The offer shimmered in her mind—freedom, comfort, peace. Luna swallowed hard, her blood pounding in her ears. She drew in a breath, gathering the strength not to listen. “I wish to be left alone.”
The fae’s grin twisted into a scowl, his eyes narrowing. “Miserable choice,” he grumbled. With one final glance at Luna, he stuck out his tongue before disappearing into the trees.
Even though he left, the chill of him stayed in her bones.
“Stay close,” Damien warned, his voice tight. “We aren’t out of danger until we are out of the forest.”
Luna nodded, gripping tightly onto his arm. “Why did he want me to go with him? What did he even want?”
“They’re bored. And dangerous. I wouldn’t have brought you here at all—if not for my promise about Nina.” His shadows rippled around him. “I know all too well that once you go with the fae, you don’t come back. No matter what they say.”
Chapter 40
Skull Building
After countless twists and turns, the path split in two. Damien took her left, and a hush settled around them—not quiet but empty, as though the very essence of life had been drained from this place. As they walked, the sky overhead darkened to a muted, ashen grey; the forest around them changed, too, as if it had been burned long ago, with its trees standing lifeless. Their skeletal forms swayed mournfully in the breeze, and every nerve in Luna’s body screamed she was heading to her doom, to turn around and leave before she couldn’t.
“Where are we?” she asked, forcing her feet to keep moving.
“Demonic lands.” Damien pointed up ahead to a round building, eerily shaped like a human skull. “That’s one of their temples.”
Two windows glowed a deep green, positioned in a way to resemble eyes. The mouth of the skull formed a doorway, with jagged teeth on the top and bottom, forcing visitors to duck between. Whoever had designed this place wanted their guests to feel like they were being consumed—a fact not lost on Luna.
“Are we safe?”
“Of course,” Damien said as though the idea that she wouldn’t be safe with him nearby were simply absurd.
She said nothing. Her gaze stuck to the building, on the way the light inside didn’t flicker like flame but pulsed slowly, steady.
“The power that lived here, the wickedness”—he paused, his gaze also moving to the building—“it hasn’t entirelyleft.”
“What do you mean?”
“Demons used these temples for soul binding, sacrifices . . .” A shiver traced down his spine, too quick to hide, and it unsettled her more than if he’d screamed. “Plenty more,” he went on. “And even though they’re long gone, the land still remembers. Still answers to their kind. Most other magic won’t even work here—and if it does, it tends to backfire. That’s why it’s the perfect place for a meeting for the Darkened One. No one is dumb enough to push their luck here. Hopefully it’ll keep things . . . civil.”
Inside, candles balancing on small wooden pegs wedged between the gaps in the brick walls lit the space, casting flickering light across the cobwebs clinging to the ceiling and stone.
“The apartment inside is much better maintained,” Damien said, leading her down a short hallway and up a spiralled staircase, skipping the steps stained maroon. Luna didn’t ask if it was wine or blood; not knowing seemed better for her sanity.
At the top, Damien stopped at a dark wooden door. “Ready?”
She nodded, and he pushed it open.
Beyond the door, the walls glowed acid-green, bathing the room in soft, unnatural light. Two massive circular windows dominated the far wall. The furniture was entirely black, scaled far beyond normal proportions. Its carved swirls and grand design looked unmistakably regal. Or maybe not, she thought with a gulp. Made for demons.
She looked down at her hands. They were clean now—no blood, no light, no power—but her fingers trembled with the memory of it. Of what she’d done. The bodies she turned to dust.
Maybe it wasn’t so strange, sitting here in a demon’s temple. Maybe this place suited her more than she wanted to admit.
She froze mid-step.
And, of course, Damien noticed. “Are you alright?”
She gave him a nod, but the thought curled cold around her spine.I’m not that different from the monsters who built this place.
“Took you long enough,” a musical voice rang out, and Luna jumped.
From around the corner, a lady with a curvy figure and soft brown curls kissing her shoulders emerged. Luna instantly relaxed. Corey looked exactly as she had back in the marketplace, minus the white particles of flour clinging to her clothes.
