Page 30 of Dormeo
The human leader takes a long look at his hurt men before taking the stupid option, and charging at Ash, right as another man appears from the darkness and sneaks toward Lily while she’s distracted with her brother’s sword fight.
“Lily!” I scream from the balcony, leaning out across the wooden plinth and waving my arms, pointing behind her.
Her eyes shoot to mine, just for a brief moment, before she ducks and spins, her black cape swinging out around her in a wide arc. In the blink of an eye, she pops up behind herattacker, and without hesitation, slits his throat in one seamless movement.
Ash roars loudly upon seeing me watching, and done with toying with this man, parries one strike out of the way before plunging his sword deep into his chest. As he puts his foot on the man’s shoulder and draws his sword back out of his body, he raises his gaze to mine, his red eyes glowing brightly in the darkness.
“Oh god, “I mutter, my heart pounding as reality sets in and fear grips me.
They’re killers. Of course, they are. And not just of ugly creatures coming to get me. This is hell. Did I expect them to take the human invaders prisoner and return them at the end of my two weeks? That was never going to happen.
They do what demons do well. Kill, maim and destroy.
In my hurry to clamber off the balcony wall, I slip, and if not for my dress snagging on the clawed wing of the gargoyle, I may have tumbled over the side. When I look back to Ash, he looks even more pissed off, and without waiting for his sister who’s holding her hands out in exasperation and pointing to the bodies littering the ground.
Without looking away from me, Ash charges toward the door he came out of, and I think I know exactly where he’s coming.
For me.
“What do I do?” I whisper, backing away from the waist-high stone railing.
I am collateral, he’s not supposed to damage me. But maybe I’ve witnessed something I wasn’t supposed to see, and getting rid of me will be more important than honouring a deal to my father.
“Some friendly advice? I’d get into bed and let him work out whatever frustrations he has while you’re asleep.”
Jumping, I crash into the door frame, landing hard on my knees, and cracking my arm off a table.
Looking up, the gargoyle remains perched in the same spot, yet his face is twisted toward me now.
“Fuck. I forgot you were here.”
“I’m always here. I won’t let anyone hurt you, including him.” The stone grates as his massive head turns back to stare out at the vast expanse of black rock and fiery lava below.
Blinking hard, I wait for him to say more, but that’s it, apparently.
I eye Barghest, who stands facing the door, anticipating his master’s return. He whines at me, and I smile.
“I’m okay, I promise.” Clambering to my feet, I rub my sore knees and stand, examining my elbow for the bruise I know will come.
Now isn’t the time to worry about that. The feeling of being caught doing something I shouldn’t still lingers, and I can almost sense Ash’s fury as he gets closer, the usual noises from the corridors outside falling silent.
Backing toward the bedroom, I do as the gargoyle suggests, climbing under the covers and pretending to be asleep, feeling the now overly familiar tug of sleep as I lay down and close my eyes. Drowsiness washes over me almost immediately, despite the hum of adrenaline flowing through my veins.
I’m vaguely aware of the crashing of a door, and a low growl from Barghest, but even the chink of light that falls across my eyes as the bedroom door opens isn’t enough to stop the drugs still coursing through my veins from luring me into slumber.
Hopefully, the gargoyle is right. He can rant, drink, and break a few things to work out his anger, and he’ll be more reasonable by the time I wake up.
If I wake up.
The alternative is that he murders me in my sleep, which if I have to die, doesn’t seem like the worst way to go.
15
ASH
She almost fell.
If Bronx hadn’t caught her before she toppled over the railing, Rose would have fallen to her death, and there was nothing I could do about it.
