses. “Only that he was going to get fresh air. I think he finds it difficult to be around you all the time since you don’t love him anymore.” It looked like it pained Presco to say it.

“Oh.” A sharp sting in her chest came unbidden.

“I’ll go check to see if I can find him so we can put our minds at ease.”

“But it’s dark.” The creatures of this realm had already started in on their frightening calls and growls. Sometimes she looked out the window at night and saw huge, winged things snatch something smaller out of the air. Not dragon shifters, though sometimes she thought the wyverns fought each other in the woods behind the manor. And the screeches and screams… Whatever was beyond the wall some nights was terrifying.

“I’m a dragon, Valeen. I’m the biggest thing in this realm,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “No need to worry about me.”

He never displayed the dragon characteristics, like talons, scales, or horns and she’d nearly forgotten he was a dragon shifter.

“Be careful,” Layala called as he went out the front door. He disappeared through the hole in the outer wall and with the dark clouds blocking the stars and moons this night, she barely saw his great winged form vanish in the distance.

Layala didn’t ask to go with him. While she waited, she made tea over the wood-burning stove and sipped on it while she paced back and forth in front of the wide windows that overlooked the front.

Sometime later, a dragon’s shadow appeared in the sky and then a man’s form walked through the hole in the wall. Presco was alone. Except—he wasn’t. The front door creaked open, and a pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the gap in the wall.

Chapter37

LAYALA

Layala’s stomach was in knots by the time the front door squealed open and Presco returned. “Did you find Hel?” Layala asked, keeping her sight pinned on the pair of red eyes staring back at her. Her skin crawled and her heart began to thud harder. Whoever it was didn’t move forward, didn’t try to get in—maybe hecouldn’t.

“No.” Presco’s heavy footsteps traipsed across the floor, and he stopped beside her.

“I think you were followed.”

“I don’t see anyone.”

Whoever—whatever had been there before was gone now. “What has red eyes other than Hel and—a demon?” Hel’s eyes didn’t glow in the dark like that and only his irises were red.

“It’s a rare trait,” Presco said slowly, frowning. It seemed they both suspected the demon prince had found them. “Is that what you saw?”

She nodded, clutching at her dry throat. What if it was the demon prince? If he was here did that mean Thane was… No, she couldn’t bear the thought. She couldn’t even let her mind go there.

“I think we should keep looking for him.”

“No news is good news. I’m certain he’s fine.”

“Where would he go?”

Presco shrugged. “I don’t know but you’re safe inside the wall and not outside it. It’s best if we wait until sunrise. From what I’ve read demons can’t be in direct sunlight. It weakens and blinds them.”

Layala finished her herbal tea and went to her room. While sitting on the edge of the bed, she tugged the curtain aside. A giant bird with a craned neck perched on top of the wall. They claimed nothing with the intent to hurt her could get past the magical barrier but still, she was on edge. Every creak in the house, every screech outside seemed louder with Hel missing. Things were always scarier in the dark. Ironic that she was the goddess of it.

She lay in bed with the blankets tucked up under her armpits, staring at the cracks and stains on the dirty, off-white ceiling. Paint was another item they’d have to get in the city.

A scraping sound like nails dragging across glass made her go rigid. Her heartbeat shot up. Her mind flipped to the demon clawing to get at her back at the castle, those malicious red eyes glowing. He’d come to take his vengeance, to kill her, and she had no obsidian blade to fight. If she couldn’t fight him off, she hoped he’d leave Presco alone once he got to her.

Slowly, turning over, she grabbed her dagger from under her pillow. Her magic tingled through her, flushing her skin with heat. Long spiderweb-like shadows bobbed and moved outside. A gust of wind made the house creak and Layala sighed, her body flooding with relief. Branches from the tree scraped the window. Not demon claws.

With her dagger tight in her grip, she lay her cheek down on the flat pillow. She didn’t know how many hours she lay there but eventually she slept.

Her dreams weren’t memories from the past or normal chaos of scenes and images that didn’t make sense. Nightmares plagued her. Lightning flashed in a dark bedroom lighting up the shadows momentarily. Black boots attached to long legs hovered a few feet off the ground. Her gaze traveled up, to a ghostly pale face, with the neck craned in an unnatural position. It took her a moment to process it. For it to set in. Thane hung with a noose around his neck from the rafters, lifeless.

Dead.

Layala screamed until her throat felt like it was on fire. Screamed and screamed.