Page 73 of Endless Terrors
He didn’t respond, and I wondered if he understood English, or whether he was even capable of speech. Somehow, I doubted it. Narfu watched me approach with round, bright eyes, his body posture similar to how a stray dog might act around a human. Wondering if the human was there to hurt him, or help him.
He wasn’t the only one who was intimidated—the demon was at least seven feet tall, and his claws looked like they could slice through me like butter. I made a deliberate effort to avoid glancing at them again, and I stood on tiptoe, peering more closely at the piece of metal rubbing Narfu raw.
It reminded me of the collars that were linked to an invisible fence, except the two prongs were buried in his flesh, instead of just resting against it. Suddenly I didn’t care what purpose it served, or whether those prongs were preventing Narfu from devouring me whole. The collar needed to come off. Was there a clasp, or a latch of some kind?
A knock sounded through the room. Narfu’s eyes widened, and he let out a girly squeak. In a blink, he’d scuttled into the bathroom and, undoubtedly, through the window. Damn it. The collar would have to wait.
“Who is it?” I called, turning toward the door. Somehow, though, I knew exactly who stood on the other side, even as the question left my mouth.
His voice drifted through the air a moment later, confirming the certainty in my veins. “Would you accompany me to breakfast, Lady Sworn?” Lucifer asked.
I swallowed and started to move away, wanting more distance between me and the beautiful creature in the hallway. “I’m busy. Can I ignore you another time?”
“You agreed to spend time with me, my lady. I honored my side of the bargain.”
I made a scoffing sound, knowing he would hear. In seconds, I’d crossed the room. I swung the door open and held the edge with one hand. At the sight of Lucifer, a strange combination of coldness and heat sweep through me, which I promptly ignored. I tilted my head as if I were unaffected by him.
“Did you?” I challenged. “I’d be a fool to trust your word and a bespelled mirror. You don’t exactly have a glowing reputation.”
“You’re right. I don’t. I wouldn’t trust me either, if I were in your position. So I’ll make this an opportunity.” Lucifer turned and signaled to someone down the hallway. Probably Dagan.
His response caught me off guard, and I was instantly wary. “How?”
Lucifer smiled, and once again, it felt like I’d gotten the wind knocked out of me. He sounded almost … boyish as he said, “I’ve heard you have some skill with a sword.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve heard, or you saw it for yourself while you were squatting in Belanor like a toad?”
“Fight me, then,” Lucifer responded, unruffled. “Let me catch a glimpse of the legendary Nightmare Queen. To level the field of experience between us, I will use my non-dominant hand. If I win, you must come to the dining room and have breakfast with me.”
“And if I win?” I asked without hesitation. I’d gotten good at this. Too good.
Dagan returned, and he was holding two small, blunt-edged swords. Lucifer kept his focus on me as he took them. “If you win, I will subtract three days from our contract.”
I paused. Lucifer probably thought he’d piqued my interest, but I was thinking quickly, trying to determine the smartest move here. I didn’t want to subtract anything from the contract, because that meant less time to find a solution to my little problem. Lucifer would get suspicious, though, if I didn’t jump at this chance. He just had to believe my hatred for him was stronger than my desire to get out of here.
It wouldn’t be a tough act to sell.
“Or I could just stay right here and ride out the three days,” I countered. I gave Lucifer a withering look. “That would be preferable to sharing a single meal with you.”
To my disappointment, he didn’t react to the insult.
“You hide your fear well. I suppose you’ve had far too much practice. But what are you afraid of, I wonder? This?” Lucifer indicated the swords. “Or … this?”
The devil’s voice softened, and with his free hand, he reached up to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. His fingertips skimmed the side of my neck in a questioning, feather-light caress, and the simple touch sent my thoughts scattering. I reminded myself to stick to the plan. Drive him away. This was doing the opposite.
I’m not afraid of you. I willed myself to say it, and imbue my tone with venom. I told myself to look at Lucifer as if he repulsed me. But the words stuck in my throat. I needed to say something, because staying silent would practically be an admission that he was right.
In my desperation, I said something easier, and something far worse.
“Deal.”
“May I come in?” Lucifer asked, giving me no chance to panic about what I’d just agreed to.
My only response was to step back. I was mentally scrambling, desperately trying to think of a plausible reason to change my mind and reject Lucifer’s offer. But he was already in the room and presenting one of the training swords, the hilt extended toward me. I took it to buy myself more time. We moved into the center of the space and faced each other. I opened my mouth to blurt out an excuse, any excuse, for why I didn’t want this fucking deal.
Then Lucifer said, “I dare you.”
My gaze snapped to his. The air between us heated, and I reminded myself that it wasn’t real, this thing he made me feel. This ache deep inside me. Don’t fall for it, Fortuna, reason insisted.
