Chapter 11
Nothing happened for the next few hours, so I was starting to worry that I’d have to look forward to a Shit of Death in my future.
Kaito was monitoring me while multitasking. He worked on a series of maps that sketched out Hell’s Heart that apparently wasn’t just one place. It had layers to it just like Hell itself did.
Because nothing could be easy.
“I’m going to run to the restroom,” I told him.
He frowned at me. “Shit of Death?”
I chuckled. “Not yet. Just had a lot of water.”
He gave me a nod, but he wasn’t doing a good job of hiding his concern.
So much for his faith in me.
Feeling lame, I ventured into the bathroom. When I was done and washing my hands, I blinked a few times at my reflection.
“When did the mirror get so dirty?” I wondered as I wiped it with my fist.
Except, the mirror wasn’t dirty.
Everything around me was perfectly clear. It was my reflection that was the problem.
I was… blurry. As if my features were melting off my face.
“Kaito!” I screamed.
He ran in a moment later, red eyes wide with concern. “What is—oh.” He bent down to get a better look at me. “Well, that’s interesting.”
“Interesting!” I screamed and flailed up my hands. “I’m melting, Kaito!”
He turned me to look at the mirror again. “No, you’re not. You’re using magic. Illusion magic.”
My heartbeat threatened to pound out of my chest as I stared at my twisted features in the mirror. A tingling ran up and down my entire body and a strange sensation of a fine, watery mist lingered over my skin.
“Isn’t that a demon skill?” I asked, my voice trembling as my features still blurred.
He hummed in agreement and kept his hand on my shoulder. My wings hung limply at my back, still useless weights that I had grown used to, as we both stared at my reflection.
Then a new face emerged. One I had seen before, only because I’d dreamed of that face.
A face of someone else, someone new.
“Who are you pretending to be?” Kaito asked, that tone of intrigue returning to his voice. “While you’ve picked a beautiful choice, I do prefer your original face.”
This female had an upturned button nose, freckles, and pretty green eyes.
A regular “girl next door” who I imagined would have a boyfriend, go to a human school and learn human things, and her worst problem would be having to eat the same meal two days in a row that her loving parents cooked for her.
Tears pricked my eyes and I wished that they would vanish into steam. But, my magic was still being drawn by two other realms. Just like a human girl, my sadness was plain for everyone to see.
“I guess, she’s what I wish I could have been. A normal girl with a normal childhood.”
Kaito’s lips pinched on the side. “You’re perfect just as you are, Koneko-chan. We’re going to figure this out, okay?” He turned me to him and the tears flowed harder.
Struggling on a hiccup, I burrowed my face into his chest. My tears soaked the edges of his shirt as I clung to him. “I wish I could believe you.”
Because all I seemed to be capable of believing was that I was a demon at heart. The placebo effect had only brought out demonic magic that changed my appearance, turning me into the person I wished I could be.
That wasn’t going to help my mates.
Wasn’t going to help anyone.
And even though I knew I was going to figure this out, I broke a little in that moment.
Because I didn’t have a plan… and if we didn’t come up with something in the next seven days, Lucifer would win.
And my mates would lose.