Free Dark World (Book I in the Dark World Trilogy) by Danielle Q. Lee

move his
arm and realized he was paralyzed. Panic washed over
him.
    What the hell did she do?
I’ve never known a shade to incapacitate someone like
this!
    Suddenly, a gentle hand caressed his
back and he tensed inside his skin.
    Deme, Kane assumed as the uninvited
softness slid across over shoulder blades. He thought it odd that
Deme’s palm felt surprisingly cool for a demon.
    Discomfort twisted in his gut. He
hadn’t felt a female’s touch since before his wife died. While it
felt nice, he couldn’t help but endure a pang of guilt. Seren’s
image flashed through his thoughts and a pain pierced his
soul.
    She’s dead, Kane, you have
to move on.
    No matter how many times he told
himself that, it never sunk in. Don’t the bonds of love still
remain even if one is gone? Didn’t the cohesion that held them
together in life still exist beyond the physical? He just couldn’t
convince himself otherwise.
    Just as he was beginning to accept her
touch, a sensation possessed him, like ice shards slicing every
inch of his body. He twitched and writhed in pain, wondering if the
agony would every end. Then, as quickly as it began, it stopped.
His entire being exploded with newfound energy. The paralysis was
gone. All the pain was just—gone.
    His entire body radiated from within.
As if every cell in his body had exploded with light, he felt
buoyant, like pure energy. A magnetic desire consumed him, drawing
him in. An urge like no other. A power. His heart beat in stride
with another. As though two had become one. For a fleeting moment,
he and this other being shared their energies—their
souls.
    Then it pulled away. Like having the
first beam of sunshine to grace his skin, it was suddenly dark
again and he was thrust into the cold, lonely night.
    His eyes wide, he jumped to his hooves
and took a fleeting look around, expecting to see Deme at his side.
Things became clear immediately. Deme was standing several feet
away—the shade was right beside him.
    “ What did you do to me?” he
growled, more upset she’d touched him than that she’d wounded
him.
    “ I’m sorry.” Her voice was
small as she stared at the ground, avoiding his glare.
    Once again taken aback by her ability
to understand and speak their language, Kane nodded. He dusted
himself off and gave the shade a long, hard look.
    Why did she heal me? She
could have left me—but she didn’t.
    Was he wrong about shades? Were they
not born inherently wicked? Why would this being help him if she
were truly evil?
    He looked her up and down, her
shoulders slumped and head bowed, wondering if it were possible.
Was there just enough of her human nature left inside of her to
keep the monster at bay? Could he trust her?
    Kane had seen these creatures do vile
things. Cruel and merciless slayings of the innocent. Children
even. If he gave this one a chance, he might not live to regret
it.
    She was born alone. His inner voice
undermined his logic. Did this make her so different from the
others? You
need her.
    The voice spoke the truth. His people
needed her. He needed her.
    It occurred to him that if he initiated a
mutual trust—a truce—maybe she’d agree to help him. She didn’t know
it, but she was the demons’ hope for salvation. Not just for the
demons, but for countless races dwelling within the subterranean
world. His father had ruled over all of them. He had been the
Devil. Now Malus ruled over the races and this shade could be their
last chance at saving Dark World.
    He suddenly reached out, placed
his hands upon her bound wrists, and whispered,
“ Dimitterre.”
    Deme moved to protest when she realized
what he was doing, but was too late. The ropes had fallen to the
ground. Disenchanted.
    As she rubbed her wrists, the shade
looked up at the demon, her eyes filled with
appreciation.
    He sincerely hoped he wasn’t going to
regret releasing her. “Do you remember your name?”
    Pain filled her eyes. She searched her
empty memory banks, then shook her head in