“She has a Reaper younglings lust for blood,” Zane said, “Most Reapers have years to adjust to the sensation and learn to control it before they join our ranks.”
“So like a fledgling vampire?” Ky guessed.
“Precisely.”
I took a step back, pulling Ky along with me. If I wanted to have my meal in peace, I’d have to get away from the competition. My mind swirled and rushed with potential escape plans. The front door. The window. I could get to them just as fast as Zane—I thought. It was hard to stay focused with the smell of sweet, wild wine in the air. My mouth watered as I slowly backed away.
“Let him go, Clara,” Zane ordered.
I hissed. So I was right. He did want a piece of my meal. Well, that’s too bad. I wasn’t sharing. I took another step back, again yanking Ky with me. He stumbled, barely catching himself before he fell.
“Fuck, she’s strong,” Ky said.
“Of course,” Zane said in his usual monotone. “She’s a Reaper.”
I had just decided on trying the front door as my escape route when Zane blurred past me suddenly. I reared back and switched my grip on my scythe to slice after him. But I’d misjudged him. He was far faster than I. In one quick movement, he’d yanked Ky from my hold, shoved him at the couch, and then blocked my scythe faster than I could blink.
I spun to rip through him from the other direction, but he grabbed the stem of my weapon. My arms shook as I tried to push it down on him. “Let go,” I growled.
“I told you, I won’t let you hurt anyone,” Zane said. “Myself included.”
Instead of pushing, I tried yanking back. I gained half an inch before Zane caught me. He pulled the scythe back, tearing it from my fingers and pulling me off balance. My blade sailed passed him as he let it go. It careened towards the floor, but suddenly disappeared with a wisp of cold air, returning back to the void.
Zane grabbed my waist as I fell against him. He held me up, his touch nearly searing my skin with its heat.
I tried to pull away, but his grip was iron and I was merely flesh and bone. I struggled for many long minutes, pounding my fists against his chest and stomping on his boot-clad feet. But the second I went for one of his weapons, he had my wrists in his hands.
“That’s enough,” Zane scolded. “This is childish behavior, even for a youngling.”
I growled and thrashed in his grip, but he didn’t loosen his hold.
“You didn’t ask her how she normally turns back,” Ky realized aloud. “What do we do?”
Zane huffed. “Clara. Turn back, now.”
I twisted my wrist to try and break his hold, but he didn’t budge. Turn back? What did that mean?
“I don’t think that’s going to work,” Ky said slowly, worry creeping into his voice. “Should we call Ryker?”
“No,” Zane said. “She’ll learn to obey her teacher sooner rather than later.”
“Obey?” I scoffed and wrenched back, using my body weight against him. Zane pitched forward after me, surprise flashing across his handsome face. I grinned in delight as he released my wrists—until my body slammed against the floor with a man on top of it.
Air burst from my lungs and pain seared my skull as it smacked against the ground. Stars flared in front my eyes as I desperately sucked in air.
“What the hell were you trying to accomplish with that little stunt?” Zane growled—finally rattled by something I’d done.
As air returned to my lungs, I blinked slowly, confusion rolling through me. I smelt the faintest scent of blood in the air, like just after Ryker’s training sessions with me. Had I just changed?
I stared at the ceiling as I regained control over my breathing. I licked my lips, the faint taste of wild berries still on my tongue. Everything felt blurry, like I’d just escaped a thick fog. The memories of the last few minutes finally awoke, dark and jumbled. Demon Bitch had definitely taken over.
Ky crouched next to me. “Mistress, are you all right?”
Slowly, I looked between Ky and Zane. Oh god! Why is Zane straddling me? Heat flushed my entire body as I stared up at the gorgeous man hovering over me with a bland look on his face. His knees rested on either side of my hips, and his hands were splayed on both sides of my head.
“What the hell are you doing?” I barked. “Get the hell off of me!”
Ky grinned. “I think she’s back.”
“Hm. Interesting.” Zane slowly leaned back until he was kneeling.
Nope, nopity nope, nope! This isn’t happening!
