He rested a hand on hers, turned back to face her with only the ghost of an attempted smile. “Milly, it’s impossible. The demon comes from the astral plane. It would take me far more than twenty-four hours to search that realm for someone who might know his name.”
“There has to be a way.” An idea struck her and Milly grabbed his shoulder. “Wait a minute. What about Prince Adonis?”
“What about him?”
“You said he’s from the astral plane. And Aphrodite chose him to help the Nysan royal family, so he must have a good heart. Maybe he could help us?”
Help us. We’re an us.
The thought made her lean closer, testing. Maddox immediately put an arm around her, as natural as if they’d been together for years instead of days. Milly couldn’t help the smile that spread over her lips and she gave into the urge to lay her head on his chest, let the warmth of his body chase away the last of the tower’s chill.
Finally, Maddox nodded. “It’s possible.” He leaned back and Milly tilted her head to look into his eyes as he feathered a hand over the side of her face, cupped her jaw. “It’s well known that Prince Adonis has a soft spot for lovers. He might be willing to help us.”
Milly leaned into his touch, her heart soaring with hope despite the obstacles looming before them. The word “lovers” echoed in her head in Maddox’s seductive voice. She almost missed the muscle tightening in his jaw, almost didn’t hear him when he spoke again.
“But we’ll never get to him in time. The demon can sense anything I do physically. He didn’t stop us from leaving the tower, but I doubt he would sit by idly and let me go for help.” He looked away again, and a tightness crawled into his voice. “I cannot fight him the entire way there. I have no way of knowing where I might end up. And I would have to leave you alone.” He looked back in the direction of the castle, still visible high up on the mountain. “The king will send people to look for you.”
Milly fought back a sudden surge of doubt. She would not give up now. Not when she had a chance at a happy life with Maddox.
“Can’t you travel to the astral plane?”
Maddox stiffened. “Yes, but if I left my body, that would leave you here alone with him.”
The pleasure of being held close to him distracted her from the task at hand and she had to force herself to concentrate enough to argue. “He wants my child, he’s not going to hurt me.”
“You don’t know that.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss, and Milly released a small sigh of contentment. “What I do know is that if you don’t go now, then someday I’m going to be holding our child in my arms and that horrible demon is going to come for him. Or her.” She pressed her forehead against his chest and for just a moment, hopelessness threatened to swallow her whole. “I don’t think I could live with that. Not when I would know that my weakness, my willingness to offer up my child’s life in exchange for my own, was the reason for it all.”
Maddox tightened his arms around her and nodded. “All right. But for the love of the gods, be careful. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Despite her show of bravado, Milly had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from calling him back as his physical form thinned, grew more and more translucent until she couldn’t see him, could only feel him pass her as a gust of wind. Her interaction with the demon to this point had been limited to bartering for his help. For whatever reason, the demon had always allowed Maddox to be in control while he worked. Now it would be just the two of them for as long as it took Maddox to find Prince Adonis.
Please hurry, Maddox.
Maddox’s body twitched and shivered as the demon rose, as if the demon’s consciousness were a different size. Blackness consumed the whites of his eyes, shining crimson replacing his beautiful silver irises. The demon blinked and looked around, regaining his bearings before turning suspicious eyes on Milly.
“I am alone in this body. Where has our Maddox gone that was so important he would leave me alone with you?”
He took a step closer to her and Milly crossed her arms, barely resisting the urge to back away. “He left so I could talk to you. I’m ready to start guessing.”
The demon arched an eyebrow, studying her for a long moment as if assessing the truth of her words. Instead of fighting her nervousness, Milly used it. She swallowed hard, pretended to struggle to meet the demon’s eyes. “I get unlimited guesses, right? I can keep guessing till sundown today, no matter how many times I guess wrong?”
A smile slid across the demon’s face, twisting Maddox’s mouth into something hungry and monstrous. He crossed his own arms, mimicking her position. “Guess wrong as many times as you like. I look forward to putting all of this nonsense behind us.”
