by Rena Marks
She was a little drunk. She went back to nibbling at his ear. Or maybe she had been circling his ear. Oh, well, now she was nibbling.
“Holl?”
“Hmm?”
“That feels very good,” he muttered.
“Ace?” she whispered huskily. “Tell me about your past. Do you have a girl?”
There was a pause and she knew he was fighting.
“Come on, big guy. Confess to all your sins, like I did. You had the root too.”
“No girlfriend. None whatsoever.”
“Hmm.” She thought back to the wild sex they’d shared. Twice. “You are straight?”
“Of course I’m straight!” He sounded completely insulted.
“Well! Excuse me for asking. I just wanted to know how strong my power was.”
“Demons don’t do gay. Ever. That’s an Earth thing.” He was quiet for a couple of seconds. “You wanted to know if you could sway a gay man?”
“Is that so wrong?” she said on a giggle. “It really is a common female fantasy.”
“Next time you only get half as much Valnaeus.”
“You should grow it.”
“I do. I cage it in the backyard.”
“Cage?”
“It’s a root. Long fingered, or toed, depending on how you look at it. But you know things shift at night? Well, Valnaeus can walk, so you plant it, nurture the damn things, and they walk to your neighbor’s yard to become someone else’s meal.”
“Eww. I ate toes?”
“Technically.Though they are vegetables, not animals. You know, it’s disgusting that humans eat flesh.”
“What? Demons are vegetarian?”
“Yes.”
“All of you?”
“Yes. Now you see why we think humans are barbaric. Earth is Hell, where they roast rotting flesh and gnaw it off a bone like vicious beasts, saliva dripping from their chins. Then calmly wipe their fingers off on a wet nap like nothing out of the ordinary occurred. I know because I searched for you outside something called a wing place, where I smelled your scent briefly. Humans swarmed in there like a wave of locusts.”
Well, put like that, it did seem disgusting.
“But toes! You fed me toes, Ace.”
“Sweetie, it’s normal. Trust me, you have demon genes. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
She had to trust him. He was the only one here she knew. But for some odd reason, it was more than that. She felt connected to him. Yes, he was a demon who was raised here…but he was still different.
So far she hadn’t seen one friend of his. Other demons didn’t look him directly in the eye, as if they were afraid of him. And he admitted that he had no girlfriend.
It was like describing herself.
He set her down long enough to open the door. “What’s got you quiet?”
She smiled. “Nothing. Just thinking is all.”
He smiled back, dimples showing in the lean cuts of his cheeks.
“Is Holly really a fruit?”
He nodded solemnly. “I’ll feed you some, okay?”
“I don’t fit in here, Ace.”
“Of course you do, Holls. You have the best of both worlds. You belong in both. Not many people can say that.”
“I’m not as strong as demons are.”
“I can take care of you. You don’t have to worry about anything.” He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear.
“Would you want to be a weakling among strong demons? Or a strong half-breed among the weak humans?”
He didn’t answer.
“You have to let me go home, Ace.” Her voice pleaded.
“It’s not safe for you on Earth, Holly. Enishka is a force you don’t want after you.”
“Do we really know if he wants me? You could be mistaken.”
“Until we’re sure, I need to protect you.”
A tiny thrill shot through her before she slammed it down. It was his job. That was all. He was being paid to “protect the little human”. If she hadn’t triggered his lust twice with her power, he would never have touched her.
Why would he? He was absolutely gorgeous.
She didn’t even have horns. She knew nothing about his world. He knew even less about hers.
“I’m afraid of this place.”
“You have me.”
If only it were true.
“Why are you single, Ace?”
There was a huge pause. “I don’t have a lot to offer.”
“You’re handsome. Strong. Brave. I don’t understand what else you need.”
“Things are different on Earth. It doesn’t matter, Holly.”
“If I don’t go back there, where will I live?”
“You’ll always have a place here with me.”
“Why would you take that on? I’m a stranger. I could make your existence a hell.”
“Stranger?” He laughed at the word. “No, you’re hardly strange. And you couldn’t be obnoxious if you tried.”
“This Enishka. What does he want with me?”
“I don’t know exactly. Keara and Natalya are working to find out. Don’t worry, Holly. There’s lots of people that have your back here. You’re one of us…and frankly, people feel guilty. The fact that demon eggs were allowed to hatch on Earth and those poor innocent children were forced to live their lives in that hell dimension…well, we take care of our own. You’ll never be a burden.”
“My power could get out of hand.”
“You’ll learn to control it. You’ve just never used it, you’re inexperienced. It’ll come.”
He was beautiful. The chiseled cut of his jaw was lined with a day’s growth of shadow. His nose was perfectly straight and his brows dark and heavy. If her hand settled on his biceps, it wouldn’t even come close reaching around.
But more than his beauty, he was just an amazing guy. So unlike the rude, aggressive demon she’d thought he was when she first met him.
“Let’s go to bed,” he whispered.
Holly nodded sleepily. “I am tired.”
Ace stood, holding out a hand for her. He led her into his bedroom, where he slowly undressed her.
She must be getting used to the crazy place. She was standing here and thinking nothing of being stripped naked by a gorgeous demon who also thought nothing of touching her impassively.
