Sympathy for the Demons (Promised to the Demons #1) - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,75

She coughed.

"It tastes bad."

"You need to drink the whole cup," Piers insisted.

She choked it down and flopped back on the pillows.

"She should turn the corner now," Piers said, his tone betraying a little relief.

"If this works, I guess I'll hate you a shred less," I said. I wasn't the most forgiving person, but it was hard to hate Piers completely when he was standing there in dirty clothes, looking pale and exhausted, watching Jenny with what seemed like real concern. He had spotted the mushrooms in advance and known what to do.

"You can keep hating me," Piers said. "It won't really matter when I'm in the monastery, now, will it?" He lifted a hand goodbye and left us alone.

Several hours later, I realized I had fallen asleep for a bit and it was getting dark.

"Jenny? Are you feeling better?"

Her breathing was shallow. I tried to wake her up. No response. Finally I was shaking her, panic spiking through me, and I tried another healing spell that I already knew would fail.

I flung open the door and screamed out words I thought I'd rather die than say. "Piers! I need your help...damnit..."

Chapter Thirty-Four

Variel

I had no home, and I had no cheerful little toad girl to bring me sweets and kind words I had never deserved, but which were freely given anyway. All I had were these three incompetent servants and one old horse. (The Ethereal horse had run off before I could catch it.)

"I curse this realm," I said. "And all of its stupid inhabitants."

Gillian looked around. "I don't think anything happened, sir."

"It wasn't a real curse, silly maid. I have no real power here. I must face my fate now." I lifted my face to the blinding sun of Etherium. "I have been felled by Lord Abiron, and I must now seek him out and smite him, or there will soon be nothing left of my legacy at all."

"Mm?" Uram grunted. He patted his throat, asking if I might allow him to speak again. I shook my head. I didn't miss Uram's blathering.

"But what about poor Jenny?" Gillian asked. "Isn't she your true love?"

"She is my fated bride," I said. "I don't think I have an actual true love. That sounds ridiculous. It is her sorry fate to bear my children, an act that may kill her."

"You wouldn't really let her die!" Gillian said. "Look here, sir, I know it isn't my place, but I've never heard you say anything so ridiculous. I—I—I'm not much of a witch, or much of a maid, or much of an anything. But I do know when you're in despair, sir! I've served you long enough for that!"

"Oh, you know my moods so well, do you? And what do you suppose I do about it, then? The toad went to Sinistral, and try as I might, but I can't get through the walls!"

"You could help Bevan and Jenny," Gillian said in a small voice. "They wanted to set familiars free, didn't they? I heard them talking about it more than once. So when they come back, you can prove to them that you want to apologize for the...erotic display."

I paced the other direction, swiping my hair back between my horns. "I'm not Variel the All-Seeing. I haven't any more idea than they do why familiars are bound to wizards."

"You don't?" Gillian twisted her apron nervously.

"Why would I?"

"I don't know. You're very old and learned, sir."

I was in such a mood that even a compliment from Gillian cheered me slightly. "I suppose I am never too old to tackle a new endeavor. And it is certainly true that if I found the answer to the question that most troubles Jenny, she would have no choice but to accept my hand in marriage."

"I mean, she might still hesitate to marry you after what you did and especially if she thinks she might die giving—“

Gillian cut off Jameson. "Oh, let him worry about that later! It's too romantic, and I want Jenny to live with us forever!"

"But what about Bevan?" Jameson asked. "She already prefers—“

"I would singe your feathers, had I not already singed them today." I scratched my jaw. "I suppose we need to go to a great library to find the answers..."

"Ooh," Gillian said. "A great library!"

"Mm hm hmm hm!" Uram said. "Unh! Unh!" He gesticulated.

"I'm not sure how I can gain entry to the Great Library of Etherium. My appearance seems to provoke ire everywhere I go."

"Is there a less-great-but-still-pretty-great library of Etherium that's