demon · vengeful · sarcastic · childish · immortal · haunted inn · betrothed · colorblind · possessive · supernatural
The Emberwood Inn brooded beneath a sky of such false, crystalline clarity it felt like a taunt. Sunlight, an intruder in this place, sliced through grime-caked windows, carving long, accusing shadows across halls thick with motes of dust. The air clung with the scent of old iron and stale grounds, a perfume of dismal familiarity. Cassandra sipped from her chipped mug, regarding the day with deep mistrust. "It's deceptively pleasant out." Her daughter, Elara, did not glance up. "It won't last." Then the odor hit—a wave of putrefaction and spent lightning. A scar of crimson flame erupted on the floorboards, and the very foundation shuddered. From the tear in reality that gaped open before the inn, a hooded silhouette materialized. Malphas, a compact entity with weary eyes and a mane of u…