She held up her arms. Ace slid a white gown over her head and smoothed it down her body. He turned to pull down the bedcovers and then helped her in between the sheets.
She was almost surprised when he lay down with her, but this was his bed after all. Still, he pulled her to him, kissing her softly along the top of her head.
“Rest easy, little Human Holly. I promise I’ll keep you safe here.”
She drifted, a tiny smile curling her lips. She felt like a cherished doll, someone’s prized possession.
Chapter Four
Seek and Ye Shall Find
Holly woke up slowly. It was unusual not to wake up trembling and startled. But she was safe, tucked onto Ace’s chest. Most importantly, he was safe. He was exhausted, his features softened in sleep. His lower lip pouted, begging for attention.
Holly smiled as she fought the urge to kiss it. Instead she slipped quietly from the bed she’d shared with him for nearly a week.
“Where are you going?” His voice echoed loudly in the silence of the night.
“Just to the bathroom,” she pointedly whispered.
“You’re sneaking. I felt when you awakened.”
She grinned. “I didn’t want to wake you up.” She leaned over the bed, impulsively kissing him, the way she’d wanted to just a few minutes earlier. “Go back to sleep.”
Damn, he was a good tracker. She’d kept her breathing even and held as still as possible for at least twenty minutes or so.
But it was that damn dream, one dream, and she was wide-awake for the rest of the night. She shouldn’t be dreaming it anymore. Ace had explained
that the bumps in the night always following her around were from her own powers. And she hadn’t had the dream since being here.
It always started the same. Slowly she walked by an ancient school. The building was in ruins, bricks broken and tumbling. No one could see her, no one could hear her. The schoolchildren were taunting another child, and suddenly she could feel what that child felt, the shame at being different, the frustrated anger, the pent-up rage.
She grew more frustrated as the other children began to beat the child. She screamed at them, but no voice left her throat. She tried to grab someone who was hitting the girl, but her hands sailed right through her as if she were in another dimension.
It was way too much—the taunts, the screams, the tears. The world was spinning, she was screaming, things were blurring.
She was insane.
Nothing made sense, time was off, sound was off. The insanity was contagious, rubbing off on her from the crazy children!
One turned to her, gnashing his yellowed teeth as if he’d chomp her arm. A zombie! There was no other word for it. Zombies spread the brain-rotting disease through their saliva. She had to stop him before he bit.
She kicked him in the abdomen, and he went sailing through the air. Grabbing a brick, she went to swing it through the air.
She was hitting children.
Time stopped and the school grounds were like a ghost town, frozen in time. Motionless children lay together, cuddling on the ground, angelic cherubs sleeping.
The only clue to their true state was the sightless eyes that stared straight ahead.
Horrified, she’d awoken.
But it was just a dream. A nonsensical, impossible nightmare. One that had no correlation to real life whatsoever. She would never really slaughter children.
Suddenly she felt safe and secure. For the first time in her life, she was protected. There weren’t bumps in the night, odd breaths shivering down her spine, objects flying across the room.
After she’d gone to the bathroom, she tiptoed to the kitchen for a glass of water. She drank it slowly, peering out the tiny round kitchen window that sat over the sink like a porthole.
Across the yard were the cages. Ace had explained about his garden. It was where he grew the Valnaeus root. She squinted, trying to peer closer.
Good grief, they did look like toes humping around in the soil. Giant toes, too big to escape the mesh of the wire gate. Oh, this begged a closer look. The backyard looked so different at nighttime. She padded to the French doors and opened them wide.
The wispy material of her nightgown floated gently around her calves when a breeze caught the edges. The moon wasn’t full so there wasn’t a lot of light, but there was enough to walk through the yard.
She dropped to her knees when she got to the cage. The Valnaeus roots rushed to where she sat, as if eager for a pet or a stroke.
Ugh, they were ugly. Hugely knuckled, like the roots were giant, arthritic hands. And alive somehow.
Eww, was that hair that grew on them? Coarse, thick hairs that grew abnormally, like the wiry hair from a mole.
Did she dare to touch them? Oh, hell, why not? She ate the damn things before.
The holes in the gate were slender enough for her finger to fit through. Eventually, though the Valnaeus constantly jumped and squirmed around as if they taunted her, she poked one.
Her last coherent thought was it felt squishy but looked firm. Like it was rotted inside. Dimly she heard Ace’s roar from somewhere behind her.
* * * * *
Holly awoke groggily. The surroundings were unfamiliar. A raggedy old sofa was in her line of vision. She was in an unmatched recliner, feet up. All the curtains and blinds were pulled down tight, blocking any vision from the outside in.
A horned stranger stood off to the left.
Figures. Another demon had her. Apparently snatching was a favorite pastime in Luciefyiore. She turned her head to see better. Blinking took a few seconds. Wait, there were two. Beyond beautiful, they were breathtaking. Who would have ever guessed that demons could resemble angels? Were they related? Both had the same color of horns, as if they’d been kissed by metallic swirls of gold. But even with their perfect beauty, they didn’t have what Ace had.
That charismatic something.The charm, the crooked little grin.
