Read Online Bittersweet Seraphim by Debra Anastasia - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Debra Anastasia
Ads: Link
he’d caused. She didn’t think she could do it and mean it.
Everett put down his leg and sat again. He tilted his head inquisitively. “Wait a fucking minute. What game are you playing? Emma, I swear you’d better never say that to me again. How did you find out about that?”
He wasn’t making any sense, or else her brain wasn’t computing anymore. “You wanted answers,” she said. “That’s all I have.”
“How did you know what my mother said to me? Were you there? Were you eavesdropping? I wouldn’t put it past you.” Everett stood and hurled the chair at her.
She flinched, but it exploded into wood splinters against the air, not touching her at all.
“That’s almost exactly what my mother said when she left me!” He curled his fists and lip at the same time.
And then there was a blip in Emma’s heart, just a smoke of a chance of sympathy for this evil bastard. “I’m sorry your mother left you.” And she was. No child should be rejected.
“No, you’re not. Fuck that, fuck her, and fuck you. She said I was broken. Because I liked to kill animals, because I hit her when I wanted something, that’s why she was leaving.” Everett spat his words.
Emma felt the ghost of sympathy give way to revulsion. “Did you do those things?”
Everett turned his back on her and shook out his long hair in an absolute rage. “I did. I killed the animals because they couldn’t stop me. They followed the same patterns every time. Just one drop of kindness, and they were at my mercy. But she didn’t get it. Every time I killed something, I didn’t kill her…She didn’t wait around to find out if I’d ever get brave enough for the real deal,” he added softly.
Emma covered her mouth and nausea rolled in her stomach. He was the worst damn thing.
“So when I found you, I did the same thing. I followed the rules, followed society’s pattern. You said yes. You said you would marry me.” He turned toward her again and stood close to the hunger trap, eyes wild. “But then you didn’t!”
A horrible question forced its way from her lips. “What happened to your mother?”
“Don’t ask about her! Don’t you even open your lying mouth.” Everett grew powerful in his rage. The whole room behind him glowed red, and heat came radiating out. He glanced over his shoulder and laughed. “Yes! Yes, this is what I needed. I needed to remember who I was to get to you. So simple.”
Everett stepped into hunger, but his eyes never wavered. He didn’t twitch with the need to eat like he’d done before. He took sure, confident steps toward her, and Emma’s heart sank. Without the internal plagues, nothing would protect her now. She knew she should run…try…move…but she didn’t have the coordination to rise anymore, so she just watched.
Three footsteps in, the floor around Everett began to vibrate. Both she and he looked around in surprise as a distinctly metal-on-metal noise clanked to life. Everett was yanked back as if on puppet strings, and a gate slammed down, sealing Emma in, away from the Devil.
The cement finally stilled, and Emma’s mouth dropped open as Everett pulled himself to standing. Now, not only was Emma in the center of a Hellacious hallway, there was a jail-like door solidly separating her from an escape. Even if she were able to wade back through the perils, the gate would keep her inside.
“Did you do this?” Everett glared at her and grabbed the bars.
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I have a garage door opener stuffed in my armpit. So glad I was able to keep that from you.”
Then she saw a small square of cement begin to glow. When she squinted, she could tell it was a keyboard. Everett followed her line of vision and scrunched down a bit so he could get a glimpse of what she was seeing on her side.
“That’s some sort of control panel,” he announced. “Get over there and try it.” He nodded like this was a brilliant plan, the obvious choice.
“Hey, dimwit. I’m
Everett put down his leg and sat again. He tilted his head inquisitively. “Wait a fucking minute. What game are you playing? Emma, I swear you’d better never say that to me again. How did you find out about that?”
He wasn’t making any sense, or else her brain wasn’t computing anymore. “You wanted answers,” she said. “That’s all I have.”
“How did you know what my mother said to me? Were you there? Were you eavesdropping? I wouldn’t put it past you.” Everett stood and hurled the chair at her.
She flinched, but it exploded into wood splinters against the air, not touching her at all.
“That’s almost exactly what my mother said when she left me!” He curled his fists and lip at the same time.
And then there was a blip in Emma’s heart, just a smoke of a chance of sympathy for this evil bastard. “I’m sorry your mother left you.” And she was. No child should be rejected.
“No, you’re not. Fuck that, fuck her, and fuck you. She said I was broken. Because I liked to kill animals, because I hit her when I wanted something, that’s why she was leaving.” Everett spat his words.
Emma felt the ghost of sympathy give way to revulsion. “Did you do those things?”
Everett turned his back on her and shook out his long hair in an absolute rage. “I did. I killed the animals because they couldn’t stop me. They followed the same patterns every time. Just one drop of kindness, and they were at my mercy. But she didn’t get it. Every time I killed something, I didn’t kill her…She didn’t wait around to find out if I’d ever get brave enough for the real deal,” he added softly.
Emma covered her mouth and nausea rolled in her stomach. He was the worst damn thing.
“So when I found you, I did the same thing. I followed the rules, followed society’s pattern. You said yes. You said you would marry me.” He turned toward her again and stood close to the hunger trap, eyes wild. “But then you didn’t!”
A horrible question forced its way from her lips. “What happened to your mother?”
“Don’t ask about her! Don’t you even open your lying mouth.” Everett grew powerful in his rage. The whole room behind him glowed red, and heat came radiating out. He glanced over his shoulder and laughed. “Yes! Yes, this is what I needed. I needed to remember who I was to get to you. So simple.”
Everett stepped into hunger, but his eyes never wavered. He didn’t twitch with the need to eat like he’d done before. He took sure, confident steps toward her, and Emma’s heart sank. Without the internal plagues, nothing would protect her now. She knew she should run…try…move…but she didn’t have the coordination to rise anymore, so she just watched.
Three footsteps in, the floor around Everett began to vibrate. Both she and he looked around in surprise as a distinctly metal-on-metal noise clanked to life. Everett was yanked back as if on puppet strings, and a gate slammed down, sealing Emma in, away from the Devil.
The cement finally stilled, and Emma’s mouth dropped open as Everett pulled himself to standing. Now, not only was Emma in the center of a Hellacious hallway, there was a jail-like door solidly separating her from an escape. Even if she were able to wade back through the perils, the gate would keep her inside.
“Did you do this?” Everett glared at her and grabbed the bars.
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I have a garage door opener stuffed in my armpit. So glad I was able to keep that from you.”
Then she saw a small square of cement begin to glow. When she squinted, she could tell it was a keyboard. Everett followed her line of vision and scrunched down a bit so he could get a glimpse of what she was seeing on her side.
“That’s some sort of control panel,” he announced. “Get over there and try it.” He nodded like this was a brilliant plan, the obvious choice.
“Hey, dimwit. I’m
Similar Books
