The words sent a shiver down my spine. I straightened up and met the demoness’ gaze.
“Strange or not, I’m here,” I said, failing to steady my shaking voice. I watched her face, looking for any change in demeanor, afraid that a single misstep would bring consequences beyond my understanding. “I came to see Prince Sitri. If you’d be so kind as to escort me, I’d like to strike a deal with him.”
She blinked slowly. Once, then twice, before she shook her head.
“You don’t seem to understand. This place wasn’t meant for you humans. Please stay put, so I may send for someone to collect you and prepare you for your time in service to Lantyca.”
She moved to close the door. My heart pounded; my throat tightened with urgency.
“Wait!”
I stumbled forward. My fingers barely caught the doorknob beforemy window of opportunity closed. Through the narrow gap, I found myself eye-to-eye with the demoness. As I raised my lantern, hoping to bathe the mansion and its secrets in light, the fire’s reflection danced in her blood-red irises.
“Please, I have nowhere else to go. Zaleos sent me. He told me I’d be safe here.”
Her eyes widened, settling on the lantern. The whistle of her sharp inhale broke the silence as her muscles drew taut. Slowly, the door creaked open.
“The Duke of Peace and Love?”
“Yes,” I gasped, desperation heavy in my voice. “I swear I will make it worth his while if you bring me to Sitri.”
The demoness’ eyes flicked over me, alight with an unknown intensity. She scanned my face, ran her gaze over my body, and then refocused on my lantern. I held my breath, not daring to move an inch as she studied me.
A moment before my lungs began to burn, she spoke. “Fine. I will bring you to Sitri if you insist. Whatever it is you want, I wouldn’t get your hopes up. The Prince despises unwanted visitors.”
“Thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.”
That was the only reply I managed. My faith in Zaleos faltered. What had I gotten myself into, coming to a place like this and risking another bargain? I’d walked this road before, paid the price for my hubris. And here I was, prepared to do it all again.
It didn’t matter; my chance to turn back had come and gone. I stepped into the mansion. The door snapped shut behind me, trapping me in a house of demons.
I clung to my lantern as my lifeline, hoping in vain that it might grant me safety. Its flame was too weak to illuminate the entire foyer. I caught glimpses of walls, wooden trim, and corners of furniture, but that was all I saw. My hostess waved for me to follow, then set off into the darkness.She led me through claustrophobic hallways lined with rooms. The floors resembled hardwood, though their texture seemed softer than I expected. The smooth, slightly supple surface soothed my feet as I walked.
My mind, however, was anything but soothed.
Goosebumps rose on my arms, and my hair stood on end. I was instinctively aware of a primal evil inside the mansion, and the last thing I wanted was to meet it. To meethim.
The demoness paused before a door much larger than the others, stained a near-black color, and carved just like the one in the entryway. Instead of slaves and servants, it featured a collection of bare-bodied demons in various compromising positions.
“This is the end of the line, human. Are you ready to make your case?”
I tried to swallow my fears, only to find my mouth had gone dry. A faint tremor started in my hands. I hoped the Prince wouldn’t notice.
“I think so,” I said, knowing damn well it was a lie.
There was no way I’d ever be ready. I didn’t want this, didn’t want to confront him, didn’t want to lose the only barrier between myself and the Prince of Lust and Lies. My desires didn’t matter, though. Awareness of that fact sat like a stone in my stomach. The demoness rapped against the door. Through it came the sound of rustling papers.
“Come in.”
Sitri spoke in a deep, uncanny voice, with a slightly husky quality that made me want to bolt through the mansion’s halls and search its endless doors for a way out of this nightmare. The demoness who brought me to him had no such reservations. She followed his command, opening the door and revealing the void beyond.
Was it my imagination, or had my lantern failed to banish the shadows stagnating in the room? The air carried a chill that the rest of the mansion lacked. On its heels came the overwhelming scent of smokeand sandalwood. No matter how I squinted and angled my light, the gloom blinded me, preventing me from finding any details in the dark.
“What is this you’ve brought me, Mara?” There was that voice again, so intense and inquisitive that I shuddered.
“A human, Prince Sitri,” the demoness answered. “She has something peculiar to ask you.”
Total silence reigned. I bit my tongue, afraid of being the one who broke it. There came an odd scraping and a deep hiss as Sitri struck a match. A candle flared to life, casting enough light for me to make out my would-be benefactor. I didn’t care for what I saw one bit.
