Demon Seer (Demon Demigods Book 1)

by Kurtis Eckstein

  Still silent.

  He wasn’t sure what other yes or no question he could ask, so he said more to himself. “I guess you don’t do it continuously, because I definitely felt that…” He then directed his words to her again. “Did you know you couldn’t see into my mind, when we first met?”

  She abruptly turned her head to the side like something had caught her attention, before slowly looking back at him meaningfully. He suspected she was shaking her head no. He then asked if she had just now discovered she couldn’t, and she said no again by only moving her eyes this time. Michael wondered when she had first found out but knew it would require too elaborate of an answer for her to respond.

  Since it had been so uncomfortable, and she had obviously tried before now, he suspected it wasn’t always so noticeable. It must have just been painful because she was trying so hard this time.

  He also wondered why she couldn’t, but doubted she had any idea either. The fact that she was irritated by his mental silence indicated she may not have experienced it before.

  Michael sighed, wishing she would just speak freely with him. He wondered what prevented her from doing so, since she obviously was at least willing to answer him indirectly. Did the demons have rules about human interaction? Why did it even matter if she planned on killing him eventually?

  “Oh, that reminds me!” He stated abruptly. Miriam’s poker face vanished as she tilted her head in confusion. He continued. “Miriam…that woman last night…the one in the woods. Did you know she was terminally ill? I found out today that she only had probably less than a week to live. She had a tumor…”

  Miriam’s cold expression had returned, causing him to stop talking. In a tone that matched her face, she replied. “Coincidence.”

  Michael wasn’t convinced. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt more confident that this was the truth now that she was here with him. If she could see into her victim’s minds, even if only temporarily, then she must have known. The question then is whether or not Ms. Sparks had been targeted for this reason.

  Michael wiggled his arms to indicate he was trying to move them, and she readjusted herself so that more than just his hands were free. He immediately wrapped his arms around her exposed torso, just below where her wings attached to her back and hugged her at tightly as he could muster. His embrace would probably be uncomfortable for a normal girl, even suffocating, but Miriam seemed fine.

  “You knew.” He wasn’t asking a question this time. “You’re not really a monster.”

  Her expression was still cold. “I am a monster.”

  “But you don’t want to be, do you? That’s why you only kill people who are already dying.” For a split second, he saw her expression turn sour. He was confident he had hit the nail right on the head, so he was surprised by her hostile response.

  “Shut up.” Her tone was quiet but threatening. “You don’t know anything. I’ve killed plenty of people who weren’t dying.”

  “When was the last one?” He snapped back more harshly than he intended. Everything about her was radiating hostility, but he wanted desperately to pull the truth out of her. If she really was a monster, then he suspected she would lie to him by saying he was right. But the fact that she denied it so fiercely made him think she really wasn’t, at least not deep down.

  Miriam continued to glare at him, her red eyes unyielding. He glared right back, uncertain of where his sudden confidence had come from. As her expression remained unchanging, he found anger rising inside him. “You know what? If you really are monster, then just kill me and be done with it. Prove me wrong.”

  He could tell that surprised her, as her eyes widened briefly, but her tone remained cold. “Maybe I will.”

  “You might as well. My fate was sealed the moment I met you. If you don’t kill me yourself, then leaving me will do it for you.”

  Surprisingly, that broke through her indifference as a deep concern washed over her expression. Her voice was suddenly tender and gentle for the first time. “W-Why? Why will you die if I leave?”

  Michael’s anger quickly turned to desperation as he tried to explain. “Because I can’t live without you. You have my heart now, so if you leave I’ll be an empty shell forever.”

  She scoffed, speaking again in that emotionless taunting voice. “You’ll get over it.”

  “Will you?” He asked, surprised by his own assumption.

  Unexpectedly, Miriam’s façade broke completely, and she laid her head down on his chest, burying her forehead. The tips of her horns were barely an inches from the top of his head, causing him to hope she was conscious of where they were so she didn’t accidentally impale him. She was completely motionless, but the wet sensation on his bare chest gave her away. She was silently crying.

  Feeling overwhelmed from his swelling heart, he tightened his embrace even more, speaking barely above a whisper. “Miriam…I need you.” Her body shivered in response to his words and then was still again. After a few minutes of her silence, he began to realize just how unnatural her lack of movement was.

  Concerned, he tried to look at her buried face. “Miriam? Are you breathing?”

  She sighed in response, and slowly lifted her head to look at him. Sure enough, tears were silently streaming down her face as gravity pulled them from her eyes. She blinked a few times to clear out the last of them. Her expression was more endearing than he’d ever seen it, and he found himself falling in love with her red eyes all over again.

  “I’m not a human, love, I don’t need to breathe.”

  Shocked, all he could say was, “Oh…”

  She then sighed again and looked away. “Why can’t you just fear me like a normal person?”

  He grinned at her. “Why can’t you just eat me like a normal demon?”

  She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, as a small grin slowly crept onto her lips. She then looked away again and was quiet. He could tell that she was thinking, so he didn’t want to interrupt, but he had a burning question on his mind.

