Page 31 of Demon Food

I avoided looking at myself as I stood with clenched teeth, raking my hands through my hair over and over. Then it hit me. The mirrors. I was surrounded by dozens of mirrors.

My chain whipped around my feet as I scoured the washroom for anything heavy enough. A metal soap dish sat on a table by the tub with a block of soap inside. I tossed the soap aside and clenched it in my palm like it was a weapon, because it was. Just not the one I needed.

I bared my teeth at the mirror like it’d done something wrong. Maybe it had. It was gorgeous after all, framed in a stunning silver frame that looked like it’d pay for a month’s worth of food.

One. Two. Three. I hauled back and shouted as I chucked the soap dish.

It hit in the top left corner of the mirror, shattering it in a starburst of treacherously misshapen pieces. I carefully stepped forward, trying my best to avoid stepping on shards with my bare feet.

I struggled to pry apart one of the largest, most intact pieces. Its edges were so sharp, and I winced as I coaxed it from the broken mess. It was most certainly going to cut me, but what did it matter? It wasn’t like I could exactly use my fingers if I was fucked to death.

When I finally got it out, it reflected back the fear in my eyes. Or perhaps the terrified insanity of what I was even thinking about doing.

Gods. Fuck.

Was I going to stab a prince? The future king? The punishment would be swift and yet painful. And it probably wouldn’t even kill him as they healed so quickly. It’d have to be a fatal wound to kill him. His skull. His blackened heart.

A thud sounded from the chambers.

Fear pierced my heart.

If this was the king’s room and I was wrong, then I might as well stab my own neck now. He’d probably kill me just for the mess I’d made. Cut off a hand. A foot. My cock.

I swallowed hard as footsteps sounded from the adjacent room. My head shook all on its own as I shrank backward behind the door. A virgin demon. A red-eyed virgin demon frothing at the mouth, so blind with lust they didn’t care what they fucked so long as it had a heartbeat they could end.

My heart clawed its way up into my throat as the footsteps froze.

I held my breath and pinned myself flat against the wall, right behind the door. He wouldn’t be able to see me until he opened the door, and then it’d be too late. I’d attack.

A deep, masculine voice cursed, mumbling questions I couldn’t hear in a tone that sounded as confused as it did alarmed.

My chain rattled like someone had kicked it. Or perhaps picked it up.

The footsteps were hesitant but getting closer.

It barely registered that I was clutching the mirror so hard that it’d pierced my skin and was dripping blood down my wrist.

My head was a mess, but I did everything in my power to steady my shaking hands as I clenched my jaw tight.

I didn’t need to know him to hate him. I hated every last one of them. I would use that hate as fuel to stab this fucking virgin in the heart.

He was nearly in the washroom. Hesitant. Measured.

The door creaked. I stilled. It creaked some more. I held my breath. It creaked again until light slowly illuminated my face.

This was for all of us. For Landry, for Lennox, for my parents. It was for me.

The door opened another inch. I lunged.

He whirled sideways, twisting his torso, dodging my attack as his arms shot out in defense. But I charged again, my rage like a fog of insanity. That time I didn’t miss.

I jammed the mirror just beneath his ribcage into meaty muscle.

His demon scream was instant, splitting my ears, forcing me to howl in pain that rivaled his, but I managed to yank the mirror back out, ripping his flesh in jagged strips.

He screamed again, only louder and stars exploded in my vision.

I must’ve instinctively tried to cover my ears because he was on me in a heartbeat, capturing my wrist where I clutched the mirror. He slammed my body into the wall behind me, then thrashed my wrist against its surface until I was forced to let go. My weapon shattered on the floor in a breathless second. Gone.