Essael met us at the bottom of the stairs. Andiya gripped my arm, holding me against her side, and we followed Essael to a small dining table with two stools pushed against a far wall, well away from the rest of the daemonic patrons. A stone Elemental, its skin like polished granite, cocked its head curiously at me. The rest of the daemons averted their gaze as Andiya’s furious eyes passed over.

The moment we sat down, the pair of goblin daemons laid heavy plates of food. It was shockingly normal tavern fare—stew, bread, little cubes of cheese and even a bottle of ale. Not what I would expect daemons to eat.

“Not all of us eat this,” Andiya cautioned, and I spotted a dragon-like daemon licking its lips at me. I shifted to show it the sword at my waist. The daemon laughed.

“You can’t threaten them,” said Andiya. “They’re all well aware they could take you in a fight. Just eat.”

We dug into our plates in silence. Andiya remained a coil of tension, glaring at the daemons around us to back them down. But it didn’t seem necessary. Essael patrolled among the patrons, and they gave her respectful nods as she passed. We were under her protection.

A few tables down, two daemons played chess with an enraptured audience. The audience bickered at each turn. I noticed two things; first, that our novelty was wearing off quickly in favour of the game; second, that both players were absolutely terrible.

The normalcy of what I saw struck me in a way that even Andiya’s sentience hadn’t. Save for the colourful appearance of the patrons, or the inn’s magical touches, this place was no different from its human counterpart. These weren’t monsters, or conquerors, but people. As real as Yulia and Rafiq, as real as me. They laughed, shoved at each other teasingly, talked quietly over their food. In the corner, a twiggy daemon with spiked green hair napped in his chair, wrapped in a knit shawl.

I stood.

Andiya caught my wrist. “Where are you going?”

I gently peeled her hand away. “To make friends.”

I approached the chess players. They paused, watching me curiously—but not with hostility. I pointed at the black castle. “Move it here.”

The player might not have understood Novoski, but he followed where I pointed. The audience murmured, enraptured. I glanced back. Andiya lingered at our table, tense like a serpent waiting to strike.

The white player moved. Badly.

The black player followed my direction. We went back and forth, until the black player understood how close we were to winning. He reached for me, and Andiya snapped out from her seat, speeding towards us.

He patted me gently on the back.

Andiya halted as though slapped.

In one more move, it was over. The black player said what sounded like the winning phrase.

“King and Crown,” I said. The small audience howled with laughter. Again, they motioned, and I repeated it.

“King and Crown!” several imitated in mangled accents.

The players stood, and I was ushered into a seat at the board. A short argument broke out before an Ice Elemental sat across from me.

“They said she’s their best player,” said Andiya from beside me. Her arms were locked against her chest. She looked ready to burn them all just for speaking to me. “Call sword or eye.”

“Eye?”

Andiya told them my choice, and they flipped a heavy copper coin. Sword.

The Elemental moved the black piece, and I began to formulate a strategy. I grinned and moved.

The Ice Elemental was better than Andiya, but not by much. The game was over in minutes.

The entire inn had gathered in a crowd. A flagon of wine slammed down beside me, but Andiya snatched it away before I could reach it. She took a long drink.

I beat two more daemons in quick succession. More drinks appeared on my table. I only managed to snag one before Andiya got to them. Her mood soured every minute, but I kept playing. Despite the weight on my shoulders, I was enjoying myself. I hadn’t in a very long time. When the daemons laughed, I found myself joining them. When they smiled, I did too.

A new challenger sat down. She was tall, well over six feet, and blue-skinned like Artem. Her black horns twisted upwards like a gazelle’s, her eyes glowed the subtle white of a Subjugator, and she was nearly naked save for silver chains wrapped around her arms and a few scraps of pearlescent fabric at her waist.

“I’ll let you go first,” she said with a deep, snarling accent. Her teeth were long, sharp.

“Then this will go quick,” I said with a playful smirk. I moved, and she pushed her pawn forward seemingly at random.

During our game, she hardly paid attention to the board. Her eyes ate me head to toe, lingering in places that made my face hot. I crossed my legs, and her sharp smile widened.

Andiya’s hand fell to my shoulder and squeezed in warning. I brushed her hand off. I could handle this.

“Do you like games, lovely thing?” asked the Subjugator.

“Depends on the game.”

She laughed, her voice deep in her chest. “I have one you’ll enjoy. But I wonder if you are strong enough for it.”

