by Sara Snow
A guttural growl echoed around me, and I fought against the urge to close my eyes. The sound wasn’t the growl of a werewolf, but an anguished sound that made goosebumps sprout on my skin. Then red wings came into view.
I marshalled all my rapidly diminishing strength. “Cy-Cyrus.” It came out no louder than a whisper.
A burst of heat engulfed me. I forced my eyes open as a man on fire fell to the ground a few steps away from me. His frantic screams filled the night.
“You fuckers! How dare you hurt her!”
I frowned inwardly—that deep baritone voice sounded familiar, but at the same time, it was like nothing I'd ever heard before. Even with my body numb, I felt a chill in the air. It was seeping into my skin. I fought to move my head, and finally, Cyrus came into view.
My heart skipped a beat at the man—no, the beast—standing before me. This wasn't a form he’d ever transformed into before—not one I’d ever seen, at least. He seemed taller, his wingspan wider than ever, and his fiery-red eyes appeared almost sinister. This wasn’t the Cyrus I knew and loved.
I watched in fascination as the black tattoos covering his body all seemed to be moving towards his face.
The man he was holding up by the throat—the one who had given me a shot of something dangerous—was gasping for air. Cyrus's head tilted to the side as he watched the man die slowly, gasping for air, his legs dangling high above the ground.
Cyrus.
There was a crackling sound, and I cringed as I realized it was the sound of my attacker's bones breaking. Cyrus had released him, but he remained suspended in the air. The man’s legs and arms bent and twisted in unnatural directions as his panicked screams filled the surrounding air.
“You will never lay hands on another woman again,” Cyrus said, his voice thundering through the alley.
If I’d been able to move or speak, I would have gasped as the man exploded into a cloud of dust before my very eyes. Unable to take any more, I let my eyes finally close. I welcomed the darkness beyond my eyes as I felt the warmth from Cyrus's body.
“Stay with me, Skye.” I felt him pick me up. Then we rose into the sky. I whimpered, sensing my heartbeat growing weak. “Please, just stay with me.”
Cyrus
A Few Weeks Prior
I inhaled deeply and noted how different the air was in the Underworld, compared to Earth. Here, power vibrated within the air, almost as if it was begging to be siphoned and used by the demon inhabitants. The air on Earth held less magic, felt lighter. Although I could pull less power from in the air on Earth, I still missed it. And I wanted to go back, now. I had no interest in playing the devoted son at my father’s ball.
And that was the problem. Here in the Demon Realm, those who had the most power felt the weight of the magic in the air more. And I felt it so much, I could hardly breathe.
I watched as demon after demon made their way into my father’s castle. I could hear the music from inside the towering monstrosity easily, along with the loud chatter and laughter of people I didn’t know.
I inhaled deeply and exhaled heavily. This night would end badly. How could it not? I was the Demon King’s son, but I lived on Earth. No doubt someone was going to say something to piss me off.
My father had a lot of children. But because I’d chosen to live elsewhere, I was the notorious one. Although my mother, with her endless rambling about me one day taking over her Legion of demons, didn’t help matters. Still, I had no interest in becoming the next embodiment of Lust.
I slowly started making my way towards the dark castle. Black clouds hung low above the stronghold as thunder rumbled in the distance. How dramatic! It wasn’t as if the entire Demon Realm was this gloomy, but of course, the Demon King made his home on a mountain surrounded by lava.
I crossed the obsidian bridge as lava poured on either side of it. Finally, I made it inside, surprised to discover that the inside looked nothing like I expected.
Yes, this was the first time I’d ever seen my father’s home. My high and mighty sperm donor might have done his part to bring me into this world, but that was about the only thing he’d done for me. Besides, the children he’d sired outside of his marriage to the Demon Queen were of little interest to him. Everyone knew that. So why the sudden interest in me?
