Sympathy for the Demons (Promised to the Demons #1) - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,79
you. I can't believe Hel let you go, because you’re definitely tougher than she is.”
"Well, she did, because we respect each other." I was torn between still-raging anger and pity now. Piers could have fought back a little better. He was just letting me have at him.
"I don't see any point to fighting back," Piers said, as if I'd spoken aloud. "There just isn't anything left for me to fight for. I know--believe me, I know--that Jenny doesn't have feelings for me, and she probably shouldn't. I'm not here to pursue her. If I won her, what would I even do? I don't have a home or a job. I flew to the sun on wings made of wax. Now I see the fall was inevitable, that the ground is littered with the bodies of others who have tried before me."
"That's a very flowery way of saying you stepped all over your own family to gain power in the magical world." I dropped to a crouch next to him and looked him in the eye. "Maybe I'd respect you a little more if you just said it straight. Power tasted pretty good, and you kept grabbing it until somebody stopped you. And if they hadn't, you'd still be there. Now you dare to fall for my girl? This girl? A girl who will trust people who don't deserve it?"
"I would still be there," Piers said. "Power...was sweet. But bittersweet."
"Okay. That, I believe." I sprung up again and turned to Jenny. I took her hands. I had not meant to get distracted by all this. Nothing had changed. She was still deep in fever dreams, and I didn't know how to save her.
My hands clutched her tight, too tight, although I knew I couldn't hang on to her soul.
She twitched and moaned a little. She seemed scared. "Hey, I'm here," I said, but nothing I did helped.
I stole all this power from Variel, but it wasn't the kind of power that could protect her from this. It felt like fate was just messing with me.
This feeling was worse than anything I could imagine, to have her here, to run my fingers down her skin, and to have such potent memories of feeling her body close to mine and her voice in my ear. To feel so close to all of that, but so far away.
"Bevan," Piers said, walking up behind us now, still dabbing at his bloody nose with a monogrammed—of course it was monogrammed—handkerchief. "If no wizard will help her, and no Ethereal wants to deal with us, there is still one realm left."
"Faery?" I didn't dare hope. "The travel alone will be rough on her. I don't know. I don't have any connections there."
"Sure you do. Harris has been dealing with the faeries."
"But I've barely seen Harris since we were all kids. You know how it is with familiars. I guess he would want to help, but he'll have to ask a favor of the faeries on my behalf, and that puts him in a bad spot."
"My ex is part of the faery queen's court," Piers said.
"Oh, and I'm sure she would just love to help you." I furrowed my brows. "That only makes it worse."
"I think Daisy would love to see me in this state," Piers said. "Crippled. Begging for her help. I don't want to consider what she might for in exchange, but she would certainly help and it would probably be one of the greatest days of her life."
I almost laughed. "There. I definitely believe you right now, and I'll even give you that it's a first step to some genuine selflessness, because from what little I know of Daisy, she can be pretty brutal."
"You're right. I'm genuinely questioning my sanity right now. But first, we just need to stabilize Jenny."
I almost told him right then and there that he needed to swear to me that he would leave as soon as Jenny woke up. I didn't want her to see him, or give him any chance to make her think she needed to befriend him or thank him.
He already looked so low that I decided I would tackle that later.
At least in the fae realms I wouldn't have to deal with Variel anymore.
"Okay," I said. "Can you get us right to the palace?"
"Take my hand," Piers said. "And hold onto her tight."
"I already am," I said, saying an inner prayer for a safe transition between worlds as the castle melted away and my head spun.