I tried to scramble back on my elbows, but Zane had yet to get off of me. He didn’t put a lot of weight on me, but the pressure of his strong thighs on either side of mine was enough to hold me.
“I said, get off!” I glowered at the reaper, my heart pounding way too fast as all kinds of traitorous little thoughts flickered through my mind.
With the speed of the world’s slowest turtle, Zane finally stood and backed off far enough that I could stand. I huffed, still red-faced, and definitely embarrassed as hell.
Ky offered me his hand and I took it, letting him pull me up off of the ground. But the second I was on my feet, I stepped away from the two gorgeous men crowding my space.
“There. Are you happy now?” I seethed, glaring at Zane.
“I learned enough,” Zane said with a small shrug.
This fucking guy. I clenched my fists.
“Maybe we should take a break,” Ky suggested.
“No time,” Zane said. “But since you clearly don’t have any control over your demon half, we’ll start work on that first thing tomorrow. As for the rest of today, there are other things I can teach you.”
My eyebrows furrowed as my heart slowly stopped galloping. “What other things? Shouldn’t learning control be first on the agenda?” Not that I wanted to go demon again right this second.
“Yes,” Zane agreed. “But I need to gather a few supplies to keep you better contained when we try again tomorrow.”
I groaned. He was going to make me do this every day, wasn’t he?
“For now, I’ll teach you about auras.” Zane lowered himself onto the plush carpet, sitting cross-legged. He looked at me pointedly, but when I didn’t immediately sit across from him, he pointed at the carpet. “Sit.”
Demanding little shit… I bit my tongue so the words didn’t escape. “Are you sure we can’t just be done for the day?” My brain already felt muddled enough as is.
Zane didn’t even dignify my whining with an answer. Instead, he just glared.
“Fine.” I sighed and took a seat.
Now that things had settled down, Ky slowly drifted back to the couch where he sat rubbing his arm where I’d licked him. The memory burned through my entire body, right to my cheeks. Oh my god, I licked him! What was wrong with me?
Oh, right. Demons.
Chapter 8
I’m not sure what kind of Zen bullshit this was, but it definitely didn’t feel like being a demon to me.
Sitting on the carpet across from Zane, I focused on my breathing: slowly, in and out, until my heartbeat slowed. It was day three of our training. Zane was relentless, forcing me to go demon every morning using Ky’s blood before making me calm down and focus on auras in the afternoon.
I wasn’t the best at stilling my entire being, especially with Ky and Zane constantly watching me, but I’d gotten better. Unlike the first day, where the only aura I’d seen was a slightly red haze surrounding Zane, I could now make out the glow of a person’s soul. Light wrapped around Zane, blazing red near his head, and fading to black at his feet. His soul was beautiful—something I definitely never expected.
Watching the brilliant glow of light around his shoulders, I traced the little flickering flames that wisped away from his body and faded at the edges. Zane said everyone’s soul was different, but you could tell from a person’s aura what species they were, as well as if they were good or evil. I’m not sure I believed that. Zane soul was gorgeous, and I’m pret
ty sure he was as close to evil as they come.
What kind of good guy made a girl go demon every day? Yep, Zane was no saint.
But where Zane’s soul was bright and dark at the same time, Ky’s was all light. Vivid turquoise and blue flashed around him, flickering out further than Zane’s ever did. His soul was wild with life, constantly moving like flames, where Zane’s remained mostly still besides the little flickers on the edge.
They were both beautiful in their own ways, just like the men themselves.
Hold up, Clara. It was too late. My thoughts interrupted the tentative hold I had on the Zen-like state required to see auras. As my heartbeat sped up, the glow of souls disappeared. I sighed. Dammit.
“You lost it?” Zane asked, exasperated.
My cheeks heated and I avoided his penetrating gaze. “Yeah.”
Ky yawned from his spot on the couch. He lounged across the length of my three-person sofa, his feet dangling off the far side. Somehow he looked taller stretched out on my couch than he did while standing.
