Page 67 of Prince of Demons
“How very… interesting.” Those awful eyes swept up the length of her body, as if investigating a new puzzle piece for where it might fit.
“Where… where’s Kesh?” she managed to croak.
“Out.” He didn’t take his gaze off her. “He will be back soon.”
Kesh just left her with him? Alone?
Georgia fidgeted under the disturbed demon’s intense stare, feeling heat flood her cheeks and her pulse thud unevenly in her throat. Kesh wouldn’t have left her if he’d believed his father a threat to her—that much she felt certain of, despite everything else. Yet her instincts screamed at her that this creature was far more dangerous than any of her demons she'd encountered.
“Um… I’ll… wait for him in there, then…” She backtracked until the bedroom door hit her ass, fumbled with the knob until the door swung open, and quickly stepped inside. Then she slammed it shut and turned the lock.
“Jesus Christ.” It came out in a hoarse whisper. She shuddered and rubbed at her arms, trying to settle the sudden flush of goosebumps.
“I never did understand why humans really went so hard for him in particular. I mean, I know his PR campaign was flawless, but… there are so many other, far more interesting deities to worship. Don’t you think?”
Georgia yipped at the unexpected voice and spun around. On the bed, wearing a clean white dress, her feet bare and legs crossed at the ankles, sat Suzanne.
“Wh- How—what??” Complete confusion. This—this made no sense. Did Kesh bring her here? No, that would be ridiculous. He’d made it plenty clear he’d seen the girl as a stain to be scraped off his boot as swiftly as possible.
Did she follow them back from Maine?
No, even more ridiculous—and even if she somehow had, it didn’t explain how she’d made it through Kesh’s guards and up to the penthouse floor.
“Don’t be scared. I’m not here to hurt you.”
Georgia blinked at the scrap of a girl. “Hurt me? Honey, how did you get here? Does your mother know where you are?”
Pearling laughter cut her off. “Oh, Georgia… Your kind really are the gentlest souls humanity has to offer.” Suzanne waved a hand. Golden light shimmered off her slim figure, and suddenly, a grown woman sat on the bed in her stead. “I apologize for deceiving you, dear one. I needed to tap into your protective instincts in a bit of a rush up in Maine. And seem as non-threatening as possible to the big brute you’ve been saddled with.”
Acid shock replaced confusion, followed by a wave of fear.
Kesh’s terrifying father was right—there had been a goddess on the battlefield.
“What do you want from me?” Georgia had seen plenty of demons in her life. A goddess, however? That was a first. Instinctively, she backed up and fumbled for the doorknob. A soft prickling in her fingers as she connected with the metal made her glance over her shoulder. The door shimmered in the same golden light that had turned Suzanne from a sweet, non-threatening child into a full-ass goddess.
“It’s just a little… camouflage. That demon out there has quite the nasty reputation. Trust me, neither of us wants him aware of my presence.” Suzanne shuddered. “And you really don’t have to look so scared, Georgia. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help. Come, have a seat. Let’s have a little… girl chat.” She patted the bed.
“Help?” Cautiously, Georgia peeled herself off the door and approached the goddess. She looked sincere, her facial expression friendly and open. And if there was even a chance… “Help how? Can you… can you get me out of this… Breeder situation?”
Suzanne sighed softly, her soft lips tilting with a hint of regret. “Unfortunately not. The Breeder situation was negotiated many centuries ago—it’s not in my power to undo it. But I can help you get a bit more say in what happens going forward. To you, and the world around you. Is that of some interest?”
Considering her life had been written off as a broodmare? “Yes. Yes, that has… some interest.” Georgia cautiously sat on the spot Suzanne indicated. “But as I understand it… well, I’m pretty much trapped. I signed a contract… this, being allowed to pick my own… er, husband, I guess… is pretty much best-case scenario. Right?”
Suzanne rolled her eyes. “Oh, I bet the brutes genuinely believe that’s a real win for one of their helpless little Breeder slaves. No offense. Even after their new queen demonstrated what kind of power you contain, they still can’t quite wrap their meaty heads around you being more than a womb to exploit.”
Georgia blinked. “I’m sorry… power? What power am I supposed to contain? And… what exactly is it you can do to help me? And why do you want to? What’s in it for you?” It felt borderline disrespectful to ask that of a freaking goddess, but considering the circumstances, it felt prudent. “And also, what was the whole Maine-charade about? If you didn’t want Kesh to know your identity, why come here?”
“Ah, yes… All fair questions.” Suzanne smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners, but there was a sharpness in them. “Your power, darling, is what draws the demon scum to you like flies to honey. It’s the light you carry—their darkness craves it on a primordial level.”
“My light? I don’t carry any light. At most, I carry a depressive gray. There’s nothing special about me—outside of being able to see through demonic disguises. Well… I could. I can’t anymore, not after this thing.” Georgia touched a hand to her forehead. “And, supposedly, the whole… breeding thing.”
Suzanne let out another pealing laugh. “Oh, sweet girl… Yes, outside of being one of the rarest creatures on the planet, there’s nothing special about you. Your light, Georgia, is what makes you feel others’ pain. Makes you do whatever you can to help them not hurt anymore. It’s what made you run into the middle of a battlefield to save a helpless child. But it’s more than that—it’s magic in its purest form.
“For centuries, it was believed the ability to use it had been lost with the agreement to tie your fates to the demons. It hasn’t. The queen proved as much. You are powerful, Georgia. More than you know. You just have to learn to unlock it.”
Georgia rubbed at her temples, where a headache was threatening to form. “Okay… let me get this straight… You’re saying I have magic? As in… make things levitate, heal illness, blow things up magic?”
Suzanne’s lips curled up in an amused smile. “Yes… depending on application.”
