Chapter 6

6

" W hat do you mean, we're moving?" Lilith asked, trailing after Joan, the fire eater, as they walked out of the stables and into the empty performance parlor. "Why are we moving?"

"The master wants us out of here." Joan looked over her shoulder at Lilith, eyeing her up and down, before sighing. She likely viewed Lilith as an annoying little sister, but this was important. "You know why we're moving, Lil."

Him.

Of course, they were moving because of him.

The demon king had been back to every single show for the better part of two weeks. He never approached her again, although she knew when he was looking for her. All of them did. He asked about her nonstop, especially walking up to Joan when she was done performing.

Envy had clearly picked out the fire eater as the weak link in their bunch. She was the woman who was most easily manipulated. Most people thought it was because she was part dragon. The idea of romance fit in with the dragon's way of mating for life. But Lilith had seen the way the other woman looked at the demon king. There was interest in her eyes, and interest beyond seeing a friend cared for.

"I don't want to move," Lilith said, although as soon as the words came out of her mouth, she cast her glance to the side to make sure no one had heard her say it. The master would beat her for them, or worse, he'd take away the tea like he'd been doing a lot lately.

Joan's nostrils flared before her gaze turned wary. "Lil. You're misting."

Shit. Of course she was. Any time she started feeling strongly one way or another, her powers got out of control. This was why she needed the tea. She needed to be controlled, and her master knew that.

But right now, she was being punished. She was told that she wasn't good enough for the tea and she had to suffer through her own inadequacies.

Sighing, she nodded and moved to the side so Joan could get past her without walking through the mist. "I know. I'm sorry. I'll... go off somewhere by myself for a bit and get ahold of everything."

"See that you do. We have to pack up soon, and no one is going to pack your stuff for you."

She knew that too. Lilith had once been deeply lost in her own visions when they had to move, and the master had left all her things behind. All the items that she'd had since she was a child. Her favorite necklace that always made her remember a past with a soft skinned woman who had held her against her heart. Her favorite gloves that were soft and warm on the inside. Even her chipped teacup, the last remains of the life she'd left behind. All of it. Gone in an instant.

As it was, she couldn't pack anything in this state. The mist was pouring off her now. She'd be a danger to anyone who was packing their own rooms, so she either needed to stop misting, or wait for everyone else to be done and then rush.

There were few areas where she knew she would be alone, but there were a couple she never hesitated to visit. The master packed some rooms last. Mostly because they held very precious objects, or ones that had to be packed carefully because they were delicate. And one of those rooms was more hers than anyone else's.

Her master sometimes withheld the tea long enough for her to completely sink into her powers. She hated it when it happened, because time slipped away. During those moments, she prophesied much more than just personal history. One of the other performers would sit with her and write down everything she said.

She spoke of natural disasters that could take out an entire kingdom. An illness that would kill hundreds. A war that was coming and could be stopped if someone knew what to do with the details. All of these things were written down and carefully stored on scrolls that were each kept in their own slot.

Her master tried to organize them by guessing what time period they would happen. It wasn't an easy job, but he did it.

The room was filled from the floor to ceiling with scrolls. Each one fit into its own little wooden shelf, all of them stacked on top of each other a hundred times over. So many scrolls, and so many prophecies.

Running her fingers over the ancient paper, she listened to the vague crumbling sound. The scrolls sometimes even sounded like whispers. Like they told her about the things she had said while she wasn't in her right mind. The smell in the room was her favorite. Ancient paper and hundreds of dreams all put together in a singular place. It made her so happy every time she was here.

This was the only time she was thankful for her power. There was hope here. Just waiting in these scrolls for someone with influence to find them. Someone who would then know what to do with this information and maybe bring about a better age.

Sighing, she tried to still her mind. There was so much wrong with feeling emotional about them leaving. This place wasn't safe for any of them to remain in. The demon king was watching them a little too closely, and above all else, he was watching her.

What use did he have for an oracle? She had no idea.

But it couldn't be any good. No one wanted an oracle for good things.

And yet...

She lifted her hands and pressed them against her lips. She could still feel him there. His breath fanning across her mouth, his power radiating off of him as he leaned over her. He had wanted her. Her .

She hadn't ever seen that look on a man's face before. She'd seen them look at other performers, or even her priestesses like that many times in her life. Men wanted women.

But his expression had said he coveted her.

Another shiver traveled down her spine, and she wondered what would have happened if she let him continue. if she'd given him permission to kiss her. To touch her. Would he have lingered on the curves of her body that had never felt the touch of another man? Would he have indulged himself in the secret places where only she had touched?

It didn't matter. They were moving, and she wasn't supposed to be here.

Sighing, she turned to leave. The mist had gotten better. It wasn't entirely tamed, but it had retracted enough that by the time she returned to the others, there would only be a fine oil slick on her skin.

The flapping sound of feathers startled her. Then it was a beak, shrieking toward her from the shadows. She threw up her arms, trying to prevent the monster from clawing at her face.

The shrieking beast was not to be deterred, however. It continued to claw at her features, those nasty talons threatening to rake down her arms and driving her away from the scrolls. She shouted, trying to get the attention of anyone who could help her, but the sound of her voice was muffled. Like someone had put something over her lips.

