Page 14 of Taken to the Shadow Realm

I glared at her. Did she really think I would turn her human into a soul sphere?

“That hurts me,” I said. “I thought we were friends.”

“I didn’t know you could?—“

“Sold!”

That was all I needed. I sent my shadows to the human, allowing the orb to drop to the ground. She didn’t resist the tendrils as they grabbed her. Instead, she seemed to sink into them—like not only could she see them, but she was also unafraid. Like she knew I wasn’t like the others.

Good. I knew I could trust my shadows, and they had been right to pick her.

I didn’t bother looking at Aris or the twins. As soon as I had my prize in hand, I took us straight back to my realm.

Iris

“So, you’re not going to eat me?” I asked as I pushed myself up onto my knees. The bed tilted under my weight, bringing me closer to the breathtaking demon in front of me.

From the moment I saw her—Yien, she said her name was after I offered mine, even if she didn’t say anything else about her—I knew she was different.

Her aura was large—larger than any of the others’—and completely devoid of color, save for a few dark sparkles hidden throughout. Even those were spread out, some of the inky tendrils extending out, trailing close to me but never touching.

Her hair was as long and black as her aura. Her eyes all black except for the small white pupils. Her horns curled backwards with glittering gems embedded in them.

I want to trace them with my fingers. The irrational idea popped up in my head, and I realized that, even as I got closer, she didn’t move from her seat at the end of the bed. She was looking at me, her expression devoid of emotion, and even without being able to see her colors, her eyes told me everything.

She was curious. Just as curious as I was.

I had never been with a woman before. Even if I wanted to, Father always set me up with men. Selfish men who didn’t know what to do with their own equipment and who didn’t care about making it pleasurable for a woman.

But this demon… She ignited something in me I had never felt before. A want.

I wanted her.

More than I had any man.

“I don’t crave human flesh anymore,” she finally said, her answer straight to the point without any further explanation.

I had been caught off guard when I woke up in a cold castle-like structure with no memory of how I got there, but when I saw her sitting at the end of my bed waiting patiently for me… I wasn’t afraid.

She seemed different from the ones at the auction. Those monsters projected their bloodlust far and wide, potent enough that it made the air thick with it.

Even without the colors in her aura, I felt none of it from her.

And if she wanted to eat me, she would have already. So why am I here?

“Why me?” I asked. “Do you need my powers for something? The other demons seemed to want them for themselves.”

I could still hear their shouts in my head. The fear I felt when I saw the bright, colorful bursts of red—what I came to realize was bloodlust.

Then I remembered the caress of what I learned was her aura.

I had never met someone who could control their own aura like she had.

“I want a companion,” she said, her eyes trailing my face.

A companion. Maybe she is lonely?

Whatever it was, it didn’t sound like I was to be her sex slave.

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