Page 36 of The Vampire Court

“I—” I frown. “Is that… all?”

The demon ignores my question, lowering until they slide over me. They purr at whatever it is they find. The boney fingers flex, still holding onto my head. The demon’s power continues to flow. This time, it licks at the insides of my bones, studying me.

“You have been touched by many demons.”

“M-many?” I ask.

“Yes, human.” The demon’s head lifts, their mouth forming what could be a smile if they had any lips. “More than one is rare… more than two has never before happened.”

I push up on my elbows. The demon glides backward, giving me space. I press my hand to the side of my head. “I don’t understand.”

They move around me, wrapping around my shoulders, encircling me but not touching. “If the first demon to get their claws on a mortal does not kill them, the second one will. We do not like our prey to be tainted by another’s magic.”

The blood in my veins freezes. If I am their prey, why would this demon want me alive? Why heal me?

“Being touched by a third,” they continue, “that has made you… malleable. The others have only increased this.”

“What do you want from me?”

Another grizzly smile. “For you to live.”

“But why?” My voice is barely above a whisper.

The demon releases their hold, floating up and to the far corner of my cell. In a rush, images flood my mind—going down a hidden passage, a dark, winding stairwell, and a demon locked away.

“I know you…” I whisper. “I thought that was a dream.”

The demon chuckles and continues to retreat.

“Who are you?” I ask as they seep into the wall.

“Varin.” Their voice is a breath that fades, but their name sticks in my mind.

I jolt awake and find myself huddled in the corner, knees pulled into my chest.

Glancing at the far corner, I expect to see the demon, but they aren’t there. That area is no darker than any other spot in this grimy cell, yet the sensation of being watched still hovers from all angles.

When I move, my muscles are weak, but there isn’t a single ounce of pain. I have been healed.

Both times, the demon had been real.

Chapter Fourteen

Clara

The cell door flies open,startling me from my half-asleep state. It takes two heartbeats to remember where I am. Two tall, dark figures stand in the doorway, backlit by torches. In a blur, they are in front of me. Before I can open my mouth to protest, they grab my arms, hauling me to my feet. Their fingers dig in with bruising force.

The guards march me out into the hallway where two more vampires wait with torches. I have to avert my eyes from the sudden brightness after spending so long in the dark. Though the demon had told me to eat, no more meals had come.

I writhe against the painful grip, which only makes them tighten their hold. We stop before one of the vampires holding a torch.

He sneers down at me and wrinkles his nose. “Get her cleaned up. We can’t have her smelling like demon shit when we take her to see the queen,” he orders, jerking his chin toward the end of the hall.

My guards nod then pivot, marching me down the long corridor. The pace is brisk, and even at full strength, I would have trouble keeping up. My legs are weak and clumsy. Each time I manage to find purchase with one foot, I stumble and end up with my feet dragging.

When we near a large wooden door with brightly polished hinges and lock, we turn down a side passage that brings us to be a large alcove, similar to my cell. Instead of hay scattered around, the ground is damp with puddles of water in the grooves.

The guards lead me to the center of the room and drop me. I fall to my hands, gritting my teeth at the painful crack of my knees on stone. A hand clamps on the back of my neck and pushes down.