Page 33 of Their Demon

Lillian

“No,” Keir repeated himself for the sixth time this morning.

“You’re not being fair, Keir,” Nicholas attempted to reason with him on my behalf. “She needs friends.”

“She has you two.”

Aiden spoke this time. “She needsgirlfriends.”

The morning after our sparring session, I approached him about seeing Mavis. The twins were with me; it was Keir’s turn to get on board.

He was upset—scratch that,infuriated, immediately chewing the twins up one side and down the other for telling me they knew about the sneaking out. I tried to defend them, but he wouldn’t have it.

“You’re not to blame, Lillian. The twins are the ones who couldn’t keep their mouths shut,” was his reply.

When I brought up that I wasn’t angry, at least notthatangry, and I understood the reasoning behind their choices, he seemed to calm down a bit. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean he agreed, and the twins and I had been chipping away at him every morning since. Three days later, we still hadn’t made any headway.

“She has Ida,” Keir countered the twins. “She’s a girl.”

I rolled my eyes at his stubbornness, unsurprised he was making us fight so hard for this.

“Ida is great, she is, but Mavis and I clicked, Keir,” I implored. I waited until he turned to face me before I continued. “She kind of… Well…” A lump formed in my throat.

Keir took a single step toward me, looking a bit concerned. “What is it?”

I took a breath then whispered, “She reminds me of Katie.”

I refused to look away as remorse and pity colored his face. The connection between us, whatever we had, had been getting stronger and more intense. I didn’t just watch his demeanor change; I felt it. The air between us had mutated instantly, from charged and heated to sympathetic.

“Lillian…”

I shook my head at him. “Don’t agree to this out of pity; do it because youwantto. Do you really want to trap me here forever? Never let me see Hell for what it is? Watch me fade into nothing as the life is sucked from me one day at a time?”

“I never meant—”

“I know you didn’t,” I cut in. “I know, but that doesn’t change anything. I’m not in danger of beingfound outanymore. I don’t have to hide.”

“But—”

“But nothing. I’ve been your dutiful little offering since I stepped foot in Hell. I have stayed locked up here, away from everything, per your wishes. I stayed up here when I wanted to be out there.” I pointed out the windows. “Now, I’m asking you to let me out.”

This time, he didn’t have a rebuttal. He studied me thoughtfully, and neither of us moved or spoke for severalseconds. The twins were shifting awkwardly on the other side of the kitchen island behind Keir.

I’m so fucking sorry, princess.

I fought the victorious smile that threatened to form, knowing I’d finally broken through to him.

I know you are. I forgive you.

His shoulders relaxed, the corners of his mouth twitching. I didn’t miss him sticking his tongue in his cheek to keep from smiling. My heart beat a little faster in my chest, wishing he’d smile at me, and I hated that I wanted it so badly.

Bastard. I rolled my eyes.

His eyebrows came up in response, and I swallowed. I hadn’t meant to think that to him. Why was it so hard to keep my head to myself when he was around?

Watch it, princess. I can make your life miserable if you decide to keep behaving like a brat.

Heat rushed to my cheeks immediately.Oh yeah? And just how are you, you big, bad demon prince, going to make my life miserable?

---