Page 10 of The Devil and His Sparrow

“Dinner is here,” I called to my bandmates, who were queuing up music for the night.

I ran a hand through my tousled hair, making sure my horns were firmly hidden away. Since we were supposed to be humans who wore demonic costumes, we’d made quick work of putting on our human forms the moment we got offstage. No horns or slitted red eyes for me. Just a head of dark waves and cerulean blue eyes.

I made my way down the stairs just as the door opened. A trio of friends were the first to walk in, and as soon as they spotted me, I could practically smell their arousal permeating the air of the entryway.

“Oh my God!” the one in the middle squealed. She covered her black painted lips and shook her head, making her pigtails sway. “Zagan! You were amazing tonight!”

“So good!” the shirtless guy beside her cried, and even through the black pants he wore, I could see his dick twitching as his eyes raked over me.

“It was legendary,” the Korean girl exclaimed.

Flashing my charismatic smile that had gotten me more than one meal in the past, I said, “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Their eyes looked past me as the rest of the band appeared, and more chatter than I cared to listen to erupted as the trio drifted further inside. I leaned against the landing post of the staircase with my arms crossed and waited for my prey of the night to walk in.

The first one I saw was the friend who seemed to be pulling my bird behind her. She immediately saw the rest of the members who were doing introductions in front of me. I peered in between them all as my target appeared, and as if she could feel me watching, her big brown eyes found mine. As soon as our gazes met, I lifted the corner of my mouth a fraction, just to let her know the eye contact wasn’t simply a random gesture.

You’re mine.

She quickly turned to Dante as he approached the two girls, and I let her look away. For now. Because later, I’d have her so focused on me and all the things I was doing to her that she wouldn’t be able to look anywhere except at me.

“Let’s head in,” Dante called to everyone. “We have loads of drinks, food, pills, whatever you guys might want, in the back sunroom.”

Excitement flooded the space as the guests trailed after my bandmates with mine and Dante’s picks following in the back. I didn’t move from the post I leaned on, but instead, I let my eyes track my bird as she walked past. My dick throbbed when I saw her glance my way and swallow.

Oh yeah. She knew. She knew she was going to be mine.

Smiling to myself, I finally turned and followed the group, keeping a couple feet between my prey and I. Her back straightened, and she glanced over her shoulder to see me following. Her eyes widened, and she quickly turned back to face the way we were heading.

A dizzying sense of thrill fired inside me. This. This was what I’d been missing.

Chasing.

Stalking.

Seeing a pretty human that didn’t go out of their way to try to seduce me.

That was my job, one that I’d missed. Now I’d get to test those skills out again, seeing how long it took to break my little bird’s will. Because she would break. She’d give in.

They all did.

Everyone filed into the sunroom where the back bar stood with plenty of alcohol and a bowl full of colorful pills that some were already popping with no encouragement necessary.

The two girls stopped just inside the doorway of the room as Dante came over to start his flirting with the tall beauty. I stopped right behind my own snack. The sweet and subtle scent of lavender and vanilla wrapped around me.

She smells fucking divine.

Her shoulders pulled back, and she slowly turned to look at me. She sucked in a breath, which seemed to catch the attention of her friend, who’d been caught up with speaking to our lead guitarist.

“Holy shit,” the friend hissed, her cheeks darkening. She didn’t hide her appraisal of me, looking at me from head to toe. “Z-Zagan.”

“In the flesh,” I said with a smirk. I looked between the two girls. “I’m afraid I wasn’t paying much attention in the hall. I was a bit … distracted.” My eyes briefly met with the shorter of the two, and my smile widened as the color rose to her cheeks, glad she caught my meaning. “What were your names?”

“I’m Nahla,” the tall one said, pressing a hand to her chest.

I grinned just so she felt like I cared then turned my gaze on the only one I truly had an interest in right now.

She peered up at me through thick lashes and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m Iyla.”

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