5. Narina

5

NARINA

T he forest blurs around me, trees melting into nightmarish shapes as I run. My feet pound against the loamy earth, each step squelching with the blood that coats my hands. I can't stop, I can't slow down—they're right behind me, their mocking laughter echoing through the twisted branches.

Mariel's voice rings in my ears, her final words a haunting refrain. "Go...find your sister..." Over and over, driving me forward even as my lungs burn for air.

Gnarled faces leer at me from the bark, their mouths stretched wide in rictus grins. Nonsense words scrawl across fallen logs, messages I can't decipher blurring together. This can't be real...can it?

A strangled cry tears from my throat as Claudia's face shimmers before me, eyes wide and pleading.

"Why did you leave me?" she rasps, her skin pallid and drawn. I reach for her, but she dissipates into wisps of shadow.

Arrows whistle past, burying themselves in the trees around me with sickening thunks. The dark elves pursuing me cackle with glee, drunk on the thrill of the hunt. I can't let them catch me, not again?—

My feet tangle in a nest of roots and I pitch forward, slamming into the ground hard enough to drive the air from my lungs. Dazed, I try to push myself up, but icy fingers curl around my ankle, dragging me back.

"No!" I thrash wildly, clawing at the dirt and leaves, but the skeletal hand refuses to release me. More bony limbs burst from the earth, grasping and clutching, pulling me inexorably downward into the suffocating dark.

Claudia's face floats before me, her expression pained as she watches me struggle against the grasping hands.

"Sister, help me!" I cry out, stretching my arm towards her in desperation.

But she just shakes her head slowly, her eyes hollow.

"You left me behind. This is your path now." With those haunting words, she fades away into the gloom of the forest.

I scream in anguish as the bony fingers drag me further down into the black earth, soil filling my mouth and nose. Mariel's face emerges from the shadows, blood dripping from her pale lips.

"I'm sorry, Mariel..." I choke out through the dirt. "I'm so sorry..."

But my voice is swallowed by the darkness surrounding me. I'm alone, being consumed by the unyielding ground. Tears stream down my cheeks as I finally give in, letting the cloying earth pull me under.

Just as the last slivers of light disappear, a hand clamps down on my shoulder, jolting me awake with a violent start. My eyes fly open, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs as I gasp for air. It was just a nightmare...but it felt so real.

My eyes flutter open, struggling to focus on the unfamiliar surroundings. Soft furs caress my skin, a stark contrast to the cold forest floor I last remember. A fire crackles nearby, casting dancing shadows on high-vaulted ceilings. Where am I?

"Where... where am I?" I croak, my voice raw and unfamiliar.

I try to push myself up, but my limbs feel like lead weights. My head throbs, each heartbeat a painful reminder that I'm alive. How? The last thing I remember is...

Mariel. The arrow. The fall.

My hand flies to my chest, expecting to find the arrow wound. Instead, I feel smooth, unbroken skin. Impossible. I distinctly recall the searing pain as the arrow struck me. How could I be healed?

Panic rises in my throat. Nothing makes sense. Am I dead? Is this some twisted afterlife?

A floorboard creaks, and my gaze snaps to the doorway. A tall figure steps into the room, his presence commanding attention. Silver hair cascades down broad shoulders, glowing eerily in the firelight. But it's his eyes that freeze the breath in my lungs.

Crimson. Burning with an otherworldly intensity.

A demon.

My heart pounds so hard I fear it might burst from my chest. I've heard stories of demons, whispered warnings around campfires. But to see one in the flesh...

He takes a step closer, and I instinctively press myself back against the headboard, ignoring the protest of my aching muscles.

"Stay back," I warn, but my voice comes out as little more than a hoarse whisper.

The demon's lips curl into an amused smirk. "Is that any way to thank your savior, little human?"

The demon grins, leaning against the doorframe. "You were almost dead when I found you." His voice is smooth and lazy, yet it sends a shiver down my spine.

He sweeps into a low bow, the tips of his horns nearly touching the floor.

“My name is Lord Dazirus. Tell me, why did you come to our realm?”

"My sister..." The words tumble out before I can stop them, my emotions swinging wildly between fear and fragile hope. "I need to find my sister...Claudia. She was lost in the demon realm, and I’m trying to find her.”

“Interesting,” he says, strokign his chin with clawed fingers. “And how did you come to be in our realm?”

I swallow, suddenly nervous. What if he doesn’t like the idea of humans trying to sneak into their realm?

“My friend and I heard rumors of a demonic portal opening in the forest. We searched for it, she…didn’t make it. I was injured, and I fell, and quite honestly that’s the last thing i remember before you found me.”

“It seems that you may have found your portal after all.” Dazirus raises an elegant eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "That's quite the tale."

I narrow my eyes, shoving down the tremor of unease.

