Page 25 of Demonic Division (The Sundering Duet #1)

25

Dagny

I pull my knees up to my chest, trying to ignore the violent tugging in my heart. Everything in me wants to go to Roark—to ease some of this pain. It’s worse than when I bonded with Cyprien and Lir. This time, something palpable pulls us together. If I just reach out, I’m sure I could feel it. Wrap my hand around that invisible line and let it lead me to the purple-eyed demon.

I close my eyes tight, cursing my actions. I had been so caught up in Lir’s embrace and Cyprien’s passion that I forgot about the danger I’m in. I dropped my guard. I allowed my senses to be dulled by the Welwig drink. I touched Roark’s stag, knowing somewhere in the back of my mind that this would happen. But I did it anyway. And I only wish I knew why.

I’m not normally this impulsive. I take pride in making logical decisions and thinking before I jump. But ever since Cyprien showed up at the foot of my bed, it’s like I can’t think straight. Everything is upside down, and nothing makes sense. At least, I can’t seem to make sense of it.

And if the bond is truly strengthening with each demon, I’m not sure what that means for my fate. What awaits me? Is it better that I’m bonded to three? Will Kaebl be less likely to dispose of me? More so?

I’m beginning to spiral when a familiar mewl cuts through the air. I whip my head to the corner of the room, surprised to find the same black cat stepping out from the shadows. Its molten eyes pierce through the dimly lit room as it stalks toward me, its hornlike ears pivoting side to side like little satellites with each silent step.

“Hello…” I keep my voice low so as not to spook it. The cat mewls, baring its pointed canines, then leans in. It brushes its head against my knee, a gentle purr rumbling in its throat. I long to reach down and run my fingers through its fur, but then I remember the interaction with Comet and keep my hands to myself.

The cat continues rubbing against me, and when that doesn’t work, it flips onto its back, presenting its belly to entice me. Tiny black paws fold into its chest, and the cat releases a pitiful mewl, bloodred eyes locked on my face, unblinking.

I shake my head despite the painful tug the action brings. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

The cat hisses, springing onto all fours as its shoulders rise. The hair on its back sticks straight into the air like needles, and the creature releases a menacing yowl. Instead of running back to the shadows like last time, the cat springs toward the door. It brings a paw up, batting at the iron before turning its head over its shoulder, an expectant look shining in its eyes.

Confused, I push to a stand and follow the cat, stopping beside it. “What do you want?”

It smacks the door once more with a paw and mewls pitifully. Frowning, I reach out and touch the door, my eyes springing wide as it opens effortlessly. The cat chirps, the tip of its tail flicking the air as it pads out of the room. It stops just past the threshold, turning its head as if to say, “Well, are you coming?”

“What the fuck…?” Shaking my head, I step into the hallway, my eyes searching the shadows for threats. After a few bated breaths, the cat chirps again and darts down the hall, leaving me with no choice but to follow.

I keep my steps as silent as I can as the cat leads me through the castle and up a large spiral staircase to the third floor. We walk down a long hallway that ends in a simple set of arched iron doors. The cat sits in front of them, its tail swishing gently against the floor as it lets out a high-pitched yowl. It looks back one last time before passing through the closed doors like it's made of smoke.

I gasp, wasting no time throwing open the doors to follow it. As soon as I step inside, the sconces lining the walls flare to life, casting the room in a gentle orange hue. Massive bookshelves line the walls, filled to the brim with ancient tomes and scrolls of parchment. The aged leather bindings lining the walls are faded and worn from time. Most, if not all, of the surfaces are cluttered with stacks of scrolls and covered with dust, and the large stone desk sitting at the center of the room is no exception. Carved from the same material as the rest of the castle, the table's surface is covered with handwritten pages of notes and symbols, penned in a language I’ve never seen.

The cat jumps onto the table, batting one of the papers toward the edge. It flutters to the floor, and the cat gives me an expectant look, prompting me to go over and pick it up.

Like the others, strange symbols and letters cover the page, none of which I can make out. I’m about to put it down when I notice a small note written in the margins. I pull it closer to my face, trying to make out the scrawl.

Death is the only way.

A small arrow gestures to another symbol hand-scratched onto the page. The same one on the back of my neck. Cyprien’s bond.

