Page 33 of Kiss of a Hellish Prince

“Yeah, I mostly run from my problems.”

Darrius snickered at my attempt at a joke. Neither Kylie nor Ulric cracked a smile. Tough room.

“Okay, let’s test your endurance.” Darrius led me over to one of the treadmills.

I got on and started at a slow pace to warm up for a moment, needing to shake out the stiffness from my legs and the aches in my side. After a few minutes, I increased the speed to my normal speed. I was fast; running just for fun, I averaged around eight to ten minutes a mile. Not Usain Bolt fast, but decent times in a 5k.

As I hit my stride, I relaxed into the pace, enjoying the feeling, until Darrius stepped in front of the treadmill.

“All warmed up?” he asked.

I nodded, trying not to show how I was already breathing heavily.

Darrius reached over, pushing the button to increase the speed and the incline.

Fucking sadist.

My thighs burned almost instantly. Running is one thing. Running uphill was a whole different story.

Still, I needed to be special. I wanted to fit in here. I wasn’t strong. Fine. I had shit balance. Okay, if I was honest, my general clumsiness kind of already clued me into that. Running I could do. I enjoyed running. It was my thing; it had to be my thing. I refused to give up.

In seconds, rivers of sweat ran down my back, soaking my shirt. The bagel I’d had for breakfast an hour ago sat like a rock. I just needed to push through.

I needed this; I needed somewhere to belong, to fit in.

Darrius increased the speed again. In trying to keep up with the belt that was now flying underneath me, I stepped on the outside edge of my foot. My ankle rolled. I grabbed onto the console of the treadmill, holding on for dear life, trying to get my feet back under me.

With a pitying look, Darrius reached over and turned off the treadmill.

When the belt slowed to a stop, I fell to my knees then lay down on the belt, trying to catch my breath.

I was weak, clumsy, and had shit endurance.

Fuck.

Maybe I’d been fooling myself this whole time, and I was destined for a life in a cubical, explaining health insurance claims or selling cruise packages. I was going to have a mundane, average job to support my mundane, average life.

Rune handed me an open bottle of cold water. I took it and gulped down half the bottle before I choked out a “thanks.”

That’s right, Rune had a front-row seat to all of this, so not only had he witnessed my mundaneness, but now he was also seeing me panting on the floor, no doubt red-faced, my hair sticking up everywhere, and covered in sweat. I probably smelled like a locker room.

“Maybe her gifts just haven’t kicked in yet,” Murmur offered.

“Maybe,” Ulric said.

“It’s okay either way,” Rune said. “I was thinking of starting a program to help settle newcomers in Manheim. A demon customer-service line they could call if they need help or don’t understand something. I think you would be uniquely qualified for something like that.”

I think Rune was trying to help. But the idea of sitting at a desk all day answering the same questions over and over made my stomach clench. It didn’t help that he looked so excited about it.

“You wouldn’t have to go into the field again. You would always be safe and can keep an eye on your sisters.” Rune kept talking, and the more he spoke, the sicker I felt.

Ulric turned to Rune. “You said she was fighting off three members of the rebellion when you found her?”

“Yeah,” Rune said with a raised eyebrow, crossing his massive arms in front of his chest.

I bet he could have lifted the one twenty.

“Did she hold her own?” Ulric asked.

---