I can’t think about the words he’s saying because I’m too focused on how awful he looks. His shirt is creased, and his eyes are sunken with exhaustion while his facial hair is a scraggly mess.
He looks just like Father did in the days after Amaryllis’s ‘death’.
Like a man who lost his daughter.
“If it’s any consolation, your prized whore’s soul was barely edible,” Navir pipes up. “I doubt you’ll even notice a change when you fuck her.”
“Leave this place, demon,” Elheart snarls. “You will not be taking anymore of my court’s souls today.”
“If you say so.” Navir shrugs. He slinks away from Urma, but instead of leaving through the gap in the horses, he brushes past me, whispering in my ear. “I suspect this won’t be the last time we meet each other, little princess. Your older sister has something I very much desire.”
“Blossom?” I frown. “You need to stay away from her.”
But the demon just grins in a cat-like way before disappearing into shadow form.
“Take Lady Urma back to my palace,” Elheart barks at the nearest guard the second Navir is gone. “I’ll deal with her later.”
The guard hops off his horse to grab Urma’s arm. Despite her furious protests, he drags her through the trees.
“As for you,” Elheart glares at me, “I’ll be finding you a nice, comfortable cell in the dungeon.”
I cover my chest with my arms, suddenly very aware that all I’m wearing is the thin black nightgown Tauren put me to bed in. “Tauren will come for me.” I hold my head high.
“The salt barrier is still very much intact,” Elheart sneers.
“My sisters then.” I raise my voice. “You can’t just lock me away. I haven’t done anything to you!”
“You stole my daughter!” His tone makes me freeze. “You came to my palace with the intention of stealing sweet Maeve, and you stole Tamryn instead. Therefore you are a thief, and in my court thieves are punished. I will have your hands cut off by sunset.”
I pale. “You can’t do that.” I won’t be able to dance. Ride horses.
“I can, and I will. In fact,” his grin makes me feel queasy, “I will send a messenger to your dear demon lord telling him that if he does not return Tamryn to my palace by noon, the next messenger will be sent carrying a box with your hands inside.”
“But Tauren’s palace is hours from here!”
He tugs on the reins of his horse. “Then you best hope my messengers are fast riders. Take her away,” he barks at his guards.
His men grab my arms, hauling me roughly towards the palace. I writhe against them, but it’s pointless. All I can do is let my body go limp, the sunlight stinging my eyes as I watch an owl, oddly enough, swoop across the fluffy clouds.
Dear Ami,
You’re not going to believe this. I probably wouldn’t, even if it were Blossom telling me this story (by the way, she’s still just as moody as before. I hope she goes back to normal soon. I miss her. I miss you too, of course. I miss all of you!).
Anyway, the point of this letter is that last week the strangest thing happened. Father had me shipped off to marry a lord that I absolutely did not agree to marrying (not so strange). Then, somehow on the way I was tricked by an enchanted horse and woke up on the floor of a demon lord’s throne room (very strange). A few adventures later (that I will absolutely only ever tell you about if you give me enough wine) I find myself here, in the changing room of a faerie gown shop, writing to you in case something bad happens and I need your help.
You did tell us to write to you if we ever needed it, after all.
But Stars, I think I need it now!
He wants me to marry him, Ami. The demon! Not the lord Father shipped me off to. And I know he’s only arranged this wedding to provoke the lord that I was supposed to marry, but the problem is that I am not completely against it! There’s a sweetness to him. I think you’d like him. He’s been kind to me,and at times very unkind (but I assure you I was very much into it).
I suppose what I mean to say is that I think I might not hate it here. Even though I probably should. But maybe you might know how I feel, especially considering what happened between you and Kasimir.
Regardless, I’ve been kidnapped by a demon. Send help! Or maybe a wedding gift. I haven’t figured out which yet.
I will write to you again if I truly need you to come and rescue me.
Love you to the moon and back again,
