Page 16 of Demon's Beauty

“Sorry,” I mutter, reeling back.

The guard steadies me with a hand on my shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m—could you take me to Vayla’s workshop?”

“The healer?”

I nod enthusiastically, which probably doesn’t make me look anything but deranged.

The guard’s brow creases. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I—”

“Sick?” He looks me up and down, like I’d have visible boils or something.

How fragile do they think humans are? Do humans get sick a lot in this realm?

I make myself breathe and try for at least a measure of composure. “Not sick. Not hurt. I’m here from the human realm to help Vayla with some of her work.”

Again, he looks me up and down, still not entirely convinced, but he nods.

“Give me your hand; I will portal us down there.”

I hesitate.

I’m really,reallynot looking forward to another portal.

It’s a damn good thing I’ve barely eaten today, and knowing how far it will probably be to walk, I suck it up and hold out my hand.

In the blink of an eye, we’re in an entirely different corridor.

Dropping the guard’s hand, I stagger forward. With one hand pressed to my mouth and the other braced on the stone wall, I breathe through my nose and do my very best not to throw up.

“Shit,” the guard mutters. “You’re sure you’re not ill?”

Silently, I shake my head. I take a few more deep breaths before I’m able to speak.

“Nope. Just, uh, not really used to the portals.”

“Soleil?” Vayla appears in the doorway we portalled to, sizing up me and the guard. “You alright?”

“Fine!” I say, sounding anything but.

“Alright.” She jerks her head toward the inside of the workshop. “Come on in, then.”

Grateful for the escape, I mumble my thanks to the guard for his help and follow Vayla inside.

Immediately, some of my frazzled nerves soothe.

Vayla’s suite of rooms is incredible.

On the other side of the door, the space opens up into a huge, gorgeous library filled with tomes in a dozen different languages from a dozen different realms. The next room holds maps and orreries—intricately crafted mechanical models of the stars and planets—and beyond that is a greenhouse and workshop filled with plants and herbs and more dried potion ingredients than I have names for.

The greenhouse is where we wind up, sitting across from each other on opposite sides of a long wooden worktable.

It’s the first moment I’ve been able to catch a breath since I came face to face with my demon…

Goddess, I can barely make myselfthinkthe word.