Page 43 of Prince of Demons
“How old were you?”
“Eight,” she said softly.
Silence fell between them. Though she didn’t look up, she could still feel his eyes on her. Feel the judgment in them.
“She really trained you well, didn’t she?” he said quietly. Disgust laced every word. “Taught you that your pain and fear mean nothing if they get in the way of her convenience. Or, let me guess, in the way of her Golden Child? I think you know, deep down, that even if she’d believed in our existence, she wouldn’t have sacrificed herself for your brother’s life. She’d have expected you to do it. Just like you’ve been trained to do.”
“That’s not true!” Georgia glared up at him, anger and hurt giving her the strength to meet his disturbing eyes again. “She gave up everything for me and Larry. She wasn’t perfect, but at least she stuck around. That’s a hell of a lot better than what my dad did. And why do you even care? What is my upbringing to you? Didn’t you say you had a war to focus on, rather than the massive inconvenience that is me?”
The prince huffed what could have been a mirthless laugh, one corner of his sinful lips curving up a fraction of an inch. “You’re right. I don’t care. Keep being a doormat, Breeder. It’ll only make you easier to control for whichever demon claims you in the end.” He got to his feet and flicked two fingers at her—his command to follow.
“Where are we going?” God, how she wished her voice didn’t wobble.
Kesh glanced at her before he began walking out of the kitchen. Toward the bedroom.
“You sold yourself for a stranger, Breeder. You know where we’re going.”
She did. Nails digging into her palms, she followed him. Whatever humiliations he had in store for her, she’d chosen this willingly. For Suzanne.
At least there was some comfort in that.
21
Kesh
Georgia practically crept into the bedroom after him, silent and cowed.
He was a demon—finding a human’s pain points was as natural as breathing, and the satisfaction of forcing the Breeder to finally face the reality of her spineless existence should have given him nothing but pleasure.
Instead, seeing her this…pitiful… made his skin itch and his pulse drum in his temples.
Kesh glared at her as he rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the unpleasant sensation. What the fuck was he doing? Accepting a bargain from a fucking Breeder that would have her, what, servicing him like a common whore? Neither of them had spelled out exactly how she’d be paying for the time and effort he’d expended on the human spawnling, but he knew how a woman could help a male relax.
It was one thing to take her energy, though if Mallorn ever found out, he didn’t doubt his Second would have further things to say about the Breeder staying in his care. It was quite another to take pleasure from her for base gratification. He had to get his shit together before he ruined any chance of her training to take, despite how desperate his stupid instincts were for her attentions.
“Get out.”
The Breeder jolted at his growled command, nervous eyes flashing up to his. “W-what?”
“Get. Out,” he repeated, emphasizing each syllable. “I’m releasing you from this idiotic bargain. I don’t need you to take care of me. Go rest in the living room—I’ll come get you when I’ve talked to the king about the events in Maine, and then we’ll get you branded before you sleep so we can continue your training tomorrow.” And then mated off at the earliest possibility. He didn’t say the last part out loud.
Georgia blinked, body jerking with the instinct to obey his command. But as she placed a hand on the doorknob, she turned to look back up at him, and a flash of reluctant determination settled in her eyes. “No.”
“No?” he repeated, eye-ridged arching.
“We… we made a bargain.” She drew in a deep breath and set her shoulders before releasing the doorknob, stepping back toward him. “You kept your end. I am going to keep mine.”
He gave her an incredulous stare. “I don’t think you quite understand, Breeder. I am rescinding our bargain. Do you know how often a demon will do this?”
“I’m guessing rather rarely,” she said, cheeks flushing. “I’m not trying to be ungrateful; it’s just…”
“It’s just what?” He narrowed his eyes at her. A demon didn’t voluntarily give up a bargain ‘rather rarely’. It was ‘never’. And yet this infuriating human girl chose this moment to challenge him? “Is it that you want to get on your knees for me?”
Her blush deepened. “No. I just… if I don’t keep my end, then you’re unlikely to make another bargain with me in the future. And it’s been made very clear that bargaining is the only way I get any say or agency with you or any other demon. So please… let me… let me take care of you. I’ll make it worth your while. I promise.”
Kesh bared his teeth, frustration making a low snarl rumble out of his throat. Georgia’s eyes widened in response, her muscles tensing as if she were fighting the urge to flee. But she stayed put.
“Please.”