The two stared at her, waiting for her to speak. What the hell was the etiquette in this crazy place? Women first? Even when imprisoned? But she didn’t want to wait around all day, so she obliged. “Who are you?”
The first one grinned, and rows of pointy, triangular teeth ruined the illusion of beauty. “Carinsyn. This is Belzar. And you, little human, are Holly.”
“How do you know my name?”
“Belzar heard Acel finally took up with a woman. I took it upon myself to figure out that the most sought-after human would be commissioned by the greatest tracker of all time. Of course, since I managed to take you from him, I do believe it makes me the greatest now.” The demon magnanimously inspected his solid gold ring as he spoke.
“Very modest of you. How did you get me away? I don’t remember anything.”
“That’s because you were unconscious. I hadn’t figured out how I was going to snatch you, when you did the perfect thing. You reached out and poked a Valnaeus root.” His grin became broader. “That’s when I figured you were human. Who else would be stupid enough to touch Valnaeus?”
“You better be sure,” Belzar snapped. “The last thing I need is fucking Acel after me because you brought her into my house.”
Holly said nothing. They had enough information as it was, and Ace had told her to keep her identity a secret so she wasn’t stalked and forced to create lustful situations.
“I’m sure she’s the human,” Carinsyn said. “Didn’t you notice how she didn’t know to speak first? She doesn’t understand our ways.”
“Maybe I was just a little dazed,” Holly said.
There was silence while both demons studied her intently.
“So…humans don’t look so different from demons, do they? They’re just missing the horns,” Carinsyn said to Belzar, like she wasn’t even present.
Humans didn’t have three rows of teeth like a shark either.
“Other than that,” he leered. “How do your other parts work?”
Carinsyn leaned in, his face scant inches from hers. “Do you get wet and slick? Or do humans stay dry? Is it painful when we pound into parched flesh?”
His smirk was evil.
Panic dropped like a heavy stone in her gut. There were two of them, both stronger than her. Would they rape her?
Her best weapon was her mind.
“What makes you think I’m human? You’re already going to be hunted down by Ace. Clearly I wear his scent. Wouldn’t it suck to find out you risked everything and got the wrong person?”
A slight look of fear washed over Belzar’s face.
Carinsyn hissed. “Prove your demonity. Raise your horns.”
“Did you really ask my girlfriend to do something so personal?”
Both demons whirled around at the sound of Ace’s voice.
“Carinsyn.” Ace nodded once. “Belzar. I’m going to have to kill you both.”
“Fuck you. We got your human.” Carinsyn extended his hand and suddenly his fingers grew into long, tapered points, gripping around her neck, the fingernails long and thick like claws.
Acel remained calm. “You’re making a mistake. Holly isn’t human, she’s demon.”
“Bullshit.”
“You want a hint of her power? A tiny taste?”
“Whatever. She’s got no power. She’s completely human.”
“Unleash, Holly.”
What did he mean? She had no horns to raise to prove she was demon, like they’d asked her to earlier. And he’d told her not to tell about her power.
“It’s okay, baby,” he said. Talking to the demons again, he said, “She has a soft heart. Doesn’t want me to outright kill you both
. But, Holls, if you don’t extend your power, I will slaughter them both.”
Extend her power. Okay, that was what he meant. Hmm. How exactly did she do it? She did the best thing she could. She closed her eyes, parted her lips…and imagined she was kissing Ace.
The fantasy took off in her mind. He kissed her back, his tongue drew out…
Immediately she stopped.
Both demons were staring at her. All around them, lights were flickering on and off. Dishes were rattling behind closed cabinets. The curtains hanging over the windows waved madly with the whirlwind she’d created.
“See?” Ace said proudly. “Breeder.”
“Shit,” Carinsyn yelled, dropping his hand from her throat as if she were a disease. Belzar stared at his friend’s fingers in horror.
Carinsyn flexed his stiff fingers back and forth, but they remained demonic claws.
“My hands! I can’t change them back,” Carinsyn screamed, panic breaking his voice.
“I-I’m sorry,” Holly said, shocked by his terror.
“I warned you both,” Acel said to the demons. Suddenly he moved in, taking her arm and lifting her to her feet. “She’s not the human. She’s my girlfriend, and a breeder. An eye for an eye.”
What the hell did that mean? To her amazement, neither demon responded, frozen silent as they looked at each other in dismay.
Ace gripped her hand in his much larger one and curled the other arm protectively around her shoulders as he led her from the house. Amazingly, the two demons allowed it.
Once outside, giant white wings tipped with golden edges unfurled from Ace’s shoulder blades. He snatched her to him, holding her against his chest, breath warm against her temple.
“Holly, sweet. Are you all right?”
“Yes. I think so. I don’t know how long I was out, but I’d just woken up right before you got there.”
“No, you weren’t there long. I watched him drag you out of the yard, but I couldn’t intervene. He was touching you and his power is instant pain upon contact. I knew to come to Belzar’s house, because Carinsyn wouldn’t be stupid enough to take you to his own.”
“Why did they let us leave? What does eye for an eye mean?”
“I gave them a choice, Holls. They stay quiet about your identity—a breeder—and we stay quiet about them.”
