Demonbound

12

Ashen tore through the night sky.

Wind screamed past his ears, cloak snapping violently behind him as the city shrank below. Fires still burned where he’d left them, small angry stars scattered across stone and slate.

He didn’t look back.

He couldn’t.

The pull inside him grew stronger with every heartbeat.

Lumi was waking.

Too soon.

Ashen bared his teeth and pushed harder, fire flaring beneath his feet as he cut through the darkness like a falling star.

The estate rose ahead.

Tall.

Silent.

Too close for comfort.

“Move,” he growled, more to himself than the world.

He angled sharply, diving.

The window came up fast.

Ashen smashed through it in a burst of glass and cold air and hit the floor hard, rolling once before slamming into the side of the bed.

He lay there for a second, chest heaving.

Then forced himself upright.

No time.

He climbed onto the bed and lay flat, staring at the ceiling as dawn’s first light began to creep through the broken window.

A controlled breath in.

Another out.

He loosened his grip.

Relinquished control.

The world lurched.

Ashen fell back into the dark.

—

Lumi woke with a groan.

His body ached.

Everywhere.

He rolled onto his side and immediately hissed, clutching his stomach.

“Ow,” he muttered. “Why does my stomach hurt?”

[Because you’re fragile.]

Lumi froze.

“…Ashen?”

[Good morning, weak human.]

Lumi sat up slowly, blinking.

The window was broken.

Glass littered the floor.

His bed was crooked.

“What happened?” he asked cautiously.

[Nothing.]

Lumi narrowed his eyes.

“Nothing?”

[Absolutely nothing.]

“You said that very fast.”

[And without being asked. A sign of innocence.]

“That’s not how that works.”

[It should.]

Lumi swung his legs off the bed, wincing as pain flared again. He pressed a hand to his stomach.

“You did something,” he said.

[No.]

“You’re doing the thing where you pretend not to know what I’m talking about.”

[Am I? Fascinating.]

Lumi crossed his arms.

“Ashen.”

A pause.

[You look tired.]

“What did you do?”

[Nothing. I’ve just been here inside your head all night.]

Lumi’s jaw tightened as he looked around.

“You went out last night.”

[Allegedly.]

“You’re terrible at lying.”

[Correction. I am excellent at lying. You are annoyingly perceptive.]

Lumi stared at the broken window and then at the estate. Smoke rose into the sky from the buildings. 

“…Were you the one who caused these fires?”

[Those could have been anyone.]

“Ashen.”

[Fine.]

The word came too easily.

Lumi turned sharply.

“Fine?”

[I may have taken your body for a short recreational outing.]

“Recreational—”

[Very short.]

“You attacked people.”

[They attacked me so I did the same. He didn’t even bleed much. Disappointing.]

“You injured someone?!”

[They were hunters.]

“So?”

[So they had it coming.]

“Which hunter exactly did you injure?” Lumi asked with an exasperated sigh.

[I fought two. One had lazy eyes, a glowing mark on his forearm and he used two daggers]

“Corvin,” Lumi said. 

[And the other one looked a bit like him. Just taller and stronger. That Corvin guy was weak like hell. He couldn’t even land a hit.]

“Corvin is not weak.”

The words burst out of him before he could stop them.

Ashen went quiet.

[Corvin?]

“Yes,” Lumi snapped. “He took on a demon alone and won.”

[Then that must have been one hell of a weak demon.]

Lumi stared at the wall, breathing hard.

“That’s not funny.”

[Demons on this world are soft. You hunters need to face a few demons like me to become stronger.]

“You’re saying that like it excuses what you did.”

[It explains it.]

“It doesn’t.”

[Agree to disagree.]

Lumi dragged a hand through his hair.

“I’m not doing this,” he said. “I still have punishment. And I’m late.”

[You’re above punishment.]

“I’m not.”

[You are bound to me. You don’t have to serve punishments.]

“I’m still a servant.”

Ashen scoffed.

[I am the son of a king.]

Lumi paused at the door. “Happy for you but this is a servant’s body that you’re in so we’re both servants now.”

[So I’m bound to a servant.]

He opened it.

[Can my existence get any worse?]

Lumi stepped into the hallway.

“It’s about to,” he replied flatly. “Because I’m spending the next three hours cleaning an endless supply of books.”

[Just burn the books. You don’t have to clean books if there are no books to clean after all.]

“Do you have solutions to problems that don't involve fire?”

[They could involve lava too.]

Lumi wanted to reply but cut himself off when he saw other servants approaching. 

They smiled.

Waved.

When they were behind him, their voices dropped.

“…he’s talking to himself now?”

“I always knew he was crazy.”

”That must be why he was sent away.”

“Poor thing’s lost it…”

Lumi sighed.

[Want me to burn them next?]

“No!” he hissed.

[Just checking.]

They walked in silence for a few steps.

[So. Your father sent you away too?]

Lumi’s chest tightened.

“Yes.”

[That’s sad.]

Lumi didn’t reply.

[I’m sure what he did deserves fire. Allow me to burn him next.]

“You’re not strong enough to beat my father.”

The words slipped out.

Ashen exploded.

[Not strong enough?]

Heat flared.

[I could tear through ten hunters and walk away.]

Lumi ignored him and pushed open the library doors.

Dust.

Shelves.

Endless rows of books.

He grabbed a cloth and started cleaning.

Ashen complained.

About the books.

About the dust.

About the lighting.

About the concept of punishment.

After a while, Lumi’s arms burned.

He stopped.

Decided to take a short walk down the hallways as he relaxed his arms.

The air was cool outside.

He rounded the corner—

And froze.

Hunters approached.

Scott limped at the front.

Others passed without a glance.

Scott didn’t look at him as he limped past.

Neither did Corvin.

But as Corvin drew level—

His gaze dropped downwards.

Just for a second.

To Lumi’s trousers.

Torn.

His eyes sharpened but he didn’t stop walking, the patriarch had sent for them.