Page 31 of The Demigod

Daemon’s blood.

I didn’t even wait until the gods were inside the estate with their party raging.

I wrapped my shadows around me and flew at the door, all thoughts of my own pain and tiredness forgotten.

The steps were slippery under my feet. Looking down, I noticed in horror that they were slick with blood.

A strange, pained animal sound escaped me, thinking of the blood on the gods, now on the steps.

Had they drained him completely?

“Is that you… my… shadow girl?”

Daemon’s voice was small and weak, making my heart clutch in my chest.

Some part of me wanted to turn away, to save myself from having to witness his pain.

But I couldn’t do that.

He was hurt because of me.

The least I could do was witness his pain.

I sucked in a deep breath I immediately regretted as the metallic scent of his blood filled my nose.

My cloak fell away as I forced my feet forward. But it wasn’t until I was right in front of him that I finally forced my gaze to lift.

Then immediately wished I hadn’t.

If I thought he’d been brutalized the last time, I had been sorely mistaken.

“Don’t even think about it,” he said as my hand automatically lifted, thinking of nothing but giving him a break from the pain that had to be searing through damn near every inch of his body.

“You need to rest.”

“No,” he said, tone uncharacteristically sharp.

“You’re in pain.”

Because of me.

“I said no, sweetness.”

I couldn’t just stand there, doing nothing.

Suddenly, I knew what I could do to ease his pain.

My gaze slid to his battered face as I lowered myself to my knees.

CHAPTER NINE

Daemon

I thought I knew a thing or two about pain. Until, of course, those fucking gods got their hands on me.

I stayed shit-talking for a long while. As bones cracked. As blood flowed. As someone fucked with my mind.

I thought I’d been a pretty decent torturer. I spent eternity showing evil humans all the ways their bodies could hurt.

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