**Chapter 12 — A Dangerous Night**
The room was quiet, but Liora could not sleep.
She lay on the bed staring at the stone ceiling, listening to every small sound outside — footsteps in the hallway, low voices talking in the outpost, and the distant clang of metal. Every noise made her tense.
Cairis sat in the chair near the window, his back straight and his eyes half-closed. He looked like he was resting, but Liora knew he was still watching everything.
She turned on her side and whispered, "Are you awake?"
"Yes," Cairis answered without opening his eyes. "Why are you not sleeping?"
"I'm too scared," Liora admitted. "Lady Nyxara looked at me like I was something she could use. What if she comes back tonight? What if she brings others?"
Cairis finally opened his eyes and looked at her. His red-gold gaze was cold. "If she comes back, I will deal with her. You worry too much. Sleep. You are useless if you are weak tomorrow."
Liora pulled the blanket higher. "I know I'm weak. You keep reminding me. But this place… it feels wrong. Everyone here is dangerous. Even the air smells like blood and smoke. I miss my cottage. I miss feeling safe."
Cairis stood up slowly and walked over to the bed. He towered over her, his horns casting long shadows on the wall.
"Safe is a lie," he said in a low, hard voice. "Your cottage was only safe because no one had found you yet. Now the Church knows something powerful happened. They will not stop looking. And the demons here will smell weakness on you. So stop acting like a frightened rabbit."
Liora sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. Her voice shook. "I'm trying to be brave. But I've never been around so many demons before. That woman Nyxara… she wants to use me in a ritual. What if you change your mind and give me to her?"
Cairis leaned down, placing one hand on the bed beside her. His face was very close. "I already told you. You are mine. I do not share what belongs to me. Not with Nyxara. Not with anyone."
Liora looked into his eyes, still scared. "You say that like it should make me feel better. But it only makes me feel trapped. Like I'm your prisoner now."
"You are," Cairis said flatly. "A prisoner of your own choice. You stole my heart. This is the price."
He straightened up again and walked back to his chair. "Now be quiet and sleep. We leave at first light. I do not trust Nyxara to keep her word for long."
Liora lay back down, but her mind would not rest. After a while, she whispered again, "Cairis?"
"What?"
"If we go to your court… will your brothers try to kill you? Will they try to kill me too because of the bond?"
Cairis was quiet for a long moment. When he answered, his voice was colder than before. "Yes. They will try to kill me. And they will want to cut the heart shard out of you to take its power. That is why we must be careful. That is why you must stop being so afraid and start listening to me."
Liora nodded even though he could not see it. "I'll listen. I promise. I just don't want to die here."
The room fell silent again.
Hours passed. Liora finally started to drift off when a soft scratching sound came from the window.
She sat up fast. "Did you hear that?"
Cairis was already moving. He crossed the room in two steps and pulled the iron bars open. A small black shape slipped inside — a thin, shadowy creature with glowing green eyes. It looked like a twisted rat with too many legs.
"An abyss spy," Cairis growled. "Nyxara's doing."
The creature darted toward Liora, moving fast across the floor. She screamed and scrambled back on the bed.
Cairis moved like lightning. He grabbed the creature with his clawed hand and crushed it. Black ichor dripped between his fingers.
Liora was breathing hard, pressed against the wall. "It was coming for me. It wanted me."
Cairis threw the dead creature out the window and wiped his hand on the curtain. "Nyxara is testing us. She wants to see how strong the bond is. How protective I am."
He turned to Liora. His voice was low and threatening. "From now on, you do not sleep far from me. If anything comes again, you wake me immediately. Do you understand?"
Liora nodded quickly, tears in her eyes. "Yes. I understand. I'm sorry I screamed. I was so scared."
Cairis walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, close enough that she could feel the heat from his body. "Fear is acceptable. Screaming is not. It brings more enemies."
Liora looked at him, her voice small. "Will you stay on the bed tonight? Just to be close? I feel safer when you're near… even if you scare me."
Cairis stared at her for a long time. His expression stayed hard, but he finally moved and lay down on the bed beside her, keeping some distance.
"Sleep," he ordered. "I will not let anything touch you tonight. But remember — this changes nothing. You are still mine because of what you stole."
Liora lay back down, her body stiff with fear and exhaustion. She could feel the warmth coming from Cairis even though he was not touching her. The bond made her strangely aware of him.
For the first time since the ritual, she felt a tiny bit less alone.
But she also knew the truth.
They were deep in enemy territory now.
Lady Nyxara was watching.
And the real danger was only beginning.
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