Page 103 of Monsters in Love

Up. The creature was leading them upward.

Holding tight to Emmi’s hand, Isabelle kept herself slightly between her sister and the massive creature. Tricky, in the perpetual gloom of the tunnels and while navigating a narrow set of twisting stairs in her ballgown. But necessary. As much as Belle wanted to believe this demon was helping them, she had no idea where it was taking them.

Or why.

So what if she felt strangely safe around this creature? She wasn’t taking any chances with her sister’s life. Emmi hadn’t spoken a word since they’d followed the demon out of that tunnel, and her sister still trembled.

Belle understood why.

Drawing in a breath, she squeezed Emmi’s hand.

Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and she could finally take stock of the creature. When the bishop had spoken of the demons, she’d pictured spindly, sickly things, grasping from beneath the streets with hands like bone and faces sharp as knives—but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

This creature leading her and Emmi up a curved staircase was as large as a marble statue of the golden gods, with impossibly broad shoulders covered in thick fur. What she’d thought were cloaks were in fact leather wings protruding from his back, currently clasped at his throat like a cloak.

The demons were bats—if bats were the size of orcs.

And had arms strong enough to lift a pair of oxen.

Fallen Gods of gold and scale, protect me.

Alongside a ruff of fur almost like thick human hair, huge ears swept back on its head, occasionally twitching and turning as it no doubt heard hundreds of things she couldn’t. They reminded her of a fox’s ears, wide for catching sounds and covered with fur so fine it resembled velvet.

She drew closer, unable to stop herself from studying its form, searching for something she couldn’t explain.

Its ears stood straight up, attention fixed ahead.

Something’s there.

Slowing her steps, she pushed Emmi behind her. Her demon guide didn’t appear alarmed, but who knew if that was a good thing, or if they were about to walk right into its trap?

She crept around the next bend in the stairs to a small landing.

A smaller demon came into view on the stairs ahead and Isabelle froze. From behind her, Emmi squeaked.

Isabelle readied herself to run, yet the smaller demon didn’t approach.

It nodded at her guide, and the enormous creature returned the gesture—the two apparently knew each other. No words were spoken, and neither creature appeared agitated. Then the smaller one disappeared from view, heading up the stairs—the same direction she and Emmi were being led.

This is either a good sign, or very, very bad.

She just wished she knew which.

Her batlike guide looked over an enormous shoulder at her, and motioned for her and Emmi to continue upward. No growls or strikes followed. Her feet wanted to follow, yet she hesitated. Was this feeling of safety a lie? What if she was being taken to a nest full of hungry young…

Dark eyes caught hers and her heart stuttered.

Brown eyes, not black. How strange for a demon.

And oddly beautiful—

“Where are we going, Belle?” Emmi whispered and clutched her arm. “And how are there stairs?”

Giving herself a shake, Belle forced her gaze away from the creature’s. She searched the space behind them, relieved to find no signs of pursuit. But those other demons were down there, waiting for another chance. She had no idea how to evade them, and zero intention of facing anything until she did.

Which left up, and her brown-eyed demon.

“We keep going,” she said softly, letting her gaze return to the creature’s.

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