Page 6 of Prince of Demons
Georgia’s stomach tightened.
“Unfortunately, my dear girl, it would seem good old Lewin tricked you. You’ll find some of our kind have that nasty habit. You did indeed sell him your body. It’s his to do with as he pleases,” Jimmy said.
The tightening in her gut climbed up to her throat, squeezing her windpipe. “No. That’s… That’s only supposed to be after I die! You can’t make me do this.”
“Now now,” Jimmy tooted. “It’s not so bad. You like sex, don’t you? Humans are usually so obsessed with it anyway, and if you are what he says you are… We’ll treat you like a princess. Don’t you want your brother healthy, hmm? Just look at Loyt here and tell me what you see.” He gestured to the big demon, the one who hadn’t opened the door for them.
Georgia hesitated, eyes flicking from Jimmy to Loyt. She’d sold herself in exchange for Larry’s life without hesitating. But she’d thought… She’d thought it’d be a gross, monthly transaction with a creepy but not too terrifying demon. Not forced prostitution to an endless horde of nightmarish creatures.
Did it matter?
If she did this, Larry would live. If she didn’t… He would die.
Since the day he’d been born, she’d known she’d protect her baby brother. No matter the cost.
She dug her nails into her palms and opened her mouth to describe the thick scales and brutish horns on the burly demon, but the same voice that had echoed in her head before she signed Lewin’s contract rang through her like someone had struck a gong.
Don’t. Don’tdon’tdon’t. Georgina. Notthis. Don’t.
Georgia blinked. Through the years, she’d come to think of that voice as her sixth sense. But it had only ever said the one word; don’t. Never more. Never her name.
And never with such panicked urgency.
“I… Don’t know what you mean,” she whispered. “I see a man.”
Jimmy sighed irritably. “Oh, you do, do you? Fine, if you don’t want to cooperate, you certainly don’t have to.” He snapped his fingers, and darkness rose from his yellow claws in a slowly twisting plume.
Georgia gasped and shrank back on instinct, but Lewin still held onto her shoulder, keeping her in place.
Jimmy gave her a nasty smile, and then the plume of dark energy began to float toward her like a thick trail of smoke.
“What are you doing?” she wheezed, eyes round and not leaving what she was pretty sure was some sort of black magic.
“Not to worry, princess. If you are what old Lewin claims, you won’t feel a thing,” the demon pimp purred. “Of course, if you aren’t… Well, then he gets to scrape his contracted whore off the floor in bits. And we’ll have a nice little chat about how you’ll pay what you owe me, won’t we, Lewin?”
“She’s the real deal,” Lewin growled, his hold becoming tighter as Georgia bucked against him, panic clawing at her throat as the plume brushed against her skin.
It was like being touched by slimy, temperate tendrils. Georgia shuddered and fought harder against Lewin to escape its unpleasant caress, but it vanished as instantly as it’d appeared.
Gasps sounded from both the burly bodyguards, one of them croaking out, “It’s true!”
“Oh, my.” There was no disguising the lecherous glee in Jimmy’s voice, nor the greed in his cold eyes roaming over her as if she were a particularly tasty piece of meat. “Consider your debts repaid in full, Lewin. It would seem you’ve managed to find me a Breeder.”
4
Georgia
A Breeder?
Georgia swallowed hard. Not exactly a classification she’d have loved on the best of days, but stuck in a demon brothel, the word twanged especially ominously down her spine.
“Look, I don’t know what you think’s going to happen here, but I can assure you I won’t be breeding with anyone of you,” Georgia snarled, somehow managing to sound a lot less terrified than she felt. “My contract was for fluids. With Lewin. Not some hell-beast pimp.”
Lewin snorted behind her, finally releasing his hold on her arms so he could trail a nicotine-yellowed finger down her cheek. Goosebumps of revulsion broke out all along her skin. “Humans. So… naïve. A bit of desperation, and you’re always ready to sign whatever gets put in front of you on blind faith alone.”
Georgia cringed away from his touch, but before she could put distance between herself and the asshole demon who’d tricked her, one of the big guys—Loyt—stepped forward and shoved Lewin off her, nostrils flared with anger.
“You’re not worthy of touching a Breeder,” he growled. “Get out.”
