Page 31 of Dancing With Demons

It’s too bad that Tolmond has made me her test subject as she learns about her magic. I can take the hits, though, if it means garnering the favor of a trolvor and soz’garoth that seem to be on good terms with the King.

I reach the training room, and as soon as I push the doors open, I forget all about my status or the other demons or the motives behind why I’m here–that even I am starting to know are lies. Once I spot that red-headed beauty, she’s all I can think about.

“Ulstrath!” She’s tugging a shirt over her head, the rest of her clothes, and I can’t stop my eyes from darting down to take in her lower torso as she finishes dressing. Tolmond growls as he steps into my vision, and I turn my head, wondering why it matters if I look. Piper doesn’t seem to mind.

“How has your morning been?” I ask her as she bounces toward the two of us.

“Good. I didn’t know you were coming today.”

I shrug, already feeling that teasing smirk taking over my face. I’ve never been a jovial demon until I met Piper. “When your demon master calls, I come.”

She chuckles, and Tolmond interjects, his voice steely. Though when he speaks to Piper, there’s at least a soft edge to his voice.

“Piper, go grab your instruments.”

She nods as she spins away, rushing toward the cabinet where he usually pulls any of the magic funneling devices out of for her. I find it odd, but when Tolmond bows up at me, his magic swirling in the air around me and making it nearly too thick to breathe, I realize it was a ploy.

“Ulstrath, what is your game?”

I tense at that. “Game? You called me here.”

“You are my only option. There aren’t many other demons clawing at the chance to be attacked. You are the only that has been actively seeking out chances to be around Piper.

“Why?”

“I’ve been asking for a chance to climb the ranks since long before she came to Ti’ilth, if you hadn’t heard.”

His eyes flare with chaos magic, and we both hear the cabinet slam shut. She’ll be back over here soon. “Why have you been so persistent with her?”

Instead of a snarky remark, I choose to be honest. “I just like being around her. No game.”

He sinks back, dropping the chaos magic that had been constricting around my frame as Piper slides up next to us. “I’m ready!” She holds up two objects I don’t recognize–probably because I am not a soz’garoth. I am volvath. I am ordinary, a fighter, not someone skilled enough to help Piper.

Her gaze lingers on me, and I force those thoughts from my head. Instead, I offer a smile, trying to calm my own raging thoughts. “Ready?”

Piper reaches out toward me, and my skin tingles in anticipation. I don’t move, wanting to feel her skin against mine and knowing I shouldn’t touch her at the same time. Sensing my hesitation, she drops her hand instead, and I silently curse myself.

“Ready,” she mumbles, and when she crosses to the center of the room, I follow after her.

Before she even starts, the air already feels charged between us. I’m not sure what to make of it. Is it because she feels I rejected her? Or is she uncomfortable with me now that she saw how I upset Tolmond?

I sigh. None of it matters either way. I’m nothing more than a living beast to practice on. I shouldn’t care how she feels about me.

But I do. And when her magic whips at me, requiring me to leap into action, I find that I’m a little slow. I cry out as my side is lashed, and Piper gasps, pulling back. It’s clear she thought this was a warm up, but I’m not present enough.

Tolmond calls out to her not to hold back, and I nod at her, letting her know I’m fine and she can keep going. But I notice how she’s pulled her punches when she throws a wide blast at me.

It shouldn’t warm my heart, but it does. Maybe she does care about me.

After her lesson, which I’m pretty sure had to be ended because of my stamina and not Piper’s, I drop to the floor. Sweat drips from my brow, and I’m entirely out of breath after the beating I’ve taken. She is more powerful than I think she realizes, and even though my body is sore for hours after this, I’m in awe of her.

“Are you okay?” Piper crouches next to where I sit, trying to hide how I’m gasping for breath.

I only nod, fearing I’ll give myself away. What little chaos magic I possess, less so than most volvaths even, it is all being diverted to heal my body.

I don’t have the capacity for words.

She throws a worried glance over her shoulder, and even I hear Tolmond huff before coming closer. He waves a hand above me, and at once, the burning in my lungs stops as his magic enforces what mine couldn’t.