Page 22 of The Demon's Tongue

"What the fuck?" I yelp, frantically grabbing for the nearest towel. It's small, barely covering the essentials as I wrap it around myself, face burning with pure embarrassment. "Get out! How long have you been standing there?" My voice cracks slightly, betraying my unease. I take a step back, putting moredistance between us, my feet slipping slightly on the smooth floor.

Calix chuckles, making no move to leave. His eyes rake over me, and I feel exposed all over again despite the towel. "Now, now. Is that any way to greet your benefactor?" he drawls, his voice dripping with false concern.

I clutch the towel tighter, my knuckles turning white as I grip the fabric. I'm acutely aware of how little it covers, how vulnerable I still am. My skin crawls under his gaze. "Benefactor?" I spit out, anger simmering within me. "You're disgusting! There's nothing beneficial about what you're doing!"

"Please," he scoffs, waving a hand dismissively. The gesture is so casual, so at odds with the tension thrumming through my body. "I've seen countless human forms. Yours is hardly revolutionary." His words sting, even as I tell myself I shouldn't care what this monster thinks. I fight the urge to shrink away, forcing myself to stand tall despite my near-nakedness.

"That's not the point. You can't just barge in here!"

"Can't I?" Calix raises an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "I thought our arrangement gave me certain privileges."

"It doesn't give you the right to invade my privacy like this!" I sputter, the embarrassment threatening to eat me alive.

He pushes off the door, taking a step closer. I instinctively back up, my legs hitting the edge of the tub.

"Privacy?" Calix laughs, the sound rumbling gently. "My dear human, you're in the equivalent of a brothel. Privacy is a luxury you can't afford."

His words are like a slap. I flinch, remembering where I am and what's expected of me. The reality of my situation crashes down, stealing my breath.

Calix's eyes gleam with dark amusement as he steps closer. I press myself against the cold tile wall beside me, the towel barely covering me.

"Oh, Geneva," he purrs, his voice smooth. But his words strike me hard. "Do you really think trapping souls is all there is to it? You've barely scratched the surface of what's possible in our world."

I swallow down the knot in my throat, trying to ignore the way his proximity makes my skin tingle. His scent makes my head spin. "What do you mean?" I manage to ask, hating how small my voice sounds.

He leans in, his breath hot against my ear, sending involuntary shivers down my spine. "The human world, with all its petty morals and inhibitions, is holding you back. It's a cage of your own making, trapping your true potential." His words are honeyed poison, seeping into my mind. "To truly succeed here, to harness real power, you'll need to shed that fragile human skin of yours. Embrace what you could become."

I can't help the shiver that runs down my spine. "I'm not fragile," I snap, meeting his gaze defiantly. I shake my head. "I'm anything but that. I've survived too much."

Calix chuckles, the sound sending a warmth that pools in my belly. "Prove it, then. Show me you're ready to do whatever it takes."

"I am," I insist, my voice steadier than I feel. "I'll complete any task you set me. On top of trapping souls, I mean."

His eyebrow arches, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Any task? Be careful with what you offer, little human. I might just take you up on that."

I lift my chin, refusing to back down. "Bring it on, Calix. I can handle anything you throw at me."

Calix's eyes flash with something that looks almost like approval. But then, the smirk on his lips grows even wider.

“Is that so?” Calix asks.

"Of course. I'll do anything you want. I'm not afraid."

He hums softly, his eyes trailing over my body. I didn't recognize it before, but it's starting to dawn on me. That's pure lust radiating off of him.

And he has me cornered in this bathroom, unable to leave unless I do whatever he says.

“Then touch yourself.”

12

CALIX

Geneva hesitates, her fingers clutching the towel tightly. Her eyes dart around the bathroom, anywhere but at me. "I... I don't know if I can do this," she admits, her voice barely a whisper. "And I don't have much time. Sylas… he's…"

I lean back against the door, crossing my arms over my chest. A smirk plays on my lips. "Come now, Geneva. You were bold enough to summon a demon, but you can't handle a simple task like this?" I tease, cocking an eyebrow. "If you can't even touch yourself, how do you expect to trap the other two souls?"

She swallows hard, her grip on the towel tightening until her knuckles turn white. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she accuses, her voice trembling slightly.

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