Keep him busy. Just keep guessing until Maddox gets back.
She started with family members’ names, then went to other people in her village. She named the members of the royal families she knew, and the traders who’d passed through the valley. She fumbled for fairy tale names and the names of legendary warriors.
The demon shook his head every time, the smile on his face growing, stretching wider than it should have been able to, until his mouth was a slash across Maddox’s handsome face. Milly got more creative, started repeating names, but saying them backwards. The demon snorted at her ploy, but kept shaking his head.
Time passed, and the sun made its way slowly but steadily across the sky. Milly’s mouth grew dry, her throat scratchy as she kept guessing. The demon seemed to tire as well, settling down on the grass and propping his head on his hand as he continued to shake his head at every guess. His obvious discomfort pleased Milly and gave her the strength and will she needed to keep going. Just to be difficult, she started repeating names if he didn’t shake his head, sometimes shouting them in his face as if he’d gone hard of hearing.
She drew out the space between her guesses, trying to give her throat what little relief she could. The sky turned pink and the demon sat up a little straighter, the irritation bleeding from his face, replaced with a broadening grin. Milly stared into his eyes, praying for the black and red to shift, to become the white and silver of Maddox’s true eyes.
Please, Maddox. Please.
A shadow passed overhead, barely perceptible in the fading light. Milly ignored it, too focused on Maddox’s eyes to pay attention. Then the demon looked up, and his face contorted, nose wrinkling in disgust, eyes burning with sudden hatred. Milly looked up then, and her lungs froze.
Another demon.
Her heart pounded furiously, a bruising rhythm. The demon was large, great leathery wings cradling the wind, soaring with the grace of a falcon. He circled lower, giving Milly a good look at the thick horns forming a crown around his head, eyes that held sparks of red like burning cinnamon. He landed less than ten feet away from her with barely a sound.
“Are you Milly?” he asked.
Speech seemed beyond her for the moment, the combination of her tortured throat and the sudden lump that had risen conspiring to steal her voice. She bobbed her head, wheezing as she tried to breathe through her panic.
The newly arrived demon gave her a surprisingly gentle smile. The light in his eyes faded, red irises turning to a rich hazel and the black bleeding to white. His horns and wings melted away, the loincloth around his hips spreading to form a rich tunic the color of a fresh plum, a sash of pale lavender falling over his shoulder, fastened by a silver brooch. A curl of dark brown hair fell lazily over one eye and he huffed out a breath to blow it out of his way.
His new appearance was less frightening, but Milly was all too aware that danger could come in beautiful packages. She looked from the new demon to Maddox’s possessed form, distracted from the new demon’s approach by the hiss that came from Maddox’s mouth.
“You have no business here,” the demon snarled.
The new arrival ignored him, smiled at Milly as he came closer, leaned down to whisper in her ear. It took more nerve than
she wanted to admit not to jerk away, but something about the fury on Maddox’s face kept her still, made her listen very carefully to the words being spoken so softly in her ear. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth and she met Maddox’s eyes.
“Rumpelstiltskin.”
She flung the name at the demon, not even the sound of her poor ragged voice enough to steal the triumph lifting her soul. The demon’s eyes exploded into flame, the light from his crimson irises painting his face a bloody red. He threw back his head and screamed his rage to the sky, a sound that shot down Milly’s spine, seized her muscles in a painful, agonizing grip. She choked, trying to draw breath, her lungs aching in feeble protest. Her nerves crackled painfully as she forced herself to stand, to face Rumpelstiltskin as the sun’s final rays trailed over the howling demon.
Rumpelstiltskin looked at her then, and she could taste his hatred in the air between them. He lifted one of Maddox’s hands, the fingers curled into claws. Fear threatened to drive Milly back, but she steeled herself against it. The darkness was coming. For the last three nights, darkness had brought her Maddox. It would bring him again, she knew it would. She had Rumpelstiltskin’s name, and his word that he would leave forever. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore.
