Page 26 of Demon Queen
I narrowly missed the duchess statue, hitting the rack of candy jewelry instead. Ow. It went down with me in a crash that left me feeling skewered by the metal bars. I stayed like that for a second while the sight of demons battling in my candy shop paralyzed me with horror. They were going to wreck everything!
Roberta’s sensible suit was ripped, revealing muscular orange thighs with green markings all over the skin. She was a demon. Huh. I guess I really did attract them like catnip. She dove at Dorian, spinning so she slashed him with her barbed tail.It wasn’t one nice, conservative barb, but like eight barbs of all different sizes, going all different directions. Oh. She had more than one tail. That seemed unnecessary. All of them barbed.
She screamed this terrifying shriek like three octaves that had me covering my ears before she shoved her clawed hand deep into his chest. That had to hurt.
He smiled, grabbed her throat, and twisted off her head.
I guess that would hurt worse.
The body kept fighting while the head rolled towards me, glowing green eyes with a split pupil remarkably creepy as she kept looking around, keeping track of the fight while her body slashed, and Dorian’s chest bled.
“No. This isn’t going to work for the Halloween theme,” I said clearly as I struggled to sit up in the rattling tangle of candy jewelry. “It’s too weird. No demons, not even the cute ones with the little horns. Nope. It’s just not on brand with what I’m trying to do with Candy Kingdom. I’m sure you understand. Roberta, you’re fired.”
I scooped up the head by the hair and threw it towards Dorian. His burning eyes met mine and then his palm was on the head, hitting it like a volleyball, smashing it down, squishing it like…
I flinched and turned away, my whole body one tense knot of yuck. Was I going to throw up? Not in my candy shop. I scrambled to my feet and dashed to the kitchen. I made it to the garbage can, clinging to it while I heaved Dorian’s chicken linguine.
Thumps and crashes from the other room went on for a few more minutes. Demons apparently weren’t very easy to kill.
I shuddered and clung to the garbage can while my whole body ached. Roberta was a demon. Why? What was wrong with me? Why would I be cursed to meet more than one demon inmy life? Probably because I gave birth to one. Although Dorian made it sound like they were a problem in his club too.
“Cherry?” Dorian murmured, brushing my back with his warm hand.
A rush of strength went through me, jerking me to my feet. I whirled around to stare at the demon. His chest was bleeding and a slash was cut through his left eye and down his cheek. His excellent cheekbone would be notched. His eyes searched mine, panic and intensity in his gaze.
“Did she hurt you?”
I cupped his face, staring at the mess she’d made of my second greatest heartbreak. “What kind of demon is she? Ink? Nasatch?” My voice shook, but not too much. His hair was still silky between the patches of sticky blood.
“Timor. She’s a fear demon.”
“A fear demon?” I carefully touched the skin around the gash. It was hot enough to burn my fingers, but I didn’t pull away. His eyes tracked me with glowing flickers that never blinked. “Why was she in my shop?”
His brows lowered and he cautiously touched my cheek like I’d touched him. “She’s been feeding on your fear. You’ve been afraid to leave your shop since you met her. No, you were probably afraid before she came, but then she would have increased your fear so she could feed on it. I’m so sorry, Cherry. Candy. Sandra. I thought you’d be safe without me, away from my world. Demons have always congregated around me, looking for someone to lead them. I didn’t think you’d carry a trace of my energy without me. I never would have let you go if I didn’t truly believe that it was better for you. I was wrong. This is my fault. Years of fear, weakness, misery, all of that is my responsibility. What will you have me suffer for my error?”
He slowly sank to his knees until he was looking up at me. He had to crouch as well as lose half his legs to be lower than my head. “What punishment will you give me, my Queen?”
His eyes flickered with streaks of black while that slice in his left eye made my stomach turn.
I traced the cut on his cheek. “You’ve suffered enough.”
He glowered, shaking his head. “Never. I should be impaled on the top of your Candy Kingdom, left as a warning to other demons who would hurt you.”
I laughed, but it kind of sounded like a sob. “Pretty sure impaled demon would make me throw up again.” I straightened up. I’d thrown up, but he was a demon, and bleeding, and his skin was coming apart with magma underneath. “I have the perfect punishment.”
He nodded. “Make me suffer.”
Kissing him with vomit breath was definitely a greater punishment than anyone deserved. I brushed my nose over his and then closed my lips over his soft, bottom lip. He tasted like cinnamon bears and maple syrup. Also happiness.
He froze while I closed my eyes and inhaled his taste, trading his strength for my weakness. I sank against him, letting him hold up my head in his large hands until I sank my fingers into his hair and snapped my teeth against his softness.
I tasted his maple syrup blood, burning sweetness and then pulled away, blinking rapidly.
His lip now matched the rest of his face. What was wrong with me? My arm still hurt. And he was looking at me like we were in a bedroom, and he was going to wipe away every bad thing and replace it with happiness. Pleasure. Love.
I cleared my throat and took another step away from him, crossing my arms. “So…now you’ve been punished.”
I whirled around and marched back into my shop, because I had a mess to clean up. Demon gore could not be hygienic. I hada Kingdom to rule, even if it was only made out of candy. And demon gore.