While darkness shrouded the castle outside, the inside was much brighter and smacked of luxury. Glistening crystals covered a massive chandelier hanging high above a grand entrance, providing brilliant illumination without any candles. The radiant light reflected off the pure white marble of the elegant double staircases to my left.
Immaculately dressed demons chatted amongst each other as they openly admired the luxurious surroundings.
All right, the sperm donor has taste. I'll give him that.
Since most of the guests were making their way to the second floor, I figured that had to be where the ballroom was. And the second floor was just as grand as the first. A large fountain with a sculpture of Queen Asura at its center met me at the top of the staircase. I'd never met the Demon Queen, but I'd heard rumors of her beauty.
Still, I’d thought she’d be taller. I walked away, supposing tonight I'd get to see her in person. I didn't expect to speak to my father, let alone get close to him or the Queen. The only reason I was here was to put in an appearance, as mother wanted me to, then leave as soon as the opportunity arose.
“Wow, if it isn’t Cyrus. How nice of you to grace us with your presence, brother.”
I sighed, then turned around and came face to face with one of my positively delightful half-brothers. Orias, as the second son of the King and Queen, wasn’t the heir to the throne but acted as if he was. We’d only met a few times, but his hatred for me was clear. The feeling was mutual. His spoiled and entitled behavior made me sick—and I wasn’t alone in thinking that. In fact, I was sure most of the nobles in the Demon Realm would agree with me.
“Half-brother,” I corrected.
He waved his hand dismissively. "Of course, what else could you be?" His bald head reflected the light from above and was more than a little distracting. "I wasn't expecting to see trash like you here. You really didn’t have to come tonight, Cyrus. No one would’ve missed you."
I tilted my head to the side and smiled. “I think those succubi behind you are making fun of your hair . . . or lack of it.” Sure enough, all three women erupted into laughter when he looked around. He narrowed his pale green eyes at me, but I didn’t care. He wasn’t worth my time. “Don’t worry, Orias. I’m sure our father’s ballroom is big enough that we won’t have to breathe the same air.”
Demons were stopping to watch our little altercation—exactly the situation I’d wanted to avoid. I turned to walk away when I felt him grab my elbow. My rage flared, and I clenched my fists once and then released them. I wasn’t about to let him provoke me. So I took a deep breath and tried to calm down instead.
His face twisted with hate. “There it is . . . that fucking smug attitude. You’re not as strong as you think, Cyrus. And don’t think that just because you inherited our father’s wings, you’re special. You’re nothing.”
Does this man-child really think he has what it takes to one day be the Demon King?
I said nothing in response as I stared at his fingers still wrapped around my arm. I pulled out of his hold, then glared at him, letting him know with a glance just how little I thought of him. Though he was on the bulky side and had strong fire magic, this fool wasn’t strong enough to beat me if it came to a fight.
And he knew it.
He hated me since the moment we’d first met—the moment he realized that I inherited our father’s signature red wings . . . and he hadn’t. “I don’t have time for this, Orias. Go have a hissy fit about some other unnecessary shit elsewhere. I thought you would have grown up by now.”
“Who do you think you are?” he growled as his eyes changed to black.
The surrounding demons gasped, and a new power filled the air. Behind O
rias, a woman appeared out of thin air, her red hair flowing down to her ankles. She looked at Orias, and then at me, before her red painted lips slowly curved into a smile.
“Mother?” Orias said, then turned around and slowly bowed his head. All the demons around us did the same.
I bowed my head as well, when suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. How had she moved so quickly?
“Don’t pick fights you can’t win,” she whispered, her voice soft and melodic.
Huh?
As I looked up, my brows furrowed. I realized that while her hand was on my shoulder, she was looking at Orias. His green gaze, so like hers, fell to her hand on my shoulder, and his eyes slowly widened with shock.
“Mom, what are you doing?” he asked through clenched teeth, as the Queen’s hand fell away from my shoulder.
