I came to after what felt like a second. It wasn’t. Zane had carried me up to my room and put me in my bed. My dress was still on, but he’d removed my shoes, as evidenced by my toes wiggling freely.

Son of a…

How did he keep fooling me with that damn yellow powder? I need to get better at this…

The lights were dim, and I could hear the fire crackling in the fireplace. Oh great, he lit a fire, too. Making sure I’m comfortable in my defeat. I groaned as I stretched my arms out, cursing under my breath and lifting my head off the pillow.

My heart jumped at the sight of Zane sitting in a chair that was too small for him. He was quiet, a dark look in his red eyes as he watched me.

“As if you couldn’t get any creepier!” I spat, sitting up and scowling at him. “Now you’re watching me sleep, too?”

“I was just waiting for you to wake up.” He shrugged, shifting his weight in the visibly uncomfortable chair. The wood creaked as he supported part of his weight on one of the armrests. “Just being respectful here. I figured it would be rude to just plop you in here without saying a proper ‘Good night!’, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Oh, now you’re being respectful! After you knocked me out for… what, the fourth time? I’m losing track here!” I scoffed.

“I assumed you were into Vincent because of his manners,” he replied matter-of-factly, “and probably his fashion sense, too. The latter I can do nothing about, but I can try to be a little bit more gentile. As much as I like the way you crinkle your nose when you’re angry, I prefer you when you’re smiling.”

It took me a few seconds to register the compliment, but it didn’t make me feel better. If anything, it confused me even more. What was his end game? What did he want from me?

“You could start by not blowing yellow dust in my face whenever I ask you uncomfortable questions,” I shot back. “I’d classify it as more important than bidding an appropriate farewell.”

“Duly noted.” He nodded, then smiled. “You should get some sleep. I think you’ll have a very busy day ahead of you tomorrow.”

I moved to get out of bed, but stilled as I captured the hidden meaning of his words.

“What do you mean? What’s happening tomorrow?” I asked, my tone flat.

“How am I supposed to know?” He raised an eyebrow, as if daring me to get all riled up.

“You just said… Ugh, never mind.” I shook my head and decided to sulk, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’re all cryptic and full of smoke, as usual. Completely useless.”

“I wouldn’t say completely useless.” He leaned forward, his gaze drilling into me. “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“You still haven’t told me where you got the swamp witch magic from,” I retorted, attempting a different angle. Maybe persistence could be the key to my success. Zane didn’t seem like he was going anywhere, and he’d specifically admitted that he couldn’t stay away. Perhaps I could use that to my advantage.

Worth a shot…

He rolled his eyes and leaned against the back of the chair, generating another round of loud creaks. I was expecting to see that thing give way under his massive frame any minute now.

“Can we, for once, not talk about such difficult topics?” He groaned, as if he were the one frustrated, not me. The nerve! “For once, I’d like to just sit here and look at you… to just bask in your beauty.”

If it were anyone else saying such things to me, my creep-o-meter would’ve been screaming and flashing bright red signals. And yet, there was something in the way he spoke—maybe in his low, husky voice and smooth tone—that just put me on a different kind of edge. It made me feel extremely self-conscious, and, at the same time, it heated me up from the inside.

What was it about him that turned off my defense mechanisms and prompted my other senses to flare up? It was as if my consciousness expanded whenever he was near. He had danger written all over him, but I couldn’t bring myself to treat him as a hostile force. Zane basically disarmed me, and it scared the crap out of me.

“Well, that wasn’t creepy at all,” I muttered.

“I’m simply being honest.” He stood up, and the room seemed tiny all of a sudden. My muscles tensed as he stepped forward, closing the distance between us. He noticed my reaction, and raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “Relax, Fiona, I’m not going to hurt you or be anything but respectful toward you.”

He moved closer and sat on the bed, next to me. The mattress swelled beneath me, lifting me up as he sank into it. I stared back at him as he studied my face, once more looking for my every expression, for anything that could maybe tell him what I was thinking.

“That chair was a literal pain in my ass.” Zane grinned.

I almost smiled, then pressed my lips tight and looked away. I wasn’t done with the sulking part.

“I really can’t wrap my head around all this,” I muttered. “I should kill you on sight.”

“You could try.” I heard the confident smile in his voice before I even saw it stretch on his face—which, by the way, looked incredibly handsome in the dim glow of the room. Dark shadows and amber strips of light played against his rugged features, bringing out his cleft chin and sharp cheekbones, and adding dramatic contours to the blade of his nose and his almond-shaped eyes. I felt a sudden urge to touch his black hair, which lay tightly braided down his back. Only then did I notice the fine gold thread woven over his horns. This was no second-class daemon I was dealing with; that much was obvious from his outfit—gold adorned the belt holding his dark brown leather loincloth over his narrow hips, and even the straps of his sandals.

“You’re the enemy, Zane,” I breathed.

“I’m not your enemy,” he replied, inching closer. His gaze dropped to my lips.

“What do you want from me?”

“For the millionth time, I don’t know yet,” he murmured, his face barely an inch from mine. I held my breath and had no idea what to do next. My body refused to react, but my rising temperature was similar to the surface of a sun. “But I promise I will let you know as soon as I figure it out, Fiona.”

“This is… strange,” I managed, my heart pounding.

“The fact that I’m here? Or the fact that you’re allowing me to get this close?”

“I… I don’t know.” My voice was barely audible, while my mind screamed at me to get a grip. “There must be something wrong with me.”

“But it feels right, doesn’t it?” His eyes found mine once more, flaring red as the air between us became supercharged. I feared lightning bolts would shoot out if he came any closer.

“I… Why are you doing this?”

“Because you’re not stopping me.” He grinned.

A few seconds went by as we looked at each other, then time nearly stopped when Zane’s lips parted. I had a feeling I knew what was coming next, and my heart was too hyped to take it. Too much was happening at once.

“Don’t,” I said to him, looking into his eyes.

He pulled his head back slowly, then cocked it to one side, visibly amused.

“Or what?” he replied.

“You won’t like my answer.”

There you are, Fiona! Where have you been? I’ve missed you.

“Hm. I guess I’ve found your limit.” The shadow of a smile passed over his face. “Good to know. I love a good challenge. Now, off to bed, little vampire…”

He moved, and I instantly knew what was coming next, before he even brought a fistful of yellow powder up to my face. I slapped his hand away, the dust scattering away on the floor, and he laughed hard.

I glowered, the tension back in my muscles as I regained my senses and original anger. Zane had been planning to knock me out again.

“Like I said, you’re learning fast.” He gave me an appreciative nod, then stood and walked over to the window. “Get some rest, Fiona. Keep your distance from Vincent. I’ll see you soon.”

“Wait, what do you mean? What’s your deal with Vincent? Why—” I didn’t get to ask the third question. Zane had already opened the window and jumped out.

My lungs filled with the cool air. I looked outside, but there was no sign of him. Just shadows and flickering streetlamps. And a starry sky above, with three moons that seemed to have secrets of their own. That was Neraka for you—everything was hidden, even what was there in plain sight.

And Zane was the perfect example…