Page 37 of Demon Loved
“It’s gonna be okay, princess. We aren’t going to let them take your brother,” Raz soothes me as his fingers gently work my old blouse off. His fingers lightly trace the back of my hand and squeeze once, his eyes completely focused on mine the entire time, trying to calm me and bring my mind back. “I’m going to put that shirt on you now, okay?” he warns me, and I hear the soft gravel in his voice that I always heard from Ziel.
Somehow, that makes my mind calmer and it suspends my panic just a bit, just enough for me to help hold up my arms as he uses the gentlest touch imaginable to slide Van’s shirt over my shoulders.
He leans in so that his face is in my direct line of sight. “I’m going to tuck it in because we’re going to fly, okay?”
I give a half nod, or at least I think I do.
He gently tucks my shirt in, careful not to bump me, treating me as though I’m made of porcelain. And maybe I am.
“Adam’s my—”
“Your family,” he finishes for me. He cups my chin and gently swipes away the tears still clinging to my eyelashes, though I refuse to let them fall. “Don’t worry, princess. We got you.”
Those words. I dive into his chest and wrap my arms around him so tightly that I’d worry I’d hurt him if he wasn’t such a damn invincible demon.
His hand slides up and down my spine in a soothing manner for a minute before he says, “We’d better hurry.”
He doesn’t wait for me to find the strength to move. I don’t know if I have it yet anyway. He just scoops me into his arms. He taps on the sliding door of the van, and someone opens it from outside.
I see Akor’s impatient face lean in, but a second later, Raz is sliding out with me in his arms. My demons all have their black wings out. They don’t care at all about the humans seeing us, which raises my brows, but Raz waves a hand, and suddenly, all I see are crows. His magic is truly amazing, and I feel slightly awed for a moment.
Then he shifts me in his arms so he can get a better grip. His own wings burst out like a parachute, quick and wide in under a second. I hardly have time to gasp at that before we shoot into the air.
The flight home is cold, and the beauty of it is completely lost on me. I’m shivering in Raz’s arms by the time he touches back down.
I see my mom’s convertible gleaming in their driveway, and my fingers tighten against Raz’s neck in terrified fury.
“Shhh, you’ll be all right, princess. We’ve got you now.” Raz sets me down and takes my hand in his. He leads me over to Van and gently transfers my hand to the lust demon. They exchange a look that I can’t comprehend, possibly because both of their eyes are burning red-hot right now.
Raz strides over to the front door, which Kastros has already unlocked. And then my demons walk inside, not bothering to hide their wings, letting their horns erupt from their foreheads as soon as they clear the front door. Van and I shuffle inside last, as though my parents are some kind of physical threat.
They’re not. Their threats are the emotional kind, and when I see Mom’s hand holding tightly onto Adam’s as he clutches a brand-new, light up Godzilla toy in his hand, I can’t help but feel like that stupid Japanese monster is stomping through my life and wrecking it. A bribe? Is that all it takes?
Next to them, Zolroth is leaning against the wall, fury shooting from his eyes, but he still can’t even stand upright. I’m shocked he delayed them long enough for us to get here. It looks like it took everything out of him to do so.
“Katty, we’re going home! Mom and Dad got a new house!” Adam grins, trying to separate himself from our mother and run over to give me a hug.
My parents’ eyes drift over the man’s T-shirt that I’m wearing on top of my school uniform skirt, and their lips both thin, drawing conclusions. For a second, my cheeks flame, and shame and humiliation boil my insides.
But then Van whispers in my ear, “I love you.”
And that shame and humiliation turn into anger instead. How dare they judge me when they left me with Adam after the fire, left him in my care for over a week without a single word, without caring? They didn’t do anything to ensure our safety, just let me take care of Adam so long as it was convenient for them.
So, why are they here now? Why did they go talk to Adam at the daycare? My eyes flit between my parents in their dark power suits. They’re scoffing at us.
“Really, Katrina? What is this, some kind of death metal band who pretends to be vampires? You’re a groupie now?” Mother’s tone is scathing as she eyes my demons, dismissing their wings and horns as costumes.
That makes me want to laugh.
Oh, how little she knows.
My guys say nothing, giving me the opportunity to take the reins, I suppose. What I want to do is spit curse words and vitriol at them, and tell them I hate them and they’ve fucked me up permanently and they should never have been allowed to procreate.
But I can’t. Because Adam’s here. And if I’m the only damn example of decency he’s got, then I’ve got to hold all that shit in that’s clawing like a feral tiger inside of my chest, just begging for a chance to go for the jugular.
So instead of my tongue lashing out like a whip when I open my mouth, what comes out is, “You’re taking Adam and leaving me?” And fuck me if my voice doesn’t crack on that last word.
My dad’s expression is utter annoyance. “You’ve chosen your path. We won’t let you take your brother down the same road.”
