Page 162 of Living Legend

She thought about this again. "No, probably not."

I raised my eyes to the light yellow ceiling. "What will you admit?"

Elise placed her hand on her hip and tapped each finger against her slice of exposed skin under her black tank top. "I'll admit, Dani is probably one ofthemost annoying demons I have ever met."

I chuckled, nodding. "I'll agree with you there."

"But that doesn't mean she deserved to die just because a small piece of familiar light successfully seduced her into what she was meant to be," she added nonchalantly. "That doesn't mean I care and that doesn't mean I'm protective, that just means regardless of how much I love blood and torture, I still have a moral compass. As depraved as it may be."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."

She let out a 'hmm' right as she hissed and looked at the wound in her shoulder. I looked around and noticed a few jars cluttering a long entry table. I walked over and grabbed each jar, reading the label on the front. I stopped when I got to the label with the exact thing I needed. There was a little bit left inside of the jar, but it would be enough.It wasn't a powder, but it sparkled like it used to be. I held the jar in my hand and turned towards the now scowling demon.

"What are you doing?" Elise asked, each word coming out slowly.

"Like you said, you’re a demon with a moral compass, as fucked up as it may be. You don't want whatever Lilith has coming and despite what you say, I know you care what happens to Dani, so let me put this weird pink shit on your shoulder so we can go and you can be your murderous self, alright?"

Elise walked over to me and then past me, jumping up and sitting on the table. I followed her movements with my eyes and smirked as she looked at me expectantly, as if to saycome the fuck on, dumbass.I unscrewed the jar and placed it on the table. It didn't have a scent, but it was thick when I stuck my fingers in and scooped a small amount out. I hovered my fingers over her wound and lightly pressed the pads of my finger down onto it, just to hear her hiss out in pain. I rubbed it in along the edges and then dabbed it where the gash was the worst. The redness surrounding it seemed to slowly lessen, and the paste started to mold around the edges of her wound to create a healing scab.

Sweat prickled on her neck as the amethyst worked its magic. The paste bubbled as it seemed to eat away at her pain, equally causing a slight bit of pain in return.

“A tail, huh? That’s new.”

“She wanted a fight. I gave her one. Done and done,” Elise said matter of factly.

“But a tail? I mean, will it grow back or manifest back or however you came to have one?” I was pulling at straws here.

“Yes, Nicholas, I can get it back, just not instantly. Our powers are quite literally a part of us, so it felt like she ripped off an actual part of my fucking body. Just imagine if someone cut off one of your wings…shit would hurt like a motherfucker.”

My stomach churned at the thought of my wings being chopped off, and I instantly understood her words. I moved the conversation along. "You know, I think you kind of enjoy Dani being annoying. She even keepsyouon your toes."

She clucked her tongue and scoffed. "Then I guess we actually have something in common, now don't we, Nicholas?"

"Do tell," I asked, smoothing the paste into her wound and giving it one last pat down before I left it alone.

Elise scrunched her nose up and shivered, as if the paste was leaking a stream of cold water down her back. "She's gotten to you, hasn't she?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"One night with her and you are just head over heels."

I remained silent, which was probably a mistake. She continued. "She's got the damsel in distress thing going on now, which I'm sure just gets your dick hard thinking about saving the day and wrapping her in your strangely defined arms."

I screwed the top back on the jar and walked over to the entry table, placing it down with a thud. I brushed crusted paste off my fingers, feeling it tingle a bit at the tips. I didn't turn back around. Elise laughed. "I saw the way you ran to her side when I was literally going to destroy her. You want to push me into caring about her? Well, I can push back."

"I already admitted to caring about her, though, so it's not the same." I remained facing away from her.

"True. Let me guess: the minute you found out about her, the thoughts of her as an angel ran through your head. Futuristic thoughts."

I closed my eyes, curling my hands around the edge of the wood table in front of me.

"She isn't innocent, Nicholas."

I slammed my hand on the entryway table and turned around, almost making myself dizzy with the sudden movement. "Don't you think I know that?"

Elise moved her shoulder up and down and reached her opposite hand up to touch her scabbed over wound. She rolled her shoulder without flinching and then shot up from the table, planting her feet on the wooden floor. "I know you say you do, but why do I get the feeling that you think her being a demon is something she can just remove, that she's a snake shedding her old skin? Demonic power, especially Dani's, isn't something you want to give up, no matter how good of a person you are. Even if shecouldgive it up, she wouldn’t."

"She made that clear, okay? I already know all of this."

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