Page 10 of Taken to the Deadlands (Stolen Demon Brides #1)

Chapter 10

Mia

I pushed through the dead tree line, the branches that had fallen to the ground crunching under my feet.

My breath stopped in my throat when I spotted Aris just a few feet away, right near the edge of the cliff. It was already hard to breathe because of the short hike, but when I saw her there, it felt like I had the weight of the world on my chest.

I hadn’t seen Aris after our interaction near the statue the previous day. Food was left outside my bedroom, and I kept staring at the door, just waiting for her to stop by.

But she never did.

I was conflicted. Half of me wanted her to come by, half feared she would.

I paced. Read some of the books that she placed in the room. Many of which were actually English classics that I had heard or read about growing up.

The beaten up spines made me wonder just how many humans had ran their fingers down the peeling spines before I had.

I hadn’t asked her to finish her story before. I hadn’t had the heart to. It was all I could think about.

But seeing her here, looking out beyond the cliff with such a saddened expression… It caused my chest to ache.

Whatever that human had been to her, there had to be so much more than the little hints she was dropping. The pain etched onto her face was something I had only seen in my most grief-ridden clients.

She turned to look back at me, and in that moment, the pained expression on her face was gone. She almost looked… at peace.

“I used to like it out here,” she said and motioned for me to come forward.

I followed her lead, but because she was so close to the edge, I also reached out to grab her hand. The action caused her eyes to widen.

“Sorry,” I muttered under my breath. “I’m scared of heights.”

A small smile spread across her face.

“We won’t get that close,” she promised. “And even if we did end up falling, it wouldn’t kill us. I wouldn’t let it.”

I gave her a look and peeked over the edge. Below us were miles and miles of dead trees. When I squinted to see beyond the mist, I could make out barren lakes and even the dash of a few wild animals, though I was afraid of what type they might be.

All in all, if it wasn’t so desolate, it might have been a beautiful view. Forests as far as the eye could see. Probably even some flowers below, adding pops of color to the area.

“I can see why you used to like it here,” I said with an appreciative nod.

“Really?”

The astonishment in her voice caused me to look at her. Her grip on my hand became tight, and I wasn’t too sure she was aware that she was doing it. Or just how much her face had lit up.

“Really,” I replied with a small smile of my own. “It’s beautiful, hauntingly so. In the Human Realm, we have many places like this, but the trees would be green and there would be grass or flowers below.”

She gave me a quick, enthusiastic nod. “I have seen them. Forests the likes this realm has never seen before. I was in awe the first time I saw them.”

I raised a brow at her.

“You have been to the Human Realm?”

Her smile dropped at this.

“I haven’t always bought humans in the auctions,” she explained, though her voice was hesitant. “It’s expensive, and there was a time when this realm had a portal, but it has long since disappeared.”

“A portal?” I asked. “Is that how you travel? Can you make one?”

She shook her head. “That is not the power I possess.” She lifted our connected hands and showed me as she changed her claws to fingers. “Like manipulation, though it’s hard to sustain.”

No wonder she fingered me like she did.

“To hunt. You visited to hunt humans.”

“Yes,” she admitted. “Though I did try to find a companion once or twice before her . I brought them here as well.”

Maybe I should have felt afraid knowing I was just another human she brought here, but I couldn’t. Her intentions seemed good.

Afraid? Not really. Annoyed? Oh yes.

Better not to think about it, though.

I nodded and looked back at the land below. It really was something out of a horror movie. But I wasn’t lying when I said I liked it. It was beautiful. But in the same way Aris was beautiful. Otherworldly.

“If you see there…” Aris pointed out to the far right. It took me a few seconds to figure out what she was pointing at, but I gasped when I saw it.

“More demons?” I asked. I could just barely make out their hunched forms in a large dip in the ground. There were about ten of them, and they seemed to be digging something up.

“I employ them. To dig up the roots of the dead trees. We sell it to make alcohol and potions for witches. Some demons swear they can get high off it.”

I gave her an astonished look.

“So that’s how you have so much money.”

If I didn’t know any better, I would say the slight darkening of her cheeks was a blush.

“It pays well,” she confessed after clearing her throat.

“I bet,” I said with a light huff. “And them? I didn’t think anyone lived here besides that one demon girl.”

“They live far on the edges of my realm with their families. I allow them free rein of the area as long as they work to dig up the roots.”

“That’s nice of you.” I leaned back to get a better look at her. She just shrugged. When her eyes looked back out at the forest, they turned sad. “When was the last time you came here?”

“A long time ago,” she sighed. “I liked to show this to the humans. Like you said, I thought it would remind them of the forests of their homes, but…”

I didn’t like how the words came harsher at the end. Lead filled my stomach.

“Did they try to jump? Is that how you know it won’t kill us?” I forced out, trying to not make my words sound as hollow as they felt.

Her silence told me what I needed to know.

“It’s okay to talk about them,” I said, squeezing her hand.

“You don’t feel… disgusted?” she asked.

“Sometimes scared,” I admitted. Her face fell. “Sometimes upset. But… You are a demon. And given what I saw, eating humans is in your nature. So, I can’t really fault you for trying to survive.”

“And the companions, what about them?” she pushed.

I bit my tongue before answering that one.

“I’m guessing they all came here unwillingly?” A nod. “Did you… force them to?—”

“Never,” she spat. “I would never. Companion doesn’t always mean sex. Sometimes I just wanted a friend. A partner. I employ demons, but we don’t make friends often. They usually live alone, save for their mates. I just wanted…”

I felt like pushing a bit more. But this time she surprised me by taking a deep breath and continuing.

“After a while, I would offer them passage home. I learned to do that after the first one slit her wrist in front of me to provoke me into a frenzy,” she explained.

“How many?” I asked.

“Three. The second one didn’t make it through the portal before it collapsed. In her anguish, she fought me and I—you can guess what happened.”

I nodded.

It should be horrifying. I should be disgusted. But instead, it made me feel things I shouldn’t. I just sent her a small smile.

“It’s okay,” I said. “It’s hard, I know, but don’t give yourself over to guilt. I can see it messes with you.”

The hope in her eyes was almost enough to break me.

What the fuck am I doing, telling her it’s okay to lose control and attack humans?

But a part of me understood her struggles and recognized just how much she was trying to change.

Even if thinking that way could be my downfall.