I’d lost all notion of time passing since the moment the daemon had emerged from the pool and I had beheld him, in all his deadly glory, for the first time. Every one of my senses felt stunned. That red powder he’d blown in my face had relaxed my body a little too much, and the sight of him, so tall, dark, and dangerous, was permanently seared into my retinas. I took deep breaths, trying to get hold of myself. He walked over to the fire, settling on one of the stones and proceeding to sharpen his blades with a solid gray crystal.

I watched the sparks fly out as the crystal screeched down the sharp metal edge, while his red gaze occasionally darted my way. His long black hair was damp and pulled over one shoulder, getting wavy as it gradually dried.

“So you’re a daemon,” I managed finally, stating the obvious. “I’m guessing you’re one of the many behind the abduction of Exiled Maras and Imen. You’re a killer.”

He didn’t react, and kept his eyes fixed in front of him.

“What’s your name? Where do you come from? Why did you start taking innocent people? What’s your issue with Azure Heights?”

I didn’t get any answers. Some minutes went by as I tried to figure out a better way to approach this, to get him to talk to me. I knew he understood me, and he was perfectly capable of coherent speech, as he’d so casually proven earlier.

I figured I’d try a less accusatory approach. “My name’s Fiona. What’s yours?”

It worked. He finally looked my way, his gaze finding mine. Then he stood and sauntered across the cave, closing the distance between us. He sheathed the dagger he’d been sharpening, letting it hang loosely on his belt. I froze, breathlessly waiting until he reached my cage.

He stopped in front of the iron bars, staring at me for a while. He said nothing, but I could see genuine curiosity in his red eyes, while his overall expression gave nothing else away. I dared to inch closer, my movement so slow and smooth, I hoped it would barely be noticeable. I didn’t have any of my usual strength, my muscles and tendons weak thanks to his red powder trick. I realized I couldn’t even extend my claws to use them as weapons against him. The only thing I could think to do was at least try to use my hands to grasp at the dagger.

I held his gaze while my right hand slowly reached for the blade on his belt, sneaking between the cage bars. I felt my temperature rise, then the rough fabric strip covering the dagger’s handle as it brushed against my fingertips.

Another inch and it’s mine.

He smirked, then gripped my left wrist and jerked me forward with a sudden pull. My face hit the iron bars, my cheek and temple pressed against the cold metal. His lips were just inches away from mine, stretched into a lazy grin that revealed his white teeth. My skin was broiling under his gaze, his fingers digging into my flesh as he held me in place. I didn’t regret my attempt to grab that weapon off him, but I knew I’d gotten myself into serious trouble with that move.

I waited with bated breath, but he said nothing for about half a minute. He kept looking at me with a flicker of amusement in his eyes, while I pondered the many ways in which he could kill me in that moment. My stomach twisted into knots.

“I’m Zane,” he announced, his voice once again making my nerves shudder.

Okay… so maybe he won’t kill me just yet.

“I’d say it’s nice to meet you, Zane, but we both know I’d be lying,” I replied, unwilling to give him any kind of high ground—especially not moral. Sure, I’d just attempted to steal his knife after he’d fed me, but he was the one who put me in that cage in the first place. “Why am I here? Why did you take me? Why am I being kept in a cage like an animal?”

I overestimated his willingness to talk. His skin felt hot against mine, his breath tickling my nose. He didn’t let go, but he didn’t answer either. My only sliver of comfort was the cool iron pressing against my face.

“Why am I here? Why did you take me? Why am I being caged like this?” I asked again. I couldn’t let him set all the rules. I had to get him to talk to me. I had to try to soften him up enough to convince him to let me go. Or at least keep him busy so I could find a way to escape.

Zane scoffed, then let me go, stalking back to the fire. I got a good view of his broad back, his muscles, sculpted to perfection, flexing with his movement. He sat down, resuming his blade-sharpening session.

“I haven’t made up my mind as to what I’m going to do with you yet,” he replied, his tone flat and somewhat bored. “But if you keep trying to escape, you’ll make it easier for me to decide, and it won’t help you, Fiona.”

I pulled myself back, and noticed the tremor in my left hand. I glanced at Zane, who went on with his task, seemingly unimpressed by my demeanor. I had to get him to talk to me more. I had to get on his good side and in his head. I needed to find a way out of here, one way or another.

My team was surely out there, somewhere, searching for me. I had to get to them before they ventured too deep into the gorge and got themselves hurt trying to find me. Besides, my own safety was hanging in the balance every minute I remained trapped in this cage. No matter how taken aback I’d been by Zane’s appearance, and how calm his demeanor currently was, I couldn’t trust a monster.