Page 96 of Demonic Cage
His dark-skinned companion reacts faster and flies towards us, but Darya grabs me, and before the spear of the herebia can pierce us, he pulls me into the darkness.
“Take me to my room,” I whisper to Darya as we return to the tower.
“I’ve fulfilled my part of the bargain. You made the decision. You’ll sleep in my room.”
I stare ahead with empty eyes, nodding slowly. I make my way to the marble balcony, gripping the stone railing tightly. I look towards the distant mountains, but all I see is an apple-colored gaze.
They killed him. Lavian killed Mathys.
I can’t escape. I’d be going from one monster to another.
I massage my neck, starting to suffocate. Panic grips me, and my vision blurs.
Where could I even go? I thought they weren’t like this. I thought they were good.
I hear soft footsteps behind me, and Darya presses against my back, placing his hands on mine, enclosing me in his muscular arms.
“Every decision has its price, my little champion,” he murmurs softly, burying his nose in my neck, inhaling my scent.
How could I have been such a fucking idiot? Again. Lavian almost killed me, thinking I had demon blood. Why didn’t I put the pieces together? Why did I think Mathys could survive? Darya said I could decide whether we left him or took him to Filizi. I should have listened to his words. He didn’t say Icould save a child’s life by leaving him; that was just my own assumption.
Even so, this is justcruel.
“You knew what would happen,” I whisper softly, slowly turning to look him in the eye. He still holds me captive.
“How could you do this?”
“I’m a monster,” Darya says, smoothing a lock of hair behind my ear. “But I’m not the only one.”
“Did you sacrifice him to show that even the herebias are bad?”
“In time, you’ll learn that, in war, a sacrifice can serve a greater purpose.”
I snort, but there is hardly any strength in it.
Mathys.
“Come, let’s go to bed.”
I just blink, but I find myself allowing Darya to lead me there, letting him crawl under the blankets with me.
“If you are a king,” Darya begins, while his thumb caresses my hip, “your decisions carry even more weight. Though I think you already realize that. If I didn’t bring every demon-blooded child from your world, the angels wouldn’t give them a chance to survive.”
I clutch the blanket as I focus on Darya’s steadily rising chest.
The anger. I have to cling to the anger, but it won’t come now. I just want to forget, that I was deceived. That there’s nowhere to go, that no one will save me, that I have to stay here with demons. I don’t want to accept it. But for one night… just one night, I want to forget.
“Give me your blood!” I whisper, Darya’s fingers tightening. “You said anytime I wanted.”
Just one fucking night. And then I’ll think. I’ll make plans. But right now, I can’t bear it. I need my medicine, or Darya’s blood, or anything.
“I have to go to the ritual,” Darya says. “With my blood, you’d be so excited you might throw yourself off the tower.”
I snort. It wouldn’t be such a big problem.
Darya’s hand slides to my side, his finger tilting my chin so I meet his eyes.
“I won’t let you die, Kindra.”