There was another door behind her. It led to a small, tight tunnel that would bring her to the stables. At least the bird would have a difficult time in those tight quarters. If she could get to that, then she might be able to save herself.

Turning toward that door, she froze as she peered through her arms and saw a great hulking shadow that waited in the corridor. The bird stopped attacking her, but the creature waiting in the shadows was much worse than any kind of predator.

She watched the creature's shoulders bunch. It moved as though it were hunting her. And when the light sliced across its face, she could see the reflection in its slitted eyes. This was not just any monster. It was a beast made of shadows, larger than any cat she had ever seen, with glinting fangs popping past its lower lip.

Exhaling, her muscles tightened as her eyes darted to the side. She could leave the way she'd come in, she supposed. But that would lead these creatures right to the people who had given her a home. The other circus performers were powerful in their own right, but were they strong enough to survive an attack?

Her hesitation cost her precious time. Within moments, the beast in the shadows lunged. It was a cat, but massive. Those paws were the same size as her face as she ducked onto her hands and knees and tried to roll out of the way.

The creature snarled, sharp teeth snapping at her as it skidded to a stop on the other side of the room.

It had left the corridor vacant, though. Freedom called to her. She rushed back to her feet, lunging in the direction where she hoped she could escape.

A snake looped down from the ceiling. Its open mouth with dripping fangs came so close to her face that she shrieked in fear. She could smell the poison on those tips. She could sense how close to death she was.

All she could hope was that she got close enough to the exit to give the others the warning they needed.

"Run!" she shouted, hoping her voice would carry over the muffling that was placed over her lips. "Please, run!"

But no one heard her. She wasn't even sure they could.

Darting back toward the cat, she dodged its attack and then ducked underneath flapping wings. The snake hissed behind her, and she didn't know where to go. She was pinned, backed toward a wall where they would surely devour her.

Until she stepped through the wall.

There shouldn't have been a passageway here. She knew all of them. Every single one. It was easy to remember them because her master had shown her through all of them. They all knew the secret tunnels and entrances that would let them get away from the people who paid to see them. The wall here was solid. She'd touched it a hundred times herself.

But no longer. Now she passed right through it as the shadow creatures pushed her back, further into the darkness. Until she felt it pressing down upon her and she heard the scrape of a footstep behind her.

"I've been thinking about something you said." The demon king's voice erupted from the darkness. Though it was hard to focus on when she knew there were other beasts circling her. "You cannot see my future at all?"

She shook her head, unable to reply past the fear that coiled around her tongue.

"Interesting. So you cannot see my future, and that means you had no idea what my plans were." He stepped closer to her, a wave of heat pressing against her spine as he stopped behind her. "Little oracle, are you sure you're all that good at telling the future at all?"

She wanted to say that she was. She saw so much more than any other oracle who had come before her. That was why she was better at this. That was why there was a room full of prophecies and mist that dripped from her skin rather than just from her exhalations.

But none of those words came out of her. She couldn't force herself to say a single thing. Instead, she just stared into the blackness and wondered if this was to be her end.

His voice came from her right this time, startling her so much that she flinched into the wall. Her shoulder scraped against the stone, the bitter ache of that bruise cutting through the fear that sent her heart thundering in her chest.

"Oh, little one. You can't hurt yourself to get away from me. I simply forbid it."

She didn't care what he forbid. She wanted him to leave her alone! What was so hard for him to understand?

"I can't leave you alone." The words made it sound like he'd read her mind. "I will not leave you alone until you are mine."

"Why?" she whispered, her lips trembling and her legs shaking.

"Because when I see something others want, I take it." There was that heat again, bearing down on her, pressing her farther back into the wall. "When I know someone else possesses something so beautiful, so unique, I cannot help myself. I have to take it from them."

"Please." The word wheezed from her lungs like she was already dying.

"Please what?" His voice came right by her ear, and with it the pressing heat of desire that flooded between her legs. "Use your words, little one."

Why did that make her entire body ache? She pressed her thighs together, trying to ease some of the ridiculous pulsing that made her mind spin. "Please let me go."

"Oh, I'm not going to do that. I think I've already gotten you right where I want you, and now I'm going to take you back with me. Your master can't follow you to the castle, and if he tries, I'll make sure he regrets it." He leaned down and she could hear him inhaling her scent. "It breaks my heart to frighten you."

Relief. That's all she could feel at those words. Humanity tinged the darkness in his voice and she thought, for a second, she felt some measure of hope.

"Really?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Then his voice pitched low, and he replied, "Not really."

Her stomach dropped at the same moment he leaned into her. She should warn him not to touch her like this. She was so frightened, the mist must be pouring off of her like they stood beside a waterfall. He should fear what she would do.

But some part of her wanted to see if the first touch had been real. She wanted to know if she actually couldn't see his future, and if he was just as hidden as he made it seem.

He grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger, pinching a little too hard as he forced her to look at him. But she couldn't see his face in this darkness, and certainly not with the black future barreling toward her.

"Finally," he groaned, his voice trembling with some emotion she couldn't name. "Now you are mine, little oracle."

She wasn't his anything. She was bound to the futures of everyone and everything.

But as she crumbled into the nothingness of his future and fell against the weight of his body, she wondered if that was a lie. Because snuggling against his warmth made her wonder just how much she controlled herself, and how much he already controlled her.