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Caelan is the one who answers. “Because it’sfun. That’s all any of this is. Your adoration. Your attention. So fucking adorable.”
“It serves its purpose well enough,” is all Elias offers.
That answers nothing. I still have so many other questions tumbling in a mess through my head. “Are there other demons? Are you everywhere?”
The two of them share a glance. Elias visibly shuts down, his expression hardening, and Caelan’s lips turn up in a momentary sneer.
“Not so much in your pretty little reality. Un-fuckin’-fortunately, we’re stuck here. No higher being with any sense would want to hang around by choice.”
“Caelan,” Elias warns firmly.
Yeah, this isn’t my business.
“Do you have any idea thepowerwe used to command, doll?” Caelan says sharply. Bitterly. “I had more souls at my disposal than I would ever need. Theyworshipedme. And were fuckin’ terrified. That was annoying, admittedly. They’d just look at me and scream.”
“Probably because you kept torturing them.”
Caelan shoots Elias a look of irritation. “I wouldn’t have had to if they just shut up and did what they were told. Fuckin’ wails of the damned are irritating as shit.”
Christ. This conversation sure took a turn. I shift uncomfortably, not willing to speak up again just yet.
“Butyou,” Caelan says, and now he’s the one moving far too close into my personal space. I gulp. “Your kind are so much more fun to play with. You can’t even comprehend the full scale of what beings like Elias and I can do.”
He stops abruptly, gripping my chin again and lifting my face so I have no choice but to look him in the eye. “Are you afraid right now?”
“A… a little.”
He laughs, baring his too-sharp teeth. “Alittle. Exactly. You have no idea how afraid you should be, so instead, you’re all justfascinated. Just sitting there, watching, enamored with our show. It’s…” Caelan pauses, shifting his weight on the balls of his feet. An odd look of pleasure crosses his face. “It’s flattering. Attention born of adoration instead of fear. A few songs, some quaint music videos, pretending like it’s ‘special effects.’ All it takes is a few glitches here and there, and you’rebeggingfor me. Screaming my name. You want me so bad.”
I know. I know he’s referring to their following as a band and how everyone at the shows would cheer in delight when they showed off their power. But it feels personal, hitting a little too close to home.
Screaming his name. Wanting him.
Even though he’s being intense, almost terrifying like this, it doesn’t diminish his attractiveness. It makes fear curl in my gut, but a touch of interest too. Dammit.Dammit. There was a reason I liked their portrayal so much in fiction. But fiction is fiction, and this is…
He steps back, leaving my head spinning and my heart pounding.
“So, yeah, whatever. We don’t need a dumb band, really. But it’s fun.”
“Fun,” I echo, my heart too much in my throat to even think of anything halfway coherent to say.
Caelan shrugs. “Might as well make the most of it if we’re stuck here. Gotta dosomething. Otherwise, I’d just be stuck with this goddamn dick eternally.” He jerks his head toward Elias, who huffs out a laugh.
“All right. If you’re done, Caelan,” Elias says.
Caelan waves a dismissive hand. “We ain’t doing anything else.”
“I think you’re overwhelming her.”
“I’m okay,” I say, but the shaky note in my voice belies the claim. I slightly regret asking about any of it at all.
Elias shoots Caelan a withering look, then reassuringly strokes his fingers along the back of my hand. “Regardless, that was a very long time ago. Much has changed. We have. There is no sense in hurting those who are no threat to us now. Neither of us will harm you here.”
“Um… thanks.” How eloquent. Maybe it is a little overwhelming because my hand is trembling beneath his.
“How about we forget all that and fix your face up a little better, hmm?”
Oh. Right.The cut on my cheek doesn’t feel any worse than a dull ache now, but the gauze has long since soaked through with blood and needs replacing.
