Page 40 of The Demon Crown

Damn it, his little treasure had been right, and that made him burn from the inside out. Apparently, he’d made some noise or appeared even more frightening because the parents raced away from him. The mother scooped up her daughter in her arms and sprinted into the nearest alleyway.

It didn’t matter. He would take their fear of him as much as he would take their love.

Turning his attention to Ivo and Morag, he jerked his chin at the house. “Bring him out.”

Other villagers were arriving already. They were clearly interested in what their king was about to do, and he felt their greed scenting the air. Like whiskey and wine, all powerful and consuming. He could grow drunk on it. Feast upon their emotions and glut himself on the power that only he fed from.

Instead, he held himself still and quiet until he heard shouting behind him. Oryx stumbled out of his home, shoved out by Ivo, who stood behind him like a living shield. Morag stayed in the shadows behind them, her hands on her blades. Already, a thin line of blood marred Oryx’s handsome face.

The man was what every woman dreamed of. Tall, thin, lean, more muscular than most of his counterparts. The man’s skin was like warm caramel and his eyes were framed with long, dark lashes. He gathered himself and strode toward Greed, uncaring that he lacked a shirt and his trousers were still half buttoned.

“My king!” he called out. “I didn’t know I should expect a visit from you. Please, come inside.”

“I’m not coming inside.”

A flash of fear in Oryx’s eyes gave him away. One moment, the man was looking between him and the crowd of people standing behind him, and then he was running. Ach, they always tried to run.

Rolling his eyes, Greed paced beside the fountain as Morag launched into movement. Her quick feet were faster than any mortal. And in this moment, he didn’t care that she failed to hide how different she actually was. Passion was agile, too fast for human eyes to even track. So fast even the wind couldn’t catch her.

In moments, she had his advisor on his knees in front of him. Her hand on his shoulder, not even breathing hard, she stared back at Greed with an understanding.

This man died today. He had lied and so he would pay.

Greed leaned down, hands on his knees, and grinned into the face of the terrified man. “You’ve been lying to me, Oryx.”

“I haven’t. I would never.”

He gestured to the crowd of people. “Then why did I hear your people were lacking water? When you have been given a water source to dole out to your entire town, making sure your people were cared for?”

“It was always implied that I could do whatever I wished with the water.” Oryx swallowed, but then his gaze turned flinty. “You’ve never cared for your people or how our towns were run.”

He hummed deep in his throat. “And I was always told that humans were kinder than demons.”

Wasn’t that what everyone always said about him and his brothers? Demons were monstrous beings that were unpredictable and evil to their core. Should he show them they were right?

He thought so.

Grabbing Oryx by the back of the neck, he dragged the man toward the fountain. Of course, his advisor fought against him. He had to know what Greed was going to do, but he carried the man by his head like a toy.

And when they reached the edge of the stone, Greed peered down into the three inches of still water there.

“You know, it’s possible to drown in an inch of water.” He sighed and then gave the man a little shake. “I’ve never believed that. Do you?”

Oryx spluttered something that he couldn’t quite make out. That was all right, though. Greed didn’t need to hear him speak. He already knew the man was guilty.

Lifting him up, Greed shook him one more time. “Let’s find out if it’s true together.”

Oryx’s eyes widened in fear before he tried to grab onto the edge of the fountain. But Morag held onto his arms and then Greed plunged the man’s face into the water. Three inches ought to be more than enough. He held him down as the man struggled, already wasting precious bubbles of air as he screamed.

Ignoring the man in his grip, he turned his attention instead to the crowd. “Your water was always meant to be rationed between all of you. Your advisor was a fool. You will be appointed a new one.”

They all stared at him with horrified expressions, but no one argued with him. They wouldn’t put forth their own suggestion for an advisor either, but that was fine. He’d find a better one. One who wouldn’t be such an idiot.

Already Oryx’s fight had weakened. His hands didn’t so much as push at the stone as he was grabbing onto it now. Trying his best to stay alive when his body knew the struggle was futile. Soon he would die and Greed would feel a margin better.

“Mercy!” a voice screamed across the crowd.

Frowning, he narrowed his eyes and tried to find the origin of the voice. But everyone in the crowd looked at each other as though surprised as well.

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