Fidgeting with my ring, I stare at the floor and spin it, willing my brain not to follow that thread to its inevitable conclusion. Unfortunately, my luck has run out for the day, because pictures of his kind but firm face flash through my mind. I see Oriel apologizing and putting me back in my place as a friend, while being distant until…
I have to stop. I have to stop now. If I don’t stop, I’m going to?—
My breath hitches as the constriction in my chest spreads, making it hard to fill my lungs. Fingers sparkle with numbness and the sensation crawls up my arms as I dig my nails into my palm to break the flow. It doesn’t work, and I wrap my arms around my torso as I beg the universe to let me just get through this so I can nurse my wounds in private. I won’t survive being rejectedandhaving to be carried back to my room because of an attack. The humiliation would be more than I can handle when I’ve been this vulnerable.
“Hey! Hey!” Prying my lids open, I see O standing in front of me again, dangling what looks like a sports bra about my size from his fingers. “What the hell happened? I just wanted to help you and I knew I had one of these—or maybe a few. Don’t ask, because Ihatewhen the jobs send me to Brimstone, but I always find a way to amuse…”
A long shuddering breath escapes my lips, and he blinks, the babble paused as he peers down at my face. I swallow again, trying to get my dry throat to allow me to respond to the unusually talkative demon. “Um… I’m… sorry. You… I…”
This time, his eyes widen as it hits him. “Shit!Shit.See? I told you! Guys are dumb, KK, and I just didexactlywhat we talked about. I hurt you because I said nothing before I took off!Motherfucker, I’m so stupid!”
His monologue is somehow completely external right now, and that’s not normal for Oriel. So I risk myself one more time to reach out with a shaky hand and place it on his mouth. He blinks as I cover the words spewing from his mouth like a fire hydrant unleashed, but there’s finally quiet again. I take another moment to find my voice and when I do, I whisper, “You’re not stupid. But I did lie, so you have every right to be angry with me. I will accept whatever consequences come with that.”
A dark brow arches at me, and I remove my hand, dipping my chin as he stares. After a second, another warm chuckle slides over me as he grabs the hand I pulled away. “Don’t you dare pull away from me, shadow. I want you to focus on breathing, then look me in the eye so I can tell you the truth.”
The truth? That sounds ominous.
But I look up at him as instructed, my eyes fearful as he holds my hand between us. “I’m ready.”
“KK, you look like you’re waiting for a firing squad,” Oriel says softly. “Don’t be afraid.”
“Easy for you to say,” I mumble. “You’re not the one who did something shitty and had to admit it.”
“Ah, ah. What did I say?” The demon winks at me as he places his other hand on the one between us, holding on tightly. “Now that you’re able to focus, I need you to understand that I didn’t walk away because I’m angry with you. I walked away because I wanted to find that damn bra for you. I wanted to help you… because what I don’t want is for you to be discovered.”
I don’t react; I can’t until he’s done.
“If you were discovered, they might send you back, and honestly? I don’t want to spend four years or even four more days in this damn place if they do that. Ilikeyou, Kit, or whatever your name is… Is it Kit? That’s not the point. The point is… I didn’t care if you were a guy before and I don’t care if you’re a girl now. You know?”
“Um…”
Oriel leans in, putting his nose against mine as he says, “I don’t even care if you turn into a smelly orc, little shadow, because you aren’t getting rid of meunless someone fucking kills me, okay?ThatI’m gonna promise without a clause because I’d stake one of my hoards on it.”
Holy shit. I don’t even know what the fuck to say to that, much less what it should make me feel.
Talk
Jasper
Slash and Xerxes purposefully stayed quiet most of lunch. My mood was volatile, and though the silence helped me simmer internally rather than externally, the tension was almost corporeal. When his lunch period ended, Xerxes took off like a shot, leaving my general to handle my ire. Unfortunately for me, he’s staring at me like he’s considering consuming me like one of his enemies, and that’s not a normal thing for Slash.
“Out with it. I grow tired of your silent disapproval,” I say before I take another drink of my fizzy soda. I’m typically more fond of coffee, but I don’t need the extra energy Hell’s finest beans would give when I’m agitated. My tail is already twitching like mad, as I struggle to process my perplexing fury.
The shark demon arches a brow, looking at me with such condescension that I nearly lose my temper on the spot. His smirk is sharp, like his teeth, when he finally deigns to speak. “You are being immature again, Prince. While it is common to the throne at present, I do not believe it’s howyouwish to rule when it is time.”
Damn. Right to the jugular with a dig about my fuckhead father.
“I don’t want to be him. But I don’t see how that applies right now.” I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest as I stare back at my closest friend. “I’m hardly ruling from above at school.”
His grunt is irritated, but he simply stares. “Debatable, but not what I meant.”
“Fuck, you’re a pain in my spiky tail, Scrum. You realize you don’t get charged per word to fucking speak, yeah?” My sneer is meant to provoke him, especially since he’s being frustratingly vague about his criticism.
“I don’t feel the need to say my every thought out loud, Jasper. That’s not a crime, nor is it yourrealproblem. Throwing shade at me will do nothing to quench the fire within you.” Slash turns away from me, picking up a napkin to put items into it from a small plate he hasn’t touched.
His casual rebuke rankles me more than someone yelling would. This is my oldest and most loyal brother, yet he’s not being remotely helpful when I need it. It’s not normal—except since the damn shrimp moved into Salem’s room. I growl softly as I consider how differently my brothers are acting since his arrival, including my general-to-be when I’m the king. That damn unemerged demon is fucking everything up, even my ability to keep my caliphate in line.
Slamming my fist on the table, I ignore the clatter of the dishes as I rumble louder this time. “Don’t make me command you, Slash.”