“You need to focus,” Zane chastised for the millionth time.
“I’m trying,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Not hard enough.”
I looked at the ceiling and groaned. Having these two in my space constantly was exhausting, and my patience was wearing thin.
“Sounds like break time,” Ky teased. He propped his head up on his hand, a mischievous smirk plastered to his face.
“We don’t have time for breaks,” Zane snapped. He glared at Ky before his gaze fell back on me. He wasn’t a fan of me, but he really disliked Ky. At least having the cat shifter around made me feel slightly better. “You have a soul to deliver in just a few days.”
My whole body stiffened.
Ky sighed. “You do realize, telling her that doesn’t help.”
At least someone was looking out for me.
“It’s the reality of things,” Zane shot back.
“Enough,” I said. My hands tightened into fists in my lap. “I’m tired of the bickering, and I’m tired of training.”
“Fine,” Zane said, much to my surprise.
I blinked, dumbfounded. “What?”
Zane shrugged and stood. “I said, fine.”
Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I slowly rose to my feet. My legs complained and my muscles tensed, but it felt good to finally get off the floor. “You’re agreeing far too quickly for you…”
“It isn’t my problem if you aren’t ready to harvest a soul,” Zane said. His dark eyes were bored, their usual intense fire nowhere to be seen. “You know the consequences of disappointing the princess.”
I bit my tongue on a gasp. It wasn’t a threat, just the truth, but it felt like he’d slapped me. “I know the consequences,” I said quietly.
Ky looked between us, slowly sitting up.
“Do you want the princess to kill those you love?” Zane asked, no emotion in his voice.
A shiver passed through me. It was a cruel thing to ask when he already knew the answer. “Of course not.”
“Then you need to be ready. Do you feel ready?”
I stared at my toes curling in the shag carpet. No. I wasn’t ready—not even close. Despite going demon every day, I was no closer to controlling my demoness. Though the chains Zane had found and bound me with every morning made me feel better about not hurting anyone, they weren’t helping me learn control anymore than barking at me to concentrate was helping me focus on auras. This entire week was exhausting, and I still hadn’t accepted what was coming at the end of it.
When the week was over, I’d have to kill someone and feed their soul to Elizabeth. Though I’d killed a few people in Demon Mode, that had been by accident before I ever knew I was a demon. Killing someone for Elizabeth wouldn’t be an accident—it’d be willful murder.
I still wasn’t sure I could do it.
“No, you don’t,” Zane answered when I didn’t respond. “If you want to be ready, you need to listen to every word I say, obey my instructions, and—”
A knock at the door cut off the rest of Zane’s tirade. I’d heard it all before, and I was never more grateful for whoever was at the door.
My heart skipped as I raced to the kitchen—getting as far away from Zane as possible. I hoped it was Ryker at the door. He’d been gone for three days and hadn’t responded to my texts. The anxious, worried part of me thought that maybe he’d finally had enough and was done with me. It would hurt, but I’d understand. This wasn’t his fault, or his problem. Only from the kindness of his heart had he helped me over the last few weeks. I never wanted to be a burden to him, but it couldn’t be easy looking after a newly turned demon.
I stopped at the front door and peered through the peephole. Oh fucking shit balls.
On the other side of the door stood my two best friends, smiles on their faces and bags in their hands as they chatted while they waited.
My heart pounded hard as I took a step back. Shit, shit, shit! This couldn’t be happening. I wasn’t ready to see them. What if I hurt one of them? What if I lost control and they saw this new part of me?
“Clara?” Ky poked his head through the doorway into the kitchen. “Who is it?”
I backed away from the door slowly, keeping as quiet as possible.
Another knock sounded through my suddenly silent apartment.
“Claaara?” Gloria called in her singsong voice. “We know you’re home!”
“Your mom said you’re sick!” Jamie added, sounding peeved. “You should have told us—oof!” I recognized that sound. Gloria had definitely just elbowed Jamie in the side.
“We brought you soup!” Gloria continued cheerfully. “Come on, open up!”
