“I must attend to business with the lords.” She glanced at him, certain her cheeks still glowed from the intense pleasure of his touch. “I forgot to thank you for the sword.”
“You deserved a fair fight. But don’t forget that in the end, only one of us can live.”
His words sent a chill through her. “I know.” And there’s not much of a chance it will be me.
He started to shut the door, but turned back to her. With a furrowed brow, he leaned in to the carriage and met her eyes. “When you get back, pour a lavender bath. It will help with the nightmares.”
He leaned out again, closing the door with a final click.
Chapter 25
Cera jumped to her feet the moment Ursula opened the door to her quarters. The oneiroi’s eyes were frantic, her question unspoken. Faint sunlight streamed through the darkened windows.
Ursula held up a hand. “He’s fine. Massu is fine. And so is Bael. We all made it.”
Cera dropped to her knees, clasping her hands together. “Thank the gods. I knew it would be okay, just for today.” She rose, her eyes wide. “Massu is entirely unharmed?”
“Not only unharmed, but he won the tournament. He killed five demons.”
Cera’s hand flew to her mouth. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I would never lie to you. He slew five with his bare hands.” With his teeth, really.
“Oh my gods. Oh my gods,” said Cera softly, kneading her hands. She paused, her eyes widening even further. “Bael fought well, too?”
“Yes, he’s fine,” said Ursula with a sigh. “Not a scratch on him. He moves like the wind.”
Cera dropped her face into her hands. With her face hidden, she could easily be mistaken for a child.
“What’s the matter?”
“I didn’t know who was going to open the door: you, milord, or someone else. If it had been another—”
Ursula’s throat tightened. Any other demon would have killed you, wouldn’t he? Despite Bael’s warning, she couldn’t reconcile this sweet woman with the savagery she’d seen from Massu. Could Cera fight that way? It was hard to believe this little seamstress with her cardigans could eat a man’s flesh off his skull.
“Cera?” she asked tentatively. “Do all oneiroi fight with their teeth instead of weapons?”
“What?” Cera wiped a tear from her eye.
“Do oneiroi ever use swords or daggers?”
Cera’s brow furrowed. “Of course oneiroi use swords. Why would you ask that?”
“Your brother—” And frankly, all the other oneiroi I’ve ever battled. “Massu didn’t use his a sword. He used his teeth.”
“No.” Cera shook her head. “No. Don’t tell me that.”
Ursula’s blood chilled. “What’s wrong?”
“That way of fighting is forbidden. Those who taste the forbidden flesh turn into beasts. They become the Corrupted!”
Ursula’s mouth went dry. Abrax has apparently screwed up a whole lot of oneiroi.
Frantic, Cera gripped her hair. “Once an oneiroi starts, he can’t stop. The call of blood is too strong. Before Nyxobas arrived, the Corrupted were ostracized—sent to wander the wastes, where they fed upon each other like wild beasts.”
“What is the forbidden flesh?”
“Any raw meat. It only applies to oneiroi. It’s something in our nature. Eat too much meat, it changes us. Stokes a different kind of hunger. We become stronger, faster, and angrier, but at the cost of our minds.” Her lip curled back from her teeth. “I would murder Massu if he weren’t certain to die in the melee. He should have never allowed himself to become Corrupted.”
Given the ferocious look on Cera’s face, Ursula didn’t fancy Massu’s chances in a fight against his sister. Even if he’d won the tournament.
A knocking at the door interrupted them, and Cera hurried over to it. “Who is it?”
“Bael.” His voice boomed through the door.
Cera flung it open. Bael stood in the doorway in clean clothes that fit his muscular body perfectly. The lunar wind blew a tendril of hair in front of his eyes.
“Milord.” Cera bowed. “I’m so relieved you are unharmed.”
He nodded at her. “Thank you. I wish to speak to Ursula. Alone.”
“Yes, of course, milord.” Cera hurried from her quarters, and Bael shut the door behind her. He narrowed his eyes, studying her as he walked closer. “How does your shoulder feel?”
“Fine.” She crossed her arms. She couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of his fingertips on her bare skin. Just looking at him, she could feel a blush creeping into her cheeks. Bael hadn’t actually shown any interest in her, and anyway they were supposed to kill each other. So what the hell was she thinking about his hands for?
She needed to change the subject. “Did you know that Abrax has been feeding oneiroi raw meat?” she blurted.
“Yes. It turns them into savage fighters—brings out the beast within them.”
“Right.” She swallowed hard. “Thank you for healing me.”
His brow furrowed, and he looked at the ground. She had the impression he wanted to ask her something, but he couldn’t quite get the words out.