  “Miriam…”

  She glanced at him again, her tone still endearing. “Yes love?”

  Michael found himself surprised that she truly was dropping her pretense of indifference. He was glad he finally had managed to get through to her. He hoped she would be honest with him from now on. “Miriam, why can’t we be together?”

  She bowed her head slightly, looking at the bed next to his shoulder. “There are lots of reasons, none of which I can tell you.”

  “Is it because the other demons wouldn’t approve?” He was just taking a stab in the dark, having no idea what would prevent her from being with him.

  She immediately looked at him from the corner of her eye, holding his gaze. He took that to mean yes, although he realized there might be more fundamental reasons why they couldn’t be together, even if the other demons didn’t care.

  The fact that he had needed permission to free his arms, and remembering how ironclad her grasp had been when he first met her, he knew she was likely far stronger than even the strongest of humans. “I guess we probably couldn’t have a physical relationship anyway, since you’re so strong. You could probably break me pretty easily, couldn’t you?”

  “I’d be careful,” she said matter-of-factly.

  Surprised by her answer, he could feel himself blush uncontrollably, being immediately reminded that the demon goddess lying on him wasn’t wearing clothes. Instantly, he became hyperaware of every detail of how her naked body felt on his exposed torso, as well as the fact that she was straddling him, with her ankles crossing over his legs to pin them down.

  She seemed amused by his reaction, as she leaned her head in closer. He could feel her sweet breath caress his face as she whispered tenderly to him. “Do you want me to be careful?”

  Shocked that she was propositioning him, he felt himself begin trembling with nervousness. His heart burst into a gallop and he found himself feeling like he couldn’t catch his breath.

  Her smir
k only widened as she leaned in to rub her burning lips gently against his jaw, running along it until she reached the corner of his mouth.

  Unexpectedly, he was disoriented as she flipped him around so that he was suddenly on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, forcing his pelvis against her, while simultaneously her rocky tail snaked around his own leg, immobilizing it. Once his head stopped spinning, he looked down at her crimson eyes dancing with delight and burning with desire. Everything about her expression was inviting.

  He saw that her wings were surrounding him like a makeshift birdcage, curling into the air behind his back. He knew he had been completely trapped by possibly the ultimate predator, yet he found himself excited rather than afraid.

  That night was the best night of his entire human life.

  Chapter 5: Revelation

  Michael woke up, briefly surprised to find that he was laying on top of a woman’s body. His cheek was pressed against her upper chest, just below her collar bone. It was still fairly dark in his room, but he hadn’t remembered falling asleep. What he did suddenly remember is telling Miriam that he loved her after they had enjoyed themselves…and that she had whispered it back.

  Recalling everything that had just happened between them, he looked up to see a pair of crimson eyes examining him with concern.

  “Are you alright?” She asked, deeply troubled.

  He looked at her confused. “Yeah, I think I was just really tired. How long have I been asleep?”

  “About six hours.”

  Surprised, he lifted his head slightly to glance at his clock in the corner of the room. Sure enough, the glowing numbers indicated it was almost time to get up for school. He looked back at her apologetically. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

  Now it was her turn to look confused. “Why are you sorry?”

  He grimaced, trying to think of how to explain himself. “I mean…surely that was boring for you, just watching me sleep.”

  “No, not at all!” She then bit her bottom lip before continuing. “Actually, just being with you is possibly the most exciting thing I’ve ever done. I enjoyed watching you sleep…at least I was enjoying it.” He looked at her confused, hoping for an explanation. Sighing, she looked away. “You’re bruising.”

  “I am?” He asked surprised.

  She nodded, still looking away. “Really bad…I’m sorry. I thought I was being careful enough.”

  Michael slowly sat up on top of her, realizing he was sitting skin to skin on her waist. Blushing, he tried to push his embarrassment aside and examine his body. In the dim glow from his alarm clock, and the few other electronics in the room that produced light, he could see that he had darkening patches all over his body. His leg was especially dark where her tail had been wrapped around it, creating an unmistakable pattern, like someone had tied a rope too tightly leaving a coil of bruising.

  However, while he felt generally sore all over, he wasn’t in any pain. He looked back at her and saw that she was consumed with guilt. He immediately laid back down and gently kissed her on the cheek. “Miriam, I’m okay. I would have told you if you were hurting me. I didn’t realize you were being too rough either. I…” He found himself biting his lip, and she finally turned to face him as he continued. “I really enjoyed myself. And I…I love you.”

  Her expression became pained, and her voice was filled with sorrow. “I love you too.”

  “Why do you sound so sad about it?” He wondered.

  She sighed heavily. “Because I hurt you…and because we really can’t be together.”

  Michael’s heart immediately ached with grief. “W-We don’t have to do that again if you don’t want. Our relationship doesn’t have to be physical. Just being in your arms is more than enough for me.” He was desperate to convince her that they could make it work out.

  She looked away again. “I’m sorry. It was a mistake doing this with you. I shouldn’t have come tonight.”

