Page 450 of Evil Hearts

Once he’s asleep, Evan and I use sign language to talk so we will not interrupt our cousin’s rest. Evan tells me of the feelings he has for Skia. Then I tell him the pull, how I felt as well.

“Do you think she could be…” his signs, but is interrupted by a scream coming from the bed. We both bolt out of our chairs so quickly they smash into the ground.

The moment we reach our cousin, we notice dark veins throughout his entire exposed skin. Holding him down, the tears begin to fall. “He is losing the battle. We know what we must do, but I just can’t. Would it not be better for him to join Lucifer than to be gone from this world?”

Glancing to my cousin Evan, I notice the tears falling from his eyes and he shakes his head no, in a franticness I have never seen from him. Then he does something I never thought he would do again.

“Skia! I beg of you to come to us!” he screams out loud in a voice I almost forgot. My cousin has spoken.

Suddenly, to both our shock, she is there, standing not two feet from us. There is a look of shock as she stumbles and looks around. “How is this possible? How did you summon me? Only my Lord…”

Her eyes are furious until they land on the steel form of my cousin that I hold pinned to the bed with all of my strength. She takes a tentative step forward, now standing beside Evan.

Evan’s voice cuts through the screams of our cousin. “Help him please, I beg of you. Do not let him join Lucifer. Do not make us have to kill him to stop that from happening, please.” His voice breaks, not only from the tears, but from the lack of use. He crumples to his knees.

Even though I’m struggling to hold Andras down, I glance at Evan, seeing him broken once more. I do not know if he will survive another loss.

Suddenly, there are shadow tendrils wrapping around Andras. In a flash of smoke, he is gone and so is Skia.

Chapter Ten

Skia

In all myyears, no one has ever summoned me except my Lord. To say I am furious is an understatement. Until I notice the big one called Andras is riddled with the stench of evil.

I do not think, I only act, teleporting us both directly to my Lord’s outer chamber. Before I can open my mouth and call for him he is there.

“Oh cousin, what have you done?”

He thrashes around on the ground, but I keep him contained within my shadow tendrils. “What do we do my Lord?”

“Hold him. Because there’s only one thing that can be done, but he must accept it. If not, I will be forced to end his life.”

Unable to speak, all I do is nod, and listen. “Andras, child of God, cousin of my flesh. Will you accept my gift and join me?”

Andras is a powerful man—or fallen—and I’m having difficulty keeping him down. His screams are incoherent. Something in me calls for me to help. Leaning close to his ear, I whisper two words,”My mate.”

His thrashing immediately stops. His eyes stare up at me. He says one word before his eyes close. That word is, “Yes”.

Magic I have seen Lord Proto use many times surrounds me. It tingles across my skin and I watch as the fallen before me istransformed into the most breathtaking demon I have ever seen. Andras’ horns, much like my Lord’s, are spiraled and very long. His beautiful wings are the color of blood. His skin shimmers with a bronze sun kissed look. He is magnificent.

Once the magic has done its work, Lord Proto snaps his fingers, and we are transported to a room much like my own. Lord Proto picks up Andras and places him gently in the bed. I am still kneeling on the ground where I landed when we were transported here. I watch his every move.

Once Lord Proto has Andras settled, he walks over to me and holds out his hand. “Come child. We have much to talk about. I think it’s time I explained to you who you truly are.”

Taking my Lord’s hand, I glance to the new demon. “I do not want to leave him,” I say, glancing up at my Lord.

He wraps his arm around me in a comforting embrace. “He will sleep for some time. I will have you back before he awakens, you have my word.”

Unable to speak, I just nod, and we are transported back to my Lord’s outer chamber. “Sit.” I do as I’m told, and he walks to a nearby table and pours a couple of drinks. He glances back at me and adds a little more of the blood alcohol.

Lord Proto sits in the chair next to me and hands me the glass that is filled to the brim. Without hesitation, I down it in one drink. It burns yet soothes something inside me.

Lord Proto chuckles, and asks, Feeling better?”

Nodding, I ask what I have wanted to do for some time. A question that has embedded itself in my brain since the moment I spoke the words. “Why did I call him my mate?”

Lord Proto smiles, downs his drink, and sits his glass on the small table beside us. I place mine beside his. “As you know you are the first and only shadow demon. What you do not know is you were actually the first demon I created.”

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