The demon took a step toward her, raised his hand as if he would strike. She jabbed a finger into his chest. “Go away, Rumpelstiltskin. Go away, and never touch this body again.”
The hand slashed through the air, but before the blow landed, something buzzed against her fingertip. It hurt, but it didn’t, there and gone so fast she couldn’t decide. Rumpelstiltskin’s eyes widened, his jaw going slack with shock. He started to scream, but the sound ended abruptly, and Maddox’s body slumped against her.
Milly let out a grunt as she found herself under Maddox’s full weight. The other demon was suddenly there, helping her support Maddox as his head lolled from side to side and he blinked blearily into the growing darkness.
“It worked,” Maddox said hoarsely. “I can’t feel him anymore. He’s gone.”
“And good riddance to him,” the other demon said.
He snapped his fingers and suddenly a ball of golden light appeared, hovering over his shoulder. It bobbed as if alive, fluttering between Milly and Maddox, lighting up his handsome features and reflecting in his perfect silver eyes.
Milly blushed, suddenly shy without the adrenaline that had kept her going all day. She took a step back as the demon steadied Maddox on his feet, let him regain his bearings. Maddox’s eyes followed her and Milly’s breath stilled in her chest, her heart leaping into her throat. A second later, Maddox threw himself across the distance that separated them. He grabbed her, stumbling about a few steps as he dragged her into his arms and held her tight. Finally he steadied himself, stood there clutching her to him as if she were the last solid thing on earth.
“I thought I would be too late,” he whispered into her hair.
She struggled in his arms, fought to hug him back, hold him as tightly as she could. “You are never too late. You have always been there exactly when I needed you.” Her throat was raw, and her voice cracked on every other syllable, but she didn’t care. It didn’t matter, not when she had Maddox safe and sound in her arms.
“Save your voice.” He nuzzled her forehead, planted a kiss on her temple. “We will have plenty of time to talk later.”
Plenty of time. No more dreading the morning light, no more waiting for darkness to fall. They could be together now, for as long as they wanted. Milly curled her fingers into his clothes, holding onto him even as she asked the question buzzing around in her head like an annoying insect. “No second thoughts?”
“Never.” He stiffened, pulled back so he could look down at her face. “Are you having second thoughts?”
There was a wariness in the lines of his face that wrenched at her heart, told her more than words that she wasn’t the only one feeling a little vulnerable now that the excitement was over. She shook her head and put a hand on his face, brushing her thumb over his high cheekbone. “Never. This was my first adventure, and I can’t imagine a better ending.”
Maddox chuckled and caressed the line of her jaw with the tip of one finger. “And there’s more where that came from,” he promised.
“That is precisely what I wanted to hear.”
Maddox’s arms tightened around her, and the growl in his chest rumbled against her skin. He angled their bodies to put himself between her and the speaker, but then relaxed when his gaze landed on the man who had brought Milly Rumpelstiltskin’s name. The demon stood out of their way, waiting patiently with a knowing smile on his face and a sparkle in his hazel eyes.
“Prince Adonis.” Maddox tipped his head down in a gesture of respect, his grip loosening around Milly, though he didn’t let her go. “Forgive me, I—”
“Don’t apologize.” Adonis waved a hand, almost swatting the will o’ wisp that had floated back to dance in front of him. “I would think less of you if you’d taken the time to speak with me when you had this lovely lady before you.”
Milly blinked, her jaw dropping as she realized who the demon was. “Prince Adonis…of Nysa. It’s really you.”
“In the flesh.” Adonis winked, then laughed as if enjoying a private joke. “I won’t take too much of your time as I can only imagine how much you have to talk about after that stunning whirlwind of events. I just wanted to take a moment to extend…an invitation.”
“Invitation?” Milly echoed.
