Lake gently squeezed my hand. As I met his gaze, I recalled how he’d been in the beginning. Reluctant to get close to me and always on the defensive. It’d taken a long time for him to trust me. Even longer for him to trust Maddox and Briar. He had once viewed humans in the same way Fane did.
Cruel. Selfish. Violent. Much like how humans viewed demons and anyone else who differed from them.
A short walk down another corridor brought us to an open doorway. Firelight from inside the room created an alluring glow that bled through the shadows in the hall.
“Here we are,” Fane said, stopping beside the door. “You may wait inside. Dinner will be served shortly.”
Lake nodded to him before escorting me into the room.
The wall of floor-to-ceiling windows caught my eye first, welcoming in the blue and silver hues of the night sky. Trees showed beyond the glass, as did the courtyard I’d seen from the upper floor. Logs burned in a stone hearth.
Not enough heat to chase away the chill in my bones though. Oh, let me count the reasons why. Shadow Realm. The demon lord’s castle. Flesh-eating monsters—maybe—and possibly becoming the next thing on the menu. It’d take more than a toasty fire to warm me up.
Plates, silverware, and empty goblets had been situated on top of a table with six plushy chairs. A setup reminiscent of a fancy dinner party. One platter held assorted fruit. Red and green grapes, blackberries, cherries, and…
“Uh-oh.” I pointed to the apples.
Lake laughed.
“Are the apples not to your liking?” came a silky voice. Onyx stepped from the shadowy corner, dressed in a deep crimson outfit with silver threading, fitted trousers, and knee-high black boots with buckles. “You seemed quite fond of them this morning. Fane said you ate two before he delivered your breakfast.”
His presence was palpable. The air felt charged, sparking with his every step toward us.
“Good evening.” The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and the chill in my bones gathered in my spine, slowly snaking its way up. But something else built inside me too, settling in my core. A strange pressure. “Apples are great. I was just… I only meant… um.”
“Trouble thinking up a lie?” Onyx stopped at the head of the table, head slanted and his gaze intense. “It’s all right. Speak your true thoughts.”
“I joked earlier that you planned to eat us,” I blurted out. “And that we’d be the next centerpiece for your feast—flame roasted and an apple in our mouths. Seeing the platter of fruit reminded me of that.”
Lake looked at me, eyes wide. Reading each other’s minds wasn’t part of our fated mate connection, but telepathy wasn’t necessary for me to see the thoughts written all over his handsome face. No doubt questioning my sanity.
That made two of us.
But, to both of our surprise, Onyx threw his head back and laughed. “Rest assured. Eating you is not my intention.” He motioned to the table, a laugh still in his voice. “Please have a seat.”
With a wary expression, Lake pulled out my chair and guided me into the seat before taking the one beside mine. He placed his hand on my leg and kept his eyes on the demon lord, body tense.
“You have every right to be suspicious of me,” Onyx told him, all traces of humor absent now. “However, I’m sure you’ve faced your fair share of oppression due to misguided rumors.”
“Aye. I have,” Lake answered. “But it’s not misguided rumors that make me suspicious. It’s what I’ve seen with my own eyes.”
“Tell me, then. What have you seen?” Onyx grabbed a pitcher of red wine and filled his goblet. Strange that he didn’t have servants doing it for him. Shouldn’t a mighty demon lord have people falling at his feet and doting on him? Terrified of his wrath should he be angered?
“Your demons attacking the ones I love.” Lake’s grip tightened on my thigh.
“The ones you love.” He stared at Lake over the rim of his goblet. “If you’re referring to the incident in the dark wood when a horde swarmed you and your companions, I intervened and called off that attack.”
“Are the demons not under your control?” Lake asked. “You have my gratitude for stopping the horde, but who ordered the attack in the first place?”
“The answer is quite simple.” Onyx reclined in his chair. “No one ordered the attack. The demons acted of their own volition. I rule over this realm but have little control over anything beyond its borders.”
“Really?” I asked, hand pausing on the bowl of fruit. The juicy grapes had tempted me. “But you’re the demon lord.”
“Yes, I’m well aware.” Amusement danced in his eyes. “As such, I do wield a certain degree of power over demons, which is why they obeyed me that day in the dark wood instead of eating you. However, without my direct interference, those outside my territory roam freely, letting instinct guide them.”
I mulled over his words. “So all the times when demons charged toward Bremloc and attacked the knights, you didn’t play a role in it?”
“Oh, I didn’t say that. We’re at war, after all.” He took a sip of wine, then paused. “However, whatever happens to those who enter the dark wood have only themselves to blame. You can’t step into a lion’s den and expect the beast not to attack you.”