  “Please…please don’t say that.” He couldn’t help but sound pathetically desperate. “I need you. Not your body. I need you.” He could tell she wasn’t convinced, so he sat up as he continued. “Miriam, look at me.” She slowly obliged, her crimson eyes full of remorse. “The bruising will heal, okay? I’ll be alright. It’s not going to kill me, but your leaving will. So please…I need you.” He gently rested his palm against her cheek, hoping desperately she’d change her mind.

  Sighing, she reached up and held his hand against her face, leaning into it slightly. “I need you too…but…”

  “But what?” He demanded, immediately apologetic that he’d spoken so harshly. She didn’t seem to mind, but she remained silent. He reached out with his other hand to clasp her face in both. “Miriam, I realize that you’re probably a lot smarter than me and have considered our options, but surely there must be some way we can make this work out. I’m okay with not doing anything physical again if it’s going to cause you so much grief, but I’m not okay with living without you. Is there no way you can tell me what’s preventing us from being together? Maybe my human perception will allow me to see an option you haven’t thought of.”

  She turned her head to look away again, as if his hands weren’t even there, reminding him just how insignificant his human strength really was. He realized he had to convince her, because there was no way he could physically stop her from leaving him. She could disappear at any moment and be gone forever. The thought made his chest almost explode with grief.

  He felt his eyes flood with tears as he threw himself on her again, burying his head in her neck. “Please, please, please!” He felt pathetic, but he couldn’t help himself. She was his everything now. There was no doubt that he would never recover from her leaving him. It was worse than being addicted to a drug – she was like his life-support now, and her leaving would pull the plug.

  Miriam sighed heavily and then surprised him by speaking again. “It wasn’t a coincidence that I met you the other night.” Shocked, he looked up at her as she briefly met his gaze before looking away again.

  After a pause, she continued. “We despise humans. We view them like disgusting cattle that are a necessity to keep around for food. I’ve lived my entire life surrounded by that atmosphere…that prejudice…although I haven’t always agreed. I’ve almost always targeted humans who were dying, as long as I can remember, although I can’t say I had a much higher opinion of them. However…” She paused again, and he patiently waited for her to resume. “About eighteen years ago, I felt you all the way from my home – it’s very far away. I felt you come into existence.”

  Confused, Michael interrupted her. “But I only just turned seventeen a couple of months ago.”

  She glanced at him again, her face still turned to the side. “And how long do human women carry their children inside them?”

  “Nine months?”

  She looked away again. “Like I said, it’s been almost eighteen years.”

  “But why would you be able to sense me? How does that even work?”

  She closed her eyes briefly. “I don’t know. As far as I know, it’s never happened before.”

  “So…” Now he was curious. “Is this the first time you’ve met me? And if it is, why did you wait until now?”

  Miriam finally turned her head to face him again. “We only visit the human world occasionally. We take turns essentially, going in small groups. I had to wait until now, in order to avoid raising suspicion. It’s been very difficult to keep this a secret.” She looked down at his chest as she continued. “To be honest, I expected you to be afraid when you saw me. It really bothered me that you weren’t. I’ve always felt like a monster, and it made me frustrated that I couldn’t even convince you that I was.”

  Remembering the first night they had met, he recalled his confusion over her lack of reaction. “You knew I was there long before I saw you, didn’t you?” Seeming confused, she nodded. He continued to explain himself. “When I gasped, I was surprised you didn’t show any signs of be
ing startled. And then you looked at me as if I you were almost bored that I was there.”

  She shook her head. “No, I was just convinced you would be afraid of me – in fact, I wanted it. That’s why I brought that woman’s body, so you could see for yourself. So, while I felt compelled to meet you, I also was not looking forward to your inevitable disgust.”

  Michael buried his head in her neck again. “I gave myself to you the moment I saw you. It didn’t matter that you weren’t human. It didn’t matter that you had just killed someone. I was unequivocally yours immediately.”

  He felt her heated arms wrap around him in response to his statement. It was a welcomed contrast to the cool air in his room. His alarm abruptly went off and he cursed that they had nearly run out of time. He raised his head, to begin getting up and turn it off, when the sound abruptly disappeared. He looked to see that Miriam’s wing was stretched out across the room, the long fingers curled like a hand sticking out it’s bony index finger. She had turned off the alarm all the way from the bed without moving – her arms were still wrapped around him, holding him in place against her warm body.

  “Wow. That’s useful.” He commented.

  “Think so?” She asked cheerfully. “They aren’t just for looks.”

  Michael looked up at her confused, unable to escape her tight grasp. “Surely you can’t use them for flying?”

  She grinned. “Well, they are very much like hands.”

  Michael suddenly jumped as he felt something hard touch his side. He looked down to see that one of the rocky hands that normally held her chest was touching him. It gave him chills. “Okay, I have to admit, that’s a little creepy.”

  “Think so?” She giggled. “Males only have two wings. Oddly enough, females have an extra pair of small wings. Most of us use them to cover ourselves up.”

  “So then what purpose do the big wings serve?” He wondered.