Page 75 of Demon Kissed
“So we’re going to have a sleepover!” Akor squeals, leaning across the carseat, wrapping me in his muscular arms, and squeezing like a boa constrictor. Well, if boa constrictors were two hundred pounds of sinewy muscle with tattooed skin and pink mohawks. Semantics.
“But Adam…” I allow that sentence to hang unfinished. Really, there’s not much more I can say.
“He’s coming with us, of course,” Raz replies gruffly as we pull into the parking lot. Adam participates in an after-school program that allows me to stay at decathlon late when my parents can’t pick him up (which is the majority of the time). The lot is nearly empty, sans the occasional car and SUV that belong to the staff.
“Adam… Your…house… Why… No…” I’m not making a lick of sense, but come fucking on! Their house screams “demon torture lair” slash “bachelor pad for the criminally insane.” I’m ninety percent sure I saw an altar next to the washing machine the last time I visited. And I can’t forget about Jason, their newest pet human.
Hopefully, theironlypet human.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head.” Akor accentuates each word with a kiss on my forehead. Pulling away, he smiles down at me with all the innocence of a convicted serial killer on death row. “We hid all the bodies.”
That’s a terrible joke.
It better be a joke.
Before I can protest their plan, Zolroth puts the car into park, and all of the demons turn towards me expectantly. For a full minute, I simply flounder in silence, my mouth repeatedly opening and closing like a gaping fish. Finally, I nod my head jerkily and slip from the car. Kastros, of all people, follows behind me.
“Katty!” Adam screams as soon as we enter, barreling into my arms. Sasha—the pretty red-headed worker—smiles in greeting when we step inside before her eyes trail over to Kastros, lust darkening her features.
“How was he today?” I ask, ignoring her blatant ogling. And the way it makes me feel—like thousands of fire ants are crawling just beneath my skin.
I reluctantly release Adam, who immediately races towards Kastros, plowing the six-foot-something man over. Kastros’s harsh features soften instantaneously as he ruffles my little brother’s hair affectionately.
“Perfect, as usual.” Sasha sidles a few steps closer, lowering her voice to a hushed murmur. “Is he yours?”
“Huh?” I blink at her stupidly, and she nods at Kastros, who’s currently nodding along as Adam regales him with stories about his day.
“Is he yours, or is he single?”
Fury clenches my heart as red sweeps over my vision. Surprised by my intense—and completely out of character—reaction, I take a calming breath, allowing my lungs to replenish their air supply.
“Y-Yes,” I stutter at last, before I can think better of it. “He’s mine.”
Abort mission! Abort!
“Dammit!” Sasha curses, scowling. “It’s always the good ones, am I right?”
I awkwardly laugh…before retreating like the hounds of Hell themselves are nipping at my ass.
* * *
Against my better judgement,we arrive at the demons’…house…secret villain lair…only a few minutes later. Immediately, Adam races towards a humongous Lego set—I think it’s supposed to build Hogwarts or something—located in the middle of the room beside the pit that currently has yellow caution tape across it. That had most definitelynotbeen there before.
Come to think of it, the entire “house” has been transformed to fit my little brother’s needs. The television now has a collection of DVDs ranging fromPaw PatroltoDora. And the giant pentagram tapestry that used to hang on the wall? Yeah, that has been removed and replaced somehow with the contents of aHome and Gardenmagazine, down to the potpourri balls on the coffee table.
“People!” Jason barrels forward from around the corner, bouncing on the balls of his feet. The huge athlete is panting like he just ran seven miles. “Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! HI! Hi! Hi! Hi! Ohhhhh shiny.” He whips his head to the side, where Akor is dangling a piece of metal. He then twists his head back to stare at me. “Brain.” Then to Akor. “Shiny.” Then to me. “Brain.” Then to Akor. “Shiny.”
“Come here, boy,” Akor coos, slapping both of his knees, the metal object still grasped in his hand.
Jason moves to his hands and feet and begins to race circles around the pink-haired pain demon, his tongue lolling to the side.
It’s the strangest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Go get the toy! Get the toy! Get the toy!” When he has Jason hyped up enough, Akor tosses the metal object at the nearby closet, which instantly careens open unaided…allowing a headless body to fall out, splattering across the wooden floorboards.
For a moment, no one speaks. Akor stares from me, to the body, and then to Adam, who mercifully has his back turned as he plays toy soldiers with Zolroth and Raz. Kastros merely rolls his eyes as he throws himself into one of the couches—you know, the one in the random fucking hole in the middle of the ground. Van merely smirks, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.
“Welp, this is fucking awkward,” Akor drawls as he begins shoving the body behind a potted plant. Not back in the closet, mind you, but behind this diminutive, artificial plant. When an arm falls off, I begin to dry-heave, but Akor merely tosses the limb to Jason, who shakes his head from side to side, the appendage clasped between his teeth. “I have to feed my pet, you know? You zombify a guy, and suddenly, he becomes your responsibility. But don’t worry! He was already dead. I didn’t kill him. This guy, I mean.” He points towards the plant. “Not Jason. I totally killedthatfucker. Accidentally, of course.”
