Her back tensed, and she slowly turned. Burning silver eyes met her gaze. Their intensity made her breath catch in her throat.
“You have quite the collection,” she managed. “Sorry, I was just—just curious.”
He took a step closer.
“Here’s a little tip,” he said darkly. “It awakens my hunger when your heart races like that. When you smell of cold sweat and fear.” She was alarmed to see white-knuckled fists at his sides. “So, while you can’t control the pounding of your heart, please refrain from running away, as you’re thinking about doing right now.”
“Why?” She cleared her throat, attempting to get back on familiar footing. “Why exactly shouldn’t I run?”
“Because,Elizabeth,” he said, his voice sounding deeper than usual.“You don’t want to know what I would do if you snapped my control, and I caught you.”
In an attempt to steer the conversation back into safe waters, she asked, “Why do you have so many copies of the same book?”
“So they can’t be used or seen by eyes that I don’t want,” he said. The tension in the air dissipated slightly. He raised an eyebrow. “You like to read?”
She nodded. “Very much.”
“Help yourself. To any books in my collection. But if you sell the secrets of books like this”—he took the book she had been reading back off the shelf and held it up—“to anyone, I will be most displeased.”
“Do you have any duties you would have of me?” She asked faintly, hoping they could come to another arrangement, one not involving the blood in her veins and putting herself at the mercy of such a creature.
“We’ve already discussed the arrangement I want most. I will come for you at the end of your week here. Whatever else you do with your time is not my concern.”
As Caspian put the book back on the shelf, she noted his sleeves were pushed up to his elbows today, and her attention snapped to the veins running across his forearm like the roots of a tree. When he turned back to her, she quickly glanced up at his face, not wanting to be caught staring.
“I will escort you to dinner.”
He strode out of the library without further word, leaving her to grab her book and hurry after him. Pushing through the library doors, she looked for the demon.
To her surprise, he was already waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase. How had he moved so fast?
She hurried down the stairs and offered what she hoped was a friendly smile.
His gaze heated, sliding up and down her frame. His eyes bored into hers, looking like he wanted nothing more than to eatherfor dinner.
Flustered, she missed the last step and stumbled, throwing out her hands to regain her balance.
Ugh. Graceful.
Caspian gave her a look of derision and silently extended his elbow.
“What’s this?” she asked, eyeing his elbow suspiciously.
He glanced at her. “So that you do not fall on your face on the treacherous road from the stairs to the great hall.”
“Don’t be silly. I can walk on my own.”
He proffered his elbow once more, insisting. She slipped her arm through his and gasped as he jerked her closer to him.
He led her to the great hall and pulled her chair out from the table for her, the legs scraping against the floor. “Another treacherous obstacle.”
Her face grew hot. “Thank you. Ever the gracious host.”
There were only two goblets set out on the table tonight. The grinning Asmodeus was gone, and so was Finnigan. Elizabeth fidgeted in her seat, awkwardly smoothing her skirt on her lap. Something about Caspian made her feel on edge.
The servants swept in and placed trays of food on the table. She helped herself to a plate of roast venison and potatoes.
A servant deposited a fresh goblet of wine in front of Caspian and filled her goblet with water.
