Even when she descended to the great hall for dinner, she dined alone. The grinning Asmodeus was gone, and Caspian was nowhere to be found.
When she asked where he was, Fiza had simply said that the master was often not in residence. She felt a mixture of relief and dread because their week had passed, and he still had not come to seek her out for blood. From their initial conversations, she knew that there was no way he would have forgotten.
Chapter 12
Skeletons in the Closet
Elizabeth walked into the great hall and sucked in a breath. Caspian was there, sitting at the table with Asmodeus. Both demons glanced up at her arrival.
She gave a curtsey in greeting and took her usual place at the table.
Elizabeth waited for Caspian to sip his ghastly “wine” before digging into her meal. She ate ravenously, ignoring their curious glances when she piled her plate high for a second helping. Her mornings of trekking in the woods and riding horses left her with an enormous appetite.
Her eyes narrowed on Asmodeus’s goblet.
Asmodeus noticed her looking and raised his goblet, offering a cheeky grin before taking a large sip. He smiled broadly, his teeth stained red.
She curled her lip in distaste. Asmodeus chuckled, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Schooling her face into a look of indifference, she returned to the meal in front of her and ignored the hulking demon staring at her.
“Venison steaks. Hunted them myself,” Asmodeus said, grinning and nodding at the half-eaten slab of steak on her plate. “Does that bother you, sweetheart? Me hunting in the forest? Killing something?”
“Asmodeus,” Caspian warned from the head of the table.
Elizabeth rose. “You can do whatever you like. I’ve eaten tonight, so I suppose I must be grateful,” she said, plastering a smile on her face. “Thank you for the meal. It was lovely.”
She gave a quick curtsey and left the hall.
A short while later, a knock sounded at her door.
She opened it, revealing Caspian leaning against the door jamb. He gazed at her with an odd expression she couldn’t quite read. “Hello, Elizabeth.”
She looked at him curiously. “Hello, Caspian.”
“How busy you’ve been keeping. I’ve hardly seen you at all.”
“My apologies. I wasn’t aware you were expecting me to seek you out.” Her voice came out cooler than intended. She straightened, moving aside as sheremembered to be pleasant to the person who was providing her with a houseroom. She forced herself to smile more warmly. “Please, come in.”
He frowned down at her, a lock of black hair falling across his face.
Her fingers itched to smooth it back for him. She tensed her fingers at her sides to restrain them. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something.
“Do you know why I’m here?” Caspian asked finally.
She looked into his burning silver eyes and slowly shook her head.
“I said I would give you a week, and you’ve nearly had two.”
“Oh,” she said.
Yes, that was her, the picture of wit.
“Why don't we sit?”
He closed the door behind him, and they sat on the edge of her bed. She folded her hands awkwardly. Now she would have to pay the price for his protection.
He glanced at her, then at her lips.
She flushed, heat creeping up her neck.
