‘Master is the only one who can help you leave,’ he continues. Xander crawls back up to his feet, extending his hand to pinch the end of my sleeve and giving it a firm tug, coaxing me up. ‘Come back now or he’ll get mad.’
‘I’m not going back,’ I huff. Xander releases my sleeve, becoming tense. A foreign hand reaches out, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up forcefully. Xander winces, still looking away. It’s William.
‘Unfortunately, I am not permitted to let you die out here, despite your efforts and my wishes,’ the ice demon mutters. ‘So yes, you are going back.’
Hopelessness creeps like poison into my heart and it takes all my effort to not fall to it. ‘No!’ I shout, trying with futile efforts to pull away. Despite my aggressive curses, his expression remains unchanged, my feet fumbling to catch up as I am dragged along like a child through the snow. ‘I will never stop trying to get away.’
He rolls his eyes, sighing loudly. William pulls me into the house, slamming the door behind. ‘Every time you run, I will bring you back.’
Fear turns to fury and in a moment of blind rage, I spit at him. It lands on his coat. I freeze, immediately regretting my actions. The demon’s expression remains stoic, unfeeling, but the surrounding temperature plummets. Xander swallows hard and I immediately know I have misstepped. I brace for my quick death but instead, William’s eyes flash a violent red and in silence, he leaves the room. Not so much as a look in my direction. I say or do nothing more; it’s better not to test his resolve on the agreement with Heret-Kau. As long as I’m alive, there will always be more opportunities.
The rest of the night remains silent and empty from all parties. William is nowhere to be seen, which suits me just fine. Sitting curled on the couch, I watch the snow storm brewing outside, Xander next to me. While he is unaware, I sneak glances at him, trying to take in his unsettling appearance. Being afraid of them won’t help me here; a clear mind is more useful than a terrified one, especially if I’m going to try to find a way to escape.
5
I sleep, if only barely. The brief moments of sweet relief eventually turn sour at the appearance of a nightmare. That girl. That forest. It felt so real. The smell of ash in the air and the girl’s screams burnt into my mind. The little solace I find comes from the rattling of the old windows; a constant that eventually becomes comforting. When the rattling stops, and the world becomes still, that’s when the unease creeps in. The house doesn’t creak and no clocks tick. Just an empty silence that stretches out into the darkness outside. Unnatural and deafening. I bundle up inside my jumper, the sweet smell of my mother’s washing powder still ingrained into its stitching, connecting me to a world I know and a place I feel safe.
Something falls, breaking into pieces on the floor in the next room. I’m not asleep but there’s no harm in pretending for a few moments more. Another shatter erupts from the same room. What is going on in there? Stretching out on the sofa, my feet poke out beneath a green blanket. I stare at the unfamiliar object. Turning to face the sound of clattering, foreign floorboards stretch out in front of me. An old brick fireplace has been lit on the other side of the room, radiating a steady warmth into the space. It’s in pristine condition suggesting that it has, until now, been functioning as mere decor. A small green demon peers from the archway, eyes now a glowing green. I let slip a small gasp, my memories from the day before flooding back into place.
‘I was going to make you breakfast, but we have no food, and then I broke all the bowls,’ he mumbles. ‘Sorry.’ For a few moments, I stare down at the blanket, unsure of what to say. Even if he is a child, he is still a demon.
‘Oh. Okay.’
It’s an automatic response and it shows as my voice comes out unnatural and contrived. Xander averts his gaze, disappearing back into the other room. I lift the green blanket laying over my legs, an uncomfortable feeling rising in my chest. I place it back down on the couch, folded neatly. ‘Hey, um, it’s Xander, right? Did you give me this?’
The boy’s head pokes back out from around the archway. ‘Do you not like it?’
‘That’s not it.’ I pause, trying to collect my thoughts. ‘I just didn’t expect it. Thank you.’
Xander’s eyes gleam, his face brightening. ‘That’s okay. You can have it if you like. I don’t really need it. I don’t really get cold here like I used to.’
