Page 50 of Their Demon

“Damn. What was that about?” Aiden asked me after letting out a whistle.

The twins looked at me expectantly, awaiting my answer, but I didn’t have one. I was honestly just as confused as they clearly were. Why did Keir seem so bothered by that?

“I—I don’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders and shoveled another bite of eggs into my mouth. I wanted to finish breakfast and get to the gym as quickly as possible to figure out what that was about.

“Hmmm,” Nicholas responded, his brows raised with suspicion.

Keir was waiting in our regular spot when I entered the gym.

“Care to explain?” I spoke before the door closed behind me.

His eyes left the floor and trailed ever so slowly up until they met mine, pinning me in place with a fury I’d not seen him with since the day their father visited. His eyes were nearly black, his body rigid.

“Explain what?” The level of control was so obvious in his tone that even if I hadn’t noticed his eyes, I would’ve known something was wrong.

I took slow, diligent steps in his direction, noting how the veins in his neck bulged as he tightened his jaw repeatedly and how his arms looked like hardened stone at his sides, muscles strained. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly.

He was a perfectly sculpted statue, beautiful in every way imaginable. I wanted to reach out and touch him, comfort him, but we both knew that was the last thing I should do.

I stopped once I was standing barely out of arm's reach, focusing on controlling my steady breathing.

“Why did you get so upset when I told you my back hurt?” I licked my dry lips, his eyes catching the movement. “I just thought it was a strange coincidence.”

“Coincidence. Right.” He looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn’t. “I just don’t like the thought of you hurt before the first trial, Lillian. That’s it.” He reached behind him and grabbed two wooden daggers that must’ve been hidden in his shadows. “Ready?”

Part of me wanted to push and demand a better answer that wouldn’t leave me feeling confused. Another part of me wanted to train and put all this energy into something since I hadn’t been finished off by the twins earlier. My body was wound tighter than a nun's vagina.

The latter part won out. Training it was.

I walked over to the stand holding the wooden practice weapons and chose mine carefully. Keir wore a smug, satisfied expression as I took my stance with the other pair of daggers, determination flowing through me.

“Ready.”

He snorted, sounding doubtful. I’d show the asshole what I was made of. I was tired of his shit. Tired of him underestimating me all the time. Tired of him evading me. Tired ofhim.

I swung my left arm, the fake blade perpendicular between us, slashing toward his chest. My eyes never left his face. Unfortunately for me, that meant I didn’t see him step back and bring his arm up to deflect, causing my arm to clash with his.

The impact of our collision threw me off balance immediately, my arms waving to my sides to keep myself from falling backward.

Keir took another step back, watching me flail, a dastardly smirk forming on his lips, evidently enjoying the view of my struggle.

You okay there, princess?

I gathered myself, planting my feet once again. “Shut the fuck up.”

My anger only made him snicker.

Asshole.

“Watch your mouth, princess,” he snapped. “You’re getting too comfortable around here if you think you can run your mouth like that and do whatever you please here in my home.”

“It’s my home now too, dickhead,” I returned.

I shuffled forward and swung my arm again, not letting his cold, dead eyes distract me this time. He swiped opposite of me, avoiding my attack with ease. We continued like this for what seemed like forever: me lashing out at him while he deflected each and every strike.

My arms were aching. Tendrils of hair stuck to my face thanks to the sweat coating it. Even my back hurt, like a dull ache, as if I was upsetting an old injury.

“You’re pathetic, Lillian. Just look at you. Struggling to keep up with me? Getting tired of holding toy daggers? You look like you’re ready to give up already.Tsk.I thought you had more in you than this; now, I’m not so sure.” His eyes bore holes into me,digging into my soul and pulling out every discouraging thought I’d already had about myself.

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