“This is a party, Orias—your father’s party. What are you doing, causing a scene like this? Leave and come back when you’re thinking clearly. Or would you rather I tell your father you’ve chosen this moment to have one of your tantrums?”
Orias' face turned red with rage, but he turned and walked away, the red cloak he was wearing billowing behind him. I shook my head as I turned to the Queen and found her eyes already on me, a puzzling smile on her lips.
“So you’re Cyrus . . .” Her eyes roamed up and down my body. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“Likewise, Queen Asura. I’m surprised you’d trouble yourself to know someone like me,” I said, interlocking my fingers behind my back.
She chuckled, then held her hand out for us to walk together, the tail of the red dress she was wearing dragging behind her on the ground. Behind us, her guards—giant hound demons in human form—were watching everyone’s move, including mine. If anyone dared to attack or anger the Queen, those guards would transform into massive dogs with teeth and claws powerful enough to bite or tear through steel itself.
"I consider it my duty to know about all the children my husband has brought into this world." The smile on her lips was constant, and her voice never rose above a whisper. "You, however, are peculiar. I see a lot more of him in you than in my son Orias.”
I clenched my jaw. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I’m nothing like my father.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “You don’t even know him. How can you make such a statement?”
We came to a stop before towering golden double doors that led into a grand hall. Thousands of demons were inside, but the loud chatter and clinking glasses stopped the moment the Queen and I appeared at the door. She held her hand out to me, and I raised my arm for her to hold.
"I'll be watching you, Cyrus. You have significant power." Then she took a step forward, and I did the same, while all the while cursing my bad luck. I’d gone from hoping I’d go unnoticed, blending into the crowd, to having all eyes on me the moment I arrived.
The crowd before us suddenly parted, creating a path straight to the King at the very end of the hall. The Queen sashayed her way through the crowd to a chorus of compliments from her subjects, forcing me to escort her halfway to the King's throne before her guards moved me to the side.
I suppose that would be as close as I’d get to my father, since there was another line of guards keeping the crowd away from the King as well.
He was sitting atop his throne, in all his golden-cloak-wearing glory. His black hair was long and straight, and while his Queen wore a large dazzling crown, he had nothing on his head. Even sitting down, it was obvious he was staggeringly tall. I guessed him to be about 7’2” in height.
Thinking of the Queen’s words, I studied my father, quickly noticing how much my face shape resembled his. Our noses were both slightly crooked. Of course, I knew there would be some resemblance between us, but I hadn't expected this much.
I look like a younger version of him. In fact, if I let my hair grow, I’d be the spitting image of him.
His red eyes had remained on me from the moment I had entered with his wife on my arm. Only once before had I seen this man, when I was but a child. But now, I was fully grown and able to hold his stare without backing down.
Finally, the Queen took her seat beside the King, and I walked away happily, making my way through the crowd of demons that all still had their eyes on me. Then suddenly, someone called my name. I held back a growl as I turned and spotted my mother waving at me. Her silver dress—if the garment could actually be called a dress, since it only covered her breasts, arms, and thighs—was glistening from the crystals sewn onto it.
“My boy,” she gushed as she finally reached me and kissed my cheeks. “You look so handsome!”
“You picked out what I’m wearing, Mother. I found it in my room along with your note.”
She shrugged. "Well, of course, I wouldn’t let you come here dressed the way you usually are when you're . . .” She sighed and rolled her eyes. ". . . on Earth."
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “You looked like you were going to throw up just from saying the word ‘Earth.’”
“I was,” she gritted out. I shook my head, still chuckling.
She winked at me with a smile before leaning forward and moving a strand of perfectly curled black hair behind her ear. “What were you just doing with the Queen? What were you two talking about?”
“You waste no time, do you, Mother?” I asked. She smiled sweetly, even though we both knew there was nothing sweet about her. This woman had a black hole where her heart should be. “We weren’t talking about anything interesting.”
“The Queen singled you out. She must have had a reason,” she argued. I only shrugged.