“Is it fun, or is it only new?” I challenged. The audience looked between us, but there didn’t seem to be much confusion. Our tone made sense in any language.

“It can be both,” the Subjugator growled. “I have more than one use for my chains.”

One second, I was opening my mouth to toy with the Subjugator, the next, Andiya had yanked my chair back and stepped in front of me.

“She’s mine,” she snarled.

The audience backed up. Flames flickered at Andiya’s fingertips.

“And?” the Subjugator said, unconcerned. “Have I laid any claim to her?”

Andiya’s hands curled into fists. “Go curl back into whatever hole you crawled out of, bitch.”

“Only if that delicious human comes with me,” replied the Subjugator with a satisfied smile. She leaned around Andiya and winked at me. “Room three. Pay me a visit—but leave your dog at home.”

Andiya’s fist crashed into her face.

The chess board went flying. A silver chain shot from the Subjugator and wrapped Andiya’s wrist, but Andiya snapped it like a sewing thread.

“Andiya!” I shouted. “Andiya, stop!”

She lunged for the Subjugator, who kicked her off. Andiya rolled and sprang up. She clashed with the Subjugator in a flurry of blows.

“Stop it!” I bellowed. “Listen to me! STOP!”

Flames grew around Andiya’s arm, white-hot. She rushed the Subjugator.

I stepped between them.

Andiya’s meteoric blow stopped inches from my nose. She trembled with rage.

“Step aside,” she snarled. “Stop getting in my way. This one deserves it.”

“No. What is the matter with you? You’re going to kill her? Because she invited me to her room?”

“Yes.”

“Is that what you’ll do, now? Kill anyone with an interest in me?”

“Yes.”

I believed her. Her eyes were wild, scarlet flickering against her fire.

“Go,” I said to the Subjugator.

“I’ll be waiting,” the Subjugator replied in a taunting tone. Andiya tried to follow her, but I moved to block the way. I held my ground until the Subjugator was well out of sight.

“I’m going to our room,” I said firmly. “You can join me once you’ve calmed down.”

So I turned and left her, not once looking back. I only got one floor up before footsteps hurried to follow me.

Andiya blocked the door as I tried to slam it in her face. I was furious. I’d had fun for the first time in … I couldn’t even remember. And it had ended in the same bullshit that everything seemed to.

“Are you proud of yourself?” I shot at Andiya. “You got what you wanted.”

She snapped the door closed. “They fucking love you. How did you make them all love you?”

“Maybe because I’m not trying to set them on fire.”

“I warned her.”

I faced her like a brick wall. “I didn’t need you to.”

“Oh, no, you were doing just fine on your own. Smiling for them. Smiling for her. You have never smiled for me like that. Never.”

“Jealousy doesn’t become you.” I wouldn’t back down just because Andiya was angry. She wasn’t the only one, this time. “And don’t deny that childish jealousy is what’s happening here.”

“Fine. Yes, I’m jealous. Of more than you could ever understand. You just … Gods, you just fit in. Those malikh respected you! I could hear them talking. They all wanted a turn. A piece of this new toy. They wanted to know you. None of those simpletons have ever wanted to know me.”

“Oh, and I wonder why that is.”

“Shut it. You know nothing of the daemon lands. I won’t hear criticism of how I’ve navigated them.”

“I don’t know anything because you’ve never told me. Or do you not trust me enough to even try and explain? Haven’t I proven myself, by now?”

“You want to speak about trust? Fine. You took a risk down there that you knew terrified me, and you did it anyways. For what? A game? I told you I was scared for you. I trusted you. You ignored it.”

“No. I took that to heart. If I thought I’d put myself in harm’s way, I wouldn’t have done it.”

“Harm’s way. Tell me you didn’t consider going to that bitch’s room. Let me hear you lie.”

“I considered it,” I said. Andiya flinched at the truth. “And it would have been none of your business if I did.”

“I told her you were mine. That is no small thing, to us. Just as you claimed me, I’ve claimed you. She chose to violate one of our most ancient customs. Better daemons than me have killed for far less.”

“So that’s it? I’m to spend my life alone, because Andiya doesn’t want anyone touching her playthings?”

“Correct.”

“And that’s healthy, to you. That’s going to work.”

“We are bound, you and I, by far more than magic.” Fire erupted in her clenched fists. “So if you’re going to anyone’s room, it will be mine.”

“Because this is such a pleasant time,” I bit.

Andiya crossed the floor. I expected her to yell, hit me, set something on fire—but she yanked me by the small of my back and tripped me onto the bed.

