The cavern throne room smelled like blood and iron. Torches spat red light across jagged stone pillars, making the place feel alive and angry. Dravenis Noctar sat on his throne of carved bone, jaw clenched as the curse burrowed deeper beneath his skin. Purple marks crawled along his arms and neck, each pulse of magic like molten chains tightening.

A demon duke was not meant to feel weak. The humiliation enraged him more than the pain.

The doors groaned open. A soft glow spilled into the darkness. He hissed at it. Too bright. Too pure. The guards tensed, ready to shield their lord, but Dravenis already saw the source.

A fairy. Tiny, compared to him. Wings like twilight caught in moonlight. She should have trembled walking into a hall filled with monsters. She didn’t. Her chin was lifted, steps steady.

Bold little thing.

His voice rumbled through the chamber.

"You. Come closer. I refuse to shout at something so small."

She obeyed, though the flicker of nerves in her eyes amused him. She raised a delicate hand, light pooling in her palm. The warmth of her magic brushed against him, easing the burn for the first time in days. His muscles loosened against his will.

He hated the relief almost as much as the pain.

"Do not look at me like that. I am cursed, not defeated."

She moved closer, close enough for him to see the tiny freckles scattered across her cheeks. Her focus stayed on the markings staining his skin.

His claws gripped the throne as another wave of agony spit venom through his veins. He forced himself to speak through it.

"You are the healer your precious little clan promised. You will keep me alive until I find the cure."

She finally looked up into his eyes. No fear. Just stubborn strength. The kind that challenged him without a word.

His irritation sharpened into dark interest.

He leaned forward, gaze locked on hers.

"You will stay by my side, fairy."