I follow him into the kitchen. Porcelain is sprawled out in shards across the tiled floor. He really did make a mess of things. I try to find space between the shards to tiptoe through to the other side.
‘It’s my hands, see?’ a voice says from behind me. I hold my nerve and conceal my internal terror. An unsteady breath staggers out instead. How did he get behind me? Xander reaches out his hands to show me his palms. They glisten in the light.
‘They’re all slimy and gross.’ He pouts, turning them to face him. ‘I can’t hold things properly or they slip.’
‘Ah, I see. That’s okay, I can help.’
A cold chill creeps into the room. Xander looks over to the door, anticipating William’s arrival. He moves abruptly, creating distance between us. I guess he doesn’t want to be seen getting along with a human.
‘Master, I think she may need food,’ he murmurs quietly. The boy says nothing as the cold demon strides past him, making a point to not acknowledge our existence. ‘Heret-Kau says we need to take care of her or we won’t find Charlotte so maybe, Master, we could…’
William walks out into the snow, consumed by the snowstorm outside. The door shuts harshly from the wind, the echo of the slam ringing through every room of the silent cottage. Xander faces me apprehensively.
I shrug. ‘You tried.’ It does create an issue though. Even though I’m very far away from starving, I definitely don’t want to die here.
Xander offers to show me around the house. I nod; it’s probably best. It seems that sticking with him is my best chance at survival. He at least seems open to the prospect of helping me. Xander takes me through the rooms of the old-style cottage. There’s the kitchen and the lounge, which I have already seen, but towards the front of the house there is a large wooden door along with several other rooms: a study, a bathroom and a hallway, where tucked in its corner is a flight of stairs. Xander explains that the demons have their own spaces up there. Not specifically for sleeping, but more to own and use as they like. Sleeping apparently is an optional extra.
‘It’s more like we can choose to just not be conscious for as long as we want. We don’t dream though so it’s quite boring but it’s useful if we’re exhausted. I’ve heard some demons just choose to stay in that state. Apparently, it wards off your time.’
I pause. ‘What do you mean by “your time”?’
Xander’s gaze wanders. ‘If you take too long and if it doesn’t look like you’re going to work through your… issues, they take you – it’s your time.’
‘Who takes you and where?’
Xander points to the ground. ‘Down below. I don’t know who they are but I just know it happens. I’ve even seen it once.’ The boy’s face crinkles at the thought, and a chill creeps into the hallway.
‘Xander, that’s enough,’ a dark voice growls. We both turn in unison to the front door. A small pouch is thrown to me through the air. My instincts save it from crashing into my face.
‘Here. Eat,’ the ice demon mumbles. ‘You won’t starve – one a day.’
So that’s where he went. I guess he didn’t ignore Xander after all. I untie the blue ribbon and the velvet pouch opens to spill small white pellets. ‘These are?’
William grunts, still not looking towards me. ‘Food. Or would you rather nothing instead?’
I sigh, dejected. ‘No.’ It looks like rodent food.
Xander’s mouth twitches, his eyes coming alight with joy. ‘Do you want to play a game?’
After several lost games of chess, my body slumps mentally exhausted on the couch. I clasp Xander’s blanket and pull it up closer despite the warmth from the crackling fire nearby. There’s no such thing as too much warmth here in this place. Letting out a deep sigh, I can almost feel the tension release in my body. I’ve survived one day and it looks like I might be able to survive some more if I don’t go looking for trouble. Through my closed eyes, images flicker before I even realise I’m asleep.
The bell rang above the shop door, distracting me from my duties at the counter. Something in me knew from that moment that it was him. He was exactly like how they had described him. Handsome, quiet and very obviously not interested. My many hours of practice had led me to this moment. Now, if I could just remember my training.
‘Can I help you with something, sir?’ I say, putting on my most attractive smile. The boy startles as I appear behind him but doesn’t look over.
