Page 24 of Hell Sent

It isn’t so bad being fed from when you do it like that.

A hot emotion, alive and vibrating like buzzing insects, filled his chest.

“Perhaps,” he agreed. “Not everyone has such a willing donor on hand.”

The bracelet began to resist his magic, and he got the sense it had drunk its fill. He held it out to Raiya. The runes, which had been dark and difficult to make out, now gleamed with subtle blue-green light.

Her face lit up as she admired their combined work: her runes, and his magic. “Put it on.”

He almost did so, but stopped short. For all he knew, it could have been enchanted with a spell that killed whoever donned it. He held it out to her. “You, first.”

Her smile faded. She took the bracelet from him and slipped it over her wrist. “I can tell you are a man who does not trust easily, Azreth,” she said dryly. And then her skin turned the exact same blue as his own—mocking him. He recoiled slightly. He did not particularly like mortals, but he liked other demons even less. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how much he appreciated her wholly un-demonic appearance.

She continued to change. Her skin and hair flashed violet and red and green and every other color imaginable before finally returning to her natural appearance.

The illusion was simple, but effective. He had not seen this kind of spell before. Demon magic tended to be less subtle and more focused on potential for violence. “It changes your coloring,” he said.

“Yes, and it didn’t even strike me dead in the process.” She pulled it off and thrust it toward him.

The bracelet was dainty and narrow. Feeling overlarge and oafish, he carefully bent the stiff metal until it opened wide enough to fit around his wrist, then bent it closed again. He sensed the magic activate somehow, as though it knew he was there and was awaiting his instruction.

He glanced up at Raiya, using her as a reference. With a projection of his will, he changed his skin and hair to the same tones as hers—pale brown and black. He willed his horns away too, though it made him feel oddly naked. He tried to make himself smaller, but nothing happened. He’d reached the limits of the spell, apparently.

“Your eyes,” Raiya reminded him.

He looked into her own eyes, studying the way her pupils darted with each shift in her attention. He gave himself her eyes—white with deep, dark centers ringed in a shining umber that reminded him of a pretty geode he’d once found.

She gave him her blanket to drape around his shoulders like a mantle, too, because apparently mortals considered it strange to leave one’s torso uncovered.

* * *

If someone had askedAzreth yesterday whether he could ever pass for something even vaguely resembling a human man, he would have scoffed.

The first time they crossed someone on the road after he’d donned his disguise, he was certain they would be caught, but the traveler just gave him an odd look as they went by.

Raiya was taking him to a human city called Ontag-ul, where she said she might find information on how to remove the binding runes on his hand. It was, unfortunately, several days away on foot. He could have flown them there faster, but summoning wings drained him, and it would draw unwanted attention.

Whenever he wasn’t anxiously scanning the plains for danger, he was anxiously watching the mortal woman. She often shivered, pulling her cloak closer around herself. The yellow sun was bright here, but the air was as clear and cool as the water that filled the rivers and ponds. The cold was unforgiving.How long could mortals go without seeking refuge indoors? Would she grow ill if he kept her outdoors too long?

“Are you well?” he asked once after watching her put her hands to her red cheeks to try to warm them.

Her lips tilted into a smirk. “I’m well and strong. Don’t think of betraying me. I will destroy you.”

He sensed she was mocking him again, but he couldn’t be certain, and he didn’t want to make a fool of himself by asking her.

It was not long before he began catching glimpses of movement in the hills around them. Raiya did not seem to notice.

“We are being followed,” he told her.

He half expected her to explain that this was a normal feature of her land, and that perhaps it was usual for other humans to follow each other like this, because she always seemed to have an explanation for everything. But when he spoke, she looked alarmed.

He moved closer to her, scanning the hills to count the approaching figures. If it was her husband coming to get her, he would protect her as he’d promised.

But Azreth didn’t see Nirlan among them as the figures came closer. It was a group of humans riding on large, four-legged beasts with antlers, which shocked him. The kin never had such close contact with animals unless they were fighting. But these antlered creatures and the humans appeared friendly with each other.

There were half a dozen of them approaching, towering on their mounts. They wore bright silver armor, and hanging from their belts were swords, daggers, and quivers of arrows.

“Paladins,” Raiya told him. “Followers of the god of justice, Paladius. They hunt demons, among other things.”

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