She ran her hand down the sleeve of the black cotton shirt she had picked out for me. She’d painted her pointy nails in black and decorated them with crystals that matched the ones on her dress—and the ones that ran down the sides of my cloak. To an outsider, it would appear as if my mother loved me. But I knew better. It was my father who made me special to her. She’d do anything for the King. Hell, if he told her to cut her arm off right now, I’d bet she’d do it without a moment of hesitation.
I looked around the room and wondered how many demons would say no if asked to do something similar.
“You look pale, Cyrus.” She narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips together. “You need to feed. I told you to take care of that before you came. I even sent three humans to your room.”
“I’m not hungry,” I replied almost immediately. “And I sent your pets away.”
The three human girls had reeked of the other incubi they had been with. I watched as my mother’s face became expressionless, even as the veins on her neck began to throb. I knew what she was thinking, but she couldn’t say it, not with everyone around. She hated the fact that I lived on Earth, that I chose werewolves as my family. And even more, she hated that I refused to lose myself and become the sex-crazed person she was. Just because I was required to feed on the desire of others to survive didn’t mean I shouldn’t exercise a little self-control about how and when and who I did it with.
“Valencia?”
My mother and I looked towards the person who had called her name. When I saw who it was, I knew another confrontation was about to happen. Draped in a deep green cloak with white feathers around the hood, Greed—one of the other sins like my mother—looked me up and down with his observant emerald eyes before drifting over to my mother.
“Hello, my dear.” The tall, thin man bent forward and kissed her cheek. “You look stunning, as always.”
“Aw, thank you, Shax,” my mom replied. Then Shax’s attention landed on me as the sound of a piano being played filled the air.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” he said, running his fingers through his dark brown hair.
Shax had always had a thing for my mother. And as the embodiment of the sin Greed, he thought she should belong to him—and him only. Of course, she'd slept with him, but considering she was a succubus—and the sin Lust—that meant nothing. She wasn’
t exactly choosy about who she slept with. He wasn’t anything special to her, but he refused to see it. And he hated me for the attention she gave me.
“Now, now, be nice, boys,” she quickly intervened. “This is a party, after all. Don’t make a scene.”
Shax ignored her, his green eyes turning black. Here it comes. I looked at my mother. “Why did you make me come here, again?”
“You don’t deserve to be the next leader of your mother’s Legion. You don’t care about the Demon Realm at all. You’ve lived . . . on Earth—” He practically spat the word. “—all your life. So why should you receive such an honor?" He stepped closer to me and my mother stepped back, a grin on her lips. Despite what she had said about not making a scene, this was beyond entertaining for her.
“You’re wasting your time,” I answered. “I don’t care what you or anyone here thinks of me. My mother asked me to attend, so here I am.”
I saw his hand rise, but slowly, as if the world around me was moving as slow as honey. Shax had always had a temper, despite being the sin of Greed and not Wrath. Ironically, Wrath was usually pretty calm.
My wings burst from my back and loud gasps filled the room as demons scattered to avoid being knocked over by them. I could see Shax visibly rethinking his plan of grabbing me, as his hand froze mid-air. Good. I folded my wings behind me and stepped forward, pointedly ignoring Shax as I walked around him.
I left Shax and my mother behind, eyeing a bottle of wine across the room. I rarely drank, but I was going to need something to get through this night. There was no going back for me now, no blending into the crowd and silently leaving.
I ignored the whispers that met my ears—demons commenting on my wings, wondering why I had them, guessing why I’d come tonight. It was not lost on me how confusing this must have been for demons who didn’t know who I was. First, I entered with the Queen on my arm, and then I flashed my wings, which, according to demon lore, I shouldn’t even have.
Only the King, his first son and heir to the throne, and the third crowned prince sported red wings—the symbol of the Demon Realm. And then there I was, the son of one of his booty calls, a son who few demons even knew of, who lived on Earth instead of being glued to his side for approval, like the rest of his kids.