“Only because I’d never kill a human. And that’s what she is. At least you have the Powers to defend yourself.”
“That’s right – and don’t forget it.” Even my hair feels like it’s on fire as I focus on controlling my rage. My heels dig into the soft ground. This whole thing with Kieron was a set-up, a trick…
“Lucky, please relax. I don’t want to fight you, I don’t want to hurt you, and I certainly don’t want to kill you. I only told you the truth because we have a situation we need to sort out-”
“The only thing that needs to happen is you need to stay the hell away from me. And Liora.” My eyes are angry slits and my voice shakes with rage. Silently, I will Kieron to stand up and attack me. I want to fight. I want to smash his lying face in.
But when he rises to his feet, it’s not with the aggressive posturing I hoped for, but with regretful trepidation. I’m unmoved by the hurt in his eyes. He’s nothing but a dirty demion here on a mission to kill me, who just happened to get sidetracked by the circus-freak sideshow that is my life. I’ve had other demons come after me before, but they’ve never gone through Liora to get to me. This is a whole new level of low.
“Lucky, please listen to me, I understand why you’re upset, but you have it all wrong.”
“Guess I’ve been wrong about a lot of things lately,” I say, storming away. I need to get out of here and away from him now.
“I knew from the first night I came to Demon Bar,” he calls out. “The first time you entered the room…I knew you were special…I could feel it in my soul. The Deveni’s told me you were the one I was seeking, and they were right. But before I’d even spoken to you, I knew my mission was off…that I had to find another way. That I needed to know you—”
I stop walking and spin back around. First, he uses me and lies to me, now he’s talking to me like I’m some idiot schoolgirl. Does he want to die tonight?
“You’re lying. I remember the first night you were in Demon Bar. I saw you. You sat in the corner and didn’t turn around once. There’s no way you saw me. Nice try.”
Kieron takes a tentative step toward me. “I’m part Latros demon, remember?” His small smile causes my insides to smolder. Now I don’t know who I’m madder at: him for being a lying snake bastard; or me for still being affected by his sexy grin.
“Yeah, so? What does that have to do with…?”
I suddenly remember something Ivy mentioned to me long ago, when she was explaining to me how her eyes are able to see through solid steel...
“Wait…Do you really have the three-sixty vision? You can actually see out of your whole head?” I ask, my curiosity briefly outweighing my animosity.
He nods, taking another small step. “I was watching you the whole time. After you left, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I knew I needed to get to know you. But I wasn’t sure how. I tracked you to Liora’s school a few days later, and that night I waited for you to return to Demon Bar. And then…” His voice trails off.
“And then…what?” My voice is lower, less angry. More apprehensive.
“I followed you,” he confesses. “You ran off with your friend, the hellhound. I heard you cry. I saw your pain as you mourned for your friends…your human friends. I…I’ve never seen that from another demion before…”
“Yeah , well, that’s her fault,” I mutter. “Told you she gets all emotional.” My humiliation at having him witness such a private moment is only slightly tempered by the compassion in his eyes.
“I understand what drives you to do what you do. Why you hunt other demons.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
“Trust me.” His face unexpectedly fills with pain. “My mother, my human mother, was murdered while I was forced to watch. The demons who did it took their sweet time, and I was powerless to stop them. I was six years old, but it may as well have happened yesterday.”
As I hear these words, my anger slowly subsides. He’s not seeking pity. He’s not making excuses. He’s only offering his understanding.
He drops his head and returns to his seat on the cliff. I stare at the back of his head for a long moment, wondering if he’s watching me. But I no longer want to leave. I don’t even hate him anymore. He’s seen the same horrors I have. He’s experienced the same unspeakable suffering. He’s felt the same horrible feeling of powerlessness so alien to most of our species.
He’s lost someone he loved. Just like me. A kindred spirit. Tatiana told me about them one time when I was little.