Read Online A Demon Made Me Do It by Penelope King - Free Book Online

aloud, hoping
somewhere deep inside she hears me. I don’t even care if she has a
good reason for leaving me in that filthy place. This is
unforgivable and she’s just really flippin’ lucky she ruined her own clothes instead
of mine .
    I’m busy cursing Liora’s name and
shaking particulates from my hair when I hear a man’s concerned
voice. “Excuse me, Miss, are you okay?”
    A small group of Sapies
gather near the end of the alley, watching me. They must’ve been
attracted to the loud noise. Great. Rolling my eyes I swish my hands, still dripping
with goo, and mutter, “ Alieno. Leave.” They instantly shuffle away, already
forgetting what drew them here in the first place. All except for
the one who continues to watch me with an amused grin.
    Fan-freakin- tastic.
    “ What are you looking at?”
I ask, scowling in his direction. Of all the witnesses to my mortal
humiliation he has
to be here?
    “ You have pepperoni in your
hair.” He points helpfully to my head.
    I fight back the urge to
vomit and carefully pick out the moldy red disk. Could this night start
off any crappier ? Mustering any dignity is
impossible at this point, so I wipe my hands on my pants, grab the
money bag, and stalk past him. He tenses as I brush by. I’m
half-tempted to blow off the banking entirely, seeing as how it’s
more for Liora’s benefit than mine. I don’t care a whit about
money; I don’t care if it’s for some homeless, snot-nosed brats.
And since Liora has no problem leaving me in a dumpster like a
piece of trash…
    But I know if I don’t get
the checks, Tatiana will be mad. And I make it a point never to get Tatiana
mad—at least not on purpose. But Liora will pay dearly for her
utter lack of respect of me, that’s for damn sure.
    ******
     
    I throw open the door, nearly taking
it off its hinges. Tatiana is sitting on the couch waiting for me.
I angrily toss the bank checks on the table and storm into my
bedroom.
    “ Do not be mad at her,
dear,” Tatiana calls to me. “She was afraid of exposure and had to
conceal herself to avoid a problem. She felt she had no choice. I’m
sure she is very sorry to do that to you.”
    “ Whatever.”
    Fifteen minutes later I emerge from
the shower. I run my hands through my wet hair, and the heat
emanating from my palms rapidly dries the long locks. I pull them
back in a low ponytail and my fingers briefly touch my Mark. To
Liora and other Sapies, the Mark burns hot to the touch. For me, it
feels cool…like ice.
    This Mark on the back of
our neck is the reason Liora won’t ever wear her hair up; she
doesn’t want anyone to see it. Personally I don’t see what the big
deal is. It just looks like an ordinary tattoo—a simple red star.
Something anyone could get at any tattoo parlor. It’s not like it
spells out, “I am half-demon,” or anything. I swear, she’s such a demon
bigot.
    After changing into an all-black
leather outfit—perfectly suited for my all-black mood—I charge into
Tatiana’s room. She’s stirring her cauldron, the cool steam curling
ghostly ribbons around her serene visage.
    “ Find me some demons to
slay. Tormenting won’t cut it tonight.”
    Since I’m forbidden to kill Sapies,
and fighting with other demons in Thiberoux is outlawed by Demonic
Decree, I have to find my fun elsewhere: The world of
Man.
    Naturally, I never fight
with any from my own tribe, but there are
others… many others
who encroach on the surrounding towns and use the Sapies as
playthings. It’s these creatures that provide me with an outlet for
my natural desires. And right now—with the Amazèa out of
reach again —I have
a very big itch to scratch. And long, perfectly-manicured black
nails to scratch it with.
    “ I feel your fire and know
you must hunt. If you want to stay close by, in Richmond there are
two Paraste demons working out of the Galaxy Nightclub. Or, you
could go back to New York, where there are several—”
    “ I’ll take the Parastes,” I
say.