“Yes.” The demon prince plucked something out of the air and held his fingers to his lips. A soft red glow illuminated his features and he dropped his hand, trailing smoke from the glowing tip of the cigarette he now held. “It has come to my attention that King Midas may be a bit put out with you for some time.” Smoke crept out of his mouth as he spoke, infusing the air with the scent of cloves. “As it happens, some companions of mine and I are looking for some adventurous couples to settle a recently founded kingdom. We’re starting from scratch, and we’re looking for men and women who don’t mind a little…excitement. We would be most pleased if you would join us.”
A new kingdom? Milly looked at Maddox, uncertain how to respond. Her nerves danced beneath her skin, but she wasn’t sure if it was fear…or anticipation.
“We owe you a great debt,” Maddox started carefully. “If this is what you ask for repayment—”
“There is no debt.” Adonis’s eyes glowed to match the tip of his cigarette, a hot undertone of anger heating his voice. “Banishing Rumpelstiltskin was a pleasure. He had a disgusting penchant for helping along miserable marriages. Anything he could do to support a marriage that had nothing to do with love, and he was there with bells on.” He raised the cigarette to his lips, inhaling sharply as a shadow passed over his face. “And planning to possess a child. That is unforgivable.” He brightened, exhaling another cloud of smoke as he looked at Milly. “If anything, I feel I owe you another favor. Taking his talent for spinning gold was a stroke of genius. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it will also make you a much more desirable candidate in the eyes of a certain vampire. It always pleases him to find another means of funding.”
Milly furrowed her eyebrows, trying to follow the demon’s rather rapid train of thought. “Taking his talent? I didn’t…”
“He threatened you when you beat him, tried to offer violence instead of honoring his bargain. You were within your rights to demand recompense.” He grinned. “You called him by his true name, touched him as you banished him. You didn’t specify what you demanded in payment, so the magic chose for you.”
“I… I didn’t know. You mean I can actually spin straw into gold now?” Milly swayed, leaned against Maddox for support as she processed this new information.
Adonis nodded. “Indeed. Which brings us back to my point. King Midas is not going to let you go willingly. I do hope you’ll consider my invitation.”
Maddox looked down at Milly and smiled. “Well, what do you thi
nk? We can blow through your former abode, get your treasure box? Perhaps purchase a few more to hold all the wonderful treasures you’re going to find?”
Milly returned his smile with her own, her heart swelling until tears warmed her eyes. “I can’t wait.”
***
Want to learn more about the kingdom Adonis invited Milly and Maddox into? Meet the werewolf prince of Sanguennay? See the full story behind Adonis, the demon prince of Nysa? Start the BLOOD PRINCE SERIES now. Book one, BEFORE MIDNIGHT, is free. (Side note – If you want to know where this story falls in reading order, it would be after the BLOOD PRINCE SERIES and basically at any point during the BLOOD REALM SERIES)
Jennifer Blackstream is a paranormal/fantasy romance author planning to extend her repertoire to include urban fantasy. She is routinely attacked by plot bunnies and does her best to splatter the pages of her books with their inky blood before the little fluffers can escape. She firmly believes that no playlist is complete without Alice Cooper, no library is complete without Terry Pratchett, and no recipe is complete without garlic (Side note - “Garlic” always means a minimum of three cloves. Any recipe instruction that calls for less than that is obviously a typo and should be ignored).
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The Unicorn Hunter - Alethea Kontis
The demon was waiting for her when the huntsman brought her into the forest. He knew exactly who she was and where she'd be and when she'd come and how she smelled and what she ate and the size of her slippers and the sound of her voice and exactly how far her chest rose and fell when she drew in a breath. From the tiniest needle on the smallest tree to the oldest dragon in the mountains, the denizens of the forest had been whispering about her for weeks now: the poor, beautiful young princess whose horrible jealous mother was sending to her death. The whole of nature waited with bated breath for her arrival, wondering at what adventures might arise from this terrible occasion. There hadn't been this much drama in the Wood since the last time his brethren had crossed the storm-tossed threshold into this accursed world.
Once Upon A Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales Page 33