Page 58 of Demons of Eden

Before I can ask what the hell it is he means by that, I’m distracted by the quick use of a spell to clean up the vomit. While there are some spells I know for cleaning, they focus more on disinfecting things, like the tools I use for my potion making. I still have to wash them normally first unless I want to go through the effort of levitating everything, controlling the entire process mentally. At that point, it takes less energy to use my own hands. Of course, this asshole demon happens to know a cheat spell for the whole task, like he would ever degrade his person by cleaning anything himself. A few words, and two seconds later—poof,the whole mess is gone. The universe is a criminally unfair place.

“Have you noticed any physical changes yet? Any sign of horns growing in?” the demon asks curiously, narrowing his eyes as he scans them over me. Well shit, that confirms beyond any doubt he knows about the demon baby.

I’d be more irritated at the casual way he’s addressing me, acting as if he didn’t just abduct me off the street and cartme off to who knows where, but… “Horns?” I question, hands immediately going to my head, feeling around my temples and through my hair for any sign of them.

No one said anything about growing fucking horns…

“Hmm.” He hums lowly to himself, a scrutinising expression on his face as he seems to finish his visual inspection of me. “No matter, I’m sure they will appear as you progress. Though, it would have made the acceleration easier on you if they’d already broken skin.”

“Acceleration?” I demand, worried I already have a pretty good guess as to what it is he intends to accelerate. It sounds like a terrible idea, as if three months isn’t an insanely sped-up pregnancy timeline as it is!

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with now. The preparations for the ritual aren’t quite complete, but with Ashtaroth returning to your side, I decided continuing to wait patiently simply wouldn’t do.” He pauses, as if contemplating whether or not to continue explaining, before adding, “Demons possess a unique ability when it comes to bonding to their children, and it would be bothersome to have to untether his bond with them before establishing my own.”

He wants to fucking what?

“I won’t let you take this baby,” I hiss, backing away from the demon as one of my arms wraps over my middle. I hit the wall behind me, and panic surges through my body as I finally take in the space I’ve been brought to. A room with no windows or doors, all of the walls covered in magical runes. There’s a bed on one side of the space and a not-at-all private bathroom area on the other.

It’s an inescapable magic cell. Just fucking great.

“In that you have no choice,” Paimon replies calmly, speaking in a way not dissimilar to how someone would explain an immutable fact to a confused child. It’s beyond infuriating.

“How fucking dare you! You’re high on fairy crack if you think you have any right!” Without thinking, I feel myself reaching for the energy coiled inside of me. I pull as much of it as I can in two seconds, then throw my hands out as I toss it at him, undirected into any spell.

The bastard bats it away like it’s nothing.

“You’ll have to try harder than that,” he scoffs, waving a hand back at me, sending me pressed flat against the wall, my hands pinned either side of my head by an invisible force. “I had hoped you would be more reasonable. I should have known from our first meeting that your impertinent nature would prove troublesome.”

Impertinent nature? Troublesome?

“You kidnapped me, you freaking lunatic, but I’m the one that’s troublesome? You’re out of your fucking mind…”

“Hardly,” he scoffs, dismissing my words as if I’m nothing.

Oh, when this bastard releases me, I’m going straight for those stupid, yellow-slitted eyes of his. I’ll gouge them right out of his head with my nails if I have to. I’ll scratch up that stupid pretty face and make it just as ugly as he is on the inside. He is going to fucking regret even thinking of trying to steal my child and every ridiculous, completely insane thing he’s said in the process.

“I’m going to kill you,” I reply through gritted teeth. Probably unwise to inform him of my plans. Then again, it’s not as if he can’t already tell what I’m thinking from my face. I’m sure he’s getting the full effect of the Eden death stare right now.

“You can try, but what good will it do your child? You should think carefully about what you say or do next, Eden Cross. You could still live to play a part in their life…” he trails off, like he’s dangling the opportunity of raising my own damn child over me as he steps closer, until he’s right in front of me, and there’s nothing I can do to get away. “But I cannot and will notallow you to poison them against me. I have waited too long for anoth—an opportunity like this. Demon children are so rare as it is, let alone a hybrid child. All of the power, and none of the weaknesses. It’s truly a marvel such a being could come from the union between a demon and a lesser species.”

Paimon places his hand on my stomach, and if I could move more than my mouth and eyes, I’d bite the damn thing off. He must see it in my eyes, amusement sparkling in his own as he laughs and steps away. Every muscle in my body is on fire with the need to fight him. To rip the skin from his body. To carve that stupid ass smile off his face with a fucking blade. “The child is well. You should get some rest now while you can.”

“Screw you,” I snark, showing him the teeth I’m going to use to rip his fucking throat out with. I’ll burn this fucking planet to ashes before I let anyone take my child from me. Every breath I take forces my chest to strain with the effort.

“How flattering,” he replies, voice dripping with sarcasm, though it turns almost contemplative as he continues, “However, perhaps we should simply start with this child before adding more?” His words send disgust coursing through my veins. Repulsive sack of ass.

“I’d rather die than go anywhere near you.”I’d also rather set him on fire and watch him slowly melt.I’ve never felt fury like this before. I will protect this baby with my life, but more than that, I won’t allow them to suffer the fate this demonic cunt is promising us.

“We will see how you feel once you get hungry. I believe that is a change you’ve experienced at this stage? The increased likelihood of being able to add another,one of my own line, is a possible benefit to the first child’s sire being an incubus, I suppose.”

I hate that I can’t seem to string together a retort. His words are sending my mind into a spiralling panic because none ofwhat he’s said or the implications of it sound good. Not for me. Shit. Goddess, please, if I can’t find a way to escape, let the guys manage the impossible and rescue me from this hell. I’ll even let Rio call me a damsel in distress forever if it means getting me the fuck away from this creep. And preferably sooner rather than later…

Paimon keeps me held in place as he turns and walks over to the other side of the room. He pauses at the wall, releasing me before lifting his hand to hover over the rune painted there for a moment. I slump a little, still leaning against the wall I’m no longer stuck to, tensing when he lowers his hand back to his side, apparently not quite ready to leave. My body feels oddly limp, like I’m a puppet with their strings cut.

After a long and tense moment, he speaks without turning around to face me again, quietly offering, “You know, I once had a child. A hybrid much like the one you carry inside of you now.”

He what?

“Cool, but I don’t give a shit about your sob story,” I quickly lie. Curiosity is a curse sometimes, but it’s not as if there’sanythinghe can possibly say that will make me less furious about this situation, so I’m hardly going to show an interest. It doesn’t matter how intriguing what he said is. “Losing your child doesn’t mean you can steal mine.”

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