Page 5 of Demon Bound

That was what she’d thought at the time.

She hadn’t found out until the next day that she’d been talking to Lord Han-gal’s son, who had recently come home after completing his education in Ardani. A whirlwind romance followed, and they’d married soon after. Nirlan’s elderly father had died another month after that, and they had inherited the castle and lordship.

“Your wife is looking lovely,as always, Nirlan.”

Raiya looked up, drawn out of her memories. The parlor was filled with two dozen or so visitors for one of Nirlan’s parties. She smiled like a mage’s golem, without real emotion, but she doubted anyone noticed the stiffness. The young man who’d spoken was a noble from a neighboring town, whose name she couldn’t be bothered to remember.

Nirlan smiled over at her as if with pride and affection, even though he’d said she was looking old shortly before they’d come out of their dressing room. “As always,” he agreed. “I caught the loveliest woman in Heilune.” He put an arm around her waist and held her against him, his hand brushing the underside of her breast in a way that definitely verged on inappropriate. Raiya saw the other man’s eyes register the touch, a combination of irritation and lust flashing on his face for a fraction of a second.

Nirlan did that whenever another man looked at her. It was a reminder to everyone that he owned her. There were no accidental movements in a room full of people like this. Everything was intentional. Everything was a message. Every seemingly innocent interaction was a subtle battle fordominance. She had learned that very quickly after she’d first arrived at the castle.

She wandered the room at Nirlan’s side while he gossiped and laughed with other important people in extravagant clothing. There were wealthy sun elves from Ysura, a famous artist from distant ra’Hezirat, even a politician from Valtos. Nirlan only befriended important people. Or, in her case, people he found attractive.

“You have quite a book collection,” an older man commented. Raiya’s eyes reluctantly tracked over the shelves on the wall. The books were covered in dust, unused and forgotten for a long time now. A few of her old rune-inscribed items sat beside them like bookends. She hadn’t been able to find the desire to create anything for many months now.

“My wife fancies herself an academic,” Nirlan said with a smirk.

“Ah,” the man said, looking at Raiya skeptically. “It’s good for a lady to have something to keep herself occupied.”

Raiya smiled blandly.

Midway through the evening, a hooded figure weaved through the crowd toward them. Nirlan sighed when he saw him.

The hooded man was Eunaios, Nirlan’s assistant. He was a mage and a member of the cult of Moratha—the goddess of death—which had been growing in influence in Uulantaava over the last few years. Nirlan had hired him several months ago, and now Raiya understood why. There were not many people who knew how to properly summon and bind a demon, and those who did were usually of questionable repute.

“What is it?” Nirlan said impatiently. “Did I not tell you to stay out of sight?” Eunaios was a rather unattractive, uncharming middle-aged man, deathly pale and shaved bald. He had a dour disposition and a penchant for black robes, whichmay have been a uniform for Moratha cultists or may have just been his personal taste—Raiya wouldn’t have been surprised by either. Nirlan was happy to use him for his magic skills for as long as they could benefit from each other, but obviously he did not want the strange little man putting a damper on his fancy parties. A few of the other guests had given him odd looks as he passed.

“There’s a problem with the creature,” Eunaios said.

“What kind of problem?”

“It is unwell. You should come and see.”

“You’re telling me I should leave my own party early to dote on it because it’s not feeling well? Does the poor thing have a tummy ache? Ash and blood…”

“If we don’t give it what it needs, it could die. And then what will you do? You’ll have to find another. It would set us back weeks.”

“It can wait a few hours.”

Eunaios scowled and retreated, brushing past a group of startled sun elves on his way.

“Canthey die?” Raiya asked. She knew next to nothing about demons.

Nirlan looked down at her suddenly, as if he’d forgotten she was there. “Of course they can,” he said shortly, as if it was a stupid question.

The thought of the demon dying alone in its too-small cage was unexpectedly distressing. Did anything really deserve to die that way, even a demon?

“Perhaps you should see to it soon,” she said.

“Just enjoy the party, wife. Drink some more wine.”

For a moment, she resented the condescension. Then she decided that she could use some more to drink after all. Wine had become something of a habit of hers recently. There wasn’tmuch else to do in this big, lonely castle, and alcohol smoothed off the sharp edges of life.

Having been given permission, she detached herself from Nirlan’s side and went to take a glass of wine from a servant. She took a long drink, then slipped out into the hallway.

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, glad to be alone for a moment. Normally, she disliked the silence and solitude of the castle. But Nirlan and his friends were not the kind of company she was looking for.

“Are you all right, lady?”

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