Demons and Darlings

Copyright © 2023 by Emily Blackwood All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Paperback cover design by Covers by Jules Ebook cover design by MoonPress Designs Line edits and proofreading by Enchanted Author Co. Created with Vellum Contents 7 years ago Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Epilogue Also by Emily Blackwood Demons and Darlings EMILY BLACKWOOD 7 years ago “Stay quiet,” my mother ordered. “I don’t want to hear you say another word. Understand?” I nodded through the pain that pierced my back and my neck. It didn’t matter if I had said anything or not. It never did. This punishment was mine. She tightened the chains around my arms, making sure I would hardly be able to move. “If you can’t be a good daughter and do as you’re told, I’ll have to ensure you stay here by chaining you up. This is your fault, Lyra. You did this to yourself. Remember that.” This time, I stayed quiet. I obeyed. My thin wrists ached from the iron shackles; the scabs beneath hadn’t had time to fully heal since the last time I had been chained up. I tried not to think about my raw skin underneath or the cold cement floor I had been unable to get away from. I tried not to think about any of it. “When I can trust you to do as you’re told,” she hissed in my face, “I’ll let you go. This world is depending on you. You don’t get to live a normal life like the other girls. I don’t know how long it’s going to take you to understand that.” I looked anywhere but her makeup-covered face. Stay quiet, Lyra. Stay quiet and she’ll leave you alone. She always did. She would leave me here while she returned to her seemingly perfect, pristine life. “Now, tell me again,” she pushed. She knelt before me, gripping my chin with her long, perfectly manicured fingernails as she forced me to look into her golden eyes. “Tell me why you’re here.” “I am the secret,” I repeated through gritted teeth. “My blood is the Chapter One I never expected to graduate college. I never even expected to attend college, but since online programs were becoming more and more available, my mother—Theia-–had eventually broken down and let me attend simply to keep me occupied. Over the last four years, I didn’t mention that I would never need a degree. I already knew exactly what my life had in store. But in some ways, those online classes had been my only portal to the real world. That, and Netflix. Sheltered was an understatement. Theia had lightened up over the past four years, but I was still hardly allowed to leave my camera-monitored studio apartment. I took a long, calming breath and settled my rising heart rate. I should be grateful, I reminded myself. Grateful that I even had this apartment. Grateful that I wasn’t locked in Theia’s basement with chains holding me inside. Good behavior had earned me this freedom, and I needed to appreciate that. I kicked my feet up on the white couch and closed my eyes. Theia was out of town until next week, which meant I could relax for once. I wouldn’t have to worry about her dropping by unannounced just to make sure I was still behaving. With my last final exam behind me, I had nothing left. Nothing to look forward to. I could get another degree, I supposed, if Theia agreed to pay for it. Or I could start some sort of hobby. Knitting, maybe. Or yoga. I shook my head and rubbed my temples. The dark, looming shadows of doubt began creeping closer and closer to my sanity. I hastily shoved them away. Losing my mind wouldn’t help me survive. Staying quiet would. Staying obedient would. A rapid knock on my window