I turned to meet Ky’s startled gaze. “My best friends are here,” I whispered feverishly. I couldn’t just not answer the door. If my mom told them I was sick, they’d be expecting me here. If I wasn’t, they’d call my mom and tell her I wasn’t home. That’d blow my ‘sick’ cover out the window.
“Are you going to let them in?” Ky asked, raising an eyebrow.
Thinking quickly, I rushed back into the living room, pushing Ky back inside as I went. Both men gave me strange looks, probably confused over the panic on my face.
“Listen up, my two best friends are here. They can’t find out I’m a demon. They’re human and it’ll freak them out.” I turned to Ky, pointing. “You. Turn back into a cat and stay out of sight.”
Ky opened his mouth to protest but I plowed on before he could.
“You—” I pointed at Zane. “You’re my neighbor from downstairs. You just came by to get a cup of sugar for the bread you’re baking.”
Ky snickered. “Does bread require that much sugar?”
I threw my hands up. “I have no idea!”
“Claaaaara!” Gloria’s voice came from the front door.
I winced. “Please, just do this. Zane, I’ll try to get them out of here as soon as possible, but I need you to pretend that you live downstairs. I don’t want them thinking I’ve been avoiding them to hang out with some guy.”
Zane gave me a look, but said nothing.
“Excuse yourself as soon as possible,” I continued. “Go outside and come around the building to the fire escape. I’ll leave a window open so you can climb back in when they’re gone.” I took a deep breath, trying and failing to calm the panic climbing up my throat. “Do not let me hurt them. I’ll try and get them out as soon as I can, but if anything goes wrong, you need to keep me in line.”
Zane held my intense gaze, looking thoughtful. I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking from the bland look on his face. He always looked like that—when he wasn’t making fun of me of course. For a minute, I almost let my panic consume me. Zane wasn’t going to help! I was screwed. What would I tell my friends? But then, he finally shrugged. “Fine, I’ll help you.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you.”
“Good luck, Mistress.” Ky winked and disappeared
into my room. A moment later, a soft thump told me he’d shed his clothes and was probably a cat now.
“Okay,” I said, turning back to the kitchen. “I’ve got this.” It was more for my benefit than his, but I’d started to grow accustomed to talking to myself over the last couple of weeks.
“Maybe she really isn’t home,” Jamie’s mumbled voice came from the other side of the door.
“Coming!” I called. On my way to the door I quickly mussed up my hair and threw on my robe. Hopefully they’d think I’d just climbed out of bed. Reaching the door, I quickly flung the locks and threw open the door. “You guys! You didn’t have to come.”
Gloria’s eyes widened and she beamed at the sight of me. “Oh, C, you should have told us you were sick!” She leaned forward, pulling me into a one armed hug.
I stiffened and awkwardly patted Gloria’s back. Gloria and Jamie had embraced me a hundred times, but never before had I needed it quite this much. It had been a long couple of weeks, and I didn’t realize how much I’d missed them until now.
“Sorry,” I said lamely. “I didn’t want to get you guys sick.”
Jamie scoffed. “You know I have an immune system of steel.”
As soon as Gloria released me, Jamie pulled me in for a quick hug next. Once the greetings were out of the way, I ushered them inside the kitchen where Zane sat at the table, looking all too comfortable.
“Oh,” Gloria said, her voice raising an octave. “You have a guest.”
“This is Zane,” I said, motioning to the Reaper. “He lives downstairs.”
“Good afternoon.” Zane dipped his head in greeting. The bland, bored look I’d gotten used to Zane sporting was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he had a soft smile on his face that had even Jamie blushing.
“Hello,” Gloria said with a little wave.
“I just stopped by to borrow some sugar,” Zane continued, “But got distracted by Clara’s Batman toaster.” He nodded at the black bat-shaped toaster on the counter. “Apologies, I didn’t realize you were sick.”
My eyebrows shot up. Holy shit. Zane was playing his part far better than I’d ever thought he would. “N-No problem,” I said, smiling. “Let me grab that for you so you can get back to your baking.”
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