Page 198 of Psycho Devils: Aran's Story 2

Air whistled through my lips as I sighed heavily.

I nodded as I realized his voice was slightly deeper than John’s. Was that why he never talked?

His eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

Oh, he meant I was Aran. I rubbed at my bruised face. “Yeah, I was disguised as a man.”

Luka turned around slowly.

Grabbed a boulder and chucked it as far as he could while he let out a war scream.

The hair on the backs of my arms stood up.

My knees gave out, and I sat back on the nearest rock, which put me right next to the demons.

“Well, I didn’t see this coming,” I said to Zenith.

He didn’t turn to look at me and said in a deadpan voice, “Don’t speak to me.”

I nodded in agreement and lay back. He liked to rib on me. That was how our friendship went.

I sucked on my pipe and blew out Horse.

Luka threw another boulder hundreds of feet across the shore.

Crash.

Rocks exploded on a gloomy beach.

Horse flapped his wings lazily as he flew higher into the sky, backlit by the eldritch eclipse. Celestial bodies consumed the sky.

I inhaled drugs, smoke pouring from my lips.

Malum ranted. He screamed something about being team captain and everyone keeping secrets from him. He said a lot of words.

I watched Horse longingly, wishing I could also fly away.

Chapter 28

Aran

INTRODUCTIONS

Metamorphosis—Day 37, hour 11

“And then John carried me from the arena back to the room,” I finished telling Luka about the punishment.

John’s twin narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

Our bare feet slapped loudly against water and rocks. The surf slammed in with a roar, then retreated reluctantly back to sea.

Compared to his easygoing, talkative brother, Mr. Hyde was a quiet man.

Intense.

Intimidating.

We were two hours into a long morning jog, and even though I was sore and tired, I was grateful Malum was making us train. The run gave me a distraction from everything that had gone down yesterday.

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