I drop the paper like it’s on fire, stumbling back as the blood drains from my face. Oh my gods. M was right. He’s going to kill me.

I look toward the cat, who has remained eerily calm in this revelation. I’m surprised to find its gaze trained on mine, tail swishing the air coyly. Something is strangely familiar about the cunning tilt of its eyes. The way it sits there, seeming to know everything but waiting for me to figure it out.

“Did you bring me here to see this?” I ask, gesturing to the paper.

I don’t know what I was expecting—but it sure as shit wasn’t for the cat to nod.

“Are you… is your name Nya?”

Another nod.

I clutch my chest, my mind reeling. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before—that this is M's familiar. That she’s been trying to lead me to the truth this whole time.

Kaebl is going to kill me.

The cat whines, jumping from the table and landing nimbly onto the floor. It turns its head, flicking its tail in an invitation before running out of the library, passing through the doors just like before. Pulse racing, I run out of the library, knowing exactly where Nya is leading me.

To see M.

By the time I make it to the stairs that lead to the dungeon, I’m out of breath, my legs trembling from the speed I ran through the castle while trying to keep up with Nya. She scurries down the stairs, leaving me no choice but to follow and hope my heart can take the last stretch.

The shadows engulf me as I step onto the ground floor, the scent of rot and damp billowing up my nose and making me wince. I keep my hand on the wall, following the faint glow of Nya’s eyes toward M's cell. She stops just in front of the bars, mewling before slinking through the spaces toward her master. I step closer to the bars, wrapping trembling palms around the cool iron to steady myself.

“M?” His name is no more than a whisper, but it rolls into the air with a desperate plea. One that is answered by a glowing red eye blinking through the dark, a set of pointed white teeth peeking through the shadows in a grin.

“ Wildfire .” His smile widens, eyes shining with a predatory glint. “I’m surprised to see you. What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I didn’t know who else to turn to,” I whisper, cursing the shake in my voice. “I need help.”

He remains where he is, the runes on his forearms and chest glowing molten and casting a soft red light onto his face. His lips press together in a frown as he takes in my expression. “Did they hurt you, little one?”

I go to shake my head but stop halfway through. “I think they’re going to,” I whisper. “I think Kaebl… I think he’s going to kill me. I saw his notebook—something about it being the only way to break the bond. I’m scared, M. I’m so, so fucking scared.”

M says nothing for a long while, his chest rising and falling steadily. “I wish I could offer you some comfort, little one. Or at the very least, tell you not to worry. But…” M lets out a long sigh, dragging a clawed hand down his face. “Now you see the true evil of Jealousy. Now you see the extent to which Envy will go—what he will risk to have power and maintain control. If he’s come to the conclusion that killing you is the only way, I have no doubt he will do it soon. Very soon. ”

My breath comes in shallow pants as I search his eyes for some hint of a lie, but there’s none. “M… what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to fight him?” I shake my head, panic wrapping an icy fist around my windpipe and squeezing. “I don’t want to die,” I whisper, my voice raw and cracking. “I want to go home. I just want this all to be over. There has to—there must be a way. I can’t die here. I won’t.”

M blinks at me, his expression stoic. “There is a way.”

“A way? A way for me to go home?” I demand, gripping the bars tighter. “How?”

He shakes his head, dragging his eyes away from my face for the first time since I’ve been down here. “It’s too dangerous. I will not risk your life that way.”

“I’m already dead!” I cry, my voice shaking with desperation. “Kaebl is going to fucking kill me! Demons are, quite literally, going to sacrifice me! If there’s even a chance of me going home, I need to take it. Please, M. Please. ”

He shakes his head, a deep sigh billowing from his lips. “There is a place—a doorway, if you will—from this world to yours. It’s how Cyprien got you here. How he was able to get to you in the first place.”

A spark of hope lights my chest. “Where is it?”

“South,” he murmurs, eyes glazing over with a faraway look. “Walk south—toward the silver moon. If your aim is true, you will find your way out—the room between worlds.”

He reaches through the bars and cups my face, dragging his thumb lovingly across the apple of my cheek. “Run, little one. Run far away from this place. You must get as far away from these monsters as you can.”

I lean into his touch, trying to think past the buzzing in my ears. “How will I know when I’ve found it?”

“You won’t.” He smiles. “ It will find you.”