and leaned forward. Her black gloved fingers tapped twice, “Residue. Angel residue leaves a… taste.” Her nose crinkled as she said the word. “I took that from you, so I could fix it. He left the venom crystalized, so that you could not use your demonic abilities without it costing you. He was very clever. It was well masked. But I am too old and too powerful to be fooled so easily. I have not healed you, nor will I. The poison is there by your own hand and none but you can take it away.” She rose from her chair and walked towards me slowly. Her eyes slid over my body as I leaned on the table.
I clutched my weapon so tightly in my hand that my knuckles were turning white. I didn’t turn. I looked straight ahead wondering what the hell Lorren was doing. He didn’t seem like he was helping me at all. Yet, he was protecting Eric. That made no sense.
When she said I could heal myself, I laughed at her words. The sound was hollow and callused, “I can take it away?” I looked up at her, and she nodded. I could see nothing of her face, but I didn’t have to know that she was lying. I answered, “I would have, if it were possible.”
She laughed, “Foolish girl. You cannot put anyone higher than yourself, lest you die. When you destroy Kreturus, you can put everything the way you want it, but until then—you will waste away. The venom will slowly kill you from within—unless you remove it yourself. There is no stopping venom any other way, no matter what that angel told you. He limited your abilities by freezing the sapphire serum and nothing more.”
I flexed my hands and loosened my grip on my comb. The flick of her gaze said she noticed the movement, no matter how tiny it was. She stood in front of me, black gown billowing around her ankles. The light from the false sun above hid her face in complete darkness.
“Why did you call me here?” I turned my head to look up at her. “Why did you pull me through the glass?” I rose in my chair, stood, and looked her in the eye.
“To teach you to use your power,” she replied. “What other reason could there possibly be?” She tilted her head back as her red lips pulled into a tight smile. Silence passed between us.
There was no way for me to defeat Kreturus without using all of my abilities. It was something that I could feel in my bones. I just knew it to be true. But, learning from her—it made my gut twist into knots. Collin warned me not to use my powers, but I knew I would have to if I wanted to defeat Kreturus.
My eyes narrowed to slits as I took a step closer to her. “Why would you help me?”
“I believe it is exceedingly expected for demons to be vindictive and hell-bent on revenge.” She pressed the fingertips of her black gloves together and turned. Her gown flowed as she moved. When she turned to sit, the skirt swirled slightly higher than her ankle. Before the gauzy fabric fell back into place, I saw pale human skin on her leg above her boot. My eyes flicked back to her face before she saw me. She was human. The Demon Princess didn’t notice the flick of my eye. She looked up at me from her seat. “The question is… are you willing to learn?”
I leaned across the table, staring at her. This woman came looking for me. This Demon Princess that was supposed to be dead sucked me into this place for one reason—to kill Kreturus. It made an akward alliance. I didn’t see myself siding with a demon, but a scorned demon was better than winging it. She wanted to teach me, and I needed to learn. One concern rose to the top of my mind—if I killed Kreturus, and this woman’s dark powers exceeded my own—how could I keep her from killing me? She wanted Kreturus’ throne. If I won, what was keeping her from killing me and taking it? A plan formed haphazardly in my mind. I was a few inches from her shrouded face. “No,” I breathed, and she flinched. “The question is will you teach me everything you know. Will you teach it to me
I clutched my weapon so tightly in my hand that my knuckles were turning white. I didn’t turn. I looked straight ahead wondering what the hell Lorren was doing. He didn’t seem like he was helping me at all. Yet, he was protecting Eric. That made no sense.
When she said I could heal myself, I laughed at her words. The sound was hollow and callused, “I can take it away?” I looked up at her, and she nodded. I could see nothing of her face, but I didn’t have to know that she was lying. I answered, “I would have, if it were possible.”
She laughed, “Foolish girl. You cannot put anyone higher than yourself, lest you die. When you destroy Kreturus, you can put everything the way you want it, but until then—you will waste away. The venom will slowly kill you from within—unless you remove it yourself. There is no stopping venom any other way, no matter what that angel told you. He limited your abilities by freezing the sapphire serum and nothing more.”
I flexed my hands and loosened my grip on my comb. The flick of her gaze said she noticed the movement, no matter how tiny it was. She stood in front of me, black gown billowing around her ankles. The light from the false sun above hid her face in complete darkness.
“Why did you call me here?” I turned my head to look up at her. “Why did you pull me through the glass?” I rose in my chair, stood, and looked her in the eye.
“To teach you to use your power,” she replied. “What other reason could there possibly be?” She tilted her head back as her red lips pulled into a tight smile. Silence passed between us.
There was no way for me to defeat Kreturus without using all of my abilities. It was something that I could feel in my bones. I just knew it to be true. But, learning from her—it made my gut twist into knots. Collin warned me not to use my powers, but I knew I would have to if I wanted to defeat Kreturus.
My eyes narrowed to slits as I took a step closer to her. “Why would you help me?”
“I believe it is exceedingly expected for demons to be vindictive and hell-bent on revenge.” She pressed the fingertips of her black gloves together and turned. Her gown flowed as she moved. When she turned to sit, the skirt swirled slightly higher than her ankle. Before the gauzy fabric fell back into place, I saw pale human skin on her leg above her boot. My eyes flicked back to her face before she saw me. She was human. The Demon Princess didn’t notice the flick of my eye. She looked up at me from her seat. “The question is… are you willing to learn?”
I leaned across the table, staring at her. This woman came looking for me. This Demon Princess that was supposed to be dead sucked me into this place for one reason—to kill Kreturus. It made an akward alliance. I didn’t see myself siding with a demon, but a scorned demon was better than winging it. She wanted to teach me, and I needed to learn. One concern rose to the top of my mind—if I killed Kreturus, and this woman’s dark powers exceeded my own—how could I keep her from killing me? She wanted Kreturus’ throne. If I won, what was keeping her from killing me and taking it? A plan formed haphazardly in my mind. I was a few inches from her shrouded face. “No,” I breathed, and she flinched. “The question is will you teach me everything you know. Will you teach it to me
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