“Remember I said there would be rules?”
I nod.
“This portal will take us to a house. There is only one room we are allowed to go into right now. The rest of it must remain off limits. Do you understand?”
My ears and cheeks burn.
“Why?” I whisper.A house. He has a secret portal that leads to a house. A house I’m not allowed to see much of.
He pauses, still holding me tight in the darkness.
“I need you to trust me.” His voice is hushed.
I close my eyes, hating that this is so hard for me.
“Can you promise?”
My heart aches with that doubt and fear all over again, but it’s not new and I’m getting used to it at this point. It’s my own fault. My own doing.
If I’m going to torture myself, I may as well stop being a brat about it.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes, I promise.”
He releases a relieved breath and then walks through the portal, tugging my hand gently behind him. And again, I find myself in a whole new world.
36
Desperate Hope
Our feet land on the loft of a two-story house with bright open windows and pretty wooden banisters. Out the window are several trees and a patch of sand.
“Where are we?” I ask but wonder if I’m even allowed to know that.
He places his finger over his lips, then tugs me forward. Jarron doesn’t usually show his emotions in typical human ways. If he’s upset or angry or protective, he changes into his demon form. So, it’s strange for me to feel his pulse in his hand, still clinging tightly to mine.
His shoulders are tense. He carefully guides me down a hall with a few very mundane, white doors. He opens the first to reveal a small room lit with candles all around.
There’s one small table, with two chairs, that is set with plates and silverware and glasses, decorated with flowers and a red tablecloth.
Behind the table is a large white-paned window and French doors that lead to a small balcony.
“It’s beautiful,” I say. And it is. It’s lovely. But also not exactly what I’d expected.
What is significant about this house? From what I can tell, it’s a fairly typical North American home.
Why can’t I see other parts of it?
Jarron pulls out a chair for me, like he’s been studying how to be a gentleman or something. He takes the seat across from me and pours us each champagne.
“It’s not demon culture to have dungeons full of captives or anything, right?”
He stops filling his flute to give me a look. “Excuse me?”
“Just wondering why I’m not allowed to see the rest of the house. You made it sound like a really big deal.”
He continues pouring but doesn’t comment on that. “No, demons don’t regularly hold captives for recreation, nor are there any in this house.”
“Just checking.”
