Ruby Shadows (Born to Darkness #3)(78)

“Kurex,” she said. “The girl—the lost soul—had me by the throat but he kicked her head in and dragged me out by my dress.”

“Oh, mon ange…” I pulled her against my chest. If she only knew how close she’d come to death and eternal damnation! Even seeing the huge demon standing over her threatening to hurt and take her hadn’t frightened me so much. Even I could not have pulled her out of the pool if her head had gone under. Kurex had acted quickly and bravely—I promised myself again that the big horse would have whatever he desired once it was in my power to provide it.

“I guess it was more dangerous than I thought?” Gwendolyn said, looking up at me.

I nodded. “Very. It is extremely fortunate that Kurex was with you and acted as he did.”

“He’s been wonderful,” she agreed. “I wonder…could he live in the Mortal Realm? I’d kind of like to take him with me when this is all over. Although I don’t know what Grams would say about it. He’d probably eat us out of house and home.”

“It is a possibility,” I said, nodding thoughtfully. “But speaking of eating…” I reached back into the satchel and pulled out what I’d been looking for—the plate and black-handled sacrificial knife. I had slipped them into the satchel after our noonday repast in Minauros—a repast which, I remembered, Gwendolyn had not taken part in. This time I was determined she would eat.

Taking the plate, I put it on the fur rug before me and cut into my wrist with the small, sharp blade. The pain was worse than usual—probably because of my weakened state—but I managed to keep my face impassive as I let three drops of blood fall to the plate.

As before, the blood turned to fresh fruit, cheese, and warm, crusty bread. I let another drop fall and several pieces of the confection that humans call chocolate appeared as well. Then I pressed my other hand to my wrist firmly, staunching the flow and willing the small but painful wound to heal.

Gwendolyn had been watching everything I did silently. Now she looked at the plate and then up at me.

“Laish…” she began.

Just then the tiny white lily-moth fluttered down out of the air and lit upon a piece of fresh fruit—a strawberry. Its pure white and gold wings looked lovely against the warm red of the fruit and I saw that it was taking tiny nibbles of the strawberry with apparent hunger.

Gwendolyn’s face broke into a smile.

“Oh, hey little girl!” she exclaimed, crouching down to look at the little moth. “I forgot all about you. You must have had a wild ride, holding onto me after everything that happened today.”

“They are very resilient creatures for all they appear so delicate,” I remarked. “And as I told you, they will rest only upon pure things.”

“I remember.” Gwendolyn picked up a piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth, much to my relief.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“So now you trust me and the food I offer? Because the moth does?”

“No, I trust you because of everything you’ve gone through for me today.” Gwendolyn’s voice was soft and she looked down at the fruit as she spoke. “And I made a little promise to myself while I was trying to get out of that awful pool that I would listen to you from now on.” She looked up at me. “I was going to eat the food, even before the moth landed on it. I just wanted to apologize first for being so…so stubborn and mean about it earlier.”

“That is all right,” I said, taking one of her slim hands in mine. “I can understand why you feared to trust me.” I raised her hand to my lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her palm.

“Um…” Gwendolyn flushed and drew her hand away.

“I see,” I said softly. “You trust me in some things but not in all.”

“It’s just…it scares me how much…how much I’ve been feeling lately. For you, I mean.” She shrugged uncomfortably. “It’s dangerous.”


“For both of us, mon ange,” I murmured. “More than you know.”

She looked up at me quickly. “What is that supposed to mean?”

I shook my head. How could I tell her that in giving up one of my most powerful forms, I had also given up a piece of my evil? That I had given up a piece of that which made me me? I didn’t want her to feel worried or guilty so I simply picked up a piece of fruit and popped it in her mouth.

“Eat,” I said. “You must be starving.”

“Mmm…I am hungry enough to eat a bear,” she remarked after she swallowed.

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “Well, that can be arranged. I simply thought fruit and cheese would be more to your liking. But if you wish—”

“No, no!” She was laughing now, a genuine laugh that bubbled up from inside her and seemed to warm me even more than the fire. “It’s an expression,” she explained. “Something Grams says sometimes.”

“Oh, well…” I shrugged. “That’s fine. But just know that if you wish for something in particular to eat or drink, I can accommodate your request.”

“How do you do it, anyway?” she asked, taking a bite of cheese. “I mean, how can you make things to eat out of your own blood?”

“It is one of my powers—to be able to use the essence of what I am to make other things.”