Chapter 11 #2
I stumble back in shock, my gasp stuck in my throat. Bending over, I attempt to catch my breath, on hand pressed to my chest as my heart hammers against my ribcage. He scared the crap out of me. Not only that, but he came. He heard my plea. Wait, if he heard me…
Jerking upright, I pin my narrowed gaze on him. “You sneaky demon asshole, could you hear me the whole time?” My cheeks burn with embarrassment that he might have seen me at my most vulnerable, making me think I was abandoned once more.
He just continues to smirk and shrug his shoulders casually.
“I like to check in on you from time to time. I do it with all my investments. I just so happened to be in the area when you hollered.” Extending a hand, he examines his long, sharp nails as though this whole conversation is boring him.
“Your prayer was interesting, so I wanted to see what you would do when they ignored you and you had to turn to me. The demon.”
He saw me praying to the gods, and their rejection.
My cheeks burn even more fiercely and anger chases away my melancholy.
How dare he? Toying with me like this for his own sick pleasure.
What was it he called me? One of his ‘investments’.
He is trying to rile me up and I wish I could say that I won’t let him, but it is too late for that now.
“You made me wait it out and think you weren’t coming. ”
His eyes flick up from his hand and although his expression doesn’t change, he is deadly still and I am suddenly reminded just how powerful he is. “Do you really think that I care about your feelings, human? I am a demon, remember?”
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end and that prickly, heavy atmosphere that I am starting to associate with his magic fills the air. He could snap me in two with his little finger. I need to remember that he is only helping me because it works to his benefit.
All of a sudden, he pushes away from the wall and stalks over to the bed, throwing himself down on it dramatically, the tense atmosphere gone. “Anyway, you don’t have time for this, the prince is on his way to collect you.”
Shit. My eyes widen and I strain my ears to try and hear whatever it is that has alerted him. It is pointless though as all I can hear with my human ears is the guards at the end of the corridor and my frantic heartbeat.
“You said you needed me. What is the problem?” Kit calls, pulling my attention back to him. He’s sitting up on the mattress with a raised brow, waiting for me to speak. Now I know my time is up, the finality of everything settles over me and I struggle to put two words together.
“The king wants more magical gems,” I manage to blurt out, gesturing to the pile. It is a far larger collection than the first time he was here, a mixture of different crystals in a rainbow of colours.
“I’m sure he does.” Kit says dryly, crossing one leg over the other and gives me a look that suggests I am missing something that is going on. “Look, you realise this isn’t going to end, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?” I have a horrible feeling I already know what he’s going to say, that it mirrors one of my own fears.
I want to put my fingers in my ears and hum a tune to drown out the sound of his voice but that won’t stop it from coming to pass.
Fate doesn’t care if I am happy with its plan or not, simply that I play my part.
“The royalty of Rune has been searching for someone magical for generations. Their store of magic is almost totally drained, and then you appear, apparently the answer to their prayers. They think you can do this for them; they are not about to let you go.” If the slow tone he uses wasn’t enough to tell me how much of a simpleton Kit thinks I am, then his exaggerated expressions would do the job.
Frankly, I don’t care if Kit thinks I am being stupid or not, I am overwhelmed, frightened and doing the best I can in this situation.
However, the grim reality of what he’s saying is starting to dawn on me.
He is right, the king will never allow me to leave here.
I have a heart-wrenching realisation; even if I manage to survive this, I will never see Ella again.
“But he promised…” As soon as the words leave my mouth I realise how na?ve I sound. Perhaps I was gullible going into this, trusting the words of a king who used threats to get me to agree to his terms. Stupid. I allowed my fear and hope to overshadow my natural untrusting nature.
Kit tilts his head to one side and looks as though he doesn’t know whether to pity me or slap me.
“You should know better than to trust a man in power.” He could be reading my mind, my thoughts mirroring his sentiment.
“They will make you an offer that sounds like freedom, but in the end, they will still have control over you.”
Is he chiding me, or genuinely trying to give me advice?
One moment he seems mocking, and the next he speaks heavily, as though from experience.
Whatever the reason for his comments, Ella is the most important factor in all of this for me, so if the gilded cage they offer will keep her safe, then I will do whatever is necessary.
The gravity of the moment hits me, if the prince really is on his way to take me to the king, then I have to convince Kit to help me now. “I don’t have time for this,” I snap, closing the distance between us and staring down at him. “Will you fill the gems for me?”
He seems surprised at my sudden assertiveness, wasting precious seconds as he studies me intently.
I want to grab and shake him by the shoulder to stop him from wasting time, but he still has to agree.
Slowly, he stands up and I realise just how close I actually am to him.
My nose almost brushes against his chest, and although everything screams in my to back away, I force myself to hold my ground.
Still, he stares at me, expression heavy with emotion I don’t have time to pick apart. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
I can almost feel every second ticking by as he wastes time asking me stupid questions.
Every part of me is tingling with pent up energy thanks to the adrenaline racing through my body.
There is more behind his question than appears, and I will probably regret not thinking over this at a later date, but I don’t have luxury of time for that.
“What do you mean?” I’m exasperated, I thought demons loved to make deals, so what is his problem? Not waiting for his response I glance over my shoulder at the still locked door. “Please, Kit, make a deal with me.”
The heavy silence pulls my attention back to the demon in the room, my instincts warning me to tread carefully. Finally listening, I take several slow steps backward to put some space between us. His gaze is locked on me the entire time.
He grins at me, his whole demeanour changing in the blink of an eye. Gone is the serious male he was a second ago, and in his place is the sarky demon that I recognise. Clicking his fingers, he disappears, leaving me in shock. What? No, where did he go?! I cannot do this without him-
“Okay,” he purrs into my ear, “what are you willing to give me in return?”
Gasping, I spin around, flinging an arm out instinctively. I realise too late that it’s Kit, my arm landing a blow on his chest. Eyebrows raised; he looks down where I hit him. Seeing as he just magicked himself from one spot to another, he easily could have stopped me. I doubt he even felt it.
“Is that how you thank your saviour?” He smirks at me, enjoying this entirely too much.
“That is what you get for scaring me.” I snap back, embarrassed and flustered. Why is he wasting time? Is he trying to make me desperate so I have no choice other than to accept anything he asks for. “I have nothing, you know that. I could offer you another favour?”
He is shaking his head before I have even finished “No, I do not need another favour. Here is my deal.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he tilts his head to one side, watching my every move.
“I will fill these gems for you, and teach you to wield magic. Until the time that you can use it without my assistance, I shall help you.”
I didn’t know it was even possible to grant magic to someone, and here he is offering me not only that, but a solution so I will not have to keep relying on him. This sounds too good to be true. Why would he offer me something like that?
The clink of keys down the corridor and the low hum of male voices suddenly makes my heart pound in my chest. They are almost here. I don’t have the time to think on this further. “What do you want in return?” I hiss, trying to keep quiet, desperation fuelling my every move.
Kit’s smile suddenly stretches into a grin, showing off his needle-sharp incisors and I step back in fear.
“Oh, dear Kiara. I want your soul.”