"I'm telling the truth. Claudia...she's here, with Saturus,” I say. “I need to see her. She can help me."

The demon regards me with an unreadable expression.

"You can't just waltz around the demon realm, human. You don't belong here."

Anger flares in my chest and I clench my fists, the blankets bunching under my grip.

"I don't care if I belong here or not. I came here to sister and that’s what I’m going to do. I'll find her."

I try to move, to swing my legs over the edge of the bed, but my body refuses to cooperate, still painfully weak.

Dazirus crosses his powerfully built arms, his crimson gaze piercing.

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that? You're weak. You wouldn't last a day out there."

His expression shifts, eyes gleaming with something darker I can't quite name.

"Claudia and Saturus - yes, I've heard of them. But I'm afraid I can't help you." A slow, predatory smile curves his lips. "Not for free, anyway."

My heart sinks like a stone in my chest. Of course it couldn't be that easy.

"What do you want? I don’t have any gold, or anything of value, really."

His eyes ru up and down my body. It’s like he can see everything, despite my being fully clothed. I cross my arms over my chest and huddle up, shivering not from fear, but from what the scalding hot desire in his gaze does to me.

He flashes a wicked grin, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"It's impolite, you know, for you to ask questions before introducing yourself. Even demons have manners."

I glare at him, feeling a mix of anger and helplessness. My fists clench in the soft blankets.

"Narina,” I say at last. “My name is Narina."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Narina,” he replies in melodious tones.

The way he says my name, and the emphasis he puts on the word 'pleasure', makes me squirm. His alien yet seductive eyes seem to draw me in despite my best efforts to resist. I find myself fascinated and, to my shock, aroused by his attention.

I know I should feel gratitude - after all, he saved my life. I would have bled out in the forest for certain without his help. But my emotions are a tangled mess. Fear, anger, confusion, and something else I can't quite name swirl together in a dizzying cocktail.

There's something intriguing about this demon lord. The way he carries himself, the power that radiates from him in waves. It's terrifying, yes, but also... alluring. I catch myself staring at the curve of his jaw, the breadth of his shoulders, and quickly avert my gaze.

What's wrong with me? He's a demon. I shouldn't be feeling this way.

And yet, I can't deny the pull. It's like he's exerting some kind of magnetic force, drawing me in even as every instinct screams at me to run.

I swallow hard, trying to regain my composure.

"Thank you," I manage to croak out, hating how weak my voice sounds. "For saving me."

His smirk widens, revealing a flash of sharp teeth.

"You're quite welcome, little human,” he replies. “Though I do wonder what I'll get in return for my... generosity."

My heart thuds into overdrive. Does he mean what I think he does? Does he want me to trade my body for my rescue? And if so, why does that idea excite me instead of filling me with dread?

I take a deep breath, steeling myself.

"I just want to find my sister. I don’t want riches, or power, or anything like that."

Dazirus's eyes glitter with interest.

"I can help find your sister. But first, we need a contract."

My heart skips a beat. A contract? With a demon? Every story I've ever heard warns against such things.

"It’s for your protection as much as my own," he adds, as if sensing my hesitation.

“Yeah, right,” I mutter.

“Oh, sweet, sweet Narina,” he purrs, licking his sensual lips. “Do you really think I’m trying to cheat you?”

“Yes,” I reply without hesitation.

He tilts his head back and laughs.

“Oh, you are delightful. A verdant leaf, uncurling in the first lurid teases of spring. Trembling in the wind, begging to be plucked and consumed by one who…hungers.”

I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry.

"Um, save the poetry for someone who cares. I just want to find my sister. Now, tell me what... what kind of contract?"

He doesn't answer immediately, his crimson gaze roaming over me. I feel exposed, vulnerable under his scrutiny. My mind races, imagining what he might want. My soul? It's the obvious choice, isn't it? That's what demons always want in the stories.

But then my eyes drift to his muscular form, and a different possibility presents itself. My body? The thought sends an unexpected thrill through me. What would a demon lover be like? Rough? Gentle? Would he have inhuman stamina?

I feel my cheeks flush hot at the direction my thoughts have taken. This is madness. He's a demon. I shouldn't be thinking about him like this.

And yet... I can't seem to stop. My imagination runs wild with possibilities. Would he use those sharp teeth on my skin? Would his touch burn like hellfire?

I realize I'm staring and quickly avert my gaze, but not before I catch the knowing smirk on Dazirus's face. He knows exactly what I'm thinking, doesn't he?

"Well, little human?" he purrs. "Shall we discuss terms?"

I can only nod, not trusting my voice. Whatever he wants, whatever this contract entails, I know I'll agree to it. For Claudia. For answers.

And maybe, just maybe, for the chance to explore these new, forbidden desires.