Page 29 of Demon Kissed
Jason’s eyes narrow almost imperceptibly. He eyes Zolroth like a fighter assessing an opponent.
“Who the fuck are you?” he demands at last, crossing his arms over his chest. He hefts his chin up in what I think is supposed to be an intimidating gesture. The fact that he’s a few inches shorter than Zolroth and significantly lankier isn’t lost on anyone.
“Zolroth,” the charming—did I say charming? I meant disgusting—demon responds, extending a hand. “And I’m just here to walk my girl to our first class.”
His girl?
His girl?!
My panties and my brain simultaneously combust. One in a good way. The other…not.
Jason glares at Zolroth a second more, sizing him up before eventually conceding with a scowl. To me, he says, “I’ll talk to you later.”
As the footballer stalks away, muttering incoherent curse words beneath his breath, I whirl on Zolroth.
“What the fuck was that all about?” I’m keenly aware that the gaggle of girls I noted earlier have inched a few steps closer, almost as if they’re attempting to eavesdrop on our conversation. Actually, there’s no “almost” about it. Molly is virtually doing the splits in an attempt to get closer and listen in. And I can see frickin’ Janie St. James practically sprinting down the hall so she can catch up on this gossip.
Zolroth maintains his stupidly perfect and pretty smile, grabbing my arm gently and dragging me towards a…janitor’s closet.
Yup.
I can already hear the rumors.
“You son of a donkey’s anus!” I hiss when we’re inside and he finally releases me. Immediately, I rub at my skin, despite the fact his touch caused no pain. If anything, licks of fire dance just beneath the surface, surging through my veins.
“I’ve never heard a girl swear as much as you,” he muses, tapping one of his dark, elegant fingers against his chin in contemplation. Piano hands. And…now is not the time to think of those fingers gliding across the keys and other, more sensitive areas. His next words, however, smother that illusion. “It’s so…uncouth.”
Rage blinds me as I glare up at the condescending, smug asshole. “Okay, listen up. I know that I accidentally summoned you or whatever, but you guys need to leave me the hell alone. You’re fucking with mylife.”
Those dark, golden-tinted eyes of his twinkle slightly.
“We had a deal, princess, and we’re not allowed to leave until we fulfill our end. William Washingtonhasto fall in love with you.”
“And I can do that without your help!” I seethe, balling my hands into fists. I suppose a small, minuscule part of me is upset that none of these demons seem to believe I’m capable of getting William’s love without their help.
Am I really that dull of a person that I have to change myself so completely? Do I have to become unrecognizable? Will William ever just like me for me?
Stop it with the depressive thoughts, Katrina. Grow a pair of ovaries and destroy this asshole.
“I got you a present.” Zolroth’s abrupt change in topic gives me whiplash as he fiddles with something in his jacket pocket before removing it. A fuzzy black box sits snugly in his hand, and when he opens it, I see an admittedly gorgeous silver charm bracelet. Only one charm dangles from the end—a luminescent K that glitters in the dim lighting of the closet.
“What the fuck?” I eye the bracelet as if it’s coated with poison. “Did you steal it?”
Zolroth looks affronted, his lips compressed in a grim line. He scoffs indignantly as he grabs my wrist and clasps the bracelet onto my unmoving, limp limb.
“Of course not. Unlike the other imbeciles, I invest in stocks whenever I travel to the earthen realm. After a century or so, you’re able to procure a small fortune.” He smiles disarmingly, as if his words didn’t send my head in a tailspin. Fortune? Centuries? They’d told me they were old…but that was when I thought everything was an elaborate prank.
“Why are you doing this?” I breathe, staring intently at the bracelet. It really is beautiful, in a hypnotizing way.
“It’s simple.” His finger lightly, almost teasingly, traces the vein on my wrist. Goosebumps pebble on my arm at the menial contact. “Your William is a jealous fellow. If he thinks that you’re taken…” He shrugs his broad shoulders nonchalantly.
A part of me is annoyed, but a larger part is…hurt. Hurt that all of his kind words are nothing but a ploy to make William Washington jealous.
I immediately dismiss the notion that I should be hurt by that. I don’t know Zolroth or any of these demons, and they don’t know me. We’re both using each other to get what we want. Zolroth doesn’t care about me any more than I care about him or any of his “friends.”
So why is he giving me the bracelet in private, away from gossiping eyes?
“I don’t need your help,” I repeat, shoving past him to open the closet door. “I’m more than capable of finding a boyfriend on my own, thank you very much.”
