Page 34 of Demon Sworn
One and done.
Right now, Akor’s smile is as sharp as a knife, and it cuts right through me just the same.
“Cherry,” he purrs, taking a step closer to wrap a strand of my pink hair around his finger. “You know what happened last time you…interrupted an interview.”
He means a few days ago, when I broke that greed demon’s horn. Yeah, not my finest moment. Since then, my demons have refused to take me with them. And Raz got on Kastros’s ass for letting me go inside in the first place.
“You need to go to school, Katrina,” Raz told me firmly when I protested. “Kastros will stay home and watch Adam. Akor will accompany you. But Zolroth, Van, and I? We’re going to continue the interrogations.Withoutyour help.” His eyes were steel chips in the darkness and just as unwavering. I knew arguing would be futile, so I relented, although reluctantly.
And now I’m here.
In the Earth-version of Hell. High school.
At least school was somewhat bearable when I had all of my guys with me. Huh. I wonder what they told the school about their extended absence? Probably nothing, knowing them. My guess is they just stopped showing up, leaving all of the teachers scratching their heads in bewilderment and scrambling to cover their classes.
“Besides,” Akor slings an arm around my shoulder as he steers me towards my first class of the day, “you have me. Isn’t that amazing? We can play pin the tail on your English teacher if you get bored, okay?” He leans down to lick the shell of my ear, and I feel my face instantly burst into flames.
Stacy, one of my best friends, gapes at me from where she stands across the hall, chatting with her boyfriend, David. Without preamble, she grips his arm and all but drags him towards us.
“Katrina! You bitch! Where have you been?” She places a hand on her hip and cocks it to the side, her blonde hair doing that elegant swish that all beautiful girls’ hair seems to do.
“Errr…” I turn towards Akor, hoping he will have an excuse for my belated attendance, but he’s too busy glaring daggers at a nervous David to answer. “I’ve been sick. You knew that.” It’s the lie we’ve been telling everyone who asks.
Which…
Hasn’t been too many people, if I’m being completely honest.
“Well,” she sniffs, “you should’ve called more.”
Yeah, I think with an exasperated mental eye roll. Have you ever mentally rolled your eyes before? It’s totally a thing.You should’ve called me too.
An awkward silence ensues as we both stare at each other, unable to conjure up a word to say. It suddenly occurs to me that…we’re growing apart. Have been for quite some time. We’ve been holding on to this friendship for years, but it’s only because of the familiarity of it. The comfort. Honestly? I don’t think we’ve truly been friends for months, if not years. Our lives are too different, our stories on separate pages.
That isn’t to say that I hate Stacy, because I don’t, but I have a feeling that after a few more interactions, a few more stilted conversations, we’re going to be in entirely separate books, sifting through chapter after chapter as we each fight our own battles and struggle towards our happily ever afters.
My god. Being with these guys has turned me into a motherfucking poet.
Stacy stares at me for another full minute, long enough that the hall begins to clear and the bell rings, before she sighs heavily. I wonder if she reached the same conclusion I just did.
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay,” she says softly, her head tilted to the side as she regards me curiously. It’s not a mean expression. I imagine she’s seeing me for the first time, just as I am with her.
She wiggles her fingers in a semblance of a wave, grabs David’s hand again, and all but drags him down the hall. He stumbles after her, continuously flashing anxious glances over his shoulder at a still glaring Akor.
I jab my elbow into my pain demon’s stomach. “Hey,” I say gently. “What’s your problem?”
“Does that guy seem familiar to you?” His eyes narrow dangerously just as Stacy and David disappear around the corner.
“Um—”
“He’s the guy who’s been staring at your ass!” Akor exclaims suddenly, his proclamation loud enough to startle the freshman hall monitor rounding the corner. She squeals, stares first at me and then at Akor, before running in the opposite direction. “I’m gonna—”
“He hasn’t been staring at my ass.” I roll my eyes as I grip Akor’s bicep, pulling him to a stop. “You think every guy who looks at me is checking me out.”
“Well, obviously,” Akor huffs, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. “You’re fucking perfect, Cherry. Why wouldn’t guys stare at you?”
I’m not gonna lie—his words are probably the most romantic thing that anyone has ever said to me before. I totally smile like an imbecile as my heart gains wings and flutters up my throat.
“Akor—”
