AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I have been wondering,” he said, not turning to look at her, though he could now feel her gaze boring into the back of his head, “what did your victim do to you that requires such calculated revenge?”
At first, he didn’t think she would reply. Then she took a deep breath.
“He raped me,” she said matter-of-factly.
Malachi stiffened. His eyes were suddenly filled with red. He realised, faintly, that he was digging his claws into his palms.
“I see,” he said, sounding light, even to his ears. “Then I am glad he will soon meet his end.”
Joy snorted. Malachi’s lips twitched without hispermission. The scent of her happiness—a burst of somethingairyand bright—had him clenching his hands once more.
And so what?He suddenly thought, almost viciously. So what if Joy was using him? So what if he couldn’t have her after this? So what if he never saw her again? Was he going to pretend he didn’t want hernow, just because their contract would soon come to an end?
“Are you really planningtowatch the TV from all the way over there?” he asked, still not looking at her from over his shoulder.
There was a brief silence, then he heard her leaving the bed, shuffling over to the sofa. She didn’t look at him as she growled at him to move over, and Malachi felt so fucking hot, everywhere.
On the TV was Joy’s favourite cartoon, of the blue cat and the orange fish; her scent always grew so light and lovely whenever she watched it.
“What did you have to do, anyway?” she said, her eyes practically boring into the TV. She was picking at a thread at the bottom of her skirt, all signs screaming she didn’t really care about the answer.
Her scent said otherwise. Almighty, Malachi wished he could move closer. He wanted to touch her, so fucking badly. Hold her hand maybe. Something. Anything.
“I had acontract beforeyours. The human just died.”
Joy finally whirled around to face him. Malachi nearlytrembledat finally having those doe eyes on him.
“Did you—did he—?”
His lips twitched with amusement, despite himself. “No, I didn’t kill him.”
Joy blushed.
“He died from natural causes. I just went back to take what I was owed.”
It took a second for it to dawn. Joy stared at him with wide eyes. “His soul.”
“Yes.” Malachi wondered what she was thinking.
She looked away, her mouth working for a moment. “Did you—how do you—do you just eat it, then?”
“What?” Malachi replied, unusually inarticulate.
Joy glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “His soul. Do you just eat it?” She tried, but she couldn’t quite hide her revulsion, and her fear.
Malachi nearly laughed, but he couldn’t blame her for her ignorance.
“Demons are awarded power in two ways; by making a deal with a human, and by having a human sell their soul. Desmond’s contract was that I be by his side until the end of his natural life, which meant I could not fully own his soul until our contract ended—that is, until he died. But the moment he did, his soul was mine. He has gone off to continue his journey in the afterlife, while I have taken the essence of him as he had been on earth.”
“Oh.” Joy still looked slightly confused. “So … demons don’t eat souls.”
Malachi’s lips twitched. “We do not.”
“You just … get unnameable power from … essentially owning them?”
“That is correct.”
“So …” She was beginning to squirm, and her scent went all hot and smoky, making Malachi’s mouth abruptly start watering. “So, if, for example, I sold my soul to you, how would—?”