She pulled herself astride me, sitting at my waist. Her hands pinned me down.

“Andiya,” I warned.

She lowered herself, chest just brushing mine. Heat radiated from her, soaking through my clothes. I could have pushed her away, told her off, but all I could do was draw a ragged breath as her lips brushed against my throat.

“Tell me to stop,” she breathed against me.

I didn’t. Because Andiya’s mind was wide open, pushing towards mine, bidding me in. And pulsing from her in waves was that burning jealousy, that fury—but all of it was trampled under a powerful desire. It pinned me down in shock. She’d always teased me, flirting with me to get a rise. But Andiya wanted me, in the realest sense.

She kissed a line down my neck, taking her time with each one.

“She’s mine,” she’d told the daemons. Mine. Her hand travelled down my pinned arm, drawing a shiver. Her next kiss felt taut, and I imagined that cruel smile, drinking in my response. It was all I could do to keep my thoughts locked tight, but it didn’t matter. My body language was clear enough.

“I’m right here, Rozin,” she said, teeth grazing my earlobe. She drew my hand with hers, running along her stomach. She slid my fingers under her loose shirt, breath hitching again when I touched skin. “Does it scare you?”

When I said nothing, she ground her hips slowly. Her desire washed over me, clouding my mind with thoughts of only one thing. In those seconds I wanted her so badly I couldn’t even meet her eyes. Mine would give me away.

“You could have me,” she murmured. “Any way you wanted. Or shall you still pretend not to want me, after all this?”

My hands slid up her thighs. So warm, so soft, from a life of luxury.

“Shall I tell you all the ways you could have me, while you stare with determination at the ceiling?” She gasped softly as my hand hardened their grip. “Or shall you leave me here, so alone, so cold, so I can do to myself what you would not do to me?”

She brought her mouth just near mine and gently pulled my bottom lip with her teeth. My breathing was tight like a rope bound my chest, everything else in the world dulled but for the feeling of her on top of me, touching me, smelling of rain and soap and wine …

“Open your mind, Rozin. When you touch me, I want you to feel it, too.”

The memory of the bond was like a slap to the face.

I surged up and rolled her from me, sending us both crashing to the carpet. I pinned her down before she could tease me and slammed her hands together above her head.

“Stop,” I gasped. I gripped tighter. “I need you to stop.”

“Careful, Rozin.” She looked so proud of herself, like she’d been hoping for this. “I bruise easy.”

“Shut up. Enough, Andiya. I’m sick of playing this game with you.”

“As am I. But it wouldn’t be a game anymore if you just admitted you want me.” She writhed underneath me, rolling her stomach. Pleasure melted down her back at my staring at it. “Touch me, Rozin. I promise I’ll enjoy it.”

I came close, so close that it would be nothing at all to give in like she wanted, to kiss her, to run my hands down her body, to hear her cry out.

“I want you,” I whispered against her lips, and she took in a rough breath. I wanted Andiya. I wanted to stay here, to never leave this room. But I could never live with myself if I did.

I pulled away and lifted off of her. She scowled darkly as I stood.

“That’s it?” she bit.

“That’s it.”

I made for the door, but Andiya was up before I could. Her desire had flashed, sudden and hot, back to fury. She flattened her back the door.

“What the fuck is your problem?” she spat in my face. “You want me—then what?”

“Then nothing. It changes nothing.”

“Bullshit. Why are you always pushing me away? Do you still hate what I am that much?”

Pain laced those words. Her pride stung like a stab wound to the heart.

“You’re still not over it, are you? That I’m a daemon. You still somehow think I’m some evil thing that you could never care about, should never want.”

“No. I do care. I don’t hate you at all.”

Thoughts flew from her, bursting through that unknowable fog. I felt them so clear, ringing in my ears for the first time. She wanted to hit me. She wanted to kiss me until I finally let her in. She wanted to control me like I controlled her. She wanted me to pin her against the wall and make her forget. She wanted to claw the reason out of my mind whether I allowed it or not.

“Then why not?” she asked, and the real hurt in her tone finally broke me.

I opened my mind, and she stiffened at what she felt. Shame. Guilt. Gut-wrenching, crushing remorse. Sadness that lived on my shoulders, day in and day out, that would never go away.

“I killed Artem,” I murmured. I brushed a lock of scarlet hair from her furious face, from the face I already cared about so, so much. “And I killed you, too.”

When I reached for the door, Andiya moved out of the way.

She watched me go, some unasked question on her tongue.